Story of the Indian Average II - The Six Stigma

                           Ever heard of Six Sigma,the worlds foremost certification for efficient management, I bet you have! We have something thats conversely true for the modern indian society- the Six Stigma-the worlds foremost certification for disparaging an individual from choosing careers that should not be chosen (Note:According to social status and demand).A typical scenario is like this:

Indian Average: "I wanna do M.A. in English Literature dad"

Dad:"Are you out of your mind! What will you eat? You are not that poor in studies that you need to go into arts."

Indian Average: "But I like studying English.Maybe I'll get to go to Oxford one day."

Dad:"bada aaya shakespeare ki aulad!(Look here comes the heir of shakespeare!)How are you gonna survive.Nobody will marry you.Ye ladka khandaan ka naam kharab karega.(This boy will spoil the name of the family) What will people say!"

Indian Average:"But......."

Dad:"You are going into Engineering and that's it.No more arguments."

                              And then starts the vicious cycle.........a cycle than can stretch over 6 continents.I would be wrong in saying that everyone wants to go to America but a majority does.I don't want to criticize them, no, but I just want to know what they learn from America, rather, the Americans.They learn how to earn money,they learn to flirt,they learn to walk naked on beaches of Acapulco,they learn everything that they shouldn't, but are unable to learn what they should.They don't learn the feeling of respect towards their motherland,they don't learn to raise their voices against injustice,they don't learn to have social responsibility.Remember, that America too was once an under-developed country.They developed because of collective responsibility.In the past 60 years they have reached Mars .Even after 60 years we are still unable to wipe the tears of the poor.This is the principle difference between us and Americans.

                         Coming back to the Indian average guy and the Six Stigma.I call it a six stigma because our society tends to attach a social stigma with anything and everything.The first victim is you.If you want to pursue arts or any other hatke profession,the social reaction will be "ohhh him.......he is a good for nothing.......pursuing arts somewhere." (Another cultural learning we need from America is dignity of work and labour.)

                          With this we can understand the perspective of being average.We have to understand that everyone is a performer in one task but average in others.To get the best out of people we have to recognize their talent and not just degrees, a task in which we horribly fail.For developing a country we don't need intelligensia, but dedication.People caught in the wrong jobs or the wrong career cannot dedicate themselves for the benefit of the society.To an extent parents are also responsible for this.For social status and standing we tend to nurture and be nurtured by them, in a dream to get to foreign lands.If we want to see India as a developed country we have to stop this readymade outlook.Growth cannot be achieved in the lap of luxury.Go to the USA, Europe, Japan, etc........learn their qualities, learn the dignity of labour, learn how vocational courses can be more important than engineering or doctory,learn what social awareness is and apply it. If passion drives profession,profession becomes a bliss.True efforts never go waste and half hearted efforts never count.Unfortunately,the thing's bitter to speak and hard to achieve, but still not impossible.As an M.B.A aspirant myself,I have thought over the issue.It took 6 months and a job-offer rejection for me, to figure out what I wanted to do and why I wanted to do it.

                                 Now is not the right time to disclose anything, but soon enough I will and believe me, the task may help us shape a better future.Stay tuned .Chow!