Promotion of danger is much more dangerous than dangerous promotion. It is dangerous promotion when tourists are allowed unrestricted access in any country but it is promotion of danger when the rulers of any country say that tourism is the best industry for the country and start believing in it. This is what is happening in India today, especially in a ‘vulnerable’ state like Kerala. What is marketed as God’s-Own-Country in the world tourist circles is becoming a Free-for-All arena for the tourists. The bewitching beauty of land coupled with unlimited freedom is so luring that many tourists fall in love with the place at the first visit and become interested in building long term ‘relations’ with the area. Large parts of Kerala along the sea coast and highlands are already in the hands of these ‘once’ tourists who have decided to settle down with various agenda. These registered holdings by foreigners are only a small fraction of the vast tracts of ‘benami’ lands held by local henchmen for their foreign masters. In recent times, we have also begun to hear about ‘flesh-err’ in house boats and massage parlours. The noose of foreign occupation, both physical and mental, is slowly but steadily tightening around the neck of Kerala.
When Vasco-De-Gama landed at Kapadi beach in 1498 AD, he was not very welcome. But when the Chief Executive of a rejuvenated East India Company decides to land in one of the many airports of Kerala at a not-so-distant future, there would be an unprecedented welcome from the rulers of an erstwhile God’s-Own-Country. This is bound to happen if there is no realisation about the dangerous path we are treading now. Several self designated intellectuals and leaders are declaring that IT and Tourism hold the future of Kerala. While IT may be a late but true realisation about the inherent intellectual calibre of Keralites, any over emphasis on tourism is bound to play into the hands of dangerous foreign elements. Not only the land will get looted beyond imagination but also our heritage and culture will be mutated beyond recognition. We have so many vulnerable elements and tendencies in our midst that a return to safe limits will be an impossible task once the threshold is crossed.
Discourage Foreign Tourism
Almost all political novices who come into offices of power fall easy prey to the smartness of bureaucrats under them. In tourism sector, it takes almost no time for ‘motivated’ bureaucrats to flatten the political leadership with a talk about the remarkable transformation of Singapore in the last 25 years from an undeveloped dirty piece of land to a shining metropolis only because of tourism. In reality it is very much true too. But what applies for a minor piece of land with no centuries-old civilisation and a handful of similar citizens is definitely not applicable for a major country with thousands of years’ heritage and a set of very dissimilar people. The first and foremost aspect about India that is well known to everyone is its diversity and inherent inability for any sort of uniformity. Culturally and politically, we are used to so much of freedom that any talk about falling in line is anathema even if it is for the sake of national unity. And it is this vulnerable aspect that all our foreign invaders and occupiers have used to their advantage.
For anyone dealing with tourism in our country, it is important that these weaknesses and vulnerability are borne in mind at all times. We should remember that India as a nation harbours a very high concentration of ‘Jai Chands and Mir Jafers’ and sabotaging this diverse country from within has always been easy for her foreign enemies. Widespread poverty has only loosened the diversity further, thus leading to acute vulnerability in the face of any determined foreign campaign with adequate resources. Given this background, the security situation can only get worse if we are inviting tourists for unlimited access and pleasure. Quite unfortunately, most of our tourist promotion campaigns are in these lines. It is better for our own sake to remember that any foolish publicity to the whole world about unparalleled beauty existing within our own household will only lead to attempts of rape. Instead, we should be enjoying the heights of mountains and depths of rivers that God has so mercifully bestowed on his own land for his own children.
Encourage Internal Tourism
Tourism can be a powerful tool for a country like ours for promoting national integration. Imagine how people from Kashmir would feel if they are provided decent boarding and lodging facilities at affordable price at Kanyakumari. Same would be the case of Non-Resident Indians and People of Indian Origin, who are much eager to enjoy the beauty of their dream land. Instead of the unabashed pampering of foreign tourists, we should be looking at promotion of National Tourism, NRI Tourism and PIO Tourism as better options. If adequate facilities are provided, our NRIs and PIOs will bring in as much foreign exchange as we get from the foreigners who are on visit only in search of pleasure. The emotional aspect that would bind (and control) an NRI or PIO on a visit to India would be missing in the case a foreigner who will go to any length seeking pleasure. The do’s and don’ts that are an integral part of Indian culture would be completely missing in a foreigner, for whom ‘flesh-erring’ is another value added product of the tourism industry.
Providing considerable incentives to tourism on the basis of it being an industry is a major mistake in every sense. In addition to money that it generates, every industry must produce something and all that tourism produces is waste and immeasurable damages to the environment, both physical and cultural. One look at the people who are involved in the tourism industry, especially those who have invested heavily, is enough to ascertain the true colours of this unwanted industry. Unrestrained freedom for foreign tourists is a dangerous proposition and nowhere in the world do they get as much freedom as in India. There are foreign tourists after our unparalleled bio-diversity, sculptures and artefacts, rarest of rare scriptures and one of most beautiful set of people in the face of this planet. The rules of modern tourism must be very clear – any foreign tourist must (be allowed to) see only what the hosts want to show and nothing more. And in vast and vulnerable countries like India, internal tourists who love the land must take precedence over foreigners who are only after pleasure.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
FATE AND DESTINY
‘Pramod Mahajan was destined to become Indian Prime Minister one day but fate willed otherwise’. This has been the common statement by many in India in recent times. In reality this is what happens in the case of most of us. We are all destined to become someone somewhere but end up as someone else somewhere else. Life is nothing but an interplay of destiny and fate in a real environment of opportunities and impediments. Thanks to the accumulated karma from our foregone lives and the spill over of extra-ordinary karma from those of our parents, all of us are born with pre-determined destinies in each life. But only a miniscule number among us live up to these ‘blueprints of life’ in toto, while most others deviate from it due to reasons known and unknown. To put it briefly, it is not only enough to be born with a good destiny to become a good man but it is also necessary to model a fate that would help us to achieve it. It is entirely logical to assume that while destiny is beyond our control, fate is something that is willed by us. We are given a powerful tool to control the overall results of our life and it is upto each individual to use it the way he or she wants.
Frozen Destiny
Destiny for each one of us is frozen and there is absolutely nothing that is in our hands regarding destiny. Apart from the unknown karma factor which determines our parents and background, there are only three others that determine our destiny viz. date, place and time of our birth. For any astrologer looking at these four or five parameters it is simple reading about where each one of us is destined for. But any yatra is not complete just by knowing its destination. Our life journeys are no different. As an example, take the case of mountaineers. Many of them who are attempting to climb Mount Everest may be destined to do it, but how many of them really achieve it? Some of them make it with difficulty but many others die attempting to do what is in their destiny. Even if our destiny is promising, its fulfilment is always dependent on our actions, attitude, luck and above all the grace of God.
Examples are more illustrative in the case of our leaders. There have been hundreds and thousands of freedom fighters in India prior to the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa. There were many more new ones even after his return. And it does not take much time to realise that many among them were more intelligent, innovative and bold. But the mantle of leading Indians to the current political freedom fell on him for whatever reasons. Leaders like Bose, Arabindo and Savarkar were equally qualified to throw out the British, but fate willed otherwise in their cases. Gandhiji had the luck, timely ideas for action and appropriate attitude that could galvanise public support to frighten the mighty British. Above all he had the necessary grace of God to achieve what was in his destiny. The same pattern continues even today everywhere. There are several talented, innovative and committed leaders in all countries. But only those who can get a grip on their fate make it to the top.
Current Fate
Currency of fate is something we are led to believe by compulsive evidence. The ultimate fate of those who live by swords (bombs and AK-47 now) is always well known. Those who spew venom and malign others for no noble reasons always fall victim themselves to the same tactics. And an unscrupulous villain is always subjugated by another more evil villain. All these facts of life seen all round us point to only one direction ie. we dig our own downfall or build our own welfare. It is always good to remember that in our own attempts to bring about good fates to match our good destinies, we are not always alone. There is a sense of ‘herdity’ involved in this. Just like evil men getting together to destroy what is good, there is always a natural drift involving good men in any society. What is often lacking for many is the strength of will to stick on with the group especially when the going gets tough.
The ways of fate are always confusing and contradictory. It is our fate that puts us through trying times and makes us feel arrogantly exuberant. We are presented with difficulties at one moment and the next moment with temptations for evil passions. Invariably many of us fall for its games and slide down the path of destiny like in a snake and ladder chequer board. All the good that we did in a life time can be lost in a moment by a wrong move. Those who are consistently cheating others forget the watchdog within themselves and the fact that these watchdogs are nothing but the pets of fate. It is only the determined and stable few who can withstand the tests of fate ultimately succeed in attaining the destined positions. But an acceptance and understanding about the control we have on our own fates is in itself a step in the right direction.
