What are you curious about?

Every person has a desire to do something or the other. But if the curiosity in the mind is given dimension, then one day the person can achieve something. I am eager to bring about a change in my society. The world is developing but Indian society is still stuck in bad customs. Many such evils have taken birth in the society, which if not resolved in time, will leave a big stain on the nation. For this, people of every section of the society need to come forward.

There should be change in society, but the kind of change that is happening is worrisome. It is said that change is life. If there is no change in the country, society and the surrounding environment, then a person will get bored very soon. It is not possible to eat the same thing every day, no matter how delicious it is. Even a person who wears the same colour and shape of clothes all the time is looked at with strange eyes. Change can be good as well as bad. I experienced how the environment has changed in the gap of one generation, when I met a close friend of mine a few days ago. He has a small business. Two daughters, a son; wife and father. His mother had died a few years ago. After that, keeping in mind the future of his children, he left his village and came to Delhi. He bought a big house in the village and a three-room flat in Delhi. His elder daughter is doing MA and the second one is doing BA. He was worried about the marriage of his elder daughter. Everywhere the car would get stuck on questions like how much cash, how much goods and what kind of hospitality would be given to the wedding procession.  He also wanted my help in finding a good family where the matter could be settled in less money.

During the conversation, we started discussing the changes taking place in society. Today, wherever he talks about his daughter’s marriage, it is said that at least two lakhs in cash, one lakh worth of goods and one-and-a-half lakhs should be spent on the hospitality of the wedding procession. That means five lakhs rupees are required for getting a daughter married. He was worried about this arrangement. He had two-two and a half lakhs rupees; but what could be done with that amount? His hair was flying in this worry. He was cursing this change taking place in society.

My mind started spinning. Are the changes in society taking place only in the wrong direction?

I looked at my family and the families of my close relatives. Nowhere there are less than four children; but when I looked at the next generation, I noticed that this number is nowhere more than two. And on thinking, I realized that along with Hindus, there is some change in this area in the Muslim society as well. Where their older generation used to have eight to ten children, today’s Muslims have come down to four to five. They have also started paying attention to educating their children and cleanliness. Earlier they were satisfied by educating their children in madrasas for four to six years, now when they are capable, they have started sending them to good schools. Although Muslim girls are still rarely seen there; but they have also started coming in large numbers to the schools located in the Muslim colony. Similarly, awareness has also come in the poor section of the society. But I want it to move a little further. Because when you educate a man, you educate a man. When you educate a woman, you educate a generation.

India is a country rich in tradition and cultural values, where women have a prominent place in the society. There is a large population of women in the rural scenario. Unfortunately, during the foreign rule, many evils and distortions arose in the society, which led to oppression of women.

After independence, the respect of women increased in the society, but the pace of their empowerment remained slow for decades. Poverty and illiteracy have been a serious obstacle in the progress of women. Women can be strengthened economically by encouraging them towards business through quality education and skills. Social and financial empowerment of women can be started especially with the help of agro-processing industries, banking services and digitalization.

Indian women are full of energy, vision, lively enthusiasm and commitment and are capable of facing all challenges. In the words of India’s first Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore, for us women are not only the light of the house, but also the flame of this light. Women have been a source of inspiration for humanity since time immemorial.  From Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi to Savitribai Phule, India’s first female teacher, women have set great examples of change in the society at large.

Our culture is our heritage, we have to preserve it. In the last few years, due to the race of modernity and nuclear families, we are getting away from our culture. But in the meantime, the pleasant aspect is that in this fast paced life of modernity, special work is being done by various social organization to connect the new generation with our traditional culture and to make them aware of the importance of festivals. This is an effort to take our culture and civilization forward along with maintaining our customs.

Before taking the society towards positivity, we have to improve our own conduct. Positive thinking is the biggest strength of the society. At present, negativity is increasing in the society. To stop this, positive people will have to unite and run a campaign. We have to follow the teachings and ideas given by great men. We have to start this from ourselves. At the same time, we have to give up the evils and some bad practices spread in the society. The youth have to be made aware about prevention from drug addiction. Our great men are our heritage. We have to follow the teachings given by the great men. We have to create a society that distributes sweets in our homes on the happiness of others. For this, casteist mentality has to be overcome and social brotherhood has to be strengthened. To create a positive environment in the society, first of all we have to start from ourselves. After this, we have to unite our home, family and our village. Only then will our goal be accomplished. We have to become active by forming an organization of positive people. Our parents have brought us here by keeping a positive thinking. At that time the family environment used to be positive and strong. In the present time, due to single families, the values have diminished.  Now there is a need to follow the footsteps of elders and great men. I hope that the curiosity in my mind will definitely be fulfilled.