Gerald D'Cunha

Pic.: Amit Ganguly E ssentially, we have two kinds of people around us: Those who curse the darkness and those who light a small candle. Unfortunately, the ones who curse the darkness – the habitual cribbers – outnumber those who quietly light candles – the doers. “We should do this and we should do that… That is not right, this is wrong… and, this should not be that way and that should not be this way...” They know why the country is in doldrums… they have great suggestions… even instant solutions. But, then, ask them to get up and do something, they will take the backdoor! Finally, this world has survived - in whatever manner it has - only because of that minority – the quiet doers… Those who quietly light the candle and do away a little of darkness in this society… “If you are not the part of the solution, you are the part of the problem.” I firmly believe in this old saying. I consider, the cribbers and fault-finders ‘are’ the part of the problem, a...

“Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But, sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who thinks he can.” Which battles of life are we talking about, here?  I had just arrived in this big city of Mumbai, some thirty-three years ago. As a shy and scared young-man, my battles were just of any other young-man like me: How will I overcome my lack of self-confidence? How will I learn to speak fluently in English? Will I be accepted by people around me? Will my views be accepted? Do I possess in me what it takes to claim my place under the Sun? Do I know what I want to claim… and, if I claim, will people laugh at me? Will I be loved enough… helped enough… respected enough? After thirty-three years, when I now look back at this young-man’s fears and anxieties… yes, the battles he had to fight… I can see this: He has built enough self-confidence to face his world… He speaks in decent Engli...

There are two kinds of people in this world: the cribbers and the doers. Those who habitually complain about what is wrong with everything around… and, those who come forward and do something to solve the problem. Yes, those who curse the darkness - the reactive people; and those who light a candle do dispel the darkness - the proactive ones. All around us, we find these two kind… They have been there since the time of Kane and Abel. Last morning, a member of my housing Society showed me a ‘mess’ created outside by some other members and started cribbing. What mess? These members love crows and pigeons…. so much, that they throw from their windows all sorts of food items, particularly the leftover chapattis, so that the hungry crows can be fed. A good value. They also argue, that the food should not be wasted. Another good value. But, then, they are blind to other values… that they make mess outside and cause inconvenience to other members. These mem...

  During the last twenty years, I must have met this man – a very intelligent man – at least twenty-scores times… And, every time I meet him, I am bound to hear from him about one thing: his book! “I am writing a book – an inspiring Novel… It is almost ready,” he had told me this when I had met him for the first time. Yes, that was twenty years ago. Today, just an hour ago, I met him, once again… and, this man told me exactly the same thing: “… My book is almost ready!” This man, now 70, is still writing his inspiring Novel. It is almost ready! I have told you, that this man is incredibly intelligent and capable. Writing a book, for this man, should not take such a long time. So, every time I hear this man’s famous confession – the latest up-date on his book – I smile in my heart. “Why is the Novel not coming out? Why, for twenty years, it is ‘almost ready’?” I ask myself. Honestly, I wonder, if this man has ever written even a line… let alon...

Once again, last evening, I came across one of these Johnnys.  Yes, I call them Johnnys… And, I love them, for some strange reasons! This Johnny has come from Punjab to this big city of Mumbai. He has done his graduation in one of the small towns there; and, now, he feels that he can not cope up with our Cosmopolitan crowd… ‘Hi-Fi-crowd’ – as he terms them. I do not know, what ‘Hi-Fi’ really means. But, I know, he is exactly like how I was when I first landed here, on this - so called Hi-Fi - land. That was way back in October, 1980.  English was a ghost for me, then. My medium was vernacular. It is so for this Johnny, as well. His medium was Punjabi.  “He is okay… I am not okay,” was how the devil kept tickling in my ears, those days… And, that is exactly what the devil’s tail is doing in this Johnny’s ears, now. So, there I go again, last evening.  “Buddy, don’t worry, be happy,” is my very first pep....