Thus the secret of a successful life is crystal clear. For those who realise the simple principle that destiny may be frozen but fate is still within their control at early stages in life are most likely to reach their destinations. They can avoid the pitfalls and proceed in life without ever losing the focus on their destiny. Those who consult astrologers must always keep in mind that the predictions and readings are concerning their destinies only. To a very large extent, their fate is still under their control and with the grace of God it is possible to alter the coming events in their favour. What is required for all those who are losing their grip on life is this simple realisation of their own inherent power to dictate their fate.
Frozen Destiny
Destiny for each one of us is frozen and there is absolutely nothing that is in our hands regarding destiny. Apart from the unknown karma factor which determines our parents and background, there are only three others that determine our destiny viz. date, place and time of our birth. For any astrologer looking at these four or five parameters it is simple reading about where each one of us is destined for. But any yatra is not complete just by knowing its destination. Our life journeys are no different. As an example, take the case of mountaineers. Many of them who are attempting to climb Mount Everest may be destined to do it, but how many of them really achieve it? Some of them make it with difficulty but many others die attempting to do what is in their destiny. Even if our destiny is promising, its fulfilment is always dependent on our actions, attitude, luck and above all the grace of God.
Examples are more illustrative in the case of our leaders. There have been hundreds and thousands of freedom fighters in India prior to the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa. There were many more new ones even after his return. And it does not take much time to realise that many among them were more intelligent, innovative and bold. But the mantle of leading Indians to the current political freedom fell on him for whatever reasons. Leaders like Bose, Arabindo and Savarkar were equally qualified to throw out the British, but fate willed otherwise in their cases. Gandhiji had the luck, timely ideas for action and appropriate attitude that could galvanise public support to frighten the mighty British. Above all he had the necessary grace of God to achieve what was in his destiny. The same pattern continues even today everywhere. There are several talented, innovative and committed leaders in all countries. But only those who can get a grip on their fate make it to the top.
Current Fate
Currency of fate is something we are led to believe by compulsive evidence. The ultimate fate of those who live by swords (bombs and AK-47 now) is always well known. Those who spew venom and malign others for no noble reasons always fall victim themselves to the same tactics. And an unscrupulous villain is always subjugated by another more evil villain. All these facts of life seen all round us point to only one direction ie. we dig our own downfall or build our own welfare. It is always good to remember that in our own attempts to bring about good fates to match our good destinies, we are not always alone. There is a sense of ‘herdity’ involved in this. Just like evil men getting together to destroy what is good, there is always a natural drift involving good men in any society. What is often lacking for many is the strength of will to stick on with the group especially when the going gets tough.
The ways of fate are always confusing and contradictory. It is our fate that puts us through trying times and makes us feel arrogantly exuberant. We are presented with difficulties at one moment and the next moment with temptations for evil passions. Invariably many of us fall for its games and slide down the path of destiny like in a snake and ladder chequer board. All the good that we did in a life time can be lost in a moment by a wrong move. Those who are consistently cheating others forget the watchdog within themselves and the fact that these watchdogs are nothing but the pets of fate. It is only the determined and stable few who can withstand the tests of fate ultimately succeed in attaining the destined positions. But an acceptance and understanding about the control we have on our own fates is in itself a step in the right direction.
Thus the secret of a successful life is crystal clear. For those who realise the simple principle that destiny may be frozen but fate is still within their control at early stages in life are most likely to reach their destinations. They can avoid the pitfalls and proceed in life without ever losing the focus on their destiny. Those who consult astrologers must always keep in mind that the predictions and readings are concerning their destinies only. To a very large extent, their fate is still under their control and with the grace of God it is possible to alter the coming events in their favour. What is required for all those who are losing their grip on life is this simple realisation of their own inherent power to dictate their fate.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
CHILDREN OF SECULARISM
South India is now on the top of the world in terms of family suicides and Kerala is leading the nation once again in ‘social development’. Hundreds have committed suicide and thousands are getting ready for it. Usually everyone avoids looking for personal details of those who commit suicide. But recently one of our own social scientists decided to take a look at it and the results are indeed alarming. More than 75% of these ‘family suiciders’ in Kerala belong to the majority community, which is far in excess of their population in the state. There must be a definite reason for this strange affinity and it is high time the reasons are identified and corrections initiated in the society. If the deliberate indifference of those in power continues, the results can be disastrous and far reaching. The disease can spread and even the fate of Indian nation can be in jeopardy.
A sizeable proportion of our population is still illiterate and any one trying to analyse such social evils are tempted to conclude it as such. But this is far from true when we realise that Kerala is a cent percent literate state and social indices are world class thanks to land reforms and silent revolutions initiated by the leftists. Many of the so-called upper caste monopolies have been dismantled and all forms of ‘minoritism’ are flourishing. There are no issues like untouchability and discrimination on the basis of caste or colour in matters public. Kerala society has progressed quite a lot in terms of public amenities and availability of basic services. Poverty is not at all rampant and money is definitely available for those who know how to earn it. Then what is it that is letting individuals and families to commit suicide en masse? It is just because most of them are children of secularism.
End-of-the-Road Feeling
From a purely philosophical point of view, what is actually wrong if someone decides to put an end to his own life? But all legal and religious systems think otherwise. In some of the religions it is completely unacceptable and is considered a crime against God. Those who attempt it have scope for good life neither in this world nor in other worlds. Their future is considered sealed for ever because they had no right to take away what has been given by God. But all these faithful theories prevent only those have imbibed it at their young age. For others there is nothing that stands in the way of anyone determined to go for it. Most people attempt suicide only when they are convinced that their road has come to an end. They convince themselves that there is no light at the end of the long tunnel. It is here that their faith in God and mental strength are coming under test. And it is here that many of the untrained and unprepared fail.
Whatever way we look at it, life is a struggle for everyone. This is equally true for all those who ultimately succeed or fail. I think it was Nehru who said ‘Success often comes to those who dare and act; and never to the timid who are ever afraid of the consequences’. But what he said was only part of the whole truth. There are many dare devils who ultimately leaps to death because they never bothered to ensure at least a safety net at the bottom. They believed that someone else will take care of their needs and never believed in the policy of taking care of themselves. Majority of the majority community who succumb to the easy escape route of suicide belong to this category. Neither their community have the combined will or wherewithal to spread the safety net nor have they developed it themselves. Secular education has helped India to win the appreciation of outside world but have left her majority children helpless in front of unexpected failures in life. For many of these children of secularism it is end-of-the-road whenever there is financial crisis or shame & scandal in the family. And they fall easy prey to the fatal escapism of suicide.
Secure or Secular Education
India is a secular democratic nation and a majority of us have received only secular education in secular schools. Though secularism does not call for total avoidance of religious studies, this has been the case in India, especially among those belonging to the majority community. With the growing influence of left politics in the country, this avoidance is slowing growing into aversion for anything religious. While a sizeable section of our population is going to madrassas and Sunday schools right from very young age to understand the basics of their own religion, a vast majority are growing up as children of secularism. They are taught nothing about religion, beliefs, prayer and faith. All that they are taught is about Science, Social Science and Mathematics. And most of them leave the school with the firm beliefs that their ‘secular’ knowledge will take them to successful heights in career and life. The downfall starts there itself, but by that time it is too late to correct anything. The damage has been done. In India today, we have the maximum number of children of secularism who can only solve mathematical problems but none of the problems in their lives.
What is urgently required is the introduction of bare minimum of secure education in our secular system. Young children of secularism must be taught how to secure their mind and body. India’s own heritage has enough and more tools and techniques to achieve this. Be it Gita or Yoga or Meditation, each are unparalleled in their own fields for conditioning the young children of secularism to the vagaries of life. I am yet to hear a speech of any leader in any school which avoids mentioning the simple fact that today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens. If there is an iota of sincerity in what they say, it is already very late in the introduction of Gita classes for the children of secularism, if needed at government expense. That is the only way to avoid the end-of-the-road feeling to these children of secularism when confronted with problems in life. If we procrastinate further, majority of these children of secularism would have committed suicide by the year 2050. History and heritage of this great nation will not forgive us for not securing the future of our children in time.
A sizeable proportion of our population is still illiterate and any one trying to analyse such social evils are tempted to conclude it as such. But this is far from true when we realise that Kerala is a cent percent literate state and social indices are world class thanks to land reforms and silent revolutions initiated by the leftists. Many of the so-called upper caste monopolies have been dismantled and all forms of ‘minoritism’ are flourishing. There are no issues like untouchability and discrimination on the basis of caste or colour in matters public. Kerala society has progressed quite a lot in terms of public amenities and availability of basic services. Poverty is not at all rampant and money is definitely available for those who know how to earn it. Then what is it that is letting individuals and families to commit suicide en masse? It is just because most of them are children of secularism.
End-of-the-Road Feeling
From a purely philosophical point of view, what is actually wrong if someone decides to put an end to his own life? But all legal and religious systems think otherwise. In some of the religions it is completely unacceptable and is considered a crime against God. Those who attempt it have scope for good life neither in this world nor in other worlds. Their future is considered sealed for ever because they had no right to take away what has been given by God. But all these faithful theories prevent only those have imbibed it at their young age. For others there is nothing that stands in the way of anyone determined to go for it. Most people attempt suicide only when they are convinced that their road has come to an end. They convince themselves that there is no light at the end of the long tunnel. It is here that their faith in God and mental strength are coming under test. And it is here that many of the untrained and unprepared fail.
