Give Peace a Chance

Now tell me why would Alexander and Bahubali fight a third world war? That was what imagination all about. Former represents a developed world and the latter you can say a developing world. It occurred to me that if there was one issue connecting both these worlds directly it was the issue climate change. And I also decided such a war would be fought in a video game. The world had reached a tipping point because of consumptive lifestyle of the west and the developing world was paying the price. Bahubali was angry, very angry about it. If the climate change was a villain Bahubali would have smashed him in no time. But he was a multi- faceted Rakshas created by Alexander. Now they were facing each other in the war.

Bahubali readied his first of the astra (celestial weapon). It was called sea rising. He sent the astra aimed at Alexander. As the asthra exploded in the face of Alexander he realised what Bahubali was meant to convey. Many coastal regions were under the threat of submersion. City of Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, the Sunderbans with its myriad diversity and the majestic Bengal tiger. Alexander didn’t have any answer to this asthra. The first round was easily won by Bahubali.

Bahubali mounted the next asthra called the virus epidemic. As the temperature rose many virus epidemics occurred in the third world. With their poverty and ill-equipped infrastructure, the epidemics would result in catastrophe. Many a life would be lost. Alexander knew what was already coming to him. Even developed world struggled with the fall out.

As the resources run out on both sides there was a forced truce on both sides. Within the country Bahubali heard several voices of sanity. The voices were saying that there was enough on the earth for everyone’s need; that Bahubali and Alexander both represent greed, unfettered power, violence, dominance and that would lead to mutual destruction and that of the earth. Could one pause and let the feminine values of care, nurture, adjustments take the initiative? Soldiers too decided that they had enough of being used as pawns in the war of chess. They wanted to live life than become martyrs.

In the mean time exodus of people without resources were on the rise both within and external to the continents both the antagonist represents. It reminded one of the pandemics when migrants lost their livelihood, got uprooted and tried returning to their roots and lost their lives and way of life itself. Progress got replaced by regression with millions all over the world slipping into poverty. Poverty was not of economics only but also of ideas and leadership. The situation called for a soul searching among the warring nations.

Bahubali who got swept away by the jingoism of the authoritarian leadership and nationalism sobered down and realised war and violence was not the way forward. The enemy was not out there but within. One had to change one’s way of thinking and living. Earth belonged not only to humanity but all beings.

He wondered what was the system that created the top 5% of billionaires of the world owning more resources more than the bottom 50% of the world’s population.

He looked at his own life. The farmers who raise foods were not getting their due; they had laid a siege of the country’s capital; he possessed too many clothes and got to understand that textile sector was a great pollutant industry; he filled his inner void with things material; joy of possession was like fire flies, short lived; chased power and fame in vain; there was always competition and the rat race was unending; festivals were fast turning to be e-commerce festivals; citizens said tata to minimalism and got into buy-buy mode.

He sent a message of peace to Alexander, who in turn was doing his own retrospection and had come to similar conclusion as Bahubali. Then both the antagonists came together and worked for world peace and amity.

The teenager Shanthi had submitted the concept for the prototype to be developed in the world war-3 competition for gamers. The jury liked the concept. Unlike many other scripts that presented ideas of variations of war, this one presented peace as a solution. They chose the game to be funded for further development. The jury felt that this approach towards peace was much needed to save the world if the world ever had a chance to survive. They decided to give Shanthi a chance.