Will dreams come true?

This is the topic which has been in my mind for the past few years. I have always had a negative opinion of one particular country in the world- Uncle Sam as it is fondly called. It had the advantage of becoming a developed country right from the beginning because it did not suffer any invasions. The people who migrated there were already civilized except for the few Native Americans. And it was not difficult to civilize the minor population. It was like the migrants wanted to escape from the conservative Europe in which each country had a strict culture to follow. The opinion which I formed is that there is no proper culture in the US. Anyone can live as he or she wishes. They do not have any restrictions or rules. They can even rule the whole world if they want to. They can also order the other countries of the world to sign treaties drafted by them. But the underlying fact is that a part of treasure looted from India had helped in making the country richer day by day. They had the initial capital needed to prosper.

Probably India is the only country which opposes these treaties. Thanks to the Non-alignment policy that India is maintaining. India was the first country to resist the rule of the British. India chose to be conservative even after centuries of influence from the Europeans. A daily scene in India looks different from the rest of the world. The Indians were the only people who have not tried invading any other country in the rest of the world. They were not interested in the fortune of other kingdoms in the world. The outlook may have changed because of the open economy but still nothing much has changed in the foundation. The few things that have changed are:

• The number of people getting educated from universities abroad.
• The fashion which has drastically changed.
• The number of NRIs earning for other countries.
• The increased number of divorces.

These are some of the changes which I can quote as important. So can you say that these changes are for good? I can say a big NO. The first four are clearly an influence of American culture. We are becoming independent a little more than what is necessary. We choose a career which is more lucrative thereby result in ourselves earning for some other country than our own. The bonding in marriage is becoming weaker day by day because there is always an option of divorce. Since these are becoming common everywhere people don’t think twice before getting separated. Yes, these are all the influence of our increasing interaction with the Americans.

Now you know why I had formed a negative opinion on America. But as days went by I started thinking from another angle because I did not want to be a prejudice. Why should I just blindly tell that it is America is the reason for this worsening culture of India? The Americans are living their own life. Why should we adapt their culture in any place? It is in our hands to choose which part of their culture we can adapt so that everyone is happy. This perspective paved way for me to comprehend the optimistic characteristics of the Americans.

I can ask just one question to make you think seriously. Are you doing what you really wanted to do in your life? Is this job is your first priority in the list of your interests? This makes you happier than anything else you would have wished to do? If I ask these questions to myself it is definitely NO. Because I was interested in Zoology, Paleontology, Geology, archaeology and stuffs like that which make me closer to the nature. But in India I can see that these fields have no scope or that’s what I heard when I spoke about these things. So I just could not pursue my career in any of the fields I like. And like any other youngster of India I ended up here in this concrete world trying to interact with a fabricated machine. Yes, I agree it serves me daily bread and I am getting richer day by day. I am able to buy anything I want and my parents are happy. These are materialistic comforts. But what about my personal satisfaction? I have not made anyone happy by typing some code which will make some impact (if any) on the people whom I will never ever know. What I actually wanted in life and what am I now. Totally away from the track and I have no chance of going back to the fork where I got lost.

I joined an engineering college just like the other few hundreds of thousands of people who dreamed of earning a fortune, buying a house, buying a car. These dreams can be fulfilled now. But my inner conscience is not contended. In India agriculture being the main occupation is not considered as high as the so called “professional jobs”. I can’t understand why? People starve day and night just to provide food to the citizens. It is even more difficult than what I am right now doing in office. But they earn meager sums compared to me. The sad part is the upcoming generation is not taking up farming as a job. Villages (our backbones.. is this what they are called?) are turning into cities thus losing their identity.

So why did I mention about America in this context? Coming back to that point, US is the fulcrum of all the IT boom that is happening today. But it is not true that most of the people are in Silicon Valley. The truth is most of the people are doing what they actually wanted in life. They become musicians, dancers, zoologists, paleontologists, geologists, actors, painters, forensic scientists, agriculturists, sports men/women, etc. These are some of the myriad opportunities they create by doing whatever they want.

I am just envious of them. For e.g. India with its rich flora and fauna and cultural heritage can create many opportunities to people who are interested in it. Or probably it is we who have to do whatever we wish and create opportunities to others. India with its culture and brains can create wonders if people really pursue their interests as careers. So if you come across people who are really interested in doing something just encourage them to continue in the same field and don’t lure them into typical professional arenas.

Just imagine India leading in all aspects!! Sounds great isn’t it? It is not difficult in harnessing the talents of so many people in India. If you think the population of India is a drawback for its development, then let us make it as our strength. Success lies in transforming weaknesses into strengths.