In the battlefield of Kurushetra, there were no comic characters. It was an alignment of the greatest warriors of the land with even Sikhandi armed to avenge wrongs done to her/him in a previous incarnation.
In the 1960s and 1970s many parents worked and toiled to send their children abroad for studies. While a few succeeded, returned and made their parents and community proud, there were some who destroyed their lives, sinking their parent into poverty and despondency.
Graduates and professionals must reflect on the sacrifices their ancestors made to bring them thus far. Their parents expected much from them, but sadly, many of them have turned out to be disappointments. It reminds me of an individual who spouted socialism during his school years and after qualifying and landing a prestigious and well-paying job, adopted all the trappings of a bourgeois lifestyle. Pooja and Hindu values were thrown out of the window as his three children were given European names and sent to learn western music!
Their ancestors and parents have struggled to reach the wall and it is now left for the young professionals to demolish these social and cultural barriers that continue to label them as hostile and recalcitrant upstarts from the murky lagoons. Are young professionals taking these bold steps to demolish those barriers? Or, are they grinning their mouths, eating in the finest restaurants and driving around in SUVs pretending that all are well?
Interestingly, one individual has escaped into discussions on time travel and events in other galaxies. Still, others have chosen to talk about the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East rather than address immediate threats to their survival at home. This escapism from social reality is similar to Arjuna-like fever in the battlefield of Kurushetra. Running away from the battlefield is not the solution though it may be sold as making peace.
Too many parents have buried their dreams and ambitions in their children only to be abandoned in their old age. Maybe it was a mistake on their part to surrender their identity so that their children could soar high in the world of achievement. Today with their children failing them, they are only left to mark time and wait for the good Lord to receive them.
I recalled a gentleman who, burdened with debt, had his breakfast, lunch and dinner on credit at a restaurant and rented a mansion in an upscale residential community, only to kill his wife and children and commit suicide.
This is the scary reality that awaits us when we are afraid to deal with reality…grin…grin…grin and engage in meaningless exchanges on social media… gossip en masse. This is the new panacea and it is part of modern-day childcare culture-when the child cries, give him a tablet to amuse himself! Social media gone wild!
