To teach catching a fish is better than catch a fish and give

I am currently in the sacred land (Kolkata) of Sri Ramkrishna, Maa Sarada and Swami Vivekananda. One really needs a vision and heart to love this city, which is poor in infrastructure and often paralyzed by strikes, but rich in culture & heritage and strong enough in its roots of spirituality the seeds of which were sown by these three magnanimous soulsToday, sunday, I went to have some marwari cuisine and happened to cross a footover bridge at Laketown.

There, saw a man who lost his right arm and was sitting there to get mercy from people. I gave him the change I had in my pocket and went ahead to have my lunch. It struck me he would be more hungry than I was and moreover, the amount which I gave or anyone gives is hardly enough to quench his hunger. I thought I should atleast give him one course meal if not anything else and I did that. While returning I gave him the packet of lunch and followed my way. As if god wanted to pat my back instantly, a man came from behind on a bicycle and said "Aap bahut achhe insaan hain, hum ko bahut achha laga dekh ke, bahut achhe hain aap". (You seem to be a nice persoon, it was nice to see you doing that). Made me feel very happy.

Last week, I was reading the book "Swami Vivekananda - The Friend of All", where in Swami ji appealed to the young and educated youth to come forward and help the poor and uneducated by giving them the ideas. This is exactly what they need. This made me think the whole of evening what could I do to help him. A Taxi or a cycle rickshaw for him would do more harm than good. What else could I do? A beautiful idea struck me of giving him a cart of 4 tyres and get him some vegetables and give him some money. This could set the ball rolling and if he continues to persevere he would never need to sit at the same or any other place again.

I called my local friend and find out where I could get that. I went out to find some pani puri wala and asked one of them. His first question was "Uska Kya kariyega? (What would you do with it)". I said I would give it to some one who needs it. He asked "what would he do with it? Will he sell Pani puri and bhel puri?". I said, "May be". He asked "in which area would he sell?". I then realized, he is more worried about his business, than concerned about the poor guy. I said, he could sell vegetables or any thing. At this, he atleast told me that I could get it in Naga bazaaar for 3000-4000. Or I could get some second hand cart as well.

It was 9 PM by then. I went to the same footover bridge to check if the person was still available there and him if he would buy this idea. But, I could not find him there. I tried again next week and see if this idea can become a reality. I left it to god's will and said if you want me to help that man, make me see him again.

Few days later, I saw him and discussed my idea with him after offering him a packet of lunch. I was speaking in hindi and he in Bengali, but we were able to catch one another. He said he lost his arm due to cancer. He denied the offer i made saying its not possible for him to get the vegetables every day from a far off place with just one hand. He requested to find some work for him where he can just sit and do. I tried to find such work, but could not.

I felt bit awkward that he denied the offer to live a life more respectful as compared to begging. But somehow, I felt deep down he needs more of an encouragement to rise above his limitations. Though I could not do much in that situation, but atleast it gave me an idea as to what I should do the next time I come across.

A good legal system is inevitable for good living

One more of my blog, though a comparison between India and US, the intention is not to curse my country because I am sitting in US right now. It is out of observation, as to what differently we could have done

In India, the 1st thing we do upon buying a plot of land is to build a compound wall so that others don't encroach upon the land. Still that wall is not a guarantee! In US, I have not seen a single home yet, which has a compound wall. At max, they will have some plantations as their compound wall.

In India, we often come across cases where the tenant stops paying the rent and occupies the property. And the defaulter always wishes that a case be filed in court. Because once it is filed, no one can force them out till the time the judgement comes out.

Many ride without helmets, jump signals and the traffic ticket comes to our address months after we have broken the rule.

Many willfully default the payment to credit card companies and then they come begging for a 50% settlement and the defaulter takes a pride in it.

Why is this so? In a place where the legal system should create a fear about doing wrong and set an example for others to follow, ours is like an encouragement to do wrong.

