Lal Bahadur Verma is a renowned historian, philosopher, thinker, writer, and social activist. Retired professor of history at the University of Allahabad. He published several books related to history and literature.

From Lal Bahadur Verma, we got more philosophical views about life and death. It was an in-depth discussion about how humans treat death and also why death is celebrated in Hinduism.

Interview highlights

• Discussion about death is rediscovering life for me but I think humans will have improved life by keeping death aside. In one way this is a try to win life over death and the celebration of life has become strong by the celebration of death. I don’t think there is any other reason of celebrating death. In north India the death rally is decorated with flowers and people who attend it are not sad they rather look as if they have accepted the happening. And when wesee this then we realize that humans have seen death from different perspectives and in literature, and art, it can be seen that if a human can’t fight death then they haven’t really lived their life. Death is celebrated so that humans can realize that death will come once and life is on daily basis.

• Otherwise the reality of death, I sometimes imagine, that if Laila dies, what will happen with Majhnu or vice versa and what will happen to Shravan Kumar if his parent dies. So, in the beautiful relations of life, the reality of death can shake the truth so much that nobody
can’t do anything.

• And every time they repeat these stories, you can see Bollywood and this happens because life every time wins over death. Even if people say death is the last stroke, it’s a trump card, after which life loses but it’s not like that.

• When we talk about last rituals we should think that why people have made these rituals. Sometimes it feels why that is there but humans have discovered things which are for good and these last rituals give you the acceptance for death and that’s why when society became male-dominated and women were thrown away from these places and in this when we see a woman like Maharajin Bua is taking care of all these things and more than that people are actually accepting all this. This is a big thing for Allahabad. A woman when does these things and when people accept it, both the events are important.

• And we should focus on this thing that how is it possible. And in today’s world death is easy. Not just because accidents are too much etc., this is because life is made on the basis of relations and love. So the basis for what we are living is becoming weak, then definitely we should be scared of death but humans are more scared of life than death.

• What is it that motivates a human to live? Wherever you are stuck, maybe in a maze but wherever you reach will be a way to live. And if we look towards life from the perspective of death, our love for life will increase.

• Because the chances of life have increased more than the chances of death if we really want.

• And today if really start living life and all the cultures and traditions are a result of human’s discovery because humans have tried to find life in many ways.

• Human is so able now, that it’s a challenge that humans should find life in a new way. Humans are much abled now as compared to earlier times.