"That flower lying by the wayside, the sun, the earth, the wind and water, all have gone into making that flower; but the flower is none of them...." J.Krishnamurti
Sometime back I blogged about this flower. Today I am going to relate a different story about the flower.
A story had been taking rounds in E-mails some time back about the innocence of Socretes, one of the greatest philosophers this world ever produced. It says the the great thinker applied three filters before listening to a news to decide whether it is really worth listening to the news, whoever brings it. A disciple came to him one day and started telling "Sir, do you know somebody was telling me...." " Oh, wait it has to pass the three filters whatever you are going to tell me...err.... Is the news you are going to benefit me? " asked Socretes. "No" was the reply. Socretes asked again, " Is it going to benefit the person who gave the news to you?" Again there was a 'no' in reply. "Alright" said Socretes there is one more chance for you to deliver the news. Is it going to benefit you?" The fellow said "No" to this also. "Then I am not interested ". The circulated story gives the actual news that Plato, the closest disciple of Socretes was sleeping with Xanthippe, Socretes' wife! How innocent was the great philosopher!, - concludes the story.
A teen age high school girl is molested by her even teen age classmates. You and I declare on hearing the bad news, the innocent girl was raped by the beastly boys!
The smell of new heifer arouses a young bull in the herd making him chase and mate the heifer. We don't see the bull as a rapist or consider the heifer innocent. We don't even give a thought to such very natural things constantly going on around us.
It has always bothered me, what is innocence? What is ignorance? Ignorance is considered bad and innocence is natural. Even J.Krishnamurti declares, ".... I am not telling you about ignorance; it is innocence I am concerned with...."
What is innocence then? Is it lack of knowledge, right knowledge? But, the very sense of right and wrong, good and bad are given to me; they are not my discovery. All knowledge is given. When I go deep into any thought that comes to mind, I clearly see there is nothing in this mind other than coming from outside me. So according to me ignorance is lack of proper knowledge and innocence is absence of knowledge itself. That makes me declare that both Socretes and the teen age girls are not innocent but ignorant and all animals, which have no mind at all, not even knowing they are living beings are truly innocent, without even knowing that they live in total freedom allowed by nature.
Coming back to that flower, does that flower lying by the wayside knows it is the same sun, one of it makers is going to burn it? Or again, the water is going to wash it away in torrential rains, or the breeze taking it into nothingness and finally the earth is taking it back into its safe fold? That flower is the only innocent form of life in this world, right?
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wherever civic sense has gone!
This entire residential area where I live in this small city of Shivamogga is developed on a dried up old lake. As such the entire area is low lying causing flash floods during heavy rains at the start of the monsoon. Poor drainage system contributes to the havoc, but nothing like human greed glossed over natural stupidity! The recent drive in city development by the civic body raising the main roads to avoid clogging, but leaving cross roads on both sides of which are situated dwelling houses leaving in more vulnerability to flash floods.That is not the point, however, I am going to discuss here.
There is a small park with a rectangular walking track of about 4 feet width around the children's playing area. One round makes up to about quarter of a kilometer. I go there for my evening walks regularly. There is a natural lawn too and a lot of children come and play. After raising of the main road by the side of which this park is situated, it has become further low. It is summer holidays for the children of different ages. It gives me immense pleasure to watch them play so enthusiastically during my walking rounds. But it also makes me very sad when there was rain and the next day quite a few children trying to play on the swing with muddy feet; some children playing by splashing the muddy water collected in small pools. (Remember that washing powder ad on the TV legalising or moralising children getting dirty in the mud?) Recently the authorities put a thin layer of red soil over the sticky black soil and also renovated the broken swings and other children's playing installations apart from putting up some new ones. There were a couple of good pre-monsoon rains and the scene at the park was more disappointing - children getting their dress soiled with red mud! Later as the ground dried up, depressions developed under swings and other playing areas. The authorities usually lax, this time took quick notice, dug the depressed area to about a foot deep and filled with clean river sand, about a week back. Children at the fag end of their summer holidays were happily playing every evening.