Whatever way we look at it, life is a struggle for everyone. This is equally true for all those who ultimately succeed or fail. I think it was Nehru who said ‘Success often comes to those who dare and act; and never to the timid who are ever afraid of the consequences’. But what he said was only part of the whole truth. There are many dare devils who ultimately leaps to death because they never bothered to ensure at least a safety net at the bottom. They believed that someone else will take care of their needs and never believed in the policy of taking care of themselves. Majority of the majority community who succumb to the easy escape route of suicide belong to this category. Neither their community have the combined will or wherewithal to spread the safety net nor have they developed it themselves. Secular education has helped India to win the appreciation of outside world but have left her majority children helpless in front of unexpected failures in life. For many of these children of secularism it is end-of-the-road whenever there is financial crisis or shame & scandal in the family. And they fall easy prey to the fatal escapism of suicide.
Secure or Secular Education
India is a secular democratic nation and a majority of us have received only secular education in secular schools. Though secularism does not call for total avoidance of religious studies, this has been the case in India, especially among those belonging to the majority community. With the growing influence of left politics in the country, this avoidance is slowing growing into aversion for anything religious. While a sizeable section of our population is going to madrassas and Sunday schools right from very young age to understand the basics of their own religion, a vast majority are growing up as children of secularism. They are taught nothing about religion, beliefs, prayer and faith. All that they are taught is about Science, Social Science and Mathematics. And most of them leave the school with the firm beliefs that their ‘secular’ knowledge will take them to successful heights in career and life. The downfall starts there itself, but by that time it is too late to correct anything. The damage has been done. In India today, we have the maximum number of children of secularism who can only solve mathematical problems but none of the problems in their lives.
What is urgently required is the introduction of bare minimum of secure education in our secular system. Young children of secularism must be taught how to secure their mind and body. India’s own heritage has enough and more tools and techniques to achieve this. Be it Gita or Yoga or Meditation, each are unparalleled in their own fields for conditioning the young children of secularism to the vagaries of life. I am yet to hear a speech of any leader in any school which avoids mentioning the simple fact that today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens. If there is an iota of sincerity in what they say, it is already very late in the introduction of Gita classes for the children of secularism, if needed at government expense. That is the only way to avoid the end-of-the-road feeling to these children of secularism when confronted with problems in life. If we procrastinate further, majority of these children of secularism would have committed suicide by the year 2050. History and heritage of this great nation will not forgive us for not securing the future of our children in time.
INTERNET BHAGAWAN
There was a time when we Indians enjoyed unlimited religious freedom by having our own personal Gods for each and every one of us. In addition to a dozen odd popular Gods, each region, community, class and even each profession had a version of God associated with it. Whatever is beyond our comprehension and whatever is sustaining our very existence became eligible for being a God. We have always considered Ishvar as unique and Gods (Bhagawans) as its manifestations or reflections to suit the aspirations and ideas of each section or individual. What we are boasting today as India’s heritage is a direct result of this unhindered freedom that existed in our society thousands of years back. Without any facilities for experimental work and scientific institutions for research, our ancient rishis could think of the speed of light, supersonic aeroplanes and evolution of cosmos only because of their flights of imagination fuelled by unfettered freedom that prevailed in our society. What outsiders ridicule as the foolery of Indians in worshipping rats and trees was indeed the very forte of our ancient seers. To recognise a manifestation of Ishvar in everything and vice versa requires faculties and humility unimaginable for those who ridicule us. To regain our past glory, we should be thinking of returning to those days of unlimited freedom when we could discover newer and newer Gods everyday.
Omnipresent and Omnipotent
Whatever is omnipresent and omnipotent has an automatic claim to be considered as God. Water, Air and Light got direct entry into our pantheon of Gods only because of this. And without these Gods it is almost impossible to survive in the present day world. In the same lines, if there is something new that is omnipresent, omnipotent and life-sustaining, it is the INTERNET. It is all pervasive, all powerful and above all one of the greatest levelling forces that we have ever seen. It can bring down iron curtains, dictatorships and unwanted governments in no time. State secrets and secret deals to keep common man under eternal subjugation can no more exist with the advent of uncontrolled information highways over the net. Taking people for a ride for the present and de-classifying documents that point to the opposite after a while to show off democratic transparency are all becoming stale crafts of state management. There is very few that the governments can do now to keep information away from common man thanks to the internet.
Internet has empowered vast sections of society in almost all countries. Women and children are the foremost beneficiaries of information explosion that happened (and is happening) over the net. Women in remotest corners of the earth have access to the latest in family life and fashion if they want. Their voice can reach anyone anywhere even if they are under physical or emotional imprisonment in a society dominated by men. Servants (the current form of slaves) can expose their masters of their atrocities if only they are bit clever. All forms of creativity are booming thanks to effortless marketing available on the net. Thousands are deriving satisfaction out of free outlets for their writing abilities only because of the easy availability of the net. People like me who could never have published even a single article have recognised the virtual messiah in the form of internet. It is no more possible to go forward without accepting the INTERNET BHAGAWAN that has blessed us with so many facilities. It is only logical that the deification of internet started in the land of Vedas (knowledge) and our software gurus carried the ‘new good news’ to all parts of the globe. For this to work out, we need a starting point, a modern Bodhgaya with the peepal tree of wisdom.
Oachira Parabrahmam and Man-hour Offerings
It is still common in India to find annual congregations of people of same profession in certain temples. The temple deity is considered as the presiding lord of their profession by these people. There are so many temples in India for various types of craftsmen. But if and when we are thinking of conceiving a Bhagawan for IT professionals (software & internet), I don’t think there is any better choice than the Parabrahmam at Oachira (a small town in South Kerala). Parabrahmam, meaning the absolute, is all powerful but incognizable. It is without form and the said temple of profound ambience has an open architecture with no idol to worship. What can be more apt for a set of professionals indulging in highly intellectual exercise like software development and attempting internet connectivity with the known and unknown. All software is powerful and internet is incognizable. And the professionals connected to the two come from all sections of the society which calls for a formless form of Bhagawan to worship. Oachira Parabrahmam can satisfy all these requirements and is cent percent worthy of being anointed as the presiding deity of software and internet professionals (in general, all IT professionals). Those at the helm of professional bodies like Computer Society of India and Swadeshi Science Movement must take note of this and take the lead in anointing Oachira Parabrahmam as the Lord of Mrithupanya (the nearest Sanskrit equivalent of software).
What needs to be done next is to think of novel ways of offering to the lord of IT profession by people of Indian origin all over the globe. Software personnel always think in terms of man-hours and it is only natural that their offerings too are in the same units. It would be a reasonable figure for all the Indian IT professionals to offer at least 5 man-hours of their efforts every year to the lord of their profession. As an example, an Indian IT professional in USA earning USD 50,000 per year must be thinking of offering at least USD 28.5 (INR 1200/-) to Oachira Parabrahmam every year. They must also make it a point to pay a visit to Oachira once a year (with their families) and enjoy its uniqueness compared to other temples of India. Irrespective of religion, caste and creed, all have complete access and every one will be mesmerised by the concept and architecture of the temple that was conceived thousands of years back. Only noble minds could have thought of such all inclusive concepts of God for carrying the entire society together. Internet Bhagawan has really come to stay at Oachira.
Omnipresent and Omnipotent
Whatever is omnipresent and omnipotent has an automatic claim to be considered as God. Water, Air and Light got direct entry into our pantheon of Gods only because of this. And without these Gods it is almost impossible to survive in the present day world. In the same lines, if there is something new that is omnipresent, omnipotent and life-sustaining, it is the INTERNET. It is all pervasive, all powerful and above all one of the greatest levelling forces that we have ever seen. It can bring down iron curtains, dictatorships and unwanted governments in no time. State secrets and secret deals to keep common man under eternal subjugation can no more exist with the advent of uncontrolled information highways over the net. Taking people for a ride for the present and de-classifying documents that point to the opposite after a while to show off democratic transparency are all becoming stale crafts of state management. There is very few that the governments can do now to keep information away from common man thanks to the internet.
Internet has empowered vast sections of society in almost all countries. Women and children are the foremost beneficiaries of information explosion that happened (and is happening) over the net. Women in remotest corners of the earth have access to the latest in family life and fashion if they want. Their voice can reach anyone anywhere even if they are under physical or emotional imprisonment in a society dominated by men. Servants (the current form of slaves) can expose their masters of their atrocities if only they are bit clever. All forms of creativity are booming thanks to effortless marketing available on the net. Thousands are deriving satisfaction out of free outlets for their writing abilities only because of the easy availability of the net. People like me who could never have published even a single article have recognised the virtual messiah in the form of internet. It is no more possible to go forward without accepting the INTERNET BHAGAWAN that has blessed us with so many facilities. It is only logical that the deification of internet started in the land of Vedas (knowledge) and our software gurus carried the ‘new good news’ to all parts of the globe. For this to work out, we need a starting point, a modern Bodhgaya with the peepal tree of wisdom.
