The other day, I was on a nostalgia trip.
We had been to HAL museum which was quite nostalgic for me since it has been 4 years we had been to that place.
While coming back, we decided to dine at Domlur Santi Sagar hotel.(which unfortunately retained its cost but not the quality)
While parking at the hotel, I saw a blind man who was trying to cross the busy road to get to the other side of the junction.
In a country where even the healthy beg, I was mistaken for a second.
But he was not begging, but was asking for directions to cross the road.
I thought the matter ended there.
But at the same time, a gentleman spotted that he was selling agarbattis.
Having lived in a foreign country where the government pays you a lot of money just by being at home and raising kids, where people lie to be on benefits and never work and get state money just for being a citizen, I was honestly surprised.
Here I am in a underdeveloped country, a country where 66% (in Dharwad villages) people dont have a toilet, a country where girls skip high schools due to lack of toilet facilites but has hifi malls everywhere, what more can you expect.
But here I am looking at a person who cant see but has not put out his arm begging, but trying his level best to live his living.
I pitied him, and was literally having tears in my eyes. I offered to buy two packs and asked the price to which he replied "10 Rs sir".
I said, I wanted 2 packets.
Then to my astonishment, he took out two agarbatti's from the bag (loose ones) and asked me to smell them and buy only if I am satisfied.
I was astonished that he is not begging, he is not willing to be pitied upon.
I told him, they will be very good and they indeed are.
When someone asks me what my country is, I will say this.
The never give up is the most important characteristic of Indians.
You put an Indian in the saltiest sea and he will find drinking water there.
I salute the blind man and I salute my country.
We had been to HAL museum which was quite nostalgic for me since it has been 4 years we had been to that place.
While coming back, we decided to dine at Domlur Santi Sagar hotel.(which unfortunately retained its cost but not the quality)
While parking at the hotel, I saw a blind man who was trying to cross the busy road to get to the other side of the junction.
In a country where even the healthy beg, I was mistaken for a second.
But he was not begging, but was asking for directions to cross the road.
I thought the matter ended there.
But at the same time, a gentleman spotted that he was selling agarbattis.
Having lived in a foreign country where the government pays you a lot of money just by being at home and raising kids, where people lie to be on benefits and never work and get state money just for being a citizen, I was honestly surprised.
Here I am in a underdeveloped country, a country where 66% (in Dharwad villages) people dont have a toilet, a country where girls skip high schools due to lack of toilet facilites but has hifi malls everywhere, what more can you expect.
But here I am looking at a person who cant see but has not put out his arm begging, but trying his level best to live his living.
I pitied him, and was literally having tears in my eyes. I offered to buy two packs and asked the price to which he replied "10 Rs sir".
I said, I wanted 2 packets.
Then to my astonishment, he took out two agarbatti's from the bag (loose ones) and asked me to smell them and buy only if I am satisfied.
I was astonished that he is not begging, he is not willing to be pitied upon.
I told him, they will be very good and they indeed are.
When someone asks me what my country is, I will say this.
The never give up is the most important characteristic of Indians.
You put an Indian in the saltiest sea and he will find drinking water there.
I salute the blind man and I salute my country.
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