The War Within

"This war isn't over, in our collective psyche, it will be fought long after the last shot is fired"…remarked by award winning writer and novelist David Blackle, from Sri Lanka. David is concerned about the reluctant attitude of the Srilankan literature and art fraternity towards the war between the Srilankan arm forces and LTTE. His apprehension is that, when a war of such dimension takes place it impacted the entire gamut of civilization. From high intensity upheavals, unimaginable losses-- both human and property, disruptive law and order, to finally the thought of a new found nation. Sri Lanka may be at the verge of ending this war, but back in the minds of millions the war will persist and influence every sphere of life hereafter. So David appeals to all writers and artists of the region to participate in re-defining, and re-modeling the war-torn nation.

I am going thru a war too, but unlike Sri Lanka my war is more subjective and confines to myself and all those around me. I want to see everyone around me happy, not because I'm under certain obligations, but because my complacency is deeply attached to their hopes and passions. In pursuit of this simple ask I often find myself in a position, can be best described by the catch phrase-"so near yet so far". I'm not saying I don't have choices, but they all seems to end up losing me.

David has a strong reason to address the literature and art fraternity. I wish if I had the same vibrancy and assertiveness to call out for my rescue from the war within. But I wonder what might be the reason to initiate such an approach. When you get encaged in a Catch-22, there is no escape; on either side you are the loser.