Monday, October 14, 2013

Great History and Anecdotes

Vasu Reddy From Chicago
vasureddy@aol.com

In everything Indians do and in everything India represents, its history and mythology is represented as if it constantly emphasizes the relevance of the past to today and by the vastness of its history. The anecdotal reference to something in the Ramayana or the words of Mahatma are a way of life for Indians. Every situation has a reference to the past that was glorious and full of human virtue and great sacrifice. Just that the current crop of people simply use it as a reference to the past with great relish, but confine the reality of practicing the anecdote to someone else, and no to themselves. We are very good in referencing the past or a great person's reference to today's surroundings and we are also very good in applying to the everything around us and everyone around us. It simply doesn't apply to us, per SE, but only applies to others. It is all of us, and everyone of us who do this with great anecdotal referencing, and it only applies to only our fellow citizens, and none to ourselves.

Our mythology and history, and the great men and women of yesteryear have chronicled the impact of their service to humanity and the country; depicting sacrifice and selflessness in making India's history a glorious and enchanting tale to be told again and again, and the relevance of its history and the significance of events of the past will be constantly relevant to people of all ages; past, present and the future.

While we savor the past and constantly use anecdotes of history as a common reference, our habits belie the past referencing to present day living. From the life of lord Rama to the life of Mahatma, and great men and women before and after, there is no lack of courage, humanity, dignity, practice, patience, devotion and many a human virtues that should be the qualities of humans; and to only reference them rather than practice them has become a way of life for us, and at least after India's independence from the British and the advent of chronicled history and present happenings we can clearly see that we simply use our history for anecdotal referencing, rather than practicing them in spirit and life.

When the politicians invoke the name of the father of the nation or the name of the lord (in all forms), and also sometimes compare themselves to the yesteryear legends; they seldom think of the consequences of their speeches, which have increasingly become scandalous and directionless and only point to negative bashing of everything that is in opposition. Now a days politicians have learn the art of including not just historical references, but also sports analogies in their opponent bashing, its comical to listen to politicians speak. They don’t have anything to say about their own achievements, or the progressive nature of the policy making of their party, only bashing their opponents in harsh and uncomplimentary language, harboring on the border of only abuses. This is because of that they really don't have anything to tout about, and nothing to show for as elected legislators. The party in power is constantly involved in survival and scams, and nothing else. For them to find something to speak of as achievement, its hard to find anything worthwhile.

The land of epic historical past, and the land of many epic achievement, and the land of Rama and mahatma, we have become a land that simply use anecdotes of the past, and have nothing to speak of as present day achievements. The country continues to grow with population and no stopping the population growth, but doesn't boast of significant achievements as a nation nor as population that is close to the largest on earth.

It is time to stop references to the anecdotes, and start to think of the present, and what we could be doing now and into the future. We certainly have the people power, and thereby the human and brain resources; just that we must focus on the achievements of the current time and what we can be in the future. It is granted that our past and history is full of epic anecdotes, and we must now start building for the future, and not just laud on the past.

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