Oachira Parabrahmam and Man-hour Offerings
It is still common in India to find annual congregations of people of same profession in certain temples. The temple deity is considered as the presiding lord of their profession by these people. There are so many temples in India for various types of craftsmen. But if and when we are thinking of conceiving a Bhagawan for IT professionals (software & internet), I don’t think there is any better choice than the Parabrahmam at Oachira (a small town in South Kerala). Parabrahmam, meaning the absolute, is all powerful but incognizable. It is without form and the said temple of profound ambience has an open architecture with no idol to worship. What can be more apt for a set of professionals indulging in highly intellectual exercise like software development and attempting internet connectivity with the known and unknown. All software is powerful and internet is incognizable. And the professionals connected to the two come from all sections of the society which calls for a formless form of Bhagawan to worship. Oachira Parabrahmam can satisfy all these requirements and is cent percent worthy of being anointed as the presiding deity of software and internet professionals (in general, all IT professionals). Those at the helm of professional bodies like Computer Society of India and Swadeshi Science Movement must take note of this and take the lead in anointing Oachira Parabrahmam as the Lord of Mrithupanya (the nearest Sanskrit equivalent of software).
What needs to be done next is to think of novel ways of offering to the lord of IT profession by people of Indian origin all over the globe. Software personnel always think in terms of man-hours and it is only natural that their offerings too are in the same units. It would be a reasonable figure for all the Indian IT professionals to offer at least 5 man-hours of their efforts every year to the lord of their profession. As an example, an Indian IT professional in USA earning USD 50,000 per year must be thinking of offering at least USD 28.5 (INR 1200/-) to Oachira Parabrahmam every year. They must also make it a point to pay a visit to Oachira once a year (with their families) and enjoy its uniqueness compared to other temples of India. Irrespective of religion, caste and creed, all have complete access and every one will be mesmerised by the concept and architecture of the temple that was conceived thousands of years back. Only noble minds could have thought of such all inclusive concepts of God for carrying the entire society together. Internet Bhagawan has really come to stay at Oachira.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
IN DILEMMA AGAIN?
The eternal syndrome of ‘to be or not to be’ has emerged once again before mankind in the form of sourcing workers or outsourcing works. Many of us had earlier thought that world will shrunk to a global village with the advent of internet and mobile phones. Manmade borders and colour barriers were expected to disappear in a highly connected world. But that is not to be, at least for the time being. Even if the geographical boundaries disappear, mankind will remain divided as different cultures, nations and economies for some more time. Movement of population from the less developed to more developed economies is inevitable in such a scenario. Until we have a level playing field among world economies, the less developed need to be protected and encouraged to close the gap. Socio-economic entropy is least in a world of equal nations and our aim must be to reach such a stable state at the earliest. It is worth remembering that agitations & unrests are least in developed economies and our planet would be a safer place only if the economic disparities between individuals (and nations) are within reasonable limits. Cost of any war on terrorism can be decimated by spending more on development of lesser economies than on military hardware. It is always better to prevent the need of war than preventing war. Global bodies driving for globalisation and liberalisation must formulate ways & means to achieve a New Economic Order among world nations in order to achieve this.
The current trend of outsourcing jobs to places where human resources are located (instead of other way around) is presenting a tremendous opportunity to work in this direction. Though protests can always be expected from marginalised sections of society in developed nations, the world leaders must seize the opportunity and enforce the flow of employment opportunities to developing economies. History will not pardon us if we fail yet again in utilising another opportunity to build a more just and equitable world order. It is time we realised that the returns from developing one’s own brethren in a lesser developed economy far outweigh the apparent benefits out of an advantageous gap in balance of trade.
It was different then
The last time we got a major chance for ‘globalisation of common wealth’ was during the Industrial Revolution that swept through large parts of Europe and Asia during eighteenth century. Instead of encouraging the active participation of colonies in the development process for overall benefit, the imperialists literally used the colonies to develop only their own societies. It won’t be an exaggeration to state that the wealth and well being we notice in today’s Europe owe a lot to the sweat (and blood) of people in their colonies in Asia and Africa. Most of the raw materials & manpower were in the colonies and Europe had the distinct advantage in terms of technology and military power. While many of the European countries attained unprecedented levels of growth by successfully utilising the cheap labour to exploit the equally abundant mineral wealth in their own nations, the poor colonies became poorer. Entire population in the colonising nations flourished but only a few in the colonies benefited from this organised exploitation. The fact that even a fraction of the benefit was not canalised back for the welfare of the poor in those colonies remains a permanent blot on the colonisers. Another chance, though of a minor scale, presented itself during the oil boom in the Middle East during seventies and eighties. The initial tendency of the privileged was once again one of mindless exploitation for one’s own benefit. Outsiders came with men & machinery and left with the exploits leaving the locals with little. But the world had changed and at least some of the affected nations could rise to the occasion by building facilities for value addition in their own soil is part of history now. Though not of desired levels, most of the Gulf countries could benefit out of their own natural wealth speak volumes about the changed times.
The consequences of unbridled migration from under developed and developing nations to rich destinations is in front of us to see. If 9/11 has opened the eyes of an indifferent international conscience to the ill effects of immigration, it is a welcome development out of a human tragedy. Miserable stories about qualified professionals from poor families ‘escaping’ to US/UK and consequent national loss to poor countries from brain drain are well known. Though some relief comes to those poor countries when a few of their successful emigrant sons bring in foreign direct investment, the social losses on account of brain drain far outweigh the economic gains. Moreover, such successful emigrants always serve as undesirable role models to the upcoming generation in such poor countries.
It is different now
But the scenario is completely different this time round. Twenty first century belongs to services sector and we are standing right at the threshold of an era of possibilities towards employment for all. Small has become beautiful again and we need only smaller facilities to provide employment to a greater number of people. Time has taught us that providing education and employment is far better than millions in grant and aid. The multiplier effect of providing employment to just one member in a poor family is well known. The developed nations can keep their money but should voluntarily outsource the jobs that can be done in less developed locations anywhere in the world. If that comes to be accepted as an official policy of governance in all the developed countries, we are definitely heading for a developed planet itself in another fifty years.
Outsourcing of employment to countries in Asia and Africa has been found to make economic sense too. A recent report from McKinsey Global Institute estimated every dollar of costs the US moves offshore brings America a net benefit of $1.12 to $1.14 and projects net savings of $390 billion by 2010 to the American economy due to outsourcing. McKinsey reasons that as low value-added jobs go abroad, labour and investment can switch jobs that generate more economic value. Taking jobs to where qualified people can work in their own environment is one of the most logical things to do for any business unit. Individuals excel in work in their own natural environment and what better can be done than to allow an Indian to work in India or a Chinese to work in China? The other option of allowing immigrants has always led to development of cultural conflicts and divisive undercurrents in the society of host countries. Differences on account of colour and culture are deep rooted with much more implications than what ordinary social analyses can fathom. It has always proved futile to integrate ethnic immigrants fully into any foreign society. The wisdom of spending millions to showcase an integrated society makes little business sense when we can get the same work done by outsourcing.
IT has changed the world
Information Technology (IT) and IT enabled Services (ITeS) are changing our world every minute. Even our best economists are struggling to arrive at any conclusion regarding its employment or wealth generation potential. If handled properly, these neo-technologies have the potential to bring in development at a tremendous pace to vast sections of population in developing countries. The concept of virtual offices and remote operations opens up vast potential for offering a livelihood to millions without any displacement of population. Miles of high speed data transfer cables being laid under sea and scores of communication satellites launched every year are cementing the theoretical possibility of impoverished Asians and Africans taking part in world development. But the virtual reality of a developed world will become a reality only if the powers that be agree to a systematic use of third world talent by outsourcing jobs.
It is a fact that within the third world itself the digital divide is widening. Direct operations of large multi national corporations are inadvertently contributing to this. These corporations are setting up hi-tech offices amidst prevailing levels of low technology in these countries. The resultant effect on a section of the local populace in terms of income and digital access results in widening of the divide. Only a minute section of local people get exposed to higher technologies and facilities. The better option in front of these corporations is to outsource only the low technology jobs to these countries and utilise the technological advances in running virtual offices. The slow and calibrated exposure of developing countries to latest technology can also result in healthy development climates in these countries.
