Inspired by you- 1/1/2010

My dear Sairam,

I wonder if you had a chance to listen to Himanshu ji's talk on the Tehalka Platform for which I posted links on face book and on the blog.

What I understand is that something needs to be done about the situation - not only for tribals but for the poor and dispossessed people. Not only because we want to help or we feel compassion but because all the commentary we hear is showing that the violence is spilling all over the place, and we cannot afford to be thus inundated- it is not safe.

When the majority of people feel hopeless they have no idea of what they can have, then how can you talk?

eg if the tribal just wants to be left alone, and as that means leaving his land and environment alone too, we have to ensure he has a change of mind or heart in our favour.

Is education going to achieve this?

I know what my education was intended for. I expected to be schooled in an English Medium school, and do Engineering so I could get a good job, beat the boys, be equal to the men, earn money, and be independent.

What is the aspiration of the tribal?

If he wants development and success now, like the rest of the material world does, it is unlikely to come to him from education.It can only be looted.

Education cannot really come to him at speed or with the effort he is capable of putting.

I never wanted to go to school or college. My parents coaxed, cajoled, lured, and threatened me to go.

I do not know anyone who wants to do anything if they can have what they want without doing it.

Today, education is required for everyone- but it is not going to deliver aspirations for the tribal in the the way it does for my child. In a competitive world education is an essential, but it is not enough is what I observe.

I mean look at the difference within my lifetime. In my father's times, engineering was great education. In my times it was a good idea, and now it is just a basic degree.

What else can be done is the question. There have to be ways of earning money without education or with some quick education at best. Or the rich have to spend a part of their money to keep the poor sedated, entertained, busy or just very hungry.

You have said that Himanshu ji's work is inspirational and commendable. That is not very clear to me. What are you inspired to do?

Are you saying that a fast for purification is a good idea? I want to know if you have ever tried to fast for purification.

For myself, I know I hardly ever feel impure- except when I am angry. And staying hungry only makes me feel weak which takes care of the anger because that needs energy. Maybe that is why the poor do not get too angry. So maybe we should consciously starve everyone who is creating trouble. What do you say?

Now I saw Himanshu ji smiling after 5 days of fasting. He was saying yesterday that he felt fine- and I was like horrified. I thought it was because he had not eaten for 5 days and he was loosing it. But today he is lucid- he says he is not feeling hungry anymore. My conclusion is that he is really really angry, and his smile is an essential facade required in society.

I think I shall never know what hunger is. I have always had food at hand. The idea of starvation is meaningless.

But being deprived is something I can understand. And being deprived of something I love and need very much, to be happy, to be at peace is something I understand quite well.

Off hand I can think of many things which I must have, and not having them drives me violent. I think all of us can make that link and appreciate the level of difficulty, even if we have not actually had an experience.

Satyen, who is with Himanshu ji wanted to know what people who are not there can do. Well to begin with they can give up something which helps them understand deprivation. And they can at least imagine some similar bad things happening to a loved one as are happening to the tribals - what would they do if they were far away.

We can stop saying that we will and do live for our own happiness, that it is okay to be thinking only of oneself and one's physical family, because that is all we can afford.

I appreciate that we cannot always relate with everyone in the world in the same way that we relate with our family. When I hear news of Arjun's sickness I am more moved than I am on hearing about yours.Even a small think like his cold and fever makes me feel restless- though he is 26. You have to be sicker for me to take notice and call you.

But Sairam, I know I ask Arjun after your well being. Mostly I try and keep tab on what is happening to people around me- even those who are not linked to me any more. And with whom I may have no defined relationship ever in the future.

I think it is important to increase my range, because the bad things happening very far away affect my life finally.

I know people whose life is affected by terrorists, but they still insist on not thinking beyond their wife child parents, at the most siblings. If a group of people has become a threat to another group of people, I think all those who hear of it have to do something.

You are already doing it, by participating here. And those who are reading this letter are also doing something. So I am not suggesting a radical change in lifestyle, but just a daily discipline of thinking about others.

If everyone was to think of something they could do to spread the word- well that would be one sureshot good thing to do. The media may be silent or not make enough noise about the poor, but the internet is free for everyone to be a media person on.

Maybe this link can be pasted, maybe you can forward something on the issue of the tribals in Bastar. Or talk about how we are the ruling class- and we must think and talk of those we rule.

On 1/1/2010, and every day after, YOU could do one thing in pursuit of someone else's happiness- if you chose to do so.

I think the education you speak of needs to happen to people who are capable of being educated- and who better than myself- this year?

Cheers
smita