Human Life: The Most Complex Phenomenon

© Harish Jharia

We all know that our life is an unsolved mystery. Philosophers have been working overtime, since time immemorial, to find out a definition for human life. Yet, no one could evolve a suitable definition appropriate for the complexities and mysteries of the human life. My purpose of writing this article is not to suggest any definition. I would rather like to discuss some of the complexities of human life in this article.

              Rickshaw Pullers Kolkata

Some times in April 2004 there was a news item about a 65 year old rickshaw puller of Kolkata, India, who used to carry two passengers and a hundred kg baggage. Kolkata rickshaws are hand pulled carriages and need excessive energy for the rickshaw pullers to operate them. I just could not believe that 65 year old reshow pullers could run 40 plus kilometer carrying a load of 200kg.  These frail and old human beings pull the rickshaws by holding the pulling bars in hands and running barefoot on the tar-roads for miles together and earn their livelihood.

It would not be out of context that this happened in the state of west Bengal under the rule of a communist government.

                    Childhood in India  

I do not forget poor children picking up rice grains from an open drain in Pune, India and eating them straight from the stinking trash. I saw this horrific scene about 30 years back when I went to that city on a short trip. I do not have any doubts that the condition of poor slum dwellers might not have improved after 30 years.  

A recently produced British film “Slum-dog Millionaire” is a testimony of the ever depleting financial conditions of slum dwellers in Indian metro cities and down-towns.

              We and our parents

We always feel proud in declaring our parentage and linage, especially about our genetic inheritance from our fathers. We keep maintaining our family tree where we display the names of our forefathers with pride. In spite of this instinctive human tendency of the masses, you might find a few odd people who categorically reject genetic relations with their fathers, just because the parents happen to be ugly or handicapped.

 Social discrimination in India

My country India is one of the few republics in the world, where social discrimination is practiced even in this current age. A recent news headline reports about a newlywed couple who were refused entry in a temple of their own Hindu religion just because they belonged to the so-called ‘lower caste’. The couple was subsequently beaten up by the upper cast crowed when they insisted on entering the temple of their God and worship the lord.

The matter regarding social discrimination against lower casts, practiced in India was also raised in the global forum of United Nations. In spite of that, this barbaric and inhuman social stigma is widely practiced all through the length and breadth of Indian republic.

     Life of Indian rich and famous

India has figured on the world map of the richest people in the world. We boast of having about 7 to 9 richest Indians in the world. Nevertheless, while basking in glory, we forget and deliberately hide the fact that the poorest of the poor in the world are also Indians. Hundreds of farmers commit suicide in western India out of poverty. Thousand of rural population in eastern India is reported to have resorted to eating grass seeds and burnt rodents to survive; whereas many other unfortunates die out of starvation.

The proverb “bad-bad world’ appears to be true. There is rampant starvation, poverty, barbarism and injustice in the world of humans. Nevertheless, the world is still surviving because we believe that there might be a substantial population of better people who might be doing good for the underprivileged and the discriminated ones. Yet, just carrying wishful thinking would not help the world to survive. The existence of this planet has been threatened by outbreak of terrorism and regional extremism like the Naxalite militancy along the entire eastern coastline of India. We will have to wakeup from our self created fearless safe heavens and take some strong remedial measures to bring back the regime of humanity to the world.

How long the majority population will continue living underprivileged life. How long the poor are going to be discriminated and how long the less than 10% of the world’s population will govern over the planet earth and dictate terms to the masses? 

How long…?

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Disclaimer:
This article / Story / fiction is written based on my personal observations. My intention for publishing the same is to provide healthy reading and intellectual entertainment and not for educating the visitors. Names of people, societies, communities and description of faiths, beliefs, incidents are imaginary and fictitious. They have neither any relevance to the prevailing entities and traditions nor have any similarities with ongoing lifestyles, political ideologies and legal doctrines. The contents of this creative work has not been written with any intention to criticize, condemn or oppose anything what-so-ever present in reality in any country in the world. No literature or authentic books have been referred for writing the contents of this article. The visitors are advised not to refer the contents of this article for any research or testimony on scientific, geographical, political, civic or legal purposes. The visitors are further advised to consult relevant experts before adapting any information from this article. The author or the website are not responsible for any errors, mistakes, or omissions there in.
- Harish Jharia
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