You gotta do what you gotta do

It is a hot and blistering summer in bhopal. The temperature goes upto a scorching 43 degrees, and there is hot air blowing all the time. It is the month of May and June which people dread, because the heat is at its most severe during these times. Common sense would tell us to stay indoors and put on the Air conditioner and drink some cool juices. This is the kind of life people crave for in the summer months. But, there are some people who have to do without all this. Some people have to stay out, because it is their duty. It is these people which carry on against all odds, and they dont even recieve the Thanks for it.

I was just talking to the security guards in our complex. They have a shift of close to 8 hours, by which they have to guard the main security gate. In the gruelling heat, they have to sit, guard and make a note of all the people who visit the society on a daily basis. I had just gone to a nearby shop and i could not bear the heat for 5 minutes. But, these guys have to sweat it out for close to 6-7 hours, and yet there were no signs of people talking to them about their hardships.

It was this one statement that really shook my conscience. The guard mentioned that he has to do this, because there is no other way for him. The hardships that he has to endure is not really appreciated by most people. This fact highlights the fact that the hot summer heat has melted our awareness to the problems that are faced by ordinary poor people. To earn a sum that by which they can live on a daily basis, they have to resort to tasks by which they land up in a lose-lose situation.

I will not go into the symbology of this event by highlighting the rich-poor divide. I guess, looking at the trends, the gap is bound to widen in the coming decades. But, if these people have to do what they gotta do, then we also can help in our own way.

The ideas that i suggest will be termed utopian or rubbish. So, to outline them for the wider public will not make sense. I guess it is upto the power of the lone individual to think of ways to ease their plight. It needs three steps. Realization, Implementation and Understanding are the three main steps not necessarily in the order prescribed. The concept of understanding and selling of this thought to them will be crucial. But, to write about this is easy, but to implement it will be very tough. But, one thing is certain, something has to be done, because they too are humans, just like each of us. And it does not go for the Security alone. It applies to all people who work behind the scenes to make the society workable. Only hope people realize it sooner rather than later.