Today something I observed made me not only sad but also angry. A group of about half a dozen young mothers were gathered around a swing and their small children (not over two years I guess) were not playing the swing but in the sand below as if on a summer beach. If some were digging the sand deep putting the sand outside the area, some are busy bringing dried mud blocks from other areas spread to level the ground. And one of the mothers looking educated and sophisticated was clicking her digital camera on her happily playing child (spoiling the sand bed). Soon, all of them left the park in their cars leaving the the neatly prepared sand bed spoiled.
If this is the mentality of our learned middle class society, you can easily pardon those perverts defacing bathroom walls in railways and public places, leave alone urination openly by the side of a read! And then most of us are well educated and probably working with multinationals who litter the picnic places with plastic wrappers, bottles, bags and what not!
If this is the state of affairs in this country with just over a billion people, I shudder to think what life will be when the population shoots up to two billions, perhaps in a couple of decades! (It was less than half a billion before independence including today's Pakistan and Bangladesh. Pundit Nehru once mentioned in his speech on an international platform that population was the biggest strength of India!) God save our children and their children. I am really happy, I lived in happier times of better public discipline and civic sense. No more grumbling, ok?
There is a small park with a rectangular walking track of about 4 feet width around the children's playing area. One round makes up to about quarter of a kilometer. I go there for my evening walks regularly. There is a natural lawn too and a lot of children come and play. After raising of the main road by the side of which this park is situated, it has become further low. It is summer holidays for the children of different ages. It gives me immense pleasure to watch them play so enthusiastically during my walking rounds. But it also makes me very sad when there was rain and the next day quite a few children trying to play on the swing with muddy feet; some children playing by splashing the muddy water collected in small pools. (Remember that washing powder ad on the TV legalising or moralising children getting dirty in the mud?) Recently the authorities put a thin layer of red soil over the sticky black soil and also renovated the broken swings and other children's playing installations apart from putting up some new ones. There were a couple of good pre-monsoon rains and the scene at the park was more disappointing - children getting their dress soiled with red mud! Later as the ground dried up, depressions developed under swings and other playing areas. The authorities usually lax, this time took quick notice, dug the depressed area to about a foot deep and filled with clean river sand, about a week back. Children at the fag end of their summer holidays were happily playing every evening.
Today something I observed made me not only sad but also angry. A group of about half a dozen young mothers were gathered around a swing and their small children (not over two years I guess) were not playing the swing but in the sand below as if on a summer beach. If some were digging the sand deep putting the sand outside the area, some are busy bringing dried mud blocks from other areas spread to level the ground. And one of the mothers looking educated and sophisticated was clicking her digital camera on her happily playing child (spoiling the sand bed). Soon, all of them left the park in their cars leaving the the neatly prepared sand bed spoiled.
If this is the mentality of our learned middle class society, you can easily pardon those perverts defacing bathroom walls in railways and public places, leave alone urination openly by the side of a read! And then most of us are well educated and probably working with multinationals who litter the picnic places with plastic wrappers, bottles, bags and what not!
If this is the state of affairs in this country with just over a billion people, I shudder to think what life will be when the population shoots up to two billions, perhaps in a couple of decades! (It was less than half a billion before independence including today's Pakistan and Bangladesh. Pundit Nehru once mentioned in his speech on an international platform that population was the biggest strength of India!) God save our children and their children. I am really happy, I lived in happier times of better public discipline and civic sense. No more grumbling, ok?
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Indian Democracy
I have always felt that Democracy is not best suited system of governance to India. Sheer size of population, the vast spctrum of diversity - religion, culture, regionality and language etc. - are bound to fail the deemed good purpose of Democracy. Added to this, India has a low percentage of literacy. We can only boast we are the biggest surviving democracy in the world; not its success. I will give below a couple of recent happenings at the highest governing body - the cabinet of ministers.
Shashi Tharoor, a member of the cabinet of ministers was abruptly asked to resign by the prime minister. Reason? Well, he tried to stash away a few crores of money via his new lady friend. The gentleman coolly resigned with out sound. I am not trying to justify what he did, but consider this: M. Karunanidhi, the octogenarian chief minister of Tamilnadu rushed to Delhi in wheel chair when pressure mounted on the prime minister to dismiss A.Raja from the cabinet, both from opposition and insiders for his dishonesty resulting in the Govt. revenue loss to the tune of a few thousand crores of money. Karunanidhi just reminded the prime minister that A.Raja is from Dalit community. The prime minister dropped the case; mission successful and the DMK leader returned back to Chennai with a smiling face. Loss of a few thousand crores is not a matter of concern to the elite ruling class in Indian democracy, but a few crores of black money being converted into white is. Why?
