The big questin: What is development?

There I was, seated on a wooden bench on the banks of the Han river, looking at the cute little children cycling and running in the play area on the river bank. I began to think, if this is what life is all about? Is it all about making our world a better place to live in? Is all the development about making the future secure for our future generations?

As I started to ponder for the answers, I began to recollect all the recent learning about the social problems faced by people here. The problems that a great-developed nation is facing. And very recently, during a casual conversation with a Korean colleague about the education system in Korea, he made a statement. A statement that still makes me think if all the development man has achieved is really worth all the effort. And that statement was, "I am really thinking if I should ever have children because the education is so expensive".

I then realized that the situation in India too is heading towards the same direction. A few decades into the future, I do not think the situation in most Indian cities will be any different than what it is here today.

I stood up, took my bicycle, and started cycling along the track. As I began to move away from the crowd, towards a lonelier stretch of the track, the thoughts of my family crossed my mind. It felt as though I was traveling back in time. I began to remember the days when we used to have dinner together every day. The school days when my brother used to pedal and I used to sit behind on the bicycle holding both our bags. Those days when I and my brother used to cycle together to college. Every moment of the past seemed so wonderful. As I pedaled ahead, I wondered if I would ever be able to go cycling along with my brother. That moment, I questioned myself. Is this what development is all about? Is this what education, science, technology, innovations etc., are all about? All these have earned us wealth, technical skills, scientific knowledge, and above all, boosted the confidence to achieve great heights in professional career.

But, the big question remained. When will I be able to go cycling with my brother? Will I ever be able to spend time to teach my nephew how to cycle? It felt like a dream that may never come true. This was the hard reality that I had to digest. Today, even bitter reality is, if I have to meet my brother, both of us have to plan months in advance, cross many seas, and yet may not be able to spend more than a day or two together.

If this is what development is all about, if this is what we are achieving by education, if this is what all the competition at the kindergartens is all about, if this is the kind of future we are creating for our children, then we are being foolish to infinite levels. We are building a world that will be void of any true relationships. We are building a world that is losing the human touch. But then I thought, there is 'hope'. The hope on which mankind is built upon. The hope that things can be changed with effort. The hope that a few decades of modern development cannot overshadow the human relationships built over thousands of years.

That day I decided that I would not let my dreams die. Even if it means sacrificing my career growth partially, the ultimate goal I will work towards, is to spend time with my family, friends, and children, to strengthen the weakening human touch.