The greatness of a civilisation can be directly measured by the ideas it has conceived. Indian civilisation, especially during its Vedic period, has scaled great heights in this regard. It is one thing to be imaginative in epics and classics, but it is totally a different class to have immaculate concepts on matters affecting common man in their daily lives. Some of the Indian concepts on thoroughly materialistic matters tend to border on philosophy. Equality of man, richness and self-controls are some aspects of day to day life that our forefathers have thought out in great depth. Any impartial student of history would find it truly amazing to discover how the Indian rishis proposed novel concepts on matters so basic to mankind. A brief look at some of our own outstanding concepts will be enlightening for most of us.
Advaita
Social concepts about the essential equality of man have found expression in all civilisations. Yet there has been nothing that can match the profoundness of our own Advaita. If socialism and struggle for social justice aim at highlighting the fact that no one is superior, what can be more meaningful than a belief about the existence of God in everything? Our ancient rishis have realised long time back that life is divine in any form and that there is no primacy about man in the long evolutionary chain of life. Even today, any man would prefer a fierce but faithful dog as companion than an ungrateful and dangerous human being. Then what is so noble and special about any man, just because he has the form of a human being. Equally important are the so called non-living things in this universe. If we analyse carefully, we can clearly establish that each and every one of the living beings is sustaining its life only because of the non-living things around it. Thus the concept about the same God being present in everything in this universe is so elementary and undisputable.
While modern isms like Communism and Socialism strive to enforce the equality of man in an artificial format, the immaculate philosophy of advaita underlines the same in a natural way. If we realise the simple fact that there is an element of God in each and every one of us, there is no approval or acceptance required from anyone. The whole concept is much more appealing when we realise that it is the same case with the apparently dead things around us as well. Everything in this universe is undistinguishable at the micro level and an ancient philosophy that is built on this is truly immaculate. How can things composed of undistinguishable components be considered and treated separately? Advaita reiterates this seminal idea in unambiguous terms. In this context, Adi Sankara, who popularised the concept of Advaita is the foremost socialist in modern times.
Akshayapaatra
There can be an endless debate on who is the richest man on earth. Some say it is Bill Gates, some others George Bush or Pope or King Abdullah or some one else. This question boils down to the concept of richness in the questioner’s mind. Is it the bank balance or peace of mind or health that makes one rich? Or is it a combination of all these? Or still, is it the feeling of richness that makes one rich? I am sure there would be as many answers as the number of attempts to answer it. While the overall picture of happiness is definitely dependent on a whole lot of combinations, what is it that can make one consider himself rich in any situation? We pass through different situations in everyday life and the demand for each situation is totally different. A rich and powerful Saddam was cornered in an underground hole and sometimes even the richest cannot avoid pain in the best hospitals in the world.
It is in this most confusing scenario that we have to appreciate the ingenuity of our ancient rishis who introduced the concept of akshayapaatra, which stands for something that can offer anything what the possessor wants at any time. Imagine the convenience and comfort embedded in this concept of richness. One doesn’t need a bank account nor does he need black cats to protect him from the robbers. An akshayapaatra can provide food, currency notes, medicines and what not whenever and wherever you need it. All that one got to do is to attain one and use it properly. But attaining an akshayapaatra is no easy business. Lord Krishna gave one to Panchali, but only after he was convinced of her devotion. And he was cent percent sure that it will never be misused in her hands.
Lakshman Rekha
There are limits imposed on individuals from various quarters. The legal, moral and social restrictions on individuals in any society are well known. But the most important one is the self-imposed restriction by each one of us based on our own conscience. The concept of lakshman rekha is one without any parallels in this regard. Though first imposed (or suggested) by Lakshman on his sister-in-law Sita, to protect her from the advances of Ravana, the concept is much more meaningful in everyone’s life. Each one of us must be aware of the lakshman rekha in all the transactions or activities we indulge in. What happened to Sita when she did cross the rekha is a warning for all of us. And what is more important is to bear in mind the simple fact that we cannot always expect to have lakshmans to set limits for us. In the modern world, each of us have to define our own lakshman rekha at all times and all situations.
The list of such immaculate concepts that flowered and flourished in the Indian soil centuries back is endless. Little wonder that many historians have admitted India as the cradle of human civilisation. But the sad part is how many Indians, especially children, are aware of this enviable legacy of ours. Our own self-proclaimed historians are vying with one another in denigrating anything and everything that is applauded the world over as unambiguously India’s contribution to humanity. And our own elected governments are spending our own money in teaching our own children that India was a land of aborigines before the advent of Aryans, Missionaries and Mongolians. Do we really need any external terrorists to destroy the Indian nation?
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
I’DAY AND C’WEALTH
India is celebrating its 60th Independence Day (I’DAY) with all pomp and pageantry. The day is meant to remind us of the sacrifices made by millions of faceless freedom fighters to liberate India from the yoke of foreign rule. Maximum involvement of children is ensured in all these I’DAY celebrations with a view to inculcate the spirit of freedom that resulted from a revolution they never participated in. They are reminded again and again about what they would lose if they are not careful in the future. Most of the foreigners came as traders but ended up as rulers by their deft manipulation of our weakness. Few of the natives who collaborated with them at different times made it easy for them to consolidate the rule. Children are told not to become collaborators and tools in the hand of our enemies for petty personal gains.
