A HAPPY 75TH INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL MY READERS FROM INDIA AND ACROSS THE WORLD.
Independence brings upon us great glory but at the same time, increases responsibility in whatever we do. We have the power in us to reach great heights. The heights reached by independent India have been well documented and known to the entire world. The strides we have made as a Nation are enormous and made us the talk of the world. Euphoria of celebration is in the air all over the country and let us all soak in the moment. India takes pride in how far we have come as a country and Indians have incredible faith in how far we can go. Let us take India to unimaginable heights by just doing a bit more than what we do. But to achieve all this, Safety is paramount. I have been doing my bit for the past 3 years writing on First Aid, Fire Fighting and Rescue, Motivation. As I enter into my 4th year of blogs, I thank each and every one of you for the unstinted support. More than the praise, it was the critical feedback which has helped me improve.
Jaggy and Maggie have created a lot of awareness on various aspects of first aid through their conversations. Most of the readers believe that they should have a lot of conversations. In a fresh series of conversations, they will be discussing a lot of aspects on Safety. Safety is ever evolving and this is my attempt to make India and the world as a whole, a safer place to live in.
Over to Jaggy and Maggie.
Maggie: “HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, JAGGY!”
Jaggy: “Yes. HAPPY 75TH INDEPENDENCE DAY TO YOU TOO!”
Maggie: “75 years and we have grown so much, is it not?”
Jaggy: “We have grown to a large extent and the world knows it.”
Maggie: “We are indeed a great country, Jaggy and I am proud of that.”
Jaggy: “Me too, Maggie, at the same time I want to make it a Safe Country, too.”
“Maggie: Are we not safe in the country? What do you mean?”
Jaggy: “My meaning of a Safe country is to minimize loss of life and injuries everywhere across the country.”
Maggie: “Everywhere?”
Jaggy: “Yes, ‘everywhere’ meaning home, work place, roads, travel, occupational, behaviour, leadership and health.”
Maggie: “I get it, but I have a question. What is Safety?”
Jaggy: “Safety is everything. It is a Culture, which when implemented and imbibed, makes life a lot easier.”
Maggie: “Please explain in simple terms. I don’t want your philosophy.”
Jaggy: “Safety is an easy ABC. Always Be Careful.”
Maggie: “How can we be careful at all times? Is it practically possible?”
Jaggy: “Not every time but most of the time.”
Maggie: “How can we be careful at all times?”
Jaggy: “By taking responsibility.”
Maggie: “How?”
Jaggy: “Your first responsibility is towards yourself to not get injured. Second responsibility is towards your family. When we are injured, they suffer. Third responsibility is towards your organization and for the people whom you work with. Fourth, it is for the country and your countrymen.”
Maggie: “You mean to say Safety is the responsibility of every one.”
Jaggy: “Without a doubt.”
Maggie: “Can you give me more clarity on this.”
Jaggy: “Let me tell you a story. In a school, a girl was studying in the primary class. She used to be good in studies, sharp at grasping and excelled in whatever she did. Yet the teacher was perturbed.”
Maggie: “Why?”
Jaggy: “The girl though outstanding in the class was very shabby in appearance. Badly dressed, poor hygiene. The teacher used to wonder what is wrong with the kid till one fine day she took action.”
Maggie: “What action did she take?”
Jaggy: “She followed the girl to her home. While following her, she came to know that this girl came from a place which was filthy and dirty. The less said about the home of the girl and the parents. This shocked the teacher but also spurred her into action. One fine day, she took the girl home, bathed her, dressed her in new clothes and sent her home.”
Maggie: “Wow!”
Jaggy: “On seeing the girl come home dressed and looking beautiful, the parents even wondered whether it was their child. Realisation sank in. They looked at themselves in the mirror and their house. They immediately cleaned themselves, the house and also painted it with whatever minimum resources available. Seeing one house clean and painted, all the residents cleaned their homes, the streets and the area. In just a short time, from a filthy dirty area, it became the most beautiful area in the town.”
Maggie: “All because of one teacher taking up responsibility.”
Jaggy: “With Freedom comes great responsibility, and when all of us take it up, can we not make our country great but safe too?”
Maggie: “What else do we need to do to be careful?”
Jaggy: “Avoid unsafe acts and unsafe conditions.”
Maggie: “What?”
Jaggy: “Will tell more about it soon. Enjoy the extended Independence Day week end safely.”
Maggie: “You too.”
Jaggy: “Jai Hind.”
Maggie: “Jai Hind.”
The Indian Armed Forces say THE MORE WE SWEAT IN PEACE, THE LESS WE BLEED IN WAR. When all of us make Safety a responsibility, India can be great and safe.
Seshadri Varadarajan.
A Responsible and Safe Citizen of India.