‘THE truth, they say, is stranger than fiction.’ The statement may sound like a cliche to you, but a recent happening in my neighbourhood made me believe in its verity all over again.
An old man, in his late seventies, lived all by himself in the house next door to mine. He hardly ever had a visitor except for a stray neighbour off and on until he fell terminally ill. His lonely house immediately became a hub of activity. Relatives both distant and near gathered around him in no time at all. But they were not visiting out of sympathy for the ailing old man. It was his house and other belonging that dragged them in droves to him.
On finding him close to death, they vied for a fair share of his possessions. They tried to outdo each other in order to win his affection and a lot of speculation was afoot regarding the prospective heir to his property. Who ultimately got the house is rather inconsequential. What really boggles the mind is how people are ready to pounce upon the wealth of others and how they want to make the most of something as ghastly and grim as someone’s death.
But this is just one incident out of the many that belies our claim to supremacy of all God’s creations. When we pander to our basic animal and bestial instincts, we become no better than the cockroaches and maggots feeding on the remains of the dead of the same species. We become vultures and crows hovering over a carcass to disembowel it and to feed upon the dead remains.
This brings me to the flashfloods of July 2001. The widespread havoc and devastation caused by these floods was a cause of grave concern. But there were many who capitalized on the death and miseries of others. There were many who felt no qualms about looting marooned houses and grabbing whatever they could lay their hands on. Some people exploited the situation for their own selfish ends. They went from house to house collecting donations for the flood affectees. A few among them accumulated huge amounts of money in the name of flood-relief funds. These are the very people who flourish on the miseries of others, tarnishing the names of genuine individuals and organizations that otherwise help victims of natural calamities.
It is painful to see how go-getters and money-grabbers try to satisfy their lust for wealth through others’ misfortunes. We all know some people have absolutely no reservations about stealing wallets and watches off accident victims. They find joy and satisfaction in times of tragedy and trauma, heartlessly unaware of the fact that such miseries and mishaps can befall anyone and anytime.
While ruminating over these dismal sides of such hard realities of life, one is reminded of many instances of people feeding and thriving upon the vulnerability, weakness, helplessness and defencelessness of others. We have heard as well as read a lot about doctors and surgeons who fleece their patients regardless of their economic status. At times, even teachers try to make the most of a situation by charging high tuition fees from students.
We are all aware of the blatant exploitation and victimization of women, also referred to as the weaker sex. She lives in fear throughout her life just as hares and deer dread the lust and hunger of the savage beasts around them. A woman is killed in the name of honour and self-respect by male chauvinists. Men, with their bloated egos forget all about their so-called self-esteem when they thrive on the dowries of women, force them to earn and pocket their earnings to squander it for their fun or pleasure. Do they feel guilty about taking advantage of the vulnerability of women then? Many husbands torture and batter their wives barbarically just to satisfy their animal instincts and to feed their bloated egos. Zainab Noor is a living example of this gross brutality. Can a ferocious tiger who rips open a hunted deer be more cruel than a man who physically and emotionally tortures a woman at his mercy? The point to ponder is — are we any better than animals when we impose death, doom, disaster and misery on the weaker ones who depend on us?
Al least, a predatory animal tears the flesh of its prey to ease its hunger. On the contrary, humans fleece and skin each other without a twinge of conscience. A lawyer would readily squeeze money out of his helpless client. Any person asking for legal justice becomes a prey in the hands of rapacious defenders of the law, barring a few noble exceptions, of course. A tenant lives in morbid dread vis-a-vis his powerful landlord; a bricklayer is cowered at the sight of his relentless master. Fear emanates from a position of weakness and helplessness, and those who derive their power from the weaknesses of others are no better off than animals.
I can never forget the poor servant of a rich woman who had to look after the pampered child of her mistress. The poor girl was hardly eight years old and had to carry her rather chubby charge in her frail arms. She dared not touch the costly toys scattered around her. She knew a slight laxity on her part could expose her to physical punishment. She was uprooted from her hovel to earn for her poor and helpless parents. They could not utter a word of complaint even if their daughter had to work till after midnight, abused or beaten. The little servant girl dragged the heavy burden of the otherwise joyous years of her childhood in fear and pain. The recent tragedy of Sept 11, when the magnificent towers that symbolized the power and glamour of the world’s wealthiest nation crashed down into a heap of dust and rubble, makes one shudder with horror and grief. Terrorism is condemnable and it is being condemned globally. A question inadvertently rises in one’s mind — what led to this disastrous tragedy at the very outset of the new millennium? Is it because powerful nations consider it their right to capitalize on those weaker than them? On the other hand, who trains terrorists? How do they thrive and flourish? Who exploits their fanaticism and to whose advantage? Tricky questions, indeed!
A cursory look at Afghanistan’s current scenario again brings to mind the dying old man. All attention is focussed on the war-ravaged, drought-ridden country. Castles have to be built on mounds of rubble and wreckage. The booty has to be shared in the aftermath of the war. The lion must feed on its prey. The jackals can wait for the leftovers. Journalists and newsmen are having a heyday. Misery and death all round provide a thematic thrust to flashing headlines. No one can be held solitarily culpable. We have the faces of human beings but we have transformed into bloodthirsty bats and vampires. The human side of our feelings and instincts has gone dead. Will we ever come out of this evil spell? When will we stop making our gains out of the pains of others? Will we ever stop pouncing on the wounds, pain and blood of others like eagles? Will we ever stop singing our victory song over the dead, decayed, decomposed bodies of other human beings? Hopefully, we will find meaningful answers to these difficult questions before it is too late.
‘THE truth, they say, is stranger than fiction.’ The statement may sound like a cliche to you, but a recent happening in my neighbourhood made me believe in its verity all over again.
