I was a fun loving, carefree person, who loved to hang out with friends and learn different things like any youngster. Being a creative person, I learnt Italian, worked at a magazine and did a course in professional makeup. Jewellery however, remained my passion and I immersed myself in designing, manufacturing and exhibiting my fashion jewellery brand Joya, something I’ve inherited from my mom. That night completely changed my life. This month would have been my brother’s 35th birthday. We say that people are irreplaceable, but only once they pass away do we actually realise their value and how we take them for granted. I practise Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism and this philosophy has given me an inner assurance that my parents and brother are happy wherever they are! I pray for their happiness and well-being. On the face of it, overnight I lost a lot…. my family, my health, my mobility… basically I lost my freedom! From the perspective of Buddhism however, I have won! Coping with everything was hard. I have not really had the time to grieve because from the moment I was aware, I was ailing physically and this was taking priority in my day-to-day life.
Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches the spirit of never being defeated no matter what. In my core I refused to let go of my life and allow the bullets and injuries to defeat me. At first, everyday was a battle to just stay alive! I had survived for a reason and this made me summon up the fighting spirit and determination that I had to recover and get my life back to normal! At that point merely standing on my own feet was a struggle but regular physiotherapy helped me to take my first steps and start doing daily tasks on my own. I did not make excuses or plunge into despair. We tend to take ourselves for granted right down to the minute ways in which our body functions. A single nerve damage has such serious implications on one’s basic functioning! My physical capabilities and energy levels have diminished greatly.
To quote from an eminent novel The Count of Monte Cristo, “It needs trouble and difficulty and danger to hollow out various mysteries and hidden mines of human intelligence.” As I now have to plan my finances, sort out legal matters, as well as manage everything at home I am pushing myself everyday to expand my capabilities intellectually and physically. I feel empowered by my Buddhist faith, which enables me to set goals for myself and work towards their realisation. Before this episode, I was a person who would procrastinate and postpone things, but now, I take charge and tackle problems and situations head-on so I have begun to believe in myself again!
Being left pretty much alone is extremely daunting. I am fortunate to have the continuous support of my extended family and friends who have stood by me like pillars and who are ever willing to do anything if I ask for help. I can never take anything for granted now.
In Mumbai, people are resilient and quick to move on. In the heat of the moment everyone is charged up but very few people get down to real action. Most of the lessons that such episodes bring are forgotten. There is a good and a bad side to this. Resilience is good, but indifference is something that makes me feel sad. The cause of terrorism is not where it seems to be. It is far more deep rooted and begins in our hearts. It stems from the trend of the times with the obsession with excesses, consumerism and the greed that it brings out in people. We are so caught up with our own lives, our own pursuits that we are willing to ‘terrorise’ those in our immediate surroundings – our househelp, subordinates, children, spouses in order to get what we want at any or all costs. It may seem shocking, but this is how we contribute to terrorism ourselves!
Dr Norman Cousins, an American world peace advocate has said, “Death is not the greatest tragedy that befalls us in life. What is far more tragic is for an important part of oneself to die while one is still alive.” Despite what I have been through, my heart as a human being has not been ‘bombed.’ I do not feel hatred towards the terrorists, rather, compassion, I believe they are victims of their own circumstances and distorted beliefs that make them resort to such violence.
Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism resonates that each of us has infinite inherent potential and deserves to lead a happy and fulfilling life. We may have dreams locked up in our hearts that we are afraid to admit even to ourselves! Is it because we fear disappointment should we not succeed in achieving what we want? It is we who impose limits on our own potential as human beings with our doubts and fears.
To lead a physically, financially, emotionally and spiritually healthy life; one of no regrets wherein our human potential is entirely fulfilled, we need to have that vision of our goals and the courage and perseverance to achieve them. Dr Ikeda states, “A healthy and fulfilling life. That is the purpose of faith.”
What started off as a family celebration turned out to be an unimaginably tragic night for Jharna Narang who was dining at the Taj Mahal hotel with her family to celebrate her brother Gunjan’s birthday on November 26, 2008. Jharna lost her parents and brother during the terror attack. She was admitted to Bombay Hospital in a life-threatening state after taking four bullets. For eight long months thereafter, she lay in a critical state, and under constant supervision by a team of 19 doctors. It was only two months after that night that she was informed of the death of her family. A first-hand account by Jharna Narang three years down the line
A Career in Crisis Management
The frequency of terrorist attacks in India tends to dampen the shock value. While it is true that we as a country may not be able to divert a terror attack at all times, it is possible to build our individual and institutional capacities to cope with the disaster. Short term and long term strategies in readiness for any kind of disaster is the need of the hour.
In India there are many institutes that offer courses in disaster management. The main objective of these courses is to help one understand how to optimise human, material and financial resources to provide relief to victims in terms of natural or man-made disasters. For starters, a postgraduate diploma course in disaster mitigation and disaster management is a good course to pursue if you have the desire to help people in times of crisis.
The Disaster Management Training Institute (DMTI), the Jamsetji Tata Centre for Disaster Management at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) are some of the best institutes that offer intensive courses in this field. Candidates with an engineering background can create disaster-proof building designs. Employment opportunities can also be explored in NGOs and global organisations like UNESCO, Red Cross, World Bank and United Nations Organisations.
Volume 1 Issue 5
