Aur phir ek din ... (Failing rains ...) - 4

Eashwaramma will go for her eye checkup tomorrow. Its a month since her cataract operation, and her operated eye (the other is blind) continues to pain. She has not been able to take the required rest as there has been the cow to graze and cut grass for. Meanwhile her grandson fell ill, and gettling ill with worry herself she ran to the vaidudus to get the antrams, and the medicines. The medicines I posted from here took four days to reach and meantime she had resolved the problem with her own efforts and the vaidudu's.

The problems are hers, and only hers. And all that is given to us, is to help ever so slightly, and then also break our hearts. Because Eashwaramma's problem is not just Eashwaramma's, but a larger problem of sever disparity, poor access of the poor ...

The rains are failing. This year the groundnut will again stay unsown. The cattle will also have nothing left to graze, and that will mean distress selling ... and slaughter houses. And the hearts of the people will break as cows are almost family.

Does the climate change, wrought by our excesses, have to hit those most innocent of causeing it ? To an extent where their lives unravel. Will we watch in silence ... ? Eashwaramma, Annasamy Anna, Chinapaapakka, Dhanamma, Shankaranna ... the bells toll for us.

The problem for the poor is poverty. And the problem of poverty is that we have too much, and others have too little ... that is all. It is very simple.