YES, THE 'CROWD' AROUND US IS UNNECESSARY

“Always remember that you were once alone,

and the crowd you see in your life today

are just as unnecessary as when you were alone.” 

― Michael Bassey Johnson

Dr. Murthy, a very sharp and outstanding scientific brains, passed away some days ago. He went about pursuing his private career, first in the field of Semi-conductors, and, later, in the field of solar energy, after he took VRS from BARC. I had the privilege of being a teacher/coach for his three children. That’s when I had the opportunity to interact with Dr. Murthy…

I remember that evening, some thirty years ago. I, with the help of dozens of my students, had just founded The Dawn Club, and was burning with idealism. I was surrounded by innocent college students, who neither had any money nor had any first-hand experience of the practical world outside. They simply clustered around me and followed as if I was the Pied Piper of Hamelin!

I knew the danger of blind belief! Was I luring away the innocent children into the cave of darkness? Or, was I leading them out of the darkness? Yes, I was conscious of the danger of blind faith and fanfare…

More than me, Dr. Murthy was. He had seen the realities of a practical world from a closer angle than an untested guy like me had. So, along with one of my dear students, had visited his residence to take his advice. He heard me out with loads of patience and understanding. I was, as I was at that time, was oozing with idealism… You know that all-familiar gusto – ‘I want to change the world’!. Dr. Murthy, too, had chucked his secured government job, when his three children were still in college, to follow his heart. So, that could be the main reason why he was listening to me with all the patience in the world… We were there at his place for more than an hour. While leaving, he came to see us off till their row-house gate… He said this as his parting piece of advice…

Mr. Gerry, your ideals are noble and heart is clean. You will definitely succeed in building your organization to reach out to thousands of young men and women. But, always remember this: It’s the ants that build the houses, but it’s the snakes that come to reside in them!”

I was too young, at that time, to look beyond my nose. Dr. Murthy just cautioned... Perhaps, to caution me not to lure the young and the innocent into the Hamelin’s cave… to remain true to my ideals, always. Or, perhaps, he was cautioning me not to get lured by cunning snakes that would just ‘use and kick me out’ of the molehills I was building with such love and dedication…

Whatever might have been the meaning of Dr. Murthy’s words, but, I took them to remind myself, always: “Never mislead innocents… and, never be so innocent to be mislead by the Cunning!”

A couple of days ago, while attending Dr. Murthy’s thirteenth-day ceremony, I recalled his words before his children. Perhaps, that was my way of paying tribute to this genius: ‘Thank you Sir… May you eternally rest in peace’!

The world around us is a make-believe world. We crave for affection and adulation… We assume the ‘crowd’ around us will be there, forever…

That’s not going to be! The institutions, which we are busy building, will belong to unknown hands… and, we, the founders – the innocent, clean ants – too, will belong to unknown hands…

Dr. Murthy has departed to belong to ‘those hands’…

That’s all this Life, here, is all about!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Anil Bedi