Life is a journey from crisis to
crisis. Man is the only creature who has demonstrated time and again that no
crisis or great calamity, no Cloud burst, no Tsunami, no Covid or Sars can ever
wipe him off the surface of earth. We say with enthusiastic optimism, every crisis is an opportunity.
What is the nature of the opportunity is
however another question which will be asked after the opportunity faces another crisis. India in
particular, has survived many a crisis. Invasions, famines, captivity, loss of freedom, floods,
droughts and manmade communal carnage
and many such natural , unnatural supernatural disasters have not yet destroyed the will to live and
conquer. What we have conquered or achieved should not be asked at this point. Human history has recorded the onslaughts of nature
and fellow men but man has survived to record his plight. This endless process
is what we call life. We turned to God, religions ,ideologies and cultural
practices to save ourselves. But the connotations of safety, joy , peace and
well being have changed over time. Man's resilience and adaptation have braved
all life threatening disasters in course of our history.
But have we ever learnt any
lessons from all these? When the Amphan struck in the midst of Covid pandemic India
did not cower under the wrath of the unseen powers. We lost our well nourished
trees, harvests, lives, property and
above all our faith in the Saviour. But when the cyclone blew over we sighed in
relief and returned to our old games of blame politics and hate. We saw the
same things after the two Great Wars. During this Corona crisis also we try to
blame China. Nepal comes out with a new map claiming rights over parts of
India's territory. We have never learnt
to be satisfied with what we have. We covet territories to satisfy our
expansionist desires. The kings of yore went on expedition to conquer territories of other kingdoms. We
stole cows from other kingdoms; forests for wood and agriculture; we looted
temples and destroyed them in the name of religious pride; we fought wars
ruining human habitation, Kurukshetras were created for ego and exclusivity and
also killed for revenge without caring for consequences.
What right do we have to kill
another human being when we cannot create life? The elemental world is for
everyone, be he a man, animal or insect. Life is not our monopoly, infact man
has no right even to use this word monopoly: But this word too is a part of
human vocabulary. Corporates too claim monopoly as do irate lovers and possessive
men and women over their lovers, children, property and almost everything. Even
God is monopolized by certain religious ideologues.
But when rights, monopolies are
fiercely attacked by virus, what do we do? In our competitive survival instinct
enters the old diseases of jealousy, hatred and oneupmanship. And all these old
traits of man are under attack. We may survive this and find something a pill or vaccine to contain Corona?
But what then? What lessons have we learnt from this crisis? We spoke of
enlightenment. We have shored some wisdom from turbulent seas, we have gained
insights into life and nature: Where are those when the language of hate,
power, rivalry, domination and opportunistic exploitation of man is freely
used- not by the meek but by the so called
powerful? How long can man play these
games making his own rules?
Man must remember, if his memory
has not failed him altogether that no man can rule the world. Man comes to the
world for a brief while not to seek bubble reputation but to make this earth
the greatest monument of life. All his powers stop at the elements. If the air
ceases to flow he will die. If light fails life will never generate. He should learn to be grateful to the
merciful plenitude of nature. Show your powers not to conquer for your victories are temporary. No victor
in the world, Alexander, Napoleon left his mark on earth as one who has
heightened human virtues. Victories have only created fear, death and
devastation. Man cannot conquer earthquakes or cyclones. All his victories are
over men and animals. And the dust of time settles on it burying it to
posterity. Man should learn the only lesson after having lived for millions of
turbulent years: Humility. He should
display his art of living in all spheres, produce his poetry, music , sculpture
and even the art of war to please man, to entertain man, for, life is not
always a bed of roses. His spark of life should illumine not burn. He must
understand and empathise the pain of man. Feed the hungry, wipe off the tearing
eye, stand by the weak and meek. Love the human being for he is hungry for
love. Make life on earth a choric panegyric for the Maker. Never try to
substitute Him. This world does not pay
heed to man's pompous arrogance. This world loves, love, beauty, compassion,
heroism to save the victim. Humbleness is the greatest virtue in man.
Now the world is in the grip of
fear, the fear of death, the fear of recession. The fear of hunger and poverty.
Fear as all scriptures say, is the beginning of wisdom. Humility is the
only wisdom, man ought to learn to make life liveable. 'Take Physic pomp', man at
best is a forked animal. Humility will make him a legitimate spark of the Life
Force.
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