Supriya Batra

You would have often come across a situation in life when you have no other choice than to pay the change amount. For example: for short distances, the rickshaw pullers generally demand for “khulle do ji” (please pay the change), whenever they see a note or an amount bigger than the tenners. Similar happens while we take an auto or travel in buses. I was amazed last week to hear a private bus conductor shouting- “khulle 23 rupee ho toh hi chadhna” (Enter the bus only if you have exact 23 INR change). The Delhi Metro also makes it clear to “pay the exact change amount” while purchasing tokens for travelling. And sometimes, though we possess the exact change amount, we still hesitate to take it out. One day while going to office from the metro station by auto, I was also asked to pay the amount in “khulla” and although I had the exact amount of change, I tried to get some change from the driver. There was no reason per say but I just wanted to see his reaction and as expected he had that ‘pissed-off-early-in-the-morning-look!’ on his face.

But this question that ‘when no one is ready to take it out, where is all the change of this country going?’ is irking in my mind from quite a long time. While I still am not able to solve this mystery of the disappearing change, I see our honourable Prime Minister- Narendra Modi who has claimed to bring a lot of “Change” in the country through his speeches. Initially, it all looked convincing but with the passing time it has become a matter of humour as the positive cannot be seen anywhere around. Rather than anything else, the talk of the nation is that whether India is really ready for a change?

On the one hand, we look out for development and employment opportunities, while on the other we seek for more holidays, less or no work, more salaries and so on! We act of being over-generous and kind but still doubt all the organisations and NGOs before donating money or clothes to the needy. We always question or doubt the people taking up similar initiatives that ‘will this ever reach to the ones affected’? We all discuss politics, enjoy debates during the news hours but when it comes to voting, we have our bucket full of reasons of not being able to make it. We criticise rapes and the politicians making stupid statements but do not leave opportunities of staring or making comments on girls and boys in public places. We so want a corruption-free nation but still find ways to get our work easily done through bribes. We find ways and means to avoid the long queues to submit bills and then blame the officials and departments making licenses and passports.

It is time we stop looking at Modi as the one who is going to bring change for us. Because it is certainly not a single person’s responsibility to bring that CHANGE! He has the power & position but it does not mean that he possesses a magic wand which will bring the desired change and completely reform the present scenario. It is neither Congress nor BJP which is to be blamed for the slow development of the country. High time we realise that the ‘Change’ is within us only; we just don’t want to believe that we have the potential to bring it. It is similar to the situation of hiding the change (coins) for no reason while paying any particular amount even when we are carrying it.

It is time we stop playing the blame game and act as civilised citizens of the world’s greatest democracy. Change,we have! Together we can and together we will make a difference.