New Beginnings

"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things through narrow chinks of his cavern." - William Blake


Yes, i copied this and i pasted it! No, it has no relevance to what I'm writing about. But then, 'copy---paste', thats what I do for a living, and I'd like to believe I'm pretty damn good at it. Maybe its time for some original thought, just for a change.

I was listening to a radio station the other day and they were discussing the ban on smoking in public places. One guy called in and spoke about how the ban was ridiculous and how people never "knowingly and purposely blow smoke in other people's faces". He also spoke about how the government should concentrate on more important things like catching terrorists and suicide bombers (umm, didn't they blow themselves up?). The RJs were mighty impressed with this caller and applauded him for being so outspoken and endorsed his views. (WHATEVER!!!)
Now, while i agree with the "concentrate on catching terrorists", I don't see why the world should come to a standstill while we all run behind terrorists. India always has been the kind of country that has been too busy with life, to let blasts affect it for too long. We haven't built memorials, celebrated/mourned anniversary after anniversary. Life must go on. While i do believe that terrorists must be caught, communal violence must stop etc etc, I also believe thathe government can't concentrate only on one thing at a time. Thats is the point of having a cabinet and ministries handling various portfolios. Each one does his bit in one's assigned area. And the Health Ministry is doing their bit to provide a smoke-free environment for everyone. Kudos to them. I also believe that everyone has the right to a smoke-free environment. And Mr. Radio-Caller, you don't need to blow smoke directly in someone's face for them to be affected by it. Sure, if you want to kill yourself, you're more than welcome to light up in the privacy of your own home.
People say "what about the cars that pollute the roads, and industries that pollute all over the place. The government should clamp down on them too". Absolutely! But that doesn't mean that they should turn a blind eye towards one thing, while they try to rectify another. And in any case the govt is working on this. All vehicles are required to be Bharat Stage III compliant, which means they have to follow certain emission norms. I have not read up on what factories etc. have to comply with, so i won't comment on that.

My point is, change happens everywhere, slowly and simultaneously. You can't disregard one move just because the move in other areas have not been as prompt. As human beings, we are naturally resistant towards change. But if we think about this ban objectively, we'll realise it will turn out to be better for us in the long run. (fuck that, it will be better in the short run too)