Perhaps these are broad objectives of our yearly I’DAY celebrations. But isn’t it time to take a detached view of these celebrations and see what really happens in the process? Are the children really getting the message and is it producing the desired results? Are we making a mistake by continuing with these celebrations? I think we are making a big mistake. Arguing further on this line, what is the need and relevance of a British Commonwealth? Are we not conceding our sovereignty by accepting the superiority of a foreign monarchy, however insignificantly symbolic it may be? Here is an attempt for a fresh look at these institutions.
History Must Be Taught Selectively
History & mythology have a symbiotic relationship and they reinforce each other to a large extent. But when a modern nation is teaching history to its own young generation, as part of a curriculum, it is prudent to be selective. There is a strong school of thought that history should not be doctored and everything should be taught as such. There are other sections who want history to be rewritten. And then there are small organised sections who want mythology to be made into history. Though mythological stories about Sage Parasurama throwing the axe to create Kerala and Saint Thomas visiting India in 52AD are both popular, there is an organised effort to make the latter as part of our history. Both have no scientific historical evidence and are to be treated as such. In the midst of all such debates and manipulations, the focus on shaping new generations of our nation is getting lost. What is taught as history should be 100% factual but it is not necessary to teach everything in history. There is absolutely nothing harmful in highlighting the glorious past of any nation and shaping proud citizens, if there are reasons to be so.
Our civilisation is almost one hundred centuries old, but what is now being highlighted in our school history books is about the two centuries of foreign rule. It is about five decades since the British rulers were thrown out of India and we already have two or three generations of people who are born and brought up in Independent India. As per our latest census figures, such people make up about three fourths of our population. These people have not had the misfortune to live under foreign rule and they never struggled to get even their basic rights. Instead they were born into an atmosphere of freedom and enjoyed equality & justice (at least theoretically) from day one. In such a situation, is there any point in first teaching all about the atrocities under the British Raj and then proceeding to remind them every year that we could eject them in 1947. I think it is time to forget the brief ugly immediate past and concentrate on the greater achievements in an earlier period to build a glorious future for India.
Occupation of any nation by foreigners is akin to violation of its modesty. Apart from the physical violence that it entails, the more devastating aspect is the stripping down of national morale. Children born in such an atmosphere will either develop an inferiority complex for survival or tend to take up violent methods to fight. In the case of India, we were extremely fortunate to get a messiah in the form of Mahatma Gandhi who could guide us to freedom in a novel way. Continental nature of our land and its ancient civilisation contributed in large measure to protect our culture even after two centuries of foreign rule. Having survived such bad times, what is the logic in spending public money to commemorate the I’DAY which will only remind us about those unfortunate times? Nobody likes to ‘celebrate’ a tragedy in family but only learn from it and keep in mind. The more we celebrate a liberation day, the more we tend to remember the tyranny that preceded it. Knowing this basic nature of man, it is time to do away with the I’DAY celebrations and redouble our celebrations on some other day of national importance.
Irrelevance of C’Wealth
Any news about the Commonwealth organisation (C’WEALTH) reminds us of a get together by victims of a tragedy under the leadership of the very perpetrator. Imagine an association of Bhopal Gas tragedy victims under the leadership of Union Carbide! It is something like that. What message does any citizen of one of those erstwhile colonies get whenever there is a meeting of CHOGM? Again, we are only perpetuating the memories of an ugly period in our long history by remaining a member of such a club. In modern times it is becoming unacceptable to be xenophobic and nationalistic. But patriotism is a basic minimum requirement of any citizen of any nation. State should encourage patriotic citizens to be proud and fearless by asserting its equality (not superiority) among world nations. If we are targeting to be a developed nation by 2020, one of the first decisions to be taken is to pull out of the C’WEALTH. Once India pulls out, the whole edifice would crumble and only the nations that still accept British monarchy as their heads of state would remain. That looks more logical and relevant.
It is part of recorded history that India had more than 20% of world trade prior to the start of the so-called Industrial Revolution in Europe. And now after all these years of foreign and self rule, our share is down to less than 2% of the world figures. This is what has happened to our wealth and trade. Africans and Americans often say that when colonisers (missionaries) came ‘we had the land and they had the book’ and then gradually ‘we had the book but they took the land’. It is a similar story for Indians too. All the wealth that fuelled the Industrial Revolution in Britain came from its colonies. What was our own wealth accumulated over centuries became common wealth first and then ended up as their own wealth. There is no point in being bitter about the past but to avoid a repetition we have to get over the past completely.
French Model is Better
India should not only get out of C’WEALTH but also downgrade all celebrations connected with I’DAY. A better alternative exists in the form of celebrating the Republic Day a’ la French. Our current constitution denotes the First Republic of our country attained in a democratic way. We should designate it as such and go for grandiose celebrations on 26 January every year. It is time to get over our memories about the brief ignominious period and look forward to a much more glorious future. At the height of British Raj, one English writer wrote about ‘The Wonder That Was India’ but now we should try to change it as “Eternal Wonder That Is India”.
Perhaps these are broad objectives of our yearly I’DAY celebrations. But isn’t it time to take a detached view of these celebrations and see what really happens in the process? Are the children really getting the message and is it producing the desired results? Are we making a mistake by continuing with these celebrations? I think we are making a big mistake. Arguing further on this line, what is the need and relevance of a British Commonwealth? Are we not conceding our sovereignty by accepting the superiority of a foreign monarchy, however insignificantly symbolic it may be? Here is an attempt for a fresh look at these institutions.
