“The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone”—Henrik Ibsen
In the human social environment, there is hardly any room for seclusion or isolation from the community. The interdependence of human beings on each other is so profound that survival can become fatal if one has to fend for oneself without any support. There are many instances where persons are left on their own because of some accident or calamity but then they are forced to live an existence that is not only very uncomfortable but certainly most difficult. Having said this, one cannot but sympathise with those who find themselves alone in a crowd.
Although at a glance, being lonesome and being alone appear similar the truth is that both these concepts are poles apart. Whereas lonesome describes a melancholic condition, the other defines a mental state that can only be felt by none other than the person who is experiencing it. This could be either in physical form like a person left stranded in the wilderness or it could be on account of a thought process, an attitude, an affliction, a philosophy, or an idea that one finds impossible to share with anyone.
Then there are some people caught in peculiar circumstances and unable to find companions for a specific journey or venture, who have no option but to embark on their own. They resolve to take the first steps to decide whether or not they will be joined in by others. The lone wolf or the lone warrior are examples of those who believe in their cause and refuse to yield before any obstacle. Regardless of any assistance, they strive, no matter the scale of their efforts, to achieve their goals.
One such pioneer is Shayam Sunder Paliwal who belongs to a small village, Piplantri, Rajasthan, India. Born in 1964, Paliwal got married in 1987. He was blessed by the birth of a son and two daughters but the elder one, Kiran died at the tender age of 16 years due to dehydration. It may be mentioned here that Paliwal’s hometown is located in one of the most arid regions of the sub-continent, more particularly his village where on account of excessive mining for marble, the water table went down many hundreds of meters, and the land was stripped of vegetation. Another main characteristic was the misogynist approach of the villagers who were notorious for killing their new-born daughters.
Losing his daughter to water deficiency became a turning point for Paliwal. Single-handedly, he vowed to turn the tide and usher in a new era of the eco-female-friendly environment so in memory of his lost child, he planted a Burflower-tree.
On becoming the headman of his village, he issued two very important orders especially related to the birth of daughters under his “Kiran Nidhi Yojna” programme. One, on the birth of a baby girl planting 111 trees, and two, taking out a Rs31,000 insurance policy in the name of the child wherein Rs10,000 is the family’s contribution while the remaining Rs21,000 is shared by members of the panchayat (village management committee) and rest of the villagers.
The determination to change one’s course of life is sufficient to steer through dark waters and overcome all obstacles. The only important step forward is the step itself which many find hard to take
Over the years, both these objectives have helped to improve the ecological balance of the area while also preventing female infanticide. The earlier barren look of Piplantri has been transformed into a lush green forest with thousands of aloe vera and rose plants adding to the economic well-being of the villagers. The receded water table too has risen significantly providing much-needed relief to everyone. Paliwal’s efforts have been well-acclaimed nationally and internationally. He has received awards and appreciation for his work exalted in many documentaries and two movies made in India and Argentina.
Another renowned lone warrior is Julia Butterfly Hill born in 1974 in Missouri in the USA who broke all world records by spending a total of 738 days (from 10 December 1997 to 18 December 1998) living in a tree in Humboldt County in an act of civil disobedience in order to stop clear-cutting of forests. She made her abode atop a California redwood tree she named Luna and refused to step down when the Pacific Lumber Company (PL) began their destructive moves. Her unique act not only drew tremendous media attention but also spread awareness about the disadvantages of deforestation.
Although she was by herself in the tree top living on a 6”x 8” platform, she was aided by Earth First, a joint venture of radical-environmental activism groups who supplied her with essentials for survival. What is highly commendable is that this young girl braved extreme weather, environmental vulnerabilities, susceptibility to illnesses, and the constant attempts by PL to force her down, using tortious means such as floodlights and loudspeakers.
Hill’s two-year vigil bore fruit as a settlement was reached to protect her tree’s immediate surroundings which also included a $50,000 donation to Humboldt State University for forestry research. She went on to participate in protests for environmental protection, for wars funded by American taxpayers’ money, and for the rights of the working-class immigrant farmer.
Other than the above examples of persons who start off alone to accomplish a goal, there are many cases of the impoverished who later on became billionaires by their sheer commitment and steadfast resolve. Among some of these are the WhatsApp founder Jan Koum, Colonel Harland David Sanders of KFC fried chicken, Howard Schultz of Starbucks, Oprah Winfrey, and Steve Jobs in the West while in the Sub-continent there are known Indian figures like Dhirubhai Ambani, Narayana Murthy, Ramesh Babuand in Pakistan, Sajjad Syed of ExD and Zulqarnain Abbas to name a couple because one can hardly find a properly compiled list on the Google.
Sometimes being alone is not a disadvantage and these motivated people with their inspirational stories have proved that there is no point in grumbling about not having enough support or family around. The determination to change one’s course of life is sufficient to steer through dark waters and overcome all obstacles. The only important step forward is the step itself which many find hard to take.