Page 166 - SocialHarmony

170 Social Harmony

accompany him. He took them to a place where the dead bodies
of a woman and a small girl in the debris, and informed the
rescuers that those bodies were of his wife and only daughter.
The very next moment, he looked at them and asked, “You look
exhausted. Would you have some tea?” The foreign team
member said, “It is hard for me to imagine a young man of 28
years whose wife and loving daughter are killed, asking us for
tea and thinking of our comfort. The society that has such
strength will never take much time to overcome any disaster
that befalls it.” There are innumerable such experiences about
our spirit and it is only due to this spirit and the power it gives
us that we can move ahead.

When Gujarat was shattered by the earthquake, people
blamed nature for this disastrous calamity. Of course, it is
impossible to fill the gap for those who have lost their beloved
family members. But now when one sees the newly constructed
cities, one feels that God destructs only to create something
better. It is, after all, possible to find a way towards development
even in the midst of horrific destruction and Gujarat has set the
best example of it. These new buildings are the symbol of the
spirit, strength and hard work of the people of Gujarat. They
are the monuments that tell the saga of strength and duty. They
tell the tales of the courage that lights up lamps in the darkness.
This is the power of our society. The buildings are certainly made
by the engineers, masons and carpenters with cement, bricks
and wood, but a mere building cannot be called home. It is only
the warmth of love and unity among family members who will
inhabit the house that makes it a home.