Independence of thought
A celebration that leads the audience wondering about the true meaning of independence
The Act
“Are we really independent though?” - pondered the bureaucrat.
“We earned it decades ago Sir! What is it that bothers your mind?” - quipped the Minister.
Sighing yet smiling, the bureaucrat looked around at the conference hall teeming with Ministers and office staff - some old, some newly appointed. All of them were relishing the festivities of the Independence Day.
“Are we independent? Yes, but no, my friends!”
“Let me narrate a story that will make you sense what I am pointing to”
The Audience
The spectators assembled at the B.K. Sharma Vidyalaya were looking at the school kids perform a drama. The kids were enacting roles of Government ministers, bureaucrats and diplomats and presenting a skit in honor of the Independence Day.
Parents and guardians watched with admiration while the school staff observed with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Weeks of preparation had been poured into the stage performances. It was after all a glorious celebration of India’s Freedom Struggle.
This skit was, however, a tad different. The principal herself had scripted it as an imaginary Government setting and put in tedious efforts to engage the students and fit them into the roles. She was a retired Administrative Services officer and had deep insights in the machinery as well as big vision for the future.
The Story
A donkey once wandered far away from its herd and got lost in the jungle. As the sun began to set, it began to panic and run helter-skelter in the hope of finding a way back to its herd.
Soon, dusk fell, light dimmed and sounds of nocturnal creatures filled the air. The donkey was now extremely scared and feared that predators might pounce on it. Suddenly, it heard the hoot of an owl perched on the tree above.
“Buddy! Looks like you are lost and with darkness around, you cannot even see. I can see in the dark. Allow me to guide you back to your home”
The donkey was relieved and could not believe its ears. It was a bit skeptical of the owl’s intentions, but it had no choice and went ahead with the plan.
The owl settled onto the donkey’s back and guided it out of the woods, through safe pathways towards the jungle’s edge. As the hours passed, the donkey dropped all its inhibitions about the owl and opened up to it.
Soon, sun rays perforated through the forest cover as night turned to dawn. With sunrays piercing its eyes, the owl was struggling to see. On the other hand, the donkey could clearly see around.
For some time, the donkey and owl were confused on how to continue. The owl, having been the direction setter was reluctant to give up its control and thus the power. It continued to give directions to the donkey, though the directions seemed illogical increasingly.
The donkey was so used to the owl’s guidance that it was afraid to explore on its own. It could see clearly, yet it was hesitant to decline the owl’s help.
At one point, the owl asked the donkey to take a sharp left. Suddenly, blinded by the sun, it asked to take a right. The donkey noticed that they were heading towards a cliff edge but did not pause. Its foot slipped and one thing led to another, and it rolled down the valley into the river. The owl took flight and escaped to the tree branches at the top. The donkey struggled to swim, but the river current was strong, and it drowned.
The Lesson
As the bureaucrat completed the story, the Ministers and their office staff were left stunned.
Sensing they might not have got his message, he elaborated -
“We were that donkey when we won the freedom and we relied on Owls to guide us. Most guided us based on what they wanted, not always what was best for us. The darkness of poverty, disease and weakness had condemned us to rely on others.
With the dint of our hard work, we now bask in the light of our success, skills and society. Yet, we rely on the hoots of these owls to guide us in the new world.
The world in front of us is new and evolving precariously. There is an attack on our minds through information, misinformation and disinformation. The hoots of these information owls and owlets misguide us.
Our ancient wisdom, by Mahavir - appana sachame secche – search for the truth yourself rings true even today.
As the final dialogues ended, the school audience broke into a rapturous applause.
The principal smiled with pride. In her heart, she wondered though how much of that applause was for the performance and how much was for the message.
Superb! Narration & example both are short but very effective.
Impressive 😍😍😍😍