Farewell

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty

Airports, Railway Stations, Bus stands often are mute witnesses to individuals or groups returning after bidding farewell to friends- of all denominations- bosses, protocol officers and children or parents. Fare Thee Well, may the gods land you safe at your destination- bonvoyage, best of journey or simply All the Best are often said with flowers. Waving hands wish the journeyers or travellers hassel free and safe journey. In some cases kisses are blown by individual men and women, substituting words by gesture. Rarely a person communicates in silent suppression of some feeling- joy or sorrow, goodwill or formal responsibility; unless the person making the journey and the one who sees off are too sophisticated to be formal . Farewell is a goodwill gesture, socially practised as it  softens relationship. When foreign delegations come and go there is welcome and farewell. When students take admissions there is a welcome now-a-days – but when I joined school and college there was no welcome. In the University at Allahabad there was a welcome both in the PG class and in the hostel, and also a farewell. If you ask why there was no welcome in my school or college, I need not hazard a guess. With certainty I can say that poverty has its own culture. When there is no great historical memory, no pride for the Kalinga War foisted by Ashoka on a brave, proud people for princess Karuvaki, resulting in million deaths of Odias, how can there be any values attached to the human life to welcome or bid farewell in routine affairs!

Welcome and farewell represent the softer nuances of the inner being when the outer body feels secure and hopes for  prolongation, inspires involved motivation to indulge in larger social life. One may argue, since there is no welcome to life in this indifferent world including the vast expanse of splendrous nature, how can there be a farewell ! Who welcomed the first life that appeared on earth? What arches were raised, what timbre rose out of the mountains, valleys and fronds for man? But we have survived in this planet and have grown in numbers spreading out all over this earth? We value life. We welcome the new born. In the poorest of the poor families smiles broaden faces when the first cry of a babe reaches the eager ears of parents. The neighbours greet the new born, the mother is taken care of , love is lavished on the tiny new life, wishes sincere or formal are poured on life. This happens in civilization. And in this civilization farewell too is given with love.

Love is the binding element in the society. It connects people, bonds are formed, and relationships are forged. The self emerges out of the soul and relates itself to things and people in social commerce. When a man or a woman goes to a far off land we gather and show our affection wishing the person well. We bless people to prosper and fructify their dreams. We wish people to do their best to achieve and accomplish. When a soldier goes to the battlefield we wish him to comeback in one piece after achieving his task of killing the enemy. This wish is observed in a ritualistic fashion. Mother kisses his son who goes for a job in a distant place. This is the inherent value in all farewells: life should prosper, should not fall prey to deceit. In Hamlet when Polonius in his own characteristic style bids farewell to his son going to study abroad, he among other things tells his son-“never a lender nor a borrower be”; that is to be your own benefactor without depending on transactions which may be troublesome. Similarly a wife bids farewell to her husband wishing him to come back victorious. A lover gives farewell to his/ her ‘life breath’ wishing everything that nature and society can afford to brighten life.

Farewell is a projection of a soul force on another soul with love. The Ka is given like a wish to a person who enters another reality. This is extended to persons retiring from office. A man who dies he too is given a tearful farewell for the nirvana of his soul. Farewell is an acknowledgement of the worth of a life. The soulful farewell that was accorded Atal Bihari Vajpayee by a grateful nation strengthens human faith in the human being. Farewell is a soul transcending ritual which ensures peace in the other world- if there is any. Civilization is richer when a man is given a sincere send off for new pastures or the unseen afterlife abode. Farewell makes us richer, elevating the soul to divine heights.