Two headlines that struck my eye this Sunday morning

This week has been quite tough for the average Indian. The swineflu scare has been gaining momentum what with Multiplexes and Malls opting to remain closed, Schools shutting down their shutters for a ten day period and almost every second Mumbaikar and Puneite donning masks of varying shades, sizes and prices.To add to the virus mayhem we have impending drought like situations in one-third of the country.Drought hit Andhra Pradesh has recorded 21 farmer suicides in the past 40 days. And in Mumbai, todays leading newspapers' headlines screamed 'Teen leaps to death after tiff with parents', '77 year old ends life' and 'Harassed husbands demand change in the Domestic Violence Act.'

Is our nation under a real or imagined threat? We are spending so much money and effort equipping ourselves to counter our arch enemies Pakistan and China that we do less and less for the aggrieved people in our country.Why is there no National Mental health Policy in place? Why did we not pay heed to the WHO's warning on swine flu in India? Why do we spend so little money and effort on our old and infirm? Why are we putting laws in place that create rifts in families leading to their eventual break-up? Why do parents expect so much more from their kids, much more than what the kids are capable of? Why is there no recognition of emotional pain suffered by those disadvantaged by gargantuan expectations of their near and dear ones?

It pains me to see my country and my people crumbling before my eyes...