Wednesday, May 31, 2006

LIFE AND LIVES

Ferdous H Khan


Life is said to go through stages. What exactly stands for stage here or stage? Life is played on the stage of world in stages. Most confusing, yet so normal and natural in our thought process. We often say when one goes through ups and downs of life that he is going through a stage meaning phase. These stages comes as a routine as normal as a class routine of a school going child. We do not look on the side of life seriously and moreover, take it as granted. We know very well that life cannot be taken as granted. Life in a way is a chance, a wonderful gift an accident which brought you here. With any thought that brought you here is with a guarantee that there will be death visiting at your door step soon. The short span of life that we spend here on earth is through struggle. Very day you are borne, sickness, your fragility keeps you weak. As a child going through school you often wonder how difficult it is to grow up. You start feeling that a grownup has all the independence. They do not have to answer except to self. You feel that you have all the obligations and responsibility. Because you have to do your homework in time to submit in time to the teacher. The elders do not have to be so precise. It is the process of life to build, chiseled and polish you to bear the responsibilities which are forth coming. Life has a life of its own. The Soule held within the body it appears needs to be taught and pass through experience of a particular moment for its enrichment. These experiences add up as strength of that particular Soule. Basing on these experience and knowledge, probable the hand of fate gives you a part to play on the stage of this world.

Biologically we know that all living body ages and wears out after a period of time. Different animals have different life span. Some lives surprisingly very long, may be from about 300 years to 500 years even more in cases of trees. Some in this universe have very short life span of fraction of a unit. That only indicates how wonderfully all things have been laid in balance. With this perfect balance we all are in harmony but not independent. We all have to obey some rules of nature to maintain this harmony. Without which this balance will be lost and disaster strikes. Homo sapiens have manipulated with so much of this balance factor that now they have to pay dearly. Now as we were discussing on the biological nature of maturity of life means that our body cells do have a life cycle. It only means that these cells mature and die to make way for the new cells to grow and mature. A wonderfully tickling insight sense. If we now ascribe a period for the cells life span then we may make out some assumption on human behavior changes that occurs from time to time. May be I read somewhere that our body cell life span is of about 7 years. Each 7th year means complete overhaul. It could then mean that we could repair cell damage every 7th year and be ever living. Well this blessing is not made by the nature. So, on the basis of 7 year cycle we could layer out our lives in stages, first state is up to 7th year, second stage up to 14th year third stage up to 21st year so on. If one lives up to 100 years of age. That individual will be going through approximately 14 stages of life. In each phase the individual change in character and approach to life also changes. Now you could justify many of the actions of men and women that occur to surprise you as unexpected.

Life also can be classified on experience basis. This could be carefree childhood stage followed by schooling years then your university days. Armed with all this, one enters the stage of employment and earning leading to management of life and separation from parents. A stage which makes one feels the sense of independence. If in this stage success unfolds then he/she looks for partnership through contract of marriage. This stage leads one in an unknown domain. An area which in true sense teaches back life to the individual. Here sense of sharing develops, responsibilities creep in and liabilities multiply. Then when you have children’s a wonderful stage of life begins. A stage you cherish most at this moment. We walk the lanes of memories and try to give them all that was deprived to you. You dream to make the children see through your eyes as you start feeling that they are your parts. The sense of ever living, immortality is felt as you see yourself living through them. This could be one reason for the feelings that is shown by the grand parents. They see already two generation in their life time and feel immortal about that.

Karma of life starts it’s effect, when the children’s with their family curve a space from your family and starts living separately. Cutting out on your space comes as a shock and hemorrhage of life starts, draining you of the vital force. Slowly you withdraw and build a cocoon around you and your known family, the wife. Both maintain balance of peace and cordiality. Peculiarities of individuals are forgiven and for a short span you have haven within. This feeling is due to the natures assigned task fulfillment. The task of life –The Procreation. Any one not within this phase may not feel the contentment as the one who has completed the assigned task of life. What could be your thoughts on life???
CORE VALUE OF BANGLADESH
Ferdous H Khan

Uniquely, the specialty of this nation is embedded in the name itself. Bangladesh----A unique and a special name. A name which reflects language Bangla. A place where Bangla is widely spoken and understood. A place where colour, creed or faction is not very important then the language and culture. Such, unique places are very rare in the context of present world. This could appear to some as a surprise as it did with me untill I realized the true meaning. Since, liberation, there has been ongoing debates on the core value of Bangladesh. In discussions I have heard nearly always the word religion coming up as one of the core issues. The religion on a quick sense appeals as a core value of Bangladesh, but that notion vanishes as soon the liberation scenario comes in picture. It was a case of Muslim being liberated from Muslims. Therefore, religion for Bangladesh cannot be its core value. If not religion, for which core value Bangladesh is likely to declare war. Land encroachment, well there has been some encroachment done on the land of Bangladesh. The country did not react by declaring war; rather the case is discussed for amicable solution in time. Then, there can be an issue of water may be? Bangladesh is known as the land of rivers and canals. The life style of the people is much dependent on water and the major cities are located on the banks of the rivers. People of Bangladesh are dependent on the water not only as a life giver, but for the transportation of goods and people, fertilization of the soil and to maintain an ecosystem they are so accustomed too. There are about 700 channels encompassing, rivers, canals, and all the tributaries. A fantastic figure running through the length and breath of the country as arteries goes through the human body. It gives life to the nation, maintains the climatic condition so peculiar and unique for the ecosystem in particular, provides alluvial soil after each flood, which is so necessary to have hyper production in agricultural products to provide food for so many mouths. This also recharges our underground water system and replenishes surface water system. Alas, the misfortune of this nation is that its immediate neighbor nearly dammed all the inflowing rivers thus choking the life and ecosystem of the lower riparian—Bangladesh. This caused fall in level of underground water level giving rise to arsenic concentration. Arsenic caused poisoning of all life forms especially rural population—who are the simplest people of all. Many died a cursed death. Many families have been destroyed due to this affect. Process of procuring water (pure) have become costlier and difficult. In the villages after days work the general population infected with arsenic poising lick their wounds painfully counting days to meet death. These all did not evoke the urge to declare war, that means that this cannot be the core issue for this nation. Then do we have any issue that could be still lying ideal. Well it could be then trade and commerce with the neighbor, without going into much facts and figure of this issue; it can only be pointed to make an assumption. The huge trade imbalance in favour of India has not yet activated the urge to defend a value----a Core Value. Then the question still lingers on, what is our core value? This nation has always reacted to the issues of language, culture and traditions. The people of Bangladesh are proud of their heritage. There has been an effort by the people to protect the cultural values of the society. The younger generation, present students of colleges and universities have made it their prime responsibility to guard and cultivate. They celebrate bangle New Year more vigorously then 31st Dec, celebration of 21st Feb is jealous then any other occasion. This proudly makes Bangladesh the fore bearer in making all mothers proud by calling this day by the UN as International Mother Language Day. What an achievement for such a small nation. Secessions of cultural evenings are the most frequented place in Bangladesh with whole family. All members enjoy the out come in equal proportion; this only indicates that the projected values of this secession are acceptable to all members. Therefore, it can now be said that value attached with language and culture is more close to the heart of the people of Bangladesh. Does that mean that this nation’s core value should be looked some where here????