Did you know that Tharoor is a PhD. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and has the distinction of getting a doctorate at the age of 22, the youngest in the history of the prestigious Institute. Perhaps A. Raja's only qualification seems to be a dalit leader with a regional mass base, and no party seems to dare questioning a dalit in this Democratic set up. Tharoor with his vast experience of being an International diplomat for many years would have been an asset in the cabinet. But who cares?
The second case is of Jairam Ramesh. He was summoned by the prime minister and told point blank that he should not interfere with ministries other than his. His sin? Well, he criticised the policies of home ministry. But Mamta Banerjee recklessly criticises almost all other ministries except hers. She is left scotfree. Why?
Jairam Ramesh is a mechanical engineer with degrees from IIT and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His innovative changes in the customs and traditions carried forward from the British for so many years were well applauded. His past record as a political leader is flawless. But again, Mamta is a regional satrap with mass support which Ramesh lacks.
While Tharoor is an upper cast Kerala Nair, Ramesh is a Mysore Brahmin, both belong to a class of persons - Indian in blood and color but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals and in intellect. Both the cases amply demonstrate that we do not want such people to rule us but we need A.Rajas and Mamta Banerjees.
That is the democracy we the so called intellectuals are forced to live with. The other day my good friend Manju (naikmm.blogspot.com) declared himself a dumbo and invited me to join his club of dumbos. I wonder if we are already not dumbos in the garb of intellect!...Any objection?
Shashi Tharoor, a member of the cabinet of ministers was abruptly asked to resign by the prime minister. Reason? Well, he tried to stash away a few crores of money via his new lady friend. The gentleman coolly resigned with out sound. I am not trying to justify what he did, but consider this: M. Karunanidhi, the octogenarian chief minister of Tamilnadu rushed to Delhi in wheel chair when pressure mounted on the prime minister to dismiss A.Raja from the cabinet, both from opposition and insiders for his dishonesty resulting in the Govt. revenue loss to the tune of a few thousand crores of money. Karunanidhi just reminded the prime minister that A.Raja is from Dalit community. The prime minister dropped the case; mission successful and the DMK leader returned back to Chennai with a smiling face. Loss of a few thousand crores is not a matter of concern to the elite ruling class in Indian democracy, but a few crores of black money being converted into white is. Why?
Did you know that Tharoor is a PhD. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and has the distinction of getting a doctorate at the age of 22, the youngest in the history of the prestigious Institute. Perhaps A. Raja's only qualification seems to be a dalit leader with a regional mass base, and no party seems to dare questioning a dalit in this Democratic set up. Tharoor with his vast experience of being an International diplomat for many years would have been an asset in the cabinet. But who cares?
The second case is of Jairam Ramesh. He was summoned by the prime minister and told point blank that he should not interfere with ministries other than his. His sin? Well, he criticised the policies of home ministry. But Mamta Banerjee recklessly criticises almost all other ministries except hers. She is left scotfree. Why?
Jairam Ramesh is a mechanical engineer with degrees from IIT and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His innovative changes in the customs and traditions carried forward from the British for so many years were well applauded. His past record as a political leader is flawless. But again, Mamta is a regional satrap with mass support which Ramesh lacks.
While Tharoor is an upper cast Kerala Nair, Ramesh is a Mysore Brahmin, both belong to a class of persons - Indian in blood and color but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals and in intellect. Both the cases amply demonstrate that we do not want such people to rule us but we need A.Rajas and Mamta Banerjees.
That is the democracy we the so called intellectuals are forced to live with. The other day my good friend Manju (naikmm.blogspot.com) declared himself a dumbo and invited me to join his club of dumbos. I wonder if we are already not dumbos in the garb of intellect!...Any objection?
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Cheers India!
Look at these facts about Indian attitude towards alcohol consumption in India.
Maintaining a bar at home stuffed with a variety of good spirits and beers as well as wines in double earning middle class families has become a status symbol. Alcohol is no more to be a privately consumed vice across all classes and castes. Rather in the privacy and comforts of home alcohol is best enjoyed in the company of friends.
