Maaya and Daiva are two unique Indian concepts that have not yet been fully appreciated by the world. Both offer brilliant explanations about mysteries that engross everything in this universe. While maaya demystifies the apparent reality that surrounds us, daiva helps us in living with an uncertain future. Indian philosophers had propounded these theories thousands of years ago, but ordinary Indians are still struggling to comprehend them. What should have been an integral and uncontroversial part of our curriculum is deliberately kept out just to satisfy the false (pseudo)secular credentials. And instead we force ourselves to study every other theory that has drifted into our landscape from alien lands. Most of us have even lost the natural inquisitiveness of normal human beings to understand what is one’s own.
Nature and future are two indispensable components in everyone’s life. Together they provide the environment and incentive to live on. Ancient seers of India had succeeded to a great extent in explaining the philosophical aspects of these concepts to the ordinary folks then. Daiva and Maaya are the key components of their explanations in this regard. Whatever we consider as real is indeed maaya and whatever is unknown with regard to the future are revered in the form of daiva. The interpretations of daiva as various forms of the unique God (Ishwar) and maaya as a notion that we perceive as real can be considered as the best available treatises that can explain anything to a modern rational man. If everyone can get a chance to learn about these vital irreligious aspects in India today, there will be much more vigor and vitality in our society instead of rivalry and hatred.
Unknown Nature
As infinitesimal part of this universe we are deeply immersed in the happenings around us and we live on with the belief that it is all for real. But we can easily understand that it is not so when we consider our experience while waking up from a dream. If it was a sweet one we feel sorry about being woken up and if it was horrible we feel thankful. Be it a dream or otherwise, it is our very same self that has experienced it. Similarly is the vast difference in our perception when we consider someone as a suspected terrorist and he finally turns out to be a pious and religious man. There are several more instances where this same nature of experience can be perceived for totally different realities. And then drugs, magic and special effects can also produce such similar experience on a human as compared to whatever we normally consider as real. So what is the sanctity of considering anything as real? A more logical perception is to take everything as unreal. And that was what our forefathers considered as maaya.
Our whole perception about this universe is only a maaya and each of us interprets it the way we want or understand. And there cannot be anything for real in a world where each and every one of us is enveloped in maaya. Adi Sankara was only stating the obvious when he propounded the theory of maaya. It is not difficult for any ordinary man to understand this but it will be extremely difficult to admit it so. The Western concept of ‘seeing is believing’ is an absurdity that has become a belief. The effect of maaya is so much that anyone who can develop the capability to dismiss the mundane problems as being part of maaya will be considered as insane and not wise. But even a convinced understanding of the truth about maaya in everyone’s mind can go a long way in raising the overall tolerance level in our society and nation. We can appreciate and tolerate each other much better if we have a common understanding about the unreality that surrounds us.
Unknown Future
More interesting than an unrealistic nature that surrounds us is the unknown future that awaits us. In many ways it is the uncertainty and anonymity about our future that drives us towards an omnipotent and omnipresent God. If there are ways to gain sure knowledge about future, almost all our temples, churches and mosques will be empty. Ancient seers of India propounded the concept of daiva precisely on this basis of uncertain future. As the Sanskrit term indicates Daiva means destiny or destination or simple future for every single entity in this universe. Howsoever significant or insignificant, all entities (animate or inanimate) have a specific purpose of being present in this universe. Being alive and evolved, humans indulge in the added task of seeking their destiny. The close relationship that exists in India between daiva (as destiny) and daiva (as a form of God) becomes relevant in this respect.
The basis of all religious beliefs is the fear or respect for the unknown. Each and every moment in our lives is pregnant with any number of possibilities, all of them uncertain. For a human being, it can be glory, luck, death, bankruptcy, defamation, starvation and what not. The priorities, importance and response to each of this can vary between individuals, depending upon his likings, age, status and background. Surrender and prayers being natural for any unsure individual in an uncertain environment, what is wrong in attributing separate forms of God for each of this unknown possibilities and worshipping with hope of getting the best? Such compartmentalization can provide better focus and intensity for the believers and their beliefs. In fact the glorious belief of a triumvirate of Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh providing overall controls over Creation-Sustenance-Destruction in this universe provides the most comforting picture for all the rationally religious humans.
