It was a rainy day and a very boring one. I guess before the dawn could have broken the silence of the dark, it started raining cats and dogs. My semester break was over the previous day and I had to go back to my hostel. But I was reluctant to go out in such a weather. But fortune conspired against me and the rain stopped.
When I reached the platform to board my train, I was quite in a hurry. But luckily the train was late so I got some time to relax before getting into the train. Though it was a Sunday ,the platform was quite crowded. I was observing people around me. There were families going out (probably for short trips), some vendors, young fellows(students I guess) like me and many others. It was a mixed crowd chattering with their acquaintances and waiting eagerly for the train.
Then I noticed something and it saddened my heart. A physically challenged beggar was trying to eat a lemon but was unable to remove the peel of it as his hand was distorted probably due to polio. He was trying but couldn’t. I couldn’t wait any longer and went to him.” Let me help you with the fruit”, I asked. He looked at me eagerly and nodded, handing me the lemon. I removed the shell quickly and handed him back the fruit. I also gave him some money. But I thought I should give him some food also. He looked really hungry. I bought a packet of biscuit and was going to give him that. Then I saw something more pathetic. A little boy and a girl was begging some food from the people in the staion. Their dresses were dirty and torn, a sign of tremendous poverty. People didnt bother to even look at them and decided to overlook their desperate pleas . I signalled the kids to come to me and gave them the biscuit packet I bought. A faint smile appeared in their faces.I sensed joy in those innocent eyes that brightened my day.
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From that day I think I came to know the nature of the cruel world a bit more. The world and its countless selfish and self centered people gasp what they can with their all might neglecting the underprivileged and the poor. We have forgotten the virtue of sympathy and humanity. We claim ourselves to be superior species but fail to prove us one. We spend lakhs and crores of rupees to fulfill and cherish our ever growing consumerism, but hesitate to donate a few rupees to a beggar. We close our eyes and dull our senses to the desperate pleas of a child who wants nothing but some food to survive yet another day. Our ambitions are high when we want our country to be as competitive and prosperous as a developed one. But this will never be possible if the difference between the poor and rich continues to increase in this manner and we bypass our moral and social duty to achieve our personal goals only. There is a need of social and humane senses in each of us so that we do something for our fellow people who are in need of our sincere contribution. We need to wake up and organize ourselves to bring a collective and major revolution in our society. Education and empowerment, social security and provisions for fulfilling basic needs for all will be enough to build up a glorified and prosperous India.
Every time i came by a beggar on my way,i try to help him with little savings of my pocket money. It makes me happy. I know my contribution is nothing compared to the numerous burden of the deprived class. But i guess if all of us do such little contributions instead of behaving coldly it will be a huge help to the underprivileged people. This change is yet to come but humanity is craving for it.