It will make a better world
A world devoid of hunger and violence is what all of us desire. The current war on terrorism is half won if we can address the reasons that breed violence. Inequalities will always exist in a world where 20% of people keep 80% of the wealth. But hunger and abject poverty anywhere in the world is definitely not acceptable whatever be the reasons or explanations. As an example, we still have a third of the world’s poor (with less than $ 2 income per day) in a single country like India. If this is not leading to large scale uprisings and revolutions drawing in the whole international community, we can only thank the ancient culture and religion that is keeping the millions passive. Unless opportunities are made available to sustain a dignified life for each and every individual living anywhere in the world the apparent calmness may not hold for ever. The number of human beings interested in charity food and money are coming down drastically in present day world. Everyone is looking for dignified employment and decent living preferably in their own environment. What better option do we have than allowing smooth transfer of employment opportunities through the broad band to the talented lot living far away from development? Export the jobs and restrict the import of workers. A world in which we find only tourists feeling the need to go out of their own countries is definitely better and safer.
The current trend of outsourcing jobs to places where human resources are located (instead of other way around) is presenting a tremendous opportunity to work in this direction. Though protests can always be expected from marginalised sections of society in developed nations, the world leaders must seize the opportunity and enforce the flow of employment opportunities to developing economies. History will not pardon us if we fail yet again in utilising another opportunity to build a more just and equitable world order. It is time we realised that the returns from developing one’s own brethren in a lesser developed economy far outweigh the apparent benefits out of an advantageous gap in balance of trade.
It was different then
The last time we got a major chance for ‘globalisation of common wealth’ was during the Industrial Revolution that swept through large parts of Europe and Asia during eighteenth century. Instead of encouraging the active participation of colonies in the development process for overall benefit, the imperialists literally used the colonies to develop only their own societies. It won’t be an exaggeration to state that the wealth and well being we notice in today’s Europe owe a lot to the sweat (and blood) of people in their colonies in Asia and Africa. Most of the raw materials & manpower were in the colonies and Europe had the distinct advantage in terms of technology and military power. While many of the European countries attained unprecedented levels of growth by successfully utilising the cheap labour to exploit the equally abundant mineral wealth in their own nations, the poor colonies became poorer. Entire population in the colonising nations flourished but only a few in the colonies benefited from this organised exploitation. The fact that even a fraction of the benefit was not canalised back for the welfare of the poor in those colonies remains a permanent blot on the colonisers. Another chance, though of a minor scale, presented itself during the oil boom in the Middle East during seventies and eighties. The initial tendency of the privileged was once again one of mindless exploitation for one’s own benefit. Outsiders came with men & machinery and left with the exploits leaving the locals with little. But the world had changed and at least some of the affected nations could rise to the occasion by building facilities for value addition in their own soil is part of history now. Though not of desired levels, most of the Gulf countries could benefit out of their own natural wealth speak volumes about the changed times.
The consequences of unbridled migration from under developed and developing nations to rich destinations is in front of us to see. If 9/11 has opened the eyes of an indifferent international conscience to the ill effects of immigration, it is a welcome development out of a human tragedy. Miserable stories about qualified professionals from poor families ‘escaping’ to US/UK and consequent national loss to poor countries from brain drain are well known. Though some relief comes to those poor countries when a few of their successful emigrant sons bring in foreign direct investment, the social losses on account of brain drain far outweigh the economic gains. Moreover, such successful emigrants always serve as undesirable role models to the upcoming generation in such poor countries.
It is different now
But the scenario is completely different this time round. Twenty first century belongs to services sector and we are standing right at the threshold of an era of possibilities towards employment for all. Small has become beautiful again and we need only smaller facilities to provide employment to a greater number of people. Time has taught us that providing education and employment is far better than millions in grant and aid. The multiplier effect of providing employment to just one member in a poor family is well known. The developed nations can keep their money but should voluntarily outsource the jobs that can be done in less developed locations anywhere in the world. If that comes to be accepted as an official policy of governance in all the developed countries, we are definitely heading for a developed planet itself in another fifty years.
Outsourcing of employment to countries in Asia and Africa has been found to make economic sense too. A recent report from McKinsey Global Institute estimated every dollar of costs the US moves offshore brings America a net benefit of $1.12 to $1.14 and projects net savings of $390 billion by 2010 to the American economy due to outsourcing. McKinsey reasons that as low value-added jobs go abroad, labour and investment can switch jobs that generate more economic value. Taking jobs to where qualified people can work in their own environment is one of the most logical things to do for any business unit. Individuals excel in work in their own natural environment and what better can be done than to allow an Indian to work in India or a Chinese to work in China? The other option of allowing immigrants has always led to development of cultural conflicts and divisive undercurrents in the society of host countries. Differences on account of colour and culture are deep rooted with much more implications than what ordinary social analyses can fathom. It has always proved futile to integrate ethnic immigrants fully into any foreign society. The wisdom of spending millions to showcase an integrated society makes little business sense when we can get the same work done by outsourcing.
IT has changed the world
Information Technology (IT) and IT enabled Services (ITeS) are changing our world every minute. Even our best economists are struggling to arrive at any conclusion regarding its employment or wealth generation potential. If handled properly, these neo-technologies have the potential to bring in development at a tremendous pace to vast sections of population in developing countries. The concept of virtual offices and remote operations opens up vast potential for offering a livelihood to millions without any displacement of population. Miles of high speed data transfer cables being laid under sea and scores of communication satellites launched every year are cementing the theoretical possibility of impoverished Asians and Africans taking part in world development. But the virtual reality of a developed world will become a reality only if the powers that be agree to a systematic use of third world talent by outsourcing jobs.
It is a fact that within the third world itself the digital divide is widening. Direct operations of large multi national corporations are inadvertently contributing to this. These corporations are setting up hi-tech offices amidst prevailing levels of low technology in these countries. The resultant effect on a section of the local populace in terms of income and digital access results in widening of the divide. Only a minute section of local people get exposed to higher technologies and facilities. The better option in front of these corporations is to outsource only the low technology jobs to these countries and utilise the technological advances in running virtual offices. The slow and calibrated exposure of developing countries to latest technology can also result in healthy development climates in these countries.
It will make a better world
A world devoid of hunger and violence is what all of us desire. The current war on terrorism is half won if we can address the reasons that breed violence. Inequalities will always exist in a world where 20% of people keep 80% of the wealth. But hunger and abject poverty anywhere in the world is definitely not acceptable whatever be the reasons or explanations. As an example, we still have a third of the world’s poor (with less than $ 2 income per day) in a single country like India. If this is not leading to large scale uprisings and revolutions drawing in the whole international community, we can only thank the ancient culture and religion that is keeping the millions passive. Unless opportunities are made available to sustain a dignified life for each and every individual living anywhere in the world the apparent calmness may not hold for ever. The number of human beings interested in charity food and money are coming down drastically in present day world. Everyone is looking for dignified employment and decent living preferably in their own environment. What better option do we have than allowing smooth transfer of employment opportunities through the broad band to the talented lot living far away from development? Export the jobs and restrict the import of workers. A world in which we find only tourists feeling the need to go out of their own countries is definitely better and safer.
‘RAJU’ SOCIALISM
Most of the old isms are now dead except for few embers in the minds of those who have seen their initial heydays. Classical version of socialism is one such defunct ideology. At the other end of the ideological spectrum is the highly imaginative (hence impractical) doctrine of “from each according to their might and to each according to their needs”. The need of the times is a viable social ideology by mixing socialism with social justice. The two main problems with classical socialism were its irrationality in equalising unequal beings and injustice in terms of denying legitimate rights of the abler. A rational and just version of socialism (we will call it ‘raju’ socialism) will be the best target for any modern society. “Raju” is the symbolic name of a common man in India and ‘raju’ version of socialism can satisfy his hopes & aspirations more than any other system. A brief outline of such a socialist society is attempted here.
The best way to describe a socio-political ideology is to describe the nature of society (country or nation) that it will usher in. In this respect, any society can claim to have achieved ‘raju’ socialism only when the following four minimum conditions have been met:-
· Basic minimum requirements for all
· No negative discrimination whatsoever
· Proportional representation in power & economic structure
· Rational distribution of wealth
Basics
In any modern society, the question of social justice comes in only after the basic requirements of the common man have been met. In addition to the essential minimum of food, shelter & clothing, the modern man wants good infrastructure too in terms of water, roads, electricity, health, education and entertainment. If these items are not readily available and affordable to (almost) all the members of a society, there is no point in talking about social justice or socialism in that society. These basic requirements constitute the canvas on which the picture of ‘raju’ socialism can be drawn. In addition to the bare canvas, we need the framework of freedom of life, movement, expression, and faith to hold together the picture. In the absence of such basics, all talk about social justice and liberation are meaningless and like drawing a picture on water. So the first step of the leaders who want to attain ‘raju’ socialism in their society is to get the basics right.
Discrimination
Any society that has attained ‘raju’ socialism must be devoid of all types of negative discrimination. No one should be prevented from doing anything or enjoying any benefit because of reasons beyond his/her control like birth, colour, race etc. The only thing good and rational about classical socialism was its strong advocacy of equality before law. All members of a society must be equal before the common law of the land and only the selected or elected few must be assigned special privileges on strictly ex-officio basis for a fixed period. Elected leaders are like idols in a temple and unless we give or assign them special privileges and powers, they will be weak in taking decisions. However, there must be strong restraining and punitive laws against those who violate the spirit of equality. The psychological impact of a non-discriminatory justice system is very high in the eyes of the common man in any society. If an ex-ruler is arrested and treated as an ordinary criminal for confirmed corruption charges, the ordinary citizens of such a country will not be shameful but proud.
