Tagged

A few people asked me what happened to my blog. Why has there been no post in the past one month. I insitinctly responded saying that I was traveling, or that I was working 12-14 hours a day off late. (which isn't too far from reality).

I must confess here, that being 'busy' was not the reason for not putting up a post. That was just a convenient excuse. The real reason was that there was nothing to write about. I would open my laptop and then stare blankly at it for a few minutes. I would then log onto other blogs, read them, wonder how someone can be so prolific in putting up posts and then close my laptop and go to sleep. Call it the glorius 'writers block' or any thing else, but the truth is that I just did not feel strongly about anything to write about it. And I just cannot make myself write, just for the heck of it.

So what made me write today? Well, I got tagged by Unpredictable asking me to write about 'Who I judge'. My first reaction was 'I don't judge anyone'. I guess then I am the 'nicest soul alive in this world'. Which I am not.So, lo and behold, there is a list, or actually there is one case.

I judge people who go on and on about how all other countries are beautiful and clean except India but take no personal ownership to doing something about it. They go on and on about how well the system works like a well oiled machinery in all countries except India. And the reason I judge them is because, they would follow lane discipline when they drive elsewhere, but on Indian roads they become mavericks. They would walk a significant distance to drop trash in the trash can when in a foreign country, but they would litter public places in India. To me this behaviour represents a kind of hypocracy. No one is asking them to start a public campaign around cleanliness, they just need to carry the litter around in a small bag till they can find a 'dust bin'. So what if people break rules or take the easy way out, that does not mean you do the same thing. Majority is not always right.

I get responses which go 'In Rome be a Roman' and 'There are secutiry cameras abroad or the fines are high'. I take a very very high moral ground when I reply. To me the real character of a person is displayed not when everyone is watching, but when no one is watching. I guess I am an idealist living in a realists' world. So be it.

This incident happened when in 2004. I was taking a train from Delhi to Amritsar. I had a ticket and when I reached my seat there were people already sitting there. I let them know that I had a reservation. One of them told me to adjust for an hour and that he would get off at the next station. This person was wearing some crumpled clothes and was chewing paan. (Betel leaf). I began an arguement with him saying that I had a right to MY seat as I had a reserved ticket. I felt that I had the right to sit comfortably in MY seat and not adjust with the shabbily dressed person next to me. While arguing, I looked around at the other two people around, urging them through my looks to support me. The Ticket collector walked in at that moment, and guess what, the other two people walked away because they did not have tickets, while the shabbily dressed person had one.

I felt so small and cheap at that very moment. I don't think that the other person figured out that I was judging him by his appearance, but all my self erected high grounds and moral standards came crashing down. Ever since that incident, I try hard, very hard, not to judge people. I am very conscious of not judging people that I often do not read into words/ actions/ behaviour. But thats fine by me. I wouldn't say that I was as bad as Madhavan's character in
Anbe Sivam, but I definitely had/have a few of his characteristics. I am not the most principled person around, and I am the first person to admit it. But of the few principles I would like to live up to, not judging people is one of them.

(All those who think Tamil movie industry is represented by Sivaji alone, just watch Kamal Hassan's movies. Or actually just grab a copy of Anbe Sivam and watch it. I promise you it would be a revealing experience. Atleast you would become more appreciative of Tamil movies)