"REVOLUTION S HERE !!!! "
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"VOTE FOR CHANGE........ !!! "
"YESSSS WE TOO CAN !! "
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Over excited about the protest, I asked: "papa, y is everyone in need of change... ? everythin s goin on well rite... I mean, I've heard ppl speakin our country is poor, corrupt, crime-ridden but at the same time one says our nation s developing, big industries r being set up, and India recently won the WORLD CUP !!. India is doing good right.. ?? Is my country that bad... ?? "
papa didn't speak a word...
Just then, a guy walks up and tells me: "look, I had to travel for months to get this shit license done ! I have cleared my tests, even then ppl ask money without which they cant issue me my license.... !! why should I pay for what I deserve ?? fair huh ?? "....
"look !! machines are driven by fuel.. these kaamchors are driven by money !!", another guy stepped up to me...
"kiddo... do you kno d pain of losing an engineering seat to someone who s totally nt worth it ??? ", another guy yelling against reservation system.....
"will you get approval for my pension, beta ? I couldn't do it for past one year !! ", a poor old soul smiled at me after saying this... I wondered whether I spoke so loudly that everyone could hear me...
"India might have won world cup for cricket man... Am a damn hockey player !! ... where does hockey stand now in our country... too bad we're in a state that we have to prove ourselves worthy of participating in the olympics, where once Indian team was a champion !! ", a depressed hockey fello hit me lightly with his bat !!
"behind every new building which arises, lies thousands of packets filled with currency notes with gandhiji smiling !! ", a realtor explains....
After hearing these lines, I asked again, "papa, till when will this kind of anger, frustration be with them ?? ", probably my voice was loud even now, the same people started to stare at me now !!.
.. oops !!
I didn't stop..... "papa, if I go and join this march, will it gain special importance ?? will the country change... ?? Well, naturally, voice of one will be negligible... Should I join this protest which may soon die out ?? what change can 'one' do to dis country... ? ".. I was even louder this time, most of them heard me... I wondered what would these ppl do to me... !
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Well, nothing actually happened to me (physically) that day, twenty years ago... No one harmed me... But the day is of special importance to me and to this society... My father, who was silent all this time, had replied. His reply made it special... !
"what did he reply papa ?? ", my daughter of five asked me !!
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"Son, I know you r a bit confused of whats happening to the country now. Ya, the frustration, anger, excitement of these people are momentary... It was buried deep inside them for years, and as a great man has started a movement, people now dare to bring it out. The people, me included, fear to come out to start a revolution or revive a dead one... Someone has to start or resume this play...
And for your next question... Correct, your participation will NOT change the fate of our country. One single voice will be negligible among thousands of other voices... Let me tell you, when your voice joins those thousand voices, the total energy will be amplified ! The amplified energy hits you and at the end of the day, you will be a changed person !! One person changes, its enough... He will surely change ten more... Participate and see the change in yourselves !! It has changed many people now and have volunteered to keep up the tempo going on !!
Go !! lite a fire which and spread it to each one of them... ! 'one' ordinary person with extraordinary ambition will change the destiny !! Gandhiji, Netaji, Nehruji and now Anna Hazare were all once a simple kid like you... !! "
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"The protest lasted 2 days i suppose, but the feeling is still vibrating in us even after 20 years... "
"papa... when will another such movement start ??? "... she was verry excited !!
I couldn't answer... I could see the sparkle in her eyes... I smiled. She smiled back and asked again...
"Now ! If people wants it.... " She didn't expect it to start so soon !! her expression made me think so !!
"Good night !! Sweet dreams dad !! "
