Checked this article- "An entire generation sacrificed..." - just now. As for me, it's a must-read for all of us.
Results happen late. It's not only about parents' sacrifice, I think that's the way of human evolution. Look into the c(o)urse of freedom struggles of any country. We see that struggles and sacrifices are done by some generations and results are borne by the later.
Look into the way "Caste System" evolved in India. Many generations suffered in the name of division of labour and theory of Karma. Countless poignant stories buried deep, complete breach of human rights, but such abuse never acknowledged. A couple works (they do the work "bestowed" by their caste) for a large family of say 10, for a whole year and all they get is a bag of paddy. Nobody to blame except the ignorance of that couple who think it is their kharma (no it's not karma! As harsh as it might sound, I feel bonded labour is better coz atleast the owners say it out that they are exploiting them, on the other end this kind of exploitation through caste is what people in Telugu say - "Gharana Mosam") And then something churns in the stomachs of those oppressed classes and some rebellions spring up. And then there are reservations now in jobs and academics. And then the upper castes experience the other end of the table. Again they end up suffering. (But now surprisingly I don't see any rebellions there - rebellion enough to question and change the system. Perhaps they are finding other avenues because the world is getting bigger and bigger, so maybe they are digging other roads to opportunities.) Look into the Slave Trade, the oppression of Blacks, oppression of Aboriginals...the list is long! Another one that comes to my mind is - the erstwhile extreme male domination in upper castes. So to say, the situation of women in lower castes was better in this particular context. The fruits of Women's emancipation that the current day women are enjoying are majorly due to the struggle of upper caste women of previous generations.
For many, life doesn't seem fair. They feel why should they pay the price for the deeds of their past generations. But often they forget that they are also reaping the fruits of the past. Good or bad, we ought to bear the repercussions of the collective past, because we are not individuals isolated in prisms of individual universes. Infact, life might not really be fair sometimes...it cannot be fair all the time. But one's efforts, I believe, can never go waste. Maybe, they might not live to see it, but they will surely become part of the flow of life and are bound to trigger some effect in one way or the other. When it comes to freedom struggles especially, I'd believe that those who suffered would have definitely been born again to enjoy the freedom they earnt. But, I know, I know, nobody would ever rebel with an intention that - "Oh I will be born again in some time, so let me struggle now". Reading that thought itself sounds so funny. The struggle then is purely the result of impulses and fervour shaped up by the forces of their own times. So what I'm trying to say is, if we can look beyond the human life, Karma actually normalizes everything.
Anyway, keeping aside the Karma theory, if one lives to reap the fruits of their own work, that's good, even if that's late. If we are reaping the fruits (or venom) of the past, we do not have its participants to express our gratitude (or vent out our frustration on). But if we are lucky enough to realize that we are reaping the fruits of our parents' hard work - the hard work of our very own parents - then let's be wise enough to acknowledge it loud and clear - WE REALLY OWE IT TO THEM.
Results happen late. It's not only about parents' sacrifice, I think that's the way of human evolution. Look into the c(o)urse of freedom struggles of any country. We see that struggles and sacrifices are done by some generations and results are borne by the later.
Look into the way "Caste System" evolved in India. Many generations suffered in the name of division of labour and theory of Karma. Countless poignant stories buried deep, complete breach of human rights, but such abuse never acknowledged. A couple works (they do the work "bestowed" by their caste) for a large family of say 10, for a whole year and all they get is a bag of paddy. Nobody to blame except the ignorance of that couple who think it is their kharma (no it's not karma! As harsh as it might sound, I feel bonded labour is better coz atleast the owners say it out that they are exploiting them, on the other end this kind of exploitation through caste is what people in Telugu say - "Gharana Mosam") And then something churns in the stomachs of those oppressed classes and some rebellions spring up. And then there are reservations now in jobs and academics. And then the upper castes experience the other end of the table. Again they end up suffering. (But now surprisingly I don't see any rebellions there - rebellion enough to question and change the system. Perhaps they are finding other avenues because the world is getting bigger and bigger, so maybe they are digging other roads to opportunities.) Look into the Slave Trade, the oppression of Blacks, oppression of Aboriginals...the list is long! Another one that comes to my mind is - the erstwhile extreme male domination in upper castes. So to say, the situation of women in lower castes was better in this particular context. The fruits of Women's emancipation that the current day women are enjoying are majorly due to the struggle of upper caste women of previous generations.
For many, life doesn't seem fair. They feel why should they pay the price for the deeds of their past generations. But often they forget that they are also reaping the fruits of the past. Good or bad, we ought to bear the repercussions of the collective past, because we are not individuals isolated in prisms of individual universes. Infact, life might not really be fair sometimes...it cannot be fair all the time. But one's efforts, I believe, can never go waste. Maybe, they might not live to see it, but they will surely become part of the flow of life and are bound to trigger some effect in one way or the other. When it comes to freedom struggles especially, I'd believe that those who suffered would have definitely been born again to enjoy the freedom they earnt. But, I know, I know, nobody would ever rebel with an intention that - "Oh I will be born again in some time, so let me struggle now". Reading that thought itself sounds so funny. The struggle then is purely the result of impulses and fervour shaped up by the forces of their own times. So what I'm trying to say is, if we can look beyond the human life, Karma actually normalizes everything.
Recently, my friend Kresimir wrote to me about Karma, "The result of our actions is not always clearly visible because of our ability to forget past events. But fortunately Karma works on all timespans.....The amplitude of destruction is very time related. A small swing quickly swings back, but a long one takes its time. Those who have destroyed most may not live to experience the force of Karma but through their children. Those bent on destruction destroy everything, their family not excluded. They live to see their children broken and lost, on the exactly opposite end of their pyramid. Fortunately, same is true for those who create and organize most :)" I really liked that! Sometimes the amplitude of Karma is so high that it takes time for it to swing back to us. For me, this idea sums up all the debate of life's fairness towards an individual.
Anyway, keeping aside the Karma theory, if one lives to reap the fruits of their own work, that's good, even if that's late. If we are reaping the fruits (or venom) of the past, we do not have its participants to express our gratitude (or vent out our frustration on). But if we are lucky enough to realize that we are reaping the fruits of our parents' hard work - the hard work of our very own parents - then let's be wise enough to acknowledge it loud and clear - WE REALLY OWE IT TO THEM.
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