Honestly speaking, there can be no VIP (Very Important Person). Every human is equally important. It is the society who decides who should be VIP. We are all unique beings in this passing world. There are no two persons identical with regard to physical composition, inner dynamism and intellectual calibre.
Ever since the human history, people have being stratifying the society in terms of hierarchy which is not very accurate. I say this because often the hierarchy is in favour of the rich and the powerful. There are no human values that involve in most divisions. The rich and the influential at times abuse the other section of the society for their selfish gain which is absolutely wrong. We must be aware that without the so-called ordinary, there can be no so-called extra ordinary. Every person plays a significant role in the society. We are neither purposeless nor some useless product of the evolution.
Human beings are unique and this uniqueness is shared by all. The understanding of who a VIP is very relative. Therefore, when we hear of a VIP, we also need to counter ask the question what makes a person a VIP? According to our belief, the destiny of human does not end with death but it is beyond though no one can conclusively say, this is it. In fact, scientists are making effort to discover what happens when a person dies but they are in dilemma to come out with uniform answer as far as the present is concern. Our future is very bleak at the moment but I do not intend to either say that scientists are going come out with solution. It may never happen because even the scientists are part of the mystery. Scientists, who are atheists, today say that there is a force that governs the whole cosmos from a far. At the moment they have not use the word ‘God’, but no doubt God is implied here.
Most often our understanding of a VIP is a well to do person, an influential person, a person well placed in the society, office etc…etc. Are they really so very important that others are totally useless? I am against this understanding of a VIP. Often people who are placed well in society become more insecure than the ones who are stratified as ordinary. The ordinary enjoy all the events of life with absolute security and with no fear of the other. A life of fear and constant security personals around with no freedom of movement is not a life worth living. Unfortunately this section of people claims themselves to be gods and feel that others are all inferiors.
Actually speaking, people who are too status conscious are people who suffer from inferiority complex. A friend of mine once went for a Christmas carol to a certain institution. Since he was not well dressed, the head of the institution led him to a kitchen for Tea supposing him to be the driver, while the driver of the Jeep was led to a sophisticated and well-furnished dining hall. My friend said he was very happy for such an experience and did not feel offended for the act towards him. Rest of his friends finding him to be absent from the dining hall later on found him enjoying a cup of tea and snacks in the kitchen. The head of the institution asked pardon for her mistake.
In our today’s world most often we judge people by the external appearance but this can bring very disastrous consequence. We are all well aware by the statement, appearance is deceptive and all that glitters is not gold. But, despite this very fact, we still tend to move on in this line of understanding. Immanuel Kant, a philosopher said, we cannot know the things as it appears to us. The reason is that there are many invisible things in us which are just mystery and we know for sure that mysteries cannot be explained. We are all in the process of understanding what life is, who we are etc. Therefore, we cannot just pick up people in random and say, this section is important and the other sections are less important. We have no double part like that of the fictitious movies we see. The moment we die, we die once and for all as mortal. That is why every existence is unique.
Our understanding of who is a VIP is very, very narrow. Just ask a question to any one or even yourself, who is important and who is not worthy of been considered important? There will no doubt be differences of opinions. These differences itself is a distinct manifestation of the relative understanding of who a VIP is. Unless we understand what life exactly is all about, we cannot just subjugate people in random. But I cannot deny the fact that stratification is important. It is because the society will be in total disorder without some kind of division of work. But, it in no way implies that people who do just ordinary work are insignificant. Every work is important since it contributes for the welfare of humanity. Oftensweepers, chaukidars are overlooked, but in their absence there will be mess and disorder.
Nothing is insignificant in this world. Everyone is important and is worthy of respect. Everything that exists has a purpose and end. In a certain college, the principal once asked the name of the sweeper of the college to the students in one of the exams. It was said that no student could answer. The principal did it to teach the students a lesion that everyone is equally important.
My intention of this write up is just to make a clearer picture that every individual is important. I feel that our people are becoming too status conscious. The children of the so-called VIP waits eagerly for question like what are your parents doing? Many students whose parents are farmers try to ignore this type of questions. But I say this is a very grievous error. Just think of a society where every individual perform the same role. In such a state, there will not be progress anddevelopment. There will hardly be anything to admire.
People who are declared VIP by the society by virtue of their achievements should never feel that the whole world is theirs. A person who has achieved much in life also has many things to achieve which is not possible in this short and fragile life.A person may be well versed and well equipped in a particular field but he also has many shortcomings and has wide field of ignorance. A VIP can also learn lot and lot from a village farmer or the least possible we can conceive of, according to the stratification.
Often in our circle we find the so called VIP in the midst of the traffic congestion. They still enter and create more confusion with least botheration of the general welfare.It may be necessary at times because they may have to reach their destinations and work places on time. But the behaviour of the escort teams who at times howl like mad dogs are unacceptable. This is the sort of VIP we tend to entertain and honour with our lips. In reality most VIPs do not get the blessings of the general crowd but instead curse.
People who wish to receive honour must learn to be humble. The more a person humbles, the more he/she is honoured. There is a natural law that governs the whole cosmos: “As you sow so shall you reap”. In other words, curse begets curse and vice-versa.
Philosophically speaking, no human being likes to be put down however humble a person is. Every human likes to be honoured, praised and appreciated. At times coming across a physically challenged person, we might tend to ignore and conceive an idea that such persons do not deserve to be respected. It is wrong.
Let me conclude and leave for your reflection that there is no VIP strictly speaking. All of us are important irrespective of who we are, what we are. We are all unique being with a purpose of existence in this evolving world.
Vekupa George Rhakho
St Xavier’schurch Kidima
