Three short narratives.
“There are
people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the
form of bread.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
― Mahatma Gandhi
'H' is for
hunger and more.
The word ‘hunger’
denotes a scourge, which has been raging unabated in some parts of the world
for a long time. Isn’t it ironical and tragic that at many places, food is
surplus and goes waste and at other places the starving millions can’t afford
two square meals a day. It is in fact, happening due to utter disregard, apathy,
maladministration, faulty distribution systems, inadequate storage facilities
and egotistic attitude of the people at the helm of affairs. Quite a lot has
been done by some rich counties to alleviate the hunger pangs of the people,
affected by drought, floods, internal unrest, external warfare and old
agricultural practices. However, long-term and drastic, remedial measures need
to be put in place, as the problem is gigantic. Conversely, the hunger for
equal opportunities, fair play, social justice, spirituality and modernity,
still, is a distant dream for a large number of people in the world.
………
Those who don’t know history are bound to repeat it. Edmund
Burke
H is also
for ‘history.’ The archives of world history enfold numerous eras representing
their own specific cultures, worldviews and events. We find them chronicled in
history books. In short, history is a saga of all that happened in the past. History
has recorded the holocausts, world wars and several fabricated tragedies, which
added to the human misery to no end. These are painful blots on the face of
humanity. However, the tragedy for the human race is that, it neither pauses to
ponder nor learns any lessons from the devastating mistakes of the world
leaders of the past. No wonder, ‘history repeats itself.’ Moreover, we write our history every day.
“Give the
world the best you have, and it may never be enough: Give your best anyway.”
― Mother Teresa
― Mother Teresa
'H' stands for
the word ‘human’ too. Being human connotes the qualities of love, kindness,
empathy and above all a desire to help others. It is said that if you want to
be happy, then be a doer and bring some joy in other peoples' lives. Rightly opined,
that what you give comes back to you with interest.
According to an old saying, ‘proper study of
mankind is man.’ Man holds the pivotal position in ancient philosophical
treatises. In the spiritual aspect of our life, the scriptures propound that ‘God
made man in his own likeness.’ All this proves that man came into this world
for a higher purpose. He is to be an instrument of justice, welfare driven
social order, committed to peace and solidarity among all segments of society.
However, unfortunately man has degenerated
into a greedy, grasping, selfish creature. He has morphed into an insensitive,
uncaring and narcissistic being.
If man wants to contribute to society, he has to be his own conscience keeper.
Friends, welcome here as always.
