C’est La Vie or Until It Isn’t.
Keralam, my little state in South India, has been witnessing terrible weather over the last few days. The sky decided to open up into a relentless pour. Within a few hours, many parts of Keralam were flooded. Landslides added to the chaos. While initial estimates suggest losses in crores, the cost of human suffering will, as always, remain incalculable. Even as I write, the television screen is continuously streaming heart-wrenching footage of the extensive damage across the state. Even amidst the unfolding tragedy, political opportunism has already begun. Some politicians are busy directing manufactured or manipulated ire at the government, misplaced for the occasion. Was this flood an unprecedented event? Do we console ourselves by saying, “such is life?” ( c’est la vie ? in French?), or should we refuse to accept preventable tragedies as inevitable? Let us reflect before rushing to blame the heavy downpour for all our ills. Keralam is not new to floods. We have...
