Humans and humanity

03-08-2024 

    Reading the news has become a hobby since I started noticing things around me, and the feeling of empathy has hit me hard. This week, it has been saddening to learn about the landslides in Wayanad, a place in my neighboring state. Due to heavy rain, people have been suffering for a week. 
To summarize the article, a grandmother stated that she entered a tea plantation with her granddaughter to escape the landslide. There, they encountered three elephants. She was scared, so she made gestures to ask the elephants not to hurt them. Remarkably, the elephants did not harm them and even protected them until the rescue team arrived. The article link is attached below.

Full story (Times of India)

    This event has raised everyone's eyebrows, witnessing the humane act by an elephant, an animal classified under the kingdom Animalia, known for exhibiting predatory and anti-predatory aggression behaviors. Despite their limited cognition and biological aggression, animals can display acts of humanity as demonstrated by the elephant. When it comes to humans, are we truly exhibiting the same level of humanity?

Let's see how humans response to the same landslide situation.

    

Reason for comments and disharmony between Kerala and northern states 

   These comments stem from political disputes and differences in language and religion between the southern state of Kerala and the northern states. 

1. The northern states, with a Hindutva majority, do not consume beef and consider it a sacred animal, whereas in Kerala, it is not considered so.

2. The state of Kerala opposes making Hindi a mandatory language.

3. A portion of Kerala is politically against the BJP because it opposes beef consumption and promotes Hindi as the national language.

       The differences and disharmony have led to various comments. Differences may arise from beliefs, religions, or languages. Despite these differences, our humanity sets us apart from animals. As of July 30, there were 344 deaths, which have now increased to 358.

The mocking and hatred show that beliefs and disagreements can blind people to empathy and humanity. This raises the question: "If the loss of lives doesn't provoke empathy due to rigid beliefs and ideologies, where does our humanity lie?"

       

     The first event involves an elephant displaying remarkable kindness and understanding during a landslide, refraining from harming a grandmother despite language barriers (Malayalam or Hindi). This act demonstrates the elephant's capacity for empathy and coexistence, disregarding the destruction of its natural habitat by humans.

        In contrast, humans often emphasize differences, neglecting their fundamental quality of empathy. This comparison highlights a critical lesson: the need for humans to prioritize empathy and mutual respect over divisions. 

    "Differences, disagreements, and hatred are part of our lives due to the social constructs we have built over years of development. Still, acts of humanity and kindness should never be hindered by any level of cognition we acquire"