Amitabh Bachchan's Official Blog

DAY 1784

Noor-us-Sabah, Bhopal Mar 5, 2013 Tue 11 : 35 PM

-          #8march, I will be doing my bit to make the world a safer place for women. What’s your promise? #ringthebell http://bellbajao.org/ringthebell

-          Supporting @Breakthrough’s latest campaign. Will #ringthebell for a world where women feel safe, free, and secure

-          #ringthebell – one million men make one million promises to end violence against women this year. What’s yours? http://bellbajao.org/ringthebell

There is a cause that needs support. There is a call that needs attention. And there is a heart that needs to be heard.

Despite great awareness ideals that have taken space and demonstration among the society, the atrocities continue with abandon. Great introspection needs to be done to fathom the reason and the continuous disregard for all that should be looked upon as an evil. I will not agree with the reasoning that such incidents happen all over the world or whether the statistics favor another region or not. I am interested in why it is happening at all !

Hindu philosophy and several mythological tales have forever depicted divinity in the female form. Of being one that has power and strength in the various modes of society. Of being the symbol of learning and wisdom. A destroyer of evil in some and the giver of literate manifestation in the other.

But it has also been the giver of life. One that ensures the continuity of living, of procreation, and indeed in a sense, creation itself.The ones that abuse her are the ones created by her. They exist because they were born from her. Is this the kind of value that they give in return to them that made it possible for them to be born ??

STOP THIS DISRESPECT !! MEASURE THE PRESENCE OF THE WOMAN IN OUR EXISTENCE WITH REQUIRED DIGNITY !! PROTECT THEM THAT FALL UNFORTUNATE VICTIMS TO SAVAGE INHUMAN INTENT AND STAND TOUGH AGAINST THEM THAT RAISE THEIR HANDS TO DEFILE THEM !!!

The cause of the ‘musahar’ community that resides mainly in the State of Bihar, and the conditions of which were exposed in our programme on KBC, when a member came up on the HotSeat in a special episode to play for the upliftment of his brethren, has been a major concern for me ever since the conduct of that programme. A dedicated silent revolution initiated by an ex administrative service officer in the Government has been working towards their cause, and I met him today to understand what is being done and what needs to be done for the betterment of this most horrid and depressing circumstance that this community exists in. Education has been the main thrust for them, and for this all efforts are being made individually and privately to bring change. Yes the Government does its bit too, is aware and has demarcated programmes and relevant funding for them, but sadly as has come to be known, all of the benefits have not reached the right destination. What and where those inadequacies lie is for the system to see and address, but as citizens too it does become us, to partake in some way towards an ailment that hurts our own, and to offer what best we can to improve if not completely erase this malaise. And education has been the thrust of this private initiative.

I was informed today by Mr J K Sinha, Founder-Chairman of Shoshit Seva Sangh, the organisation that works for the ‘musahars’, that a class 5 student of this community that has been a part of the minimal education programme started by him, within very limited means, has written short stories in English on various titles given to him by a visiting professor from USA, which have shocked many on its brilliance. I have a copy of that book where those short stories have been printed and shall try and put them up shortly, but really it is a example of what can be done and what potential these deprived class of people possess. Given the strength of better facility and care, they could go out and take benefit of the various opportunities, that a progressive India provides today !!

The post today has been filled with mention of noble acts, of the anomalies that exist in an unequal world, of a ‘sankalp’ to attempt to eradicate the ills of society, and much more. We forget at times what we possess, and what a blessing it is that we do. It may not be the best, the biggest and the brightest, but it is ours. We need to value it, for there are millions about that do not even possess what you possess ! We thrive to excel and improve our lot, we design and work towards betterment. That is human nature. One cannot wish it away. But in and during our struggle for our own enhancement, it would be of value to think of another in not too similar circumstance, and what we could donate in terms of our effort, in bringing a little of the cheer that we enjoy.

You may not do anything substantial today or perhaps tomorrow, but even if we stopped for a while to think on the circumstances of those that are under privileged, it would go a long way …

It does not take long for a thought to fructify, provided there is will …