I AM A JAMMUITE: Where Are We Going?

“Masjid dha de, mandir dha de, dha de jo kuch dainda, Par kisey da dil na dhaveen Rab dilan vich rehnda.”
— Bulleh Shah

(Break a mosque or a temple if you must,
But never break a human heart, for God resides there.
This timeless reminder feels more relevant today than ever.)

Anil Kumar Sharma
As a society, we seem to be drifting into an age of loud debates and quiet understanding. Counter and counter productive arguments echo from every corner, pushed by groups that appear more fragmented than ever. Instead of addressing real issues like growth, harmony, and opportunity, a different narrative is being crafted. Religion and community identities are brought to the forefront, not as sources of strength or moral grounding, but as convenient tools to achieve political milestones.

What troubles me most is how easily the very essence of religion is being reshaped. The loudest proclamations come from those who present themselves as the saviours of faith and culture. Yet, when we look closely, their efforts seldom reflect spirituality or compassion. To me, religion has always been a personal belief, a quiet relationship between a human being and the divine, something pure and inward. But when this inner belief becomes a public spectacle, a political instrument, or a means to divide, its sanctity gets lost.

We must ask ourselves: Where are we going when the core values that bind humanity, respect, empathy, and truth, are overshadowed by noise and narratives? Are we moving toward a future built on understanding, or are we unknowingly allowing ourselves to be steered by those who benefit from our divisions?

The saddest part is watching the sanctity of faith being reshaped and repackaged by those who claim to be its saviours. For me, religion has always been a personal belief, a quiet bond between the individual and the Divine. But when this sacred connection becomes a tool for influence, its purity gets diluted.

So we must pause and ask: Where are we going?

Are we moving toward harmony or drifting into carefully manufactured conflicts?

Are we being guided by wisdom or simply steered by noise?

And in the midst of these questions, I recently heard a profound line that stayed with me:

“What if God asks you when you die,

So how was Heaven?”

The message behind this question was simple yet powerful:

Create your own paradise here.

We often wait for happiness, for retirement, a better day, a dream home, or a perfect moment. We imagine peace only in distant places, a beach, a mountain, a cabin.

But paradise is not somewhere we go, it is something we build.

It exists within us.

In the way we think, feel, and treat others.

In the calm we create even in chaos.

In the kindness we offer without reason.

In the gratitude we feel for what we already have.

Sometimes, the most challenging moments give us the clearest direction. Even in anxiety filled or difficult environments, a spark of beauty or insight appears, reminding us that paradise can emerge anywhere.

But this requires defining it for ourselves:

What makes us centered?

What gives us purpose?

What makes us wake up with meaning?

Paradise is not a place, it is an experience.

A way of living.

If we have purpose, compassion, humility, gratitude, and the willingness to give more than we take, we will not need to wait for Heaven.

We will create it, here.

And perhaps this is exactly what our society needs today:

Not blame, not noise, not propaganda, but individuals who become better human beings and help the world become better through their own character.

Only then can we truly answer the question:

Where are we going?

Hopefully toward a kinder, wiser, more conscious society.

“Main jeena chahta hoon, jeene de mujhe;

Rab ka jo likha hai, main par leta hoon, mat sikha mujhe.

Yeh sab raste hi toh hain manzil ke,

Main chalna jaanta hoon… bas chalne de mujhe.”

I simply wish to live, so let me live.

Whatever God has written for me, I accept it, do not try to instruct me.

All these paths are part of the destination,

I know how to walk… just allow me to walk my way.
(STRAIGHT TALK COMMUNICATIONS EXCLUSIVE)