Change

It was just one of those days and one of those moments when you are overwhelmed with thought - with that passion surging you to do something, move forward, make a difference etc etc. And there you are, thinking of the days who have spent in the classroom, on the streets, on modes of transport, in strange rooms and lonely places, just trying to figure out what you are meant to do. And you hit one spot after the other, jumping from one solution to another, yet there's a blank. Why?
I watched a movie last night - Swordfish. It's pretty much run of the mill, one of those crazy Hollywood action flicks (you see the money where it actually is!) - bad guy wants money, figures an ingenious way to lay his hands on it, does what it takes to get what he wants and end of story. The film is interspersed with cool bits - magic tricks, concepts like misdirection etc etc. But what got my attention was the concept of change that was the backbone of the film. A self-confessed maniacal patriot who wants to make America so lethal, so deadly and so horrifyingly violent in its dealings with 'terrorist nations' that no one would dare to attack the mightiest nation in the world. Frustrated with the 'lacklustre' apporach of the government, the central character decides to take matters in his own hands - in fact, he manages to amass enough wealth to be able to buy quite a few nuclear weapons, that too at a discount! Change is all he wants.
Are we able to identify with this idea of change? Is this the kind of change that you want? I may touch raw nerves here, but is for example, 'destroying' Pakistan, the kind of change we're looking for? Is a mass genocide of the populace of this 'Islamic nation' the change we want? Will it put an end to the incessant spate of terrorist attacks that the world is subject to? Many people think so.
But again, many people don't. Change for example, is voting for the first time. It possibly wont make a difference - but its a change all the same. Change may be switching off lights and fans when there's no one in a room, or turning off the ignition when your stuck at a red light. Small, miniscule ways of invoking change, but something all the same.
The point is, the first step towards change is to understand change and in what ways it can come about. There are so many myths surrounding the idea of change - it's sad that it has been stereotyped as well. So people who are rich cannot induce change, and those who are poor cannot either - the rich are way too self involved while the poor are the victims, so what can they do? More stereotypes affect the ability to bring about change. Eventually, only those who are in power are entrusted to make a difference. Why?
Why can't victims bring about change? When the tsunami hit South Asia, a few affected communities in a South East Asian country fought off big TNCs that wanted to build 5-star hotels over their villages (a concept better known as disaster capitalism). That was change. If I decide never to use abusive language that demeans women and reinforces the gender hierarchy (behen**** or ma****), that is change. If I decide never to wear leather, that is change.
At the end of the day, everyone can bring about change. I'm attempting to make a difference by posting on this blog. You can live a comfortable life, and yet affect change. It's all a matter of perspective. Change starts with you.