Contribution of India’s ancient seers to the commonwealth of human knowledge is virtually unparalleled and unrivalled. Maaya and daiva are just two of those that have not caught much attention of the philosophers outside India. As always it is left to those outside India to discover and develop the wisdom pearls of ancient India for the progress of mankind. While pseudo-secularism and lack of positive nationalism are preventing Indians from re-discovering their own glorious heritage, professionals abroad are grabbing and borrowing from the endless storehouse of Sanatana Dharma for development and progress of their own countries. As unlucky giants of virtue, Indians are in deep slumber, unable to recover from the damages inflicted by unworthy Brahmin and foreign rulers.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
True Minorities of India
Though typical of the Western mindset of first knowingly committing sins for their own short term selfish ends followed by repentance after ages, the recent scenes from Australian parliament of their new Prime Minister apologizing to Australia’s indigenous population was a highly symbolic act. A similar apology is long overdue from the British to the Indian people for their atrocities and plunder during 200 years of loot, but is yet to happen. The Australian apology makes sense within India too. Adivasis - the descendents of original tribes of India who decided not to change their lifestyle with the times - are facing very high discrimination and neglect in a modern democratic India. The socio-economic status of Adivasis in India is pathetic and all other Indians are equally responsible for their horrific conditions. In every sense, Adivasis happen to be the minority community in our society and they alone should qualify to enjoy all protection as the minorities in a democratic secular country like India.
A recent news item about an Adivasi tribe settled in the forest suburbs of the capital city of Kerala, one of the most socially developed states in India, is enough to highlight the levels of misery they have fallen to. A visiting journalist noticed an incomprehensible reluctance among all house owners while stating their most difficult concerns. He was expecting lack of food or clothing or sanitation facilities in response. But to our greatest horror we can hear lack of burial ground as the answer. Due to lack of land, the dead are buried within the ramshackle houses and there are already a few such burials inside each house. Only those of us with no conscience at all can listen to such truthful statements without any pain inside. Some of them went on to say that as soon a member falls sick the whole family starts worrying about the lack of space in their overcrowded burial hut cum house. It is a shame that we are unable to find a solution to the land problem of these original owners of our entire land.
Nature’s Children
Adivasis, as their name suggests, are the confirmed descendents of the original dwellers of this land. While most of our forefathers moved out of the forests, the Adivasis stayed on thanks to their insatiable love for Mother Nature. They are Nature’s children and should have the first preference in any land distribution exercise. The case of Adivasis of India is not exactly like the aborigines of Australia. In Australia it was foreigners who deprived the aborigines of their land, while in India it is the rest of Indians who are doing so. Adivasis are reluctant and resistant to change and those who wield power are unwilling to protect them as the real minorities. Many a time they are patronized by the dominant communities only for their own selfish requirements. Adivasis are used as disposable instruments in the land grabbing game played out by the rival migrant communities in many parts of India.
Children have future only if the mother has one. When greedy men are hell bound to grab land at any cost, there is very little that can be done to the forest lands which mothers the Adivasis. And if the whole effort is in an organized manner by organized communities, Adivasis have very little chances of survival. There has been a steady decline in the population of Adivasis since our liberation from British in 1947. As far as Adivasis are concerned, the liberation has been meaningless because only the colour of rulers have changed. Greedy migrant invaders from within India are not only grabbing their lands but destroying their livelihood as well. There are enough reasons to believe that the organized migrant communities have long term agenda and some of them are playing the game at the behest of their international masters.
Nobody’s People
Reason for the present condition of Adivasis in our country is so very obvious. Those without a collective identity are nobodies in an ocean of one billion in contemporary India. Collective bargaining (and blackmailing) becomes the only method of getting what is legitimately due (and more than that) in an unfair system. Universal franchise in a democracy is meaningful only if all beneficiaries are minimum educated to utilise the systems. Each Adivasi in India has a theoretical vote, but most of them do not know how to use and utilize the system to get what is legitimately theirs. Regular political parties and politicians ignore them because they know for sure that Adivasis do not know how to utilize opportunities in a democracy. And it is decades before any crafty politician will rise from Adivasi ranks to demand their legitimate due.
If the current trend continues, days are not far when we have to struggle to find an Adivasi community in India. Just like forest lands and wild animals, Adivasis are also losing out to the clever manipulative skills of modern Indians. These communities are resolute in displacing Adivasis from their lands. One visit to the northern districts of Kerala is enough to learn about this. The migrants have captured everything and their symbols now dominate the landscape of geography, economics and politics of these erstwhile Adivasi areas. The loud voices of looters resonate in lawmaking chambers and not the feeble cries of the looted. The poor and innocent Adivasis have lost their lands to the peanut monies and liquor offered by the clever and manipulative migrants. All that they can expect now is an apology and that too after a few decades.
