Immense Pressure Imposed by Invisible Bricks: On one hand, humanity takes preparation to travel to the moon after half a century. On the other hand, a quiet and slow collapse seems to consume us as it did the Roman Empire. Assumably, we are standing at the edge of something darker in this post-modern social setting.
According to most people, Artificial Intelligence has brought us to a turning point which is quite uncertain and transformative in nature; the last time human beings encountered this sort of climax was when they discovered the existence of fire.
Truth is such an aspect of human life which can feel both simple and hard simultaneously throughout an individual’s course of being alive. We find truth in an amalgamation of our endured moments where struggles, joyful moments, unspoken fears, and quiet sobbing coexist.
A message was received from the coordinator of Compassionate Korail, a palliative care initiative which started its journey in 2015 in Dhaka’s largest informal settlement.
A mother dog along with her puppies were trapped in a sort of quite narrow alley into which even the thinnest person in the world could not enter. Pinning her down, a huge piece of brick was placed on her body due to which she could not move. Most likely, she had been there all night.
In the coordinator’s words, “It was late; nevertheless, I asked for help, woke Ibrahim from sleep, and called two other women to assist us. I requested them to pull her out even if it hurt a little; at least she would survive that way”. She added, “Eventually we managed to save her. A mother dog usually bites anyone who approaches her. But she made no such sound”.
After saving the mother dog and her puppies, the coordinator felt that she witnessed the most wonderful scene of her lifetime.
In Metamorphosis, Kafka tells the story of a man who, in one fine morning, wakes up and finds himself transformed into an insect. This is a story familiar to us.
But the question lies in the most unsettling part which is whether we are being quietly and gradually pushed into corners from which we cannot escape. Instead of being crushed by a sudden force, we are collapsing while carrying the invisible weight of things we rarely notice.
There is an interesting story of Syed Mujtaba Ali revolving around a scholar and a three-legged dog. It speaks of a time when an English Lord used to spend seventy-five rupees on his pet every month; whereas a local school teacher used to struggle hard to support his family with an income of twenty-five rupees.
A stark contrast can be seen in these instances.
In this age of digitalisation, the majority of us have been reduced to numerical data, entries in spreadsheets, units of data, and different figures in reports.
Although dehumanisation escalates nowadays, acts of profound humanity exist as well.
The Compassionate Korail Project, initiated in 2015 by the World Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA) with an association of Bangladesh’s only medical university (currently BMU) at that time, was formed in order to serve the most marginalised sections of the society. Despite the formal project being ended in 2019, the spirit of it has been sustained by the Palliative Care Society of Bangladesh. Its purpose is simple yet significant; it aims to improve the quality of life for the elderly community with serious health concerns living in Korail, and to establish a caring as well as self-sustaining community where formal systems are barely benefiting them.
Almost two hundred thousand people live in Korail. Here, poverty is a constant unwelcome guest and healthcare services are limited. Chronic diseases are not exceptional; rather it has become a part of their day-to-day life. One of the most unmet needs of them is being provided with structured care, especially palliative care services.
Amongst all these challenges, someone stopped. Observed the situation carefully. Decided to act on it. The mother dog and her puppies become a symbol of this sort of empathetic behaviour because that single act of saving has restored their existence in this world.
A thin yet decisive line exists between compassion and cruelty.
The present time is quite uncertain and attributed to technological leaps and moral fatigue. This time demands not only visible progress but also assuring presence of care and attention.
As per the Dalai Lama’s observation, the current world does not require any more conventionally successful people. Rather, it is badly in need of healers, peacemakers, restorers, storytellers, and the lovers of humanity.
In that morning, from that unreachable alley in Korail, a being was brought back to life and freed from the immense pressure of a piece of brick.
Although the animal did not scream or cry, the silence was heard by an empathetic mind. This is the main essence of this story. The signature of humanity is everything that matters.
Let there be more affectionate gestures.
Let there be more projects like Compassionate Korail.
Let there be more hands stretched out to help, more eyes to pay attention to, and more hearts to feel.
Let there be an abundance of love and care.
Prof Sunjida Shahriah
Secretary General
Palliative Care Society of Bangladesh
sshahriah@yahoo.com
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