SWAMI Vivekanand was a disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Most of the senior politicians admire and follow the ideology of towering personalities be it either Mahatma Gandhi or Dr Hedgewar or Pandit Madan Mohan Malviyaji in their political career. A surgeon while operating always tries to follow in the footsteps of his mentor or a new teacher is influenced by his professor. Every person looks out for an icon to follow from very early childhood days.

It is well established that a young child has his mother as his idol. As one grows up, father replaces the mother as an idol. A school-going kid identifies the teacher as an icon and tries to imitate him/her. In teenage, as the world broadens, the teenager gets at some personality which suits his character may be some leader or a social worker or any respected personality to be followed during his onward journey in life. As one matures into adulthood, this search for the ideal image continues. One may call them Guru or teacher or a leader or by any other name but the fact is all these icons are the lighthouses who guide their followers towards a correct pathway and also have a great influence on the life of all their followers.

But some news and observations in recent days shook me. It was printed almost in all newspapers and was also flashed on news channels that a school teacher came dead drunk in the classroom. He was so inebriated that he could also not control his instincts and ultimately laid down and slept on floor there itself.

Parliament and legislative assemblies of all the States are places where law makers are supposed to deliberate and solve important issues faced by the nation or respective States or by common man. But law makers, instead of debating, are not only noticed wasting precious days and taxpayers’ money by creating ruckus but are observed being proud of their un-parliamentary behaviour.

Traffic police instead of preventing a traffic violation are seen busy fulfilling their commercial satiety hiding at a corner of the busy square and catching the traffic violators after a traffic rule is violated, a Deputy Collector is caught taking bribe, or some Government officers are found to have cleared their administrative examination using unfair means.

An important concern which haunted me today is where will youngsters look for idols? Who should they follow as their icons? If such mortals are followed by youngsters, will this remain a healthy society? Is it not the responsibility of the present generation to show the correct path to be followed by the newer generation? But from where should we begin? It will be too late if we wait for someone else to begin the process.

Let us resolve in the New Year to begin this process with our selves. Let us work with dedication and sincerity, wherever we are working and show the new generation the right path towards prosperity.

Let every individual evolve to be an icon and be followed by future generations. It reminds me of a few lines from an old poem which my father would recite. It was taught to him during his college days which he always recited and I quote:

“In each duty lies a beauty Making all your life a song So in all things great and small Do your best and march along.”