For Niyamat Ansari and many like him who are killed everyday across the world for daring to speak out the truth.
Ye Jang ruki thi kab
Ye jang to jaari hai
Ye jang hamaari hai
Ye jang hamee’at ki
Insaan ki qeemat ki
Har ahl-e-hawas se hai
Har ahl-e-hakam se hai
Har zuml-o-sitam se hai
Har jhoot se, nafrat se
Auhaam se dahshat se
Har rang ki zulmat se
Ye jang to jaari hai
Ye jang hamaari hai
Is jang se waabista
Har zinda sipahi ki
Shamsheer hai haq-goi
Aqdaar alam uska
Bebaak qalam uska
Bekhauf qadam uska
Har aan , har ek lamha
Aabad bayaabaN meiN
Barbaad khayaabaN meiN
Ye jang to jaari hai
Ye jang hamaari hai
Ye raah nahi aasaN
Har mod pe khatray haiN
Benaami ke teeshay haiN
Aur khoon ke qatray haiN
Bichday huay khwabooN ki
Posheeda kasak ismeiN
Sab kho kar paanay ki
Tabinda tadap ismeiN
Ye jang to jaari hai
Ye jang hamari hai
Woh din bhi aayega
Jab jang khatam hogi
Jab zulmat kam hogi
Benaam shaheedoN ki
Taareekh raqam hogi
Insaan se insaaN ki
Taqseem rukegi jab
Insaan pe insaan ki
Tahkeem rukegi jab
Ye jang to jaari hai
Ye jang hamari hai
Ye jang ruki thi kab
.
Showing posts with label Opinion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Opinion. Show all posts
Monday, 7 March 2011
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Who is afraid of Julian Assange?
Julian Assange, the founder of whistleblowing website Wikileaks has been finally arrested by London Police on an Interpol warrant for alleged sexual misconduct in Sweden. The arrest comes in the backdrop of the release of thousands of confidential diplomatic cables by the website. The hunt for Assange has been gathering steam ever since the leaks started to appear in the media and on the website. He has been accused by United States of being irresponsible bordering on criminal for putting innocent lives at risk. United States has initiated criminal investigation against Wikileaks while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been talking to the World leaders whose names have appeared in the leaks in bid to limit the diplomatic fallout. A US Army Intelligence Analyst Bradley Manning is already under arrest and being investigated for being one of the main sources for Wikileaks. In the last few days, US has been trying frantically to shut down the website. Several US Internet service providers have refused to provide service and companies such as Amazon, PayPal, MasterCard and Visa have stopped their services.
But what exactly are these leaks saying that has apparently upset so many. Whatever has been released so far in public domain seems to suggest the following. The American are still active playing their imperial games around the world managing their interests through vassals, clients and properties fighting wars, both overt and covert in far corners of the World. Sunni royal families of the Arabian Peninsula revile Iran and have been urging their American masters for an immediate attack. Pakistani nuclear arsenal is not safe and may fall in the hands of terrorists. British soldiers were a disaster in Helmand. Hamid Karzai is weak and paranoid. Vladimir Putin is an alpha-dog etc.
Although there have been some specific information such as list of strategic US owned site and the details of US snooping on UN leadership, hardly any of these seem to have come as a shock to people . Yet, there must be some reason for such an anxiety that made all those who claim to stand for freedom, democracy and free speech to go after the whistleblower with utmost ferocity. There has been a hot pursuit by the US authorities to block the website and the hunter and the hunted have been playing Tom and Jerry ever since. Wikileaks has been resurfacing with newer domain extensions and using mirrors to stay afloat. Why is it that they are trying to go after Wikileaks with the same alacrity as they would go after a terrorist organization and brand Assange as an anarchist in the same fashion others have been branded international terrorists?
