India. Incredible India it is.

India, a land of diverse cultures, a land of rich heritage, a Superpower in the making, a growing Economic power. Gone are the days when Indians were just a part of the audience, watching their foreign contemporaries shell out ideas after ideas which made the world notice them. Today Indians are leading changes from the front. We are globally recognized for the sheer hard work and dedication with which we work. We’ve crossed unimaginable boundaries, both within ourselves and in the world that we live in. We’ve dared to dream beyond what we see, followed our ideals and made the world sit up and take notice of what we are capable of. We are known for the morals and values which we highly regard. We’ve made a mark for ourselves in almost every known field, in the global map.

And, I am really proud to call myself an Indian, from the Great land of India, a Nation which continues to grow despite the numerous obstacles it faces.

Now, the question is, will India continue to grow, despite these stumbling blocks, or succumb to the power of these evils which threaten to put  a full stop to the growth and finally collapse?

When the concept of Satyamev Jayate was originally known, I laughed at it.Living in a Metro, in one of the fastest growing cities in the country,where such social evils are not widely prevalent (or, that is what I thought), all I could think was, “Yea, Right. A Television show is all that one needs to address the concerns of the issues that hamper the progress of the nation”. I felt it was being overly hyped and I was curious to know if it would live up to the expectations of the junta.

I was so wrong.

Among others, In the episodes that highlighted the themes of Female Foeticide, Honour Killings, Domestic Violence and Untouchability, I was surprised, or more so shocked to know that these were not just confined to the rural areas, but also to the urban and civilized areas, which were assumed to be free from such practices .The pride of growing up in a developed city was slowly ebbing away, not just for me, but for the scores of other people who had similar thoughts.

I was under the impression that, at least in the urban cities, people prayed for a healthy child and not just for the sex of the child. Today, in this age when Fathers care for their daughters and treat them like angels,  without any discrimination, the thought of a few men wanting their wives to abort the child, just because she is a girl, is truly saddening.  But the thing is, through this show, we got to know that before pointing out fingers at the rural crowds, the urban crowd first needs to correct itself, before standing as a model to the rest. After the episode was aired, a fast track court was approved by the Chief Minister of Rajasthan for dealing with the doctors who were involved with sex determination and abortion.

Satyamev Jayate, spoke about topics which people were not very comfortable sharing in a private conversation, let alone a public forum. The Episode on Child Sexual Abuse was an eye opener for parents who found it difficult to even talk about the issue with others to seek guidance on what could be done. The numerous calls to the helpline that was made , just a day after the show was aired, goes on to show how many people were stranded left without any information on what to do , and how that episode put the
hardships of numerous parents and affected children to rest.

When I watched the episode on honour killings and domestic violence, I was forced to get back to the reality and see for myself what was really happening and accept it. We might be the biggest democratic nation in the world, we might have the most talented people in our midst, but this alone is not going to help us proceed forward as a nation. When things like those mentioned are still in vogue, how can one expect an all round development from a country, infected (Yes, infected) with people with such demeaning thoughts? As a nation, we have a system. One might question the system and its working, but that doesn’t give one the right to take the system into one’s hands. We need to put an end to such cruel atrocities by people who seem to think they have the right to do anything and everything that they wish. So the next time we come across such instances, it is up to us to notify a higher authority who is capable of taking a right decision, and letting people know where their limits lie.

The most heart -wrenching episodes among others, for me, was the one which showcased the travails of aged parents and widowed mothers, left with no one to take care. They were mercilessly deserted at the time when they had to be provided with a mental state of well being and emotional support. I couldn’t bring myself to think of their plight and what hardships they would have been prone to. Also, it is common to see that senior citizens are not taken care of by the society and are left to mend their ways, all by themselves. We fail to remember that, the present society is a result of their hard work too, as a result of which we are able to develop it further.

What is the use of boasting of being a country with high values and morals when one cannot respect the very people who are responsible for the person we are today? Where is the sense of gratitude for all that they’ve done for us? Is this how we pay them back for having sacrificed their desires to fulfill our wishes? People talk about tackling the threat of terrorists from other nations, but here is something which is much more important than that. Terrorists harm people due to fanatical reasons. Absurd though it seems, in a way, those people are much better, when compared to those who desert their parents, purposely inflicting pain on those who love us, care for us, and have spent their whole lifetime, worrying about our well being.Let’s leave the Men in Uniform to tackle the terrorists. We have to tackle these people, whose mere presence is more threatening than that of an unknown enemy.

Through this episode, a lot was suggested about retirement homes and other options for senior citizens, to lead the remaining years of their lives, in a dignified way.

One thing about the show was it brought out the harsh reality of the existing cruel practices. It has given us a jolt, and brought us back to what is really happening in the society. I would strongly state that, there has been a tremendous impact of this show on the society. You do not have people just watching the programme, right from the aam-admi to the parliamentarians, you have people taking action and working towards eliciting such evil practices which were once traditions!

This show stood apart from the earlier attempts to address the social evils. What I liked about the show was how so many different issues, not just the prominent one or two that people are normally familiar with, but a lot of other lesser known, but widely practiced issues were addressed. And not only did it stop from analyzing the problems, but also provided possible solutions to help overcome the ramifications of what was once done.

Now, the answer to my question.

One might think that a TV show might not bring about the change one wants to see in the society. Yes, but this is just the beginning of a series of changes that are about to happen. With time and with sustained efforts and taking in the positive impact of the show, I am sure that things will improve for the better.

The show has not just lived up to the expectations but exceeded them as well.

A lot is being spoken about these issues, thanks to the awareness brought about by this programme, with time, the excitement is sure to dry up. The issues have been raised. Now, It is up to us, the citizens to take note of what’s happening and work towards eradicating our society from the evils and making it a better place to live in. It’s time we switched our role from being a passive listener to an active participant.

We, as a nation are as developed as our least developed city. So it is up to us to change things at the micro level, to see the impact of it on a macro level. Only then will a nation truly and wholly prosper.

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