How does Mr. Greed Destroy Humanity?
The Anxiety of a Mother.
Mrs. Minu, the mother, visits her only son every Sunday morning, an inmate at the drug rehabilitation center, traveling 35 kilometers. She cooked the favorite dish her son likes, Parotta (thick Chapatti cooked with ghee) and Alu Bhajja (Potato fries). And she has to wait an entire week to meet her son.
It is less crowded on local trains on Sundays. She boards the train that arrives at 8 A.M and prefers that window seat next to the exit so that she can read her book and travel. One more mother also gets on the train, after five more stops. She opened her poetry book and started reading from the bookmarked page, but her mind was off the book after three reading pages. Her thoughts went back 20 years. She had given birth to this son. Being one of the respected engineers, her husband had a name and fame. He never opted for any government job as his earnings were far above the highest-paid employees of the government. The child was born and brought up with a silver spoon since the parents had a good house, car, and considerable savings in the bank. They had the plan to make their son an engineer, for which they had put him in a reputed English medium school. The boy studied very well and cracked the Joint entrance exam for Engineering at first chance, though not at a very high rank, and got admitted to an engineering college on the outskirt, for which he had to stay in the hostel. He never addicted himself to tobacco, alcohol, or drug until his higher secondary. But he complained about cigarettes and alcohol during 1st semester when ragging was a must in engineering colleges. When he came home from the semester break, she found a pack of cigarettes in his bag. When she asked him about this, he replied he was not interested in this but had to keep this pack to show the seniors that he also smokes, as smoking is a luxury among the rich. When I told his father about this, his father couldn’t tolerate it and fired at him, saying that he must not repeat this even if senior forces him.
During the mid of the third semester, the college authority complained of less attendance of her son. He was not allowed for an exam by the end of the fourth semester, and one day they found him sleeping in the hostel room 24 hours at a stretch without food and missing the classes.
They brought him back home. His health was poor. He asked his mother if she could give him some money he wanted to give to his hostel fees and come back in the night. We inquired about his college mates who said he is into drugs. And that’s why he is in this rehab center now. His father passed away in Covid after prolonged diabetic complications. All these thoughts reigned in the empire of her mind for the last 10 minutes.
Anita, her co-passenger, got on the train at the fifth station after 10 minutes. Her son was addicted to the drug from his school days when he was in the 10th standard. After passing out 10th examination with average marks, he got admitted into a higher secondary school with high-income class students. The police caught him being in a drug-selling gang after school hours. And after one year, he is in this rehab center too.
During their next 40-minute journey, they never discussed any other topics except their children what they had expected from them. They addressed the drug sellers selling drugs at colleges. Online gambling ads pop up on mobile phones; the alcohol manufacturers advertise their brands by the name of good soda, and how some missionaries lure and poison youngsters’ brains by promoting fanatics in the name of faiths. They also didn’t stop discussing the printing media and how they print sheets of negative news, television, and Movie media about their popularity gaining programs to keep the students and people engaged with them. Some educational institutions also never mind admitting students irrespective of the required qualifications, the students possess or not, to do a business. Finally, the government also did not care to follow the promotion of alcohol, tobacco, and other intoxicants to earn more revenue.
What do these drug sellers, alcohol manufacturers, media people, and agencies have in common? Have they ever imagined how they destroy humanity? They all have in common, making money and not earning money.
It is nothing but greed for money, though they do for entertainment, service, and happiness.
As they got off the train at their final destination, they joined a group of other parents at the rehab center. All these unlucky parents’ children were victims of drug addiction promoted by all those who do anything for money.
They waited in the meeting room for the parents till 11 00 A.M, when the bell rang, and the boys rushed to meet their parents.
Tears rolled down the eyes of a mother after seeing his son approaching her. She had never expected to see her son in this jail for drug addiction.
She listened to the crying of another boy requesting her mother to take him back home. His health degrades every day.
But Mr. Greed is becoming healthy day by day. The mad craving for money, money, and money!