The answer seems to be quiet evident. Empires since the beginning of time feed on secrets. The secrets which are kept, shared, sold, bartered and betrayed. The secrets that are about enemies, friends, clients, vassals, subjects and citizens. Even though the generic nature of these secrets may be a common knowledge, yet the establishment would go to any length protecting it. For example who doesn’t know that the Saudis are not so fond of Iran or vice versa, yet releasing a document which captures the Saudi King saying something to that effect has a dramatic impact. There are a number of reasons why this should happen. First of all, the expose’ in black and white directly contradicts the officially stated reasons for the existence of the empire and its machinery. For example, United States has undermined United Nations which is the world’s representative body for years, taking unilateral actions and yet it claims to stand for freedom and democracy in the world and the dichotomy doesn’t affect the official US pronouncements one single bit. However, this claim would start biting the dust in the official utterances, the moment the very same officials are seen to be spying on the UN leadership. As a result, the official language changes overnight and some realism comes into it, for example, Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently remarked while responding to a question on the fallout of the leaks on the US foreign policy “The fact is, governments deal with the United States because it’s in their interest, not because they like us, not because they trust us, and not because they believe we can keep secrets. Many governments – some governments deal with us because they fear us, some because they respect us, most because they need us. We are still essentially, as has been said before, the indispensable nation.”
Second, it makes them vulnerable. How could a nondescript website get into the vaults and coffers of a superpower with the help of few junior officials and smuggle every bit of information out while pretending to listen to Lady Gaga. This has the very similar psychological impact on the establishment as a bunch of terrorists striking the safe cityscapes considered to be far from the foreign wars. That is why the familiar connotations are invoked to describe those behind the leaks.
And finally, it undermines the personal credibility of those in the positions of power. It makes them look like the ordinary people squabbling with each other and scrambling to get ahead. It takes out the façade of humanitarian concerns and ideological commitment s and shows the workings of unadulterated power politics. They are afraid of Julian Assange for the dangerous dissidence he represents. For he uses, free speech and open government, some of the favorite catchphrases of the Western leaders to undermine their credibility.
Therefore, all the familiar tactics are employed to quell the dissidence. Shoot the messenger or get him trapped in unfavorable circumstances. Brand him the public enemy and enemy of the state, an anarchist who is playing into the hands of terrorists. Meanwhile, all the sermons on the freedom of expression are kept for another day.
But what exactly are these leaks saying that has apparently upset so many. Whatever has been released so far in public domain seems to suggest the following. The American are still active playing their imperial games around the world managing their interests through vassals, clients and properties fighting wars, both overt and covert in far corners of the World. Sunni royal families of the Arabian Peninsula revile Iran and have been urging their American masters for an immediate attack. Pakistani nuclear arsenal is not safe and may fall in the hands of terrorists. British soldiers were a disaster in Helmand. Hamid Karzai is weak and paranoid. Vladimir Putin is an alpha-dog etc.
Although there have been some specific information such as list of strategic US owned site and the details of US snooping on UN leadership, hardly any of these seem to have come as a shock to people . Yet, there must be some reason for such an anxiety that made all those who claim to stand for freedom, democracy and free speech to go after the whistleblower with utmost ferocity. There has been a hot pursuit by the US authorities to block the website and the hunter and the hunted have been playing Tom and Jerry ever since. Wikileaks has been resurfacing with newer domain extensions and using mirrors to stay afloat. Why is it that they are trying to go after Wikileaks with the same alacrity as they would go after a terrorist organization and brand Assange as an anarchist in the same fashion others have been branded international terrorists?