In a modern secular democratic country like India, the minority status must go to those communities that are socially and economically backward and are also less in numbers. Co-existence of secularism and religious minorities does not make any sense and logic. It is a contradiction in every sense of the term. All citizens are equal irrespective of religion, colour and race – that is the true essence of a socialist democracy. But in India today we find each and every religion and caste clamoring for ‘minority’ or ‘backward’ status. Our politics of short sightedness is encouraging such a tendency which is what keep India undeveloped and underdeveloped forever. Adivasis of India are the lone legitimate minority communities and drastic land reforms are long overdue for giving back their legitimate lands.
A recent news item about an Adivasi tribe settled in the forest suburbs of the capital city of Kerala, one of the most socially developed states in India, is enough to highlight the levels of misery they have fallen to. A visiting journalist noticed an incomprehensible reluctance among all house owners while stating their most difficult concerns. He was expecting lack of food or clothing or sanitation facilities in response. But to our greatest horror we can hear lack of burial ground as the answer. Due to lack of land, the dead are buried within the ramshackle houses and there are already a few such burials inside each house. Only those of us with no conscience at all can listen to such truthful statements without any pain inside. Some of them went on to say that as soon a member falls sick the whole family starts worrying about the lack of space in their overcrowded burial hut cum house. It is a shame that we are unable to find a solution to the land problem of these original owners of our entire land.
Nature’s Children
Adivasis, as their name suggests, are the confirmed descendents of the original dwellers of this land. While most of our forefathers moved out of the forests, the Adivasis stayed on thanks to their insatiable love for Mother Nature. They are Nature’s children and should have the first preference in any land distribution exercise. The case of Adivasis of India is not exactly like the aborigines of Australia. In Australia it was foreigners who deprived the aborigines of their land, while in India it is the rest of Indians who are doing so. Adivasis are reluctant and resistant to change and those who wield power are unwilling to protect them as the real minorities. Many a time they are patronized by the dominant communities only for their own selfish requirements. Adivasis are used as disposable instruments in the land grabbing game played out by the rival migrant communities in many parts of India.
Children have future only if the mother has one. When greedy men are hell bound to grab land at any cost, there is very little that can be done to the forest lands which mothers the Adivasis. And if the whole effort is in an organized manner by organized communities, Adivasis have very little chances of survival. There has been a steady decline in the population of Adivasis since our liberation from British in 1947. As far as Adivasis are concerned, the liberation has been meaningless because only the colour of rulers have changed. Greedy migrant invaders from within India are not only grabbing their lands but destroying their livelihood as well. There are enough reasons to believe that the organized migrant communities have long term agenda and some of them are playing the game at the behest of their international masters.
Nobody’s People
Reason for the present condition of Adivasis in our country is so very obvious. Those without a collective identity are nobodies in an ocean of one billion in contemporary India. Collective bargaining (and blackmailing) becomes the only method of getting what is legitimately due (and more than that) in an unfair system. Universal franchise in a democracy is meaningful only if all beneficiaries are minimum educated to utilise the systems. Each Adivasi in India has a theoretical vote, but most of them do not know how to use and utilize the system to get what is legitimately theirs. Regular political parties and politicians ignore them because they know for sure that Adivasis do not know how to utilize opportunities in a democracy. And it is decades before any crafty politician will rise from Adivasi ranks to demand their legitimate due.
If the current trend continues, days are not far when we have to struggle to find an Adivasi community in India. Just like forest lands and wild animals, Adivasis are also losing out to the clever manipulative skills of modern Indians. These communities are resolute in displacing Adivasis from their lands. One visit to the northern districts of Kerala is enough to learn about this. The migrants have captured everything and their symbols now dominate the landscape of geography, economics and politics of these erstwhile Adivasi areas. The loud voices of looters resonate in lawmaking chambers and not the feeble cries of the looted. The poor and innocent Adivasis have lost their lands to the peanut monies and liquor offered by the clever and manipulative migrants. All that they can expect now is an apology and that too after a few decades.