History Must Be Taught Selectively
History & mythology have a symbiotic relationship and they reinforce each other to a large extent. But when a modern nation is teaching history to its own young generation, as part of a curriculum, it is prudent to be selective. There is a strong school of thought that history should not be doctored and everything should be taught as such. There are other sections who want history to be rewritten. And then there are small organised sections who want mythology to be made into history. Though mythological stories about Sage Parasurama throwing the axe to create Kerala and Saint Thomas visiting India in 52AD are both popular, there is an organised effort to make the latter as part of our history. Both have no scientific historical evidence and are to be treated as such. In the midst of all such debates and manipulations, the focus on shaping new generations of our nation is getting lost. What is taught as history should be 100% factual but it is not necessary to teach everything in history. There is absolutely nothing harmful in highlighting the glorious past of any nation and shaping proud citizens, if there are reasons to be so.
Our civilisation is almost one hundred centuries old, but what is now being highlighted in our school history books is about the two centuries of foreign rule. It is about five decades since the British rulers were thrown out of India and we already have two or three generations of people who are born and brought up in Independent India. As per our latest census figures, such people make up about three fourths of our population. These people have not had the misfortune to live under foreign rule and they never struggled to get even their basic rights. Instead they were born into an atmosphere of freedom and enjoyed equality & justice (at least theoretically) from day one. In such a situation, is there any point in first teaching all about the atrocities under the British Raj and then proceeding to remind them every year that we could eject them in 1947. I think it is time to forget the brief ugly immediate past and concentrate on the greater achievements in an earlier period to build a glorious future for India.
Occupation of any nation by foreigners is akin to violation of its modesty. Apart from the physical violence that it entails, the more devastating aspect is the stripping down of national morale. Children born in such an atmosphere will either develop an inferiority complex for survival or tend to take up violent methods to fight. In the case of India, we were extremely fortunate to get a messiah in the form of Mahatma Gandhi who could guide us to freedom in a novel way. Continental nature of our land and its ancient civilisation contributed in large measure to protect our culture even after two centuries of foreign rule. Having survived such bad times, what is the logic in spending public money to commemorate the I’DAY which will only remind us about those unfortunate times? Nobody likes to ‘celebrate’ a tragedy in family but only learn from it and keep in mind. The more we celebrate a liberation day, the more we tend to remember the tyranny that preceded it. Knowing this basic nature of man, it is time to do away with the I’DAY celebrations and redouble our celebrations on some other day of national importance.
Irrelevance of C’Wealth
Any news about the Commonwealth organisation (C’WEALTH) reminds us of a get together by victims of a tragedy under the leadership of the very perpetrator. Imagine an association of Bhopal Gas tragedy victims under the leadership of Union Carbide! It is something like that. What message does any citizen of one of those erstwhile colonies get whenever there is a meeting of CHOGM? Again, we are only perpetuating the memories of an ugly period in our long history by remaining a member of such a club. In modern times it is becoming unacceptable to be xenophobic and nationalistic. But patriotism is a basic minimum requirement of any citizen of any nation. State should encourage patriotic citizens to be proud and fearless by asserting its equality (not superiority) among world nations. If we are targeting to be a developed nation by 2020, one of the first decisions to be taken is to pull out of the C’WEALTH. Once India pulls out, the whole edifice would crumble and only the nations that still accept British monarchy as their heads of state would remain. That looks more logical and relevant.
It is part of recorded history that India had more than 20% of world trade prior to the start of the so-called Industrial Revolution in Europe. And now after all these years of foreign and self rule, our share is down to less than 2% of the world figures. This is what has happened to our wealth and trade. Africans and Americans often say that when colonisers (missionaries) came ‘we had the land and they had the book’ and then gradually ‘we had the book but they took the land’. It is a similar story for Indians too. All the wealth that fuelled the Industrial Revolution in Britain came from its colonies. What was our own wealth accumulated over centuries became common wealth first and then ended up as their own wealth. There is no point in being bitter about the past but to avoid a repetition we have to get over the past completely.
French Model is Better
India should not only get out of C’WEALTH but also downgrade all celebrations connected with I’DAY. A better alternative exists in the form of celebrating the Republic Day a’ la French. Our current constitution denotes the First Republic of our country attained in a democratic way. We should designate it as such and go for grandiose celebrations on 26 January every year. It is time to get over our memories about the brief ignominious period and look forward to a much more glorious future. At the height of British Raj, one English writer wrote about ‘The Wonder That Was India’ but now we should try to change it as “Eternal Wonder That Is India”.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
INDIA DIVIDED
If the age-old saying “united we stand, divided we fall” is the basic mantra that holds a nation together, Indians have the least such spirit in their thoughts and doings. In ancient times it was the Kings and Kingdoms that divided us. Then it was the turn of invaders and occupiers to keep us divided. Among the occupiers, it was the British that excelled in their ‘brilliant’ ways of divide and rule. And when an opportunity presented before us to have our own government, we drafted a constitution that segregates Indians into majorities, minorities, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and what not. Though our constitution makers were kind enough to provide at least some directive principles to work towards national integration, the subsequent law makers rivalled one another in further dividing the society for their own gains. With the latest amendments to our constitution, Indian nation and Indians stand completely divided socially and economically into forward castes, backward castes and even other backward castes. Democracy as practised in India has failed as a form of ideal government for a billion strong people who have the cultural and economic potential to ‘rule’ the whole world. Instead we are fast degenerating into a country where anything can be done at anytime anywhere by anyone, either Indian or foreign. Quite ironically, the only factor that unites Indians now is the physical fear from Pakistan and China.