The answer seems to be quiet evident. Empires since the beginning of time feed on secrets. The secrets which are kept, shared, sold, bartered and betrayed. The secrets that are about enemies, friends, clients, vassals, subjects and citizens. Even though the generic nature of these secrets may be a common knowledge, yet the establishment would go to any length protecting it. For example who doesn’t know that the Saudis are not so fond of Iran or vice versa, yet releasing a document which captures the Saudi King saying something to that effect has a dramatic impact. There are a number of reasons why this should happen. First of all, the expose’ in black and white directly contradicts the officially stated reasons for the existence of the empire and its machinery. For example, United States has undermined United Nations which is the world’s representative body for years, taking unilateral actions and yet it claims to stand for freedom and democracy in the world and the dichotomy doesn’t affect the official US pronouncements one single bit. However, this claim would start biting the dust in the official utterances, the moment the very same officials are seen to be spying on the UN leadership. As a result, the official language changes overnight and some realism comes into it, for example, Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently remarked while responding to a question on the fallout of the leaks on the US foreign policy “The fact is, governments deal with the United States because it’s in their interest, not because they like us, not because they trust us, and not because they believe we can keep secrets. Many governments – some governments deal with us because they fear us, some because they respect us, most because they need us. We are still essentially, as has been said before, the indispensable nation.”
Second, it makes them vulnerable. How could a nondescript website get into the vaults and coffers of a superpower with the help of few junior officials and smuggle every bit of information out while pretending to listen to Lady Gaga. This has the very similar psychological impact on the establishment as a bunch of terrorists striking the safe cityscapes considered to be far from the foreign wars. That is why the familiar connotations are invoked to describe those behind the leaks.
And finally, it undermines the personal credibility of those in the positions of power. It makes them look like the ordinary people squabbling with each other and scrambling to get ahead. It takes out the façade of humanitarian concerns and ideological commitment s and shows the workings of unadulterated power politics. They are afraid of Julian Assange for the dangerous dissidence he represents. For he uses, free speech and open government, some of the favorite catchphrases of the Western leaders to undermine their credibility.
Therefore, all the familiar tactics are employed to quell the dissidence. Shoot the messenger or get him trapped in unfavorable circumstances. Brand him the public enemy and enemy of the state, an anarchist who is playing into the hands of terrorists. Meanwhile, all the sermons on the freedom of expression are kept for another day.
Saturday, 26 December 2009
The Un-just Society
We Indians, since our early childhoods, are taught the greatness of our ancient civilization and splendour of our glorious past. This harking back to some sort of a golden era has of late been substituted by longing for a here-and-now greatness in the new millennium. Buoyed by the economic growth in the last two decades due to the twin factors of free market capitalism and global outsourcing, there has been a pervasive feel good factor in the educated middle class and the urban elite who account for close to thirty percent of our population. These sections of our society have genuinely benefited by this new prosperity and have gone out to claim some visibility at the world stage. The longing for this instant greatness is a result of this increased visibility.
However, large sections of our society still remain outside this circle of beneficiaries and social and economic inequities continue to be on the rise. Statistics as well as experience suggest that millions of Indians continue to struggle even for two square meals a day, leaving aside the other human development parameters such health, education and sanitation etc. Political and human rights of vulnerable sections such as tribals, minorities, landless and migrants are under continues threat. Regional, linguistic, ethnic and communal tensions keep undermining the authority of the state from outside whereas the chronic corruption in the state institutions keeps chewing on its innards from within. These inequities impose a harsh reality check on the idea of this instant greatness.
The bigger impediment, however, comes from the state of justice in our country which is a vital test of greatness of any civilization. The idea of justice in simple terms, not even incorporating the bigger ideas of equity and fairness, is the state and its institutions’ response to the crimes committed against people, within its territorial jurisdiction under the laws of the land. This is where the biggest failure of modern Indian state lies and even our exotic and glorious past does not offer any great examples of justice being delivered. The pre-imminence of the idea of ‘kutniti’ literally translated as ‘delicate policies’ but fundamentally referring to decision-making keeping in mind larger political and other interests has made the delivery of ‘nyaya’ or justice extremely difficult. This is ‘kutniti’ that condones expulsion of Sita on account of gossip, decapitation of Eklavya in an attempt to kill competition, condemnation of humans through a birth-based caste system, annihilation of counter currents such as Buddhism and Jainism and execution of Sikh Gurus in the name of quelling rebellion. These instances of subversion of justice apparently influenced by the idea of ‘kutniti', do not stop with the redefinition of the idea of India as a modern secular democratic nation state after independence from the British.