In a modern secular democratic country like India, the minority status must go to those communities that are socially and economically backward and are also less in numbers. Co-existence of secularism and religious minorities does not make any sense and logic. It is a contradiction in every sense of the term. All citizens are equal irrespective of religion, colour and race – that is the true essence of a socialist democracy. But in India today we find each and every religion and caste clamoring for ‘minority’ or ‘backward’ status. Our politics of short sightedness is encouraging such a tendency which is what keep India undeveloped and underdeveloped forever. Adivasis of India are the lone legitimate minority communities and drastic land reforms are long overdue for giving back their legitimate lands.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
DWELL Philosophy
Lack of fully developed ideology for living and livelihood is a major lacuna for all the right wing political parties in our country. I suppose this is true in the case of all democracies in the world. Though unworkable and unrealistic, the theocratic parties have their religious books and leftists have their international standards in the form of Das Kapital and Communist Manifesto. Barring some stern positions in few contentious issues, none of the rightist politicians venture to spell out their ideology about aspects that affect the living and livelihood of ordinary folks. The lone exception to this serious shortfall was the outstanding effort by Pundit Deendayal Uapadhya. His unique thesis on Integral Humanism, given in a series of speeches in Bombay from 22nd to 25th April, 1965, form the basis of a system of governance that is suited to the Indian nation and its people, regardless of caste, religion or region, as the alternative for all round human development. India lost one of its best right wing brains with his untimely demise in 1968.
The brilliant pundit had summarized the essence of Integral Humanism as follows:-
• An assurance of the minimum standard of living to every individual and preparedness for the defence of the Nation.
• Further increase above this minimum standard of living whereby the individual and the Nation acquire the means to contribute to world progress on the basis of its own Chiti.
• To provide meaningful employment to every able-bodied citizen, by which the above two objectives can be realised, and to avoid waste and extravagance in utilising natural resources.
• To develop machines suited to Bharatiya conditions (Bharatiya technology), taking note of the availability and nature of the various factors of production (Seven Ms).
• This system must help, and not disregard the human being – the individual. It must protect the cultural and other values of life. This is a requirement which cannot be violated except at the risk of great peril
• The ownership, state, private or any other form, of various industries must be decided on a pragmatic and practical basis.
He would have developed and modified it further, and India would have been firmly under the control of a right wing ideology by end of twentieth century. But it was not to be so. It should now be the solemn duty of each and every right thinking Indian national to contribute his or her ideas for the development of such a full fledged socio-economic-political ideology that can take us to the top of the world once again. Here is my own, which I would call as the Philosophy of DWELL (Dharmic Way of Enlightened Living and Livelihood). Some brief outlines on the most important aspects of life would provide the directions to proceed and develop further.
Dharmic Living
The basic tenet of any form of social governance in India must be Dharma. And Dharma is that which sustains. Dharma Rajya must ensure religious freedom, and must not be a theocratic State. Dharma is something that is very basic to human nature and it has nothing to do with any religious faith or belief. We should always bear in might that what is right or wrong is often different from what is dharmic or adharmic. As an example, it is always wrong to kill, but it is dharmic for a soldier or butcher to kill. Hindu Rashtra or Ram Rajya may be objectionable to many Indians, but Dharma Rajya must be acceptable to all Indian nationals. By the way, a nation does not spring up from mere co-habitation. As indicated by Punditji “When a group of persons live with a goal, an ideal, a mission and look upon a particular piece of land as their own, this group constitutes a Nation. A lot of trouble in the West is due to the fact that they confused the State with the Nation, they considered the State synonymous with the Nation.”
Modern India and ancient Bharat have a unique meeting point in the land of Dharma, and if we do not utilize this basis we are digging our own graves. For a Dharma Rajya to dawn, our legislations, socio-economic systems and government policies must undergo the litmus test of Dharma. Only those which are Dharmic must be allowed to be passed and practiced. In a truly democratic and secular set up, it will be difficult to have disputes regarding dharma and adharma. If at all there are cases where such disputes arise, a Dharma Sabha comprising of spiritual leaders from all religions in direct proportion to their population must be convened to reach a consensus decision.
Dharmic Livelihood
Dharmic livelihood is equally important as dharmic living. There are many who lead religious, generous and selfless lives with money generated from adharmic sources. We have heard of smugglers and robbers who are more popular among laymen than righteous leaders. Then there are corrupt politicians who have turned Gandhians after the loot. In a Dharma Rajya these scenarios must never be encouraged. Dharmic living must be necessarily coming from dharmic means of livelihood. Occupation of all types must pass the digital test of Dharma, which gives either a positive or negative result. There is nothing like a half-dharmic or somewhat-dharmic job. All sorts of adharmic occupations must be banned, discouraged and looked down upon by the society.
Enlightenment Goals
Enlightenment must be the declared goal of all individuals in a Dharma Rajya. There are enlightened individuals in all sections of the society and they should be recognized as such. Enlightenment is something that is attained and not inherited. Truth is God and learning to know the truth is the path to enlightenment. Swamis, Moulavis, Clergy, scientists, artists, leaders and in fact all of us are in such a path of enlightenment, but at different stages depending upon our caliber and efforts. It is important to recognize and respect those who are ahead of us in the path.
