Grace in giving
As death and destruction, threats, flexing of muscles, and unleashing of raw military power plunged parts of our world, yet again, into uncertainty and fear, came the heartbreaking news about an Air India Ahmedabad-London flight with 242 people on board crashing in the blink of an eye after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport. All the 242 on board, except one who miraculously snatched his life from the claws of death by jumping out of the burning aircraft, perished… their hopes, dreams and plans for the future burnt to ashes. As the entire nation mourned this heartbreaking disaster, and we marvelled at the few who missed the flight for some reasons, with one woman being denied boarding because she was held up in traffic, a myriad of thoughts flashed across the mind’s eye. The faith of those who believe in providence, destiny, god, a superpower that rules the world, the alignment of planets, etc was strengthened and the inevitable thought was about how fickle life can be and how the end can come in so many unexpected ways.
The natural progression of thought, once you accept this, revolves around the need to lead the one life we all have as decently as we can. No, this is not an essay in moral science. Such phenomenal tragedies, and the war and strife-torn world we live in today, send out strong signals about the ephemeral nature of our existence. Once we accept that with a calm mind, then all of Rotary’s core values come into a much sharper focus… the ones on truth and fairness, equity and diversity, and making a difference to the less fortunate in our communities through not only the sharing of our wealth but also our skills and expertise. For corporates in India, CSR is mandatory, but for those with large hearts, giving comes naturally. Consider the case of Ravishankar Dakoju from Bengaluru, who shocked the Rotary world a few years ago by announcing the gift of ₹100 crore ($14 million) to The Rotary Foundation. Or Rajashree Birla from Mumbai, who continues giving large sums to Rotary International for polio eradication, and also locally for Rotary’s community welfare projects. The other day in a casual chat, past RI Director Ashok Mahajan told me simply: “She has never said no to me; whatever sum I’ve requested for Rotary, she has given it with a smile.” Add to this, Dakoju’s refrain… ‘I had nothing; society has given me everything, so I am returning it to people who live in our world.’
Isn’t this grace in giving?
But money is not the only way through which you can display generosity. A kind word or deed… just a warm, caring smile to those in distress can work magic. Once we accept that our time on earth is limited, and the inevitable might be just around the corner, it becomes so much easier to shed the heavy load of negativity… hate, anger, greed, desire for revenge, which we often take to ridiculous lows.
Let’s throw all these out of the window, and let in some fresh air. The ending of hate and desire for revenge is the beginning of peace. History… not ancient but of the mid-20th century has shown us how the oppressed and helpless of yesterday can turn into heartless and merciless oppressors of today. So let’s shun negativity and choose the path of peace and progress…
Rasheeda Bhagat
