BETWEEN HELPLESSNESS AND BEYOND HELPFUL

                                 Between helplessness and beyond helpful

Reading the news paper, watching news channels have long ceased to be a source of information, pleasure or anything to do with positive aspect in life from last few years to me and is true of many others in this world i guess. But the knowledge seems like a necessary evil. At least the habit of a cursory glance at the news paper seems inevitable as old habits die hard. The beginning of the week wasn’t that good with 3 news items which attracted, bothered and had an impact on me.

1)     A woman set her husband ablaze and he died on the way to hospital. This reminded me of some debate competition about 2 decades ago, where i had mentioned a news item which said the contrast.. Man sets woman ablaze. For a second, i thought of the change in the situation. But that was just for a second. What made me disturbed were the situation and the plight of the woman who had to resort to this. Violence in any form, method or for any reason is not only condemnable but has to be detested, changed and never ever encouraged. But for the woman to send the children away and do this act.. What must have gone through her mind and the life before? Men can be extremely violent and torturous. Her husband must have been more violent hundreds of time and would have created the most helpless situation and what life that woman and children must have undergone. For her it is not the death or violence that she was seeking, but she must have longed for freedom from that suffering. Being poor and financially dependent she probably did not know how else to free herself and children from such consternation. There is no way anyone can support, encourage or sympathize with such dastardly act but can we look into her from her perspective. What will the cat do if it’s locked in a room and attacked? This murder has probably worsened her children’s condition much further as i am not sure how will she ever get over this act? Thinking all of these involuntarily makes life so sick and we are so helpless... Am i being sensitive to my environment? Am i reaching out to people and giving them hope? Is my silence and indifference perpetuating more violence? Are we all not indirectly responsible for all the mishaps which happen around..  

2)     A boy, again a poor watchman’s son gets dragged in a lift between lift and the wall and gets crushed because he was trying to put his hand in the lift. Some freak accident. But who is responsible? How can such a thing ever happen? Can it be just boy’s mistake? if yes... how many times our own children make several mistakes and are we adults watchful? What will happen to the parents? How would that boy have felt for those few minutes of the crush? Some hurry, some arrogance, some indifference somewhere of all adults? It’s very depressing to say the least. I feel i am also indirectly responsible for this tragedy and also all the adults who don’t look at the surrounding with an empathy. There is the need for the overall and general correction of the conscience of people. We are just getting sailed along to something which is probably meaningless in the large scheme of things in life.

3)     The third item is the herculean effort of the sparrow to somehow extract a drop of water from the tap on the street. Its struggle, is as silent and as helpless, as lonely battle of all others, who face situations that lead them to frustration and isolation. We can at least put some bowls of water for this voice less birds.

News papers and channels give all the news which takes us between helplessness and beyond being helpful. I am not referring or even criticizing those who thrive on watching and reading these. One more time when there is a need to reflect on the self and question as to how much are we contributing to the rut of the society and how much helpless we keep getting into.

Ahhh. Its very painful and extremely helpless.