A flood of despondency

Nature is predictable in its vendetta against humans and all they hold dear


Sunehra Mehmood August 04, 2015

It wouldn’t stop raining. When the water came inside our hut, we left. It almost reached Baba’s waist so he carried me on his shoulders. Amma carried my little brother. Grandfather had to fend for himself. Worn out, we reached a two-storey building where many people were gathered. After a few days, Amma said that if little Ali still didn’t have anything to eat, he’d die. I started praying earnestly. A helicopter! A sack of flour landed on the roof. Splat! The sack tore open, its contents spilled onto the wet surface. Having done its duty, the helicopter flew away.

Every time nature decides to have the better of humankind, we find that such stories are not uncommon. And, sadly, it’s not even close to being the worst-case scenario. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen footage of bobbing heads in the punishing water, eyes searching for a secure, dry place to rest their tired limbs and weeping hearts.

From afar, it seems that these people are a resilient lot; standing up to nature even after losing dear ones, all hope, the fruits of their hard work, as well as hearth and home. On closer inspection, however, they don’t seem to have a choice but to survive at all costs.

In such scenarios, nature is hardly to blame since it has no feelings. It’s the humans — our leaders in particular — who are harsher than the water that doesn’t care to hold back. It would be foolish to assume that we could ever beat nature at its own game, but we can certainly minimise the damage. However, when nature has had its fun and decides to torment some other parts of the world, all that our powerful leaders can muster are a few measly payouts accompanied by some empty words. And the worst part is nobody knows if the money truly reaches the deserving.

Nature is predictable in its vendetta against humans and all they hold dear. And, just as predictable are our leaders in their indifference to human suffering.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4th, 2015. 

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