The annual Jhanda Mela at the Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib in Dehradun was a spectacular sight.
The grounds were a vibrant ocean of colour, faith, and humanity.
Santa was in his element, munching on a bhutta and enjoying the festive atmosphere.
“This is life, Banta!”
“So much energy!”
“Let’s go deeper in, towards the main flagpole!”
Banta, however, was starting to look uneasy.
An hour ago, they had ample space to walk.
Now, they were beginning to bump into people with every other step.
The free-flowing crowd was becoming a thick, shuffling mass.
He could no longer move his arms freely without touching someone.
“Santa,” Banta said, a note of caution in his voice.
“I think it’s time we started heading towards the periphery.”
“What?”
“Already?” Santa protested, disappointed.
“But the main ceremony hasn’t even started!”
“A little pushing and shoving is normal in a mela!”
“Don’t be a spoilsport.”
“This isn’t about spoiling the fun.”
“This is my internal discomfort thermometer going off,” Banta explained.
“Right now, we can still move.”
“We have a choice.”
“If we wait another half an hour, the crowd might thicken so much that the choice will be taken from us.”
“We’ll be stuck in the middle, moved by the crowd’s will, not our own.”
He put a hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“Many people make the mistake of waiting until it’s too late because they’ve waited so long or travelled so far.”
“We must leave when we start to feel uncomfortable, not when we start to feel scared.”
Santa was still reluctant.
“But we’ll miss everything!”
“And think of this,” Banta added thoughtfully.
“By leaving the most congested area now, we are not just helping ourselves.”
“We are also making it a little bit safer for everyone who stays.”
“We are reducing the density.”
“It’s a small gift of safety we can give them.”
That resonated with Santa.
The idea that leaving wasn’t an act of cowardice, but one of collective responsibility, changed his mind.
They slowly made their way to the less crowded edge of the grounds, watching the main event from a safe distance.
संता – बंता की इस जुगलबन्दी से आज हमने क्या सीखा:-
जानें / Discover: भीड़ के मध्य होने की स्थिति में आपको चेतावनी के प्राथमिक लक्षणों का आभास कर सकने में सक्षम होना चाहिये / You must learn to recognize the early warning signs of dangerous crowd density.
विज्ञान / Science: अगर आपको यह आभास हो रहा हैं कि न चाहते हुवे भी आपका शरीर पास-पड़ोस के व्यक्तियों के सम्पर्क में आ रहा हैं या उन्हें छू रहा हैं, तो समझ जाइये कि भीड़ का घनत्व बढ़ रहा हैं। याद रखिये कि आप भीड़ से बाहर निकलने का निर्णय तभी तक ले सकते हैं, जब तक आप भीड़ के बीच में हिल-डुल सकने के लिये स्वतंत्र हैं / The feeling of starting to make unintentional contact with those around you is a key indicator that density is increasing. The decision to leave must be made while you still have freedom of movement.
विवेचना / Reflect: प्रायः किये गये धन, समय व श्रम के निवेश के कारण लोग भीड़ के मध्य उन्हें हो रही असुविधा को नजरअंदाज कर देते हैं। सच कहें तो इस हिचकिचाहट को छोड़ना एक महत्वपूर्ण जीवन रक्षा कौशल हैं / People often ignore their discomfort because of the investment they’ve made (time, travel, money). Overcoming this hesitation is a crucial survival skill.
उत्तरदायित्व / Responsibility: असुविधा महसूस होने की स्थिति में भीड़-भाड़ वाले स्थान को छोड़ दें। ऐसा करना आपका स्वयं के प्रति उत्तरदायित्व हैं, और ऐसा कर के आप भीड़ के घनत्व को कम करते हैं जिससे भीड़ में उपस्थित अन्य व्यक्तियों की सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित होती हैं / When you feel uncomfortable, leave the congested area. This is your responsibility to yourself, and it also contributes to the safety of others by reducing the overall density.
संता – बंता की यह जुगलबन्दी आपको कैसी लगी, कृपया हमें जरुर बताये
व
इस जुगलबन्दी को बेहतर बनाने के लिये अपने सुझाव अवश्य दें।
हमें हमेशा की तरह आपके सुझावों, प्रतिक्रियाओं व कटाक्षो का बेसब्री से इंतजार रहता हैं और सच मानिये इसी के आधार पर हम अपने आप में, अपनी सोच व रचनात्मकता में सुधार करने को प्रेरित होते हैं।
सो अच्छा – बुरा जैसा आपको महसूस हुवा हो, कमेंट जरुर करते रहें।
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