The first citizen of India

A quiet gathering of twenty odd somethings stood up as the National anthem sounded over the sound system. A few hundred kilometres away, the President of India joined other dignitaries on stage to sing the same anthem a millionth time in his life.

An hour back, the admin department had deployed the best of its troops to the cafeteria, to set out the stage for the occasion. I except all these learned engineers to be enthusiastic in listening to the scientist turned president speak. Lets keep some chairs in hand. Just in case. The Head had thought out aloud.

Half an hour earlier, a few last minute lunchers gobbled their meal up. They saw men armed, waiting to take their tables away, and make room for more chairs. They had to rush.
The Head checked his watch, the hundreth time in the last one hour. It was acceptable that the president was delayed and would be half an hour behind schedule. All these dignitaries are forever running late. But what happened to the great minds working in this building.? Did they have a fore thought that the president would be late? Would they come pouring in when the dignitaries arrived? I hope there is no mad rush. He was glad he was doing all the thinking in his head.

It was an hour into the function when the Head returned. After the welcome and introduction, the podium had been handed over to the president. He was well into his discussion about India and emerging technologies. The Head particularly liked the idea about a collaboration of all technologies - information, communication, biotech and nano - to form a system that works for bettering the standard of Indian living. A great thought.

Another prospective thought was about a change in the primary education syllabus, that ensures that children of tomorrow do not lose the creativity that's inbuilt, let a trade of between grades and originality take over. It looked like a root cause for many issues plaguing the generation coming up - the education system.

It was a good question this school kid asked - What was the First citizen's opinion about the brain drain that has been tormenting us for the last whole decade. Look at the positive aspect, he said. He quoted all those who have stayed back to make a difference. It was afterall an issue about our attitude and thought process. Why look and lament about those who have left us when there are ones that have stayed back for us. And to think that there are 2 million Indians living outside India!

After the National Anthem was sung, with all heads held high, the few who had come in to witness this occasion left, while in the other city, those gathered waited for the president to leave. It was a mere five minutes before the cafeteria lay silent. There was only the sounds from the kitchen, preperations for the evening snacks where in full swing.

As the Head sat on one of the seats in a distant recess, while his troops started putting the seating arrangement away, he thought. His mind went racing back to a time, when there this same canteen had been over flowing with people. Those who had made the terrible mistake of leaving their seats in their respective floors later than the others, where left with just enough space to stand and witness the proceedings. There was dancing, to tunes from the latest bollywood, and singing and a lot of cheering. Smiles lit all faces and a jolly mood was in.
He couldn't remember what the event was. But those who couldn't find space to sit then had come back to him with a complaint. The arrangements were bad. The company dint like us participating. This was the event that had forced him to ensure things went right today. He had made sure all the four hundred had place to sit or stand comfortably. Then what had gone wrong?

Why dint these minds of tomorrow find it not important to listen to the President speak, when he himself, a mere mortal, with a level of IQ much lesser than these that earned billions for the company, was excited all day?? Why were their priorities so misturned that a speech about their own country, delivered by their own president, at one of their own company campuses not require a trivial hour of listening time??

They are the future. The tomorrow of the country. God Bless!!