In-different Observation # 12: Radius of Impact

While some will argue that my line of thoughts have largely to do with what i saw outside of the country, but this is so not true. I've always been thinking this way and that the opportunity to visit so many places helped only to re-affirm some of my observations. Not beliefs i say, but just observations, as i'm too non-judgemental to pronounce a verdict; besides, its always too early to predict.

A strong drawback of the family system in India seems to be the small radius of impact it ties people to. We lay too much stress on collectivism of the kind which is limited to social behaviour and circles. While high on the social quotient, we do tend to miss out on the material/physical aspect of life. In the broader sense, it means not physical pleasures and conveniences, but the surroundings.

Yes indeed, i've been advocating this issue for long, that we do need to connect better with our surroundings: in short, widen our radius of impact.

Many a times, we are too busy caring just for the family as a unit. and we think that if we have stable families, it would lead to better society. Still, that remains superficial on a very emotionally social level. How often do we sit and wonder what impact our actions have on the physical environment, the outside world, the city? selfish

Another reason is the lack of freedom given to people to become a little individualistic. Dare i not say selfish, but individualistic. From my few years of experience, have observed that lonely individuals with a little motivation and drive come together on short term basis to do and create much more impact-making things. on the contrary, a socially well-gelled family generally becomes equipped only to take care of itself, if it lacks on ideas. While of course, that IS the aim of a family, but mostly it rarely extends beyond that small radius of impact, because most of the times we are so busy making minor adjustments in life that we fail to look outside of the family.

Perhaps there is a reason why only a handful of cities would come up with an initiative like "The Ugly Indian". We dont usually care if the city on the whole is clean.... we are usually too busy taking care of our homes, the people, what they eat, what they wear, what festivals to celebrate, whom to meet, what to talk... while none of this is unproductive or 'bad', i must make a remark that in another context, family has the greatest potential for propagation of ideas. This social unit has tremendous ability to inculcate a more cosmic, holistic approach for the world at large. But most of the times, we only care to see who'd wearing what, who's eating what, who's children are scoring better marks. I'd say i'm not a victim of this system, but a product of the same who has just cared to see things from a bit far off, like, seeing things in perspective. I may be wrong, but it will not change the reality and we see it's effects every day when we see cases of rapes. Every one of those "victims" as well as the perpetrators is a product of this family system where we are too busy taking care of the unit itself. It fails to connect with people across all social strata. I'm not talking about equally well-off neighbours whose houses we visit during Holi/Diwali/Eid. But its about the entire city. I'm talking about how we fail to see who else lives in the city, what they do, what we let them do because we hardly care to remain as sensitive towards "outside" matters as much as internal family affairs. May be, i could start with my own family!

As long as we keep thinking that our girls and women are safe only among family members, or protected only when accompanied by a father/brother/son, we will never really try to change the way things happen in a city. Lets not remain confined to keeping everybody "secure" inside a "family" environment. Rather, its time to expand our radius of impact and connect with our surroundings: keep them "clean" physically, socially, emotionally, and of course, a little "safely".

Disclaimer: In this post, i seek not your agreement, but your understanding. For i can respect you without agreeing with you. I seek not your support, neither criticism. But i request some action. I don't care whose government it is. All i know that it is my country and i'll get the better out of it.

The Public Note