Nation First
‘Nation first and notions next’ must be the key slogan for management of human resources in a nation. In India, it must be the feeling of Indian Nation that should be first and foremost in the minds of all Indian nationals. All other notions of religious, regional and linguistic divide must become subordinate to our national feelings. We must be willing to give up all other identities if they are against our Indian nationality. Cross-border fraternity and international brotherhood must be secondary to the feeling of co-nationality in a Dharma Rajya.
Distribution of Wealth
It is the duty of a responsible state to provide legal and transparent channels for distribution of wealth. The unconditional acceptance of inequality among individuals is the distinguishing feature that differentiates the rightists from leftists. In any society of unequals, there should be provisions for those at the top to contribute their might for the upliftment of those left behind. Helping and charity are in the basic nature of any human being, and it should be more so in a dharmic society. Given an opportunity for parting with reasonable part of income for helping others, it is natural for any normal individual to oblige. A dharmic society must always provide such avenues for sharing.
In India there is nothing better than a drastic re-definition for the religious places of worship to achieve this (http://jajithkumar.blogspot.com/2005/03/co-operative-mandirs.html). Temples, mosques and churches should become the authorized centres for compulsory distribution of wealth. There should be comprehensive legislations that should ban any place of worship from accumulating wealth beyond its own reasonable operating costs. The underlying dharmic principle is very simple – omnipotent and omnipresent Ishwar does not need any material wealth. All wealth and income accumulating in any place of worship must be distributed among its own users on an equal per-capita basis without any discrimination (those who do not need can always decline).
Reservation and Minorities
In a Dharma Rajya, there is no place for minority status for any one. All are equal, equally important and equally responsible. There should be any form of reservation only for the following:-
• Mentally or physically challenged
• Adivasis (ie. people who would prefer to live in forests)
However, the State should guarantee minimum requirements of food, clothing, shelter and primary education to each and every individual Indian national. The best option before the government is to provide a minimum quality life assurance coverage policy to each Indian national when he or she attains the age of say 5 years. For those who do well later in life the same policy can be used to yield higher annuity returns when required.
Population & Control
India as a nation has existence only till the time the demography is preserved at least in the current proportions. Otherwise it will go the way Pakistan or Bangladesh or East Timor or Kosova. To avoid this disaster, religious conversions in all forms must be banned. Individuals should be allowed to covert from one religion to another, in a highly difficult manner, only if they want to marry into another religion and that too only once in their lifetime.
Modern India and Indians have a lot to learn from our own much boasted family planning campaign in the past and how such good intentional programs have been cleverly undermined by some sections of the society. It is widely believed that the sabotage had the full blessings of those who initiated the same. The fact that almost all the educated Catholics in India (and uneducated others) have at least three children speaks volumes about the amount of ‘family planning’ that has gone into the silent exercise of making a fool of others. In Dharma Rajya there should be no scope for such dirty tricks - there should be no state control or guidelines for procreation. Even while providing all modern facilities for birth controls it should be purely left to the individuals to decide on the number of children they should have.
Education & Sports
A dharmic society must encourage only dharmic education, which should equip individuals with ability to understand and develop skills for a livelihood. To become a good Hindu, Muslim, Christian etc., one has to become a good Man first. Learning the truly secular ways of getting knowledge and skills for livelihood are pre-requisites to enter any path of enlightenment. Any form of religious education before of the age of ten is useless and fifteen is counter-productive to the intended objectives. Children should necessarily attend their own religious classes only after attaining the age of fifteen. By that time they would have become good human beings and good Indian nationals too.
State intervention in sports and games is welcome when there are unhealthy trends developing in these fields. The disproportionate and unhealthy interest in the gambling game of cricket presents such a scenario in India now. Games & sports must be oriented towards development of physical health. Football, hockey, kabadi etc., must be encouraged at all costs (http://jajithkumar.blogspot.com/2007/02/health-of-nations.html).
Agriculture & Industry
In a broad sense, it is agriculture that has always sustained culture and it is the mother of all that we call as our culture. Emphasis given to sustainable methods of agriculture must be very high and a minimum of 25% budget allocation must be made every year for sustaining agriculture in our country. Loan facilities given to those in the agricultural sector must be liberalized and capping should be always made on the rate of interest chargeable. Performance of banks must be based on KPIs related to quantum of loans made and recovered (http://jajithkumar.blogspot.com/2007/04/banking-kpis.html), and not on the basis of profits. Industrial sector must always subsidize the agricultural sector, under the basic argument that agriculture is something very basic to human existence. There should be no conflict and competition between the two. In short, it is the basic dharma of industry to sustain agriculture.
