My Agony

Winter days are not my favorite ones, but cannot skip those from year around. Days seemed passing by aimlessly. For some reason it was nice and relaxing to remain less occupied. Unwittingly I was welcoming “change” in my sprightliness.

Drifted away with my own adversative thoughts, one weekend morning appeared to pass by strangely. I started imagining what all could have had happened to Haitians after that deadliest earthquake, what could I have done if this could have happened in Nepal.

I remember the faces of many Haitians that I have watched on various television channels right after the big catastrophe. Many have dead; the survived ones looked injured, shaken and feared to death for losing their all belongingness including their limbs and other parts of their bodies. It is heartbreaking to see the destruction and need at the center of the chaos. Consciously, I felt apart numerous times even just to conceive.

This disaster was certainly a wake up call for many Seismologists across the world. Could we have prevented this foreseeable tragedy? Not even in my dream, I could have envisioned that the nature could lead so sudden, violent, horrific consequences.

I was left confused and clueless when I found out through CNN that the five scientists have predicted this catastrophe and they have presented their paper during 8th Caribbean Geological Conference in March 2008 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. So to speak, we could have somewhat prevented this tragedy. We could have rationed our activities. What is the purpose of engaging in such a tireless research that can just reveal facts but no opportunities?

There were more than 200,000 Haitians with HIV/AIDS before the quake. There were already many people with similar chronic conditions who needed consistent drug treatment long before this disaster. No Haitian city has a public sewage system. Haiti’s public-health infrastructure was at the verge of collapse and has to be rebuilt. This means that our support should replace more than just few collapsed hospitals.

Politically speaking, as much as I don’t want to acknowledge, the truth is humanitarian has still remained a foreign policy. I began to question is it possible for us to go and do something beneath the headlines and beyond the chatter.
It is hard for all of us to seek out for the world beyond our power. I am not sure should I be feeling proud that my tax dollars were spent generously for televisoned rituals, outpouring money for help and support. After all rebuilding Haiti’s is a measure of American prestige. Isn’t it?

Acknowledging, I should feel a bit secured that that money is not atleast spent on killing jihadist in Afghanistan, Somalia or Yemen, otherwise, I was about to settle that Americans knows only to show power and no compassion.

Nepal’s case in such similar incidence would be much or less the same devastating as Haiti’s. With just one international airport runaway to land international fights, I happen to realize, I could not even fly back home to rescue my family.

All morning that day, I remain confused and clueless. As a wise man once said, “Confusion is always the most honest response.” I decided to conquer with my confused soul.

Contemplating, I began to question how hard it is to get expose to the perspectives that can enable to make us the right choices for our families, our career and our lives. I am sure we are aware of the fact that Haitians who were buried by this quake were also the victims of the poverty and neglect just not the quake.

Let’s be more prepared and better informed to help making Haiti’s and other places that will never be so invulnerable again. Let us get inspire and inspired others.