ADDICTIONS!

The rich industrialist from the North was horrified to find the Southern fisherman lying lazily beside his boat, smoking a pipe.

'Why aren't you out fishing?' said the industrialist.

'Because i have caught enough fish for the day, ' said the fisherman.

'Why don't you catch some more?'

'What would I do with it?'

'You could earn some money' was the reply.

'With that you could have a motor fixed to your boat and go into deeper waters and catch more fish. Then you would make enough money to buy nylon nets. These would bring you more fish and more money. Soon you would have enough money to own two boats...maybe even a fleet of boats. Then you would be a rich man like me.'

'What would I do then?'

'Then you could really enjoy life.'

'What do you think I am doing right now?' --- Antony de Mello

How many of us are like this rich industrialist? we chase after money and affluence in order to be happy, but never realize that happiness is like a beautiful butterfly that will alight on you once you stop chasing the transitory around!

We live in an extremely busy world. The speed with which we run around is ever accelerating. But what is the reason that we are so preoccupied? What are we actually doing? Well we on this planet are chasing behind four major objectives:

Firstly it is MONEY or fortune that drives us around. Our world thrives on materialism. Consumerism dominates us and this is fostered by the media which entraps us in the web of a powerful consumerist culture. The verbal and non verbal messages we receive today, the body language and the sound of silence so to say is that economic well being is the most important and this condition must be acquired by all means, or so to say by whatever means! Yes the craving after money is an addiction that can be really harmful. It is one big time destroyer of peace and tranquility.

The next addiction that plagues the human race is FAME and popularity. We love to impress people we do not like by buying things we actually do not need!! Fame is the intense desire to be liked and enamored by the world around. The Bible frankly states that people of long ago nor people yet to come will be remembered ( Ecclesiastes 2:1). What is the use of wasting money building graves and maintaining them? What is the use of erecting statues of people - this is only wasting the tax money of the citizens of the country. If people are remembered, they must be for the good they do, not because they are buried in the most expensive, modern and well constructed grave in the most expensive graveyard or because their statues dot the sky line of a city! At this point I am reminded of Lord Byron who wrote:

 "My days are in the yellow leaf:

The flowers,the fruit of love are gone:

The worm, the canker and the grief

are mine alone."

POWER is another addiction. The craving behind power is the desire to possess the capacity to control others and manipulate and exploit them. If you become a leader without chasing behind power it is healthy, otherwise it is not.Manipulating others just because you can lord over them is nothing but selfishness. Yes 'power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely'- Lord Acton. The person who is in love with power normally struts around with this mantra in his or her head 'look at me, look at me, every one look at me!!' They love to be the cynosure everywhere, but deep inside are lonely and sad. They may have the outer garb of happiness, laugh aloud and have 'friends' around them but all along will be aware that deep down - really deep down they are living a life of sham and pretense.

The last addiction is the craze behind PLEASURE. People love pleasure, and this then creates the addiction for money. If you enjoy it then do it - is the norm of the peasure seeker. Dont ever worry about the other! Rapists, molestors of women seek such lust filled pleasure and never think about the trauma their actions cause in the person of the surviving victims and their families. 

"Pleasures are like poppies spread:

You seize the flower , the bloom is shed;

Or like a snowfall in the river,

a moment white-then melts for ever;

Or like the borealis race, 

That flit ere you can point their place;

Or like the rainbow's lovely form,

Evanescing amid the storm"-- Robert Burns

Finally looking at the four addictions it is clear that the four are interwoven into an intricate fabric! one giving 'hue' and 'colour' to the other! Let us not ever get embroiled into weaving such a fabric in our lives!

                                                                   ~~~ Crystal David John

DEVELOPMENTAL DIVIDES

The Indian economy has indeed forged ahead in terms of economic growth since the 1980s and it cannot be denied that India has emerged one of the world's fastest growing economies. Endowed with a rich heritage, a young population, enviable resources, India seems to have a bright future in the economic front. it must also be borne in mind that India also has the distinction of acquiring considerable economic growth within the framework of a democracy. this is not the case for other countries that have registered economic growth.

In spite of this optimism, India is not without doubt and problems. Development instead of reaching out to all has only augmented inequalities. For growth has not encompassed all sectors of the Indian economy uniformly. Growth has on the whole been service specific and sectors like the primary small scale and cottage industries have witnessed slow and erratic progress.

Economic growth especially after the early years of privatization of the economy, and later with globalization taking full control, the toll of the people of the country has been both positive and negative. Nearly all areas of life have been globalized, but all said and done, growth has not been inclusive in nature. Growth has not accommodated all peoples across cultures, caste, class, gender creed and color etc.There seems to be a growing disquiet and discontent among many groups.The growth in the economy has not been accompanied by the provisioning of good public services such as health care, education, power supply, water and infrastructure to all its citizens. 

Instead of gaining rights and freedoms, the poor only find themselves more and more alienated and subjected to wider abuses and denial of basic rights. Both the access to and the ability to use the resources, if accessed are out rightly denied to them.Large number of individuals are trapped in poverty and face a life of debt, deprivation, disease and starvation.A great divide exists between the rich and the poor, the urban and the rural, men and women, the bourgeois and the proletariat, upper and lower castes, higher and lower classes. The urban sector as Michael Lipton puts it "possesses most of the articulations, organization, money and power" Resource allocations between the dogs and the underdogs have always prioritized the needs and aspirations of the former. Elites in the country aided largely by global business view globalization as an opportunity to exploit the poor more effectively.Is it not true that one of the so called the resources of the nation is the continuous existence and nurturing of the poor, the marginalized and the powerless to remain thus? there seems to be an urgent need for them to exist in this state so that the others can rise the corporate ladder by using them as the  rugs. Has development not fostered and enlarged divisions in the economy? Should growth not be shared more equally? For, the question that stares us in the face is "growth for whom"? In this context what our Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said comes to bear great relevance - " It is important that as a country we learn to walk on two legs, one embracing the process of high growth and the other on economic development to the marginalized."

It is important that we look at the ideology and paradigm of development and growth in the country, the impact of reforms, result of the ongoing economic growth and the losers and gainers in this scenario.

 The task for economists and policy makers is indeed daunting.The need of the hour is the joint effort of focused ,  honest, and selfless individuals - A resource we truly lack in our country!

~~~Crystal David John