Brace for spring of life

Gauri Parasher Joshi

We are back in the midst of the plush fabric of velvety petals and smooth green leaves that spring ushers in. It is, perhaps, the only season in which the earth exudes reasons to be happy. Within the tangle of concrete that has deposited firmly within the bounds of the city, there are bylanes and alleys where the sun does not shine so brightly.

Still within, there are sunless windows draped with stubborn curtains. Not a mischievous ray dare sneak in. Burrow in deeper and the mesh of opaque infrastructure copies itself on to the network of nerves, entwining itself over axons, keeping the sun far away from the source of our responses. Thus, however chirpy the city sounds in the spring and however enchantingly the waters of the Sukhna ripple, there are always city dwellers who feel compelled to keep away from the call of the spring.

In its article on mental health, this week’s The Economist cites the examples of England and Zimbabwe in trying to tackle problems of mental health. While England trained a number of volunteers in cognitive behavioural therapy, Zimbabwe used such training in a more innovative way. It has deployed elderly women trained in such therapy to help people with mental health problems through ‘friendship benches’ set up in courtyards.

A look at Chandigarh’s layout would reveal that the Leisure Valley - our own river of green - creates an ecosystem of butterflies, wild hare, lapwings, warblers and a host of other insects, birds, four-legged and two-legged ones. Besides this blessing, the cityscape has a fair sprinkling of green parks. While community-oriented events like painting competitions, small and peaceful gatherings of friends and of course the more common sightings of dedicated walkers, bird-watchers, dogs rubbing their backs playfully on the springy soft weeds and furtive lovers are perfect uses of Leisure Valley, what does it take to learn from a far-off country in a far-off continent?

Chandigarh would be the perfect city to thaw the ice that hardens within and between minds, to begin a conversation, a story that connects a mind to its own life and the lives around it. With quality training given to residents, friendship benches could be set up in every park and at spots along Leisure Valley. It takes one person who accepts that he or she is mentally unhealthy to come forward. There is no doubt that smart alecs may try to feign an illness and get a kick out of fooling the system but the good that the open-air conversations may do to beam some sun into the darkness of negativity and confusion may outweigh the bad. Look at the city. She has been prodding us to use her spaces in constructive ways.