By Vijay Darda | 08-06-2020
Ruthless killings of a pregnant elephant cow and George, and people walking with cracked feet! Why there is so much cruelty & inhumanity?
The ruthless killings of a pregnant elephant cow in India and football player George Floyd in America are deeply disturbing, to say the least. My heart bled for lakhs of migrant workers who were forced to walk hundreds of miles on their way back to their home towns. These incidents have disturbed me, leaving me with just one question: Why is there so much cruelty and inhumanity? Humans consider themselves to be the most developed and civilized beings in the universe. So where does such cruelty that makes him to feed a pregnant elephant with a pineapple stuffed with firecrackers or torturing a person till he could no longer breathe and die, come from? This is the tendency of demons!
Anyone who has seen the video footage of George’s murder in America must surely have wept. The land where George suffered for every breath of his life is America which claims to advance human rights and fundamental freedoms around the world. Does it not see its own abominable racism and apartheid? Thousands of protesters including black and white people hit the streets in anger even during this terrible crisis of coronavirus which shows that the racial problem in the US is serious and disconcerting.
On the other hand, in India, a pregnant elephant cow’s killing has put humanity to shame. Our culture is supposed to worship nature, but today man is tinkering with the environment, destroying rivers, mountains and the forests. Whether it is a lion or an elephant or some other wild animal, if man is invading and occupying their habitat, they are bound to take to human settlements! This has put human beings in crisis. We all saw how clean the atmosphere was when human intervention was reduced during lockdown! Humans have to stop their lust and show humanity, only then can we expect a better tomorrow.
The plight of the migrant workers during the lockdown is an issue that shook humanity. Hungry and thirsty, they walked day and night on the roads, along the railway tracks. Many of them suffered blisters on their feet. A man travelled for hundreds of miles on a difficult journey carrying his parents on a handcart. Mahatma Gandhi used to say that God resides in humans only. He used the word ‘Daridranarayana’ for the poor, but we witnessed discomforting lack of humanity during these tough times. The sense of belongingness went for a toss.
After all, how many of us are there who take care of the domestic help who work at our households? Do you ever take care of their health or ask if they have any problem at home? Try doing this sometime, you will feel relaxed and proud to be a good human being yourself. Only a few days back, I had my lunch with everyone, including sweepers, cooks and drivers working at my residence in Nagpur. I expressed my gratitude towards them saying, you care so much for us. We are yours and you are our family.
On the same day in Mumbai, my son Devendra, daughter-in-law Rachana and grandson Aryaman cooked food together. The menu was also awesome. My younger grandson Shivan helped too. All our domestic help working in our house were fed on the same dining table which we have our meals on. The chef who used to cook meals for us was asked to sit in my chair, but he was not ready to do so. Hesitatingly, he took the seat after much persuasion. My son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren washed their plates too and expressed their gratitude. All this became possible due to the values instilled in our family. Babuji and Bai (Mother) always taught us that no one is small or big. Humanity is above all. No matter how big you are, there is no meaning to such prosperity if it is devoid of humanity. Even if we make innumerable scientific inventions, land on the Moon and other planets, all this will carry no meaning until we understand the plight and sufferings of the poor.
We are secular people who believe in universal religion. But many times, there are nasty attempts to create communal hatred and thereby vitiate the social milieu. However, one feels reassured when some of the finest examples of humanity and compassion come out even in such vitiated atmosphere.
In a village near Ludhiana, one Abdul Sajid married off his friend Virendra Kumar’s daughter as per Hindu custom by becoming her father himself. A Hindu bride and groom’s marriage was solemnised at a mosque in Kerala. The Muslim community brought gifts for the bride. The bride and groom sought blessings by touching the feet of the Imam. A Muslim family from Gujarat cremated his Hindu friend Pandyaji. Armaan shaved his hair and performed the ‘kapaal kriya’ of his Abba’s friend, wearing a dhoti and janeu. This happens when the person is full of kindness and understands the true meaning of religion. If such true humanity survives, only then will we all survive. This is the time to unite and save humanity. Humanity is our greatest cultural heritage!
Intro
The killing of a pregnant elephant cow in India and footballer George Floyd in America, and the sufferings of migrant workers in India during the lockdown have put humanity to shame. Let’s remember that if humanity survives, only then we all will survive. This is the time to unite and save humanity!
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