NATURE
It was well past the evening. The sky was getting darker.
The caretaker had switched on the lights inside our housing society complex. I
saw two small birds hovering around the light, which was unusual. Animals and
birds are very prompt when it comes to time keeping. They get up and start
their work early in the morning and get back home also early, after having
their dinner. I have not seen birds once it gets dark. That increased my
curiosity. They were small birds with black and white feathers and were
watching something keenly. I thought they may be those naughty birds who always
reached home late and was worried that their mother will scold them for that.
However, both the birds were not up to any mischief. On the contrary they were
completely focused on something. Then I realized that they were intensely
watching at the moths that were flying around the street light. By then it
really got dark. In a flash one of the birds darted towards the light and had a
couple of moths inside its beak. Then it was the turn of the other one. For a
few minutes they continued their late-night hunting and once their stomach were
full, flew away. By then it was almost night. What bothered me was the thought-
have the natural resources became so scarce that even the birds have to work
over time?
WAR
Majority of us will be aware of the unimaginable amount of
loss we suffered due to the second World War. Millions lost their life; those
who were alive lead a miserable life having lost their wealth and health; cities
and villages were razed to ground; nature was destroyed in whatever way
possible and as if these were not enough, we bared our vicious mind by dropping
two atom bombs on innocent people, thus burning the very conscious of humanity
(if they ever have one). It took decades for us to recover from the physical
and mental damages the war inflicted on us.
I always felt human
kind will never think of a war again. It was not just the horrible experiences
of the world war which made me think so. I was given to understand that science
and spiritualism are gaining ground and they are promisingly injecting sense,
sensibility and sensitivity into human mind. Science, I was told, was bringing
people together. Every invention is towards that goal. While Spiritualism was
helping us to nurse our wounds and be more benevolent.
However, the recent tendency of the nations to engage
themselves in war for flimsy reasons have shaken my belief. Normally, the
responsibility for war is forced upon the politicians or the rulers. That may
seem to be the right way to look at it. Can we hold only the rulers responsible
for these wars? Are we not, by remaining as spectators, not responsible for it?
Why Science and spiritualism (I will also add Art to it) not able to rise as an
alternative force thus nullifying the human need for war? Since human
well-being is one of their important responsibilities, how can science,
spiritualism and art remain silent and try to wiggle out of it by just making
some feeble protests? The very purpose of Science, Spiritualism and Art should
be to replace hatred with compassion. Their failure will be the failure of the
human race.
Taking a step further, are we as individuals not
responsible? We live at a time when even a cricket match between India and
Pakistan is given the stature of a war. Is it enough if we read the details of
the atrocities unleased and restrict our concern to a close group of people
around? If this trend continues, the whole world will be devastated and that
will completely damage the lives of the future generation. I think it is high
time we discussed war seriously, among ourselves to start with, and consciously
raise our voice against it. We need to say NO TO WAR loudly so that rulers will
understand that they cannot fool us or distract us by creating wars and always
cleverly using their brinkmanship.
As I was writing this, the news of a hospital with over five
hundred patients being annihilated by a bomb came. It seems, the barbaric beast
in us is at its devastating best. What is shocking is, even after such a horrendous
act, we are discussing who is responsible for this inhuman attack. If we still
have doubt, then the unpleasant truth is we- the human beings, are responsible for
this heartless massacre. If we don’t take responsibility and make amends now,
it will be too late.
The other day, my neighbor, who is also a doctor, shared
something extremely relevant and thought provoking with me. During his preparation
for a lecture on the’ History of Medicine’ to students he came across this
wonderful information. It is about a scientist who invented an extremely useful
medicine for many of our diseases. However, even after inventing the same, he
refused to get the patent for the same, thus denying himself the opportunity to
become a multi-billionaire overnight.
Someone asked him,” You invented this medicine but have not
claimed the patent for the same. So according to you the medicine belongs to
whom?’
His response should teach us few lessons on integrity,
simplicity and selflessness. He said,” I suppose it belongs to the people” and
then he asked back a magnificent question,” Who has the patent for Sun?” We all
are victims of the greed of the medical companies fleecing us for more and more
money. With this one question he hints that medicines should be as affordable
and available as sunlight and breath.
I was standing in the balcony, staring at the sun. Suddenly
I realized that I am not staring at the sun, rather I am receiving the benevolence
of the UNPATENTED MEDICINE. I had my
prescribed dose for the day before going inside.
