People of Chennai,You sholud know Cape Breton Island.

Cape Breton Island
cc  http://www.marypatrealty.ca

Cape Breton Island (CBI) is an island in the Nova Scotia province of Canada. I recently found out that Chennai and Cape Breton Island share a very close bond. Without the Island, Chennai would not be Chennai, There wouldn't be any suburban trains, postal/telegram services, good schools and colleges, fancy street names or none of the British culture that we brag about. And we live in a city which is built by the British, only because of Cape Breton Island, and we don't even know where it is.

To understand this unique bond between Cape Breton and Chennai, we have to turn back to a little bit of history.

August 22, 1639- Celebrated as 'Madras Day' by the people of Chennai. On the Actual day, The British East Indian Company bought a small strip of land near Madrasappatinam from Chennapa Nayakkar of Vandhavasi, to build a fort. The fort was later called as Fort St.George.

Fort St.George was the very first fort built by the British in India. The place where Robert Clive and Warren Hastings sat down and contemplated how to occupy the rest of the sub-continent. After a hundred years, in the year 1746, Fort St.George was captured by the French. A dude called Mahe' La Bourdonnais came and bombed at the British, plundered Madrasappatinam and the surrounding villages and captured the fort. Mahe' in Kerala is named after him. The British lost their greatest hope of capturing India by surrendering to the French.

"Veliya pongada ayokiya rascalgala!"
Surrender of The City of Madras 1746, by Jacques François Joseph Swebach

 After a couple of years, In the present day city of Aachen(Germany), The Treaty of Aix-la-Chappelle was signed between Britain, France and other small kingdoms on an unrelated meeting about some Austrian war. While signing the Treaty, the British pleaded the French to give back Madras. The French after a lot of negotiation agreed to give Madras back, if and only if, the British give Cape Breton to them. Cape Breton is formerly known as île Royale. It was the gateway of Canada to the french, like how Madras was the gateway to India for the British.

Thus, the British got back Madras, and we have Harrington Road and Pycrofts lane instead of  Rose de lima and Rue des whatever. 

Poverty- in a new dimension

Katy Perry is not poor, She purposely dint wear anything that day.

One day a beggar came begging to my house with an infant in her hand. My Mom said "She comes every week, give her a rupee”. But instead, my sister called the beggar and offered her a job. She will have to clean the house and wash the dishes. Herself and her child can stay in our outhouse and can dine with us. She will be given a monthly salary of 2000 rupees.(Which is very a nice money in a village, My mom was a high school teacher and she earned 4500 rupees.) and also, the child will be sent to school.

 The beggar woman reluctantly said "OK" and she said that she will come tomorrow. She was never seen again.

                                                         * * *

"What is poverty?" I questioned some of my friends.

Most of them answered "it's no money in the pocket", Some answered "it’s the lack of basic necessities.", And a few '(wanna be different)s' said "It's the lack of opportunities.

The UNO and the World Bank were no big different from them.

"Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money"- Wikipedia.

"Poverty is a denial of choices and opportunities, a violation of human dignity"- United Nations Organization.

"Poverty is living on less than US $1.25 (PPP) per day"- The World Bank.

Thank you for skimming, because the part I want you to read is here-

I would define "Poverty is an attitude!" It is a mind-set, a convincing feeling that convinces someone that "this is enough for me." or "this is my destiny." It is a matter of self-esteem.

Let me explain. The beggar women although she was given a non-speculative source of economy, healthcare, food security and a shelter. She refused to work. The reason is plain and simple "They got very used to 'not-to-work'. This is the point. They don’t really urge to move up, and they are pretty comfy in being what they are. Whereas, the Rich on the other side, are obsessed with money. And they are always busy on thinking how to make more money. The More you think of making more money, the richer you become. This is the secret. The reason- why rich get richer and poor gets poorer.

  Once a poor starts dreaming of managing a billion dollars! He will at least die as a guy with a decent income. But there are exceptionals like Dhirubhai Ambani, Carolos Slim Helu and Warren Buffet. They dreamt of managing a billion dollars, and they are managing a billion dollars. Such is the power of their dream, their perseverance and the way they created opportunities. Don’t tell me, the poor lack opportunities. If they really yearn to be rich, they will create their own opportunities.

  The good part is, if poor man dreams of becoming a billionaire, At least his grandson or great-grandson will become one. Because "like father, like son." I Am not kidding, Robert Kiyosaki's Best seller and All time Financial advice book "Rich dad Poor dad" talks all about this thingy. Once the attitude is sowed inside the son, it begins to grow! 

Solution?

I don’t know any solution for poverty. But, I got one for beggary.

[Parable- If someone asks you to run 1 kilometre. You might finish the circuit in 5 or 6 minutes. If a mad dog is after you, you might finish it in a minute or two. If its tsunami, you will do it in less than a minute.]

 Simple, if we all stop giving them alms. And hopefully, If there is no manna falling. Work becomes a necessity  (dog-run scenario)!! and beggary comes to end!. So, to solve beggary, first we must create employment opportunities for illiterate freshers.

BUT, if i had published this before two or three centuries, i would have been excommunicated. (Worst case scenario- crucifixion). Because, all the religions except Atheism is against my idea.

Ravi Varma's painting

• Zakāt is one of the five pillars of Islam. (Zakāt is giving alms to poor.)
• The Bible- "Rather, give as alms what is inside, and then everything will be clean for you!"-Luke 11:4   "Give to anyone who asks"- Luke 6:30
• In Hinduism, they call is Bhiksha. Bhiksha purifies your soul and reduces your sins according to karma belief.
• In Buddhism, Alms are given to the poor and to the monks to nurture laic virtue and to ensure the monastic continuity.

I don't know. Do not show compassion to a beggar next time. Thanks for reading.

If you have any solution for poverty, or any better solution for beggary. OR if you think the whole idea is crap. Please feel free to comment below.