7 billionth baby: a boon or a curse for India?

On the beautiful and eternally blissful morning of 24^th January 2011, all the newspapers collectively have shocking news to share. Have the wheels of the mind started churning already? Is it any upcoming elections in the USA? Is it some big shots merger? Is it again some terrorist group attack? What is it that has created a wave of excitement in the entire world at the same time?

Well, the answer lies in the headline stating the fact that the world’s population is all set to cross the 7 billion mark.

The point to be noted here is that there is a strong possibility of 7 billionth baby to be an Indian because the reports claim that 58 births take place in India every minute, which is the highest in the world.

This Republic Day, the government should take a pledge to initiate various awareness campaigns to keep the population under control. Otherwise the reason for the third world war will be Indians and the issue will be food, water and energy resources.

It gives a sense of pride in witnessing the citizens of various nationalities making intense efforts to welcome the 7 billionth child, irrespective of the fact that the nationality, gender and religion of the baby is yet unknown.

The project “What would you say to the world’s seven billionth baby?” is in full swing. People are writing comments, posting videos, poems, letters and photographs on this blog. But the actual question that arises here is that if world as a whole is actually ready to accept the 7 billionth child and every forthcoming child after that or not. Does the earth have enough resources to support this huge population?

Today every person is celebrating the birth of this child with great enthusiasm but has anyone made an effort to look at the big picture. What will happen tomorrow when the same child will fight with the existing population for food, energy, water, land and various other things? Will then these people be ready to share their part of resources?

The rate at which population is increasing, it is almost impossible to say that which country is going to be the lucky one. There is still ambiguity about the time when the mark of 6 billion was crossed. According to UN, it was on October 12, 1999 and US census bureau claims that it was on July 22, 1999. The difference in the two dates clearly states the criteria of miscalculations in this regard.

To state the situation more precisely, India occupies 2.4% of the area of the world and 17% of its population. The density of population in India is 324 persons per square kilometer. Aren’t these figures enough to create the three lines on the forehead of every educated Indian?

India celebrates Republic Day every year on 26^th January with great enthusiasm. True importance of the day lies in the fact that it was on this day that our constitution was adopted. The constitution is that law-abiding body which provides every citizen of India with certain rights and also defines how to claim one’s rights. India being a democracy, it is the duty of the government to protect the rights of its citizens. But what will a person do of his rights if he doesn’t have any food to eat. The first and foremost duty of the government is to fulfill the basic needs so that the citizens have the ability to think about so called heavy words like secularism, sovereignty, fundamental rights, fundamental duties, democracy and so on.

The government celebrates the day with great pomp and prosperity every year in Delhi, the capital of India. The citizens celebrate the day as a national holiday. They watch movies, plan for family outings and every other thing possible. Is the actual essence of the day lost somewhere?

The above write up is a small effort to bring to the notice that it is the fundamental duty of the government and the educated section of the society to make this country a heaven for those who consider it to be a hell because of their deteriorated situation. Only then we will be able to attain the status of a democratic republic in its true sense.

The forgotten history of historical monuments!!

India is a land with deep-rooted history. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the country is covered with various historical monuments. Even the modernized form of India is under the deep influence of history. The history of our country dates back to 325 B.C. when Hindu dynasties used to rule this place. The country has been a witness to various kingdoms like Mauryas, Chalukyas, Cholas, Pallavas, Pandayas, Rajputs, Marathas, Guptas, Mughals and then the British Empire.

Dynasties after dynasties, it is no surprise that each ruler had built a few forts to show his succession, resulting into a large assortment of historical monuments in India. These monuments are the silent witness of previous era.

Each ruler had his own taste and thus every monument is different from the other. Mughals had a certain style in architecture as they belonged to a Muslim dynasty. Similarly, Rajputs had a complete different sense being a Hindu dynasty. In return, India has earned a rich cultural and architectural heritage.

British people for their own convenience built a lot of buildings in India which are the finest examples of modern architecture. Though they gave us a lot, historical monuments were ruled by them in a ruthless way. Indians have emotional feelings attached to all these monuments and wanted them to be free from the shackles of British.

British ruled the country for almost 200 years. For this long period, there was continuous struggle to make the country free from their strong clutches. Indians wanted freedom to enjoy their own cultural heritage rather than living at the mercy of British people. But what after 63 years of independence, are Indians really enjoying their cultural heritage? 

Every monument in India has a long history attached to it but does anyone know about it is the real question. Indians attained freedom but their minds are still under the deep influence of westernization. Indians will go visit other countries and study about them being ignorant from their own history. Today, monuments are mere picnic spots and no one is interested in their history.

Old Fort in Delhi, once built to provide security to the city from outside invaders has been merely reduced to a dating place. One visits this place and finds couples chit-chatting under the shade of trees. People go to these places for family picnics and litter eatables. The real sense of these historical places has lost in the contemporary times. The struggle of freedom fighters seems worthless.

Taj Mahal is known for its impeccable image. It was one of the wonders of the world. Its marble is turning black day by day due to the increasing population in the city of Agra but no one cares.

The Government of India takes hardly any measures for the preservation and maintenance of these monuments. Urban life is evolving at a fast pace around these monuments leading to their decay. There is a huge lack of appreciation towards heritage. Government considers it to be the responsibility of the public and vice-versa.

Various organisations are working towards the goal of the maintenance of these buildings but one has to understand that it is a collective responsibility.

Today, the question is that even after 63 years of independence, people are not free in their thinking. The heritage of the country is not the property of the Government but it belongs to every individual equally. One must think about it in a deeper sense and should realize its importance. People from various parts of the world are so keen to know about the history of India and its monuments then why the countrymen are so negligent about it?

Is it the lack of love for one’s own country or a lure towards westernization?