Saturday, August 23, 2008
The Epic Battle of Permatang Pauh
Astonishing that a tiny place like Permatang Pauh has become the battlefield that will decide the destiny of the entire nation. One is reminded of the Battle of Kurukshetra that constitutes a large part of the Mahabharata narrative - where generations of accumulated karma are resolved over the span of 18 days.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Pandava Arjuna is troubled on the eve of the Battle of Kurukshetra by the moral dilemma of having to slaughter his own relatives.
Lord Krishna, disguised as Arjuna’s charioteer, explains the karmic and cosmic ramifications of physical warfare, and reveals to Arjuna his divine form, thereby reassuring the warrior king that his actions are just and integral to clearing the way for the ongoing evolution of human consciousness.
These are some of the mythic resonances surrounding this pivotal by-election, and I just wanted to provide a larger metaphorical context for the battle royale that began on 31 July 2008, with Wan Azizah resigning her parliamentary seat to make way for her husband, Anwar Ibrahim - and culminating on August 26th, 2008, when the voters of Permatang Pauh shall decide the fate of the nation.
I feel a profound gladness that so many good, decent human beings are out there right now - honest Malaysians like Anil Netto, Lucia Lai, Susan Loone, Haris Ibrahim, Isham Rais, Bernard Khoo (Zorro), even Raja Petra (the one-man demolition squad behind Malaysia Today) - camped out in Permatang Pauh to offer support and report on this watershed political event.
Thank you and bless you all for contributing so much to a glorious outcome for the forces of necessary change.