In spite of having one of the most comprehensive constitutions in the World, the deliverance of justice remains one of the most elusive goals of the Indian state. The inherent flaws in the criminal-justice system often result in the criminal roaming scot-free and the innocent rotting in the prison waiting indefinitely for their cases to be heard. The ‘kutniti’ in the modern India demands that crimes committed in communal conflagrations be treated as ‘collective crimes’ and the planners, instigators and executioners of the heinous acts against the people of India keep enjoying political immunity and protection. The corporate honchos responsible for criminal negligence leading to death and destitution are openly shielded in the name of investor confidence. Land grabs and massive displacement of people are allowed to happen in the name of development and people are made strangers in their only lands as their sources of livelihood and ways of life are snatched away. Any attempt at peaceful protest is brutally oppressed and alternative voices are systematically silenced by the all pervasive machinery of the state. The rich and powerful easily get away with serious crimes such as murder, rape, fraud, drugs and corruption. The scales of justice are heavily skewed by the balance of power between victim and the accused. Even in the cases where sentenced are delivered, it is generally the case of too little, too late. In high profile incidents, the apex court of the land makes occasional observations which usually have some immediate impact but hardly ever lead to a meaningful and timely conclusion. Most of these outcomes are a result of letting ‘kutniti’ dictate terms in the matters where ‘nyaya’ should have been given priority
The constant denial of justice to so many of the aggrieved souls has severely dented people’s confidence in the criminal justice system in this country. This is leading to alienation and fissures within the society which is often reflected in the violent movements and incidents throughout the length and breadth of the nation. There is hardly any space for a non-violent resistance and way for any meaningful dialogue has long been stifled. In this context where justice is not perceived being done, any claim of instant civilizational greatness sounds immature and superficial. Even in the scenario, where greatness is measured in terms of economic prosperity we are far well off the mark. It will be a great service to this nation and also a great help to the cause of our future greatness, if we focus our energies to help mitigate the inequities and injustices inherent in our systems. This does not seem plausible till the time ‘nyaya’ becomes cornerstone of the criminal justice system rather than ‘kutniti’.
However, large sections of our society still remain outside this circle of beneficiaries and social and economic inequities continue to be on the rise. Statistics as well as experience suggest that millions of Indians continue to struggle even for two square meals a day, leaving aside the other human development parameters such health, education and sanitation etc. Political and human rights of vulnerable sections such as tribals, minorities, landless and migrants are under continues threat. Regional, linguistic, ethnic and communal tensions keep undermining the authority of the state from outside whereas the chronic corruption in the state institutions keeps chewing on its innards from within. These inequities impose a harsh reality check on the idea of this instant greatness.
The bigger impediment, however, comes from the state of justice in our country which is a vital test of greatness of any civilization. The idea of justice in simple terms, not even incorporating the bigger ideas of equity and fairness, is the state and its institutions’ response to the crimes committed against people, within its territorial jurisdiction under the laws of the land. This is where the biggest failure of modern Indian state lies and even our exotic and glorious past does not offer any great examples of justice being delivered. The pre-imminence of the idea of ‘kutniti’ literally translated as ‘delicate policies’ but fundamentally referring to decision-making keeping in mind larger political and other interests has made the delivery of ‘nyaya’ or justice extremely difficult. This is ‘kutniti’ that condones expulsion of Sita on account of gossip, decapitation of Eklavya in an attempt to kill competition, condemnation of humans through a birth-based caste system, annihilation of counter currents such as Buddhism and Jainism and execution of Sikh Gurus in the name of quelling rebellion. These instances of subversion of justice apparently influenced by the idea of ‘kutniti', do not stop with the redefinition of the idea of India as a modern secular democratic nation state after independence from the British.
