Can 2023 Be Better In Anyway? – OpEd

The dawn of year 2023  will be celebrated with people all over the world welcoming the year with bright illumination, bursting of fire crackers and exchange of good wishes, with sooth sayers and astrologers predicting the events in the forthcoming year and leaders of various governments across the world greeting the people promising an era of peace and prosperity. Of course, prayers are also offered in religious centres seeking prosperity and happy conditions.

Events in the past several years show that such celebrations and wishes on the new year eve have not been followed by showering an era of peace and harmony, but the world continued to be strife torn with conflicts and animosity between nations and individuals remaining undiminished.

Of course, in the year 2023, there would continue to be spectacular achievements in the field of science and technology with greater reach in communication facilities and in variety of other fields . But, however, what is unlikely to  change is the mindset of people. It appears that violence and self centredness in the hearts of men and women all over the world would remain at the same level. This is the experience of mankind over several decades.  

The year 2023 will continue to be confronted, like the previous years, with several challenges and issues like global warming and climate change, terrorist attacks, conflicts between nations,  atrocities against women and so on.  \

Climate Change

COP 27, a global meet  to discuss  and deliberate on the global  climate threat has concluded in Egypt, after animated discussions and after passing paper resolutions, with COP 27 ending no better than COP 26 earlier.  

The fundamental issues posing climate challenges like the need to eliminate fossil fuels do not look like happening anytime soon. Oil rich countries do not want to stop the production of crude oil and natural gas and coal rich countries do not want to reduce the production of coal. All promises made in COP 27 look like they are going for a toss.

Russia-Ukraine War

The Russia Ukraine war is now going on for nearly ten months now, with Russia attacking Ukraine, destroying infrastructure, killing innocent people in Ukraine mercilessly and forcing millions of citizens of Ukraine to leave as refugees.  

It is a war taking place on Ukraine territory and not on the territory of Russia, obviously indicating that Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine is only a defender.  

With USA and NATO countries supplying arms and ammunitions to Ukraine to defend itself and making no real efforts to end the war and  Russia absolutely not concerned about the world opinion  against it’s aggression and United Nations simply discussing and watching the scenario helplessly, it is obvious that the objective for world peace remains a far cry.  

Certainly, year 2023 could continue to be war torn in one part of the world or the other.

Terrorist Attacks

Terrorist attacks are continuing to take place in different countries, almost  every day due to one reason or the other.  

Apart from terrorist attacks due to political reasons, what is known as Islamic terrorism is a grave concern, with people being killed by terrorists due to religious fanaticism. As yet, it appears that terrorists across the world continue to have a field day. 

Slaughter Of Innocents

The frequent shooting down of innocent people in public places in USA and other countries, for no apparent reason except due to the blind hatred feeling of the shooter, only highlight the fact that violence is firmly rooted in the mindset of   several individuals and there is no indication that such a mindset would be reformed.

Atrocities Against Women

While it is claimed that the world is forging ahead due to technological developments, such developments seem to have no impact in modernising  the thoughts amongst certain religious heads and extremists in some countries. 

The suppression of women  and denial of rights of women, as a matter of policy, by governments in Iran and Afghanistan and a few other Islamic countries, clearly point to the fact that prejudice of men against women continues to prevail  in some parts of the world.

While the atrocities against women and restrictions imposed on lives of women have shocked many people in the world, nothing could be done to stop such atrocities. The women in such countries continue to suffer, with people in other parts of the world watching the scenario like fence sitters. 

Poverty

Deep poverty continues to prevail in several African and Asian countries, with no hope that the conditions there would improve anytime soon. 

Developed countries which are in much better position and have adequate resources, have not come forward to help the poor countries to overcome these poverty conditions in a significant way.

On the other hand, it is often alleged that advanced countries and multi national companies based in developed countries exploit these poor African nations by exploiting  their vast mineral and natural resources.

Lack Of Justice

There  have been deep atrocities committed by one nation against another and the offenders have not been taught a lesson. 

An immediate example is the atrocities committed by China against Tibet, by forcibly occupying the defenceless land after killing the Tibetan protesters.

This indicates that” might is right” conditions have been prevailing in the world for several decades. There is no indication that these conditions will change in the foreseeable future.

Isolated Good Samaritans

The fact is that there are still small and isolated group of people in the world, who want to promote compassion, peace  and love but these groups are too few and far between and really have no significant impact on world conditions. 

There are great philosophers who try to explain the essence of life and the futility of war and hate feelings. But, their preachings also seem to be ending up as  mere listening posts.

Celebrating The New Year In A Vacuum

Now, what is the hope and where do the world go from here?

In such circumstances, pessimism of thoughts as it may look, the ground reality has to be seen and realised without wishful thinking that the year 2023 would be any better than the previous years.

With the thought process and mind set of people  in the world not having changed over several decades and wars and conflicts and self centredness becoming  part of the global events amongst countries and people, should we conclude that the wishes and greetings on the new year eve have no significance?

The pre conditions for the wishes on the eve of year 2023  for peace and harmony to be realised is that the battle for the future has to be fought and  won in  the minds and hearts of the people.  Will it happen in the year 2023?