Living as People

At the end of every month, one would normally present certain groundbreaking revelations or experiences which redefine one's norms of daily life. Although that would be a good way to go, I don't necessarily fit into that range. What I would like to present here is about the ambivalence of people - us. How people are so important and yet so self-destructive, even unknowingly. It's true that people can either push each other forward or sabotage themselves and others perfectly. And that's the way it has always been in this world. There's seemingly no cure for this - but one.

We can be afraid of being exposed, or being caught in some forbidden action. We may be compromised in times of when our morale is put to the test. You may ask the question: Why do some people behave the way they behave? Do they get some sort of kick out of it? This does border on the psychological flow of thought, but there is more than what meets the eye.

I went to a hotel in Darjeeling before the pandemic (because COVID-19 has already gone down in history) and made complaints about frightening creepy-crawlies scuttling out of pillows and bedsheets when least expected. It would always be a nasty surprise. Then, the clerk there told me something I would never forget. He said, "But, little girl, can you be sure that those insects are scarier than the human mind?" At first, I couldn't grasp the sinister nature of that little question. Now, it proudly nods its head with a "I told you so." In the end, it all depends on who you want to define yourself to be as.

This is just its elementary portion. Take higher political circles, for example. It seems that nowadays the promotion of individualistic propaganda is a part of the main agenda of certain parties (which shall not be named). The Maoist governance of the People's Republic of China turns the sister of the "WOW! Momo" brand -"WOW! China"- on its head. Death conspiracies spawned by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin-Salman fester. And so many people fail to speak up because of innumerable factors which haunt them forever.

Now, let's talk about something closer to home: Hindu-Muslim riots. This deep-seated sentiment of hatred and discomfort has been caused by generalisation and an unspoken understanding that our religions are like heaven and hell. I have several acquaintances who have been ignored and avoided on account of their religion as compared to the "Hindu majority" or the "Islamic majority". You see, jihadist extremism and terrorism is never Islam's fault. It is done by people who distort the Koran's principles into something ugly. The RSS' Hindutva is no less. Poverty eddies through my nation like a torrential storm of unheard voices.

Regardless, people are also striving to uncover an antidote to the virus. It just means that one can define the world to be a shade of grey. I believe that's better than classifying things into the restrictive binary of "good" and "bad". People are this way. And can they be changed? It is never impossible.

They say that the willpower of mankind is a funny thing. Tagore has shown the poetics of the human will to break free from the struggles of a created reality. As just another human being, I do know that my race - that of humankind - is already growing towards becoming one superpower of progression.

Hoping for the future is in itself a consolatory strength.

We need each other to come FORWARD.

We can BE TOGETHER.

We can EMPOWER and INSPIRE.

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