In spite of having one of the most comprehensive constitutions in the World, the deliverance of justice remains one of the most elusive goals of the Indian state. The inherent flaws in the criminal-justice system often result in the criminal roaming scot-free and the innocent rotting in the prison waiting indefinitely for their cases to be heard. The ‘kutniti’ in the modern India demands that crimes committed in communal conflagrations be treated as ‘collective crimes’ and the planners, instigators and executioners of the heinous acts against the people of India keep enjoying political immunity and protection. The corporate honchos responsible for criminal negligence leading to death and destitution are openly shielded in the name of investor confidence. Land grabs and massive displacement of people are allowed to happen in the name of development and people are made strangers in their only lands as their sources of livelihood and ways of life are snatched away. Any attempt at peaceful protest is brutally oppressed and alternative voices are systematically silenced by the all pervasive machinery of the state. The rich and powerful easily get away with serious crimes such as murder, rape, fraud, drugs and corruption. The scales of justice are heavily skewed by the balance of power between victim and the accused. Even in the cases where sentenced are delivered, it is generally the case of too little, too late. In high profile incidents, the apex court of the land makes occasional observations which usually have some immediate impact but hardly ever lead to a meaningful and timely conclusion. Most of these outcomes are a result of letting ‘kutniti’ dictate terms in the matters where ‘nyaya’ should have been given priority
The constant denial of justice to so many of the aggrieved souls has severely dented people’s confidence in the criminal justice system in this country. This is leading to alienation and fissures within the society which is often reflected in the violent movements and incidents throughout the length and breadth of the nation. There is hardly any space for a non-violent resistance and way for any meaningful dialogue has long been stifled. In this context where justice is not perceived being done, any claim of instant civilizational greatness sounds immature and superficial. Even in the scenario, where greatness is measured in terms of economic prosperity we are far well off the mark. It will be a great service to this nation and also a great help to the cause of our future greatness, if we focus our energies to help mitigate the inequities and injustices inherent in our systems. This does not seem plausible till the time ‘nyaya’ becomes cornerstone of the criminal justice system rather than ‘kutniti’.
Thursday, 24 December 2009
How free is the Freewill?
Baal Bazaa.n ra su-e-sultaa.n barad
Baal Zaaghaa.n ra ba goristaa.n barad
Wings bring a hawk to Kings;
Wings bring a crow to the grave.
Rumi
The toss-up between the free will and the determination has baffled thinking men since the time immemorial. Simplifying the conundrum it comes down to whether all our actions are pre-determined or acts of our own free will. In the first instance if it is all determined then we don’t have to worry about being accountable for our actions; good, bad or ugly as we don’t have any control over it and hence no risks and rewards could be associated with our actions. On a fundamental level it takes away any incentive to do good because one will do good if one is supposed to. On the other hand if it is all act of our own freewill then why many of us against our strongest desires and despite our best efforts remain stuck with profane lives, superficial jobs, indifferent peers and uninspiring leaders. This makes an aggrieved party completely responsible for its grievance because this is what he has brought on himself by his own free will. Strict adherence to any of these seems to be a losing proposition.
This whole journey of life seems to be a late night train trip, say, from Delhi to Aligarh wherein you know the origin and destination and have some recollection of the stations in between but have no particular memory of the vast fields and landscapes in between. The train is also a typical Indian train which can stop in the middle of nowhere in between without any prior notice. The compartments are all lit well but there is a pitch dark outside. You can move within the train from one end to another, talk to fellow passengers, drink tea, read a book, listen to music, doze off , visit the toilet or just stare in the darkness. There is enough manoeuvrability allowed within the compartment and you are accountable for all your acts in here. That is the freewill. However, you have no idea of your exact location as the train is moving through the darkness and if stops somewhere in between you can’t do anything and have to patiently wait. If a stray cow hits the train or the winter fog thickens or the engines fail, you have no control over it. That is determination. This analogy to an extent supports the assertion that we have free will for a certain set of activities and specific spheres in our lives and hence are accountable for the corresponding acts. On the other hand there are larger events to which these activities belong on which we have no control and hence are not accountable for those acts.
