To Whom the Table Topic is called?

To Whom the Table Topic is called? “To whom the bell tolls?” any volunteer to speak about this topic? Every time, a topic is called out, our mind churns out– “to whom it is”. First topic is always Rohit, second, Madhu and third, and the list goes on. If everyone is done, then I shall pick the last topic. Then we paddle our eyes at the timer for that green card. Dear Toastmasters and Guests, the nation wants to know – To whom the topic is called? Unless our name is called out, it’s not us. Once a group of “priests” while going on a pilgrimage they had to cross a river. Then the main priest says there are many taboo topics taking bath there, please refrain from such “taboo topics”. If you witness any taboo topics, please pray “dear god, please forgive”. After a while, one of the youngest priest with lots of enthusiasm and energy screams – “dear god, please forgive”. All of the rest distinguished members hollered at once, “where/where”? That’s humans. We speak, shout, scream, express, holler, and voice out. Silence is golden speech is silver. But, silence can be bad, where speech makes a mark. It can bring out the changes in the world. If you don’t speak up when you have to, you might not be able to speak when you want to. There was this boy, who was apparently a late talker and his parents were worried about his mental development. One night at supper table, he broke his silence to say, "The soup is too hot." Greatly relieved, his parents asked why he had never said a word before. He replied, "Because up to now everything was in order”. Any guess who that genius is? - Albert Einstein. We need to speak up not just to end silence but to denounce the tyrant which is burdening the world, society around us. A famous poet Martin Niemöller says - First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, I did not speak out, because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me. The poet was a prominent pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps. He wrote, German leaders, had been complicit through their silence in the Nazi imprisonment, persecution, and murder of millions of people. We don’t speak because - the issues around us are like “table topics, not for us, unless our name is called”. Why one should speak up? Silence is taken up as approval. You need to speak because no one else may know. Your experience and knowledge may have value in a given situation. No one else may have your unique perspective. Your piece of the puzzle may be the most important finisher. Speak up, because -you may not be alone in your thinking. Your insightful observations and conclusions may have surfaced in other minds, but may be unwilling to speak up. By speaking up you encourage them to voice their opinions. If everyone holds back, the bus may silently head over a cliff. Anyone watched the movie, Judgment at Nuremberg? A post-world war II movie, wherein the American judge, Dan Haywood, conducts a criminal trial and passes the judgment against all the administrators/judges/policy makers who were involved with Holocaust, one of them was famous German Judge – Ernst Jennings who prosecuted many during the Holocaust. In the last scene, Ernst Jennings requests to see Dan Haywood in the prison to convince that it’s wasn’t his mistake. Ernst Jennings says from the prison - Judge Haywood... the reason I asked you to come is to tell you about: Those people, those millions of people. I thought it’s just few cases of Holocaust, we never knew there were so many people dying out there. You must believe it! He tries to persuade Dan Haywood and says – “I never knew it would come to that”. Judge Dan Haywood replies, Jennings, it "came to that" the first time you sentenced a man to death you knew to be innocent. It might be issues around us like rape, molestation, women right, children harassment, war, exploitation – if you say, hey I would rather enjoy my Saturday and Sunday brunch than joining a cause, then when we ourselves land up in that situation, the world may not stand by us. Stand by those who need your help, stand by that for what you believe in, stand for that change what you want in this world. So, next time, when a topic is called in here, don’t ask – who’s it for? It’s for you, you, you and all of us.