Dear readers,
Today, I wish to give a thought
for your heart. I know it sounds absurd but I believe that we can accomplish our target only if our heart and
mind are focused towards it.
As a country, we can move a step
ahead if we know where we are going, if we know where we want to go and most
importantly if we have the will to go there. Be it the road taken or not taken,
we must be clear about our principles and disciplines. But alas! Owing to the
ever-growing greed and avarice, it is strange that we seem to find ourselves
lost in the deep dark woods. Indian policymakers are unable to realize the
responsibility they carry and hence fall short in their duty. Not just them, we
are also to blame for our lackadaisical view about the bottlenecks in nation's progress.
We the youth of today are the
hope for tomorrow. But are we hands-on with all the tools we need? We have the
zeal, the will and anything more? Yes, there is a part of our inner self that
longs to be cleansed. I recently read about our indigenously ethnic phenomena
called the Jagannath culture. This is one piece of religion study that each
Indian must know of for it arouses pure humane values. The ethos of this
tradition lies not in a particular religion but in the universality of all
faiths. This belief is not of dividing people on the basis of their caste or
creed which is embedded in the soul of our society instead advocates the theme
of harmony and peace. The reason for choosing this culture to draw parallels is
that Lord Jagannath is a highly humanized deity and encompasses all beliefs in
himself. He is known as the Lord of the
masses as he has always evolved not for particular individuals but for the
common man. Many epigraphers wonder how Odisha, a region where aboriginals constituted
the major population has developed a distinct yet all-embracing culture called
the Jagannath culture. While we all get ready to embark on this
adventurous yet treacherous journey, there are some golden principles we must
follow like words on hard stone.
Lesson 1: Tonic of Tolerance
One of the salient features of
this culture is tolerance which every young person needs today. We are
impatient in our every action and reaction and for the more crucial issues we
believe in the 'chalta hai' attitude. If we need India to stand upright on its
morals amidst the fast changing world dynamics, the lesson of patience can't be
ignored. The youngsters of today popularly tagged as screenagers must optimize their
invincible potential and channelize their energies towards nation's progress. For
once, we must stop the uproar on security of women. Let's act and eradicate the
menace from the very root. Women don't need to bind themselves to their
protective homes but need to know how much to unwind and where. Even if they
are bold enough to take risks, they must have all weapons in hand. Girls must learn
self defence and not consider themselves the weaker sex.
Lesson 2: Unity in diversity
What we must all learn and
engrain in our minds is that we are all one in our differences and not
similarities. Rising above the narrowness of superficial disparities in
background, it teaches us to love, care and respect all human beings. If the
world is made up of three communities each given a distinct colour: White for
Aryans, Black for Negrites and Yellow for Mongoloids.Sri Jagannath trinity
amazingly exhibits all three hues i.e Balabhadra is White, jagannath is black
and Subhadra is Yellow. There can't be a better symbolic explanation of the
extent of universality this supreme power holds. What is crucial is that we still are blinded by the
differential identities we have.
We must try to purge our
obsession to sectarianism which has not only segregated land into states but
also created conflicts of interest. The compatibility is dying and the day is
not far when we will not be able to meet eye to eye. The recent instance is of
Muzaffarnagar riots where families who have lived in peace as a community for
generation is now broken into pieces. How can we keep aiming for the ever-so-wanted
high GDP if we lose our national uniqueness.
Lesson 3: Finesse in our deeds
Work is worship and Lord Jagannath is an
epitome of perfection. His devotees have always praised him as the Purshottama
(i.e. the finest man). For we all have our own competence, yet we are all
afraid of our loopholes that are obstacles in our path to our destination. Achieving excellence is not one day work
rather can happen only progressively over time. Somebody has rightly said that "A
man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection."
We must continuously look within to enhance our inner self because there is
always room for improvement.
We as the budding leaders must
all look up to all those personalities that bring cheer to all Indian hearts.
The passion in us needs the spark and we
can set the world on fire. We must build our own niche by synchronizing our
mind and heart; for it is their amalgamation that can bring out the best in
each of us!
Wishing for a bright future for
all my readers,
Regards,
Akshita
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