The Poor Still Exist

The average english speaking professional is most likely in a state of completely cluelessness about the ‘other world’ which exists right under their noses.

- Rajesh Nair

During my younger years, we had an unspoken rule at home, that the family will eat dinner together. It was during these innumerable dinners that my father repeatedly pointed out why wasting food is a cardinal sin. If ever he happened to spot me and my sisters exchanging glances and giggles he would tell us a brief story to emphasize the point. He recounted how one of his school mates in his village school used to come hungry each day to school and my father and his school mates used to share their lunch with him during the recess time. Most days, this was the first and the only meal of the day for the boy. My father described in vivid detail the restlessness of the boy every morning when his stomach used to rumble and grumble. Somewhere, somehow this story became imprinted in our minds and we grew up with the habit of not wasting…

These are just stories and experiences we go through in every household in India.We try to teach our children the virtues of the society and that which are dictated by religion. As we move from the portals of educational institutions to our respective careers, our focus narrows to our lives and that of our near and dear ones. There are seldom, avenues to look beyond and ponder the utilitarian values of the society and notions of ‘greater good’. The end result – we grow completely agnostic about the realities of the world. The average English speaking professional is most likelyin a state of completely cluelessness about the ‘other world’ which exists right under their noses.