Asha Iyer Kumar :
We humans, by our inherent nature, are a dissatisfied lot. Much of our lives are spent on finding ways to end this dissatisfaction, which in one way or the other has taken away the sheen of all the modern advances we have made as a species. We are now deeply aggrieved by the nature of people, governments, evolving social systems and their vagaries. There is a general sentiment of disgruntlement towards all that we see which makes us aver that things need to change for the better. And we stop, expecting the change to happen. Our clamour touches varying pitches, and we cry ourselves hoarse from the confines of our cloistered existence, waiting for a messiah to come our way and put things right for us.
I am hugely guilty of this reluctance to put the first step forward to try and alter things that I strongly feel need to be altered, and I am certain that I am not alone in feeling so. I have often wondered if it is the inertia of the mind that stops us from initiating change or it is our self-centred attitudes, or if it is a genuine fear of being affected by the perils of activism. Or is it an abject indifference that stems from a combination of all the above that makes us carp ceaselessly without lifting a finger to make a positive difference to our rapidly deteriorating state?
I have often looked up at people who have set out on missions that would make a difference to the human lot with enormous admiration. There is no dearth of inspiration and motivation, if only we are willing to break out of our comfort zones, push the boundaries and take up common initiatives. Yet we baulk at it, unable to set ourselves in motion.
I reckon what puts people on the path of championing social causes and change making is their dogged sense of purpose that is bereft of fear and bolstered by a lavish amount of zeal and selflessness. A close relative of mine is a young woman of forty, who heads a small start up social organisation in Kerala. Aided by her group of young, zealous volunteers, she has floated ambitious initiatives that seek to ‘bring a smile on the faces of people’.
Their means are modest, for in these dubious times, it is not easy to convince people to spare a dime for a seemingly good reason. They are often short of volunteers, yet they go that extra mile to achieve what is now their motto – spreading a smile. With a family to look after and a play school to run, she is severely pressed for time. Yet she marches on, motivated by an inner call to make a difference and in her words, to ‘give back for the abundance in her life.’
I am convinced that we don’t have to look as far as Bill Gates or Nelson Mandela to draw inspiration. Harbingers of change can be ordinary people. Yet a majority of us don’t dare to step out. There is no denying the fact that many of us want to be change agents in our little ways, but we are held back by the enormity of the task, the weight of commitment and a lack of self-belief. We want to reach out and do our bit, but we feel restrained by the perceived dangers of trying to modify the ways of the world. We are too involved in safeguarding our interests and running the show of our private lives, and understandably so.
Perhaps, someday, our inner calling will ring louder than our whiny tones, compelling us to add pace to our stride and march for a cause that in some way has a bearing upon our as well as others’ lives. Someday, we will break free of our apprehensions. Someday, our innate weakness will submit to our engineered will.
(Asha Iyer Kumar is a freelance journalist based in Dubai)
