Friend in Need

Science and technology have developed all sorts of sophisticated machinery to make our lives cozy and comfortable; we were able to even intrude into the complicated biodiversity, and change the very nature of plants and animals. The more we make our lives comfortable and cozy, the more lonely does humanity feels. In the ratrace to acquire more money and wealth, the rich have forgotten to rest, and the middleclass do not want to give chance to fate; and the poor keep pushing themselves beyond their capacity in an effort to come to terms with what life has in store for them. But ultimately the plight of the poor is far more manageable than that of the wealthy.

What the modern world cannot create is friends, the proverbial people who can change our lives drastically. To have found a faithful friend is equivalent to have found a priceless treasure, and it is not easy to find one with whom our hearts would jel. Unfortunately there are no set rules and criteria to find if the so-called friend is truly a friend or just a selfish, self-centered opportunist. There is no better criteria to test and examine a friend than life itself, and it would be sad if there are people in the world who do not find time to discover a friend for themselves. The world will never lack true friends, just as it would never lack the sun, moon and stars to keep us going.

I have realized that in human relationships, and especially in a lasting friendship, we want our friends to dance according to our tunes; we become defensive as soon as something critical is voiced. We know the popular adadge, a friend is the one who knows our weaknesses and yet accepts us as we are! The role of true friendship does not stop with reflecting my true image, but also goes to reflect my other half, the undisclosed part. We can find life becoming more enjoyable, when we permit our friends to play the role of devil's advocate!

I have learned so much in life about being friends that for the sake of a true friend, I would be prepared to give up all that I possess! But there are more misconceptions about friends and friendship than there are in actuality. If there is someone who claims to have more than a hundred friends, I would not swollow his/her words too easily. They cannot be friends, but mere acquintances; all those I am in touch with and relate to cannot become my friends. Here is one simple way to test who my true friend is/are: when I am in a crisis situation, the first person/s I think of in order to seek asylum or counsel or help, s/he or they are my true friends.

I like the expression, that the true friend is the one in front of whom I would not hesitate whatsoever to strip myself naked, and present myself as I truly am. Of course this means I cannot have the audacity or the guts to strip myself naked before everyone I am relating to; if I do that, then I am not a friend, but merely an exhibitionist. When husband and wife become friends, the friendship that exist between them is raised to a higher level, and the love that exist between them reaches yet another landmark location in life. Today is a day to toast for all our friends, all who have come our way since birth, and for all those who are waiting to enter into our lives!

In Support of Wars

You might be surprised to see the title saying that I stand in support of war, and you may wonder what had prompted me to say that. It is true no sensible human person can ever advocate war. I am reminded of the 84 year old Benjamin from Xavier University in Cincinnati, who holds an anti-war theory, inviting the people around to fight against the war system. Paradoxically here is a man who is warring against war system, and I cannot help but take my hats off for this man, who is fired with so much zeal that he talks about it at every time he gets an opportunity. But what sort of wars do I recommend: is it the kind between the nations we hear on newspapers each day morning? Of course not. I am in support of war against all that dehumanizes human persons, robs them of their basic human dignity!

I wish nations will take into account their needs and how their needs deprive someone outside. There is no limit to the greed of people in the Western nations, and they would go all the way to fill their stomachs, even when they know that there are millions of hungry stomachs, crouching in their beds night after night. I wish the developing nations will war against the multi-national companies, who enter sheepishly into the poorer nations, to rob their wealth by introducing consumables not needed for them, thus creating an artificial need in them, through their surreptitious ad campaigns. There are very few wealthy nations who have avowed to eradicate poverty in the other half of the globe.!

It is time that the world rises to understand the importance of war, but not with weapons, artillery, guns and rockets. Here is a call for a bloodless war, where the aim is not to destroy but to build (yes, to destroy human greed and avarice, self-centredness and jealousy). Here is a call to put together what centuries of neglect, hatred and vengeance has caused to humanity beyond shores. Time is running short, and it is time that we put together all our strength to wage war against nations and state which believe in survival of the fittest and the fastest. Every one of us has the responsibility in rebuilding the world through war against the enemies of human family.!

Often I am shocked to see the evil, whose tentacles spread far and wide each day, drawing to its vicious circles all those who are weak and wish for soft solutions for hard problems. Corruption at different levels of governance and social living has made honest men and women aliens in this world, and have even branded them as misfits in this beautiful world. Is the world not losing fast the breed of honest and sincere men and women? Is there anyone to war against this kind of epidemic spreading to all corners of the world? This is one lesson I have to learn today : if I am not part of the solution, then I am surely part of the problem. If I don't raise my voice against injustice today, I am part of the perpetrators of injustice in this world.!

