From Seeing to Doing

The air we breathe and the water we drink are amongst a few things that in all parts of the world are colorless, tasteless and odorless; yet of utmost significance to live. As these basic essentials of life- air and water, turn worthless when diluted so does ‘those’.

What I call ‘those’ are not differentiated by color, neither by accent, nor by religion or trends. ‘They’ are simply presented in a natural manner. We observe ‘them’ happening and being repeated over times around us and across the globe; just like the water being drunk and the air being reported. Unlike water and air, ‘they’ are in different forms and flashes. ‘They’ are a few binding strands that though insignificant in count, yet significant enough to discipline, bound and unite an infinite mass of people. ‘Them’ is what we call ‘Culture’.

Culture, in different tongues is spoken differently, in different places practiced differently and in different holy books is scripted differently; but only in different words, actions and characters respectively. The basic functioning and ideology however remains constant. Culture in all forms means respect, discipline and protection.

Like the Muslim culture asks the women to wear a hijab, so in Hinduism the lady covers the head with a veil. In India and places abroad elders are offered seats in a crowded bus; similarly across the world women are offered the first step. The saying- ‘ladies first’ always strike us as we happen to climb a bus at a bus-stop with a lady beside us.

From the Bible to the Koran; from the Guru Granth Sahib to the Bhagwad Gita all religious scriptures convey the same meaning of brotherhood, equality and lovingness. Kindness is respected all around the globe, whether it is by helping an old lady cross a busy road or by donating a fraction of one’s first paycheck to an orphanage. On a similar context, stealing and cheating is despised worldwide irrespective of how small or big the act is.

In the Indian culture- that I am somewhat more acquainted with, and take immense pride in- are a list of festivals that are celebrated with great zeal and infinite unity. Like ‘Holi’, the festival of colors splashes vibrant shades on all religions. Similar is ‘Deepawali’, the joyous celebrations at the end of Lord Rama’s exile is marked by countless lights glowing and numerous firecrackers cracking across the nation. Then comes ‘Eid’ and the auspicious Kheer travels from the Muslim kitchens to the Hindu dining-tables creamed by three affectionate hugs of prosperity and brotherhood. On the occasion of Lohri, one can witness everyone tapping their feet to the beats of Punjabi music and eating peanuts.

One of the greatest strengths of Indian culture can also be seen from festivals like Ganesha Chaturthi and Durga Puja. Lakhs of idols are made by the hands of Muslim craftsmen and then worshipped by Hindu devotees. These celebrations, each of which holds a tale behind, are esteemed occasions that carry in itself a sense of pride and unity in diversity.

The youth that at times is also referred to as the coming change of the nation, can make the most by inculcating values of these cultures and traditions. These celebrations and happenings teach us the principles of sharing and loving, of kindness and respect. It in a way embraces us with the thought of being philanthropic and more responsible towards the society.

Though these celebrations are over in hours of commencement, yet the message is immortal. Only that we need to take a leap ahead and DO something. SEEING pleasant things brings a smile to our face, but only DOING pleasant things can light up others’ faces. So, to create a better future we possibly don’t need to make another century of inventions; these handful of cultures are powerful enough to craft a better world. All we need is to shift our paradigm from- SEEING TO DOING!