Solidarity

I was in my mid 20s when this happened. One day, I came to know that a young pilot who lived in the neighbourhood had died in a chopper crash that day. Bad news tends to travel like wildfire and the palpable gloom that enveloped the community was evident. I remained confined to the house with my toddler when a friend came up and rang the bell. Aren't you coming to visit Mrs. S to offer condolences? she asked. I don't know her, I mumbled. It would be odd to visit her for the first time given the circumstances. She will be surrounded by friends and family, it would be very awkward and what would I say, I muttered feebly with diffidence.

It is to express solidarity, she said. It doesn't matter that you don't know her, it doesn't matter that you don't know what to say, just come and be there. In times of grief and crisis all that matters is that people, even strangers stand together to offer comfort to the person, my friend insisted. When i went to meet the lady, she stood at the doorway with her toddler in her arms and i stood self-consciously with my toddler in my arms. As i approached her, we managed to hug in an uncomfortable way, with the toddlers between us but in that instant the awkwardness melted. In that silent exchange, we crossed the bridge and a bond of sisterhood was formed seamlessly and instantaneously.

More than a couple of decades have passed since that incident and every time i hear of someone in distress or during times, when i went through some crisis myself, i always remembered what my friend had said, that solidarity is what counts. Till a few months back, day after day, we woke up in a world that celebrated our uniqueness, that respected our differing perspectives, our varied outlooks, our distinct views. We guarded our individuality fiercely and strongly and lost no opportunity to stand out from what we thought was the herd mentality. But today, we wake up in a different world, a world which needs us to be together, which is teaching us to embrace Oneness. There's a time to uphold our individualism and our differences and there's a time to stand united.

Today, the world stands united to fight our common enemy, the Covid-19 and we as individuals have come together like never before. Across national and international borders, beyond our petty differences, above the polarity of our socio-political views, over racial, cultural and economic disparities, human beings rose up to the need of the hour and have come together.

How can singing national anthems from windows, clapping, standing in silence, singing prayers, lighting candles, playing musical instruments, bring reprieve and relief to the sufferers? They don't offer cure or compensation, but they are vital to convey a spirit of Togetherness. Now is not the time to question the veracity, the underlying motives, the purpose of it all. That should be reserved for another day.

For now, for today, all that matters is that at least someone, even one person out there feels that their duties are being acknowledged, that the lives of their loved ones matter, feels that they are not alone in their fight, that others care for them...that should be enough. Even if one person feels a semblance of reassurance with these symbolic gestures then this collective action matters and means something. It means something to us as well, that we are a small part of a bigger picture, that we did our bit too, if only symbolically...yet, we did. Personally i think, expressing solidarity during tough times is crucial even almost mandatory.

When our history is written, Time should stand testimony to the fact that in unprecedented times like these, human beings could and did rise above everything to come together to fight as One. That, when it mattered the most, we stood as One.

A couple of years back, i came across a few lines that have stayed with me...today, they may resonate with many others:

I am Me
I am You
You are Me
We are Us.