Nov 2:
Day 1 of my fast, day 980 of our chain
Similar to Kiran Tandon yesterday, today is the last day I will fast before the #chainfasting ends on November 22nd. I wasn’t sure anymore whether I would get a chance, esp. as I took a break from Facebook. However, Suniti Sanghavi got a bit sick — luckily not COVID — and has to write a research proposal, so I gladly took one day.
This fast has been a long journey and I admire Suniti Sanghavi‘s perseverance in keeping it running, organizing, and supporting fasters despite a heavy workload. I remember some of the 5-day fasts, which have been a lot easier than I thought, esp. as your body gets used to it rather quickly (so days 1-2 are the hardest). Every fast was different, yet it always sharpened the mind and I (mostly) enjoyed them. The defeat of Bolsanaro in Brazil also gives hope that things can change.
However, some things make me less upbeat. Suniti Sanghavi, having a knack for torturing herself, is often listening to Modi or Shah speeches. If I just hear them in the background, my stomach churns, these speeches sound just as Hitler and Goebbels did in the 3rd Reich (I don’t need to be able to understand a word to get that feeling). Intonation and aggressiveness are almost identical, it is scary.
I can only hope that a multitude of grassroots efforts, like this fasting chain, will persevere and get the upper hand, overcoming evil and malice.
To conclude with Kiran Tandon‘s words, “may our wellsprings of love, compassion and humanity stretch out across all our worlds.”
Chain Fasting For Peace 