What I am penning here may sound insensitive, but in reality, it is not. Whatever stated here are facts, rational and logical. Allow me to talk of equal opportunity. As an ideal this concept is very attractive, romantic & emotional. There is none in the world who would say ‘equal opportunity’ must not be given. And billions of people are literally fighting to be given ‘equal opportunity’.
The nature itself does not give equal opportunity to us all! There is no explanation for this statement. No explanation can be given; and no explanation will enable the nature to give equal opportunity for all. Hence let us accept this statement. To make things clear let me take an example. This will help to appreciate what is being conveyed. A man without a leg or both legs. This person may have been born so or affected by polio or may have lost legs in an accident. The fact is that we have a person without legs.
In the name of equal opportunity, we manufacture special three-wheel scooters, bikes and other vehicles. What do you think of a man with a specially amended scooter with three or four wheels, when you see him on the road? Initially, I used to feel happy for them/him, for we could provide a special vehicle for his daily use. We feel glad to have provided an almost normal life.
Much later it dawned that I should not feel happy and satisfied about it but must feel sad about it. Imagine, this differently abled person is driving a specially modified scooter on the road. This apparent good- & nice-looking scene is actually a scary one. It is an undisputable biological fact that the driving reflexes of a person without legs will never be as quick as a person without any disability. His control over the vehicle will be much less than the persons without disabilities. In this way, he is posing a huge risk not only for me but also to all other members of the traffic. Should there be an accident, it is the innocent people will suffer and pay for it! I do not either wish to pay for the accident or suffer fatalities. Why don’t we simply prevent them driving on roads?
Taking this dangerous madness forward in the name of humanity and equal opportunity are the innumerable not for profit foundations, CSR initiatives; donations, governments and tax exemptions. They keep distributing for example, either special three wheelers and like. These people believe that they are serving humanity; what they do not understand is the disservice they are rendering to the entire humanity!
Who told us idiots that it is good to give an amended two wheeler to a lame man? Giving a hearing aid to a deaf passenger bus driver, I leave it to you to decide. All we do is to act against the Nature. Lame man to drive / run (Blade Runner) blind man to read; a deaf man to hear; and so, goes the list. It sounds romantic helping others, but it is our duty to understand how we are jeopardizing our own lives. It is good to have a blind man or a lame man in a senior government position, but their administration will be defective. Moot point is why should we go against the Nature in the name of equality and equal opportunities? We are not Jesus Christ to make a blind man see or a lame man walk. If we do then it will be at the cost of safety and expense of the entire society.
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional.
What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
