Ode to resilience

The sea is rough. I can sense it even in Dhaka, a good three hundred kilometres away from the danger zone. What are my men doing I wonder? The real lucky ones, I assume, are sitting in the dark, crowded rooms of the cyclone shelter; others reluctant to leave the refuge of their thatched houses, the only real protection in their lives, are all strong against the raging wind. Some may have even dared to venture out into the sea. Chanting the kalima in unison with other fishermen, an open declaration of War against the treacherous nature.

I failed to understand the driving force behind these men, battling the odds of nature in every step of the way. Where do they get the courage to battle against hunger, against the Mahajan, against life? They have been fishermen all their lives, the lives of their fathers, their great grandfathers and further still in their patriarchy. It seems through the ages, they have been handed down with the tradition of defying all laws natural or human. This makes life bearable and their spirits revived. A hurricane has come and gone, they know more is yet to come but their struggle goes on. Signing Off!

The excerpt may be a work of fiction but it does, in essence, speak of the people living in the coastal belts of the country. We salute these valiant souls and pray for the salvation of those departed.