tum chalo to…

And the dirty politics continue. But this time there is a difference. After the initial shock has died down, resigning to whatever has happened would have been a normal reaction. Not really Apathy but a sense of helplessness would take over. Not this time however. This time, the average Indian seems to be determined to make a difference. It is evident by the number of candle light vigils that are still being held, the number of letter that are still being written to editors all over the country, the number of SMSes still being sent to all the news channels in India and the questions people are still asking the leaders of the country. Of course, people are still lashing out at politicians, but then they are also coming up with propositions to safeguard the country. We are telling everyone who cares to listen that we will not let this happen again. Indians are also not waiting for the ones in power, rather, they are starting off with small initiatives, hoping for a change. They are motivating others to follow suit. Here is my humble attempt to motivate my fellow country men.

This video reminds me on an incident that happened last week. Driving through the maze called Bangalore roads, I came to an intersection where the traffic seemed to be a standstill. There was utter chaos and people were literally shouting at each other on top of their voices. I as usual, cribbed about the lack of traffic policemen in the city, even at prime intersections and resigned to the fact that I may stay stuck there for a while. Then I saw this Auto driver in front of me meandering through traffic towards the curb(almost getting on it) and I thought to myself  that these auto drivers as usual are going to worsen the situation.  But not this guy, he was different. He parked his auto right in the middle of the intersection(still beats me as to how he got there), climbed onto his roof and started directing traffic. Within minutes the intersection was cleared of cars and in a few more minutes, I was able to get out of the mess along with other relieved drivers. In my rear view mirror, I watched him continue to direct traffic. I’m not sure if he was there for long but his action cleared a huge traffic pile up on a crowded road.

Tum chalo toh Hindustan chale! The boy in this video and the auto driver taught me a very valuable lesson – make a difference.  Don’t sit back, demand respect, for ourselves and our country. Do something today, light a candle, write a letter to the press, question a minister or come up with ideas for a safer country. Our children will be grateful that we did.