Dwelling on success stories

PREM K.

Failure is said to be the step to success, like the spider that became famous owing to its perseverance. Of course, if lady luck is favourable, success drops in like manna that fed the wanderers. It is not that the same fate repeats itself on every attempt.

A look at genuine success stories points to the hard work and dedication that went in to carve the personal fortune. Here, back home, a number of individuals have earned their wealth working hard through several years and even decades. But, there seems to be more people turning out to be nouveau riche not through merit-based professions albeit the corrupt way. Look at the few ministers who were sent to prison all because they had that great ambition of earning to fulfil the needs of their seven generations. Unluckily, for the few that faced the music, it is a few years behind the bars.

And, what more, the black-marketers and the hoarders are just rolling in wealth. The government and its line agencies remain mere observers for what goes on beneath their nose. For them, seemingly it is like searching for a needle in the haystack, but that’s not true. It is plain and obvious that the racketeers are the big bosses of the present times. The big leaders need the goons to keep intact their elevated positions, otherwise they wouldn’t be talking about the much talked about blanket amnesty, which scares the ordinary citizens to their wits end.

One may just wonder whether the adage evil ways lead to a dead-end really holds ground. Except for a few in evil ways of amassing wealth, the others belonging to the flock have the feast of a time. For them, to get their illegal work done, offering bribes is a blink of the eye. And for those who believe in sweating it out, life is walking barefoot over pebbles on a hot sunny afternoon.

In comparison, the ill-begotten wealth earners have the premium time driving out in chauffer-driven limousines, and hordes of attendants, and goons and guns giving them protection. Is this all the reason why the gap between the rich and the poor is increasing at an alarming rate? It is so easy to tell the unemployed to go abroad for jobs, rather than creating them here. And, it is better to import food grains and other eatables so that the importers can make more money rather than encourage the domestic sector for agro-production.

The word “illegal” carries more weight that “legal” so those who indulge in them are bound to be loaded with cash, gold and what not. Those on the right side of the law definitely can gloat over their cleanliness, despite the tough times keeping body and soul together.