Sometimes it amazes me how dignified, thoughtful, non-judgmental and even generous the less-and-terribly-less fortunate are in our country.
We'd gone for a wedding in Delhi. The lady I walk with in the mornings (I've mentioned her, Didi, in a previous blog), never asked a thing about it. I'd told her that one of our students, the daughter of a dear colleague was getting married and that we were going to attend it. When she joined me on my walk the day after we returned, she said not a word, nor asked a single question. In fact, I was wondering how I would tell her about it, because it is an experience that is so far-removed from what she even knows... if I'd downplayed the wedding, I'd not have been fair to my friend, and if I'd told Didi, she might have felt small...I needn't have worried. Her dignity helped me keep mine.
Once again it was brought back to me that our less-than-fortunate brothers and sisters never question or covet the status/standing/wealth/position of those who are more fortunate than they. They quietly accept - it is their fate, they believe, their karma... Amazing is the fact that they do not begrudge those who are more fortunate, their good fortune either. In fact, if you look at some of the karamcharis in rich people's homes, they are so proud of the fact that their malik is a saheb, and works in a 'big company'.
No wonder, the stratification is as it has always been. The gulf remains despite modernization, digitalization, and whatever-ization. My mind instantly goes to Madame and Jacques Defarge and the time of the French Revolution...We have the liberty, but no equality, and I'm not too sure of the fraternity...We have democratic processes, but not the democratic spirit a corollary of which is that all people are treated with respect regardless of all differences
Astonishing too is how generous these people are. I remember when we were in Lovedale, the karamcharis all lived on the campus. How they shared with each other - good times, yes, but even in bad times, they all rallied around each other. They gave unhesitatingly out of their own nothingness...they stood by each other and shared all they had freely...that was a real eye-opener because I don't think we stood by each other as much...
Exceptions there are in everything, in every situation, and in every condition, but by and large this is true...