By Robert Clements
Forgive, Forget and Forward March…!
What kind of a title is this, you ask.
Bear with me as I recount an old fable all of you know, but I have a reason to repeat the same:
Once upon a time, there was a man who had many sons. The sons, on the other hand, were always fighting with each other. As the man became older and weaker, he became worried that his sons would ruin themselves if they continued to fight. He begged them to live joyfully and peacefully together, but no one listened to him and continued to act in the same manner.
One day, the old man called all of his sons together and handed them a bundle of sticks which were tied together. “I want every one of you to take this bundle of sticks and break it,” he said. The sons tried to break the bundle one by one with all their strength, but they were unsuccessful. “Please accept my apologies, father!” “No matter how hard we try, we can’t break this bundle!” said all of his boys.
The old father then opened the rope that bound the sticks together. He then handed a stick to each of his sons. “Now, my sons, try to break it!” he exclaimed.
The single stick broke easily.
“What does this mean father?” the boys questioned.
“No one will be able to break you if you stay together, just like these sticks,” the old man continued. “Many individuals in this world will take advantage of you when you are single. If you stay together, you can face any challenges.”
They all learned a lesson and realised the importance of one another.
As we remember this meaningful fable, my thoughts go to our own country, which is today needing someone like this old father to tell us that it is time we came together, so that we could become stronger. Today, we are a country of ‘single sticks’ and maybe the newspapers don’t talk about it, nor television, but every day the law and order situation is getting worse and it’s time for us to move from being such solitary sticks to becoming a ‘bundle’, strong and united!
I look around and hardly find anyone who will be able to lead our nation in doing this and find a fitting solution to this frightening situation, both in our country or throughout the world, so till we do find that someone, let us start with a thought:
What about having a ‘Forgiveness Day’?
What’s that, you ask, what d’you mean by such? Well, since this government seems to be blessing us with days to remember atrocities and injuries, what about a day to forgive and forget each other for the same? Not just you and me, but religious communities and nations forgiving each other for previous fights, wars and acts of bloodshed.
You think it’s impossible? Just look at our politicians; how quickly they forget past hurts and join ranks for the sake of power! You have a political leader dragged to jail, maybe spending time inside, and in the next elections, he’s joined forces with his jailor, sharing the same platform!
If politicians can forgive so fast, why can’t they implement this on a national level?
And yes, for the same reason: Power!
Imagine how powerful we would be if we could forgive each other for previous communal transgressions? Imagine how powerful we would be if we could forgive our neighbouring countries for past wars, beginning with stopping the stomping and staring tamasha that happens every day at the Amritsar border, and instead a shaking of hands or simple namaste?
Europe had a thousand years and more of war. Do read about it, when each little country fought against each other, and millions died, and in case you haven’t got a history book ask your grandparents about World War II!
Germany conquered more than twenty countries! Millions died and millions more came home maimed, mutilated and scarred for life.
But what did they do with their scars?
They healed their wounds by coming together in fifty years and forming the mighty and formidable European Union, which today can even stand up to the mighty United States of America!!
That Union bears testimony to the logical act of forgetting and forgiving. Their economies have risen, their military might has become a force to reckon with, and their human rights thinking has moved from revenge to humanitarianism and compassion.
Here, in our country we allow wily politicians to rub salt on our partition wounds, scrape off bandages and make gaping bloodied craters out of injuries that should have healed by now.
Are we fools not to see what is being done to us?
Even a dastardly rape in a hospital is being used to bring a government down. We need to realise what is happening, that every single incident, whether it’s a rape, or the losing of a medal by a wrestler at the Olympics is cleverly used, to make us believe that either the government or opposition is at fault.
Let’s stop listening to all this and remember the fable that we just read, and remember that only a coming together can bring more power for us. Yes, a coming together of religious communities in India, and a coming together of nations around us. We can keep fooling ourselves with false statistics of economic growth but poverty is rampant and the last elections have shown that the poor are voicing their dissent.
Let us put an end to this stoking of ‘remembrance’ fires, and move towards a period of progress. The politicians are doing it and succeeding, the EU has done it, and we as a people, need to do likewise: Forgive, Forget and Forward march…!
The Author conducts a Writers and Speakers Course for schools, colleges and corporates. For more details call him on 9892572883 or send a message to [email protected]