THE DRAGON TAIL

“What was your reaction to the Bangaluru molestation incident?” asked someone, yesterday.

I did not answer.

“You have not answered my question,” he reminded me.

I did not answer.

In a few seconds, I moved away from this person.

My reaction was my reaction. It was not something for public debate… I did not want to say anything for effect, for attention… There was a strong, intense feeling inside… and I knew that if I expressed it before some people, it would lead us nowhere… except a useless debate!

No one seems to remember a Nirbhaya or a Shakti Mill compound, today? In fact, when I was talking to someone this morning, he was blissfully unaware of both these imageries! Not his problem, you see… Public memory is exactly like that: It is short!

So, now on the New-year night, we have this new imagery to fuel our minds… the Bangaluru Molestation in public! Just a few days – perhaps a few weeks or months from now… this too shall be forgotten!

But, the question I was posed with was: “What was your reaction to the Bangaluru Molestation incident?”

I am angry. I am even angrier on listening to some ‘sick minds’ – the perverts – who publicly argue how girls who wear short outfits, who drink, smoke and move around in the night… yes, I feel mad when I hear from these sick minds the justification for the rape…

But, then, how can my anger help? How can my debate help? People like you and me do not need those debates… we know what is sickening about those sick minds.

I am angry. Like me, you and everyone around us.

Society had and society will have these perverts always. Mercifully, their number is insignificant… I know, these perverts won’t be able to destroy the society. No!

Last Sunday, our Tai Chi sir was leading us through a wonderful exercise called ‘The Dragon Tail’. It was the second or third time in my three-year tenure in our Tai Chi class that I was noting our sir leading us through this exercise… It is a very simple and playful exercise. Like the mythological creature, we all are full of poison inside… the negativity… anger, fear, hatred, envy, insecurity, lust, pride, revenge… and, like the dragon, we all have a long, powerful tail. “Imagine you have this dragon tail,” sir told us on last Sunday, “imagine it is your very powerful control device… Allow it to draw positive energy – ‘Chi’ – from the Mother Earth… wag your tail… wag it… wag it… wag it… Let the energy travel through your spine… let it strengthen your spine… move your body around the spine… wag your tail… wag your tail... wag it… Allow the Chi travel through your feet, calf, thighs, navel, kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas, intestines, lungs, hearts, brain, eyes, nose and ears… and, finally, in one volcanic thrust, breathe the lava of negativity out of your system… BBBRRRRRRR!

When our dragon tails moved our entire body, when our whole body swirled and dropped with that last growl of the dragon… BBBRRRRRRR…  yes, that is when we all would feel happy and childlike… Light and liberated.

The poison of anger, hatred, revenge, fear, envy and insecurity always keep us heavy on this earth… Our spines have weakened and our hearts have been damaged… Our dragon tails are given to us to strengthen our spines with courage… and to heal our hearts. All that we need to do when we are angry with someone or something… when fear and envy make us feel heavy… is to let our tails draw the healing energy from the merciful Mother Earth… and let it travel through our dragon spines… and throw it out in one massive go… BBBRRRRRR…

And, it is gone!

I think, as a nation, we all are presently, doing the same thing… We are angry and we are frightened on seeing the disgust wrought in by the perverts on the streets of Bangaluru… We are trying to draw energy from the Mother Earth through our dragon tails… so that we can strengthen our spines, heal our hearts and, let it go with one mighty thrust… BBBRRRRRR!

“Mother Earth Bless”… This is how our Tai Chi sir greets us every day!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Anil Bedi