SATYAMEV SATYAMEV SATYAMEV JAYATE!!!

I've always liked Aamir Khan. He doesn't disappoint! Definitely not in Satyamev Jayate. I'm not a big fan of reality shows and talk shows game shows and all the other kind of shows which continue to flood and plague the idiot box (not anymore at least and to be honest I've never really seen much of them). Satyamev Jayate I liked. Female Foeticide is a serious issue and that's how it was portrayed-with seriousness and rather clinically.

There were some horrifying tales of cruelty and incredulity. A woman, a doctor by profession, a wife of a surgeon, and daughter-in-law of a Professor and a retired vice-principal, saw one of her twin young infant daughters kicked down the stairs by her own mother-in-law. Another had several of her daughters aborted by her in-laws. Another had her face mutilated for the same reason. Makes you think! We're not as civilized as we believe. We're still capable of performing appalling, horrifying and barbaric acts. Only thing we've learned is discrimination.

It's important for some people to further their name. So that even though they will be gone from the world, their name will live on. Well, newsflash people! Nobody cares about your 'name' and your lineage. What you are remembered for are your actions. If I wanted to be remembered forever, I'd write a book ( a good one that a lot of people like ). At some point in time, in my life, I felt prejudiced against the whole concept of last names. It just didn't feel right. I mean I just couldn't ask people their full name. Nor was I comfortable telling my own. It felt wrong. As I grew up, of course, I became more comfortable with the idea. This problem would not be there in a world without last names ( One of my ultimate fantasies ). We're not defined by the names of our fathers. Are we? It's what they teach us, the values that we learn from them that matter. So, ...........aaaa MURDERERS,..... don't,... please don't try to father a son after killing your daughter! For all I know, you don't deserve to 'further your name' ( doesn't bring much glory to your sons ).

All in all, I'm glad that we're getting something meaningful on television. It aired simultaneously on DD1( which i grew up watching) and star plus, a first in the history of indian television. Well done, Aamir!! Congratulations on fully and correctly utilizing the power of television.Once again you didn't disappoint.

FAITH

A wise man once said- “There is no black or white, just shades of gray”. What is good and bad, right and wrong? How do you decide that? Answer- You have your own beliefs. You can never exactly ‘know’, you can only believe. Nobody has seen God, nobody ‘knows’ that God exists. Yet millions believe. In a way it sounds ridiculous- ‘millions believing religiously in an entity whose very existence can never be proved’. Not exactly being objective. Are we?

How do you really get to a person. I mean what really makes a man angry? Well there can be countless answers to that but is there a common denominator for most of those cases? I believe there is. You challenge a man’s belief system and he will come for you with all he has got. It just can’t be tolerated. No one likes to be told what to believe. It is something that comes from within and it has to. Only then will you fight for it. If you believe in something because others tell you to or because others do the same, you are making the biggest compromise you can possibly make. Everything else can be compromised but not your beliefs. It’s the biggest price a man can pay. Let’s see how.

Suppose you’re saying that you believe in something just because it seems to be the ‘popular opinion’. Now you know that thing they say about opinions- ‘Opinions are like underwear, they have to be changed everyday or else they start to stink’( Actually I have tweaked this one a little :) ).  Next day, ‘the’ opinion changes and you look like a fool- not to others, but to yourself. No one else would even care to remember what you were saying yesterday but you would. However when it won’t fit the ‘status quo’, you will start doubting yourself. Bazinga!!. You’re screwed. Your whole belief system is gone and so is a bit of your self-respect. Ouch. Why did this happen? It happened because you weren’t true to yourself, because you wanted to look good instead of being good.

Here’s another question that’s bothering me. If there is really no way of knowing whether what you believe in is actually true or not, isn’t it foolish to stick to it instead of saying- “I’m not really sure, I might be wrong.” No it’s not. It most definitely is not. For you to believe in something, it doesn’t even have to be ‘true’. Just your faith has to be absolute, for your own freedom and self-respect. If you believe in something, do it emphatically and stand up for it. Now won’t it result in conflicts? People can believe in different things and be equally sure about them. Yes. there will be a lot more conflicts if you start standing up for what you believe in. Is it that bad? Clearly not. On the other hand, trying to change your beliefs just to avoid conflicts sounds kind of pathetic.

The Good thing about being Good.

WHAT is a good deed? An act of charity? Yes, very much! Helping a total stranger in any small way? Well, that too. What else? Okay, clearly it's impossible to make an exhaustive list of all the good acts possible. So how can we answer the question- What is a good deed?

In a nutshell, I'd say a good deed is an act that-

~ brings joy and satisfaction to you,

~ more often than not brings joy to those around you and

~ is never accompanied by guilt.

Recently, I went on a pilgrimage to Iran, Iraq and Syria. My whole family was there alongside a hundred odd other people. We had to spend eight long hours at Tehran airport on our way back. I took my wheelchair-ridden grandmother to show around the place. I took her to a cafe to eat. It offered lemon tarts, chocolate cakes, sandwiches and many other delectable delights. There was a guy sitting there who was watching me trying to explain to my confused grandma the apparently weird delicacies that the place offered. He probably was an employee of the cafe itself. Perceiving that she wasn't quite comfortable with any of the dishes, he gave us his own lunch-pack without taking so much as a penny. I don't speak any Persian but I think he asked my grandmother to remember him in her prayers. It was an act of generosity that I'll never forget. Also, everyone else present at the place was clearly touched by the gesture. It brought smiles all around. I really relished that meal. Yes, it gave me joy!

  

Why should I do good? Simply because it delights me! Every time I do something good, my conscience becomes a tad clearer and my perception of myself improves. A question arises- "If we do good only to make ourselves look better, is it against the ‘good’ spirit?". It depends on whether you're trying to improve your perception of yourself or to please others. No matter what you do, you can not please everyone. However, it's very satisfying if you do it just for yourself. Only then can you truly enjoy it. Moreover, we are all responsible for our own happiness. I cannot possibly think of a better way to find happiness and satisfaction in life. A good deed is therefore, it's own reward.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give,”  said Winston Churchill. We all look to make a difference in this world. To start with, we can help those around us in whatever small way we can. In the process, we do a lot more good to ourselves, and the one person in the world most affected by your charity will be yourself!