The other side...

The Hindu : Columns / Harsh Mander : Barefoot - The other side of life

I sincerely hope that, at some point in life, I do more than I have been doing for the poor. Going abroad seems to be resensitizing me a little.

If you can think it, you can do it... all i've been doin is just thinking and doin nothin at all... I've had plans which i couldn't materialize... Let's hope we do less talking and put more effort in actually doin somethin worthwhile.. sometime in our lives ...

tell me something..how does one actually help the poor..i mean its a genuine doubt..
by giving them a lil money or maybe some food..?? or maybe opening schools for them..motivating them..?

most of us answer..with the second option...
but what i do not seem to understand is..survival according to me..is more important than identity...atleast for them..we talk of big intellectual ideas..but would it all really mean anything to them?

it is very unfortunate but the simple fact is that our planet can no longer sustain enough life for all of us to survive through our natural life stages. and this is not just because of the natural resources (which we haven't come close to running out of), it's more about the regulation of these resources. out of this less fortunate population, the more evolved and persistent ones will survive while the weaker (but not worse) part of our species will perish.

tell me something..how does one actually help the poor..i mean its a genuine doubt..

By providing them means which helps them move up the ladder... Employment !

by giving them a lil money or maybe some food..??

By making them earn it not by charity..

or maybe opening schools for them..motivating them..?

Certainly yes ...

most of us answer..with the second option...
but what i do not seem to understand is..survival according to me..is more important than identity...

Survival is what we are talking about... Survival of the fittest applies to jungle... We are humans, we ought to be different.. isn't it?

we talk of big intellectual ideas..but would it all really mean anything to them?

By the correct implementation it will really matter... and there are people around making a difference... but the poor outnumber them considerably so the difference is shrimpy...

Originally Posted by rickkkyrich

We are humans, we ought to be different.. isn't it?

that's what some of us tell ourselves to make us feel better but at the core of it we're just like any other animals and the same rules apply ..

Originally Posted by Morbid_Angel

it is very unfortunate but the simple fact is that our planet can no longer sustain enough life for all of us to survive through our natural life stages. and this is not just because of the natural resources (which we haven't come close to running out of), it's more about the regulation of these resources. out of this less fortunate population, the more evolved and persistent ones will survive while the weaker (but not worse) part of our species will perish.

How dare you ... how dare you even think of that!
Life is sacred.
Life is created by God.
God sustains all life.


Ah well let God take care of everyone else, while I enjoy and have fun ...

Originally Posted by Morbid_Angel

that's what some of us tell ourselves to make us feel better but at the core of it we're just like any other animals and the same rules apply ..

Right and just to add to MA, our whole concept of capitalism and competition (which is the only thing that has worked in the long term) = being an animal.
Fight for resources.

The winner survives (or excels), while the loser - should start preparing for grave.

Originally Posted by rickkkyrich

By providing them means which helps them move up the ladder... Employment !

By making them earn it not by charity..

Certainly yes ...


Survival is what we are talking about... Survival of the fittest applies to jungle... We are humans, we ought to be different.. isn't it?

By the correct implementation it will really matter... and there are people around making a difference... but the poor outnumber them considerably so the difference is shrimpy...

employment..? do you think that in India we will ever be able to provide employment to every poor and helpless person? no! i am not blaming the government over here..im blaming the mindset...most of the poor people are themselves not willing to work..

providing them education..its a long processs...the elders make their younger ones work to have a simple meal..why would they ever want their children to have formal education...the seats that we own..the big positions and respects that we own are absolutely nothing to them..! now what do we do..? we give their parents money and we teach their children for freee? .. i am sorry my friend..but this is sympathy and JUST SYMPATHY...we are not helping them...and by the time their children grow up to face the world..half of them die..and even if they do grow up...its India...they will still be known, criticized and scrutinized..for they will always remain the children of poor parents..

and try talking to a poor guy.. talk to him about being something in the world and makin a name and place for himself in this world...trust me..he'll laugh it off or look at you with downcast eyes and then silently walk away..talking all this to them = making them dream without any imagination...such things are beyond their reach...for them..


correct implementation..?? again..tell me one law that has been implemented correctly ever in our country...apart from maybe some laws or some principles, fundamentals and decorum..which teach women to have shame and keep her eyes downcast in front of the big world...maybe some more..which i do not care to think of..

Originally Posted by Morbid_Angel

that's what some of us tell ourselves to make us feel better but at the core of it we're just like any other animals and the same rules apply ..

I din't say whether we are different or not... i said we ought to be.. we are the superior species afterall...

Originally Posted by nandy0894

employment..? do you think that in India we will ever be able to provide employment to every poor and helpless person? no! i am not blaming the government over here..im blaming the mindset...most of the poor people are themselves not willing to work..

Maybe not all of them but few of them for sure ... Have you heard the stories of a rickshaw puller's son becoming an IAS officer? He wouldn't have succeeded ever if he continued to think the way most people do...

providing them education..its a long processs...the elders make their younger ones work to have a simple meal..why would they ever want their children to have formal education...the seats that we own..the big positions and respects that we own are absolutely nothing to them..! now what do we do..? we give their parents money and we teach their children for freee? .. i am sorry my friend..but this is sympathy and JUST SYMPATHY...we are not helping them...and by the time their children grow up to face the world..half of them die..and even if they do grow up...its India...they will still be known, criticized and scrutinized..for they will always remain the children of poor parents..

Everything starts with the first step..Did you directly reached class 12th? No.. And the very purpose of education is to make them realize the need of it in the first place..

and try talking to a poor guy.. talk to him about being something in the world and makin a name and place for himself in this world...trust me..he'll laugh it off or look at you with downcast eyes and then silently walk away..talking all this to them = making them dream without any imagination...such things are beyond their reach...for them..

That's not what we are talking about... Let's not think about the final step already...

correct implementation..?? again..tell me one law that has been implemented correctly ever in our country...apart from maybe some laws or some principles, fundamentals and decorum..which teach women to have shame and keep her eyes downcast in front of the big world...maybe some more..which i do not care to think of..

Let us not get into the politics part of it... and lets not deviate... We are talking about us as an individual and what we can do.. so what if it's little but you'll never know what you are capable of without giving it a try once at least...

Originally Posted by alpha1

Right and just to add to MA, our whole concept of capitalism and competition (which is the only thing that has worked in the long term) = being an animal.
Fight for resources.

The winner survives (or excels), while the loser - should start preparing for grave.

And do what after excelling? Look down upon others and make fun of them when you can actually help them move up along with you.. I don't deny the idea of capitalism and competition.. it's an important part but you can't just leave things like the way they are even after knowing that you can actually make a difference...

Originally Posted by rickkkyrich

I din't say whether we are different or not... i said we ought to be.. we are the superior species afterall...

lol you are delusional if you really believe that. i learned in my 5th grade biology class that that statement is nowhere close to the truth.

Originally Posted by Morbid_Angel

lol you are delusional if you really believe that. i learned in my 5th grade biology class that that statement is nowhere close to the truth.

There are chances you were wrongly taught coz there's a difference between Biology and Anthropology..