Today morning, I encountered something that I am not used to. During my morning bike ride along the beach, more than a thousand people were seeing running, in the walking track. The cause was " 2017 race against cancer". I could see the young and the old alike, trying to complete what looked like a half marathon. I stopped on my biking track, to take snaps. But also set me musing.
Those unfortunate bodies that are afflicted, are unlikely to be part of the event, barring those motley few who may watch it later on TV. For many more, they may not be alive to witness this, having been victims of cancer.
That reminded me of a couplet that I have included part of a ghazal collection that I am creating myself. It goes as follows:
मेरी मक़बरा को जितना भी फ़ूलों से सजा लें
क्या करूँ , मैं क़ब्र के अन्दर ही रहना चाहता हूँ ।
(Roughly translated, " it does not matter how much you decorate my tombstone with flowers from the outside. I prefer to stay deep inside my grave, oblivious to the happenings above").
It is possible that some of the participants may be "survivors". But the vast majority of the others are likely to be people who are either lucky to be " unaffected" personally, though it is still possible that some near and dear ones may have been.
It struck me that for these vast majority, it appeared to be more of reminder for themselves, to be on the guard against the disease, rather than a show of solidarity with the afflicted. Almost like the "Raam Naam Satya Hai" chants during funeral processions in North India, which are essentially meant to be sounded out as a stark reminder to the walkers-along, not for the deceased.
As for me, I just put my phone back into my pocket, stared meaningfully at the blue skies, just for a moment, and literally started pressing the pedal again.
Those unfortunate bodies that are afflicted, are unlikely to be part of the event, barring those motley few who may watch it later on TV. For many more, they may not be alive to witness this, having been victims of cancer.
That reminded me of a couplet that I have included part of a ghazal collection that I am creating myself. It goes as follows:
मेरी मक़बरा को जितना भी फ़ूलों से सजा लें
क्या करूँ , मैं क़ब्र के अन्दर ही रहना चाहता हूँ ।
(Roughly translated, " it does not matter how much you decorate my tombstone with flowers from the outside. I prefer to stay deep inside my grave, oblivious to the happenings above").
It is possible that some of the participants may be "survivors". But the vast majority of the others are likely to be people who are either lucky to be " unaffected" personally, though it is still possible that some near and dear ones may have been.
It struck me that for these vast majority, it appeared to be more of reminder for themselves, to be on the guard against the disease, rather than a show of solidarity with the afflicted. Almost like the "Raam Naam Satya Hai" chants during funeral processions in North India, which are essentially meant to be sounded out as a stark reminder to the walkers-along, not for the deceased.
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