Bittoo: Bapu, you spent good time in South Africa and started your struggle against racial discrimination from there.
Bapu: Hummmmm.
Bittoo: Have you heard about the highly motivational story related to an African tribe Bapu?
Bapu: Which one? If you know, you may start telling now Bittoo.
Bittoo: Sure Bapu! I came across this story on a website (http://www.amyreesanderson.com/blog/ubuntu-i-am-because-we-are/#.W8Vq28rhU0M). Let me reproduce it for you Bapu. It is truly inspiring Bapu:
Once a western anthropologist went to Africa to study the social behavior of an indigenous tribe. He proposed a game to the children and they willingly agreed to be part of it. He put a basket filled with fruits underneath a tree and told the children that whoever would reach the basket first would win the whole basket and could eat the fruits all by him- or herself. He lined them all up and raised his hand to give the start signal. Ready. Set. Go! The children took each other’s hands and started running together. They all reached the basket at the same time. Then they sat down in a big circle and enjoyed the fruits together, laughing and smiling all the time. The anthropologist could not believe what he saw and he asked them why they had waited for each other as one could have taken the whole basket all for him- or herself. The children shook their heads and replied, “Ubuntu, how can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?”
Bapu: Oh! That’s truly a wonderful story and should be the objective of any nation.
Bittoo: Now just in case, if the characters in the story are replaced by our contemporary politicians, barring few exceptions, how each one of them will act Bapu?
Bapu? I know what will happen. Do you?
Bittoo: Yes, I too, Bapu!
This is a citizen-centric new column, wherein the author(Bitto) is an ordinary, politically unaffiliated common man of the city who in his/her inimitable approach takes up various issues with the Bapu’s soul! Apparently, the interaction between them portrays ironies of sorts encountered by the common man and others in the city in a lighter vein. The author’s name will not be disclosed to the readers as he/she represents the common man of the society. This column aims at creating awareness and sensitising cross sections of our city on various issues of public concern only but in a lighter vein without holding any contempt against any institution or individual.
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