Tag: Bharath Bandh

Posted on

Tamizh 2.0: 08 Zenith (எவரது வாழ்விலும் ஏற்றமாவது…)

What is considered as reaching the pinnacle, the zenith in ones life? What is happiness and success? These simple questions are the most intriguing ones, which trouble both the philosophers and the common man alike, with no right or wrong answers. Because, all these are in ones’ point of view and it is very dynamic.

Not only the point of view keeps changing, but also, the wants and needs and thereby, what is true one moment need not be at the next. Human, is that animal which is very difficult to satisfy. He is always in search for betterment. A person that is hungry searches for food. Once the hunger is satiated, he wants to have some money for the next meal, once he gets some, he wants more, then a good life, then some jewelry (materials), then a small hut for himself, that grows to a small house and then to a bungalow, then an even better life for the next generation, then, then, then… leading him deeper into the vicious circle. Is there an end to this?

As a poet once said, in this journey of life, the hungry searches for food; the unemployed for some employment, even a thief looked for an opportunity for a bigger heist. There is this continuous search in life, a search for the betterment. It is this search that ensures that Life Flows and not Stagnates. However, when this search breaks its banks, man becomes lost in this circle.

Why does man go on this search for betterment? If it is to gain happiness, what is happiness? If it is success, what is success? These questions will once again lead us into the same vicious circle and back to square one. There seems to be no end to this, in the materialistic world. To break away from this materialistic circle of life, one needs to look inwards. Then, they would realize that, as said in Bhagavad Gita, success and happiness is very ephemeral and is nothing but an illusion, a Maya.

I’m reminded of the story of the last wishes of Alexander the Great. On his death bed, Alexander summoned his army generals and told them his three ultimate wishes:

  1. The best doctors should carry his coffin… to demonstrate that in the face of death, even the best doctors in the world have no power to heal…
  2. The wealth he has accumulated (money, gold, precious stones) should be scattered along the procession to the cemetery… so that everybody sees that material wealth acquired on this earth, will stay on earth and it could not give him a new lease of life…
  3. His hands should be let loose, so they hang outside the coffin for all to see.. so that people understand that we come to this world empty handed and we leave this world empty handed after the most precious treasure of all is exhausted, and that is TIME, as it is limited.

When we give someone our time, we actually give a portion of our life that we will never take back.

One of the things that have helped me better myself (not achieve the zenith, as that is an never ending journey) is meditation. Meditation has helped with understanding that all are equal and attain balance and a higher level of tolerance.

As what Antoine de St Éxupery, says in his masterpiece “The Little Prince”,

  • The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.
  • It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.

In conclusion, we can clearly see that success and happiness lies in the present, the innumerable precious moments that makes this journey called life, wonderful. I can very convincingly say:

  • Happiness is when you are able to help another living being – doesn’t have to stop with just humans. The magnitude of help is always measured from the point of view of the recipient. What might be immaterial for one, might be Godly for another, at which point they would reach the Zenith
  • When your heart cries out for someone that is no way related to you, when you heart longs for peace for everyone, at that point you reach the Zenith.
  • When you stand up for someone when there is injustice, no matter who they are or what heir beliefs are, you reach the Zenith.
  • When you receive the blessing from unknown people, you reach the Zenith.
  • When every single person, starts treating every other person and each situation with a touch of Humanity, we can proudly say, we have reached the Zenith.

Posted on

Tamizh 2.0: 07 Canada and India – a comparison (ஊணிடும் கனடாவும் எமதிந்தியாவும்)

On this cold snow day, I enjoyed watching the snowflakes falling slowly dancing lightly oh lightly, until reaching the ground. As the snowfall was heavy, it started accumulating on the sidewalks and on the road. When the black tar roads turned white, I heard the plough trucks go by on the main road clearing the snow. There was a clear black path, in contrast to the dense white sides.

The weatherman in the radio station NEWS 11:30 was taking about a lot of accumulation that was expected today. The traffic reporter was mentioning the umpteen accidents on the road and how treacherous the roads were today. He was asking people to stay indoors, unless they had to absolutely get on the road. Many were complaining about how the local municipalities were not cleaning the roads. And I was laughing – having my origin in India I was wondering what would these complainers do if they were in India, where a minor thundershower can cause major floods and power outages. How come these people are expecting so much from their municipalities.

This made me think of this week’s topic of comparing Canada and India and my thoughts drifted to strikes.

I clearly remember the transit union (coast mountain company) strike way back in the early 2000’s. This strike went on for a few weeks. That was the time when I didn’t have a car and was totally dependent on the public transit. Thinking about that strike now, I don’t think I was hassled in any way, as a layman, the common public. In the autumn of one year there was the city cleaners strike. There were dry fallen leaves everywhere – on the sidewalk and on the roads. Though many were complaining, I saw beauty in the fall colours. I should say, the main roads were still cleared of any debris. One year, the garbage collectors union had their strike, but still the garbage was collected, albeit in long intervals. There was a nurses union strike, the postal strike, telephone operations union strike, teachers union strike and even paramedics (911 service) strike.

We can see that, all these are the essential services to ensure that the city / town is running smoothly. In all these strikes, there was thing in common – the layman was not really affected. Though the frequency of the service was reduced, the general public was not completely hindered and things did not stop. There were no big commotions; it was always peaceful. There was always negotiations happening at the table between the union workers and the government; people worked hard, sometimes burning the midnight oil, to strike a deal.

One might say that these are bigger services and therefore it is ensured that the public is not hindered. Let us come to the many rallies and protest marches that happen throughout the year. All rallies are peaceful – the organizers of these rallies are always considering the general public and ensures that there are no incidents. Tamils in Vancouver would certainly remember the peaceful protest that was conducted in 2017 to show our support for Jallikattu. The only time I remember a riot happening in Vancouver was when the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup finals – the finals held in downtown Vancouver. The most amazing part of that riot was, everyone that was involved was eventually caught and judgement served.

Can we think of a peaceful protest / strike in India? If there is a “Bandh” how many public vehicles are burnt? How many shops are looted? How many people are injured? Do the crazy mob stop with just looting materials and vandalizing properties? How many women are raped? How many children affected – bandh being the reason for all.

I was in Bangalore airport recently on a Bharath Bandh day. I overheard the conversation between two ladies and the security at the airport. The ladies were in transit in the airport and wanted to leave the airport and go to the city as they had a layover of about 7 hours. The security guy, very casually mentioned that they were actually safer inside the airport than outside. What a pathetic situation!

I also remember the time when a man’s head was axed in Hyderabad in one of these Bandhs, long time ago. What wa the reason – just that he was there at the wrong place at the wrong time; a collateral damage. Is justice served in these barbaric instances? I would say no – these are hot news items for a day or two and then relegated to the back seat. The public also forgets and moves on; the bandh is done and dusted.

In India, if we have a problem, can we go to the police without fear? I doubt it. There are so many dreadful stories, that one does not like to enter a police station. In Canada, the police is truly there there protect the public, as their friend. You can approach a police for help anytime – no matter your colour, religion or ethnicity.

Snapping back to reality and the beautiful snowflakes, I felt a sense of true freedom and liberation when I realized that I was living in a country where everyone was treated equal; everyone was accountable for their actions; and humanity was at the zenith.

I was reminded of Rabindranath Tagore’s poem “Where the Mind is without fear”, for Canada, my adopted motherland, has truly awakened into that heaven of freedom.

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake!

Picture Credit: <a href=’http://clipground.com’>http://clipground.com</a>