Visit gourmetindia.com and you will see what the site says - 'Too much of anything is bad, but too much of a good whisky is barely enough.' !
In tandem with global phenomenon, Indian youth is falling into alcohol attraction faster than ever. A NIMHANS study reveals that the average age of alcohol consumption in India has fallen by nearly nine years over the past decade, from 28 years to 19 years and projected to fall further to 15 years in another five to seven years. Blame it on liberalised generation.
Wine has become cool and sophisticated drink. Statistics show that consumption of wine has increased by over 25 % in recent years, perhaps because added to change in social attitudes, quite a few independent medical research have revealed that wine, especially red wine contains reservatrol, an ingredient proved to be beneficial for its cardiovascular, anti-cholesterol and anti-inflammatory properties.
Look at the commercial scenario. Indian alcohol market has crossed a whopping $ 14 billion in 2008 and projected to grow @ 10% per year - a growth rate more than China, US and Europe combined! Yet the imported liquor share is very meagre. Vijay Mallya, the liquor baron says, he hopes his flagship United Spirits Ltd to top the world's liquor market. Not without reason; in addition to the Karnataka Govt. liberalising its wine policy, now said to be more liberal than Goa, in India, he says, the fact that every year a 100 million potential consumers attain legal drinking age, which alone should help realise his aim in next five years! India is already the third largest market in the world and with the tag of second largest population, I will not be surprised if it becomes the biggest alcohol market in the world soon. In recent times viniculture has rapidly expended, thanks to Govt. declaration that wine is a family drink. In and around Bangalore area of vineyards is rapidly increasing. Bangalore has become a noticeable wine exporter with rapid growth in wine export to countries such as UK, France and the US! State Govt. support for viniculture has helped greatly in this 'achievement'.
In America, in recent times, because of the liberalisation, the Govt. is facing drastic increase in alcohol related crimes. I have reason to believe that it will increase more drastically in India, if not already. But then in America, law enforcement is far more superior in all respects than the shoddy state of law in India. Unless youth awareness is brought in on a war footing instead of Governments keeping its eyes only on revenue earnings, I don't see any bright future to this country. I do not have dumb hopes. I can only shout - 'Mahatma Gandhi ki Jai' and MERA BHARAT MAHAAN !
Maintaining a bar at home stuffed with a variety of good spirits and beers as well as wines in double earning middle class families has become a status symbol. Alcohol is no more to be a privately consumed vice across all classes and castes. Rather in the privacy and comforts of home alcohol is best enjoyed in the company of friends.
Visit gourmetindia.com and you will see what the site says - 'Too much of anything is bad, but too much of a good whisky is barely enough.' !
In tandem with global phenomenon, Indian youth is falling into alcohol attraction faster than ever. A NIMHANS study reveals that the average age of alcohol consumption in India has fallen by nearly nine years over the past decade, from 28 years to 19 years and projected to fall further to 15 years in another five to seven years. Blame it on liberalised generation.
Wine has become cool and sophisticated drink. Statistics show that consumption of wine has increased by over 25 % in recent years, perhaps because added to change in social attitudes, quite a few independent medical research have revealed that wine, especially red wine contains reservatrol, an ingredient proved to be beneficial for its cardiovascular, anti-cholesterol and anti-inflammatory properties.
Look at the commercial scenario. Indian alcohol market has crossed a whopping $ 14 billion in 2008 and projected to grow @ 10% per year - a growth rate more than China, US and Europe combined! Yet the imported liquor share is very meagre. Vijay Mallya, the liquor baron says, he hopes his flagship United Spirits Ltd to top the world's liquor market. Not without reason; in addition to the Karnataka Govt. liberalising its wine policy, now said to be more liberal than Goa, in India, he says, the fact that every year a 100 million potential consumers attain legal drinking age, which alone should help realise his aim in next five years! India is already the third largest market in the world and with the tag of second largest population, I will not be surprised if it becomes the biggest alcohol market in the world soon. In recent times viniculture has rapidly expended, thanks to Govt. declaration that wine is a family drink. In and around Bangalore area of vineyards is rapidly increasing. Bangalore has become a noticeable wine exporter with rapid growth in wine export to countries such as UK, France and the US! State Govt. support for viniculture has helped greatly in this 'achievement'.
