Revisit the Ideas of Change

Muhammad Abdullah Javed
September 3, 2019

Change, fascinate us. It is one of the most common things desired no matter at what age group we are? Change… one of the common phenomenon we come across with, for every one of us changes inspire, they have an alluring attraction, at times appear quite synonymous to our nature. Let us revisit different spheres and ideas of change. 

Changes are Inevitable

The most inevitable thing on earth is ‘change’. Some changes are simply out of our control and some are within our grasp. No one can claim to change the flowing time. Nobody can stop the growing changes in a tree. Nobody can stop the change appearing in color of the crop when it reaches its final stage. The change in the fetus in the womb of the mother is gradual and significant. The simultaneous change in skin complexion along with the age is inevitable, simply unstoppable. The change in voice of the growing toddler is usually perceived as a good sign. The change in the character is observed as a good sign, whereas the inverse change in anyone’s attitude is strongly disliked. In a nut shell, the human lives are but an embodiment of change from beginning to the end:

O mankind, indeed you are moving towards your Lord with great exertion and will meet it 
(Surah Al-Inshiqaq: 6)

So ‘change’ is a prerequisite of life. A child in womb changed his abode and stepped into the real world for a bubbly life. We left school and entered into the college premises, teachers have changed, new friends replaced the old ones, our approach towards studies get renewed so was the case of seriousness. When we left college, a new ambiance of a working place welcomed us with folded hands…. then marriage, then parenthood, then a change in status from son or daughter to father or mother, and then from father or mother to grandfather or grandmother…..then what? Finally, we will get transformed from this world to the eternal one when the soul departs from our body and changes her worldly abode.

Changes are inevitable. Some healthy, some unhealthy, some positive, some negative, some avoidable and some absolutely unavoidable. Now just think over the question again, the answer appears in quite interesting modes. 

The Spheres of Changes

There are many spheres wherein you can observe a change, let yourselves and others know about its reality. The change in an individual life is always preferable. The change in nature is unavoidable; sometimes it seems that humans are responsible for the change in weather, temperature, and abrupt changes in the day to day affairs. 

Imbalance in growth is always credited to the change in lifestyle. The increase in eateries and outlets is again attributed to the change in food habits. The change in customs and traditions has even caused a humongous change in the history of nations. Change, is such dynamic phenomenon that you can’t single out a particular fact about it. There are spheres of an individual, group and nature, wherein you can observe the phenomenon to arrive at a conclusion and say, change is….positive here, negative there, desirable here unwarranted there:

Mischief has appeared in the land and the sea on account of men's own doings that He may make them taste same of their (evil) works: maybe they mend their ways.(Surah Ar-Rum: 41)

Changes in the Individual

Change, as such is preferable for the individual as it totally transforms the whole persona. Change in inner self is a hallmark of perfection, you can say the moment one realizes the self, a sustainable journey of progress and prosperity commence. The change in inner self is positive in the sense it helps realize the realities of life, by change here we mean a true understanding of:

•    Purpose of life
•    Strength and weaknesses
•    The status and dignity of parents
•    Importance of time
•    Constructive thinking
•    Healthy criticism
•    Upholding of values
•    Annihilation of evils
•    Depth of relationship with family members
•    Friendship 
•    Favors of God
•    Love of humanity
•    Importance of selfless service
•     Responsibilities towards the country and nation.
•    Role in the progress and prosperity of the society. 

In due course of time, the set values through attitudes do appear, the most preferable ones, that can be dreamt of pertain to a process of transformation from unhealthy to healthy attitudes that is from:

•    Ingratitude to gratitude
•    Lethargy to dynamism
•    Pessimism to optimism
•    Hatred to love
•    Immoderate to moderate
•    Intolerance to tolerance
•    Anguish to content
•    Uncertainty to certainty
•    Indecisiveness to decisiveness
•    Disrespectful to respectful
•    Rudeness to politeness
•    Traditional to creative
•    Unhelpful to helpful
•    Unfriendly to friendly
•    Unrealistic to realistic

Upon achieving something in life, if any individual depicts changes of the following nature can be termed as unwarranted and negative ones. That is on achieving the following, if a healthy attitude gets replaced with an unhealthy one, in no way it would be appreciable:

•    Good job
•    Fame
•    Wealth
•    Marital ties with families of high status
•    Achievements
•    Rewards
•    Fulfillment of dream projects
•    Position and status
•    Successful completion of assignments.
•    Flourishing of business
•    Children

Changes in Groups

We have a social existence; we are bound to live together with our own norms, values, cultures and traditions. At times, the human history has reflected the collective behavior of people dwelling in the society. A healthy change in their thinking and attitude has brought in many a revolution. If we look at the countries of the world that are enjoying an independent status now were once under the clutches of some ‘dominant forces’, because of a change in the mindset of the people and earnest efforts for transformation from the following have paid them with rich dividends:

•    Dependency to independency
•    Low self-esteem to high self-esteem 
•    Powerlessness to power 
•    A sense of bondage to freedom

