Courage or Cowardice

“A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.” 

― Mahatma Gandhi

The boy  looked timidly at his father. He was seven years old and seemed to have just awoken from sleep. It appeared that he had been dragged downstairs by his father. His father clad in a pyjama and kurta gently coaxed him towards the cracker kept on the ground. The boy viewed the cracker and then looked at his father. It was near about six in the morning, dark with the street lights glowing, the sky was gradually turning  blue, a few birds were chirping as they perched for a second on those low boughs of the green bushes.

It was one of the most important days of Diwali, the day people adorn their best jewellery, wear their best clothes and pray Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity to be blessed with grace and riches.

The mornings are not very important, people relax as they wash the courtyard and shape beautiful designs on the ground filling these with  powder colours and flower petals. These are called ‘Rangoli’.  In the center of these designs, a lit lamp is placed adding to the beauty of the design while imparting a festive look all around.

Being keen about our morning walks, we decided to walk in the nearby colony so that we could reach back at the earliest to move on with the rituals of the festival. Chintamani is probably the only planned locale at Walhekarwadi connecting  the place to link road of Chinchwad in Pune. It is many a times referred to Pradhikaran and begins opposite to the lane we reside in. The roads are well paved with independent bungalows.
The little boy lived in one of the double storied building near the main road. There was a loud voice  instructing the man to persuade the boy to explode the cracker. The voice diverted us to look up to find a lady who was probably the little boy’s mother. She instructed her husband to motivate the boy in bursting a few crackers. I could now understand the situation as the boy reluctantly began bursting  crackers. There was a gust of smoke. The lady with a toothbrush in her mouth gleamed in joy, perhaps it was a readdress of courage for her, but for us it was an act of cowardice.

As we walked I contemplated the situation where the child’s hesitation must have been his education which taught him avoid the pollution of air. Many a time we forget to give an opportunity to the child to talk about his fears. Was it the fire or was it his loyalty towards the cleanliness drive  towards purity of air we breathe, which marked his hesitancy.

I remembered another instance where the mother proclaimed loudly about her son learning karate, a martial art as an ability to hit back the person who annoyed the child. She felt heroism was paying back in the same coin irrespective of the fact that her little boy had been endowed with violence and would confer the world his share of violence. Wasn't this an act of cowardice?

Peoples protest against certain law and order situations is seen as violent protests of burning down buses and shops signifying cowardice. Perhaps acts of courage are those which are difficult like peacefulness, or simple acts of being with a person in grief when everyone else is enjoying their share of festivities and fervour or forgoing an important schedule while putting your heart and soul in rescuing an accident victim.

There have been numerous  instances where parents have given their children a share of cowardice by inculcating wrong values leading them to a sinful world to live on. The protests like  mobbing and dis functioning of traffic, pelting stones or frightening people are some of the worst instances of cowardice which are misunderstood as acts of valour. It would also be a reason for living a life of vengeance  leading to poor health. Acts of forgiveness or moving away from difficult people are helpful in  bestowing  pure joy.

I wish I could stop that child and let the mother peep into the life of my old aunt who was unable to breathe due to the murky air propelling her into fits of cough. The lady would have understood that her act of instilling courage had led her to her grave a little earlier than her time.

I have always been moved by Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi’s  sayings which teach us that courageous acts are those which spread love and teach restraint for the welfare of people.  I have witnessed young boys and girls forgoing the act of exploding crackers during the festival to let the old and asthmatic have purer air to breathe and relieve the world from noise pollution. This act requires a nerve built through discipline. Being self-centered by  bursting crackers for personal joy, hurting others physically or through words are perhaps easiest acts of cowardice harmful to the person in the long run.These acts of self-interest give pleasure which is momentary, but true acts of  courage give ceaseless happiness and remain in the world till eternity

“Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing.” ― August Wilson