Politics of Divide
If the colonial British were past masters in their patented policy of ‘divide and rule’, the subsequent breed of Indian politicians peer in the degenerative policy of ‘divide and win elections’. It goes to the negative credit of Indian politicians that none of them have ever presented a draft bill in the parliament which will treat all Indians as equal before any piece of legislation. There are always preambles to divide Indians on the basis of region, religion and nowadays castes. The concepts of minorities and secularism, which are integral parts of western democratic systems, are creating havoc in Indian nation as square pegs in round holes. If all Indians are to be treated as equal in every respect, where is the need and relevance of special provisions for minorities? And if all religions are equal and the Indian nation has no conventional religion of its own, what is the logic of secularism? The only class of people who are interested in these divisive concepts are the politicians and that too for winning the elections. And once elected, these ‘secular’ politicians forget the common man and vie with one another to get maximum benefit for their religion, family and region.
The current politics of divide in India can be overcome only by electoral reforms. If the viewpoint of every one is to be reflected in the parliament, there should be representatives from all sections of the society. The best way to achieve this is to go in for proportional representation. The monopoly influence of some sections over electoral politics, which is nothing but getting votes by hook or crook, is shunning popular voice to be heard in our parliament. Family politicians and professional politicians are nothing but the visible forms of undesirable developments in our electoral system. If major political parties are allotted seats in the parliament proportionate to the votes they could garner, we can expect to have representation from all sections of the society. There would be no need for the state to enact laws reserving seats for women or dalits. It would be upto to the political parties to do so and they will be forced to do it. The only aspect that needs to be ensured is to have regular democratic elections within these parties. And why not make it mandatory to use the same Election Commission to ensure free, fair and periodic elections in each of the recognised political parties? The populist politics of divide can be eradicated once for all from our country in no time.
Pride the Past
There are certain basic facts about successful nationhood that many ‘learned’ Indians do not want to accept. One of them is the pride factor about our own past. Even a small country like Japan could literally rise from ashes after the nuclear holocaust only and only because of their immense pride about their past. It is not that everything about Japan in the past was good and golden. They too had their own self-defeating customs and cultural debacles. But all of them are always proud about the good aspects of their great history. In psychology we have established that no human being without self-respect can become a successful one. Similar is the case with nations. Unless and until all Indians, irrespective of their present status, feel proud about the positive elements of our 5000 or more years old history, India cannot regain its rightful leadership among world nations. Those who do not respect themselves can never expect others to respect them.
For many Indians, the major stumbling block in feeling proud about an ancient India is the religious aspect of it. This can easily be overcome if we realise the simple fact that Hinduism is only a way of life, quite unlike the other established religions which are organised and well defined. For an all inclusive Hindu way of life, anyone who is worthy of being worshipped is considered an incarnation and Ishwar is present in everything animate or inanimate. That is exactly why India and Indians had no inhibitions, nor reservations in receiving messengers, missionaries and migrants from any part of the world. For an impartial observer there is nothing that is objectionable about ancient India in how it treated all the foreign ideologies and men. Indian shores always welcomed new ideas and ideologies, unlike many other nations that are still reluctant to open up. The knowledge based society of ancient India was so proud about its rationality and robustness that it never had any fears about its sustainability. Even today there are plenty of novel ideas lying unexplored in our ancient texts for anyone willing to research with an open mind. All that is required is a bit of pride about our own past.
India and China were at the same ‘bus-stop’ of opportunities twenty years back. Both had the same potential and resources to excel, and India had the added advantage of more exposure to international skills. When the bus of developed nations came by, we refuse to climb claiming so many excuses. Our leftists had problem with the colour of the bus, some influential sections had problem with the driver and some other sections had reservations on the conductor. The communist but nationalistic leaders of China had no such problems. In the interest of their nation, they were determined to get in and take their rightful place inside the bus. What is it that is missing in our political leadership, but found in abundance in countries like China, Japan and Germany? It is not knowledge, skills or expertise. It is only the national spirit and love for the nation.
Politics of Divide
If the colonial British were past masters in their patented policy of ‘divide and rule’, the subsequent breed of Indian politicians peer in the degenerative policy of ‘divide and win elections’. It goes to the negative credit of Indian politicians that none of them have ever presented a draft bill in the parliament which will treat all Indians as equal before any piece of legislation. There are always preambles to divide Indians on the basis of region, religion and nowadays castes. The concepts of minorities and secularism, which are integral parts of western democratic systems, are creating havoc in Indian nation as square pegs in round holes. If all Indians are to be treated as equal in every respect, where is the need and relevance of special provisions for minorities? And if all religions are equal and the Indian nation has no conventional religion of its own, what is the logic of secularism? The only class of people who are interested in these divisive concepts are the politicians and that too for winning the elections. And once elected, these ‘secular’ politicians forget the common man and vie with one another to get maximum benefit for their religion, family and region.