Therefore, it is rightly perceived that the successful present and the bright future of the country rest on the healthy mindset of the inhabitants. If any society claims its progress and development, but fails to ensure a healthy mindset of its citizens is bound to perish in one or the other way, the human history bears testimony to the fact. Therefore, material progress alone is quite insufficient for a sustainable progress of the society. To be on top of the human ladder a society has to have morally sound people along with its material developments. Thus the changes can be termed as healthy if the people embellish their persona with the following traits on constructive lines:

•    Silence with resistance
•    Violation with respect
•    Hatred with peace
•    Degradation with honor
•    Insensitivity with sensitivity
•    Irresponsibility with accountability 

It’s the beauty of progress that a society has to be alive by means of material progress whereas its citizens should alive by means of their vibrant collective-conscience. Such collective conscience personifies their hearts and minds, and helps lend their unconditional support for all the virtuous acts and vehemently oppose any act that is detrimental to the cause of humanity. This is what we mean by this Quranic instruction:

Surely Allah enjoins justice, kindness and the doing of good, to kith and kin, and forbids all that is shameful, evil and oppressive. He exhorts you so that you may be mindful. (Surah An-Nahl: 90)

Changes in Nature

Well, here we have to put our fingers crossed, as most of the matters pertain here are not totally related to us as was the case of changes in individual and group spheres. Changes in nature can be termed as precious blessings of God had not been so overtly showered on us, we would have surely succumbed to the internal and external pressures, the changes that are blessings are apparent in:

•    Days and nights 
•    Weathers
•    Seasons
•    Flowing of breeze
•    Blossoming of flowers
•    The attractive landscapes
•    The increasing and decreasing levels of oceans
•    Temperature in accordance with the seasons

The changes that do not happen in the following have become a valid reason for human existence on earth:

•    In the position and movement of sun
•    Waxing and waning of the moon
•    Earth’s speed in rotations 
•    The distance between the sun, earth and the moon

The nature that ensures healthy present and a prosperous future largely depends on the human attitudes. Now the abrupt changes in weather and seasons, the rise in the temperatures, scarcity of water, rise in sea levels, deforestation, drying up of rivers, sound, water, soil and air pollutions have greatly affected the nature in particular and human lives in general. Again, the unhealthy practices of human rights violation, female foeticides, exploitation, corruption, mischief on the land have caused the human lives to change drastically from peaceful existence to a threatening one. 

Hope for Change, Change for Hope

Let us hope for a change, a healthy one, both at individual and collective levels. The way changes in nature depict a progressive world and sustainable human lives, similar changes initiated through individual and collective efforts would change the status and position of humans. They will bring them from depth of darkness to the light, from ill fate to good one, from disparity to hope, from disintegration to integration, from hatred to love, from cruelty to humanity…….after all change, at large, is positive and desirable as it connects us with the Divine Likings.

 

The author is the Director of AJ Academy For Research and Development, Raichur, Karnataka. He can be reached at [email protected]

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News Network
March 4,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 4: Seeking to allay fear among the citizens in the wake of Coronavirus scare, Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Wednesday made an appeal to the people not to pay heed to rumours spreading on social media.

In a series of tweets, Mr Sriramulu assured people that the government has taken adequate measures to ensure that the disease does not spread further. "Don't lend your ears to rumours about the Coronavirus in the social media. Rely only on the authentic information," he tweeted.

The minister's tweet came as Bengaluru reported the first case, after a techie from the city with a travel history to Dubai and interaction with Hong Kong-based people there, was admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad.

As panic gripped the city, Mr Sriramulu said the apartment where the software engineer was staying has been sanitised. Besides, his 25 colleagues have been identified. One of them has been admitted to the hospital as a precautionary measure and his blood sample has been sent for lab test.

"So far 40,207 people have been screened at the International airport. 251 blood tests have been done, of which 238 were found negative, while the rest of the reports are yet to come," Mr Sriramulu tweeted.

The health department said three people have been admitted to the isolation ward at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD).

Meanwhile, a parent appealed to people not to panic about the Coronavirus in the techie's apartment, where his son too resides. "My son is from the same apartment. To update everyone, there is absolutely nothing wrong here. It was more of panic on social media that created this," he said in a message.

He said that the man who is in Telengana and testedpositive stayed in this building on February 21. "His roommate was taken to hospital and has tested negative," he said. It is been two weeks since the incident. The virus cansurvive only for 48 hours under optimal conditions, he noted. "Everyone in this building is safe. Please educate yourself. Refrain from spreading panic and misinformation." he added.

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Agencies
February 6,2020

Even more than three years after demonetisation and all-out efforts to make most transactions through electronic, cash is still king, as it thrives in a digital India, said fintech start-up Paytm founder Vijay Sekhar Sharma.

"While cashless economy is not possible in India, less cash economy will be in the future. Less cash is the only solution, not the elimination of cash," Sharma told IANS in an interview after unveiling an all-in-one payment gateway on Tuesday.

Asserting that it would take 5-10 years for India to make the transition to digital payments from the traditional mode of cash, Sharma, 41, said the e-payment industry benefitted more from the November 8, 2016 note ban and withdrawal of old Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denominations.

"I think it (demonetisation) helped the industry despite lack of specific help. But the world has changed since then. It is about the scale of distribution of merchants that is what is propelling digital payments," said Sharma.