In America, in recent times, because of the liberalisation, the Govt. is facing drastic increase in alcohol related crimes. I have reason to believe that it will increase more drastically in India, if not already. But then in America, law enforcement is far more superior in all respects than the shoddy state of law in India. Unless youth awareness is brought in on a war footing instead of Governments keeping its eyes only on revenue earnings, I don't see any bright future to this country. I do not have dumb hopes. I can only shout - 'Mahatma Gandhi ki Jai' and MERA BHARAT MAHAAN !
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Older than dirt
I receive a forward mail from a friend of mine, in which the originator starts with a nostalgic memory in old age. A young man asks him what kind of fast food the old person used to get during his youth. The person says, well there was only food available for him that was prepared by his mother and had to be eaten together with all the family members after his father returns from work, whether one liked the food or not!. So goes on the message with some more nostalgic memories and finally the person lists 15 items and asks reader to see how many of the things the reader has recognised. The listed items are :
Older Than Dirt Quiz:
Count all the ones that you remember, not the ones you were told about.
Ratings at the bottom.
1. Sweet cigarettes
2. Coffee shops with juke boxes
3. Home milk delivery in glass bottles
4. Party lines on the telephone
5. Newsreels before the movie
6. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning. (There was only 1 channel [if you were fortunate])
7. Peashooters
8. 33 rpm records
9. 45 RPM records
10. 78 rpm records
11. Hi-fi's
12. Metal ice trays with lever
13. Blue flashbulb
14. Cork popguns
15. Wash tub wringers
If you remembered 0-3 = You’re still young
If you remembered 3-6 = You are getting older
If you remembered 7-10 = Don't tell your age,
If you remembered 11-14 =You're older than dirt!
Well, I have a couple of my own nostalgic memories, which I would like to add to the list.
When India got independence on the 15th August 1947, I was only a couple of months away from my 4th birth day. So I faintly remember the euphoric celebrations at midnight in my town, not so big, having around 300 population and added surrounding village would not cross the 1000 mark. That night there was a huge gathering at the town temple square right in front of my house. Though I don't remember the details, I clearly remember that there were dozens of petromax (With pump and brightly burning mantle) lights and as there were celebrations everywhere, these bright kerosene lights were on short supply on the day!
Power came to my native town in 1958, till when we studied under kerosene lamps. There was one brand named USCO which was brighter and cleaner than other brands. There was only one portable USCO in the house for which I used to fight with my elder sister!...though finally we settled for sitting on opposite sides of the lamp and do our home work.
Another thing is the journey of the camera from 620, 120 and 35 mm films (I don't know of earlier ones!) to today's amazing digicams with so many options.
During marriages, professional photographers had to carry an acid battery hanging from his shoulder connected to the camera hanging on the other shoulder. And he needed an assistant to carry a lot of 'flash' bulbs and film rolls. Flash bulbs are of single use; the bulb fuses out with a bright flash along with shutter opening. Later electronic flashes came into use.
Those days the professionals preferred 120 size film rolls as the size would give clearer enlargements than 35 mm films rolls even though 120 roll contained only 12 films against 36 in 35 mm. The contact size picture of 120 film was around 2B size and to save enlargement costs many preferred contact size. .... And 620 was bigger than double the size of 120, almost a post card size! Rolliflex and Kodak are most preferred professional cameras, each costing over a five thousand rupees those days. Agfa Isolette, a cheaper one with fairly good results, was best suited for amateur photography.
I would like to add these two items to the above list to judge how older than dirt you are.
16. Kerosene lamps
17. Burning flash bulb cameras
Older Than Dirt Quiz:
Count all the ones that you remember, not the ones you were told about.
Ratings at the bottom.
1. Sweet cigarettes
2. Coffee shops with juke boxes
3. Home milk delivery in glass bottles
4. Party lines on the telephone
5. Newsreels before the movie
6. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning. (There was only 1 channel [if you were fortunate])
7. Peashooters
8. 33 rpm records
9. 45 RPM records
10. 78 rpm records
11. Hi-fi's
12. Metal ice trays with lever
13. Blue flashbulb
14. Cork popguns
15. Wash tub wringers
If you remembered 0-3 = You’re still young
If you remembered 3-6 = You are getting older
If you remembered 7-10 = Don't tell your age,
If you remembered 11-14 =You're older than dirt!
