Gerald D'Cunha

Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption agitation was at its thick. The no-nonsense Gandhian was on a fast-unto-death… The entire nation had rallied behind him… The Ram Leela grounds had never before witnessed a frenzy like this one… The young and old alike wore the topi that read – ‘I am Anna’. It had spread like a viral… and had brought the Government down to its knees. All over the country, people – simple and sophisticated, illiterate and highly literate, all - were on a campaign-spree… Suddenly, to speak of anti-corruption in this country had become very fashionable… a fad. It gave a huge ego-kick to most of us… It was in the midst of this infectious anti-corruption agitation, about five-hundred students of a Medical College in Mumbai wanted to join one of the anti-corruption rallies in our Azad Maidan. The Dean of this college asked all of them to assemble in the college campus. “Are you really serious about rooting out corruption from our land?” the Dean ask...

  And yes, today is ‘Guru Poornima’ . Many of my students have already greeted me, today… and, I have done the same to some of my teachers, and to some, whom I hold as my teachers… Though they have not taught me, I, believe, that I have learnt from them.  One of them was the autowala who, this morning, refused to take me to my work place. I was late and anxious. When he refused, I was annoyed, angry. But then, something stopped me from getting into a duel with him… Many a times, earlier, such a duel had ruined my day. So, this day, better sense prevailed upon me… “It is okay… Just have some more patience… and, you will find another auto,” a voice inside prompted me. Yes, I did get another auto in a few minutes… When I reached my work place, two minutes late, the heavens hadn’t fallen! Trust me, they were right there, up! So, I sent my ‘Guru Poornima’ greetings to this autowala , too! He may not know this; but, he taught me the valuable lesson...