This is a like the proverbial rope which each one of us are supposed to be holding. All of us have our own designated lengths of the rope and are allowed to manoeuvre within that. Beyond the designated length there is no flexibility to manoeuvre. However there are also times when you have exhausted the designated rope, another rope begins for you to manoeuvre. Yet, you are still clueless between the ropes. To conclude, I strongly feel there is a free will that makes us accountable for our actions, but the larger context in which we live is determined.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Why COP15 is a Classic Cop Out
Let’s say Good Bye to common humanity. It is only good to be used in Nobel speeches. Its presence is not auspicious at the time of deal making. For negotiating a deal all you need to know is your national interests and the arm twisting powers you have at your disposal in the so called comity of nations.
Developed nations will play ‘accountability card’, developing ‘growth card’ and the under-developed ‘victim card’. No real solution will emerge amidst this card playing and only a compromise will be reached and the climate will be damned as it has always been. Some half-baked draft will be presented and agreed upon in haste to show some achievement.
Leaders of the individual nations, who otherwise want to be called world leaders, will go home satisfied that they did not sell out their national interests and were yet able to achieve a compromise. The beaurocratic paraphernalia will be content with attending a summit of global importance. Protesters will protest as usual for a few days. Newspapers will publish editorials denouncing the resolution. Electronic media will do usual song and dance routine with experts debating on the existential crisis. Filmmakers will make films showing disturbing images of melting glaciers and wandering polar bear and hopefully win some awards. Green solutions will keep on being developed. Carbon foot-prints will go on being reported. Factories will keep billowing smoke, vehicles will keep guzzling gas and man will keep searching comfort and luxury through reasonable usage of electricity. Kyoto will be dead and buried for good. Good riddance!
Nobody should take any responsibility and still have a piece of the cake and that is called a classic cop out.
Developed nations will play ‘accountability card’, developing ‘growth card’ and the under-developed ‘victim card’. No real solution will emerge amidst this card playing and only a compromise will be reached and the climate will be damned as it has always been. Some half-baked draft will be presented and agreed upon in haste to show some achievement.
Leaders of the individual nations, who otherwise want to be called world leaders, will go home satisfied that they did not sell out their national interests and were yet able to achieve a compromise. The beaurocratic paraphernalia will be content with attending a summit of global importance. Protesters will protest as usual for a few days. Newspapers will publish editorials denouncing the resolution. Electronic media will do usual song and dance routine with experts debating on the existential crisis. Filmmakers will make films showing disturbing images of melting glaciers and wandering polar bear and hopefully win some awards. Green solutions will keep on being developed. Carbon foot-prints will go on being reported. Factories will keep billowing smoke, vehicles will keep guzzling gas and man will keep searching comfort and luxury through reasonable usage of electricity. Kyoto will be dead and buried for good. Good riddance!
Nobody should take any responsibility and still have a piece of the cake and that is called a classic cop out.
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Looking at the bright side of life
Daily orgy of civilian casualties in the unending armed conflicts around the globe, food and fuel shortages leading to starvation and malnutrition for the large majority of world’s poor, the onslaught of new diseases and massive recurrence of the old ones and the climate change threatening the ultimate survival of our planet have become hard realities in the world we live in. Closer home, the farmers in Vidarbha and fishermen in Vishakaptnam struggling to meet the bare necessities of loaves and fishes, the nation buoyed by the rising incomes on one hand and beset by the rising inequities on the other and unholy trinity of Terrorism, Communalism and Naxalism eating out the social fabric of our society and exposing our injured innards and we the young and the bright lost in the daily rigmarole of quick succession of busy nothings.
Definitely not a very rosy scenario to advocate to look always at the bright side of life. Yet, I stand here to support that we should always look at the bright side of life.
Always looking at the bright side is by-no-means the negation of hard realities but an acceptance of it and going a step further looking for a way out of the current situation. As Jerome K Jerome says “fighting the battle of life is fighting the fearful odds. There are giants and dragons even in this century and the Golden Casket that they guard is not so easy to win as it appears in the story books” However looking at the bright side gives us the hope that there is light at the other side of the tunnel.
