Hail Schindler!

Oskar Schindler - a German par excellence in a period where most of the world hated the Nazi German regime that prevailed.

After all these years, I finally managed to watch Schindler's List - the immensely popular Oscar winning Steven Spielberg movie of 1993; which makes one sit up and think - what is strength of character? This comes at a time when I have been reading about exemplary leaders like Ricardo Semler, Dhirubhai Ambani, Ratan Tata, RP Goenka - and yet my verdict is, each of these successful business leaders can't even match the phenomenon that Schindler created.

I knew about Holocaust, I knew about the World War - and yet I did not know about Schindler and his immense work - it makes me feel so ignorant. After watching the movie, I searched the web for more information on Schindler and the War period, and his contribution to humanity. The movie had successfully created the right impression in my mind - all of the web pages reiterated the disaster that the world was meddled with - and the images only made the scene grotesque.

Schindler was a German national - and he was a branded womaniser and gambler of sorts. The War prompted him to an enamel related business, and he used Jews as workers for his factory. At some point of time, he was a reformed man - and he was affected badly by the crimes against Jews. Who wouldn't be - even when you are at war!! I have no clue what was the drive for those Nazi soldiers to do such brutal atrocities - there has to be a method to their madness, and some sense too.

Perhaps I am too meek, but just a thought of the probable scenes of Holocaust shudders my heart. It makes me wonder, what drives such hatred in men and women? Is it Wealth, Religion, or Power - three things which humans have sought for most of their existence,and continue doing so?

It also makes me wonder - what makes men and women hail a hero/leader?
Is it pride, devotion, safety, job guarantee...
...or the bleak hope of survival...a cause Schindler sought for the 1300 Jews he rescued; using all his might, diplomacy, conmanship, and millions of dollars...

Nobody knows about the exact motives of Schindler, but his deeds are more than sufficient to celebrate him as a hero for all ages - a man who stood against brutality.