There are many who indulge in false propaganda that rightist ideologies are reactionary and anti-development. Nothing can be further away from truth than this propaganda by followers of failed ideologies. Ancient Indian concepts of Dharma are proving their relevance in modern times almost every moment. All the modern and evolving concepts of sustainability, social justice, eco-friendliness, renewable energy etc., fit in very well into a social system that is based on Dharma. Our India will be a much better place to live in for all sections of our society if we can voluntarily opt for an Indian way of living. In any case the days of DWELL Philosophy are not very far in India.
The brilliant pundit had summarized the essence of Integral Humanism as follows:-
• An assurance of the minimum standard of living to every individual and preparedness for the defence of the Nation.
• Further increase above this minimum standard of living whereby the individual and the Nation acquire the means to contribute to world progress on the basis of its own Chiti.
• To provide meaningful employment to every able-bodied citizen, by which the above two objectives can be realised, and to avoid waste and extravagance in utilising natural resources.
• To develop machines suited to Bharatiya conditions (Bharatiya technology), taking note of the availability and nature of the various factors of production (Seven Ms).
• This system must help, and not disregard the human being – the individual. It must protect the cultural and other values of life. This is a requirement which cannot be violated except at the risk of great peril
• The ownership, state, private or any other form, of various industries must be decided on a pragmatic and practical basis.
He would have developed and modified it further, and India would have been firmly under the control of a right wing ideology by end of twentieth century. But it was not to be so. It should now be the solemn duty of each and every right thinking Indian national to contribute his or her ideas for the development of such a full fledged socio-economic-political ideology that can take us to the top of the world once again. Here is my own, which I would call as the Philosophy of DWELL (Dharmic Way of Enlightened Living and Livelihood). Some brief outlines on the most important aspects of life would provide the directions to proceed and develop further.
Dharmic Living
The basic tenet of any form of social governance in India must be Dharma. And Dharma is that which sustains. Dharma Rajya must ensure religious freedom, and must not be a theocratic State. Dharma is something that is very basic to human nature and it has nothing to do with any religious faith or belief. We should always bear in might that what is right or wrong is often different from what is dharmic or adharmic. As an example, it is always wrong to kill, but it is dharmic for a soldier or butcher to kill. Hindu Rashtra or Ram Rajya may be objectionable to many Indians, but Dharma Rajya must be acceptable to all Indian nationals. By the way, a nation does not spring up from mere co-habitation. As indicated by Punditji “When a group of persons live with a goal, an ideal, a mission and look upon a particular piece of land as their own, this group constitutes a Nation. A lot of trouble in the West is due to the fact that they confused the State with the Nation, they considered the State synonymous with the Nation.”
Modern India and ancient Bharat have a unique meeting point in the land of Dharma, and if we do not utilize this basis we are digging our own graves. For a Dharma Rajya to dawn, our legislations, socio-economic systems and government policies must undergo the litmus test of Dharma. Only those which are Dharmic must be allowed to be passed and practiced. In a truly democratic and secular set up, it will be difficult to have disputes regarding dharma and adharma. If at all there are cases where such disputes arise, a Dharma Sabha comprising of spiritual leaders from all religions in direct proportion to their population must be convened to reach a consensus decision.
Dharmic Livelihood
Dharmic livelihood is equally important as dharmic living. There are many who lead religious, generous and selfless lives with money generated from adharmic sources. We have heard of smugglers and robbers who are more popular among laymen than righteous leaders. Then there are corrupt politicians who have turned Gandhians after the loot. In a Dharma Rajya these scenarios must never be encouraged. Dharmic living must be necessarily coming from dharmic means of livelihood. Occupation of all types must pass the digital test of Dharma, which gives either a positive or negative result. There is nothing like a half-dharmic or somewhat-dharmic job. All sorts of adharmic occupations must be banned, discouraged and looked down upon by the society.
Enlightenment Goals
Enlightenment must be the declared goal of all individuals in a Dharma Rajya. There are enlightened individuals in all sections of the society and they should be recognized as such. Enlightenment is something that is attained and not inherited. Truth is God and learning to know the truth is the path to enlightenment. Swamis, Moulavis, Clergy, scientists, artists, leaders and in fact all of us are in such a path of enlightenment, but at different stages depending upon our caliber and efforts. It is important to recognize and respect those who are ahead of us in the path.