Human Civilization was born out of primal chaos and it was this sense of hope that delivered them from the primal chaos. Be it Moses' long march across the desert for the deliverance of his people from the Pharaoh’s forces of chaos or inner struggle of the great sages of ancient India to denounce the culture of violence inherent in Aryan race and look for the deeper meaning of life in the depth of human-self, the underlying driver was this hope of better and more fulfilling future for the human race.
Let’s reflect on some of the events and personalities of the modern era. How did the Jewish communities the world over bounced back within a very short span of time after going through the unspeakable horrors of the holocaust. Leaving aside for a moment the geo-political reasons of their rise as some people might attribute this to, look at the resolve of the men and women who came out of the Nazi concentration camps and went on to become famous scientists, inventors , economists and businessmen. This would not have been possible without them confronting their past and saying “Never Again” and without the deep driving desire for a fulfilling life.
Look at Nelson Mandela and how after spending a large part of his life in prison, he switched to a policy of reconciliation and negotiation and helped lead the transition to multi-racial democracy in South Africa. That would not have been possible if he had remained a prisoner of the past and hadn’t looked at the future in a broader, brighter context.
I come from the rural hinterlands of Bihar and have been witness to floods which are a frequent phenomenon and now have taken the status of an annual festival of sorts thanks to the relief based economic policies of our successive governments. Even then, I have been amazed at how people during distressing times of floods remain jovial and take it in their stride and giving their all to help others. I can not think of any other reason but the inherent belief that the disaster is temporary and better, brighter future awaits on the other side of the catastrophe.
Let me close my argument with the verse from holy Quran that reads “Inna- ma-al –usre usra”– Verily, along with every hardship is relief.
Definitely not a very rosy scenario to advocate to look always at the bright side of life. Yet, I stand here to support that we should always look at the bright side of life.
Always looking at the bright side is by-no-means the negation of hard realities but an acceptance of it and going a step further looking for a way out of the current situation. As Jerome K Jerome says “fighting the battle of life is fighting the fearful odds. There are giants and dragons even in this century and the Golden Casket that they guard is not so easy to win as it appears in the story books” However looking at the bright side gives us the hope that there is light at the other side of the tunnel.
Human Civilization was born out of primal chaos and it was this sense of hope that delivered them from the primal chaos. Be it Moses' long march across the desert for the deliverance of his people from the Pharaoh’s forces of chaos or inner struggle of the great sages of ancient India to denounce the culture of violence inherent in Aryan race and look for the deeper meaning of life in the depth of human-self, the underlying driver was this hope of better and more fulfilling future for the human race.
Let’s reflect on some of the events and personalities of the modern era. How did the Jewish communities the world over bounced back within a very short span of time after going through the unspeakable horrors of the holocaust. Leaving aside for a moment the geo-political reasons of their rise as some people might attribute this to, look at the resolve of the men and women who came out of the Nazi concentration camps and went on to become famous scientists, inventors , economists and businessmen. This would not have been possible without them confronting their past and saying “Never Again” and without the deep driving desire for a fulfilling life.
Look at Nelson Mandela and how after spending a large part of his life in prison, he switched to a policy of reconciliation and negotiation and helped lead the transition to multi-racial democracy in South Africa. That would not have been possible if he had remained a prisoner of the past and hadn’t looked at the future in a broader, brighter context.
I come from the rural hinterlands of Bihar and have been witness to floods which are a frequent phenomenon and now have taken the status of an annual festival of sorts thanks to the relief based economic policies of our successive governments. Even then, I have been amazed at how people during distressing times of floods remain jovial and take it in their stride and giving their all to help others. I can not think of any other reason but the inherent belief that the disaster is temporary and better, brighter future awaits on the other side of the catastrophe.
Let me close my argument with the verse from holy Quran that reads “Inna- ma-al –usre usra”– Verily, along with every hardship is relief.
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