The current politics of divide in India can be overcome only by electoral reforms. If the viewpoint of every one is to be reflected in the parliament, there should be representatives from all sections of the society. The best way to achieve this is to go in for proportional representation. The monopoly influence of some sections over electoral politics, which is nothing but getting votes by hook or crook, is shunning popular voice to be heard in our parliament. Family politicians and professional politicians are nothing but the visible forms of undesirable developments in our electoral system. If major political parties are allotted seats in the parliament proportionate to the votes they could garner, we can expect to have representation from all sections of the society. There would be no need for the state to enact laws reserving seats for women or dalits. It would be upto to the political parties to do so and they will be forced to do it. The only aspect that needs to be ensured is to have regular democratic elections within these parties. And why not make it mandatory to use the same Election Commission to ensure free, fair and periodic elections in each of the recognised political parties? The populist politics of divide can be eradicated once for all from our country in no time.
Pride the Past
There are certain basic facts about successful nationhood that many ‘learned’ Indians do not want to accept. One of them is the pride factor about our own past. Even a small country like Japan could literally rise from ashes after the nuclear holocaust only and only because of their immense pride about their past. It is not that everything about Japan in the past was good and golden. They too had their own self-defeating customs and cultural debacles. But all of them are always proud about the good aspects of their great history. In psychology we have established that no human being without self-respect can become a successful one. Similar is the case with nations. Unless and until all Indians, irrespective of their present status, feel proud about the positive elements of our 5000 or more years old history, India cannot regain its rightful leadership among world nations. Those who do not respect themselves can never expect others to respect them.
For many Indians, the major stumbling block in feeling proud about an ancient India is the religious aspect of it. This can easily be overcome if we realise the simple fact that Hinduism is only a way of life, quite unlike the other established religions which are organised and well defined. For an all inclusive Hindu way of life, anyone who is worthy of being worshipped is considered an incarnation and Ishwar is present in everything animate or inanimate. That is exactly why India and Indians had no inhibitions, nor reservations in receiving messengers, missionaries and migrants from any part of the world. For an impartial observer there is nothing that is objectionable about ancient India in how it treated all the foreign ideologies and men. Indian shores always welcomed new ideas and ideologies, unlike many other nations that are still reluctant to open up. The knowledge based society of ancient India was so proud about its rationality and robustness that it never had any fears about its sustainability. Even today there are plenty of novel ideas lying unexplored in our ancient texts for anyone willing to research with an open mind. All that is required is a bit of pride about our own past.
India and China were at the same ‘bus-stop’ of opportunities twenty years back. Both had the same potential and resources to excel, and India had the added advantage of more exposure to international skills. When the bus of developed nations came by, we refuse to climb claiming so many excuses. Our leftists had problem with the colour of the bus, some influential sections had problem with the driver and some other sections had reservations on the conductor. The communist but nationalistic leaders of China had no such problems. In the interest of their nation, they were determined to get in and take their rightful place inside the bus. What is it that is missing in our political leadership, but found in abundance in countries like China, Japan and Germany? It is not knowledge, skills or expertise. It is only the national spirit and love for the nation.
Monday, August 07, 2006
HUMAN HYPOCRISY
The single trait that is common among all humans irrespective of his or her social, economical, religious, regional, colour or any other status is hypocrisy. Dictionaries define hypocrisy as “the practice of professing standards, beliefs, etc., contrary to one's real character or actual behaviour, esp. the pretence of virtue and piety”. In simple practical terms it means believing (and preaching) one and practising another. It is said that ‘to err is human’ but a better one would be ‘to be hypocritical is genuinely human’. All human beings are hypocritical and it can be easily proved that it is impossible to maintain life without being hypocritical. This would inevitably lead us to the conclusion that all human beings ever alive or yet to be born are hypocritical. Yes, it is a fact that all ordinary, abnormal, outstanding and even divine human beings are indeed hypocritical. A full form of the altered saying would be ‘to be hypocritical is genuinely human and to admit it is indeed divine’.
To analyse our own character and realise the hypocritical traits will not be a difficult exercise. I am sure every one can and should do it, if we are to improve as human beings. More difficult would be to identify the trait in others. And dangerous would be to attempt the same in the case of our own leaders, prophets and even in God whenever and wherever incarnated in human form. The more one preaches the more difficult it is to live up to it. This very simple logic makes it almost impossible for any of our leaders and preachers to live up to their preaching. Most of them succeed in covering up their hypocrisy (sometimes for centuries and centuries) does not relieve them from the essential trait of mankind. And even if it is blasphemous, the rational followers are bound to discover and question their hypocrisy sooner or later.
Inherent Reason
It would be an interesting exercise to look for reasons as to why all humans are invariably hypocritical. One need not waste much time in this. It is widely believed and accepted that human beings are the only animals that can laugh when there is grief or pain inside and vice versa. Any tiger would attack if it is stoned but a politician or preacher can shake hands with a terrorist who has shot him. Similarly, a dog will defend his master against the attack of an enemy, but most human beneficiaries of human kindness will inevitably turn against the benefactor. Human history contains more stories about betrayal than sacrifice for benefactors. In the contemporary world, many political dramas in different countries and the relationships among various countries are classic examples of hypocritical attitude of the leaders and nations. Most international leaders are talking in different tones at home and abroad. And eventually what they do will be totally different.
