During my travels in some countries, I noticed that the boundaries between compounds were either absent or only separated by hedge plants or low brick work of low height with many houses having no locked gate at the entrance. In the place where I live, most houses have high enclosures. Even our own compound has one such enclosure!
A boundary stands for separation or demarkation. There is a personal claim of right to possess enshrined in this concept of having a well defined boundary. This was created for physical reasons of safety and privacy.
But symbolically, what has this done to human behaviour! We have increasingly and unconsciously become private in our orientation and perspective.
I watched this bird sitting on a post, used to to connect the barbed wire of separation to define a boundary. The bird was placed above the boundary fence!
Are we beyond our boundaries in our orientation and responses. The president of the USA speaks of the Americans, the president of China speaks of the Chinese, the Prime Minister of India seems to represent the interests of the religious majority although he makes public statements of inclusiveness...have we not become more private as individuals and as nations!
The avians live freely loosely defining their territorial rights. The sky without its defined boundaries is their dwelling place.
In fact the barbed wire fencing alone is most visible in the above photograph. What is on either side of the barbed wire fence is blurred.
The boundaries and the privacy they represent have become so important or central to our thinking that we are in danger of living with a diminished consciousness of us being a community people or a humanity!
This has perilous consequences. There is a suspicion that Chinese market is slowly taking over large global companies when the share prices are dropping in order to contest the American supremacy in the global market! It is already true that the Chinese own prime properties in many countries thereby making their presence stronger in global economy.
The United Nations Organisation in its charter alludes to the 'brotherhood of nations'; the constitution of India speaks of federation of states and union territories; we belong to a 'Panchayat Raj' culture in India, which stands for opportunities for all and democratic traditions. The 'Kudumba Shree' movement in Kerala brings together women to create self employment and promote community consciousness. Women from all walks of life are members of this movement.
A church near Alwaye invited people with skills in tailoring to come forward to make masks for free distribution among health workers at this time of outbreak of corona virus infection. People from different religious backgrounds have volunteered to do this.
I struggle with this a lot at my work place. There is a group of parents who find the fees they have to pay too high for them! Although we subside to the extent possible, I feel some who are financially stressed drop out!
How do we make our boundaries porous and make them accessible to each other!
I stay with the picture of this bird perched at the fence and its body occupying the space on either side of the fence! The bird symbolically abolishes the boundary of partition!
Jesus of Nazareth once spoke of 'giving away one tunic if you have two'!
All experiences in life have an obvious meaning and hidden meaning.
Considering that it is the first time many countries have a 'locked down' of some sort, which might extent to weeks or months, it is good to explore the message we can draw from this for humanity.
That message would have something for all of us, who practice an acquisitive way of living, consuming and possessing without measuring its effects on others or on our environment.
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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