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The other day one of my friends was proudly proclaiming that he is an independent man. Children well settled, free of family responsibilities, having independent income and an independent house to live.
The claim sounded very shallow to me. He seemed to mix financial freedom with independent living. I asked him to introspect and recall how many things and how many people he is dependent on, to support him each day for his survival.
The revelation was unsettling. What we claim to be an independent living is in fact dependence on the seamless functioning of the vast human network supporting our existence. Farmers cultivate food grains, workers transport them, and cooks prepare food. Sanitation workers maintain hygiene, engineers build infrastructure, healthcare professionals save life, educators impart knowledge, soldiers protect our territories and countless unsung heroes contribute silently. A day becomes normal only with the labour of hundreds of unsung heroes who work behind the scenes. The list is extensive and unending.
Above all, let us not forget that we completely depend on nature’s largesse bestowed on us like Air, Water, Sun light etc. to support life systems.
As a nation we can’t even claim to be politically independent. We depend on several other nations for exports and imports for trade and survival. National independence, like personal independence, is more symbolic than absolute.
Forget about all living and non-living things, even the planets and stars in the universe stay in orbit due to a perfect balance between the Sun’s powerful gravity. When the entire universe depends on each other for support, how can an infinitesimal creature like us can claim to be independent?
In a world obsessed with self-made narratives and arrogance, let us realize the myth of independent living. Let us be awake to the truth of our fragile and uncertain existence with humility and servitude.
(Inspired by Javed Akthar’s post on “Permanent Address”)
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