We remain exposed to the good and the bad. They live on with their “second life” in our memories - again, good or bad. And that imprint embeds memories of that person much after he/she leaves on completion of their “first life”.

However insignificant it may seem, each one plays a role to shape our lives.Įach one whose path we cross leaves an imprint on our mind. Starting with our parents, elders in the family in which one grows up, siblings, friends and relatives, to classmates, soulmates, colleagues, and people we come across on a daily basis to touch and influence our lives.

These people directly impact our “first lives” in childhood, adolescence, and through the physical, social and psychological turmoil of adult years. They are remembered by much fewer people, but remembered they are. However, a vast majority does not enter history books. They remain etched in our memory through books, conversations, and events marking their birth or (biological) death anniversaries - depending on the roles they have played to improve the quality of lives of those still in their “first lives”.The range and depth of their efforts determine their entries into history books - the powerful medium that extends the longevity of their “second lives”. Their “ultimate deaths” are nowhere nearby. History is filled with extended “second lives” of personalities. On the other hand, the “second lives” of people like Mahatma Gandhi (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi), Babasaheb Ambedkar (Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar), Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela are extended through memories of their yeoman efforts in political ethicism, non-violent resistance to colonial powers, political and social inclusion, and setting healthy political and social guidelines for inclusivity in the democracies of the world. He remains alive, but as a demonic character, responsible for the death of innocent millions. Adolf Hitler’s “second life” continues, but it is linked to horrific memories and tales of the Holocaust.

The longevity and quality of the “second life” depends on what impressions the individual has left on your mind. This also means that people have two lives: one, when they are biologically and socially active and the second, when their biological life ends, but is extended through the memory of those who are influenced by them.

Raghu karnad book