And me, I was standing, staring at the conversation shamelessly... fighting my own self whether I should intervene or not. It was just a question of Rs. 41/-. The shopkeeper was surely exploiting the situation... but "why should I intervene? What right do I have to intervene? Ignore it!"... the selfishness inside me was placating my heart with such questions... questions which I did not have an answer to... questions which ultimately won...
I do not know when will I be able to silence these questions... when will I be able to ignore my selfishness... when will I be able to intervene against the injustice which is happening all around me...
Do not know whether I lack the ability, the strength or the courage....
"After a few years of meditation practice we can even learn how to occasionally ignore ourselves. And what relief that can be!"
-- Wes Nisker
-Mohit
3 comments:
Well written Mohit. I think this is a struggle any guy with some sense of consciousness would go through in India (or any where !!). I can quote one such experience of mine. When I was returning home from my office one night at Bangalore,I came across a drunkard man beating a teenage girl in front of his house with a belt. I slowed my bike thinking if I should do something to stop it; the teenage girl appeared to be his daughter and his wife was trying to stop him (but with little effect). I was caught in two minds...should I intervene or not..so many thoughts came to my mind..pity on the girl who was taking the ruthless blows silently...fear of the drunkard man...fear of failure if the whole family questions me for reason to intervene in their personal matters..
With no clear choice(or thought) I just went on my way...and went to bed thinking what had happened to that girl and with a sense of guilt.
Manohar
I remember a similar (to the one manohar described) incident - this was some 10 yrs ago when my parents and I were going somewhere. A person, similarly drunk was beating his daughter. My father stopped and asked him what he was doing. The man mumbled something and went away.
At the point it surely stopped the beating. Probably if enough people had asked the question (with a disaprooving air, of course) maybe the person would be forced to change his habit. As it was, however, I dont know how beneficial it was.
When people try to make a difference in instances like this, they generally take two approaches: either they go among the people, making one small contribution after another (aka Mother Teresa / Gandhiji) or they try to make mega-changes (the centralized planners, the people who promote prohibition etc.)
Hey Mohit!, put an end to this struggle, I guess what one needs to do is to just talk it out. Next time, when you get into similar situation, just try having a small conversation with the concerned people, know their needs, their ideas of living. Afterall there has to be a first time!
I do it often while standing on railway platform when a bunch of children come around me asking for a penny.
The society is very complex, but the solution lies with us, just one step ahead in a different direction .....I am sure u will really feel glad to add this dimension to your life..
Cheers,
Namita
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