ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

Use ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½.com or the new ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ App to listen to ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Episode details

Radio 4,2 mins

Thought For The Day, Akhandadhi Das, Tuesday 12th May 2015

Thought for the Day

Available for over a year

Good morning. 30 years ago, 56 people died in the fire that engulfed the main stand at the Valley Parade football ground in Bradford. What started as a day of celebration for the City fans turned into dreadful tragedy. In was painful to hear, on yesterday’s programme, the local radio commentator’s words as the event unfolded. There’s a text in the Hindu epic, Mahabharat spoken as a warning to the widowed Queen Kunti that fire can be far more dangerous than any weapon forged from iron. And, at Bradford City, fire demonstrated that power. The horror was summed up by the government inquiry into the disaster which concluded the fire spread "faster than a man could run". Yesterday’s ceremony in Bradford invoked the memories and loss of loved ones; and also the wonderful response of the city’s emergency services, the doctors and nurses in the hospital's burns unit and so many other acts of courage, sacrifice and kindness – down to local residents letting surviving fans use their phones to tell everyone at home they were alright. Queen Kunti herself was no stranger to tragedy including having suffered the terror of a blaze that destroyed her family’s home. In later life, she speaks of her gratitude to those who rescued her family that fateful night. But, even though a litany of terrible events had shaped her family’s fate, she says, far more important than the events and consequences themselves, was that these were the moments she became aware of what she valued most in life. Through all the set-backs and disasters, she came to realise that preoccupation with the everyday pursuit of achievement, status and enjoyment is so trivial. If that was all her life had been about; then it would have seemed that she had never lived. She comments that, in tragedy, some people may feel abandoned by God or believe that there was no higher power involved in their lives. Kunti’s perspective is different. Yes, she admits, for the most part, God seems invisible; but in the experience and memory of the darkest parts of her own life, Kunti claims she had perceived God’s presence more tangibly than at any other time. Through them, she had become more convinced of the spiritual values that had become the purpose and direction of her life. The terrible fire in Bradford changed policies – it initiated much safer arrangements being implemented for sports fans everywhere. But, tragedy also has the power to change and define us personally. It may be in how we carry the burden of the event or loss in the years that follow. And, it may even determine our faith: through the toughest experience, did we feel that God became more invisible to us; or perhaps more real and relevant?

Programme Website
More episodes