With great power comes great responsibility!
By Amornrat Sidhu
Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, is currently being indicted with no end in sight. Vijay Mallya, a billionaire charged with fraud and money laundering, has numerous appeals to be extradited to India for sentencing. Roger Ailes was dethroned from FOX News over sexual harassment allegations with hefty fines to pay.
Power is as permanent as it is fleeting; and it’s only as important as how you use it to do good for other people and your world. We read about these people who squander it, and we in turn wish for that influence to do better. This begs the question, “If you could rule the world for a day, what is the first thing you would change or address?”
Masala interviews Thai-Indians for their opinion on this pertinent question.
NATASHA GHOGHAR
Team Lead at Argyll Scott Recruitment
At first, when I read this prompt, I thought, “Yeah, it’s pretty obvious.” Yet, after some thought, I realised that nothing can just stop or start in a day – not peace, nor poverty. We need people willing to help to make the changes we envision, and we need time. Thus, if I had to address just one aspect, it would be for everyone to have a voice – an equal voice, not just in theory. One aspect of this is equal news coverage of valid events. For example, the ship holding hundreds of desperate migrants that was allowed to sink, with countless preventable lives lost, was not reported adequately by the media if you compare it to the coverage of the billionaires that were lost under the ocean. In summary, if I were to rule the world, you would rule it, too.
SNEHA SUKHADIA
GIA Gemologist
I would encourage everyone to go outside and clean up our trash, plant a couple of seeds, and make merry while doing so. Do it over a glass ofwine, talk, laugh over dinner after, or meaningfully celebrate our wins and reflect on our failures. This would mean that, for at least one day, two of the most important elements in life would be prioritised – communal spirit with an emphasis on our relationships, as well as working towards keeping our planet green.
AMIKA GULATI
Nursery Homeroom Teacher
If I were the world’s ruler, I would implement a plan to redistribute wealth in order to alleviate poverty. Large-scale initiatives to reduce poverty can be launched if just 50 percent of the wealth of the top 100 richest people were to be confiscated. The redistribution will hopefully give those in need more equal access to resources.
NIKITA ARORA
Business and Economics Teacher
The first thing I would address would be the realm of maternity and paternity leave. In Thailand, you get only three months of maternity leave which, in my opinion, is not enough to feed and nurture your baby. I would set and announce the law of mandatory paid maternity leave for one year, and three months of paid paternity leave every time you have a child. It’s a basic human right for all new parents to be able to spend time with their newborn, and for mothers to recover from the physical and mental turmoil they just experienced and will experience in the months to come.
