Deciding one’s profession is perhaps the most important decision youthhave to make. As soon as you are out of school as an adolescent,everyone begins to ask to that one question: “So, what career do youwant to pursue?” You are expected to know the answer well before youare eighteen years old. Well meaning uncles advise you to assist yourfather in the family business, your own father wants you to become thebest software engineer there is and join Bill Gates at Microsoft. Yourmother, who has seen you grow up in front of her eyes, wants you topursue painting, which is very close to your heart. But there is onefield which is absolutely no one recommends: politics.
And withvery good reason. Yes, I do not want to be a politician once I grow up.Politics nowadays is a field littered with scavengers, vultures whowant their share of the pie before the Motherland can have hers. Thepeople themselves have lost faith in the system of governance, with ourdemocracy being labeled as a joke. Yes, we are considered to be theworld’s biggest democracy with the maximum number of voters. But thenMuslim leaders target the Islamic population and Hindu fanatic leadersare no less, embarking on a campaign of Hindutva. Local parties want tooust all the North Indian population from Mumbai, claiming they takeaway the local’s right to employment and space of dwelling. When thecountry’s own leaders want to divide the masses on grands of religion,faith, caste, greed, race or belief, you can understand that the stateof governance in the country is poor. The country’s political system isat war with itself, almost choking on the level of bureaucracy and redtapism that exists.
Politics in our country has been reduced to nothing more than a blamegame. The Parliament has begun to resemble a crowded fish market, withno one listening to the other person. Thus, in such a condition it isnot advisable to take up politics. You will lose all that is close toyou, your morals, your conscience and your values. The system will notallow you to survive otherwise. To be the proverbial lotus in the dirtylake will be increasingly difficult in times to come. I do not want tobe a corrupt politician leading my country to certain doom. I want tohelp from the outside, without involving myself in the faltered systemwhich could not prevent the terror attacks in November despite beingwarned. There is now certain anger in the masses towards thegovernments it needs to be channelised in a positive way.
More politics, back biting, bureaucracy and blaming is not the answer.It is time we ourselves from organizations to solve the country’sproblems and help the poor and needy. Taking active interest in thewell being of society is a fundamental duty of every citizen. If weeducate ourselves and others effectively about this, I am sure Indiacan rise and shine. India will once again be the golden songbird of theworld. I will forever be devoted to the service of my country. As I sayin my pledge to the country daily: - “To my country and my people, Ipledge my devotion. In their well-being and prosperity, alone lies myhappiness
