Transcending Patriots' Day(s)
- Part 3 -

Yengkhom Myrtle-Zest *

On Patriots' Day, not redolent with present context and burning issues is a damning flaw! Shouldn't this vantage platform be utilise for present contextual application of patriotism too?

Organisers hardly or not-at-all invest time-slot for substantial discussion, consultation and finding ingenious practical ways and approaches or stand firm resolutions to defend present threats, enemies and designs for bringing effective solution shows our lack of true sense in patriotism, myopic vision and superficial nature in celebrating. I don't mean to question their patriotism nor mine holier-than-thou. Just stating the facticity.

On this day, the state govt. need less rhetoric speeches and dabbling initiatives but emphasise and pursue out of conviction rather than compulsion form public on rejuvenating Thang-ta(not only martial, but for its spiritual and philosophical values) which is of paramount importance in regard to this day and revitalise innumerable dying traditional games, exercises and disciplines which shapes our ethos, culture, identity and varied art-forms.

Further new-technologies and possible improvements through scientific applications be inculcated and boosted. Perhaps, traits that inherit through those art-forms are the key to our virtuoso towering sport-persons and artists ever-mushrooming till this day even though infrastructure, timely support and grants are pitiable as per global standards. Stamps and books need be released, various competitions and timely relevant constructive debates be organised.

Importantly, brave patriots meant, not only those recognised, known and sung ones; we need room and also revered our offerings to those "Unknown and Unsung heroes/patriots" atleast by writing this words enframed and keep among those ubiquitously celebrated known heroes' portraits. That will encompass atleast some justice, the needful deep reverence that can highlight our inclusiveness.

Effective measures to boost locally compatible projects and revitalise what is organic to us but with rational, scientific and far-sighted approach defining our uniqueness is a must. As the adage goes- Think globally, Act locally; development with identity is indeed needed and here lies our thrust concerns.

This day calls forth for voluntary yet co-ordinate efforts to thwart influx divisive policies and strategies in varied facets which exacerbate in depriving our overall developments and rights to live together and gnawed by piling stacks of accumulating suppressed unsolved problems which lies dormant that can erupt any time if not careful and vigilant.

Otherwise it amounts to passive self-sabotage if we skip and neglect to digest the hindsight and actuate the foresights to its fullest potential and commitment possible by converging prevailing misalignments to melt trust-deficits and regain concord. Hope it is not only about celebration and preservation of history; we learn and go beyond to transcend and transform barriers of any form into bridges.

We as a composite society nurture by this state and resources, should jump in to collaborate for rapprochement and progressive co-existence but not jump in or out to defend each other at the cost of further unwanted continuances. Sometimes unbridled emotions guided jerky reactions; mismanagement or disregard from any group or any authority should be tackle rationally and humanely with proper law-enforcement and if needed give enough-room to self-correct and wane. No doubt; need sincere, judicious and rational approaches from the concerns.

By open-mindedness and open heartedness, mutual understanding and consonant co-existence can be winnowed from discontentment and unholy conditionings but calls-for ground-reality based concerted efforts to understand the differences through interactions in various spheres as the aphorism goes expansion is life, and contraction is dead.

As history taught us, we should also never forget and vigilant all-the-time that almost cent percent of the political promises and speeches many gossip-like that harangue about benefits, commitment, fanciful delusions and music-to-ear for 'Certain Sections, Divisions or Partisans' to the extent of boosting adrenalines for revenge, past grievances, hatred and stupefying victories for their targeted audiences' manipulating emotional chemistry and as if nearing heaven-hopes create unnecessary overall chaos by pulling our strings.

Many are sycophants at its best, speciousness their skill, and in fact their commitments and promises untimely gutter. They hardly connect or bamboozle people when it comes to needed holistic development, magnanimity, judiciousness, possible forgiveness, compassion, rationality, mutual-understanding, cooperation, universal harmony, embracing of constant self-correcting, practical possibilities and open-mindedness; for by partisanship and creating enemies they gain votes and satiate their selfish or unpatriotic motives .

But strangely or by conditions, we fuel our hope against hopes and hardly learned from unsought past for better politicians and leaders. Of course, it's painful, disheartening and angst-filled to acknowledge later who they are after elected while we realised quite late for being swayed and disposed to status-quo, and have been so credulous.

Changing dynamics and Unavoidable flexibilities:

Laws have been added and amended around the world; ethical issues go on adapting to changing systems; trend of mixed-up lifestyles, exchanges among socio-cultural entities and science influencingly go on changing; outlook and approaches in various spheres and disciplines is a flux in itself; system of govts. debatably evolve or devolve, security and strategic relations still in dynamics of blocs; religions, doctrines, zealotry and anthropocentricity hardly changed; monopolies, forms of domineering tactics, crimes and violations too manifested in intricate new-facets.

New and strange ways of deprivation, hostilities and censorship borne out. Pockets of ignorances receded and more perplexing questions, quest and wonders open-up in unimaginable ways. Comforts, conveniences and communication improved at large but climate, ecology and environment is changing for worse though there are concerted efforts while less collective in responsibilities as of now.

Merits and demerits, pros and cons, uses and misuse/abuses, advances in healthcare and technology but severe side-effects and mortality of adverse-drug-reactions(ADR), muddling of brand-products between quality-based and bogus with deceptive information and precarious motives, questionable judicious utilization of resources becomes the flummoxing normal at large.

Not to be mistaken as pessimist, since lot of befuddling grey-areas are coming up. Some scientific finding rebuff or modified the other in various disciplines too. But that's the way how science progress by continuously modifying, self-correcting and rebuffing. Obnoxiously, some scientist are blighted by corruption and affected large population mainly in medical and consumable industry by advertising misleading information.

Awareness in whatever we are influenced, collective responsibilities and convergence of rational attitudes by accepting differences and amenable exchanges to bring lasting peaceful co-existence as one humanity and needed enriching ecology prerequisites flexible 'holistic being'. So sense of bravery and patriotism have to go beyond or demands paradigm shift. How?

Ok, for the time-being, we shall simulate ourselves or wander a bit with few quest. Some facts, fantasies, fictions and whatever between. It may look like a dreamland! Ok let that be, we all daydream and dream at night!

How many generations will we wait for the concept of borderless world and humanity to thrive? In reality there is no naturally defining borders or demarcations. All are concepts which became useful in the course of human evolution, also seen in some other species, which can become useless or old-fashioned when we evolve further appertaining how effective or it creates unnecessary blocks if we go on rationalising to this concepts in respect to changing settings. Rationality and rationalising can be diametric.

Borderless world seems like a pipedream nevertheless 'indeed a perceivable possibility' with miles to march toward but atleast better quicker than never or too later. This vice-like grip of territorial imperative and affixed greedy sinister motives of human has cause more than enough bloodshed in our history? Shall we continue? As a matter of fact, we go on continuing even today in various changing styles.

When will these piling-up of arms and weapons, pompousness and gallantness of armed-forces the world over, their show of strength, victories and defeat become non-extant? Weapons of mass destruction exist, if instances and accidents trigger them, who will be the winner? Of course, no winner and whole species to extinction, perhaps forever and ever.

Every elite, political leaders and many know this grave possible and probable nonextant consequence of entire species and the planet very well. But queerly, these are questions and initiatives that are repulsive to politicians thus remained rich-concepts yet unwilling to practise or implement by sorting viable and co-operative means, nevertheless which have exuberant existential answer in itself if implemented!

To be continued...