N. Raghuraman's column: Choose patience instead of panic in emergencies

Between Monday and Wednesday last week, two incidents took place at two different locations located thousands of kilometers apart. One in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and the other on Kyushu Island in Japan. Bhopal was covered under heavy monsoon clouds, reflecting the worrisome atmosphere of Japan. Farmers' protests under the 'Kisan Kranti Yatra' completely blocked the main road of Bhopal. Suddenly the schools were closed. The parents were upset. Every car driver was troubled by the suffocating, humid heat. The main Hoshangabad road was completely blocked. Someone had to give a business presentation, someone had to reach home to take care of elderly parents. But no one could move an inch. Many people were entangled in the constant notifications on the phone. Some were constantly honking their hands on the steering. For some people, this situation was unbearable, so they lowered the window-glass and started cursing the jam. Some people tried to reach the Bhopal-Jabalpur highway by entering nearby narrow lanes, but in the process they also stopped the emergency movement. If big vehicles cannot turn in those lanes, then two-wheelers are also stuck. I was also present in the same traffic jam. Many appealed to car drivers to be patient. But everyone wanted to reach home early and in this chaos, no one could reach on time. The effect of this impatience was that some people had to spend the night at the homes of friends or relatives, while Bhopal is a much smaller city than Delhi. On Tuesday, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan's southern island. More than 1500 buildings were damaged, of which 179 were completely destroyed. Many people died and many were injured. About 80,000 houses were without water and electricity. Many people didn't sleep for 24 to 48 hours. Those whose houses were damaged were burdened with worry. In a crisis, the human being has a tendency to scream in a hurry to get information, go ahead and see how the problem can be solved. He tries to do everything possible for his family. But in that devastated area of the island, many people stood in queues not to get food and water, but to volunteer to deliver food and water to those whose homes were completely destroyed or who were hungry. Many people standing in the queue had pain in their legs. He could still feel the aftershock under his shoes, but he still stood in his place. This was 'Gaman' in its purest form. 'Gaman' is a major Japanese cultural concept. It means hiding one's personal pain, anger or grievances in order to maintain social harmony. To face natural disasters, difficulties, or sorrows with calmness and strength. To put the needs of the society and the nation above our own personal suffering. Somewhere or the other, we have all grown up in such a way that we need instant gratification or it can also be called the 'Two Minutes Noodles Generation'. But we must teach these lessons of 'Gaman' to our school going children. This will help us reduce their anxiety and they will learn to stay calm even in an emergency. The problem is that when infrastructure collapses or society comes to a standstill, real strength is not measured by how quickly you and I got home. This is reflected in those quieter moments, when ordinary people like us choose patience and collective responsibility over individual frustrations rather than nervousness.