SGMT a long distant man…

u/me

super, lot of effort taken by you to piece it together.

Sent a comment few minutes back in the website.

warm regards

Prabal Sen

Thanks. There is a very profound message in this tale, and you seem to have understood it. God Bless.
Surjit

Please refer to your kind words.
I am encouraged to add few lines.
A movie was made on this theme in Hollywood with Spencer Tracy ( as Father Flagnan, I think – the man who originated a ditty on this theme) and Mickey Rooney. I saw it in a TV channel called Turner Classic Movies, during 1999 -2000. The Hollies picked the idea from this movie. The TCM movie channel has been taken off the air by TATASKY, recently.
What a pity.

Thanks and regards

Prabal Sen

Though most of us may not consider it but it is perhaps important to care about the impact that a persons actions has on others. Very good for the person and his ego and his (imagined) good karma. Wonder if even the mother, given a choice, would have liked to go through the ordeal. One can imagine being bounced around in a basket for thousands of kilometers and unfortunately while being visually impaired. But what about the aam aadmi ? Surely it is likely to have been an impediment to traffic and, though I hope not, have caused an unfortunate accident or two. Of course we will not know and in the context of the enormity of this ‘unique’ performance these ‘small’ things would easily have been overlooked, even as we tend to do so now.

India is a great country. It is only here, to my admittedly very limited knowledge, that things like this, and the ‘Kabadia’ experience happen in modern times. I hope I am correct , but those hundreds and thousands of people who carry the water of the Ganges mostly on their shoulders are called Kabadias. During this season they tend to dominate the highways and I have personally seen the traffic chaos that this causes. Again, at least I don’t know the resultant loss of life and injuries due to accidents caused, besides the obvious harassment.

But surely we dare not to meddle in matters of faith based on our traditions thousands of years old. Never mind that this is the Twenty First Century. No harm. Except that unfortunately the recent great tragedy of Uttarakhand and the possibility of a tragedy in the J&K pilgrimage may some how be linked to this attitude.

Now about running, hurling iron and other such activities. Physical fitness is generally considered to be an asset. Participation or even preparation for such activities requires and develops a higher level of physical fitness. In a crisis situation the improved levels of speed, strength, flexibility and other abilities achieved can be of considerable value.

Finally, by and large such activities do not cause any harassment or risk to others.

With warm regards,

jagwant