Nation First
‘Nation first and notions next’ must be the key slogan for management of human resources in a nation. In India, it must be the feeling of Indian Nation that should be first and foremost in the minds of all Indian nationals. All other notions of religious, regional and linguistic divide must become subordinate to our national feelings. We must be willing to give up all other identities if they are against our Indian nationality. Cross-border fraternity and international brotherhood must be secondary to the feeling of co-nationality in a Dharma Rajya.
Distribution of Wealth
It is the duty of a responsible state to provide legal and transparent channels for distribution of wealth. The unconditional acceptance of inequality among individuals is the distinguishing feature that differentiates the rightists from leftists. In any society of unequals, there should be provisions for those at the top to contribute their might for the upliftment of those left behind. Helping and charity are in the basic nature of any human being, and it should be more so in a dharmic society. Given an opportunity for parting with reasonable part of income for helping others, it is natural for any normal individual to oblige. A dharmic society must always provide such avenues for sharing.
In India there is nothing better than a drastic re-definition for the religious places of worship to achieve this (http://jajithkumar.blogspot.com/2005/03/co-operative-mandirs.html). Temples, mosques and churches should become the authorized centres for compulsory distribution of wealth. There should be comprehensive legislations that should ban any place of worship from accumulating wealth beyond its own reasonable operating costs. The underlying dharmic principle is very simple – omnipotent and omnipresent Ishwar does not need any material wealth. All wealth and income accumulating in any place of worship must be distributed among its own users on an equal per-capita basis without any discrimination (those who do not need can always decline).
Reservation and Minorities
In a Dharma Rajya, there is no place for minority status for any one. All are equal, equally important and equally responsible. There should be any form of reservation only for the following:-
• Mentally or physically challenged
• Adivasis (ie. people who would prefer to live in forests)
However, the State should guarantee minimum requirements of food, clothing, shelter and primary education to each and every individual Indian national. The best option before the government is to provide a minimum quality life assurance coverage policy to each Indian national when he or she attains the age of say 5 years. For those who do well later in life the same policy can be used to yield higher annuity returns when required.
Population & Control
India as a nation has existence only till the time the demography is preserved at least in the current proportions. Otherwise it will go the way Pakistan or Bangladesh or East Timor or Kosova. To avoid this disaster, religious conversions in all forms must be banned. Individuals should be allowed to covert from one religion to another, in a highly difficult manner, only if they want to marry into another religion and that too only once in their lifetime.
Modern India and Indians have a lot to learn from our own much boasted family planning campaign in the past and how such good intentional programs have been cleverly undermined by some sections of the society. It is widely believed that the sabotage had the full blessings of those who initiated the same. The fact that almost all the educated Catholics in India (and uneducated others) have at least three children speaks volumes about the amount of ‘family planning’ that has gone into the silent exercise of making a fool of others. In Dharma Rajya there should be no scope for such dirty tricks - there should be no state control or guidelines for procreation. Even while providing all modern facilities for birth controls it should be purely left to the individuals to decide on the number of children they should have.
Education & Sports
A dharmic society must encourage only dharmic education, which should equip individuals with ability to understand and develop skills for a livelihood. To become a good Hindu, Muslim, Christian etc., one has to become a good Man first. Learning the truly secular ways of getting knowledge and skills for livelihood are pre-requisites to enter any path of enlightenment. Any form of religious education before of the age of ten is useless and fifteen is counter-productive to the intended objectives. Children should necessarily attend their own religious classes only after attaining the age of fifteen. By that time they would have become good human beings and good Indian nationals too.
State intervention in sports and games is welcome when there are unhealthy trends developing in these fields. The disproportionate and unhealthy interest in the gambling game of cricket presents such a scenario in India now. Games & sports must be oriented towards development of physical health. Football, hockey, kabadi etc., must be encouraged at all costs (http://jajithkumar.blogspot.com/2007/02/health-of-nations.html).
Agriculture & Industry
In a broad sense, it is agriculture that has always sustained culture and it is the mother of all that we call as our culture. Emphasis given to sustainable methods of agriculture must be very high and a minimum of 25% budget allocation must be made every year for sustaining agriculture in our country. Loan facilities given to those in the agricultural sector must be liberalized and capping should be always made on the rate of interest chargeable. Performance of banks must be based on KPIs related to quantum of loans made and recovered (http://jajithkumar.blogspot.com/2007/04/banking-kpis.html), and not on the basis of profits. Industrial sector must always subsidize the agricultural sector, under the basic argument that agriculture is something very basic to human existence. There should be no conflict and competition between the two. In short, it is the basic dharma of industry to sustain agriculture.
