By now I expect everybody to know about this fiasco. Skeletons from Congress cupboard are coming out every day. Now if one reputed columnist draws parallels between Indira Ganghi's infamous emergency of 1975 and Rajiv Gandhi's authoritarian actions of 1985, others are digging deep into the conspiracies of the Rajiv Gandhi Govt. and the Man Mohan Singh (Read Sonia Gandhi) Govt. The parallel Kuldip Nayar draws between Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi is that both took unilateral decisions and later got the cabinet 'ratify' it. Indira Gandhi declared emergency in 1975 unilaterally denying even fundamental rights to the citizens, and consulted her cabinet of ministers later. Rajiv Gandhi asked Arjun Singh, the Congress chief minister of Madhya Pradesh to release Warren Anderson, the CEO of Union Carbide from house arrest and to facilitate his subsequent escape from India and got his cabinet to ratify his authoritarian decision. It is different that he had pressure from America. But in both the cases Indian democracy suffered a fatal blow. In both the cases all the three democratic arms, - the judiciary, the executive and the bureaucracy not only failed to uphold democratic values but helped to sabotage democracy. If Indira Gandhi made the supreme court to uphold her authoritarian rule by 5 to 1 quoting 'Doctrine of Necessity', Rajiv Gandhi made the then Chief Justice of India A.H.Ahmadi to dilute the clause put by CBI in its charge sheet. Every person in the high post had fears of the undeclared dictator.
President Obama of the United States of America has demanded British Petroleum to pay $20 billion as initial compensation for the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This despite the risk of damaging the soft part of the American corporate sector, yet, the citizen is crying hoarse that the Govt. is not doing enough! Contrast this with our Man Mohan Singh constituting a group of ministers (GoM) and appointing his Home Minister Chidambaram to preside!! I simply fail to understand the practice of constituting a GoM to find 'facts' in every trivial and most serious mishappening, when there is every tool in democracy to find the facts (if the people of the country do not know already!) And in this case, after more than a quarter century. Why does Congress not accept the realities and apologize to the nation instead of dragging its feet in such a shameless manner? I think by that the Congress will not only control further damage to the age old party but also will it regain a lot of lost public trust. The way it is shouting down its critics instead, indicates the quality of arrogance it still possesses.
After the exit of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Mahatma, Congress first lost values and now it has become a party with full of scoundrels. This statement does not mean that other national political parties are without scoundrels. The pity with Congress is that it is over a century old party and the biggest credit it earned is of bringing independence to this nation, eclipsing the contributions made by the likes of Subhash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh, and today it is in the hands of scoundrels behind the good face of a woman. This party has laid precedence to all forms of corrupt practices to follow by other parties. Nothing else has done more harm to the nation than Congress after independence. I truly feel pity for this party which once commanded respect from even street dog!
I sincerely wish the Ghost of Bhopal tragedy springs up into full life, boomerang and decimate Congress.
This is not a hate mail but the least I can do for the suffering masses of the tragedy.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Sanctum Sanctorium
As you may be knowing that Hinduism is a majority religion in India; yet Hinduism is divided into numerous castes sects and sub sects. Idol worship is the form of worship across all sects and sub sects. Each sect and sub sect has its own tradition of worship. Even temples are built in accordance with the particular tradition of the sect or sub sect. If devotees are allowed inside sanctum sanctorium in one tradition, nobody except the purohit (the one who performs the pooja - worship, every time taking a head bath of cold water before entering). I am born and brought up in one of the Brahman sub sects.
Having born in a family residing very next to the town temple, I had good opportunity to observe the intricacies of the temple tradition, especially the happenings behind the scene. As a school going boy, I was an active participant in all the temple celebrations and rituals. Yet I had no access to the sanctum sanctorium, which in local parlance is called the 'Garbhagudi'. There is a path round the rectangular garbhagudi for the devotees to go round which is called 'Pradaksina'. These pradakshinas are taken in odd numbers - 1, 3, 5 etc., before they finally pray standing in front of the garbhagudi entrance and then prostrate. During special occasions there is a special pooja - worship called 'Utsav'. Apart from the regular sandal prasadam, a few particular types of sweets and sometimes fruits also are distributed to the gathering at the end of the utsav. I have seen purohits secretly setting aside a portion of the fruits to take home later.
I have also seen rats, lizards and cockroaches freely moving inside the sanctum sanctorium when there was nobody inside. I have also heard the grumblings of purohits about cleaning the excreta of these dark room creatures.
Now I have given so long a prelude to tell you that we humans also have a sanctum senctorium deep inside our conscience with perhaps a reigning deity well established at the center. I am now asking you whether you have discovered this garbhagudi inside you; I have! I have not only discovered but also entered, a thing physically I could not do in the outside world. The first time I entered the sanctum sanctorium, I was terrified by the pitch darkness; disgusted with the stink it had accumulated over the years. I could not see or feel the Idol of worship in that total darkness. But I could feel the debris everywhere in that small place. There were stolen fruits still decaying and stinking. There were roaches and rats roaming all over the debris.