Most of the cash not only came back into circulation, but also remains as the mode of payment for the majority due to its convenience for the people used to such transactions.

Expounding Paytm's zero service charge, Sharma said the strategy is sustainable as it leads to acquiring more customers and merchants, enabling newer business opportunities.

Paytm also does not levy a service charge to small merchants for its payments services, unlike organised players like Uber.

"Though there is a monetisation model, the merchants who are small shopkeepers, become our financial services customers as they open a bank account, which is profitable."

Paytm secured a Payments Bank license from the Reserve Bank of India to offer a savings bank account, Rupay debit card and money transfer services.

"We are banking on payment services acquiring customers and merchants who avail banking, lending, insurance, wealth and software services like billing software and business ledger software services eventually," Sharma noted.

The mobile first bank services include zero balance and zero digital transaction charge accounts.

"Basically, payments, cloud, commerce and financial services are a cohort we follow. So, payments is our customer as well as merchant acquisition. If it breaks even, we are happy because other line items make more money, he affirmed.

Noting that in a market like India, one cannot price services at a premium unlike in a developed country like the US, the billionaire businessman said a consumer in a developing country would not be able to afford such a hefty charge.

Forbes ranked Sharma as India's youngest billionaire in 2017, with a net worth of $2.1 billion.

While several countries operate on the model of higher service charges, Sharma said newer business models have to be discovered in India, as customer lifecycle value is accounted for more stages than in other nations.

Asked about an upscale retailer like Zara not giving a wallet payment option during its recent end of season sale in Bengaluru, Sharma said Paytm was addressing such hiccups with its all-in-one payment solutions.

"It's an opportunity, because if the retailer has our all-in-one point of sale machine, where in they enter the amount, it shows both the Quick Response code (QR) and card payment options," he observed.

Sharma compared older swiping payment machine to feature phones and modern ones to feature-rich smartphones.

"If you notice, they look like feature phones and the modern day card machine is more a smartphone like. You can add the smatphone components, which can add the features," reiterated Sharma.

Though Paytm's all-in-one QR point of sale machine integrates the billing system, its chief executive said it was not ideal to have an independent QR feature.

Paytm has 16 million strong merchant user base, which Sharma aims to raise to 26 million base in the next one year.

Sharma has launched in this tech city an all-in-one payment gateway and Paytm Business Payments solution, which enable digital payments through multiple methods for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and an Android point of sale machine.

With the new gateway solution, collecting digital payments through multiple methods can be achieved seamlessly while Paytm Business Payments solution enables automated vendor payments, including employee salaries and customer refunds among others.

The One97 Communications-owned Paytm aims to help SMEs streamline and digitise their business activities using its new solutions, which enhance the overall efficiency of both accepting and making payments.

Paytm has a data bank of over 200 million saved cards and bank accounts, a feature which enables partner apps to shorten transaction times and propel faster conversions while using the all-in-one payment gateway.

Complementing the two solutions, Sharma also launched an all-in-one Android point of sale machine, which can accept payments through all forms such as cards, wallets, UPI apps and even cash.

The device has a QR code that supports all contact and contactless payments, coming with integrated billing software customized solutions for different sectors such as catering, ticketing, parking and others.

The handheld Android device is equipped with an in-built printer, scanner and can also generate bills.

Valued at $16 billion, Paytm is not alone in the fiercely competitive Indian fintech space where a dozen players like PhonePe, MobiKwik, Kotak 811 and deep pocketed international giants Google Pay and Amazon Pay are in the fray.

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News Network
February 22,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 22: President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday said an ideal trade-off needs to be reached between new media -- which is fast and popular -- and traditional media which has developed skills to authenticate a news report, which is a costly operation.

Addressing the fourth edition of ‘the Huddle’ – the annual thought conclave of the Hindu here, he asserted that the internet and social media had democratised journalism and revitalised democracy, but had also led to many anxieties.

While the new media was fast and popular and people could choose what they wanted to watch, hear or read, traditional media would have to introspect on its role in society and find ways to earn the reader’s full trust again as "the project of democracy was incomplete without informed citizens – which means, without unbiased journalism."

Debate and discussion were internalised in India’s social psyche to arrive at truth since time immemorial, he said.

"There is no doubt that perception of truth is conditioned by circumstances. The conditions that cloud the truth’s positions are effectively dispelled by a contestation of ideas through debate, discussion and scientific temper. Prejudices and violence vitiate the search for truth."

Expressing happiness to attend ‘The Huddle’ organised by The Hindu, he said the Hindu group of publications had been relentlessly aiming to capture the essence of this great country through its responsible and ethical journalism. He commended them for their insistence on sticking to the five basic principles of journalism – truth-telling, freedom and independence, justice, humaneness and contributing to the social good, an official release here said.

Mr Kovind said dogmas and personal prejudices distorted the truth. In the 150th year of Gandhiji’s birth, he asked all to ponder over this question: "will it not be proper to pursue truth itself as the ideology? Gandhiji has shown us the path by walking ceaselessly in search of truth which would ultimately encompass every positive attribute that enriches the universe."

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