A nation of midgets

A vacant look on an unkept face on a person of short stature, add in coarse hands with dust on clothes a slender woman with a thin cotton sari and a couple of children with running nose and big bellies. Anyone among us can picture this, its a common sight. Malnourished by food, deprived of intellectual stimulation and life that would focus around getting from dawn to dusk, would put things in context. 

Walking through a bus stand I can see this man at times and I wonder would having food security made a difference ? Is he a contributor to the society he inhabits ? Or is he a nameless, faceless person who marked some time around ? Could we skill our citizens better, ensure food to perhaps ensure each one of us could bring in something ?

A rare day that I was driving. On the highway taking a narrow exit, I saw a car coming up the wrong way and obstructing half a dozen cars who before me were taking the same exit. I blocked his way up, thinking it would force him to back up and follow the correct stream of traffic. Hoping that the cars piling up and each one eyeballing him, would knock in some sense. I saw the driver honking at me and then making gestures to make me move off, I stuck in there. Suddenly he was taking off his seatbelt, I under a guise of getting frustrated looked back and started to reverse and gave way. He went up the exit and joined the highway. I was pondering, disgusted and helpless. Should I have fought, or call the police or just should have let him go and saved myself and others another 5 minutes? 

Taking an early morning flight, I headed up the flight of stairs to the lounge to get some breakfast. In the staircase I could hear music, two young boys at 6AM sitting in their uniforms watching Bollywood song videos. Surprising it was to me, 6 AM is early morning. Maybe the end of a shift, but what would prompt you to sit on stairs, and stare at a small screen after having a breakfast. 

Indians by large are least concerned of the lot about personal safety. To avoid a 200 metres of extra drive to take a U turn - creep up the traffic, to save a minute allow your auto guy to weave through like a drunk bee, to save a few rupees climb up poles hitching up wires to tap, build houses perilously balanced, defecate and urinate in the water of the river passing your city, adulterate when ever possible, its endless. Are we midget-ed ? 

A midget by stature, a midget by courage, a midget by intellect, a midget by strength of character. A nation of midgets are we?