Glimmers of Human Spirit

The rain that lashed Chennai on Monday evening, a worthy successor for the torrential downpour that preceded it the week before, brought the city down on its knees. The roads, ‘renowned’ as all Indian roads are, became pockmarked within hours, baring the potholes that waited buried inside, crumbling under the weight of even footsteps. Signals stopped functioning. Traffic was at a standstill, with vehicles half-buried in water, moving at a pace that could have made a tortoise proud about his own ‘speed’. The politicians, being the unworthy 'leaders' they have always been, were licking their lips, busily preparing to 'go fishing in the muddied flood' with the phenomenal rainfall providing them ample opportunities to nitpick and mud-sling - if you could excuse the puns - as is their wont.

Having wisely shunned the bike and opted for bus to reach my residence, it took me a little more than two hours to reach my place, a trip which normally would not take more than 40 minutes. Stuck inside the bus, wet, cold and frustrated at the delay, I was noticing all the chaos around with a sense of interest and irritation. Amidst all the mayhem and gloom though, one thing stood out shining. It is that indomitable human spirit. And, there were ample displays of it. While the whole city seemed to be on the streets, frantically trying to get back to the cozy confines of their homes, there were some people who braved the rain and the flood to help others to get to safety. 

One, the never-much-appreciated traffic cops. With the traffic signals having failed, most lanes and streets buried inside knee-deep water, subways getting flooded fast, the whole city's traffic was concentrated on a few arterial roads. In that icy downpour and eerie darkness, the cops were working tirelessly to clear the traffic. Most of my friends recounted tales of their reaching home only by 1 AM and later. I wonder, by what time would the cops have reached theirs?!

Second, the ambulance drivers. There was a surfeit of ambulances on the road that night. I would have seen at least half a dozen ambulances on the road that day, wading through the water, crying to be allowed first. The ever-considerate Chennaite was helplessly turning back and looking concernedly at the ambulance, because there was nowhere for him to move and give way for the ambulance, what with the whole road inundated with water and vehicles. Somehow, as if by magic, the ambulances found the ways to move forward, carrying the anxious patients and their relatives to the safe confines of the hospital, thus saving so many lives. Now, how and by what time would the drivers have gone back home?

Third, in most of the roads near slums, those young guys, the brash ones whom you will hate on any normal days, were volunteering to clear the traffic, creating roadblocks to prevent vehicles from entering badly flooded areas, marking the dangerous potholes and gutters with branches and sticks. They were doing all this, while their very houses would have been flooded for sure.

The society may not even know their names, or their deeds, let alone appreciate their assistance. But it is because of such crucial cogs like these that the machinery of this world still functions. They may not be aware of their heroics, they may even have been doing all these things simply as if going through some involuntary motions. But that is what makes their deeds special and worthy. It is in moments like these that the human spirit reveals its true nobility, shining amidst all the gloom that surrounds it.

And, here I am, sending out a sense of happiness and gratitude to them for their deeds. And, to the Universe, for making me a witness to it!