There’s a lot of suffering in the world, a lot of treachery. It can seem daunting & pointless to protest what could be a losing battle. It’s easier to take the low road of cynicism & misanthropy.

We only lose the moment humanity refuses to stand against oppression, if we decide wallowing in discontent matters more than fighting for our children.

If we learn nothing else from Palestinian & Kashmiri Intifada, from the Syrian revolution & all the Arab uprisings, it is to stand our ground against dictatorship, colonialism, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, social hatreds of all kinds, whatever the odds. The weakness is not that they stand & fight but that the battalions of international solidarity have not yet roused to stand with them.

This is a little Kashmiri boy looking out the window of a van to relish the rain which is causing flooding all over Kashmir. When you get the “there’s no use in fighting” blues, keep this little guy in mind & get over it.

(Photo from Basit Zargar)