Sunday, September 11, 2016

In Search of a peaceful vocabulary.

*"चाकू.. खंजर.. तीर* और,
*तलवार..* लड़ रहे थे.. कि...,

कौन.. *ज्यादा गहरा घाव* देता है,

*शब्द..* पीछे बैठे.. मुस्कुरा रहे थे...।"
(Chaqoo ... Khanjar ... tiir ... aur talwar Ladd rahey thay ke kaun zyada gehra ghaav deta hai ....
Shabd ( Words ) piichhey baithey muskura rahey thay )

The manner in which words and thoughts have changed over the years in daily parlance is an astonishing phenomenon.
Talking in the extreme superlative has become commonplace. Violent and at times lewd vocabulary passes off as a show of one's patriotism (I guess they call it nationalism these days) and broad mindedness.

Even the seemingly harmless and cordial Good Morning messages invoke the reader to "fight all odds", informing that "life is like war where you win some battles and you loose some battles".

An appeal for kindness also comes wrapped in violent words. It says:
" Everyone you meet is fighting a battle, Be kind ".

And this one is talking of another kind of violence:
"The hardest battle you have to fight is between who you are and who you want to be"
Or
" Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time "

And this message is supposed to highlight patience...
"Winners in Life are those who lost a few battles but continued fighting"

Good God ! So much violence even in sending out a line or two of Good Luck and Good Thoughts to someone who is dear to us.

I understand the spirit and sentiment behind such "strongly" worded messages.
They are supposed to be instant inspirations, something like instant coffee perhaps that energizes immediately. But imagine the kind of energy one imbibes from such unpleasant words in the long run.
These words stay in our mind. They have become a part of our life.

We desperately need a change in vocabulary.
Our tongue is the mirror that shows our mind, just as our eyes are the mirror that reflect our heart.

Your thoughts become your words.
Hence it is actually startling to discover this en masse preference for rough and merciless words.
When shall we realize that one has to exert extreme caution with words?

It may sound monotonously repetitive, but one must not forget that Words can hurt, Words can harm , and Words can even undress you.
But Words are good too.
They can bring peace and they can be soothing.
Words have the power to embrace you in an affectionate hug.

If Kindness inside your heart must flow through your words, then it is important to choose words that are not violent and harsh in nature.

As this Islamic Year is in its concluding month, let us pray for a Peaceful World in the coming years where both body and tongue will speak softly in words that bring harmony and understanding among all of God's Creations.

Hajj Mubarak
Eid Mubark