Representation
Every society is made up of several communities or groups. Each such group or community must share the responsibilities and benefits in direct proportion to their numerical strength in an ideal and just society. To do that, each community should have their representation in the power and economic structure in direct proportion to their population. Imagine a state (in the Indian union) with X,Y and Z communities in the ratio of 20%, 25% and 55% respectively. If at any point of time, the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and Chief of Police in that state happen to be from ‘X’, there is something definitely wrong with the political state of affairs. If 50% of the doctors and engineers belong to ‘X’, there is something rotten in the social sector. If 75% of the trade and agriculture is controlled by ‘X’ and ‘Y’ together, there is something seriously wrong in economics as well. The state is far away attaining ‘raju’ socialism.
Distribution
Distribution of wealth according to the capability and needs of the individuals is the crux of ‘raju’ socialism. Once the very basic requirements of even the weakest member of a society have been met, further distribution of wealth must be according to the capability and efforts of the individuals. There is absolutely no logic in restraining any individual from accumulating wealth by merit and fair means. If someone is intelligent and hardworking, he/she should definitely have avenues to become wealthier without any hindrance. Those who are more capable and hardworking must be richer than the ones who are idiotic and lazy. Such a system will motivate or provoke the less capable and lazy to perform better. Instead of creating an artificial equality by bloody revolutions, efforts should be made to mould a competitive system by rewarding excellence. That is the only way a healthy competitive upward mobile society can evolve for the good of each and everyone.
Ways & Means
On the whole, the ‘raju’ socialism expounded above contains shades of socialism, social justice, welfare state and capitalist ideologies. More important are the ways & means of reaching such a ‘raju’ socialist state. We have seen Communism failing miserably in creating a sustainable socialist society through bloody revolution (by the proletariat) in the USSR experiment. It is now confirmed that neither politicians nor dictators can lead us to a just society. We need natural leaders of the like of Mahatma Gandhi, who combined politics with spirituality. Ordinary political leaders are not necessarily natural leaders but most often aberrations in the arithmetic of electoral politics. A ‘raju’ socialist society must be built on consensus based on a constitution drafted by natural leaders who have won the trust of the society by their living style and not their speeches alone. In modern democracies, there must be a forum for such natural leaders for providing the guidance. In India, the old concept of having a ‘Dharma Sabha’ made up of spiritual leaders (proportionately from all religions) above the elected ‘Lok Sabha’ and ‘Rajya Sabha’ can be the best vehicle for attaining a ‘raju’ socialist society.
The best way to describe a socio-political ideology is to describe the nature of society (country or nation) that it will usher in. In this respect, any society can claim to have achieved ‘raju’ socialism only when the following four minimum conditions have been met:-
· Basic minimum requirements for all
· No negative discrimination whatsoever
· Proportional representation in power & economic structure
· Rational distribution of wealth
Basics
In any modern society, the question of social justice comes in only after the basic requirements of the common man have been met. In addition to the essential minimum of food, shelter & clothing, the modern man wants good infrastructure too in terms of water, roads, electricity, health, education and entertainment. If these items are not readily available and affordable to (almost) all the members of a society, there is no point in talking about social justice or socialism in that society. These basic requirements constitute the canvas on which the picture of ‘raju’ socialism can be drawn. In addition to the bare canvas, we need the framework of freedom of life, movement, expression, and faith to hold together the picture. In the absence of such basics, all talk about social justice and liberation are meaningless and like drawing a picture on water. So the first step of the leaders who want to attain ‘raju’ socialism in their society is to get the basics right.
Discrimination
Any society that has attained ‘raju’ socialism must be devoid of all types of negative discrimination. No one should be prevented from doing anything or enjoying any benefit because of reasons beyond his/her control like birth, colour, race etc. The only thing good and rational about classical socialism was its strong advocacy of equality before law. All members of a society must be equal before the common law of the land and only the selected or elected few must be assigned special privileges on strictly ex-officio basis for a fixed period. Elected leaders are like idols in a temple and unless we give or assign them special privileges and powers, they will be weak in taking decisions. However, there must be strong restraining and punitive laws against those who violate the spirit of equality. The psychological impact of a non-discriminatory justice system is very high in the eyes of the common man in any society. If an ex-ruler is arrested and treated as an ordinary criminal for confirmed corruption charges, the ordinary citizens of such a country will not be shameful but proud.
Representation
Every society is made up of several communities or groups. Each such group or community must share the responsibilities and benefits in direct proportion to their numerical strength in an ideal and just society. To do that, each community should have their representation in the power and economic structure in direct proportion to their population. Imagine a state (in the Indian union) with X,Y and Z communities in the ratio of 20%, 25% and 55% respectively. If at any point of time, the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and Chief of Police in that state happen to be from ‘X’, there is something definitely wrong with the political state of affairs. If 50% of the doctors and engineers belong to ‘X’, there is something rotten in the social sector. If 75% of the trade and agriculture is controlled by ‘X’ and ‘Y’ together, there is something seriously wrong in economics as well. The state is far away attaining ‘raju’ socialism.
Distribution
Distribution of wealth according to the capability and needs of the individuals is the crux of ‘raju’ socialism. Once the very basic requirements of even the weakest member of a society have been met, further distribution of wealth must be according to the capability and efforts of the individuals. There is absolutely no logic in restraining any individual from accumulating wealth by merit and fair means. If someone is intelligent and hardworking, he/she should definitely have avenues to become wealthier without any hindrance. Those who are more capable and hardworking must be richer than the ones who are idiotic and lazy. Such a system will motivate or provoke the less capable and lazy to perform better. Instead of creating an artificial equality by bloody revolutions, efforts should be made to mould a competitive system by rewarding excellence. That is the only way a healthy competitive upward mobile society can evolve for the good of each and everyone.
Ways & Means
On the whole, the ‘raju’ socialism expounded above contains shades of socialism, social justice, welfare state and capitalist ideologies. More important are the ways & means of reaching such a ‘raju’ socialist state. We have seen Communism failing miserably in creating a sustainable socialist society through bloody revolution (by the proletariat) in the USSR experiment. It is now confirmed that neither politicians nor dictators can lead us to a just society. We need natural leaders of the like of Mahatma Gandhi, who combined politics with spirituality. Ordinary political leaders are not necessarily natural leaders but most often aberrations in the arithmetic of electoral politics. A ‘raju’ socialist society must be built on consensus based on a constitution drafted by natural leaders who have won the trust of the society by their living style and not their speeches alone. In modern democracies, there must be a forum for such natural leaders for providing the guidance. In India, the old concept of having a ‘Dharma Sabha’ made up of spiritual leaders (proportionately from all religions) above the elected ‘Lok Sabha’ and ‘Rajya Sabha’ can be the best vehicle for attaining a ‘raju’ socialist society.
CO-OPERATIVE MANDIRS
There are hospitals, schools, colleges and all types of manufacturing & trading establishments in India under the co-operative sector. Then why not have a co-operative temple too? In a recent judgement, the Hon’ble High Court of Kerala observed that most of the transactions taking place in a temple are commercial in nature and ruled that all temple employees, except Poojaris, come under the purview of the Industrial Dispute Act. This is a very good development. Our leaders must immediately seize the opportunity and proceed with setting up a few ‘co-operative mandirs’ that can trigger reforms in our society. Thousands of co-operative temples at village level and 600 odd Hindu Reform & Revival Centres (H2RCs) at district level can transform our society to ancient glory within a decade.
It is true that Hindu society is desperately in need of reforms and the mounting demographic pressure has accentuated this need. India, in general, and Hindu society, in particular, is made up of people who have highly varying interests with a whole lot of historical grievances pertaining to caste system. The religion itself is such that it is beyond integration beyond a limit. Large sections of our society are now caught between the devil of inability to organise and the deep sea of poverty. Multi National Religious Company (MNRC) executives are prowling around looking for ways to meet their yearly targets for harvest of souls. Only way out of this impasse’ is to activate ways and means for uplift of economic conditions of deprived sections of the society in novel ways. One definite way to do this is to go for a few co-operative temples at selected backward areas in the country.
Select any of the highly vulnerable tribal or backward areas in the country and register a co-operative society with most of the people in the locality for a token share value. With the money thus collected (and supplemented by country wide agencies) set up a temple in the name of the popular deity of the locality. An elected few of the co-op society can manage the affairs of the temple. But the most important point is to have the general body meeting of the temple co-operative society every month to approve the income & expenditure statement and distribute 50% of the income to all the eligible members. A sign board with the following information in the local vernacular must be put up in front of all such temples to declare the intentions and encourage everyone to donate liberally.
