STRING THEORY

(Continued from FACEBOOK post....)

 Upon entering this great land of sea & sky, our endeared visitor became part of the host 

nation's favourite power-game... 'Hand it over or be harassed'.

AIRPORT SECURITY 101:

Please remove

Mangal sutra (Wedding necklace) - OFF

Pola (Betrothal bracelet) - OFF

Mala (prayer beads) - OFF

Rakhi (sacred knotted thread) - OFF???

Now, three of these things may potentially set off a metal detector,

But ONE item is clearly not like the others.... because…

It is made entirely of string!

STRING, people!!

A piece of humble, incorruptible string. One that is RARELY removed once tied to the wrist of a brother/sister/friend as part of a Hindu ritual that solidifies, indeed sanctifies, the eternal bond & pledge between them.

  

 

Simple threads of humanity

It was a heart-breaking & confronting moment for a 'guest' in a new land.

The exchange between friend & customs officer was a terse one – the overly-officious employee (for no apparent or even logical reason) demanding complete obeisance from the stunned visitor, unable to defend herself against this affront to long-held personal beliefs & revered traditions.

And while none of this may seem particularly provocative to the casual observer, just a pesky annoyance or mild inconvenience to some... it actually speaks to a growing attitude of disrespect & hostility towards individual self-expression & basic human integrity.

A microscopic indication of a decline in decency & general malaise of mean-spiritedness sweeping the nation, its people, processes, governments & government agencies.

When, I ask, did we stop being caring, sensitive humans & start becoming unconscionable, arrogant automatons? And how far will we go to further the divide between people & practices we deem 'different' &/or a threat to national security?
 

BEWARE: "Strait is the gate & 

narrow is the way"
The path of righteousness VS self-righteousness

My absence from these palace pages stem from these & other local & international injustices that simply make no sense to me. (Australian Budget 2014 is one case in point).

I'm pained & embarrassed by these flouts to fairness, & fear I'm beginning to resemble, less & less, the hospitable, happy person I strive to be.

As we retied the Rakhi of sisterhood on our dear friend, I couldn't help but feel something was inherently lost (in our otherwise warm Australian welcome). That somehow, the reception was marred by a bitter ambivalence which has dogged me my whole life – to express or repress.

Not especially an indictment on my adopted country (for this could have occurred at any number of Airports around the globe) … but a feeling of despair about the state of the world at large.

The desensitizing of feelings, lapses of judgement, lack of rational thought & common sense. The need to intimidate, humiliate & obliterate the divine essence of an individual (for the purposes of power & conformity)… & the discourtesy shown when we SEVER a simple red thread, that in its beautiful simplicity, actually BINDS us to our brethren… indeed, to all humanity.

Bond of friendship & fidelity

fashioned in stone 

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*Writing & photos by Rani.Cee