Of government and governance-II

We often see the government as a one bit solution for every problem we have with everything around us. There is a certain satisfaction in having something to put blame upon, something to whine about, complain about. The extent to which we do it though is questionable because when people are living together in proximity; they inevitably become part of the functioning of this system we always talk about, the system that is responsible for providing its citizens with very basic things.

Government is not a magic spell that will or can fix everything. It is just a shield that protects us from various elements of society that would otherwise be powerful enough to create havoc in our everyday lives. We are dependent on the government, yes. But are we entirely isolated from them? No. All of us are part of a system that if worked efficiently would result in a different picture altogether.

Roads not good? Tell them!

Streets not clean? Tell them!

Worried about corruption? Do not participate!

Unhappy with the administration? VOTE!

Prices too high? Choose your goods wisely. Who are you paying? Where does your money go? You’ll be surprised to find out whose lives you are empowering.

If numbers are the strength of democracy, they are also in a way a weakness. Because to bring in any kind of change we need everybody to make the effort and that is where it gets a little tricky. But once that is done it gets easy again. Change takes time. Change takes effort. The good thing is that the effort can be divided amongst all of us. We all can do little and still end up with some very significant changes.

You are only as good as the society you live in. How can you have a house built of bricks if people around you are still using mud and bamboo to put a roof over their heads? Almost 70% people of this country do not have access to sanitation which is probably the most basic element of a civilized establishment. Drinking water is still an issue here. And this is 2013 we are talking about!

It’s hard to believe that while there are people who have flown into outer space and seen our world from up above there is another group of people that has never seen a toilet in their lives. That’s too much of a difference, too much of a gap. It needs to be reduced. And it is upon us.

It is upon us to educate ourselves and then educate those around us, to become aware and then spread the awareness. There are two ways to go from here:

We continue in this self-destructing manner and live lives that are below any standard that can be measured.

Or we make an effort to bring about some change in the way we lead our everyday lives. We become responsible citizens. We don’t let individuals who are supposed to be a functioning wheel of the system bully us.   

Try being a responsible citizen for a week and see how much time it takes out of your schedule. It is not hard. It won’t take much time. It is really about the little things. It is in details. Isn’t god in the details or something?