I am fully conscious of my own limitations and capacities; what I can and what I cannot, even if I desire so much. But there are things which do not require much from me, but my mind and heart. If only we war against our minds and hearts which are becoming narrower each year, then there is a hope that some day we may find peace returning to the earth. Today I would like to pause for a while, and go through the day slowly and reflectively, and pick up one or two moments, where I needed to war against. It is possible that I was quiet when I should have raised my voice, or I raised my voice, when I should have been quiet. It is often within my power and control to reverse many of the evils that plague our society. If only I want. Is it not necessary that we continue to war till the world is transformed into a garden of Eden, and regain her pristine glory she enjoyed millennia ago.

Might is Wealth

Luxembourg, tugged off between Belgium, France and Germany in the European Union fraternity, is not a big country or nation of great significance as its great and illustrious neighbors. Just as we need to look for a dot adjoining Malasia to identify Singapore, so too should we strain to locate Luxembourg, which has only about 25 km radius, and a population far below most of the metropolis of the sub-continent, with about four lakhs, a good majority hailing from other parts of the European Union, and one fourth from Portugal. Having said how insignificant this nation among the 26 other allies of the EU, let me give just one point, which may turn the boat topsy-turvy – Luxembourg boasts as the third biggest financial capital in the EU, and has over 200 banks in the city. Given the nature of the city then, every third or fourth building should be a bank. No wonder the steel tycoon from India Mittal has pitched his tent in Luxembourg recently as his capital.

A cauldron of several languages and cultures make this nation quite different from her immediate neighbors. Talking to the 95 year old Jesuit, who is a Luxembourger himself and had spent 40 years of his golden years in West Bengal, India, one gets the feeling that as a financer’s paradise, his homeland may soon defeat even Sweden. This brings to my mind the famous adage – might is right! Let me play with these words and see how they apply to Luxembourg. Might is right – we shall not debate on this axiom. Could we say the reverse too is a possibility? Right is might! What is right need not be something enormous; even a tiny little right can turn nations topsy-turvy. Right can be mighty, and so Luxembourg is truly mighty.

The problem with our world is that we often associate might with the powerful, and the haves, and the affordable. We cannot think of the unemployed, not educationally qualified men and women change the annals of our history. What can a school dropout in the United States of America do to the world? Microsoft Windows and Office still reigns supreme in all offices and personal computer systems, fruit of the labors of a school dropout! What can an Indian engineer trying to find his ways out in the States, struggling to make both ends meet do to our modern times – Shabeer Bhatia’s free first email service (hotmail) was born! In fact, the most noteworthy contributions to humanity were made by the people who were considered living on the margins of the society. They never thought they had the power and stamina to change the fate of the world, not even their petty worlds. If ever they had thought so, the very next moment they would have fallen from grace. I feel that the true sign of greatness lies in the fact that we are blissfully ignorant of it, and cannot even imagine such a state of grace bestowed on us.

It is said that greatness is thrust upon some people – and if Shakespeare is said to have made this statement, which is a corruption of Jesus saying on eunuchs (we shall not pause here to debate if Shakespeare really intended or not, or if it was merely an imagination of the author!), I would add that greatness is thrust upon someone, who does not consider himself/herself as being so, or deserve to be so! Looking at our society, in general we see two classes of people – on the one hand we have those who think they are great and behave so; on the other we have those who are truly great, but are happily unaware of it and living an altogether simple and frugal life; the latter are clouded incognito. I will go to the extent of saying that true greatness comes from the moral strength and conviction that we are but a spec in the sky; just a tiny little drop of water in the ocean.

Today I would like to read again those wonderful words of Mary’s song of praise and thanksgiving (popularly known as the magnificat), where she glorifies God for sending the rich away empty, for bringing down from their thrones, and filling the poor with riches. She talks about the reversal of fate. Today may be a good time for me to pause and ask myself on which side of the spectrum do I stand? Do I consider myself too high to be reached, too good for the people I deal with, too talented for the job I handle? Or do I feel unworthy to live in the company of beautiful people I share my life; fortunate to be given such responsible jobs I can hardly imagine? In fact, my heart will tell me how I feel just now! If I really feel so humbled and grateful, I cannot boast of being great and mighty and powerful, but the world will know that that is what I truly I am!