It is just not fair!

It happens all the time! Be it on the roads, be it at work, at home or even at the supermarket...You are following the rules, doing it right and there comes ‘Mr. Now’ who breaks the rules to suit himself, robbing you of your precious time and patience... You mind wants to scream, “It’s not fair!” and you almost do it but one look around and you change your mind about it.

Is it wrong to expect things to be fair? Now that is a good question especially in a society where everything around is done in a way that is unfair. If you think that is an exaggeration then let’s have a look at a few examples...

If you want to get something done in a government office, you will learn to your dismay that there is a going price for it. A set price for a ration card, a birth or death certificate and even at the mortuary if you are waiting for the body of a loved one to be taken for post mortem. Outside the police station, on the train, on the roads, in the courts... one bribe can get your work done ‘faster’. Or let’s be honest about it, it will ‘ensure’ that your job is done, if you don’t go by these rules your work will just be in the ‘In Register’ lying there and gathering dust or worse still the file will disappear and just not be found!

We don’t need to go back into the past to get a better example... The recently concluded Common Wealth Games was so shrouded with controversy that we Indians had to hang our heads with shame for the amount of corruption that took place in its name. The amount of money wiped off in the name of construction work that was just ‘not done’ or worse still ‘shoddily done’ was enormous. To add insult to injury we had to see bridges collapse and star sportspersons from other countries withdraw in the fear that there was some fiasco waiting to happen. It is to the credit of Indian sportsmen and women that India managed to salvage its name and the mood at the games changed.

Welcome to modern India... where things are just not fair. Now since we have got used to this ‘system’ the question to ask is ‘Should we want things to change?’ Is fairness overrated? What good does fairness do? What does it imply for each person concerned and for our society?

Fairness and justice go hand in hand. It is a mindset that gives equal importance to oneself and others. It is saying, ‘I am important and so are you!’ Just like Jesus said, “Do unto others as you want others to do unto you.” It is treating people the way you would want them to treat you. It is taking turns, telling the truth and playing by the rules.

It is being responsible for our actions and caring about how what we do will affect others. It means keeping an open mind and listening to others. It also amounts to accepting the responsibility for our own mistakes and not blaming others for it. Fairness requires that we don’t take advantage of other people and also that we don’t practice favouritism.

The bottom line is this - do you want others to be fair to you? Would you like it if you got your turn for the things you need in time? Imagine being in a queue where no one jumps the line or being in an auto where the auto driver doesn’t charge an extra rupee... Imagine not having to pay a single bribe! Imagine the municipal offices, police stations and government offices working just as they should! Imagine matches without match-fixing! Imagine sports minus dope and the drugs to enhance performance?

If you said yes to the above question... then remember it is a matter of give and take. Each needs to do his or her part first... and then slowly the others will fall in line. We need to listen to the voice of our conscience. Stop feeding corruption, don’t encourage corrupt people. Be fair and expect fairness. Let us light a candle and conquer the darkness... one candle at a time. Here’s to a corruption-free and fair India!!!