Once I had the access to my inner sanctum sanctorium, I visited it over and again. I have not yet cleared all the accumulated debris, but I have reason to believe that I have scared away the creatures. Recently a very narrow beam of very weak light has started showing me a portion of the space I am exploring. I still have a mountain of cleaning work before, perhaps, I find the idol of worship if at all it is established there!
You can show me a million temples; a million paths to reach God, a million ways of worship. But can you show me the place inside me if and where the idol is placed? I have to do it all alone, without external light or help. I should become the source of light for myself. I have to guide and find my path myself. Can anybody including God Himself help me find my path? No external force however great is of any help to me in this matter. And the moment I realise this fact, I am instantly at the right place at the right time. Do I need to experience the bliss defined by somebody else? from some scriptures? through some teachings? The only requirement in this mission is the courage to stand alone and by courage I do not mean anything ordinary, it is a great courage to jump into the unknown abyss!
"So far as this outer 'aakaasha' - space - extends, thus far extends my 'antarhr'dayaakaasha' - inner space - ......." The Upanishads
Having born in a family residing very next to the town temple, I had good opportunity to observe the intricacies of the temple tradition, especially the happenings behind the scene. As a school going boy, I was an active participant in all the temple celebrations and rituals. Yet I had no access to the sanctum sanctorium, which in local parlance is called the 'Garbhagudi'. There is a path round the rectangular garbhagudi for the devotees to go round which is called 'Pradaksina'. These pradakshinas are taken in odd numbers - 1, 3, 5 etc., before they finally pray standing in front of the garbhagudi entrance and then prostrate. During special occasions there is a special pooja - worship called 'Utsav'. Apart from the regular sandal prasadam, a few particular types of sweets and sometimes fruits also are distributed to the gathering at the end of the utsav. I have seen purohits secretly setting aside a portion of the fruits to take home later.
I have also seen rats, lizards and cockroaches freely moving inside the sanctum sanctorium when there was nobody inside. I have also heard the grumblings of purohits about cleaning the excreta of these dark room creatures.
Now I have given so long a prelude to tell you that we humans also have a sanctum senctorium deep inside our conscience with perhaps a reigning deity well established at the center. I am now asking you whether you have discovered this garbhagudi inside you; I have! I have not only discovered but also entered, a thing physically I could not do in the outside world. The first time I entered the sanctum sanctorium, I was terrified by the pitch darkness; disgusted with the stink it had accumulated over the years. I could not see or feel the Idol of worship in that total darkness. But I could feel the debris everywhere in that small place. There were stolen fruits still decaying and stinking. There were roaches and rats roaming all over the debris.
Once I had the access to my inner sanctum sanctorium, I visited it over and again. I have not yet cleared all the accumulated debris, but I have reason to believe that I have scared away the creatures. Recently a very narrow beam of very weak light has started showing me a portion of the space I am exploring. I still have a mountain of cleaning work before, perhaps, I find the idol of worship if at all it is established there!
You can show me a million temples; a million paths to reach God, a million ways of worship. But can you show me the place inside me if and where the idol is placed? I have to do it all alone, without external light or help. I should become the source of light for myself. I have to guide and find my path myself. Can anybody including God Himself help me find my path? No external force however great is of any help to me in this matter. And the moment I realise this fact, I am instantly at the right place at the right time. Do I need to experience the bliss defined by somebody else? from some scriptures? through some teachings? The only requirement in this mission is the courage to stand alone and by courage I do not mean anything ordinary, it is a great courage to jump into the unknown abyss!
"So far as this outer 'aakaasha' - space - extends, thus far extends my 'antarhr'dayaakaasha' - inner space - ......." The Upanishads
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Marital Bliss
There is a story in one of the books of Deepak Chopra. His uncle, a travelling salesman was in Gaya during one of the 'Kumbh Mela' time. The place was flocked with a variety of sadhus descending from the Himalayas for the 'Mela'. The salesman noticed a sadhu bending over the roadside gutter doing something. Out of curiosity our salesman goes near the sadhu and observes what he was doing. A scorpion was trying to climb up the mossy side wall of the gutter but slips back to the gutter. This sadhu trying to help the creature picks it up but the scorpion instantly stings his hand and the sadhu drops the scorpion. It again tries to climb up, sadhu tries to help, gets stung and drops. After the same thing repeating for a number of times, our gentleman asks the sadhu why he was getting stung by the scorpion again and again. The sadhu replies that it is the nature of the scorpion to sting but saving a life from dying is 'my nature; even God cannot help us'
I bet a majority of relationships between spouses of middle class people of my time is of this type, - scorpion and the sadhu, at least uneasy if not painful. Yet, it is suppressed and a beautiful facade is worn by both the spouses for public view and for this painful retention we proudly say that we have maintained the sanctity of marriage and kept the values of the institution intact! But today's younger generation do not hesitate to call it a day whenever a fair chance given to it fails. Most of us grumble, - the values have eroded or the younger generation is neither bothered nor patient to discover the true happiness in marriage. After all a marriage survives on individual sacrifices of the partners, isn't it? Let me examine.
