‘Hip hip hurray’ chants at funeral gives solemn message

SURAT: Can ‘hip hip hurray’, the cheering

cry

, reverberate at a funeral? It is normally ‘Ram Naam Satya Hai’ which is chanted by Hindus at such solemn occasions. But then Gujarati writer and publisher

Janak Nayak

, 62, who died of cancer recently, had wanted ‘hip hip hurray’ to be uttered by the mourners at his funeral. Nayak had expressed his wish to a couple of his friends. There were more than 100 friends of his at the funeral but no one had the courage to utter ‘hip hip hurray’ and remained glum-faced. Laughter therapist

Kamlesh Masalawala

too was there and he shouted ‘hip hip hurray. This made people burst into tears because they knew it was Nayak’s wish and crying helped release lot of pent up emotions in them. There are several benefits of crying and laughing and they can heal a tired mind and body of a human being. Perhaps, this is why we see many laughter clubs in the country, but a crying club is yet to be set up. Surat would soon have the distinction of having a crying therapy club.

Dr Mukul Chokshi said, “Tears are anti-septic. Tears provide moisture to eyes and create natural anti-bacterial membrane. They release endorphin, an internal pain killer, which helps reduce internal pain in the body. It also has psychological advantage. It eases stress and depression in a person.”

Kamlesh Masalawala, who is setting up the crying therapy club this month-end, said, “We would teach people to cry as per their wish. The club won’t operate daily but will hold sessions to teach people to feel things with heart. Crying would come naturally and instantly to them after our sessions.”

It is a wrong notion that men should not cry. “It is probably this reason that more men suffer heart attacks than women. Crying helps release dangerous toxins from the body through tears. A human being becomes healthier and is less prone to diseases,” he said.