The statistics show we have more than 2 crore cases pending in our courts. Can this figure ever meet a logical end? Is this something we have been gifted by the British regime or some thing which we have gifted to ourselves after independence?

One small step, may be a drop in the ocean, taken recently is a modification in Hindu Marriage Act whereby the spouse who earlier used to intentionally skip the hearings to delay the case, will now wont enjoy such privilege. Another is the introduction of the UID.

What is the solution to this issue?

One, may be to take many such steps where possible.

Two is wide spread application of UID, which should track even smallest thing like whether one has made a credit card payment on time to bigger things like traffic violations made to biggest things like criminal cases pending in courts. And then doing a proper arm twisting in such cases like charging a higher rate of interest or higher insurance premium to them

Three , reduce the no of transfers of the judges.

Four, encourage people to have out of court settlements. And may be

Five, to give special powers to lower courts and make them the final authority instead of approaching other higher courts.

But the most important thing is the change should come from with in. Respect the law and have a clean conscience!

East & West - together make a better world

In India flouting norms is very easy, especially the ones related to traffic ,for we all know it is either easy to run away or bribe the policeman by paying a few bucks. The poor/rich police guy takes the money and puts in his own pocket.

In USA, where I am at present, I did not find much of a difference except that this corruption is legalized. In India, when two people meet with an accident, the policeman won't listen whose fault it was. He will just take his share from both the parties and the matter gets over there. Here, the policeman will equally pay you a deaf ear, and issue a traffic ticket to both the parties and ask you to plead in the court as guilty/not-guilty.

If you plead guilty, you will be charged a fine of course, whereas if you plead not-guilty, you have to hire a lawyer who will charge you a hefty $ 500 per court appearance. You may not pay if you win, but you will be squeezed out of your money in case you don't. So, people are cornered enough to plead as guilty.

Probably, one of the reasons why the state treasury is so rich. But yes, the honesty of the policeman needs to be appreciated that you can't bribe him, except when you have guts to face the dire consequences.

In country like India, you increase the fine and the policeman gets more and more rich as he gets more room to negotiate. Here, its the state treasury that gets rich. But condition of the common man remains the same every where.

However, It would be partial on my part if I don't say that the services provided are also at par with the fines. In a country like India where pizza delivery reaches in 30 mins, but ambulance reaches in hours, here you dial 911 even for a flat tire and within minutes you will find assistance around you. But yes, ends do not justify the means.

I do agree every nation and every system has its own greatness & flaws.

Take an illiterate farmer in India, he knows out of ages of farming experience how to treat his land after each crop to make it ready for the next one. You ask him the reason, he won't be able to tell except that it helps him to yield more. People in India know in every 15 days there is a cycle of full moon day and on a full moon day there is high tide in the sea. People in India believe that passing urine immediately after food keeps joint pains at bay. You ask them the reason, they wont be able to tell except that Ayurveda says so.

But the west has taught us out of extensive scientific research- why the land yields more crop when treated in a specific way; full moon day happens because of the changing position of Sun, Earth and the moon; On a full moon day moon comes closer to earth and due to its gravitational pull there is a high tide in the sea.

To prove a theory in science, you start with a belief/assumption and when you derive a certain result , you say "Hence Proved". Its the East which has provided large no of such beliefs (the starting points) and the West has done the research to prove them scientifically. So, my respect goes to both of them equally

But one thing, which even the West ponders upon till now is how does the ancient Ayurveda knows so much about human body. In West where the deceased are buried, it made the bodies available for research. In East where the bodies were always burnt after death, left no such scope. Still the ancient sages of India were able to discover many secrets looking within their bodies through extensive practice of meditation which the science is still proving one-by-one.

Just a couple of years ago, it was scientifically proved why urination immediately after eating helps avoid joint pains is that some chemicals that are generated in the body after eating are also a reason for a joint pains and hence taking them out immediately helps in avoiding joint pains.

When I ponder upon this, I feel proud to be born in the East, which also has taught me to respect the West for what it is!!