Great Pursuits and Expectations

Great Pursuits and Expectations

--------------------------------------------- 

This is 30th January, the day in 1948 when a fanatic Nathu Ram Godse  shot dead Mahatma Gandhi at New Delhi. On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth, a slavery supporter assassinated Abraham Lincoln, the President of America as he believed that Lincoln was determined to overthrow the constitution and destroy his beloved South. Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead for struggling for all the citizens of the country irrespective of religion, region, etc. On 30th October'1984, her guards shot dead  Indira Gandhi for the reason that she ordered raiding Golden Temple at Amritsar supposing that Sikh militants were housed therein. After that there was retaliation and thousands of sikhs were killed. In 1991, her son Rajiv, the former Prime Minister of India, was killed in human bomb explosion at Sriperumdur (Tamil Nadu) as he had helped Sri Lankans in fighting LTTE militancy. President Premdasa of Sri Lanka was also killed in the same way. On November 22,1963, John F Kennedy, President of USA, dedicated genuinely to world peace, economic justice, and social equality was also assassinated  because some persons thought that he is harping on their interests. On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther  King Jr., a prominent activist  of African-American civil rights was assassinated at the age of 39..Similar has been the fate of many persons who had bigger goals in their minds.

When one is in political power and takes action, it is not necessary that all may not like their actions, and such repercussions are possible.  Sometimes the great persons get reward like this. I think that such persons know very well that they can meet such treatments but continue to work on their cherished dreams or paths without much heeding reactions. So the question is why some people kill or do not like the noble souls. There is one simple saying: 'When you don't act, you need not to worry about anything'. People may just label you incompetent and at the most, may remove you from position. But selfish persons find non-action easy because then they do not expect any repercussion against them. But great persons are not lazy idles or fools, and are rather very active, intelligent & wise. They always keep noble goals in their minds perhaps much dearer even than their lives. They go on working without much expectations from others. 

For pursuing success of any great aim, the support of the associated persons is mandatory. The adoption of basic management steps of planning, organizing, directing, monitoring or controlling, and finally analyzing, is necessary for full working on it. However while working with people, one need to keep in to mind that all persons are not equally competent. Also they may not want to be in any competition with others in excellence. We cannot expect much from such persons. So it is necessary that we build our team by such persons, who match our inclinations. Effectiveness comes through the right persons working for the right cause at the right time - a key to success. I had read a quotation 'You give me seven persons who have courage & strong will and, I can show different face of the world in seven days'.  This seems to be little hypothetical but it is true that some persons are really more remarkable than many others. Their contribution to the society or nation is far loftier than even cumulative effect of many. When Guru Govind Singh called for five persons who can sacrifice their lives for greater cause of saving religion / country from tyranny of Aurangzeb, then five people, lovingly called as 'Panj-Piyare', came forward and supported Guru in his noble cause. So we need dedicated persons who are willing to sacrifice self for the sake of greater cause. 

Nowadays we hear about 'human bombs' - what does that mean? We believe that not every agent comes forward willingly for self-killing for such heinous crimes, and generally such people are the blackmailed. However, there may be chances that a few in them join with their own will considering the mission as more important. Certainly their actions cannot be justified at all, but they adopt such ways despite  that. Truly it is not always possible to make everyone happy. I am totally against any form of terrorism but believe that the society should have some means for venting out of one's anger, frustrations, resents, etc. if he thinks that the existing system does not work for the general public or so on. Each system should take care of the legitimate rights and demands of people. In a civil society, it is desired that that people in power use their muscles for the general good of the society with more focus on the unprotected. We have a written constitutional system. Most will get justice if its working is in accordance of the well-intended purposes. The correct & rapid justice deliverance system punishing guilty and protecting innocents will make most people satisfied and then they will have faith in the country's system. The reverse behavior by the government system will only create frustrations in people adopting  unfair, illegal means also sometimes for resenting their grievances. 

But who is the real culprit? Some persons outside the system want their presence felt by adopting ulterior motives / means. In that case, the system should promptly identify them and reprimand because they may harm the society by confusing the innocent, young, pliable chaps; and persuade them to take up illegal ways. This can result in irreparable damage to the society. So we need to identify the right role-models, project the success stories of the good persons, punishing the really wrong-doors, omnibus good education for all children, broaden mental horizons of the young, and elevate them above narrow proclivities. This should prompt society and nation towards creating  conducive environment for true development. 

Pawan Kumar,

10th April' 2014 Time 19:37 Evening    

(From Shillong Diary 31.01.2000 Time 1:50 Midnight)