Well, I have a couple of my own nostalgic memories, which I would like to add to the list.
When India got independence on the 15th August 1947, I was only a couple of months away from my 4th birth day. So I faintly remember the euphoric celebrations at midnight in my town, not so big, having around 300 population and added surrounding village would not cross the 1000 mark. That night there was a huge gathering at the town temple square right in front of my house. Though I don't remember the details, I clearly remember that there were dozens of petromax (With pump and brightly burning mantle) lights and as there were celebrations everywhere, these bright kerosene lights were on short supply on the day!
Power came to my native town in 1958, till when we studied under kerosene lamps. There was one brand named USCO which was brighter and cleaner than other brands. There was only one portable USCO in the house for which I used to fight with my elder sister!...though finally we settled for sitting on opposite sides of the lamp and do our home work.
Another thing is the journey of the camera from 620, 120 and 35 mm films (I don't know of earlier ones!) to today's amazing digicams with so many options.
During marriages, professional photographers had to carry an acid battery hanging from his shoulder connected to the camera hanging on the other shoulder. And he needed an assistant to carry a lot of 'flash' bulbs and film rolls. Flash bulbs are of single use; the bulb fuses out with a bright flash along with shutter opening. Later electronic flashes came into use.
Those days the professionals preferred 120 size film rolls as the size would give clearer enlargements than 35 mm films rolls even though 120 roll contained only 12 films against 36 in 35 mm. The contact size picture of 120 film was around 2B size and to save enlargement costs many preferred contact size. .... And 620 was bigger than double the size of 120, almost a post card size! Rolliflex and Kodak are most preferred professional cameras, each costing over a five thousand rupees those days. Agfa Isolette, a cheaper one with fairly good results, was best suited for amateur photography.
I would like to add these two items to the above list to judge how older than dirt you are.
16. Kerosene lamps
17. Burning flash bulb cameras
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Me and Happiness
According to J.Krishnamurti, the reason for every human misery is the attitude that always says 'I am this; I want to be that'. I would like to go a little further.
Both I am this and I want to be that are illusions. What do I mean by this? How do I know myself before I say this? I know myself as a result of collective opinion by various people around me. I am kind hearted man, because I cared to help you when you were in need despite myself being in much more troubles. I am kind hearted to my daughter because I took out quality time to coach her on the subject of her school Essay Competition, in which she subsequently won first prize. I am kind hearted because I regularly donate blood to the local Blood Bank. This is but only one aspect of recognising 'me' as me from the people around. And so is the whole of me is recognised through various people in various situations over time. I also change with time. Pride enters my head and I slowly take it for granted that I am a virtuous man! I become arrogant.Social interactions mixed with religious and cultural influences shapes 'me'. Is not that the way I know myself? Is there any other way to know myself without a single bit of information from outside me? Try it!
Basically this 'me' itself is given to me, with a name, with a personal identification mark such as son of so and so. This information on my paternity is given to me by my mother. Who else can be a better informer than my mother to get information about my paternity? And the funny thing is the information about my mother also is given to me by herself, which I have no option but to believe! So the whole gamut of 'me' stands on belief, is it not? And belief is not always the truth. So right from its basics, this 'me' is built on beliefs, right? So I am this is an illusion; and I want to be that is speculation. That precisely is what causes human miseries. All because every human value is dictated by society, culture and religion irrespective of its veracity. Is there any value independent of external influence? I think in understanding this core of human life, lies true happiness; the happiness that is not defined by my society or culture.
Both I am this and I want to be that are illusions. What do I mean by this? How do I know myself before I say this? I know myself as a result of collective opinion by various people around me. I am kind hearted man, because I cared to help you when you were in need despite myself being in much more troubles. I am kind hearted to my daughter because I took out quality time to coach her on the subject of her school Essay Competition, in which she subsequently won first prize. I am kind hearted because I regularly donate blood to the local Blood Bank. This is but only one aspect of recognising 'me' as me from the people around. And so is the whole of me is recognised through various people in various situations over time. I also change with time. Pride enters my head and I slowly take it for granted that I am a virtuous man! I become arrogant.Social interactions mixed with religious and cultural influences shapes 'me'. Is not that the way I know myself? Is there any other way to know myself without a single bit of information from outside me? Try it!
