Land of herds

In spite of all insanity India is quite popular in the world and has always been…even before the 60 years of freedom…why else did India had to suffer and survive so many invasions and war? Why has it been a possible source of sustenance and hence attracted visitors and invaders from far flung land?
It has been the land of natural abundant resources and riches. It had potential to feed and sustain far flung countries. And what made the task easy?
Our typical Indian character. Multitudes can become slave to a single thought.
That thought can be anything…it can be God or serving British empire or slaving for freedom struggle…or working ungrudgingly in some MNC’s…or being a political party worker or a part of fanatic group or any herd. We need to belong…be a part of the larger herd. No need to see where the shepherd leads us…as long as there is enough leisure and grass to eat we can climb mountains as well and even jump down if the shepherd wants us to…
Now if our leaders want us to become fat salaried, Mall hopping, stress and amusement driven, well dressed multitudes, why not? That’s the only nation-building role available…lets all party tonight. And if the World-Leaders want our leaders to open our markets and industries or sign nuclear deals or make our back yards royal dumping ground of the excess or systematically eliminate our natural village and farming centered way of life…why not?
Lets all party tonight… There are herds of nations at another level and our nation too has to belong somewhere…
Those who can’t trek all the way and join the party…can jolly well get stressed or go insane or kill themselves or be ready to be called nerds instead of herds.

No. No. We aren’t all that dumb. This is the land of intellectuals as well. Not all want to party. Some herds head for protest march and demolishing and deconstructing.
In the name of nation-building and asserting…my herd is my comfort zone…

Do I ignore corruption? Do I work with all sincerity and honesty? Do I like the work I do?
Do I ignore mental well-being of my family?
Did I ignore my neighbor’s distressed scream?
Do I ignore the appalling living conditions forced on us?
and many more questions...

We know at all levels, be it individual or national we need to be logical and committed to resolving conflicts…we need to ask:
What is the exact problem that needs to be addressed? Are we really here with a solution or we are the part of the problem?
Are we at all interested in the solution? And so on and so forth…
But…
No time to stop and think,
I have to be with my herd or else I’ll be lost…