The Cost of Life

Like almost every day, we were driving. Just as we were enjoying an old track on the FM and talking…we couldn’t miss a young man…in his twenties, on a motorcycle without a helmet, speeding so high…almost flying on the soaked slippery road due to rains, gambling his not so precious life and over-passing the red signals, one after the other. After some time, the man on the motorbike was undetectable…out of our sight but unquestionably not out of our mind!

The FM was almost on mute now. We were terrified of the speed and started pondering why Indians, particularly the youth do not value their lives, rather, aim to live in the present, without thinking a little about their future…

I revisited my thoughts from the morning and came across the following questions and observations about why we have stopped valuing our lives.

·       Is it due to the law of demand and supply that human beings who are more in supply in India (1.2 billion plus) are less respected, while in the U.S. their supply is less (300 million) and hence they are more in demand? Just because we are in surplus?

·     Or, does it have to do with the state enforcing the laws more strictly?

·     Or, does it have to do with what many of us say “the typical Indian mentality” — to break rules and take things for granted in a “chalta hai” “kee farak paenda hai” or “janta nai mera baap kaun hai” attitude?

·    Morality - Money is the focus, not morality. Its not how we earn money, but if I can arrange bribe, my work gets done in most of the cases.

·      Selfish Motives – if an issue is not my issue, I wont raise any voice because who wants to goto court etc

·     No ownership – The government is blamed for everything and it is too easy to break rules.

·    Is it the economy? The central bank (RBI) raises interest rates whenever inflation mounts in order to reduce the liquidity of money in the market. Larger number of people equals lesser "value" of each individual and in our case it is billions!

·    TV and print media covers events like act of terrorism, train mishaps, hijacks, rapes, landslides, accidents, earthquakes, stampedes, murders for a day and then get back to their crispy news of Celebrity events or Cricket buzz

·     Why is the healthcare, Police force and the quality of living better in the US?Is it just technology or is it the attitude towards life?

·     Is the choice of our idols or role models wrong?

·     Is it the easy accessibility of money that we just want to live in the present? Rich fathers, theft, shop lifting, prostitution, swiping cards everywhere, easy loans and EMI’s?

·      Or Is it the glamorous life that we are turning our wants into our needs, till it all ends? – Drugs, designer clothes, gadgets, luxurious cars, mansions and vacations that we have forgotten all other things such as being a Human first and then a VVIP.

All in all, if we start valuing our lives, we will NOT leave behind a wretched generation by setting a wrong example for them and their future.