How Geography Affects Perceptions

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WHY are We So Adamant in Not Speaking out on Social Issues?!

Because of Geography? 

Because we think that the Melting Ice Caps cannot affect Us, at least in Our time? That Tsunami’s in x, y and z places will Not make a difference to Our lives?

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But my (own) brother lives in Dubai. My nephews and nieces are in Australia. That is Blood. Relations. In short. …And Thanks to the Internet, I have Friends All over the World.

Such being the case, can We Really say that the Socio-Economic-Political and other situations in even far-away countries are Not Our Concern?

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Here I am, Claiming that Terrorism is Not the number One problem for India. …And, lo, here there are people in Tamil Nadu itself, who are Not bothered about the Dangers of Nuclear Reactors in their own state.

And this what I mean by Geography.

This morning’s (29.09.2016) media report says that Attacks or Incidents, from Pakistan, have turned from small arms fire (read Rifle) to Mortars, thence Shellings. But the targets, would most probably be in Punjab, the state shown in Green at the North West of India in the above map. That is because it is a well-to-do state, and land upto the borders would be inhabited. Not so in Rajasthan because of ‘deserty’ nature.

For all that, a weapon is a weapon, and People are People. We cannot and shall not differentiate between the People of Punjab and those of Tamil Nadu, as raised in the post. Any and Every harm to One brother is harm to the Family of the Nation and the World.

And not just War, but even these sorts of Incessant Shellings are Nasty business.

An Injured Indian Soldier. …His Cheerfulness Only makes Us feel All the More Bad. Image from the Internet.

But Soldiers Everywhere and Anywhere look and become like this. The World has created a system whereby a Soldier lives by:

“Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die:”

as Alfred Tennyson wrote about the Charge of the Light Brigade.

To continue with the good poet,

“Was there a man dismay’d?
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Someone had blunder’d:”

How Often, and How Easily, do generals and politicians Blunder. And Soldiers and Common People Pay the Price.

Soldiers and Police personnel have to Learn to Question, Reflect upon, and thence, if it be Right, to Act.

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I have Not Strayed, but yet I have to come back to the point. To recap what I have alluded to so far, The Shellings, the Injuries and the Devastated Houses do Not come to the notice, so Easily, of the Man in South India.

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But the case of No-Attention-being-paid-to-the-Nuclear-Projects is Not just to “It Not being Known.” It is a case of: “I will not be Affected.” …Let’s get a map.

The Kudankulam Nuclear plant is situated at the town of its name, roughly the Red dot. It is some 45 Kilometres from Nagarcoil, and just a little more than that from Kannyakumari. We might say that People about a 100 Kilometres from Kudankulam were Actively Opposing the project. In their case, it is Not just the Danger of Nuclear Radiation, Leaks and Dangers due to Tsunami’s. I would Frankly say that I have very little opinion of Indian Workmanship.

But people of, let us say Tiruchirappally, (the blue dot) the Famous Temple Town, close to Tanjore, another famous place, are Not protesting. They are actually the Least bothered by the Issue. Reason? Distance. Tamil Nadu is a large state. It is for that Same reason that people in Coimbatore, on the Western edge of the state, do not bother about Nuclear Dangers from Kudankulam.

Why are not the people of Tiruvananthapuram, (that’s a name for You! …The multi coloured dot) protesting about this Nuclear project? Because they have a Mountain Range in between, which, I suppose, they believe would protect them. Does Anybody Say these things? No, Nobody except good old Yesudas.

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So what is the Conclusion? It is Not just the people of Tamil Nadu, or India, but The Whole World, Makes a Noise ONLY When it gets affected by a Calamity. Foresightedness is Not an Issue. No Need to think about the Danger of Leakages in Storing spent up nuclear material.

People live by the Charvaka pseudo philosophy; that of Radical Materialism. The Only concern of the Charvaka adherent is that the Fish bone does not get caught in the throat.

Today, the so called Gurus, Great Yoga Teachers, the pope(s) (the present one is an exemption in some ways), and bishops and priests in general, Are they All Not living lives of Luxury? As Charvakas? Can You Really see any Concern in them, for the Suffering World? What are they going to Teach when they are like this?

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In the End, as always with Yesudas, the Question comes to: Why are We So Adamant in Not addressing Ourselves to Social Issues? Just Where We, Each one of Us, with regard to this question? 🙂 Can We Allow Geography to mar Our Thinking? 🙂

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Maps from Google Maps.

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