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Perspective
Living Among Enemies
by
J. Ajithkumar
There are certain things that anyone can do. Living on food and water
among friends is one such. But it is a totally different game to live
without food or without water or without friends. Some people consider
it almost impossible to lead a normal life without friends. But is it
the real truth? In most cases, such conclusions are misplaced and are
arrived at by weak personalities in an emotional environment. If we can
analyse carefully and objectively, it can very easily be concluded that
living without friends is a distinct possibility though it is almost
impossible to exist without food and water. We can stretch the argument
a little further and consider the possibility of a life among enemies
and that too in an inimical environment. Again we find it is plausible,
and possible it is for those individuals and even nations with strong
moral fibre and intrinsically strong cultural roots. If living among
friends is emotional and artful, it is more demanding and scientific to
survive in enemy lands.
One of the most misunderstood concepts in our country is that of
Brahmacharya. Literally it means progressing towards Brahma (the
ultimate reality). But in practice, almost all of us take it as
abstinence from sexual activities alone. One of the primary requirements
in gaining knowledge of Brahma is development of the ability to abstain
from anything, especially those which we want or love most. I am sure
friends and friendship are something that all of us want. Naturally
abstinence from friendship will also form part of the requirements for
Brahmacharya that is required for evolution within one’s own lifetime.
Thus we can even interpret that the ability to abstain from friendships
and even living among enemies form a definite part of the Brahmacharya
that will lead us towards God. It would be interesting to explore about
how difficult (or easy) it is to live without friends as an individual
and as a nation.
As an Individual
For succeeding in any venture, the first and foremost is to understand
the subject matter and then reach an understanding with the parties
involved. Our enemy is one who cannot agree with us on basic issues and
who will always be hostile towards us. He or she will always be looking
for ways and means for our defeat and destruction. Friends often take us
for granted but enemies do not. Any enemy worth his or her name will
never take us for granted, but will always be interested in knowing our
stand on any issue. Our destruction may not be our enemy’s primary or
only aim but it will always be at the back his or her mind whenever
anything is done regarding us. If we can understand and digest all these
matters, then it is very easy to deal with our enemies and even live
with them.
Success or failure of any individual in a society depends to a large
extent on the ability to identify his or her friends and enemies. Not
all those who smile at you are your friends and not all those who ignore
you are your enemies. It would not be untruthful to say that our enemies
are easier to identify than friends. An enemy will always remain one
unlike friends. Once you have identified an enemy, you can always
believe in his intentions of defeating and destroying you. Without
sounding sadistic and masochistic, one can always conclude that complete
patch up with an enemy is an unrealistic possibility. Moreover it would
be a complete waste of time to patch up with anyone who has been
confirmed as an enemy. Our time is better utilised if we can spend it
for defeating and even destroying the enemy. Defeat and destruction of
enemy should be one’s dharma and Lord Krishna’s advice to Arjuna should
become the guiding principle.
As a Nation
The basis of nationhood is a feeling of oneness and close identification
with something common. So whatever is applicable for individuals becomes
applicable to nations also to a large extent. Let us take the case of
India for an analysis. India and Pakistan were carved out of a single
entity on the basis of two diametrically opposite ideologies. While one
stood for theocratic religious statehood, the other was firm on a
secular statehood. The difference is basic and never the two parties can
become friends at any time. It is foolish and unrealistic to think of
friendship except some joint efforts at times of natural calamities or
epidemics that do not respect man made borders. But this should not
worry us at all. We had war with Pakistan four or five times and each
time we emerged stronger thanks to the intrinsic infallibility of our
basic national beliefs. All that is required is to understand and accept
Pakistan as an enemy.
Similar is the case with China. From time immemorial, India and China
had maintained cultural ties, and we never had any reason to feel
jealous about them. But we never realised that it is not so on the other
side of the Himalayas. The words of a famous Chinese philosopher
diplomat Hu Shih (1891-1962) revealed this in no uncertain terms when he
said “India conquered and dominated China culturally for two thousand
years without ever having to send a single soldier across her border”.
In their heart of hearts, China was never our friend and they exposed
themselves with their attack on India without any provocation in 1964.
Except for the Communists in our country there is no trace of any
friendship with anything Chinese now. Indian nation has learned to live
with another enemy neighbour the hard way. It is much easier to live as
a neighbour to a confirmed enemy than an unconfirmed friend.
So it is not at all impossible to co-exist with our enemies in a common
environment. In fact it is a very fundamental aspect about this universe
that everyone should realise. This universe is so vast that there is
space for all types of co-existence. There is amble space for all types
of creatures, all schools of thought, all shades of opinion, all types
of nations and all types of individuals. Those religious and political
ideologies that are striving to conquer the whole world by conversions
and revolutions must understand the inherent dislike of our universe
towards uniformity. Instead they should learn how to live with friends
and enemies in the space available. All that is needed is truthfulness
about our own beliefs that would also help us to identify our friends
and enemies.
December
3, 2006
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Perspective
The Week of December 3, 2006
India's Security Environment: Turbulent and
Uncertain by Dr. Subhash Kapila
Sensible Security Strategies by Gaurang Bhatt, MD
Nepal: Raising Hopes of Normalcy by Col. Rahul
K. Bhonsle
Lawless and Vibrant: Criminal Union Cabinet
Ministers by V. Sundram
It is Not Women Who Declare War by Mehru Jaffer
Living Among Enemies by J. Ajithkumar
The Fate of Mankind: Is the World Heading
Towards War or Peace? by TA Ramesh
Impact of Globalization on Indian Culture
by V. Sundaram
A Rebel of Innocence by Ashwini Ahuja
Trip to Heaven by Arya Bhushan
When the Sun Sets by Dr. Manasi Dutt
Meenaxi by Dibyendu Ghosal
Rinanubandh by Julia Dutta
A Country Deluged by VK Joshi
Food for Thought by Attreyee Roy Chowdhury
Skiing in Dubai by Rajesh Talwar
That Thing Called Love by Tuhin Sinha
The Witty Side by Melvin Durai
Mothers Feeling Blue by Rasana Atreya
'Silence is Complicity' by Elayne Clift
Dissent through Dance and Drama by
Deepti Priya Mehrotra
Concrete Threat to Goa's Beaches by Lionel
Messias
Imprisoned by Daylight by Swapna Majumdar
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