Damage Done
It takes a few ideas for the direction of this world to change and from those few ideas it takes a few actions to create everlasting change on this earth. Think about plastic. It was created because actually help the world from the destructive forces of human need. Yet, in 2021 it is creating more destruction than protection. The flaw of humans is that we believe that by reacting to a situation that we are solving a problem. Many times we do solve the problem, but at times either immediately or in the future we find that our solution only caused more problems. This is not to say that we should do nothing in each instance, but what if there were instances when not reacting was far more beneficial?
Akshardham Reponse
September 24th 2002, two heavily armed terrorists attacked Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar. Local police were unable to contain the situation and at 11:30 PM the National Security Guard from Delhi joined to bring an end to this nightmare. Operation Thunderbolt, as it was called, ended at 6:45 a.m. At the end of the attack, thirty-one innocent lives including one BAPS sadhu had been killed. After the event Pramukh Swami Maharaj showed the world what humanity looks like. This attack was meant to stir communal riots and tear apart the state of Gujarat. If His Holiness Pramukh Swami spoke one word of of blame, entire communities would have been destroyed, such was the rage surrounding this event. Yet, Pramukh Swami Maharaj took to the air and appealed for all the pray not punish for what had happened.
Brigadier Raj Seetapathy, the NSG commando in-charge of the rescue mission called ‘Operation Thunderbolt’ or ‘Operation Vajra Shakti’, presented this case study, Akshardham Response: How to challenge an attack with calm and peace. Raj Seetapathy said,“What Pramukh Swami Maharaj did was unbelievable. He pieced society back together. The Akshardham tragedy instilled a sense of confidence that Gujarat need not burn at every spark that is ignited. What I observed after the operation was the calm and serenity that was quickly restored. I have faced many violent encounters in my professional life but Akshardham response was a great learning both from operational and philosophical point of views.“There was no slogan shouting, no anger being expressed for any community. It was one of the most magnanimous and exemplary acts of restraint and responsibility that foiled the design of terrorists to spark more violence,”
Picking The Right Way
January 6, 2021 will be written in history books around the world, and not because something good happened. On that day we witnessed the results of poor leadership and poor response. Yet, I have to ask myself about my level of response to things that happen in my life. Is it always worth reacting? Does my reaction cause more harm than good? Is doing or saying something going to help or hurt the situation? It is based in the actions of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj that I look to find the correct responses for events that take place in my life. It is how I can find peace and thus also create harmony within not only my life but the life of others.
