Making Life Meaningful

“Excuse me, Madam, in your country it is the tailor who makes a man a gentleman, but in the country from which I come, it is character which makes a man a gentleman.” I narrated this story to an American professor. He smiled and said, “In the past maybe this was the Indian culture but now character is an export item for Indians. It is not meant for domestic consumption.” If the Indian community wants to save their next generation, they should try to make themselves a giver group of American society. If their next generation continues to be taker members of American society, no effort will ever save them from being assimilated in American culture. Some Indians may complain that in the USA they are treated as second-class citizens. If so, it is not due to any kind of discriminatory legislation. And even if there were strong legislation upholding equal status for all, Indians would still inevitably become second-class citizens. The status of first class-citizen cannot be achieved through legislation. It can be achieved only by assuming the role of giver in society. There is a well-known saying, ‘It is in giving that we receive.’ This saying aptly applies to the present situation of the Indian community.