While watching TV news showing the twists and turns on the US Travel Ban – I remembered a story I had posted a few years ago during the European Migrant Crisis due to their “Refugees Welcome” policy.
Dear Reader:
Do read the article and tell me: Isn’t the story relevant even today...?
Do You Want to become a “Guest” in your own “Home”...?
Whenever I see news on the European Migrant Crisis – I feel that Europe is a most magnanimous place – and Europeans are the most compassionate people.
No other country would warmly welcome illegal migrants, refugees and asylum seekers as European Nations are doing.
Because of this generosity of European people – refugees prefer to take the hazardous journey by land and sea all the way to Europe – rather than seek temporary refuge in their neighbouring countries.
Normally – displaced persons will take shelter in close proximity in a neighbouring country so that they can return back to their homes once the crisis is over.
But – in the present European Refugee Crisis – refugees from different continents are travelling long distances to reach Western Europe.
The main reason why these refugees are going all the way to Europe (rather than neighbouring countries) is because most of these refugees have no intention of returning back to their own countries once the conflict is over.
For obvious economic reasons – these refugees want to permanently settle down in Europe.
However – it must be remembered that allowing unabated immigration has ramifications – both in the short term – and more so in the long term.
Surprisingly – Europe does not seem to be concerned about the demographic, social, cultural and security ramifications of encouraging illegal immigration owing to which refugees are being attracted towards Europe.
And now – the protests against to the US Travel Ban shows that even Americans want to follow a “Immigrants Welcome” policy.
The magnanimous hospitality extended by Europe to illegal immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees and the American Citizens’ protest against the Travel Ban reminds me of this famous teaching story I had posted a few years ago in my blog.
DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A GUEST IN YOUR OWN HOME...?
A Fable – and Musings – on
By
VIKRAM KARVE
When I was a small boy – someone told me a fable.
It was an apocryphal teaching story of a Trader and his Camel.
I remember this insightful fable even today.
Whenever I feel overly magnanimous generous and benevolent – I tell myself this story – and I try to apply the “moral of the story” in my life whenever the need arises.
Are you a magnanimous, benevolent, humanitarian and hospitable person...?
Then – you too need to read the story of a Trader and his Camel.
THE STORY OF “THE TRADER AND HIS CAMEL”
It was a cold winter night.
The Trader was resting in his tent.
He had tied his Camel outside.
Suddenly – his Camel peeped inside the tent.
“What is it...?” the Trader asked his Camel.
“Respected Master – it is very cold outside. Please allow me to put my head inside your tent...” the Camel said to the Trader.
The kind Trader took pity on the poor animal.
So – he agreed to the Camel’s request.
“Okay – you can put your head inside the tent...” the Trader said to his Camel.
The Camel put his Head inside the Tent.
A little later – the Camel asked the Trader:
“Respected Master – my neck feels very cold. Please let me put my neck inside your tent as well.”
Once again – the magnanimous Trader allowed the Camel to do so.
So – the Camel put his Neck inside the Tent.
A few minutes later – the Camel asked if he could put his forelegs inside the tent.
Once again – the compassionate Trader agreed.
So – the Camel put his Forelegs inside the Tent.
Then – the Camel wanted to put his chest inside the tent – and again – the kind-hearted Trader agreed.
So – the Camel put his Chest inside the Tent.
Then – taking advantage of his master’s kind nature – the Camel kept asking to put his back and then his hump inside the tent.
The Trader agreed to all this.
So – the Camel put his Back and Hump inside the Tent
This went on and on.
The Camel kept asking to put parts of his body inside the tent.
And – his compassionate Master – the kind Trader – he agreed to all the Camel’s requests.
Soon – the entire Camel was completely inside the Tent.
Now – the Tent was too small for both the Trader and the Camel.
They both struggled to remain inside the overcrowded tent.
There was a scuffle – and – the much stronger and bigger Camel pushed the Trader out of the Tent.
Yes – the Trader was pushed out of his own tent by his Camel.
The ungrateful Camel pushed out his kind-hearted Master out of the Tent.
So ultimately – the Camel slept comfortably in the warm Tent – while the Trader shivered outside in the freezing cold.
MORAL OF THE STORY
You should be careful before you extend your hospitality – lest your guests take undue advantage of your magnanimity and generosity.
This fable teaches us lessons at both the macro and micro levels.