Hypocrisy among mankind has its origins from time immemorial. Among the first humans, those who said that they know the truth of life were the first hypocrites. The vulnerable among the group who believed in these words made them the leaders and preachers. Hypocrisy is always about knowledge and the clever are always the most hypocritical. Claiming to possess the knowledge about God has always been a favourite theme for such people. Man’s inherent quest for the unknown always makes him easy prey for the hypocritical preachers who are clever enough to hide their ignorance. Most of them making up their ignorance by gimmicks and glowing robes are common sights in the present day world. The truly great are silent but the gimmicky always attain sainthood.
Classic Cases
Some of the well known hypocrisies of mankind are very interesting to analyse. People who advocate ahimsa or non-violence are very same who devour tons of meat day after day. And those who say that killing of a particular animal is to be banned have no qualms about killing of other kinds of animals and birds. Then they go to holy places and listen to discourses on how killing is considered a sin and all things alive are dear to God. And they applaud the preacher when he says that God is nothing but life-giver and there is an element of God in everything that is alive. The pro-life activists who can debate for days against abortion are the very same who enjoy eggs, chicken, mutton and beef in the nearby restaurant. Those who say alcohol is not good for health are the very same who need at least a peg everyday in the darkness of night. And those who publicly declare that all religions lead to the same God are same who market their own as the only way. And those who hate idolatry are the ones who have icons for everything and indulge in a whole lot of symbolic activities.
Hypocrisy is there in all realms of life, but it is more in politics and social life. Most of the politicians are arch hypocrites and it becomes their essential trait for survival. In earlier days, though the politicians were hypocrites, their parties had clear objectives and agenda. Those days are gone now. All political parties have an agenda, but they also have a hidden agenda, known only to the top few who hijack the platform. The common men at the bottom of the political ladder are more often mute sheep led by jacketed shepherds who are working for unseen masters. Hypocrisy of political parties is very evident for keen observers who are genuinely non-aligned. As an example, the anti-secular policies of all the secular parties in India are something infamous. In a true secular democracy, the state should discourage all attempts to discriminate citizens on the basis of religion. But we always find the reverse true in most of the policy decisions and activities of the parties in power and opposition. Be it reservation for government jobs or admissions to professional courses or disbursement of financial doles, the underlying criterion are always based on religion rather than merit.
In a world full of hypocrisy, it is nothing but hypocritical to expect for victory of truth and the truthful. Those who are still interested in experimenting with truth must device ingenious methods to deceive the hypocrites and make them unknowingly work towards the desired goals which are good for the society. Deceiving those who deceive others is the only way to take humanity forward in the kali yuga. Our good leaders must also develop their hypocrisy to achieve this. When everyone is lying in a country, it is up to the ombudsman to correct it by lying about the impending doom. There is no point in being a sanayasi or saint who is silently watching the degeneration of the world. Unlike a silent Bheeshma in Mahabharata, at least a few of our leaders must shout and act to overcome the growing trait of hypocrisy.
To analyse our own character and realise the hypocritical traits will not be a difficult exercise. I am sure every one can and should do it, if we are to improve as human beings. More difficult would be to identify the trait in others. And dangerous would be to attempt the same in the case of our own leaders, prophets and even in God whenever and wherever incarnated in human form. The more one preaches the more difficult it is to live up to it. This very simple logic makes it almost impossible for any of our leaders and preachers to live up to their preaching. Most of them succeed in covering up their hypocrisy (sometimes for centuries and centuries) does not relieve them from the essential trait of mankind. And even if it is blasphemous, the rational followers are bound to discover and question their hypocrisy sooner or later.
Inherent Reason
It would be an interesting exercise to look for reasons as to why all humans are invariably hypocritical. One need not waste much time in this. It is widely believed and accepted that human beings are the only animals that can laugh when there is grief or pain inside and vice versa. Any tiger would attack if it is stoned but a politician or preacher can shake hands with a terrorist who has shot him. Similarly, a dog will defend his master against the attack of an enemy, but most human beneficiaries of human kindness will inevitably turn against the benefactor. Human history contains more stories about betrayal than sacrifice for benefactors. In the contemporary world, many political dramas in different countries and the relationships among various countries are classic examples of hypocritical attitude of the leaders and nations. Most international leaders are talking in different tones at home and abroad. And eventually what they do will be totally different.
Hypocrisy among mankind has its origins from time immemorial. Among the first humans, those who said that they know the truth of life were the first hypocrites. The vulnerable among the group who believed in these words made them the leaders and preachers. Hypocrisy is always about knowledge and the clever are always the most hypocritical. Claiming to possess the knowledge about God has always been a favourite theme for such people. Man’s inherent quest for the unknown always makes him easy prey for the hypocritical preachers who are clever enough to hide their ignorance. Most of them making up their ignorance by gimmicks and glowing robes are common sights in the present day world. The truly great are silent but the gimmicky always attain sainthood.
Classic Cases
Some of the well known hypocrisies of mankind are very interesting to analyse. People who advocate ahimsa or non-violence are very same who devour tons of meat day after day. And those who say that killing of a particular animal is to be banned have no qualms about killing of other kinds of animals and birds. Then they go to holy places and listen to discourses on how killing is considered a sin and all things alive are dear to God. And they applaud the preacher when he says that God is nothing but life-giver and there is an element of God in everything that is alive. The pro-life activists who can debate for days against abortion are the very same who enjoy eggs, chicken, mutton and beef in the nearby restaurant. Those who say alcohol is not good for health are the very same who need at least a peg everyday in the darkness of night. And those who publicly declare that all religions lead to the same God are same who market their own as the only way. And those who hate idolatry are the ones who have icons for everything and indulge in a whole lot of symbolic activities.
