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The other day, I was attending a function in my
7-year old grandson's school. The hall was
packed with people from almost all over the
world.
At around 7 in the evening, students from grade-I were ushered into the hall. On cue from their Director, all students formed a circle, with one student holding another student's hand. Music began. With it, they began singing. While looking at them attentively, I realized that almost all the pupils were of Indian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese origin. Only my grandson was representing Bangladesh. White parents were glued at their children, and clapped vigorously when they ended an item. They did not appear to have any concern on whose hands their children were holding, or of what color the children standing next to theirs were. What mattered most to them was the performance of the children, irrespective of their color, caste or creed. Non-white parents also looked highly enthusiastic about their children's participation in the event. Whenever an item ended, they, too, clapped vigorously. They, too, appeared above all prejudices that we often encounter in our daily lives. While watching the children performing, I was wondering if we could have an ambience, similar to the one the children were in, in which we could also interact with other people in the manner the children were interacting with each other. I was wondering if we could build a world where there would be no pains or sufferings, but the happiness as was being displayed by the children. I was wondering if we could get rid of our prejudices, and begin treating each other with respect and dignity. The loud sound of clapping broke the trains of my thought. I came back to my real world. The realities of the world began whispering in my ears: You are a fool. With time, the children you are watching now will grow up. They would start doing all that that would be necessary to meet the needs of their lives. The simplicity that you see in them today would disappear one day. They would be what you are today. Many among them would develop most of the prejudices most people have been having in them from time immemorial. And then these children would lose what you see in them now. Realizing that the above are the real facts of life. I said to myself: I am a fool! --------------------- Mohammad Asghar writes from USA. |
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