ACT OF GIVING.

India has a great tag of being a nation of ‘givers’.
Philosophy of life revolves since centuries around the acts of philanthropy and caring for mankind.
History is replete with instances of ‘giving’ turning out to be ‘grieving’.
How?
The moghul invaders were offered hospitality but they used the sword to overpower and plunder the riches.
When the English traders were welcomed ,their interest in commercialization of the natives got the better of their initial taste for spices and condiments alone, they enslaved a whole sub-continent.
Out-sourcing is the name of the game with contemporary mercenaries of mankind.
Our youth give their ‘all’ literally to the foreigner ‘masters’ and in lieu of few green dollar-bills ,they work their guts out during nights and catch up on few winks during waking hours …
Giving is a fine art indeed. I for one was brought up on such ancient ideas as to partake of your meal with guests and strangers too before attending to thy own self. In course of real-time life experiences in practice as a ‘generous’ and ‘blind’-giver,I discovered the stupidity of it all. Giving ought not to be ‘blind’ nor ‘automatic’.
Give by all means .Be philanthropic certainly but all within bounds and measures .Measure the need and requirement of the asker ,so to speak.
Only such a ‘donation’ or ‘act of giving’ would count and be purposeful as would indeed enable the receiver .Not every gift or act of giving will reach the balance-sheet of God or man. Rest assured that giving is the mark of a human-being. Compassion is the sole attribute which makes a man humane. Kindness must not be misread nor misconstrued as cleansing one’s own sins or commissions and omissions in leading the lifestyle of one’s choice .
Giving must therefore be the exercise of discretionary power which determines the intelligence of the giver as well as the utility of the recipient’s efforts at enhancing the lifestyle of the society in general or of a definite segment ,in the least.
Philanthropy/Giving in India requires a new-age definition to help streamline its vast charitably disposed givers and doers towards effective attainment of their respective goals in life.