TS14 - North: Reflections on Hunger Banquet:

External Inequalities, Internal Shifts

The hunger banquet run at TS14 – North was not to discriminate between participants. It was to create a simulation of dynamics in the real world and how we choose to interact with it. The 9 hours were challenging, unfamiliar and thought provoking. If we could capture the energy and agitation in that room and carry it into our daily lives, weekly shakhas and aspirations for the future; there is no doubt that we would tap our latent potential to make a significant change in the Hindu samaj.

During the debrief, words like disbelief, sense of injustice were used to describe how participants felt through the experience. Recognising those emotions in oneself is evidence that the activity stirred something deeper in each person. Our 'real life,' day to day routines buffer us from experiencing such feelings. We get busy in our own lives and over time we learn to block out the realities of the wider world which may disrupt our flow.

Poverty, injustice, discrimination, oppression all exist in and around our lives in the UK, in India, to Hindus and across the world. We often become immune to their existence and simply pass them by as we get more entangled in our lives.

We may choose to block them out.

But they still exist.

The opposite of love, is not hate. It's indifference.
The opposite of art, is not uglyliness. It's indifference.
The opposite of faith, is not heresy. It's indifference.
The opposite of life, is not death. It's indifference.
Elie Weisel

apathy noun 

ap·a·thy 

lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

"widespread apathy among students"
"there were reports of widespread apathy amongst the electorate" 

synonyms: Indifference, lack of interest, lack of enthusiasm, lack of concern, unconcern, uninterestedness, unresponsiveness, impassivity, passivity, passiveness, detachment, dispassion, dispassionateness, lack of involvement, phlegm, coolness; listlessness, lethargy, languor, lassitude, torpor, boredom,

In the context of TS14 – North, it was at meal times that the discrimination between participants became evident. During breakfast, there was a real sense of frustration amongst the low income group that they did not get 'enough' food. They tried to block the bhojanalaya team and shikshaks from serving the other tables, they entered the kitchen and tried to take food out, they shouted and demanded answers. The atmosphere became tense. It wasn't until an adhikari joined that group and initiated Hanuman Chalisa and Sangh Geet did the low income group settle down. It took an adhikari to channel that energy towards something more positive and enjoyable. So enjoyable in fact, that a member of the upper income group, finished his full breakfast and joined the low income group for khel!

What did middle and upper income groups do? Some did try to share food, however that was gently blocked [similar to how the real world works]. They didn't choose to force the matter again. It is natural to feel injustice when we see others getting more than us however does that feeling go the other way? What do we feel and think when we are in the group getting more? Do we recognise our position of privilege and use that to find a way to serve and sacrifice and support the cause at the risk of giving up our own security and comfort? Or as could be the case here, do we just 'play along?'

The solution wasn't simply to go and share food amongst the tables.

Whether there is some food, no food or 'enough' food – it is our attitude and actions which are most telling. Even in times of adversity, we can choose to get frustrated and upset or we can find a way to make the very most of it. Adversity reveals one's true nature and values. This adversity brought the low income group together and through bhajan and khel they channelled their earlier frustration. This is a life lesson whether we are penniless or financially independent. We may not be able to control the external environment but we can certainly take responsibility of our own actions and reactions.

Moving from Entitlement to Empathy

We are incredibly privileged in our lives here to know that we have access to food. Whether that be at home or otherwise. However, food is not an entitlement. We are not 'owed' a meal. A shibir should still continue successfully even if there is no bhojan.

If you speak to your elders, it is more than likely that your parents or grandparents at some stage have not had the luxury of a certain meal. If we can start with changing our sense of entitlement to food and extend it to education or job opportunities or sense of political secuirty, we will slowly but fundamentally change our interactions with the world. From an attitude of entitlement and expectation we give ourselves the opportunity to move towards feeling grateful for however much or little we have. In this mind frame we will grow, take initiative and personal responsibility. This feeling is incredibly empowering.

I expect that the sense of injustice at TS14 – North was heightened because we knew the names of the other participants and had a common connection to each other. I expect the disbelief was more palpable because we could see it play out within the four walls of the shibir sthan. The real challenge is to extend this feeling of fraternity and awareness to others in our nagar, the Hindu samaj across the UK and even the world? How do we nurture this feeling of empathy in ourselves?

In the Sangh Prathana we say Vishwa Dharma Prakaashena, Vishva Shaanti Pravarktake. In order to work towards this noble cause, we will need to nurture the same sense of brotherhood and oneness and broaden our vision, purpose and reach gradually to a wider and wider audience.

Then and then alone you are a Hindu when the distress of anyone bearing that name comes to your heart and makes you feel as if your own son were in distress.
Swami Vivekananda, Rousing Call to Hindu Nation

Our daily choices reveal our character

As organisers, one of the most telling parts of the activity was when we finished. We gave the group the choice to eat and also invited everyone to refrain from eating to continue experiencing the discomfort of hunger.

How fortunate to be given that choice?

Imagine all those millions of people around the world who have no choice but to continue in their hunger.

Without hesitation everyone chose to be served food. Stepping back and observing everyones reaction, it looked as if this was the first meal they had eaten in a week. People were excitedly eating and talking and seemed to have forgotten the previous 9 hours. This is a very human reaction.

What if the choice to continue in hunger had been taken? Even by 1 person?

It is unlikely that choice would have changed anything externally.

However, it is a conscious choice that the individual would have made.

To make such a choice, in those circumstances, requires self awareness. It calls on deeper reserves of strength and stamina. It takes internal silence.

Making that choice would have made a silent but significant internal shift.

Even then, one of the plates that returned to the kitchen from the 'pink' table still had food remaining. A participant commented, “we've been through this and somebody still wasted food!!”

Change is possible.

And it starts from within. 

And its not going to be easy.

We can continue to have elaborate conversations about the sanskaars that shakha instill in us, what Hindu Dharma tells us, great people who we continue to hero worship. However we only truly know our own depth of understanding and practice when we are faced with adversity. We only know our spirit of sacrifice when we are willing to give our food when we ourselves will remain hungry. We only know our depth of connection to another when we are willing to respond to their needs over our own. This is why creating an experience such as this is important. It roots our thoughts in experience. It takes us out of our own head and grounds us in the real world. It challenges us to stop intellectualising, rationalising and imagining what we'd like to think we'd do.

My urge to you is acknowledge that you and I and we all have blinkers that limit our view. The real challenge is to expand our consciousness. The first step on this journey starts if each and every day, we make a small effort to broaden our world view. It is very easy to speak about 'stepping out of comfort zones' – however that can only happen when we have the courage to step into adversity. Each day, a little further into uncertainty. Each day, to explore our own boundaries. Our activities in shakha and samaj are the testing ground for this character building, values testing journey. Through this, we each have the potential to overcome the limits of our human frailties and realise our latent potential.

To find out more about the TS14 – North activity please contact any participant.

Here are a few ideas to continue your personal exploration

Skip a Meal

Live Below the Line

...get in touch if you have any ideas to add