Remember Al Gore? He unsuccessfully contested the American presidential elections against George Bush. Al's wife also was a politician. During campaign they were together and during one of the campaigns they kissed on the public platform to show how strong is their marital bond even after thirty years. His campaign managers used the photograph of husband and wife kissing in public used widely for their publicity. Well, now after forty years, they have mutually agreed to divorce. Sane in old age, aren't they? Well, that gives ample reasons to believe that they too were not only wearing a facade for public view but also tried to provide material proof to the success of their marriage!
Marriage has been institutionalised. Different sets of rules are set in different communities and cultures, promising bliss if the proper rules are much valued and maintained irrespective of what individual emotional price you pay for it. The question arises naturally - Is bliss an outcome of sacrifices?
I have come across many successful people attributing their success to their spouses. All of us have heard the adage that there is a woman behind the success of every man. But I doubt if the woman has made any conscious sacrifice, because the very consciousness of sacrifice brings in misery. Then what is the secret behind the success of every man if there was no sacrifice from his woman?
And quite often than not, we do find a powerful man behind the grand success of a woman. Many years back, I remember M.S. Subbulakshmi, a legend of Classical Karnatic Vocal music, attributing her success as vocalist entirely to the support given by her husband. (I think at that time their marriage had seen over a fifty summers) Did her husband sacrifice anything for her sake? I don't think so! Yet the marital bliss among the couple undoubtedly was there, though the husband kept a very profile in public. And the beauty, for an outsider like you and me is in seeing much more sacrifice in the man! But the man is never conscious of his sacrifices; everything he did for his wife was very natural to him and that delicate part of the personality must have worked as a robust ladder to the wife in climbing up to reach the highest point in her natural talent.
So, according to me, the bliss, if at all, in marriage comes naturally for the partners when man and woman are in right space-time. That is to say, two naturally complimentary personalities meet and marry. And when anybody boasting of his or her sacrifices as the reason for the success of the marriage, is simply cheating him/herself with the facade they wear, not you and me. Other compulsions make the marriage to sustain (I don't consider constantly working out for sustaining, as success), not because but despite the individual sacrifices; for, in a true marriage, there is no individual.
I bet a majority of relationships between spouses of middle class people of my time is of this type, - scorpion and the sadhu, at least uneasy if not painful. Yet, it is suppressed and a beautiful facade is worn by both the spouses for public view and for this painful retention we proudly say that we have maintained the sanctity of marriage and kept the values of the institution intact! But today's younger generation do not hesitate to call it a day whenever a fair chance given to it fails. Most of us grumble, - the values have eroded or the younger generation is neither bothered nor patient to discover the true happiness in marriage. After all a marriage survives on individual sacrifices of the partners, isn't it? Let me examine.
Remember Al Gore? He unsuccessfully contested the American presidential elections against George Bush. Al's wife also was a politician. During campaign they were together and during one of the campaigns they kissed on the public platform to show how strong is their marital bond even after thirty years. His campaign managers used the photograph of husband and wife kissing in public used widely for their publicity. Well, now after forty years, they have mutually agreed to divorce. Sane in old age, aren't they? Well, that gives ample reasons to believe that they too were not only wearing a facade for public view but also tried to provide material proof to the success of their marriage!
Marriage has been institutionalised. Different sets of rules are set in different communities and cultures, promising bliss if the proper rules are much valued and maintained irrespective of what individual emotional price you pay for it. The question arises naturally - Is bliss an outcome of sacrifices?
I have come across many successful people attributing their success to their spouses. All of us have heard the adage that there is a woman behind the success of every man. But I doubt if the woman has made any conscious sacrifice, because the very consciousness of sacrifice brings in misery. Then what is the secret behind the success of every man if there was no sacrifice from his woman?
And quite often than not, we do find a powerful man behind the grand success of a woman. Many years back, I remember M.S. Subbulakshmi, a legend of Classical Karnatic Vocal music, attributing her success as vocalist entirely to the support given by her husband. (I think at that time their marriage had seen over a fifty summers) Did her husband sacrifice anything for her sake? I don't think so! Yet the marital bliss among the couple undoubtedly was there, though the husband kept a very profile in public. And the beauty, for an outsider like you and me is in seeing much more sacrifice in the man! But the man is never conscious of his sacrifices; everything he did for his wife was very natural to him and that delicate part of the personality must have worked as a robust ladder to the wife in climbing up to reach the highest point in her natural talent.
So, according to me, the bliss, if at all, in marriage comes naturally for the partners when man and woman are in right space-time. That is to say, two naturally complimentary personalities meet and marry. And when anybody boasting of his or her sacrifices as the reason for the success of the marriage, is simply cheating him/herself with the facade they wear, not you and me. Other compulsions make the marriage to sustain (I don't consider constantly working out for sustaining, as success), not because but despite the individual sacrifices; for, in a true marriage, there is no individual.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Innocence
"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?
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?
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 !
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