The Art of Forgetting

Forgetting brings out a number of funny and some times serious repercussions in the lives of people. I could not understand why my grandson stood in front of me with an outburst of laughter. I was searching for my spectacles for more than an hour. My forgetfulness of the spects on my nose triggered in him an uproar of laughter.

Forgetting is not only confined to old people but also to the modern youth. The calculator has made the youth forget even simple arithmetical calculations. In olden days, ‘vedas’ or other religious books were learnt by rote memory and not through books. Knowledge of some holy books was transmitted from one generation to the other only through a strong memory power.

Sometimes forgetfulness results in petty quarrels and problems. The husband flares up with his wife for not remembering a simple household activity. The wife blames her husband for the disappointment of attending a simple function. The officer charges his subordinate for his forgetfulness of a timely action on an important file.

Is forgetting an Art? Can it be cultivated by constant practice? The answer is it is a natural gift of art to some and it acquires mastery by constant practice in the case of politicians. In a democracy, facing the electorate is a necessary timely ritual and the gullible people listen to the utopian promises in rapt attention with their mouths wide open. Houses for the poor, drinking water supply, B.T. roads, quality electricity supply even to the remote village, construction of school buildings, improvement of rural health schemes are a few electoral promises. The foundation stones fixed up for some of the minor development schemes stand as mute symbols of unfulfilled tall promises. Promises are made only to be forgotten.

The rapid growth of the towns and cities without a proportionate development of roads leads to innumerable accidents. The mortality due to road or rail accidents is increasing day by day. High power commissions are appointed to investigate the causes of accidents. The findings are scrupulously forgotten and not even a few suggestions in the reports are implemented thereafter. The hot news in the print and visual media becomes cold as the rulers and the people forget after a lapse of time.

To quote a recent incident, a number of innocent schoolboys lost their lives due to drowning in a river. Probably, the teachers who took the boys for excursion did not take proper precautions. Enquiry conducted for the causes of this grave calamity may not soothe the agony of the parents. The government should set up some statutory guidelines to be followed by the schools for planning to go on excursions or educational tours. God is perhaps merciful to gift the ‘Balm of forgetting’ from the intensity of the shock and grief with intermittent spells of tragic memories.

Likewise, a major rail accident which records a heavy toll of lives initiates the government to setup an enquiry commission. The game of shifting of responsibility for dereliction of duty starts from top to the bottom. Time and people’s money are thus wasted, as the remedial steps suggested are not implemented. The collapse of a railway bridge due to heavy rain and sudden gush of water due to the breach of the tanks caused a major death toll. The railway authorities after trying in vain to shift the responsibility of the accident on the revenue official, finally throw the blame on the dumb sudden floodwaters. Thus they wash off their hands of their minimum responsibility.

The loss of lives is equated with the compensation given to the bereaved families. One cannot imagine the untold agony of the survivors. The art of forgetting comes to the rescue of the government in power. God is merciful. The intensity of grief of the bereaved slowly wanes and the ‘Maya of Forgetting’ overpowers the mind. It could not be completely erased from the mind but would come up to the surface of the mind now and then. In such cases ‘Forgetting’ is a natural gift of god to the suffering humanity and it is a great boon and not a curse. ‘Forgetting’ also becomes a virtue for successful politicians who cannot keep up the electoral promises they make to the innocent public.