Runam, ones land, one parents.

Some old people were discussing today. Their children abroad. Settled well. And how the dusk of life was lonely. Difficult.

Not complaining. Yet wistful.

I overheard in silence. Hearing in the silences. The wish that their children were close by. Their assessment as the day closes. Of what finally counts. When the balance sheet is added up.

It was sad.

And yet the issue is deeper, for deeper.

It is not just the answerability of the progeny for the parent.

It is Answerability itself.

That stands lost today.

That learning which was never part of what society passed on. To the current children.

The learning that was traditionally seen as the foundation stone if all learning.

Rinam.

A word that cannot be translated, except poorly as Debt.

Rinam to the land that nurtured one. Rinam to the poor of the land who grew the very food that nourished one. Rinam to ones parents. Rinam to ones traditions. Rinam to ones guru. Rinam to ones million gods.

Unless Rinam is understood. Nothing can be understood.

Every villager understands Rinam.

• Vishwanath GR Lovely. But I am curious why you insist why it cannot be translated as Debt. Is it because of the all encompassing nature of Rinam, and that Debt is normally applied in a financial context? Or, is there some psychological element to Rinam that is not present in Debt?

   

   

   

   

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    Aparna Krishnan Rinam has soul. It encompasses lifetimes and yugas. It is used in that context. In the village some things are explained as 'you both had a past sambandham, a past rinam', referring to across lifetimes.
    
    Debt is just a word to me.
    
    Rinam encompasses a civilization.

     

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  Vishwanath GR At the risk of sounding harsh to one's parents and ancestors-- the forgetfulness was not just on the part of the generation that moved abroad. The parents too- most of them- seldom paid a second thought on the loss of language, culture, religion and tradition. One of the ironies is that many of them were very traditional themselves. Why did they, in most cases, not think through the consequences? Status seeking explains much of it: the point being that even our parents were under its thrall

   

   

   

   

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  Aparna Krishnan Yes, the loss began earlier. Modern education played it's role. It disempowers. The price it claims is loss of roots. Of values anchored there.
  
  I see the so called illiterate/ backward communities, such as my village, as the real upholders of the soul of our soil.

   

   

Dharmam and Runam are equally used in the village vocabulary.

I am beginning to prefer the word Runam. Our Debt.

It is just a repayment we owe.

To the country that nurtured us. To the community that anchored us. To the parents who brought us up.

To default is to err. To follow it is no extra credit. It is just basic decency to repay debts.

This soil. Mannu, mitti. This land. The peoples of this land.

To claim it all. As ours.

To allow it all to claim us.

To answer its claim on us.

To return first to that soil, that land, that sustained us.

That sustains our very being. Our body, our soul, our ancestry.

To answer all its claims. By deed, word and thought. By first returning to it. Body, mind and soul.

Is Rinam. A word that cannot be translated. Except feebly, as Debt. Our debt. To all that has sustained us. To creation.

Is Dharmam. Another word that cannot be translated. Which etymoligically means 'That Which Sustains'.

I see many stories of people 'sacrificing' their jobs in US and coming to India. Or people in India 'sacrificing' corporate jobs and doing more essential work that society needs.

To do the right thing is not a 'sacrifice'. It i just has to be done.

To call it a sacrifice is to distort it. It is simply a duty. Unwritten and non negotiable.

Rinam, debt. To return to those whose sweat and labour sustained us, nurtured us. nurtures us. In every village.

And doing the act that should be done pays many dividends. Very rich dividends.

As Eashwaramma in my village, landless, iliiterate, very wise, told me, "Dharmam chesthe devudu manasshanthi isthaadu'. (On doing the right act, Dharmam, God gives peace of mind.)

I see many stories of people 'sacrificing' their jobs in US and coming to India. Or people in India 'sacrificing' corporate jobs and doing more essential work that society needs.

To do the right thing is not a 'sacrifice'. It i just has to be done.

To call it a sacrifice is to distort it. It is simply a duty. Unwritten and non negotiable.

Rinam, debt. To return to those whose sweat and labour sustained us, nurtured us. nurtures us. In every village.

And doing the act that should be done pays many dividends. Very rich dividends.

As Eashwaramma in my village, landless, iliiterate, very wise, told me, "Dharmam chesthe devudu manasshanthi isthaadu'. (On doing the right act, Dharmam, God gives peace of mind.)