This is a Co-operative Temple
Our income will be distributed as follows:-
50% to current members of the co-operative society
25% will be spent for running the temple
25% reserved for future development
Please deposit your offerings in the designated place only
Do not tip the poojari or anyone for doing his/her work
Feel proud that you are contributing to distribution of common wealth by donating to this temple
If this co-operative experiment can succeed in a couple of places, I am sure it will catch on in the rest of the country. It can revolutionise the way we see our temples and democratise the running of temples. And most importantly, the stranglehold of any particular community on the affairs of places of worship will fade off for ever. Once again, temples can become an integral part of our daily lives and not mere monuments housing the omnipresent & omnipotent Gods shrouded in superstitious beliefs and rituals under the custody of a select few. And all of us will own at least part of a temple.
It is true that Hindu society is desperately in need of reforms and the mounting demographic pressure has accentuated this need. India, in general, and Hindu society, in particular, is made up of people who have highly varying interests with a whole lot of historical grievances pertaining to caste system. The religion itself is such that it is beyond integration beyond a limit. Large sections of our society are now caught between the devil of inability to organise and the deep sea of poverty. Multi National Religious Company (MNRC) executives are prowling around looking for ways to meet their yearly targets for harvest of souls. Only way out of this impasse’ is to activate ways and means for uplift of economic conditions of deprived sections of the society in novel ways. One definite way to do this is to go for a few co-operative temples at selected backward areas in the country.
Select any of the highly vulnerable tribal or backward areas in the country and register a co-operative society with most of the people in the locality for a token share value. With the money thus collected (and supplemented by country wide agencies) set up a temple in the name of the popular deity of the locality. An elected few of the co-op society can manage the affairs of the temple. But the most important point is to have the general body meeting of the temple co-operative society every month to approve the income & expenditure statement and distribute 50% of the income to all the eligible members. A sign board with the following information in the local vernacular must be put up in front of all such temples to declare the intentions and encourage everyone to donate liberally.
This is a Co-operative Temple
Our income will be distributed as follows:-
50% to current members of the co-operative society
25% will be spent for running the temple
25% reserved for future development
Please deposit your offerings in the designated place only
Do not tip the poojari or anyone for doing his/her work
Feel proud that you are contributing to distribution of common wealth by donating to this temple
If this co-operative experiment can succeed in a couple of places, I am sure it will catch on in the rest of the country. It can revolutionise the way we see our temples and democratise the running of temples. And most importantly, the stranglehold of any particular community on the affairs of places of worship will fade off for ever. Once again, temples can become an integral part of our daily lives and not mere monuments housing the omnipresent & omnipotent Gods shrouded in superstitious beliefs and rituals under the custody of a select few. And all of us will own at least part of a temple.
MIGRATION MIGRAINE
Migration of individuals or communities for making a living or for fear of life has always taken place through out history. In the present age of globalisation and acute political turmoil, this phenomenon is unavoidable too. Migration is good in a way because it results in dialogue between nations, religions and cultures. And the cross products are usually better than the raw materials. But when migration takes place under manipulated conditions with ulterior motives, the bad blood that it generates can be disastrous and resultant mistrust can stay on for generations.
Throughout history, India (Bharat) has always been a favourite destination for the migrants and refugees. Only very recently a Jewish team came over to thank the Cochin Royal family for their treatment of Jewish migrants thousands of years ago. Then there is the well known case of Zorashtrians or Parsees who have now become part and parcel of our society. Our long western coast has welcomed thousands of migrants including Arab Muslims, Syrian Christians, Knanayas etc. Some of them came for making a living and some others for saving their lives. Except the Jews, all others have stayed back and have got mixed with our people. Though each group came for a different reason, they received the same warmth in treatment. It is a matter of pride for Indian culture that migrants have felt more at home in this great nation than in their own.
Migration Mania
Migration as a means of starting afresh is a distinct option in front of many from aged nations. The social order and hierarchy that has piled up over centuries are often difficult to shake off for those at the bottom. Migrating to alien lands where no one knows about one’s background provides tremendous opportunity for the historically disadvantaged to come up in life. This feeling has grown into a sort of mania in many countries. The apparent success of people who have done it, fuels the degree of maniacal passion in potential migrants. There are many aspects of the receiving society that influence the psyche of migrants. For example, lack of volunteers in advanced countries to become nurses (for fear of AIDS) & take up uncomfortable occupations are forcing the potential migrants to opt for such trades, irrespective of their likes and dislikes. Now there are many families in India that sends at least one of their girl children for nursing so that she can start the migratory ‘escape’ for the entire family.
Also, there are many who migrate just for the fun of it without any reason or purpose. Like all other aspects of life, it is boring for many to stay put in one place through out one’s lifetime. These are people who look for variety in all aspects of life and migrating to newer places becomes a natural option for them.
Migration Mafia
In many parts of the world, migration is no more a spontaneous one but a well arranged and calculated one. Life’s ambition of many youngsters from third world countries is to migrate to USA, Europe or Australia. Indian youngsters are no different in this. If becoming an engineer or a doctor was a common objective a couple of decades back, becoming a migrant is a popular objective among many Indian youth now. There are agents of the Multi National Religious Corporations (MNRC) doubling as agents for migration and the potential migrants fall easy prey for them. The price they pay for earning a migration ticket can be very costly and they realise it only much later in their lives. The last wish of many such migrants is to have remained as unprivileged in their own country rather than becoming second (or third) class citizens in an alien land.
Migration within a country or state is a different matter altogether. Within India it is lawful for any citizen to purchase land in any part of the country (except Jammu & Kashmir). There are thousands of individual families that utilise this option to settle down in metros and other states for building up a life. This has only helped in the process of national integration. But there are others who indulge in organised efforts to displace the existing weak sections of society from a place and replace it with ‘our own people’ by organised migration. Jewish settlements in Gaza are classic examples of such attempts on the world stage. Nearer home, we have the Malabar Migration Mafia (MMM) that has almost wiped out the Adivasi settlements from Malabar area, especially Wayanad District in North Kerala. MMM is a formidable force to reckon with in the social, economical and political arenas of Kerala. The poor Adivasis, who number only a few lakhs, are facing a similar situation as the Red Indians of Americas and Aborigins of Australia. Like MGM Cinerama’s epic “How the West Was Won”, it time for the MMM to make “How Malabar Was Won”. But for the Kerala society at large, this organised migration has become a migraine now.
Model Migrants
If there is a contest for the best migrant community world-wide, Parsees of India would win hands down. They have not only assimilated into India’s culture but also contributed so tremendously in the fields of industry and nation building. Migration is a welcome phenomenon for the receiver nation or society if the migrants indulge only in positive activities of the host society. Keeping away from power politics and controversies is a must for making any migrant community acceptable to the hosts. However high their numbers may be, the original inhabitants of any geographical area would never like the migrants to rule over them. The case of Fiji is an example of this. In the present world, the option to migrate is a must. But it will remain a welcome option only if the migrant community world-wide set good precedence in getting along with the natives. More and more of settlements in Gaza and Malabar will generate only bad blood. The concept of displacing helpless natives by the might of political power or deceit is abhorring and unacceptable to the civilised world. It has to be stopped at all costs if migration is to remain as a viable option for individuals. Generating migraine for the host society is the least expected of any migrants.
Throughout history, India (Bharat) has always been a favourite destination for the migrants and refugees. Only very recently a Jewish team came over to thank the Cochin Royal family for their treatment of Jewish migrants thousands of years ago. Then there is the well known case of Zorashtrians or Parsees who have now become part and parcel of our society. Our long western coast has welcomed thousands of migrants including Arab Muslims, Syrian Christians, Knanayas etc. Some of them came for making a living and some others for saving their lives. Except the Jews, all others have stayed back and have got mixed with our people. Though each group came for a different reason, they received the same warmth in treatment. It is a matter of pride for Indian culture that migrants have felt more at home in this great nation than in their own.
Migration Mania
Migration as a means of starting afresh is a distinct option in front of many from aged nations. The social order and hierarchy that has piled up over centuries are often difficult to shake off for those at the bottom. Migrating to alien lands where no one knows about one’s background provides tremendous opportunity for the historically disadvantaged to come up in life. This feeling has grown into a sort of mania in many countries. The apparent success of people who have done it, fuels the degree of maniacal passion in potential migrants. There are many aspects of the receiving society that influence the psyche of migrants. For example, lack of volunteers in advanced countries to become nurses (for fear of AIDS) & take up uncomfortable occupations are forcing the potential migrants to opt for such trades, irrespective of their likes and dislikes. Now there are many families in India that sends at least one of their girl children for nursing so that she can start the migratory ‘escape’ for the entire family.
Also, there are many who migrate just for the fun of it without any reason or purpose. Like all other aspects of life, it is boring for many to stay put in one place through out one’s lifetime. These are people who look for variety in all aspects of life and migrating to newer places becomes a natural option for them.
