1. Home
2. Opinion

Namaste! Let’s Look Below Sir..!

By Robert Clements. Dated: 2/27/2020 9:20:32 PM

This morning I removed the cushion on my seat and suddenly the view outside my window was glorious. Till then, I had been looking down from my perch at barren land, rubbish strewn all over, and goats, dogs and cats picking up whatever leftovers, inhuman humans, had thrown out through their windows. But when I removed the cushion beneath me, the mess below was cut off and my view changed!
All I saw was greenery from the trees, the squirrels and birds that sat on the branches and called out to me, and above the lovely blue sky!
With the removing of the cushion, my view changed; I couldn’t see anymore, stark reality below!
With the removing of my cushion, the window frame through which I looked, only showed beauty above!
I wonder, whether like me, Trump removed his cushion during his visit?
How lovingly his hands caressed Gandhi’s spinning wheel, but sir, did you look below and see the very name of the father of our nation being vilified and tarnished? Did you see the assassin of our beloved Bapu being uplifted?
How happy he was as he walked round the Taj and heard the romantic tale of the emperor who built this love monument for his wife, but did sir did you look below and hear other stories made up, not so beautiful, against same Mughals and their descendants?
And when he visited the home of our President, and saw peacocks roaming outside, and acres of peace that the home is surrounded with, did you look below sir and hear the wailing of women, some for their policemen husbands who have died in the line of duty, and others for husbands who have been innocently gunned down, for venturing outside, just north-east of where you two presidents met?
How easy to see the view we want to see! How easy to show the view you want others to see.
But finally, it is we who move our cushions! It is we who decide not to do anything with the view below; not stop the bloodshed, not stop hate speech spewing from mouths of leaders, not stop injustice and discriminations! And instead sir, you with flaxen hair neatly combed back to impress, with wife wearing Indian clothes to dazzle, you and I decide to keep our sights fixed on the unreal above!
This morning I removed the cushion on my seat, and my eyes shifted from dirt and despair, to beauty and bearhugs, from filth and falsehood to flattery and fake freebies!
Dare I put my cushion back and deal with reality below?
Dare you sir, put your cushion back and address the reality you know is there?
Or shall we continue looking at calm greenery, perky little squirrels, calm birds and pleasant blue sky above?
Namaste! Let’s look below sir..!
bobsbanter@gmail.com