The sign of the times!

Advani, Modi and Anandiben, all broke into tears while delivering an address, all in a span of two days. These touching moments apparently mark the beginning of an era of political masters who are perhaps more human than those they are destined to rule.

People in power are generally perceived as devoid of human values and emotions. Making bland statements while wearing an expressionless long face has been the hallmark of the indian politico as well as bureaucrat, but perhaps not any longer. For the first time in the life of this nation, the citizens are witness to the emergence of a chief executive who wears his heart on his sleeve and that is the fundamental reason behind the immense connect that even a housewife or a child experiences when watching him live, or on the screen. Never before has one witnessed an entire nation erupt with joy as on the sixteenth of May this year when they also realized that the nation is going to move forward under a leader who says what he does and does what he says.

Another trait that touched everyone to the core of the heart is the rare combination of humility and determination, humility that evolves from being human and determination that emerges from a combination of commitment, resolve, concern and integrity. Perhaps it is all about the surface matching the interior. It is also about genuine outpouring of feelings for country and the countrymen. Rare it is in a nation where a feeling of superiority manifests itself at the slightest pretext or opportunity and we have many more categories of differences than mere caste or religion. It is apparent that we the countrymen of India are definitely in for good times.

Perhaps much more important than being wealthy or powerful is being a genuine human being, an act so simple yet so hard to emulate. Emulating simplicity or genuineness is not only difficult but almost impossible, because these traits cannot be emulated, one can only be. Yet for everyone the effort has to go on, not only for ones own sake, but also for the nation. 

Watching the new chief executive on the television and becoming abreast of his sacrifices and dedication, I found it difficult to control my thought that if only the clock could be turned back a few decades, I would have spent much more time on the welfare of the masses that formed the zone of my responsibility and influence and in acts beneficial for the country through the organization one works for. It is indeed true, yet a fairly late realization for many that life should not be allowed to while away on trivialities, there are much bigger and better things to do like simply being human. If that is the influence of the new leader, the country is definitely going places in the foreseeable future.

Yes it is true that in the bureaucratic or political circle one belongs to, being human remains farthest from thoughts and actions and that is the root cause of our national failure to rise above the forever developing category of nations. The predominant focus on self-gratification and absolute lack of concern for others has hurt the nation in the last sixty seven years and would continue to do so in the future unless we recast the governance model of this great nation.

We are now at the turning point and the ensuing five years are going to be remembered as the period of great change for this nation. May we emerge as a nation, the countrymen of which are full of pride for the national achievements, are courageous and bold and are perfect human beings with qualities of compassion, humility and impeccable integrity.