Still attending primary school, Sidhant could listen to the voice of his conscience. It was years ago during his summer holidays. Sidhant whose parents were poor was carrying home on his head a sack filled with dry sugarcane roots to be used as fuel for cooking. The weather was so hot that he was sweating heavily and was soon very thirsty. But he could find nothing to drink since his way led through bushes and fields without any habitation. Neither was there any river or spring close at hand.

Moving ahead, he came across a field planted with water - melons. As he could see no one around, he was tempted into picking a watermelon to satisfy his thirst. Yet, he gave up the idea: he remembered what he had been taught at home and in class ? God sees everything good or bad; nothing escapes his notice. It was enough. He moved away as fast as possible, until he arrived home with his conscience clear of any feeling of guilt.

Conscience is the presence of God in you. It is your inner voice, which approves or disapproves of any action, decision or idea before you start working it out. Conscience enables you to differentiate between right and wrong. It filters for you what is real and valuable, thereby removing what is bad and undesirable.

But what is sad today is that more and more people have no conscience. Even some decision-makers, professionals and high officials, who take solemn oath to be loyal and work in the best interests of their governments, organisations and departments are accused of corruption and fraud. Their princely salaries and their high privileges are not enough. They forget the trust placed in them for the discharge of their duties. All this is because conscience for these people is an empty word, without meaning. Newly elected Pope Benedict XVl in his inaugural Mass deplored that so many people now live in deserts of various kinds without conscience or dignity.

To check and cultivate this ?desert?, it is essential that parents and teachers take time together to bring moral virtues to the children right from their early years. Churches of all faiths should play a more dynamic role in restoring virtues in our fast-changing world. Social organisations should give a helping hand. Give children the chance to know about conscience which they can use as a motivating force to do well and prosper in life.

Examples should come from the top. Very often, some leaders say one thing and do another. Their actions have to be in line with their words. So that these heads or policy-makers can inspire our youths as role models, they should themselves abide by a moral law, particularly self-imposed. If they are carried away by blind impulses for their own benefit, they will have to realise that they must one day account for everything they do.

This is an inescapable fact of life. It is evident that they have a moral and social responsibility towards the silent majority. It is their privilege to carry it out selflessly and be remembered for their good actions. It is high time that they adhere to the dictates of their conscience which, it is hoped, has not been sold to the devil. Shakespeare says:

? This is above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as night the day,Thou canst be false to any man.?

With a clear conscience, a lot can be repaired and saved to make our lives happier and more purposeful no matter who we are, where we are. It has been said that conscience is justice?s best minister: it threatens, promises, rewards, and punishes, and keeps all under control. Before taking any major decision, it is thus most important that we take orders from our conscience so as to succeed in our endeavours.

<B>Kaviraj SOHUR </B>