Empathy, a lost value

As per the census of 2011 India has 9, 38,348 number of homeless citizens lining many of our roads and alleys. Although we are not aware of the current statistics, we know of the increasing numbers. Often, we feel sorry for the homeless but proceed with our work. This is what Harsh Mander, human rights worker and writer talks about in his most recent book titled, ‘Looking Away: Inequality, Prejudice and Indifference in New India’. The book was launched on Thursday at Lamakaan.

The book chronicles the loss of life, insensitivity and lack of empathy in our society. However, it also carries a ray of hope, which often seems to elude us. Carrying personal experiences, comments and accounts of all varieties of societal violence, this book is sure to be an unsettling read.

“What worries me is not just the facts of inequality but how little discomfort it causes us and how easy it is to turn our faces away from these sights,” says Harsh Mander. He further adds that feeling nothing is what characterises our times. “Prejudice against Muslims is legitimised in middle class society today, and so is discrimination of Africans or the North Easterners. I wrote this book because I feel deeply about the way we are,” states Harsh Mander.

Harsh Mander, a former IAS officer has worked at the grassroots level with the poor, homeless and marginalised, fighting for their cause. He has also worked on Food Security Bill, Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Bill among others. At the launch was also a discussion of the topics highlighted in the book by panellists incuding Arshiya Ayub, psychotherapist and counselor; Shafeeq Mahajir, advocate; Padmanabha Reddy, secretary, Forum for Good Governance.

Counsellor Shafeeq Mahajir said, “Justice is a very difficult thing to attain. You either get justice at first shot or not at all. Exclusion then, comes as no surprise.” The talk underlined the points that while the nation undertakes multi-layer road projects and multi-crore plans, other more detrimental issues still prevail. Advocate Padmanabha Reddy said, “Concepts of Bangaru Telangana and Swarnandhra Pradesh are all good, but the common man cannot understand this. His needs are different and basic – food, house and water.”

Harsh Mander’s other books include ‘Unheard Voices: Stories of Forgotten Lives’ and ‘Living with Hunger and Ash in the Belly: Indias Unfinished Battle against Hunger’. His stories have been adapted into films like Samar by Shyam Benegal.

By:Elita Enoch