FIFTH COLUMN

Knowledge gained

By Sushma

The spirit of Merlin, the legendary magician still lives on. He was blessed with powers that he used only for good and never for the bad. To borrow his name would perhaps only delight him when it is aimed at advocating the right and promoting, peace and hope. Two things that we need the most today amidst the physical and mental squalor that the world is struggling against.

Do we not feel often, that it takes nothing short of magic to restore the world back to sanity, back to peace? With so much unrest beginning within individuals, it extends to families, communities, villages, towns, cities, countries and the world.

Desperation arising out of frustration is making its presence felt around us. Unemployed youths, rising poverty and misguided minds resort to mindless acts designed to provoke fear and thereby gain control of the masses.

Plenty of talk have made its rounds in an attempt to find a solution to these problems in our society, a society that no longer can be termed peaceful. Sadly, any decisive action is yet to materialise. If only one action were to be taken for one meeting held in this country, many concrete actions would total in a year for all to see and to benefit from. Mere tongue rattling and mud slinging at each other never made a country and we shouldn’t hope for a miracle to take place if we are to get stuck with this nature. Even miracles need a conducive atmosphere to materialise!

But as long as one lives, one does not cease to hope. To stop hoping is in a way, to die a premature death. Hope for the better, hope that people in this increasingly complex society begin to see eye to eye, hope that it will one day become an action oriented society and not remain a mere tongue wagging society that it is today; gives the brave hearts a reason to carry on.

Talk about tongue wagging and a lot of precious oxygen in the air is used up in this stupid exercise. But when it comes to seeking knowledge or genuine advice for free, one discovers much to one’s chagrin that most of the people here are really constipated - mentally! They discover a thousand and one excuses to not to dole out their precious thoughts lest it be used to the advantage of the knowledge seeker.

Well, there always are exceptions who rattle off facts and figures without as much as a sigh of exasperation, even if you call them late at night. Thank god for such liberal hearts who save you in the nick of time with their knowledge shared. Knowledge shared is knowledge gained and knowledge not shared starts decaying.