Captivity, Disappointments and Positivity

Captivity is considered one of the biggest disappointments in a persons life. He who has to give up his freedom and live in confinement would perhaps regard it as the biggest disappointment in life. However it is depends on how you handle your disappointment. You can either stand up and fight or give up and surrender. There are some famous people who never gave up even in the worst of their times and perhaps so we know them today. 

George Mathew Fernandes, the former defence minister of our country who was very famous for his visits to the army bases in Siachen Glacier and who worked for  the betterment of the living conditions of the soldiers. He represented the Taxi Driver's Union in Mumbai and got jailed several times. He was fearless. He wanted justice for the poor. When he headed the Railways Union, on the demands of the union being unfulfilled he bought the railways at halt for several days and the entire workforce joined him. During emergency, he was arrested several times. He was considered as the most wanted man on the run and he escaped arrest by disguising himself as a fisherman and turbaned sikh for a year. In June 1976, he was arrested in Kolkata for the Baroda Dynamite Conspiracy case, produced at Delhi Court and kept in Tihar Jail. He contested 1977 Parliamentary elections from the jail and won with massive majority. He was appointed the industry minister when he was out of the jail. Later he served as the Defence Minister of the country. He had faith on himself and he kept working for what he believed would bring justice to the poor. 

Nelson Mandela, the leader who put an end South African Apartheid served 27 years in prison. In the first 18 years he was placed at Robben Island Prison, Cape Town where he fought with the jail officials and demanded equal treatment of the black prisoners with the white prisoners. He was made to work at a limestone quarry along with other prisoners and was allowed to sleep in the floor of a seven feet square room. For 13 years, he slept naked on floors. He was allowed only one visitor in every six months. Even then he protested against prison labor and jail authorities had to put an end to it in finally. His  mother and elder son died while he was in jail and he was denied permission to attend. His life turned bit better when he was moved to Pollsmor Prison where he was allowed to meet his family members. His life became further better when he was shifted to Victor Verster Prison. After 10,052 days in prison he was released. He was chosen as the President of South Africa and was also conferred the Nobel Prize for peace. He knew his cause was justified and was for the rights of the people.

It totally depends on how we deal with our disappointments. We can either live with it and blame our fate or choose to write our own fate. Nobody but we ourself are the flagbearer of the journey of our life.

Submitted for Indispire