Japanese Jikogisei....

This letter written by a Vietnamese immigrant Ha Minh Thanh working in Fukushima as a policeman to a friend in Vietnam , was posted on New America Media on March 19th. It is a testimonial to the strength of the Japanese spirit and an interesting slice of life near the epicenter of Japan's crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It was translated by NAM editor Andrew Lam, author of "East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres." Shanghai Daily condensed it.

""

Brother,

How are you and your family? These last few days, everything was in chaos. When I close my eyes, I see dead bodies. When I open my eyes, I also see dead bodies. Each one of us must work 20 hours a day, yet I wish there were 48 hours in the day, so that we could continue helping and rescuing folks. We are without water and electricity, and food rations are near zero. We barely manage to move refugees before there are new orders to move them elsewhere. I am currently at Fukushima , about 25 kilometers away from the nuclear power plant. I have so much to tell you that if I could write it all down, it would surely turn into a novel about human relationships and behaviors during times of crisis. People here remain calm - their sense of dignity is very good - so things aren't as bad as they could be but given another week, I can't guarantee that things won't get to a point where we can no longer provide proper protection and order. They are humans after all; and when hunger and thirst override dignity, well, they will do whatever they have to do. The government is trying to provide supplies by air, bringing in food and medicine, but it's like dropping a little salt into the ocean. Brother, there was a really moving incident. It involves a little Japanese boy who taught an adult like me a lesson on how to behave like a human being. Last night, I was sent to a little grammar school to help a charity organization distribute food to the refugees. It was a long line that snaked this way and that and I saw a little boy around 9 years old. He was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. It was getting very cold and the boy was at the very end of the line. I was worried that by the time his turn came there wouldn't be any food left. So I spoke to him. He said he was at school when the earthquake occurred. His father worked nearby and was driving to the school. The boy was on the third floor balcony when he saw the tsunami sweep his father's car away. I asked him about his mother. He said his house is right by the beach and that his mother and little sister probably didn't make it. He turned his head and wiped his tears when I asked about his relatives. The boy was shivering so I took off my police jacket and put it on him. That's when my bag of food ration fell out. I picked it up and gave it to him. "When it comes to your turn, they might run out of food. So here's my portion. I already ate. Why don't you eat it?" The boy took my food and bowed. I thought he would eat it right away, but he didn't. He took the bag of food, went up to where the line ended and put it where all the food was waiting to be distributed. I was shocked. I asked him why he didn't eat it and instead added it to the food pile. He answered: "Because I see a lot more people hungrier than I am. If I put it there, then they will distribute the food equally." When I heard that I turned away so that people wouldn't see me cry. A society that can produce a 9-year-old who understands the concept of sacrifice for the greater good must be a great society, they must be great people. Well, a few lines to send you and your family my warm wishes. The hours of my shift have begun again.

Ha Minh Thanh""

I came across this letter a few days back. I was indeed intrigued by it. There have been lots of articles, reports etc in papers and magazines by many renowned and wise men on how our traditional culture is declining. In my blog, The Real Coffee, I had posted my views about the significant contribution of the West in the fall of our value systems. What puzzles me is the stark contrast in what we would do and what the Japanese do as demonstrated by the 9 yr old toddler; and this is despite the many similarities in the Indian and Japanese culture.

On, Giri and Ninjo form the basis of the Japanese value system. They are the concepts of indebtedness, social obligation and inner feeling. Like us, society is the pillar around which many decisions revolve in an average Japanese man's life. Like in Geeta, even their texts place heavy weightage when it comes to being aware of the social debt to be paid by every individual. Family is a very important part of the Japanese system, just like us! Concepts of sacrifice are regarded as supreme by their culture just like it is observed in ours. There are differences and there would always be but the fact I am trying to highlight is that the ones I wish to point out are similar if not identical. Imagine a disaster, like the recent triple strike on Japan,  in our country; chaos would be the only word apt to describe what may follow. This chaos breeds from insecurity. With a state of utter chaos, perhaps 1 in thousands would act as selflessly as the small Japanese kid mentioned above. I don't see a problem in acquiring food rations as per a person's need; but when the same person starts encroaching upon the rations of others, it is a big problem we face. With a supply crunch, everyone has to sacrifice some of his food intake to ensure another man lives a day more. This can extrapolate into all kinds of stuff now; the emphasis is on greed or rather checking it! Even when the situation gets desperate, the Japanese are fighting it out. Such a great setback to the nation and yet they are slowly getting back up on their feet with reconstruction projects under way. Now, if the Japanese can do it against the triple strike of nature, why cant we with a similar value system fight against this turbulent phase in our nation's journey?

The single biggest hurdle I identify is the demographics. The Japanese society is homogeneous unlike ours. Here, we see millions of types of classifications possible on grounds of religion, caste, race, language, regions etc. "Unity in Diversity" is nothing but hocum - it is a huge paradox. There can never be "Unity in Diversity"; it is against the laws of nature. There can be unity if there is a factor which unites; diverse factors can't do that! The mantra must not be " O Hindus, Muslims, Christians etc be one" but it must be "O Bhaaratiyas be one!" It is so as the former one points out the diversity and highlights it - how in the name of hell can unity be then! The latter, focuses on the unifying factor - the concept of belonging to one nation! We can't change the demographics but we can surely embrace each other as Bhaaratiyas, and we should if we are to stand a chance! I don't remember whether I have made an earlier reference to the following tale but I will still share it as it would put the entire discussion into a better perspective. I got this story from Chetan Bhagat's novel "The Three Mistakes of my Life" --

2 hungry men visit a food joint which is packed with customers. They order 2 thalis but the hotel manager provides them with only 1. Now, they have to either refuse the meal and stay hungry or they can fight against each other for that 1 plate of food. The second course of action is the most common - meal is just a metaphor. There lies our greatest problem; instead of uniting against the manager's improper behaviour (which can be termed as the hidden 3rd course of action - It is always the 3rd side which makes the diifference), we either "adjust" i.e. meekly surrender or choose the easier path of seizing it from the other person instead of fighting against the injustice of the more powerful manager. Just interject the words Government in place of the manager and 2 common men in place of the 2 hungry customers and we get the Great Indian Drama!!

To conclude, what has been demonstrated in Japan can happen here in this country as well. The similarity of our cultures and basic value systems prove that; It is just the fact that ours is somewhere dormant underneath and against the relentless evil and selfishness, we have till now lain down arms; but if the recent developments are to be believed - not just about Anna Hazare or the multiple CBI arrests; I am talking of some brave incidences I have happened to witness, know or learn about in the past few years (and I am sure many of you have such experiences at your end as well!), then one phrase crops up - we are rising! Many external factors including men, situations or challenges have crippled that inner faith within all of us; we have been scared at times, insecure at times, afraid to raise a voice or been fearful of what would happen to us or our families if we dare to fight evil but then there is one thing we need to ask ourselves - If a Hiroshima, a Nagasaki or a Fukushima has reinforced the Japanese society and its values, is it indeed wise to wait for something like that to happen here as well?

Jai Hind!