The casualty

October 8, 2005.

The earth quaked again. This time more than 70,000 died.

Not a small number but still not enough to nudge our consciousness.

Strangely nothing happened.

But did anything really happen after Bhuj, Bam or Sumatra…?

Ironically, in this case the focus was on ‘relief politics’ instead of reaching out to victims. Relief is yet to reach many. Even after a month.

Such events are not merely a reminder of recurring disasters but also raise questions on human apathy.

Recently, when a series of bomb blasts hit Delhi on the eve of a festival (Diwali) with more than 60 dead and many injured, Delhi went ahead and celebrated the festival in the name of fighting terrorism.

We are a busy species totally occupied in the pursuit of something great. And in this race, who has time?

It seems that the real casualty is nothing but the human consciousness itself.And in such a scenario, technology has hardly any role to play.Bal