Basically this 'me' itself is given to me, with a name, with a personal identification mark such as son of so and so. This information on my paternity is given to me by my mother. Who else can be a better informer than my mother to get information about my paternity? And the funny thing is the information about my mother also is given to me by herself, which I have no option but to believe! So the whole gamut of 'me' stands on belief, is it not? And belief is not always the truth. So right from its basics, this 'me' is built on beliefs, right? So I am this is an illusion; and I want to be that is speculation. That precisely is what causes human miseries. All because every human value is dictated by society, culture and religion irrespective of its veracity. Is there any value independent of external influence? I think in understanding this core of human life, lies true happiness; the happiness that is not defined by my society or culture.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Civil Society (?)
I am very pleased to read an editorial today. It is about a landmark verdict by a district court in Haryana. Death sentence is handed down to five people who had killed a young couple for marrying against caste norms. It is for the first time in the history of Indian Judiciary that a capital punishment is awarded in such a case.
I have seen a lot of reports on so called 'honour killings', but our courts seem to have not taken the crime so seriously as it actually should. The perpetrators of the crime in the name of family, village, caste or cultural honour, were let off with light sentences. Now with this landmark judgement, even though by a lower court should send clear signals to the village panchayats called 'Khaps' in Haryan where, such crimes take place on a regular basis, to think again before it gives its verdicts in such cases or marriages and elopements. In this particular case, the marriage was not even inter-caste but the girl and the boy belonged to the same 'Gotra'! I am also pleased because justice was delivered pretty fast. The crime took place in 2007 when the eloped young couple was located by relatives of the girl including her brother and was brutally killed. It is only recently the Home Ministry viewed such killings as murders.
The social malady is spread over Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh. I even refuse to term this as social malady. In my opinion it is the barbaric instincts, though present in all human beings but given expression among the uncivilised people.
Not only these honour killings, I also see rape cases, kidnaps and all kinds of uncivilised manners and practices reported regularly every day. There was a shocking incident reported yesterday. A nineth grade minor girl was kidnapped by an astrologer for performing a puja to some minor deity in order to get hidden treasures. The girl's own father convinced the girl to co-operate with the astrologer, who took her to a remote village and raped her! The astrologer was subsequently caught and the girl was in trauma and was admitted to NIMHANS, Bangalore. It was suspected that the girl was later to be sacrificed!
I dont know if the West and other so called developed and civilised contries are any less superstitious. But the big question always haunts me - are we living in a civiled world? Is religious fundamentalism and terrorism civil?
I have seen a lot of reports on so called 'honour killings', but our courts seem to have not taken the crime so seriously as it actually should. The perpetrators of the crime in the name of family, village, caste or cultural honour, were let off with light sentences. Now with this landmark judgement, even though by a lower court should send clear signals to the village panchayats called 'Khaps' in Haryan where, such crimes take place on a regular basis, to think again before it gives its verdicts in such cases or marriages and elopements. In this particular case, the marriage was not even inter-caste but the girl and the boy belonged to the same 'Gotra'! I am also pleased because justice was delivered pretty fast. The crime took place in 2007 when the eloped young couple was located by relatives of the girl including her brother and was brutally killed. It is only recently the Home Ministry viewed such killings as murders.
The social malady is spread over Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh. I even refuse to term this as social malady. In my opinion it is the barbaric instincts, though present in all human beings but given expression among the uncivilised people.
Not only these honour killings, I also see rape cases, kidnaps and all kinds of uncivilised manners and practices reported regularly every day. There was a shocking incident reported yesterday. A nineth grade minor girl was kidnapped by an astrologer for performing a puja to some minor deity in order to get hidden treasures. The girl's own father convinced the girl to co-operate with the astrologer, who took her to a remote village and raped her! The astrologer was subsequently caught and the girl was in trauma and was admitted to NIMHANS, Bangalore. It was suspected that the girl was later to be sacrificed!
I dont know if the West and other so called developed and civilised contries are any less superstitious. But the big question always haunts me - are we living in a civiled world? Is religious fundamentalism and terrorism civil?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)