Hypocrisy is there in all realms of life, but it is more in politics and social life. Most of the politicians are arch hypocrites and it becomes their essential trait for survival. In earlier days, though the politicians were hypocrites, their parties had clear objectives and agenda. Those days are gone now. All political parties have an agenda, but they also have a hidden agenda, known only to the top few who hijack the platform. The common men at the bottom of the political ladder are more often mute sheep led by jacketed shepherds who are working for unseen masters. Hypocrisy of political parties is very evident for keen observers who are genuinely non-aligned. As an example, the anti-secular policies of all the secular parties in India are something infamous. In a true secular democracy, the state should discourage all attempts to discriminate citizens on the basis of religion. But we always find the reverse true in most of the policy decisions and activities of the parties in power and opposition. Be it reservation for government jobs or admissions to professional courses or disbursement of financial doles, the underlying criterion are always based on religion rather than merit.
In a world full of hypocrisy, it is nothing but hypocritical to expect for victory of truth and the truthful. Those who are still interested in experimenting with truth must device ingenious methods to deceive the hypocrites and make them unknowingly work towards the desired goals which are good for the society. Deceiving those who deceive others is the only way to take humanity forward in the kali yuga. Our good leaders must also develop their hypocrisy to achieve this. When everyone is lying in a country, it is up to the ombudsman to correct it by lying about the impending doom. There is no point in being a sanayasi or saint who is silently watching the degeneration of the world. Unlike a silent Bheeshma in Mahabharata, at least a few of our leaders must shout and act to overcome the growing trait of hypocrisy.
Wasted Temple Wealth
What is the relevance and use of a Ram or Krishna temple in a locality where Ramachandrans and Ramakrishnans are committing suicide for want of a few thousand rupees? And what can be more ridiculous than spending lakhs of rupees on finding what the God wants (by engaging astrologers) when the piled up wealth in a local temple is providing no comfort for the material misery of the devotees in the locality? Whatever and how strong be the argument for and against these propositions, I am fully convinced that temples became part and parcel of Hindu society only because it served as ‘Centres for Distribution of Commonwealth’ (CDC) in ancient times. Otherwise, an ism advocating the noble presence of God in anything and everything in this universe does not need any specific place for worship. Neither do we need the help of any middlemen in our transactions with God.
The importance of revitalising temples as relief centres for those in distress is becoming a matter of life or death for the believers in a ‘critical’ state like Kerala. The battle for demographic upper hand is in the final phase and the consequences can be fatal for the ‘majority’ community if the leaders do not realise it even now. To do this, we should all realise the simple truth that any wealth that does help in distress is wasted wealth. Most of the temple wealth in India today belongs to this category. Devotees are dying without food, committing ‘family suicide’ because of debt burden and selling children for living expenses, when millions and millions are either lying idle in bank deposits or wasted for gold plating temple masts or making crowns for the temple deity. Time has come for exploring immediate measures to save the vulnerable sections of the society from sure death or falling prey to rival predators with unlimited budgets for ‘soul harvesting’.
Temple Banks & Lands
One of the best ways to utilise the piled up wealth in any place of worship is to set up banking facilities with provision for extending loans to the needy devotees. Any devotee who is in trouble and the temple committee feels need help must be able to get easy loan with no collateral securities at nominal interest. A true devotee will never lie in front of the deity and will definitely return the money in better times. This aspect of faith and devotion must be put to maximum use while extending life saving loans to the needy. In the best traditions of Travancore kings, who used to reign on behalf of Lord Padmanabha, the loan deeds can be executed between the borrower and an authorised office bearer on behalf of the presiding deity in each temple. This would make the transaction more divine and binding on the devotees.
There are temples and temples in our country. Some of them are under the control of the government and some under private management. And there are many with enormous income and many more with little or no income at all. Thousands and thousands of acres of land are falling under these temples in official records, but encroachers are most active in these lands. For a limited geographical entity with growing population there is nothing more priced than real estate in a country like ours. Devotees must realise that protecting temple land is one of their first priorities. Time will soon dawn when rights will be fixed not only based on numbers but also on the basis of real estate held by the different communities in India. Those who are neglecting temple lands will pay a heavy price then. If there is excess land, it can always been given on lease or rent to the devotees but strictly on renewal basis every year. No one should even think of long term lease or any other arrangement.
Religious Education & Exercise
The amount of religious literature and information that is available in India is unparalleled anywhere in the world. For true researchers, it is still possible to dig out unseen works which are from different periods in history even now. Learned men throughout the world have been amazed at the depth and vastness of knowledge that Indian minds are always capable of conjuring. All Indians accept Mahabharata and Ramayana as part of their heritage but no one is willing to teach it to the younger generation in a systematic way for fear of being stamped as communal. In this strange scenario, the least expected of temples is to set up schooling facilities for keeping up these heritages. Temple funds being utilised for public education should be objectionable, especially when public money is not involved in it. Just because the secular state is involved in administration of some temples must not be reason enough for diversion of temple money for public education. Instead, the money should go only into education of those interested in heritage literature, including the remarkable Bhagavad Gita.
