Editorial

Merit of Birth or Merit of Degree

By the Editor: Siddharth Sehgal

 Say you are at a railway station, the train comes and after you have entered the coach, placed your bags securely under the berth and ready to travel towards your destination with the scenic views of window seat, there is a sudden announcement that your train will be driven by the driver’s son. You have doubts about his qualification, experience or technical abilities, you are not sure and so are the others. Then another announcement comes that because driver was working for railway for twenty years and his family has a long line of train drivers so his son should drive the train. Then you and couple of other brave passengers venture up to the engine to investigate the matter.

 “Why is your son driving the train?” you ask. “Oh, I have served the railway for so many years, so it is my right that my son should continue to drive the train after me” comes the driver’s reply. “Is he qualified? Did he pass the loco-pilot exam? Does he have experience of running a train?” some people inquired simultaneously. “No, he is my son, railway runs in his veins, he has all the qualities of a good driver and I am sure he will not derail it”. I don’t know about you but I’d definitely not travel in such a train nor would let others travel in it and if possible I’d ask railways to get that driver and his son removed. Why? I think I’ll live another day to risk my life with this untested driver’s boy.  This is the situation in Indian Politics today. Some people want to impose their sons and daughters onto public just because they have a history of politicians in their family and just like that train there is very good chance that these novice Betas, Betis, Bhatijas, bhabhis and Bhaiyas would derail and as a matter of fact, have been derailing our system.

 Now take another scenario of same example, say a good, well trained and experienced driver is driving a train. It’s comes on time, every thing is in place, all checks are done and train is expected to reach destination on time. Now all of a sudden one highly qualified gentleman from AC first class pulls the chain, walks up to the engine and asks the driver to show his degree. Though driver has been driving train successfully without derailment for decades, he is good at his job but this gentleman who is himself a PhD wants to certify driver’s education credentials and he won’t let the train move an inch until he see’s that piece of paper that has Bachelors or Masters of something written on it.

 Wouldn’t you be annoyed at such a passenger? If someone qualified is driving the train or the country for that matter, let them drive. You can point out the mistakes that toilets are not clean or train speed is slow or in the country’s case that corruption is high, inflation is through the roof etc etc. The point is wasting the time or development over a degree is pointless. Nothing would come out of it. Its better that parties, politicians come together and work together, for people.

3 Comments

  1. well, well well , presto on time
    major issues relegated , parliament derailed ,… all part and parcel of dirty party politics the so called mr cleans throwing stones at transparent windows when their own are cracked and smashed to the floor forgetting the fact that those living in glass houses should not throw stones at others
    surprisingly these desperate noisemakers kept silent about degrees ever since India won Independence and specially before BJP came into power!!!!!

  2. It’s a very well written & very appropriate article on the current condition of our country. Putting unnecessary obstructions in the smooth running of the country seems to be the motto of todays politicians & their supporters.

  3. Dr.Rekha Deshmukh

    Degree and wasted time to earn it , the merit , toil & correct practices , corruption in the country——

    In 2016 —- we need to sort out everything , with wide open eyes,& make opinions with clarity.