Charity breeds charity and underlines our empathy towards fellow beings. A desire to do good is the first step toward philanthropy. It is not easy to draw a line of demarcation. One is compelled to give a second thought to the relevance of charity shows and their proceeds. There should be no qualms about buying a ticket for a pious purpose. But the problem lies with the way the events are managed.

Funds flow in a beauty pageant and an audience runs riot. Organisers make free with the money and the target groups are handed over a nominal amount. The receivers cannot raise a voice on grounds of ethics. The business grows unabated to the dismay of all, providing very little room for opposition to come up against it.

Charity is often mistimed and misplaced. A businessman grows into a philanthropist after a lifetime of exploitation. A bureaucrat turns charitable in the aftermath of his retirement before which his corruption has become the talk of the town. Fearing the punishment from the Almighty, they start donating lavishly to avoid damnation. This could benefit real destitutes. Their new avatars bedazzle public eyes. Several times they could end up getting eyesores since public memory is not so short as they think.

Charity is considered to be meanest when people seek to be in the limelight. The donation to the distressed should not be manipulated as a social ladder to enhance public image. Real kind-heartedness on the part of the donor pushes the act towards a higher plane. One has to duly respect others’ will to live even in the face of adversity. Irrespective of circumstances life has to be held in high esteem.

Thinking about those left behind by fate and their own offspring, any one could get sentimental though it is believed to be the tendency of old people. One can’t ignore the sentiments sunk deeper in the wrinkles engulfed in amnesia and befuddled by hazy eyes. The seniors don’t wish to sleep on the sandalwood pyre. They know royal condolences are reserved for the aliens. Still they relive the glorious moments of love they had showered on their descendants. This is how they bequeath the spirit of life to posterity.