Value of life

Recently when Rahul Dravid retired, Facebook seemed to be flooded with sorrowful odes to the "wall". It sounded as if the Great Wall of China is no more, literally. People forgot all the boring matches that he had played, those test matches where he scored 0 out of 100 deliveries... it was all about how great he was. Now, Sachin Tendulkar has scored his 100th century. Well, he's playing from 1992 I guess and with all these tournaments all year round, is that very unnatural that a person will eventually score his 100th 100 one day? I admit he is a very good cricketer but people seem to have elevated him to the pedestal of a super human, or better still, a god!

These make me re-think the value of human beings. These above mentioned guys, and many more like them, mostly in the entertainment business are considered to be superheroes. Who are they? Have they invented something for the human race? Any scientist who invented a life giving medicine? Any businessman who created thousands of jobs? Any philanthropist? An artist who has created something? Or even a teacher who molded several young bright minds to achieve their potential? None of these!! They are very ordinary human beings who have somewhat talent in a field which is considered very precious by their fellow men. That's it! What would have happened if these people were not there? I wouldn't have cared, for sure. I don't think it would have affected any of us by any means.

Spare a thought for him

Now think about that guy who is away from home... at the borders of Kashmir, at Siachen glacier, on the dry lands of Afghanistan... waiting for orders, not from his captain on how to arrange the fielding positions but how to fire at the enemy. How much salary does he get? How can we ever calculate his salary when his job description calls for the ultimate sacrifice? He works for us, he lays down his life to keep us safe, so that we can live to be entertained by those "superheroes". How much do we think about them? How many Facebook posts are written for these people who are the true heroes of mankind?