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THE FOUR SIBLINGS: BETRAY ONE, BETRAY PEACE

A happy man lives blissfully. Although he is stupendously rich, his happiness is not at all related to his abundant wealth and assets. It is due to his four children, namely: justice, truth, tolerance and objectivity. His own name is peace. Every one admires a worthy and enviable life of peace but only few knows the secret.

Alas! There is no big or bigger secret behind it. The secret is just one. But peace has kept it with himself. He fears not doing so can jeopardize his secured and healthy life. He does not even tell the four children themselves. He fears lest greed tempts them to betray him.

What is this guarded secret? The four siblings must live together inseparably and harmoniously. At anytime one is missing the company of the others, peace feels threatened and weakened. The signs of that loss of appetite and vigor appear on him until the union of the siblings is restored. In case of long perpetual delay while anticipating such reunion, peace would become completely frustrated, despondent and eventually dies.

To circumvent against such unpleasant consequence, justice, truth, tolerance and objectivity must sleep on the same bed, attend same schools, and move about together as long as their father's well-being is inevitable.

But there is one more fact. Justice and truth have the same mother while tolerance and objectivity belong to another wife of peace. Despite this, there is harmony, calmness and tranquility in the entire household. Ill-feeling, selfishness, hate speech, politics and plot are alien and unknown.

The situation begins to change from the day greed visits the home of peace. He sees golds, diamonds and money. He leaves shortly but not until after telling the siblings two things. Yes! Two things which later become the canes that break the camel's back. One, there is so much wealth in their home that can make them happier than they are. Two, one party of the siblings is superior and deserves more of the assets than the other.

This influence bears strongly in the dispositions and characters of the siblings thereafter. Tolerance is slow by nature. He is at the other end of the backyard with truth and justice. With the new feeling of superiority, they show hatred for his slothful nature. They hurriedly tell him, 'can't you be smart for once?! Like mother like son. If you care, meet us inside for a deliberation'.

This remarks annoys tolerance but ego tells him 'Will you always be a fool while they appear to be Mr smarts?'. Instead of hurrying up to join them, he continues his task adamantly with the same snail's speed. 'This is my nature. If you can't tolerate me, you leave me alone', tolerance angrily reacts. He takes a mat and travels down through a long route of deep sleep.

They get inside and meet objectivity in the living room. 'we have a matter to discuss' justice intimates him. He immediately questions 'where is tolerance? Why is he not here? How proper is it to discuss family matters without him?'. 'He is too slow and cold. He is not smart enough so we left him' repliesTruth. 'I feel we should wait for him', says objectivity.

Truth fires back immediately: 'for how long are we going to wait? How far away is the backyard? Isn't he supposed to have come? Look, tell us if you aren't interested. After all, you are products of same milk'. They both abandon objectivity and head for inner room. Objectivity thinks he cannot survive in that environment. He packs few of his things and leaves the house.

As they take their seats, truth draws out the bag of money. 'This is what we are trying to discuss with them'. How do you think we should share it?'.'equally among the four of us, of course', justice answers. 'The fact remains that we are more superior. We deserve more shares', truth argues. 'No! I disagree. We are all sons of the same father', insists justice.

 'Then, if that is the case, let us take back the money to father's safe. Obviously, it was wrong to take it in the first place without his permission'. In fact, I will confess to father. He can do whatever he likes with us', truth speaks.
Without a single word, justice also leaves the house.

Following, this episode, peace begins to get deteriorated. Siblings take themselves as targets of hates and witch-huntings. Verbal and physical attacks define their days. Responses and counter-responses abound. Tension is high. Palpitation is intense.

They cannot eat with settled mind, sleep with closed eyes and walk with no gaze in different directions. They are famished in plenty and are abandoning houses to dwell on open fields. The house of peace has never been so insecured.

To quickly revive peace and rescue it from complete sudden death, a search effort to bring back tolerance, objectivity, truth and justice into mutual coexistence with no inklings of betrayal is expedient.

Greed is the enemy. Military weaponry and artillery must be targeted at it. It is the fire on the rooftop. The fire fighting hoses must be directed at it.

This is a parable of a turbulent nation.

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