REACTION IN THE FACE OF CALAMITY

The word tsunami entered into the vocabulary list of most of the people in the world only after the Dec 2004 debacle. Notwithstanding the fact that this natural disaster occurs quite often in Japan and other such extreme eastern countries, with live coverage on TV and net, the disaster was brought even closer home. The images we saw were heart rendering and proved the insignificance of man against the might of nature abused. But tsunami is not really a new term, it has been there and it has occurred in the past too.        My first knowledge of the terminology came when I was probably in the fifth standard where, in the prose lesson there was the story of an old man who realizes that the tsunami was fast approaching the village. As he is very short of time he rings the village bell which is available in the temple over the hilltop. This bell is a holy one and tradition demands that it be rung only on very special religious occasions. But our “old man at the bell” rings on and he stops ringing only after the entire village has assembled in the high ground. The villagers demand an explanation to his impertinent behavior. Right then the huge wave rises and drops just short of the hilltop. The entire village below is wiped out but by the presence of mind of the elderly man no life is lost. The villagers then thank him, but we at standard five didn’t, as we were particularly irritated with this lesson for we found it very difficult to remember the spelling of the word tsunami. 

            I presume the big wave that “Kalki” refers to in his “Ponniyin Selvan” is indeed the tsunami and the huge waves find a word in “Silapathikaram” too. But as they were so well into the past the impact was less. The tsunami during 2004 showed the world that the Indians were very emotional and grieved quite demonstratively. Physical attributions such as beating one’s stomach or chest with hands and wailing uncontrollably although common to an Indian were shocking to the eye of the foreigner. When I heard them comment about this I felt perplexed for I know of no other way of grieving. I personally felt that only showed the family values that an Indian so believes in

            The tsunami that struck Japan on 11^th March 2011 was an eye opener of sorts. I was amazed to see that in spite of the line up of misfortunes that seemed to befall the fellow Japanese, they were a totally passive, composed and committed lot. Every paper commented that there was no looting, there was no gate crash for essentials, and there were no tears. Each Japanese face was a contour of grim determination. If they had any sorrow it was private property and not for public display. Honestly I respected the Japanese for their honesty and solidarity but a few more tears seemed more appropriate to the departed souls. Now, I stop my self from pondering further for perhaps now I am like the foreigner who commented on my exhibition of grief.

I must reiterate that the patience of the Japanese, their boldness in the face of such mammoth disasters amazed me. Not one but a line up of mishaps- an earthquake that triggers a tsunami, a number of after shocks, the lone eruption of a volcano, the biting cold which were natural and  the explosion of the nuclear reactors .

I feel all the more confused; how on earth a land that has already experienced the devastations of an atom bomb opt for a nuclear power source. How on earth a land that is geographically plagued by volcanoes and earth quakes dare to embark on such a disastrous project.

I can only pray for Japan.