By M Ahmad
Some quotes of great thinkers:
• “When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed.” — Mother Teresa
• “Extreme poverty anywhere is a threat to human security everywhere.”- Kofi Annan
• “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.” — Aristotle
• “Poverty is the worst form of violence.” — Mahatma Gandhi
The Sopore incident, that is not only painful for the people who suffer but also painful for the hearts and minds that are sensitive, needs to be valued by mind while it advocates for addressing poverty in all its dimensions. It promotes people-centered approach to poverty eradication advocating the empowerment of people living in poverty through their full participation in all aspects of political, economic and social life, especially in the design and implementation of policies that affect the poorest and most vulnerable groups of society. An integrated strategy towards poverty eradication necessitates implementing policies geared to more equitable distribution of wealth and income and social protection coverage. Poverty hurts all of us in the long run. Our economic system and well-being are at risk of serious deterioration unless we take action now. Life as such is challenging and the humans have made it more complicated because life has fallen into class and categories where the rich are getting richer and the poor are dying for food. It is heart-wrenching to see this situation because people are suffering from hunger, lack of education, domestic issues and also some are homeless.
Poverty is a big issue as there are thousands of needy people who really deserve support and help. Giving them moral support and respect makes them feel that someone really cares about them. By helping them with opportunity and support them at every point. Helping a needy person is like serving the whole community. When a person is in dire need, one who is better provided than him must help the needy person with all sorts of support he can serve. It is our duty as human beings and Indian citizens that we help each other grow and thrive. Leaving a life that is meaningful is something that everyone needs. We can find the real essence of life only when we help others because we are living with others and our relationship matters. There are many people who even don’t have food to eat. Now, that is something sad because it is a basic thing that every living being must-have. But humans have become the only creatures that are starving. No other animals and birds are starving. It is not just about helping poor but also about saving a life from choosing ways which are unethical. We can take an initiative to prevent youngsters from walking on that road.
There are people who are also struggling to have shelter and clothes; the world is an utterly depressing place to live now. We must find some way to give shelters to poor people. We might not be able to build a home but we can contribute to the community centre to feed and give shelter to the people who live differently in the community. It is time to understand the essence of life by finding the ways to help people because we can also find spiritual satisfaction by helping the people. Poor people might have been born poor but they have all the right to live a rich and beautiful life. We should be instrumental. Helping poor and needy people is vital to strengthen the whole society. We raise the entire community as we provide support and a helping hand to those less fortunate than us. Helping them lead a better life for themselves and their community later on in life. Some studies show that helping others makes us live longer and feel happier and encourages us to give more; it creates a sense of belonging and reduces isolation. By helping others, we can help all society eradicate poverty and make equality in society. Helping others is a good deed and a sense of gratification. When we help the poor or needy people, we get inner peace. Helping other people is the best way to make the world a better place. Sometimes the best thing to do is just give, no matter what they may deserve in return. One of the best ways to help others is by giving them something in return. Sometimes this can be something small but often it’s much more. Our helping behaviour can make this world a better place to live in. Lending a helping hand and doing something nice for a needy can have a lasting positive impact on all involved. Volunteering our time, money, or energy to help others doesn’t just make the world better—it also makes us better. Studies indicate that the very act of giving back to the community boosts our happiness, health, and sense of well-being.
Creating funds by members (not by fund-raising) and providing it as assistance with concrete needs is one of the most important ways to help the needy one. Concrete needs might include basic requirements like food, clothing and shelter, but can also include social benefits, health or child care. Volunteering our time to support a cause is something we will never regret. It will enrich our life, familiarize us with our community, and connect us to people and ideas that will positively impact our perspective for the rest of our life, to others also live. Helping our community is an opportunity for us to grow as a person, to better understand how we fit into the world around us. Spending some time enriching our community is a great way to broaden our perceptions of the world. By immersing ourselves in a community and surrounding with people who are dedicated to bettering the world, we can learn so much about how the world works. We gain a unique sense of purpose by serving those around us, one which often manifests in other areas of our life.
Let us stand up now or it will be very late and we can see such incidents again & again in our Society and feel sorry and shameful. A simple way to work collectively is ; let us create a group of 3000 members who will at least contribute just Rs 300/ (Three hundred only) per month. It will be a collection of 09 Lakh for a month and 01 Crore and 08 Lakh in a year. From the very first month of collection, the process of helping the needy can start taking a mechanism of distribution in consideration by the members: The financial help shall be extended to the needy which can include: Widows with no earning hand in the family, Orphans with no financial support, Elderly persons & Persons with disabilities with no family support, Families having very less income. The financial help shall also include to provide some livelihood opportunities to the families of the needy so as to make them self-dependent. To operate the mechanism, there will be virtual/online interaction of members or face to face meeting wherever possible to fix the parameters for distribution of funds. Members shall identify the needy families/individuals in their community.
There is a saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” For centuries, the greatest thinkers have suggested the same thing: Happiness is found in helping others. We are born alone and we die alone. Relationships with others enrich our lives, but we can’t hold on to anyone for a life other than our own self. Hence, we should never be too dependent on anyone. Let us try to make the needy families self-dependent and not being-dependent.
There are a number of ways and means to help poor people, all we need to have is the compassionate heart and a loving mind. I shall appreciate and be encouraged to receive feedback on [email protected]
(Writer M Ahmad is a regular writer for this newspaper and can be reached at [email protected])