MACRO LEVEL MORAL – The Problem of REFUGEES, ASYLUM-SEEKERS, IMMIGRANTS and SETTLERS
Let us see a “macro level paradigm” ramification.
Suppose there is a war ravaged or strife torn country – where there is so much violence that the life of citizens is in danger.
As a humanitarian gesture – a benevolent neighbouring country may open its borders to allow refugees to come in and live in safety.
Some other countries may also allow immigration of foreigners as a gesture of goodwill.
In other cases – illegal immigrants may enter another country and settle down there.
The “host” country may be charitable to allow them to stay on – and they may not deport them back to their original country.
Many “magnanimous” countries have such “guests”.
Gradually – the number of these “guests” becomes substantial enough to cause demographic change.
Now – like the “Camel” in the story – the “guests” may soon “throw out” the “host” from his own “tent”.
Even if they don’t evict the “host” out of his own “tent” – these “guests” may make life uncomfortable for the “host” in his own “tent” – just like the Camel did to the benevolent, humanitarian and kind-hearted Trader during the fable – before finally pushing him out of the tent.
Refugees, asylum seekers and migrants – legal and illegal – may take undue advantage of their host country and the liberal benevolence and humanitarianism of the original inhabitants.
Soon – these alien immigrants may start dominating the original inhabitants.
In some cases – assertive immigrants my try to impose their radical culture on their liberal hosts – and – some fanatical immigrants even jeopardise the safety and security of their host nation.
And sometimes – like the camel in the story – these immigrants may even succeed in evicting the original inhabitants from their homeland.
History shows many such examples which have happened all over the world where illegal immigrants have started dominating and imposing their will on the original inhabitants.
MICRO LEVEL MORAL – “Guests” who overstay their welcome
At a micro level – this can happen in your own home.
I have seen so many “guests” who overstay their welcome – and so many guests who take undue advantage of the magnanimity of their “hosts”.
Let me narrate a few apocryphal examples.
THE BENEVOLENT HOUSE OWNER AND THE UNGRATEFUL TENANT
I have seen a case where a benevolent large-hearted person rented out his new locked-up house to a friend who was in dire need of accommodation.
The owner, an Army officer, was in a transferable job – and he served all over India – while his friend stayed as a tenant in his house.
Many years later – when the house owner retired from the Army – and he wanted to settle in his own house.
But – the ungrateful tenant refused to vacate the house – and – the hapless Army Officer – the house-owner – he could not stay in his own house – and – he had to live on rent in another house.
CUCKOO – STEALING AFFECTIONS – THE MARRIAGE BREAKER “GUEST”
I have heard a story – maybe apocryphal – about a “guest” stealing the affections of her host’s husband.
A compassionate caring kind-hearted woman invited a cousin sister to live with her in her home in the city – since her newly arrived cousin sister was finding it difficult to find a suitable accommodation in the city where she had found her first job.
The scheming cousin sister responded by seducing and stealing the woman’s husband.
Finally – the wily cousin sister settled down with the woman’s husband – and the hapless kind-hearted woman was turned out of her own house.
Yes – like in the Trader and Camel story – the woman was turned out of her own house by her “guest” – her own cousin sister.
Her home and her husband was stolen by the “guest” – her own cousin sister – to whom she had been so magnanimous and hospitable.
LESSONS TO BE LEARNT
This fable has a lesson to all of us that you must not be too magnanimous, benevolent and over-generous in extending your hospitality.
Humanitarianism has its limits – both at the macro and micro levels.
Be careful – otherwise there is a danger that you may become a “guest” in your own “home”.
The “guest” may endanger your security – and worse – the “guest” may even drive you out of your own home.
So – before you extend your hospitality to anyone – remember the story of the Trader and the Camel.
And – at the macro level – liberal nations should think twice before they say: “Refugees Welcome”.
Dear Reader – Do you agree...?
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve
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© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Disclaimer:
1. This story is a fictional spoof, satire, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.
2. All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Copyright Notice:
No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.
Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
This is a revised and abridged version of my article which was first written by me Vikram Karve 12 years ago in 2005 and posted online by me a number of times earlier in my blogs including at urls: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/03/hospitality.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/10/are-you-magnanimous-benevolent-and.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/07/are-you-good-host-musings-on-hospitality.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/09/do-you-want-to-become-guest-in-your-own.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/11/migrant-refugee-crisis-wisdom-story.html etc
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