To help the many who are poor

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”
~ John F. Kennedy, Inaugural address of 1961.

Ravana, the ruler of Lanka, lost his rule, and his head, because he lost his head before he lost his rule. During the age of myths, legends, and lore, most rulers turned this land called Lanka, into a land of follies.

Commencing from that age, this trend continued and became the fashion for all to copy. It was a time when kings and kinsmen, cohorts and comrades, all alike, were habituated to looting the country.

It was custom for them to, thereafter meet, wine, dine, and negotiate the next possibility while people on the street fought for food, water, medicines; or simply turned over and died. In the court of the kings, the plunderers prayed thrice a day, and quoted from long forgotten scriptures on morality, truth, life, and other useless themes, for the benefit of the public. In the presence of these thugs, the starving people always bowed as low as possible, so much so, a few inches more and they would touch the floor.

The common country folks, simple minded and illiterate, especially the shrivelled, starving, innocent, the low in morale and high on hope millions were told constantly and forever: “Once again, the entire race is depending on you.

"Enemies of the nation are conspiring. Your country and your king need you.

"We are here to create an equal and just country. There will be no kings and all are equal. There will not be any exploiters of the people. To enable me to achieve this, tighten your belts today to make the country prosperous tomorrow.”

That tomorrow never comes, and only more misery is to be expected is a lesson lost on the masses. In the meantime, the people had learnt, and learnt well, the art of appearing submissive, peaceful, and being the obedient servants of the rulers; when in reality, a million mutinies seethed within. Yet they hardly had the courage to judge harshly, for they belonged to the forlorn race in which, men trembled in the face of terror, and women swooned out of fear and fatigue.

Quick to anger, even quicker to strike, being ruthless, such kings and queens who made men tremble and women swoon at the very thought of them, were always men and women of haughty character and deadly skill.

They were brash and confident; possessed a silver tongue that can twist and turn and deal in lies. Some might call them arrogant, but they back up their taunts with a keen blade and a callous heart.

Such kings were also thrill-seeker, always sniffing out conflicts and conspiracies in everything brought about by their misrule and mistakes; and picking fights with all who dare censure them. This habit has gotten them in trouble countless times, but they have always survived with skill and guile. They were masters of the art of deception and disappearances; dealing lethal damage with a wide array of excuses while escaping most blame. Women swoon at the sight of them, men tremble at the thought of them; and few that oppose them, live to tell the tale.

The motley masses, on the other hand, would bear all insults to their mind and stomach with inaction born of fear. They realise not, that inaction breeds doubt and fear; that only through action one begets courage and confidence.

Hence, they sit home and think about things rather than going out and doing something to remedy the situation. They fear; and are not the fearless type. They are meek and malleable; and for want of an erect spine, ever ready to bend till their foreheads touch the soil and supplicate. The Kings and Queens loved them for being thus.

Men tremble and women swoon not only because they are inadequate and frightened. Their deepest fear is that they may discover that they are truly mighty beyond measure. Thus, their fears are all about the fact that they see the truth, and not because they are not without insight; see darkness and not light; that is what most frightens them. As a result, they ask, “who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous, and courageous, as opposed to the kings, their kith, kin, and clan.” However, I ask, “who are you not to be?” We all are the children of mother earth, born to a common heritage. Thus, our playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking; so that people around you will not, feel insecure. We are all, meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of the earth we were born upon. That right is within us, and is part of our heritage. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. Thus, by letting our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we liberate ourselves from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Hence, I see no reason why men should tremble and women swoon while seeking the right to feed, adequately, oneself and one’s children.

It is not a crime. Recent research shows that many children who do not have enough to eat wind up with diminished capacity to understand and learn. Children do not have to be starving for this to happen. Even mild under nutrition - the kind most common among poor people - can do it.

To give up the task of reforming society is to give up one's responsibility as a free man. Many have questioned if hunger exists in our country. Hunger does exist in this country.

For many adults and children, going to sleep hungry is not a threat; it is a regular occurrence. Tonight, thousands of our neighbours will go to bed hungry or on half filled stomachs.

It may be our child's schoolmate, who is undernourished and has difficulty learning on an empty stomach; it could be a co-worker, a working mother whose low-wage job does not make ends meet; perhaps it is an elderly neighbour who has to make a decision whether to delay filling a prescription or buying groceries. The faces of hunger are as broad as the faces of the rulers who overfill their bellies, while the hungry sleep hungry.

To help the many who are poor, investment in the eradication of hunger is imperative. It is an important decision that ought not to be, delayed for whatsoever reason.

Denial of the right to live free of hunger is also social injustice. Victims of social injustice have, from time immemorial been without resources and ability to fight back. They are defenceless and voiceless.

The sad aspect of this situation is that the defenceless and voiceless are the ones who most need a defence an a strong, vibrant voice.

“We must act together, as a united people…for the birth of a new world. Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water, and salt for all.” - Patricia Young, World Food Day Coordinator.

Finally, let me say one thing; and let there be no doubt about it.

A hundred years from now, it is not one’s bank balance, or the kind of house one lived in, or the kind of clothes one wore, which will be remembered; but what one did when alive - be it by the rulers or the masses.

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