“The clocks were striking midnight and the rooms were very still as a figure glided quietly from bed to bed, smoothing a coverlid here, settling a pillow there, and pausing to look long and tenderly at each unconscious face, to kiss each with lips that mutely blessed, and to pray the fervent prayers which only mothers utter.”
These lines from the novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott beautifully encapsulate the pervasive presence of a mother. It is in the little and the large things of life, seldom seen and often overlooked that the role of a mother gets manifested.
Belated Happy Mother’s Day!
With that mellow thought in mind, I’m sure most of us celebrated Mother’s Day last Sunday, May 11, 2025. After all, that’s the least we can do to acknowledge and appreciate the unconditional love and unwavering commitment that Mothers and Mother-like figures have towards their families and familiar ones.
The Birth of a Day for Mothers…
While the custom of honouring Mother Goddesses goes back to ancient Greek and Roman cultures, it was in 1908 that the American activist, Anna Jarvis, ushered in the touching tradition of celebrating Mother’s Day. It was an endeavour to recognise the inspirational humanitarian acts of her own mother. Six years later, in 1914, the US President, Mr Woodrow Wilson bestowed an official status to the day by declaring the second Sunday of May, every year, as Mother’s Day.
Today, though reckless commerce has tarnished the real cause behind the celebration, Mother’s Day, in its intention, remains a very special day for each one of us. On this day, instead of asking (for almost everything), we want to give something to our mother. It could be the gift of time, a token of gratitude or a treat to tell her that she is treasured.
I planned a surprise get-together for my mother this year. I invited a handful of her schoolmates (the ones who live in Kolkata and those she keeps talking about) and nudged her to be dolled up for the evening. Her face beamed as her friends dropped in one after another, and soon it became an uproarious reunion of Carmelites! I will always cherish the sparkle in my mother’s eyes and the warmth of her embrace, in which she held me for a long time, when all her friends had left.
“Mother is a VERB. It’s something you DO. Not just who you are.”
Do you agree?
I certainly would. My nanny, who walked into my life, when I was just 14 days old, gave me the feel of a mother. I hardly realised when I turned from 14 days to 41 years, cocooned in her care, till I lost her. It was hard to accept that I would not see, hear or feel Miradi (that’s what I endearingly called her) anymore. The unbearable fact that her breath had become air was something I had to come to terms with, slowly but surely.
There are many communities where the grandmother is addressed as ‘Maa’ or ‘Amma’ and that makes it evident that motherhood is a role or a responsibility and not merely a biological relation. Often, teachers and mentors have a mother-like influence on us in the manner in which they guard and guide or shape and structure our lives. Commonly, an elder sibling or an aunt doubles up as a mother, which simply emphasises the vast scope of the VERB, Mother.
The Mother in Our Motherland…
But today, as I keep expressing and experiencing the subtleties of the word, ‘Mother’, puissant lines from the Bengali novel, Anadamath, by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhay, keep wafting through my ears.
“The Motherland is our only mother. Our Motherland is higher than Heaven. Mother India is our mother. …”
Just like a mother, the motherland holds and harbours us. It accepts us irrespective of who we are, fulfils our fundamental need to belong and gives us identity and individuality. So, like our mothers, our motherland must be valued and validated by all means and at every opportunity that comes our way.
Operation Sindoor…
Perhaps it would not be an exaggeration to assert that May 7, 2025 witnessed a manifestation of our deep love and lifelong devotion to our motherland, India. In the 25-minute operation, The Indian Armed Forces launched targeted missile strikes in nine terrorist facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir late in the night. It was in retaliation for the April 22 “barbaric” Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians from 14 states and 1 Nepali citizen lost their lives and numerous were left traumatised.
But two things of Operation Sindoor stand out. The actions were “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible” and that speak volumes about the values our Mother India has instilled in us for generations. Also, the operation was announced by the Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri along with two senior women officers of The Armed Forces, Colonel Sophia Qureshi of The Indian Army and Wing Commander, Vyomika Singh of The Indian Air Force. A Kashmiri man and two women, a Muslim and a Sikh, all came together to tell the world about India’s response to Pakistani terror.
What solidarity in the face of adversity!
Indeed, only our Bharat Mata is capable of building such steadfast bonds amongst her children that the moment Her safety and stability are threatened, every Indian stands in unison to protect the motherland and preserve its sanctity.
The Terrific or The Tender…to address the WHAT IF?
But since then, a lot has happened and the air keeps getting heavy with anxiety and apprehension. Our neighbouring country targeted military bases in the north and west of India and attacks and counter attacks between the two nations ensued for a while. Mock drills, blackouts, sirens, red alerts, cancellation of leaves were slowly threatening to become a part of our lives.
Finally, on the following Saturday, a Ceasefire pact between the two nations was agreed upon. Military action was prohibited on air, land and sea from 5 pm onwards. However, the agreement was violated by Pakistan within a handful of hours. And while India is on a pause, it has been announced that the country will neither put up with ‘nuclear blackmail’ nor actions that are aggressive and anti-peace by nature.
Mothers are staunch upholders of integrity; yet it is their mellowness that makes us so fond of them. So, today let us simply respond as children of Bharat Mata. Let us not celebrate war but hold on to humanity. Let us refrain from spreading misinformation and instead adhere to government protocols. Let us be ready for a crisis but be careful not to create one. Let us respond in resilience and embrace in empathy as we keep humming…
Maa Tujhe Salaam!
By Promita Banerjee Nag
An avid word enthusiast and content-churner, Promita is fuelled by novel writings, ideas and light-hearted banter. A teacher by passion, she treads the path of unequivocal learning with and through her students. Mother, music and ‘mishti’ mostly convince her. If you wish for a tête-à-tête, feel free to reach out to her at promita033@gmail.com.
Facebook Comments