Tragedy and reaction

Tragedy and Reaction

Emotions may not be exclusive to homo-sapiens, but they seem to be the only ones to let the emotions get the better of the rationale.

Darwin's theory of evolution is based on the fact that all living organisms finally do take decisions on their survival as prime motive, with everything else being secondary - Or they perish. Is it an irony that well thought out "Emotional Quotient" is based on tuning of emotions on long term basis, while the normal emotional reactions do not cross beyond one's nose?.

Let us take the heartrending tragedy of the pathetic death of more than 90 children in the fire accident at Kumbakonam, a small, normally serene town in South India Be it an accident or a case of negligence - No one who had seen the scenes in the Tv could be unaffected and still call themselves human beings. After the initial shock of seeing the children, it is but natural one thinks of the trauma of the hapless parents - who have lost their most cherished possession - their loved ones.

But is their love so cheap that couple of lakhs or few thousands can compensate?

Can their love be equated in simple monetary terms, so their sorrow would vanish with money?

Have the parents lost their bread winners and not compensating with money threatens their very survival?

The rational thinking would be to immediatly mobilse the funds to make the other places of mass assembly of children - be it schools or anganwadis - a safe place. Atleast against fire hazards. Instead, what do our politicians do? - vie with one another to provide money to parents of those children - whose need for money is no different from millions of other Indians.

• • would it not be better to

  • ear mark that money for providing medical and mental support for the surviving children - and may be to all traumatised parents?

  • Provide funds for replacing "unsafe" structures with reasonably safe ones in a phased manner, instead of the 'KNEE JERK" reaction of pulling down the thatched structures, without providing alternates.

  • Understand that "escape route" is most important in a any safety system, than the materials of construction alone.

Would this reach those associated with education, and the grown up children to make safety a habit - instead of allowing a tragedy to take place and then hoping for compensation by a dole?

Finally - while emotion is important - should emotion overwhelm rationale?