Altruism can still define society

Shihab Sarkar | Published: October 14, 2023 20:15:30

Given the increasing dominance of self-centred people in society amid a widespread nonchalance, the virtue of altruism makes many feel upbeat. Volunteering youths cleaning up clogged Dhaka canals, making people aware of the causes of dengue infection and spread, and other public welfare activities comprise some of the instances of altruistic acts. Groups of well-dressed youths planting saplings of small trees on a road island braving speeding traffic on their both sides is a rare spectacle. But the capital encounters scenes like this in its different areas these days. However, these isolated spectacles do not make Dhaka a fully altruistic urban centre. Like in many large cities caught in global adverse times, Dhaka also shows its indifference towards human plight. Thanks to the galloping price hike of essentials amid a global economic downturn, extreme forms of poverty among the lower-class people still make many feel helpless. In these critical times, sections of compassionate persons ought to come up and stand by the hard-hit people. This hasn't happened.
Yet this is the ripe time. The affluent sections in society can now extend their helping hand to the extreme poor in their convenient ways. Very few have come forward. It appears to have a lot to do with the insidious impacts of the ongoing recession. People in different social strata have been hit in their own typical ways. The 2021 lockdown period during Covid-19 assault was different. Given the disease's nature of being a dreadful pandemic in the country, a mandatory 'social distance' in place with vaccines still elusive, the whole country remained caught under a virtual siege. People going hungry for days turned out to be a common feature. In those frightful times, a few altruistic youth organisations came up to feed the pandemic-hit hungry people in the capital. They distributed food for free among the ultra-poor by strictly maintaining the order of social distance. Against the great demand of food among the hungry, the youths could arrange only negligible quantities. The initiatives were tiny and too humble, but the youthful spirit to feed poor people proved highly overwhelming. No matter how many people they were able to feed, what counted finally was their unalloyed spirit behind the endeavours.
In spite of the heroic spirit coupled with defiance, the virtue of altruism can be distinctively identified in a section of youths of Bangladesh. Many of their peers discover in them the dated values and inhibitions, for which the latter have little regard. Although normally highlighted by a section of the smart younger generations of the 21st century, altruism is an 'anachronistic' concept. In these times of rat race, remaining ahead of others in all materialistic spheres is the key to success. In fact, a youth's position in society or in professional career is now judged by his or her success. In this veritably fierce competition to go ahead of others, there are few scopes for nurturing the virtue of altruism. Theoretically speaking, 'altruism' highlights selfless concern for the benefit of others.
In the present so-called modern and epicurean world, the general people have forgotten the virtues altruism. The detractors may ask them to find out the route to a utopian world, as it remains far above the worldly spitefulness. In the enlightened and refined societies, the followers of altruism do not flaunt this virtue of theirs. They love to keep it hidden. In the less advanced societies, altruistic activities have to come out of the private confines. It's because displaying these activities inspires others to be the followers of altruism --- and philanthropy in the bigger sense.
shihabskr@ymail.com