Page 134 - SocialHarmony

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A Feeling of Belongingness

(At a function to handover aid to the victims of the
terrorist attack on Akshardham, Town Hall,
Gandhinagar. August 3, 2003)

Ideally, calamities should not occur; but if at all they occur, the
victim should not feel that he is all alone in his suffering and
that God has singled him out to test him. The mark of an
enlivened society is that it feels the pain of every single person
in society. Every member of the society believes in coming
together to solve each problem confronted. God might have
imposed the problem onto you, but the problem is not yours
alone – we are with you. This is not an argument to condone
the death and destruction caused by a calamity, but it is a
communication of the feeling of brotherhood. And this feeling
has a great power in any society. Whenever a crisis occurs, it
should inspire us to do some good. One good act inspires
another and the society progresses with the hope of this
strength.

Only those who work in the field of psychology or who
care for the handicapped can truly appreciate the extent of the
troubles faced by them. Just now you saw a lady bringing the
cheque on a tray and the young boy who tried to take the cheque
along with the tray. Everybody laughed. We did not know that
the boy is deaf and mute. He is on a battlefield without certain
essential capabilities. His minor mistake became a source of
entertainment for everyone, because we do not feel his pain.
However, I am sure that after understanding his situation, you