Yoga and meditation are the other aspects of Indian heritage that should be eligible for temple funds. Like temple schools, temple gyms must also become commonplace. Unlike modern metropolis gyms, the facilities required for yoga and meditation are very moderate and less costly. What is required in more intensity is interest and commitment on the part of the users. If adequate facilities are provided, such temple gyms alone have the potential to keep the younger folks engaged in constructive activities. As we have always believed, healthy minds are always found only in healthy bodies. And the least destructive ones in any nation are always the most healthy. India is all set to become the youngest nation in the world by 2020 and popularisation of temple gyms can make it the healthiest one as well.
In very simple terms, temple funds, lands and resources that are lying unutilised or wasted should be put to best use for the devotees by the collective will on the part of all those who are concerned about India’s future. Distribution of wealth through temple coffers must become a practice once again if we have to combat the twin terrors of terrorism or take-over. Worship of God in temples must become demystified. Theory and practice of temple rituals must correlate with contemporary realities and relative position of Hinduism among world religions. A golden mast or a sanctum sanctorum in a temple plated with gold will have true meaning if and only if all the devotees of the temple deity are living without misery. If we do not realise this, the famed wall of Indian nation will soon fade off for its real owners to write anything for their progeny.
The importance of revitalising temples as relief centres for those in distress is becoming a matter of life or death for the believers in a ‘critical’ state like Kerala. The battle for demographic upper hand is in the final phase and the consequences can be fatal for the ‘majority’ community if the leaders do not realise it even now. To do this, we should all realise the simple truth that any wealth that does help in distress is wasted wealth. Most of the temple wealth in India today belongs to this category. Devotees are dying without food, committing ‘family suicide’ because of debt burden and selling children for living expenses, when millions and millions are either lying idle in bank deposits or wasted for gold plating temple masts or making crowns for the temple deity. Time has come for exploring immediate measures to save the vulnerable sections of the society from sure death or falling prey to rival predators with unlimited budgets for ‘soul harvesting’.
Temple Banks & Lands
One of the best ways to utilise the piled up wealth in any place of worship is to set up banking facilities with provision for extending loans to the needy devotees. Any devotee who is in trouble and the temple committee feels need help must be able to get easy loan with no collateral securities at nominal interest. A true devotee will never lie in front of the deity and will definitely return the money in better times. This aspect of faith and devotion must be put to maximum use while extending life saving loans to the needy. In the best traditions of Travancore kings, who used to reign on behalf of Lord Padmanabha, the loan deeds can be executed between the borrower and an authorised office bearer on behalf of the presiding deity in each temple. This would make the transaction more divine and binding on the devotees.
There are temples and temples in our country. Some of them are under the control of the government and some under private management. And there are many with enormous income and many more with little or no income at all. Thousands and thousands of acres of land are falling under these temples in official records, but encroachers are most active in these lands. For a limited geographical entity with growing population there is nothing more priced than real estate in a country like ours. Devotees must realise that protecting temple land is one of their first priorities. Time will soon dawn when rights will be fixed not only based on numbers but also on the basis of real estate held by the different communities in India. Those who are neglecting temple lands will pay a heavy price then. If there is excess land, it can always been given on lease or rent to the devotees but strictly on renewal basis every year. No one should even think of long term lease or any other arrangement.
Religious Education & Exercise
The amount of religious literature and information that is available in India is unparalleled anywhere in the world. For true researchers, it is still possible to dig out unseen works which are from different periods in history even now. Learned men throughout the world have been amazed at the depth and vastness of knowledge that Indian minds are always capable of conjuring. All Indians accept Mahabharata and Ramayana as part of their heritage but no one is willing to teach it to the younger generation in a systematic way for fear of being stamped as communal. In this strange scenario, the least expected of temples is to set up schooling facilities for keeping up these heritages. Temple funds being utilised for public education should be objectionable, especially when public money is not involved in it. Just because the secular state is involved in administration of some temples must not be reason enough for diversion of temple money for public education. Instead, the money should go only into education of those interested in heritage literature, including the remarkable Bhagavad Gita.
Yoga and meditation are the other aspects of Indian heritage that should be eligible for temple funds. Like temple schools, temple gyms must also become commonplace. Unlike modern metropolis gyms, the facilities required for yoga and meditation are very moderate and less costly. What is required in more intensity is interest and commitment on the part of the users. If adequate facilities are provided, such temple gyms alone have the potential to keep the younger folks engaged in constructive activities. As we have always believed, healthy minds are always found only in healthy bodies. And the least destructive ones in any nation are always the most healthy. India is all set to become the youngest nation in the world by 2020 and popularisation of temple gyms can make it the healthiest one as well.
In very simple terms, temple funds, lands and resources that are lying unutilised or wasted should be put to best use for the devotees by the collective will on the part of all those who are concerned about India’s future. Distribution of wealth through temple coffers must become a practice once again if we have to combat the twin terrors of terrorism or take-over. Worship of God in temples must become demystified. Theory and practice of temple rituals must correlate with contemporary realities and relative position of Hinduism among world religions. A golden mast or a sanctum sanctorum in a temple plated with gold will have true meaning if and only if all the devotees of the temple deity are living without misery. If we do not realise this, the famed wall of Indian nation will soon fade off for its real owners to write anything for their progeny.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
TOXIC TOURISM
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.
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.
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.
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