What do I say? The well of words has dried up in me, as it were. A tsunami of sorrow washes through the concentric circles of my being, which begin with the personal ‘i’, as in me, and goes on to embrace the parts of me that are linked to family, colleagues, society, nation, humanity, the whole universe. Where does this darkness end?
This tragedy has left us feeling raw, vulnerable, wounded. As a nation, as a culture, as members of humankind. In this situation, it is easy to find solace in righteous anger, hatred, fantasies of violent retribution. As each moment brought fresh news of this senseless, inhuman massacre, I found myself alternatively feeling angry, despondent, helpless. And then, a moment of quiet grace. The insistent thought — what can I do to help? And a response – anything can be neutralised and defeated by bringing into play its exact opposite.
It is actually a very simple dictum that each one of us has felt so many times in our lives. If you feel hot, drink something cool. If you ate something spicy, follow it up with something sweet. If somebody is angry with you, reacting with anger only adds fuel to fire.
If, as so many analysts have pointed out, this was an attack on the very “idea of India”, the best we can do to counter it is to strengthen that core ideal. It is a good time to think what India means to each one of us, what is it about India that we love and cherish. And then pour ourselves into actualising these values consciously and mindfully. With our complete dedication and sincerity.
It might mean, we don’t pay bribes to find an easy way out of a mess. Or, it could mean we speak up when we see an injustice is done. It could mean joining politics to see if we really can change the way things work. For me, personally, it is finding a way of rejuvenating the ancient streams of wisdom and insight this land has birthed and nurtured over centuries, through my living, my writing and through communicating the voices of men and women who are immersed in this endeavour.
If each one of us becomes a keeper of the idea of India, a custodian of this precious inheritance, a warrior of peace and compassion, something constructive would have emerged out of this cesspool of pain and suffering. Most importantly, we would have negated the terrorist attack in mind and spirit as well. We would have honoured those who lost their lives with an offering from the deepest part of our selves. And we would have forged bonds of togetherness as human beings, and as children of this great mother culture that has nurtured so many, and so much….
