Nemesis – this
seven lettered word
has a very
strong reach and
hold on every human being, so
much so that
there is no
escape from it,
whenever, wherever and
howsoever, it may come.
But it will
arrive for sure,
at the anointed
time. Providence being
the dispenser of
final judgement, there
is no escape
route or detour
possible, as when
it strikes, we
will be placed
in a cul-de-sac,
for sure, and
have to accept
it with submission.
Mythology and
religious texts advise
and urge humans
to follow the
path of righteousness, adhere
to the rules
of virtue, espouse
the cause of
truth, desist from
committing sins, in life.
All major religions
carry, preach the
same message, with
slight variations. The
crux of every
religion is to
seek God in
its own way,
by performing good
deeds, and make
an earnest attempt to
reach salvation and
get liberated from
the cycle of
births.
There is
a common belief
among people of
all religions, that
they will have
to stand before
the Highest Court
of Justice, officiated
by Almighty Himself,
once they bid
adieu to earthly
life and leave
for their heavenly
abode. It is
also firmly believed
that an extensive
audit will be
taken up on
their worldly transactions, where there
can neither be
an accounting error,
nor deviation from
His set accounting
standards.
A pleasant
phase in life
should be interpreted
as a gift
for our good
deeds and a
turbulent one should
be taken as
a punishment for
some sins committed
by us, either
knowingly or otherwise,
either in this
birth or in
the yester one.
Believers of Karma
subscribe to this
theory. Whatever we
go through in
this life, should
be interpreted as the result
and reward for
the deeds committed
in previous birth.
One has to
maintain a reasonably clean slate and
play a smooth
earthly innings, before
being declared out
on the D-day.
It is
established that those
who transgress law
have got to
serve the quantum
of punishment stipulated
by the penal
codes. This is
an universal fact
and does not
discriminate between the
poor and the rich.
Influence, authority and power
cannot obliterate or
save anyone, howsoever
powerful he / she may
be, from facing
justice. Even if
by some quirk
of fate or
by a whiff
of good luck
if they are
not cornered by
human Magnacarta, they
have to face the
music of the
Supreme Power, which
will definitely not
be sweet and
melodious. Scam riddled
political bigwigs, highly
corrupt officials, and
dashing film stars
who act rashly
in real life, are
seen cooling their
heels at various
jails. It goes
to instill confidence
among the commoners,
and make them
believe in Nemesis.
While dispensation
of justice in
individual cases is
easily understood and accepted,
I am still
finding it difficult
to comprehend the
same on hundreds and
thousands of people, who
perish in natural
calamities like earthquake,
floods, tsunami, airplane
accidents etcetera. What
connotation can be drawn on
the happening of
such unfortunate events,
other than broadly
terming it as an
“ act
of God “. Even
though it is
an accepted term,
the act seems
unjustified to me
on a personal
note. Innocent lives (
children, infants, pregnant
women, old and
sickly, cattle ) get
killed in droves.
Why should Nemesis
land all of
a sudden on
so many, snatch
their lives, at
the wink of
an eye ? Many
questions in life
remain unanswered. During
perilous times “ Vox Dei “
does not listen
to “ Vox Populi “. It is not
a symphony, but an
elegy.
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** Written after the Nepal Earthquake.
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