By Varghese Alengaden
Indore, Aug 8, 2020: Since the beginning of 2020 the whole world is suffering from the attack of the deadly Covid 19 pandemic.
The floods and landslides in various parts of India have only added to the crises and tragedies. In Assam, Bihar, Bombay and Kerala several millions of people are affected by heavy rain and floods. Many are dead because of flood and landslides.
When people were busy fighting Covid 19 and bringing relief to the flood affected another terrible human tragedy hit Kerala on August 7. Air India flight 1344 with 191 passengers on board overshot the tabletop runway at Kozhikode International Airport and fell into a 35-feet deep gorge at 7:40 pm, killing 19 people. The aircraft also broke into two parts. For several relatives who were waiting at the airport, it was a shattering experience.
As usual people from neighborhood reached the spot and assisted the police and security forces to take out the trapped people from the aircraft and reach to various hospitals. As many as 160 injured passengers were admitted to hospitals.
This is the time when governments both at the center and states have to prove their ability to manage crises by coordinating all government departments, bureaucrats and political leaders of all parties. When the country faces multiple tragedies the leaders have to set aside their political and ideological differences to put all their resources for managing the crisis and disaster.
It is not a time to play the blame game and vote bank politics. The ruling party and leaders who run the government should be magnanimous to invite and include political parties, social organizations and experts in crisis management to work as a team for the common good of the people. People should not suffer because of partisan politics, personal ego of leaders and communal polarization.
It is high time political leaders and various organizations placed people of the country above politics and vested personal interests.
A tendency during crises and tragedies is to question God. Why should God allow such sufferings to His people? Some say God is punishing people for their sins and atrocities. It was sad to see how a newspaper made a polarized headline of the tragedy, “God’s wrath@own country.” The polarized and prejudiced media have forgotten how people of Kerala have proved that they are God’s own people by rising above religion, caste and other differences on times of tragedies.
Some overzealous superstitious religious leaders and politicians start conducting special rituals. Some promise to build temples, churches and other shrines to liberate people from sufferings. All this exhibits the intellectual and spiritual bankruptcy.
Spiritual persons would recognize God arriving through tragedies, pandemic and crisis. He is coming not to punish people. He is manifesting His power and goodness through human beings who manifest their goodness in service to their fellow beings irrespective of their caste, creed, sex and language. It is in these these tragic times that God appears in flesh and blood. Those who serve in the most adverse situations to save life and those who receive the service experience God at close range. This God experience is not available in any pilgrim centers, temples, churches, mosques and other religious places.
Why do then people hate and kill each other in the name of God? Why do people make God a commodity for business? Why don’t people worship the God whom they see, touch and experience amid crises and tragedies instead of searching God on mountains and man-made structures?