The garden around our cottage is alive with quiet happenings and vibrancy of life most of the time! The above photos taken, when sun appeared around 9 am from behind the clouds, tell about several events taking place in the garden at the same time.
These sights were delightful to watch. This brought to me an appreciation of life expressing itself in all its fullness. The romance of the Myna pair, the majestic stillness of a Kingfisher at a lofty height on a coconut tree, a Drongo staying sheltered, the butterflies on the flowers, the dragon flies in their splendid colourfulness, the rain Lilies fully open, the roses in bloom and the ripening rambutan fruits, gave an indication of the fullness of life at any time in our garden!
It was after indulging in this sight of abundance of life, I switched on the TV to look at the formal procedure of the Indian parliament of both houses around 11 am. Both houses were engaged in an intense verbal fight between the ruling party and the opposition parties over a discussion on the irregularities related to the NEET examination, because of which aspirants to the medical colleges are in protest. The credibility of the examination procedures is in suspicion as gross irregularities have come to surface. The opposition parties in the parliament sought a discussion on this matter and the ruling party was avoiding a discussion. About 2.4 million students appeared for this eligibility test for about one hundred thousand seats in the medical colleges in India.
I found myself facing a dilemma. The sights around me in the garden announced the fullness of life. The nature brings to us as a symbol of opportunity to labour and gather the fruits of the labour.
The students often spend months in preparation for passing the eligibility test for entrance to medical college and their aspiration and efforts get shattered when the entrance test was conducted carelessly to allow fraudulent practices to creep in. The merit list was tampered with following leakage of question papers and invigilators in the examination hall in a few places, helping some students with correct answers in lieu of financial gratification received.
It is this dichotomy that disturbed me. The resistance of the government to discuss and to seek corrective measures surprise me. The government who conducts the examination ought to be forthcoming with serious and expedient measures to eliminate corrupt practices! If the government is resistant to discuss this matter in the open in the parliament, one suspects if the government has something to hide!
The photos above are signs of celebration of life. But for the students awaiting admission to medical colleges, it is a time of ordeal and uncertainty. Their labour and efforts seem to be in vain, unless those in authority find a way forward.
I like to live rooted in the message which nature with its fullness around us brings to us- live gratefully and gracefully!
This calls for living relationally.
The Myna birds in the first two phots communicate that. I wish such a warmth exits between humans! Why should we displace others for us to have a larger space to occupy!
I saw a six years old child use a Kaleidoscope yesterday. His delight in seeing the multiple colours and shapes while seeing through it, was worth watching. He looked surprised and occupied.
The humanity brings wonderful colourfulness to behold! I wish that we grow in a sense of belonging, to be able to celebrate the gift of life on earth!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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