(Watch the video for malayalam presentation with English subtitles)
I know a story about a farmer who used to achieve all the awards for farming. Every year continuously he achieved the 'best farmer' award. He was way ahead comparing with the other farmers who used to compete with him in farming. His crops were excellent and fruits were of great quality.
Once a journalist came to him and asked, 'every year, continuously, without any difficulty, you are getting selected as the best farmer. What is the secret behind this success?'
With a smile on his face, farmer replied, 'I have only one secret behind it. To keep the crops of my farm excellent, I do a small necessary thing. I share the best seeds I have to all those who are doing farming nearby my farm field. We all do farming in the same season. In all our agricultural fields we use the best seeds for farming'.
The journalist asked, 'how is that possible? You needs seeds. They are your competition. So, by giving the best seeds to them too, how you will get the best farm products? How you will get the best fruits?'
The farmer smiled again and asked the journalist, 'Sir, don't you know? When the plants are grown enough, the time comes for their pollination. When birds come for fruits they take seeds with them. When butterflies and other insects move around the flowers, pollination happens. These birds and insects carry pollen grains from one farm to another. If the pollen grains of the inferior crops from the nearby farm fields reach my plants, that pollination will reduce the grade of my crops too. That will affect the quality of my crops and fruits. Because of that, all the surrounding farm fields should be provided with the best seeds to get the best results and that is a necessity of the world. It is a principle of the universe'.
It is a principle in our lives too. When we do the social work that we lovingly call 'Charity', mostly we consider it only as a part of our generosity or help or caring. Either we forget or we do not realize that it has a realm beyond that. A child begging food in front of me today, a child who is deprived of education, a child who is working in my restaurant or factory instead of attending the school. He will turn to drugs and alcohol tomorrow and will become an addict, will live without education, will know nothing on life, will nothing about society, and one day he will come with a knife in his hand to cut my throat; then I will wonder and ask, 'how is this happening?', 'why criminals are increasing?'.
When I can stretch out my hand and help, when I can correct a child with one notebook or a pen, when there is a situation where I can transform his life with a comforting word or hug: if I won't do these things, I am adding one more boy to the circle of criminals. Perhaps, I am responsible for that !