Politically reflecting...

I am generally apolitical by nature. I do read political stories and news in a very cursory way, to get an idea of what is happening across our Nation and the world. But a few events which evolved and are still evolving in the communities around where we live opened my mind to a different perspective through which I should look at the world and what emerges around us.

One was the “Indo-Nepal standoff” which is still an ongoing issue, that has impoverished a nation and put its citizens to almost three months of lack of basic resources for daily life. As one reads through the news from both these nations, we see conflicting reports. One blaming the other, and each trying to wash its hands off from the issue, and passing the buck to the other. But the reality is clear for all those who live close to the ground to see. It is all about, how the bigger and powerful wants it way, and how it expects the smaller and weaker to respond. It is all about years of consistent bullying by the stronger and when finally the weaker finds it courage, the stronger bursts out in anger and retaliates through groups which it can influence. All this now, not because there are long term issues, but a short term interest of  power consolidation in the states near the borders. And to take care of whom they see as ‘their own’, where as the many who are not ‘their own’, suffer because ‘their own’ wants their own ways! At the same time it is about, years of short term vision of the weaker nation, not being able to think beyond what it always have been doing, depending on the stronger ones.

A lady came to us in the OPD two days back. She is from a lower caste, illiterate and rural. As I was examining her, I saw the black mark on her index finger, the evidence that she had participated in the election process and voted. I casually asked her, “Oh did you vote, whom did you vote for?” Her response was bit uncomforting, though I knew this was part of life, here in this part of our Nation. She said “The Sepai (The uniformed guard who was guarding the process), where ever he put my finger, that was the one I voted for.” I asked her, do you know for whom? She said no, I have no idea, I was told to put my finger and I pushed it against whatever they showed. She was accompanied by her son in his mid-twenties. I asked him, how can this be, do you not have the freedom to vote for whom you want. He was also quite casual in his responses. He said, this is what we have always have done, we have no other choice!

One the maids working in the campus told her house lady, that they were given Rs 5000/- and a chicken for making it sure that they vote for the party which came to them. Now she is afraid, that party seems to be losing, and they fear that the party leaders will beat them up! Living in fear of the powerful and arrogant!  

The short term perspectives and arrogance with which leaders and Nations and leaders behave, is quite discomforting for one to see. How a short term perspective of immediate consolidation of power and position can put the common man  to resource constraints and difficulties for daily life. No one seems to be bothered about the challenges people go through, though this is evident for all to see. How quest for power can blind one’s eyes to the realties on the ground!

At the same time, how the powerful use the weaker for their own good and what they see as good for the weaker, is another challenge one has to grapple with. And due to the generations of this “suppression” how the weaker has given up hope of any other way of life….

The Good Book, has many stories of leaders and or kings, who modelled both these characteristics!

Leaders who, when faced with bullies, decided to humble themselves but stand strong before the arrogant and powerful, not in their own strength but in the strength of the God they believed in, and seeing the deliverance, by depending on God. Their dependence based on not a short term perspective of holding on to power, but with a clarity of long term purposes for the Nation, which God had revealed and promised them.

At the same time leaders who took decisions, based on short term perspectives of their own life time and life outcomes, forgetting the greater and long term purposes which they were part of…

The book also has stories of powerful Kings and leaders, who instead of using their power to abuse and take control, used their positions to serve the weak. Others who used their power to bully the weak and get their own way….Stories from more than 4000 years back….Not much seems to have changed, and we call this progress……!

When will we learn to live beyond our life time, live for purposes which are over and above our own, than be limited by our own life time and life needs!
When will we learn to use power to serve than use power to suppress and control..?
How can we empower the weak to stand strong, in the midst of bullies who try to push their own agendas?
How do we live with a dependence on God who gives us the courage to stand, in the midst of bullies, and help others to live such lives…?
Questions which I need to grapple with….

End of the day, God up in heaven laughs.....The arrogance, the usage of power to intimidate and suppress lasts for a short time....kings come, kings go......but The King has his last word....!