People have talked about war, terrorism
By Kamala Sarup
The following is from my diary.
When the people have talked about war, terrorism, and run in confusion to this direction I felt as if a seminar was being organized in the street. This has been going on for the past few months. At some places people have talked about an excessive rise in prices and with long sighs they make their foreheads shrink. Some others talked about the devaluation of money. And still others talked of public expenditures. They had no time and even then they told their well-wishers how the economic problems have hurt them.
I do not like the noise of this street but it has not been easy for me to run away form this street either. To escape from the street means to process a "story heart." By this I mean the heart which defines life's relativity. As far as I am concerned, I had felt crazy about my heart inside me at that moment when there was a large commotion in the street. People were busy comparing time with the clock in town and I just watched them speechless.
A grief had grown between the time when they came from the hills and today. Gradually everything changed in a systematic way. The minds of men and their beliefs changed. I always walk through the streets and a kind of noise of this place creates a tremor in my mind very quickly.
Sometimes I do feel pleasant when people here talk of love. There are scores of stories relating to Romeo and Juliet and the stories of Muna and Madan are repeated. But this is a street. If it rains here and people run to their homes, they leave their stories incomplete. I sense that this is a movement worth observing. You feel as if a front for battle is being prepared. The relatives are ready to fight in the battle. But because the time is full of crises and transitions they are forced to escape.
At this movement they appear like the endless lines of soldiers running away from the battle surrounding themselves. Today it is especially hot in the street - hotter than other days. There are two persons in the street and they are surrounded by a crowd of people. A big argument is going on between them. The people around are enjoying their argument. One of them is smartly dressed in a suit and the other is in a philosophic mood. The smartly dressed fellow says: "do you like peace?"
The man looking philosophic responds, "To tell you the truth I like it."
The smart fellow comes forwards and comments, "What a controversial thing you say. I believe that war brings change; why shouldn't you like it?"
The philosopher continues his argument, "We should fight a war for justice and equality, but it is war that has presented a big question before man and his human values. Now we are compelled to live to fight an economic battle rather than a war."
The smart fellow says, "You were talking about peace just a moment ago, but now you talk about economic problems."
The philosopher at this moment is a little angry. He says, "You all must try to understand what I am saying. Yes, I do agree that each of us has his own problem. The present time has been wracked by problems and naturally it has impacted the economic aspect. War and terrorism should be forgotten for development and freedom. The battle I am talking about is the sacrifice, cooperation and the great declination both of art and human affection for love. I haven't referred to the battle that is fought with guns and weapons. If we are not able to change within ourselves, the country will remain in status quo and we will have no other option but to shout that there is no development in the country."
He goes on. At this moment I am prepared to leave the street. He continues, "No development of the country is possible with major talks. From now on we cannot go on living in deceit. We must fight for peace, justice, and for freedom.
