But do you know what bothers me about all this? It is how we pick and choose between tragedies. How we decide to turn on this button of sympathy for one calamity as opposed to the other. I’m not saying I’m any different, or I’m a cut above the rest when it comes to doing the right thing, certainly not. But that’s not to say it doesn’t worry me.
What happened to Aylan, it definitely needs to be talked about. It’s a black mark on our conscience. But what took us so long to wake up? This wasn’t the first instance, was it? Millions and millions of children have died in war torn regions around the world for years now. And still continue to die. So, how can we choose one Aylan above another?
Closer home I see people gungho about conflicts and humanitarian crisis on distant shores, which is good. But what about the problems in our own backyard? Why turn the blind eye there? Honestly, I feel we are compassionate only to the degree of convenience. Bitter but true.
I don’t have the answer to India’s problems or the world’s problems at large. I’m not qualified for that. But if I were to look at things objectively and as per my capacity, I’d say I do whatever humanely and practically possible, however small the reach. Maybe solving these trifles around me would eventually build up a bigger change?
If I be honest with myself then I don’t have the means or the resources to affect a big change on my own. But there are still ways in which I could touch the lives of some. It could be through compassion for the maid who comes in early every morning to help me. Donating when I can, to charities or causes that tug at my heart’s strings. I could stop judging people for a change and see the positives in them. Teach the future generation, whenever I can, to differentiate right from wrong. Lend a patient ear to the elderly perhaps? Basically be honestly compassionate and not do it just for the heck of it.
It all boils down to being honest with our take on compassion. How you do it is entirely up to you. But bear in mind, only lip service won’t change anything in the world. And that certainly isn’t compassion.
Think about it. Is your compassion just a lip service or do you really care?
I agree completely, Naba. Just this morning, I was reading Shobha De's column where she said the same thing. Why is it that the plight of farmer suicides moves neither us nor the media. Or the plight of our helpers like you pointed out. Why do we take it in our stride but pay lip service to causes we see worth talking about because they may be popular? I am not saying that one child's death was not a horror but like you pointed out children are dying everyday and yet we don't feel affected. Yes, indeed, it is important to be honest in this Compassion. To actually do something no matter how small to change the status quo. Else, the compassion just becomes lip service. Good post!
Beautiful post with the sad truth, Naba. Most people are afraid to take responsibility. Most people have too little time on their hands to care, except when it makes news headlines, when they feel obligated to add their voice.
You are making a difference by writing you know!
I feel we are emotional fools, especially Indians…show us one tragic picture and we go gung-ho about it (sharing blindly and willing to go the extra mile)!
Your points are valid and I agree with the solution too.
How I agree with you. In fact, this is the reason I generally don't go gung-ho about these things on social media. I somehow feel by protesting online, we are doing nothing much but trying to grab attention through someone's else's tragedy.
Spot on, Naba. Charity begins at home! I think it's easy to be an armchair activist and talk of compassion and then be so demanding and unjust with your own maid! The kind of maid-bashing posts I read are just not funny!
"Honestly, I feel we are compassionate only to the degree of convenience." – Absolutely agree.
Sharing a post or talking about it is not going to help. While doing so, whom are we addressing the issue to? No one.
If one wants to do something, they need to buck up and do it. Not just the lip service as you say.
I loved that sentence. Yes, as long as things dont affect us we dont seem to be bothered about what's going on. When it affects us personally or someone close to us, only then we wake up and realize what's going on. Well said.
Thanks Rachna…This picking and choosing really gets to me…Else every cause is worthy and we need to give each equal importance
Thanks Vidya..I hope I'm..that's the least and sometimes the most I can do…
Yes, we are, aren't we? And that is the cause of so many of our issues! sigh!
What gets my goat Pankti is that we are terrible with people in our own country but all our emotions come out for events happening so far away..While those issues are important too but what happens when we are home? Why this duplicity?
I agree Corinne…It's like we have no compassion for people around us and we are out to teach people around the world how to be compassionate!
True Soumya and especially when we are at each other's throat in the name of state or region..It is sheer Hipocracy on our part
True Ashwini.. that's how we are, aren't we? And it's sad!
Charity begins and home and so does compassion. Yes, we can start with small things around us.
I think it's just that it is so overwhelming. There are so many important causes and human and world issues and tragedies that we can't possibly care, every minute. The news focuses in on that and makes bigger deals about specific matters, leaving us to feel like horrible human beings if we care about one thing more than another. It's physically impossible to keep up but the guilt from that is hard to shake off.
That's the plan Somali 🙂
Yes that does make sense…What bothers me though is that while we turn a blind eye to problems at our door steps, how can our conscience allow us to do this lip service for something miles and miles across…
every work you uttered is sadly true to the core buddy….awakening of the conscience should not require triggers…compassion must run in our blood every moment……………….
True..it's either there or not…only if it's there can it be put to use
I agree! I asked the same question on Facebook and I feel like it's because so many more people identified with Aylan in his red shirt and shoes than with a raggedy child. It's the sad truth. And, yes, I also question why we don't feel compassion for people in our own backyard!