Migration Mafia
In many parts of the world, migration is no more a spontaneous one but a well arranged and calculated one. Life’s ambition of many youngsters from third world countries is to migrate to USA, Europe or Australia. Indian youngsters are no different in this. If becoming an engineer or a doctor was a common objective a couple of decades back, becoming a migrant is a popular objective among many Indian youth now. There are agents of the Multi National Religious Corporations (MNRC) doubling as agents for migration and the potential migrants fall easy prey for them. The price they pay for earning a migration ticket can be very costly and they realise it only much later in their lives. The last wish of many such migrants is to have remained as unprivileged in their own country rather than becoming second (or third) class citizens in an alien land.
Migration within a country or state is a different matter altogether. Within India it is lawful for any citizen to purchase land in any part of the country (except Jammu & Kashmir). There are thousands of individual families that utilise this option to settle down in metros and other states for building up a life. This has only helped in the process of national integration. But there are others who indulge in organised efforts to displace the existing weak sections of society from a place and replace it with ‘our own people’ by organised migration. Jewish settlements in Gaza are classic examples of such attempts on the world stage. Nearer home, we have the Malabar Migration Mafia (MMM) that has almost wiped out the Adivasi settlements from Malabar area, especially Wayanad District in North Kerala. MMM is a formidable force to reckon with in the social, economical and political arenas of Kerala. The poor Adivasis, who number only a few lakhs, are facing a similar situation as the Red Indians of Americas and Aborigins of Australia. Like MGM Cinerama’s epic “How the West Was Won”, it time for the MMM to make “How Malabar Was Won”. But for the Kerala society at large, this organised migration has become a migraine now.
Model Migrants
If there is a contest for the best migrant community world-wide, Parsees of India would win hands down. They have not only assimilated into India’s culture but also contributed so tremendously in the fields of industry and nation building. Migration is a welcome phenomenon for the receiver nation or society if the migrants indulge only in positive activities of the host society. Keeping away from power politics and controversies is a must for making any migrant community acceptable to the hosts. However high their numbers may be, the original inhabitants of any geographical area would never like the migrants to rule over them. The case of Fiji is an example of this. In the present world, the option to migrate is a must. But it will remain a welcome option only if the migrant community world-wide set good precedence in getting along with the natives. More and more of settlements in Gaza and Malabar will generate only bad blood. The concept of displacing helpless natives by the might of political power or deceit is abhorring and unacceptable to the civilised world. It has to be stopped at all costs if migration is to remain as a viable option for individuals. Generating migraine for the host society is the least expected of any migrants.
Saint pips Sage
Two beautiful stories have fascinated Malayali minds for generations – one of Sage Parasuram throwing an axe (‘mazhu’) to recover land from the sea and another one about the adventurous trip of Saint Thomas to India in 52 AD. As a young child, I too have got thrilled about the mighty throw and adventurous trip by sea. Little did I realise then that these mythological incidents would get into our history books one day. As in all other spheres, the foreign Saint has beaten the native Sage in the race. Now that the Saint has overtaken the Sage into history books, it is unfair to leave the Sage behind. Here are a few tips for a fair settlement.
The single act that carried the day for the Saint was his climb on Malayatoor hills and leaving behind his footprints on the rock for future generations to really see. Divinity of the Saint made him leave the footprints on solid rock and not on any perishable materials. That has made it much easier for the Holy See to declare Malayatoor as an international pilgrimage centre and thus carry the whole story into the history books. The narration used to go as follows “After receiving wholeheartedly the mandate to evangelise the world, Saint Thomas set out on an arduous journey which saw him land in the land of spices. He set foot at Kodungalloor, the famous port of yester years, in AD 52 …… His missionary expeditions took him far and wide, and while traversing through the famous caravan route Saint Thomas came to Malayattoor. According to Ramban paattu, Saint Thomas emulated his Lord and deliberately went up the mountain to converse with the Lord. Tradition has this story that, in deep anguish and agony, Saint Thomas prayed to the Lord and upon touching the rock, blood sprang forth from it”. Now there is still a place called Malayatoor and on the hills there is a shrine. And most importantly there are foot prints on the rock. Good enough reasons to elevate mythology into the history books and we cannot blame the Holy See of any propaganda for conversion. To complete the picture we could have even fixed a date for the climb – why not 30 September, AD52?
Now let us take up the case of Sage Parasuram. Again the story went as follows “Parasuram was the 4th son of Sage Jamadagni and Renuka. He learnt the art of weaponry from Lord Siva. King Karthaveerajunan was fascinated by Jamadagni's cow and demanded it. Since the Sage refused to part with the cow, the King decapitated the Sage and forcibly took the cow away. The news infuriated Parasuram and he went to Mahishmaatipura and challenged Karthaveerajunan to a duel. Parsuram defeated Karthaveerajunan and avenged his father's death. For generations, he carried on annihilations of the Kshaktriyas (the martial race). As a mark of repentance for this sin, Parasuram meditated at Gokarna and invoked Lord Varuna (the Lord of the Oceans). Parasuram asked him for a boon. To absolve himself of the heinous crimes he had committed, he wanted to gift some land to the Brahmins. There was no land available. Lord Varuna told Parasuram that he would give him as much land as he wished. He told him to fling his traditional axe (Mazhu ) from where he stood at Gokarna. The land from Gokarna till the point where the `Mazhu' landed would be given to him was the boon that Lord Varuna promised him. The throw of the `Mazhu' from Gokarna to Kanyakumari created Kerala. Parashuram donated this land to the Brahmins”.
Here again, we have both the locations (Gokarna and Kanyakumari) still in place. And instead of footprints we have the full state of Kerala intact. What more is needed for giving the Sage too his credit? If our archaeologists are smart enough, we could have even unearthed parts of the giant axe; and we cannot blame the Sage for that. So in all fairness, Sage Parasuram’s heroic act should also make it into our history books. It is now up to the counterpart of the Holy See to elevate the Sage’s story into the history of India. As for the date, something like 12 January, BC5532 would be logical enough. And why not have an anniversary of the historic throw every year? I am sure I have given enough ideas for a controversial debate in history.
The single act that carried the day for the Saint was his climb on Malayatoor hills and leaving behind his footprints on the rock for future generations to really see. Divinity of the Saint made him leave the footprints on solid rock and not on any perishable materials. That has made it much easier for the Holy See to declare Malayatoor as an international pilgrimage centre and thus carry the whole story into the history books. The narration used to go as follows “After receiving wholeheartedly the mandate to evangelise the world, Saint Thomas set out on an arduous journey which saw him land in the land of spices. He set foot at Kodungalloor, the famous port of yester years, in AD 52 …… His missionary expeditions took him far and wide, and while traversing through the famous caravan route Saint Thomas came to Malayattoor. According to Ramban paattu, Saint Thomas emulated his Lord and deliberately went up the mountain to converse with the Lord. Tradition has this story that, in deep anguish and agony, Saint Thomas prayed to the Lord and upon touching the rock, blood sprang forth from it”. Now there is still a place called Malayatoor and on the hills there is a shrine. And most importantly there are foot prints on the rock. Good enough reasons to elevate mythology into the history books and we cannot blame the Holy See of any propaganda for conversion. To complete the picture we could have even fixed a date for the climb – why not 30 September, AD52?
Now let us take up the case of Sage Parasuram. Again the story went as follows “Parasuram was the 4th son of Sage Jamadagni and Renuka. He learnt the art of weaponry from Lord Siva. King Karthaveerajunan was fascinated by Jamadagni's cow and demanded it. Since the Sage refused to part with the cow, the King decapitated the Sage and forcibly took the cow away. The news infuriated Parasuram and he went to Mahishmaatipura and challenged Karthaveerajunan to a duel. Parsuram defeated Karthaveerajunan and avenged his father's death. For generations, he carried on annihilations of the Kshaktriyas (the martial race). As a mark of repentance for this sin, Parasuram meditated at Gokarna and invoked Lord Varuna (the Lord of the Oceans). Parasuram asked him for a boon. To absolve himself of the heinous crimes he had committed, he wanted to gift some land to the Brahmins. There was no land available. Lord Varuna told Parasuram that he would give him as much land as he wished. He told him to fling his traditional axe (Mazhu ) from where he stood at Gokarna. The land from Gokarna till the point where the `Mazhu' landed would be given to him was the boon that Lord Varuna promised him. The throw of the `Mazhu' from Gokarna to Kanyakumari created Kerala. Parashuram donated this land to the Brahmins”.
Here again, we have both the locations (Gokarna and Kanyakumari) still in place. And instead of footprints we have the full state of Kerala intact. What more is needed for giving the Sage too his credit? If our archaeologists are smart enough, we could have even unearthed parts of the giant axe; and we cannot blame the Sage for that. So in all fairness, Sage Parasuram’s heroic act should also make it into our history books. It is now up to the counterpart of the Holy See to elevate the Sage’s story into the history of India. As for the date, something like 12 January, BC5532 would be logical enough. And why not have an anniversary of the historic throw every year? I am sure I have given enough ideas for a controversial debate in history.
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