The need to be humane
Syed Tajamul Hussain Simnane
Within the frame of dangerous mutant Covid19 horrible atmosphere encircling us, man is drenched with fear, grief, confusion and depression that do not even let him breathe in peace. By observing every headline of dailies and weeklies with the statistics of unexpected number of deaths and positive cases sky rocketing with unexpected pace, man feels the call of doomsday approaching too closer.
Lockdown imposed, streets and roads look deserted and the hustle bustle in markets washed off, making an odd and horrible space around us all. In such crises, man should have confessed for the sins committed all these years but ironically, all such expectations turn out to be a daydream.
Man has become more selfish and busy with spreading hate, jealousy, terror and selfishness all around. People are buying more oxygen cylinders than they required making others to suffer from shortage of such cylinders. Such loss of humanity at such juncture is the biggest sin ever made. Fasting and praying do not sound much until the hearts and minds bore humanity.
Humanity is an important part of life, which tells that to help others, try to understand others and realize the people’s problems with our own eyes and try to help them. Humanity represents caring for and helping others whenever and wherever possible. It comes from the most selfless act and the compassion one has. To extend unconditional love and care to each living being on earth is also the sign of humanity.
Instead of throwing stones at sleeping dogs, one should provide food in the form of bread or other foodstuffs to them as a mark of humanity. The definition of humanity is the entire human race or the characteristics that belong uniquely to human beings such as kindness, mercy and sympathy. It means forgetting your selfish interests at times when others need your help.
An act of humanity not works with thoughts or expectation of any personal gain of any form, may it be fame, money or power. It describes the value of kindness and compassion towards other beings. To make any sort of fun over the weakness of others is not the act of humanity but an act of wild beasts knowing nothing about the value of being human. Ego worshipping does not fall in the category of humanity. Those who keep their ego into its supreme can humiliate the weak and poor ones besides took no mercy upon the sufferings of victims.
Humanity is just not limited to humans. It is also caring for the environment, the nature and every living being in this universe. People are seen cutting forests, throwing wastes into various water bodies and making unsustainable development projects in fragile ecosystems, which finally led to environmental degradation.
Through such environmental degradation, many wild animals lost their habitats, aquatic life too are affected and valuable ecosystems destroyed. Such degradation is not humanity in any sense. Instead, one should impart eco-friendly products; develop sustainable development and plantation programmes.
Humanity is not about showing passion and the empathy to each other at times of need but about regarding love in high esteem and kindness in all lifestyles. It is all about using hearts along with the minds in all the endeavours of humankind. Every religion in this world tells us about importance of humanity, peace and love but still our world witness dying communal harmony that represent loss of humanity.
We are pre-occupied with massive modern hi-tech living style and spending less time with the fellow humans. People keep humanity in high regard in principle but have no time to give it a meaning in their own life. If you want to know the quality of humanity in a person, take notice of how they do for people who give nothing back in return to the favour they have offered.
Humanitarian is a person who wants to promote humanity and human welfare. Serving the poor and the disabled is one of the greatest humanitarian help, an individual can provide in his/her lifetime. Not perform humanitarian activities in order to achieve fame, or to gain publicity or status symbol. You can easily achieve fame and reputation by the work you do.
Lifting the heavy bag of an old woman is humanity, helping a disabled to cross the road is humanity, helping your mother in doing work is humanity; in fact, helping anyone who is in need of help is the actual sign of humanity. There are many great personalities across the length and breadth of world that devote all their life for humanity. Mother Teresa had dedicated her entire life to serving the poor and needy from a nation who she barely had any relation. The great Indian poet- Rabindranath Tagore expressed his strong beliefs on humanity and religion in his Nobel Prize winning piece- Gitanjali. He believed that to have contact with the divine, one has to worship humanity. To serve the needy was equivalent to serving the divine power. The father of nation- Gandhi always held the service of humanity in high regard and in his own words, “I am endeavouring to see God through service of humanity “
It has been rightly said that a garden is beautiful because of flowers and human is beautiful only because of humanity. Let we all impart humanity in both letter and spirit.