There are many who indulge in false propaganda that rightist ideologies are reactionary and anti-development. Nothing can be further away from truth than this propaganda by followers of failed ideologies. Ancient Indian concepts of Dharma are proving their relevance in modern times almost every moment. All the modern and evolving concepts of sustainability, social justice, eco-friendliness, renewable energy etc., fit in very well into a social system that is based on Dharma. Our India will be a much better place to live in for all sections of our society if we can voluntarily opt for an Indian way of living. In any case the days of DWELL Philosophy are not very far in India.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Global Warning from CHINA
Voice of truth from the old & wise are often unheeded and shouted out by the unwise and crooked ones with vested interests. This is what happened to ‘patriotic rebel’ Mr. George Fernandes when he said in our august parliament that China is Enemy No.1 as far as India is concerned. He was stating this with the full knowledge and calculations as the Defence Minister of India. Yet the leftists and left-overs from the ‘Hindi-Cheeni bhai bhai’ era lost no time in condemning his statement. The hard core leftists of India, whose national interests are always suspect, continue to attack his stand and is coercing the wobbly government in power to get more friendly with the enemy. China is a demon which is being let loose by the careless international community and the consequences can be highly damaging when we consider their cunning past and future requirements.
People’s Republic of China (PRC) is almost certain to replace United States of America (USA) as the world’s biggest economy by the year 2015. It will be followed in the ladder by USA, India, Japan and Germany in that order. Economic power is fast replacing military might as the winning parameter for world power and PRC will soon start dictating its own terms in the new world order. China is a special country and it has several features that can bring about disastrous consequences for the world, especially its immediate neighbours. Perhaps the one and only way to survive a disaster is to become aware of it early enough and start preparing for its prevention or damage control. Chinese interests are definitely going to turn against India sooner or later, whatever we way look at it.
Hegemony & Fifth Columns
Someone rightly said that future wars will be fought for water and not for oil or gold. With the ill effects of global warming setting in much earlier than expected, it is definitely going to make matters worse. Snowing in Arabian Peninsula, unlimited number of cyclones and typhoons in America and unprecedented extent of snowing in China are going to make the strategy planners sit up in these parts of the world. Water for everyday life is as important as air and the most affected nations know their increasing requirements in the wake of global warming. Chinese strategists must be definitely looking for an entry into tropical areas with access to warmer seas. Their doubletalk about the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India is proof enough for this. They know that a democratic diversity like India is weak and its rulers (like Nehru) can be easily fooled.
In this background India can forget its 1962 experience only at its own peril. A much more stronger and unchallenged China can easily rip through Arunachal Pradesh and redraw its borders overnight. Then it is only West Bengal or Bangladesh that stands in its way to the Bay of Bengal. A vast majority of Maoists, Leninists, Marxists and what not, which are thriving in these parts of the world will make it easier for China to cut its glorious corridor to warm waters. No UN and no USA will come to the help of India at this juncture. Though Chinese themselves have given up Communism, it has been carefully cultivating the growth of leftist offshoots in many parts of the Asian sub-continent. All such apparently disparate groups will come together as the fifth column for the Chinese army when it wants to reach the bay. We must also bear in mind that Myanmar is much more close to China than to India.
World Policeman & Democracy
All those who can think independently about the future of this planet will agree on the need to have a responsible world leadership and world policeman. Of course we can always cherish and nurture our hopes for a just and equitable United Nations which bestows equal status for all world nations; but it will always remain a desirable target. Whenever there is a world crisis and we need some one to take decisions, the whole world looks up to UN. And its organizational mechanism has always risen to the occasion in arriving at some sound decisions. But when it comes to the difficult part of its implementation, it is always the strongest nation that can do something. During cold war era we had options, but it is not the case anymore. Like it or not, the world policeman is USA now. But it may not be the case forever.
There is a growing dislike for anything and everything American among various sections of world society for various reasons. This is bound to translate into all transactions and business between nations. The role of China becomes very important in this scenario. With its seemingly unbiased stand on almost all world issues, China is slowly and steadily pushing out USA in every sphere. Chinese rulers are utilizing its unique low cost production advantage to its fullest use in replacing USA as the preferred trading partner for all nations except its rivals. Sooner or later this is bound to reflect in the health of US economy and its position as a world policeman. A strong and resurgent China is bound to punch out USA from the world ring in not so distant future.
We have everything to lose in this scenario. No Indian and no Japanese will sleep peacefully after China anoints itself as the world policeman. The whole world must realize that it is better to have a democracy as world policeman rather than a pseudo-communist monolith. If the policeman is misbehaving there is at least a chance to correct it by voting out the incumbent leaders. But an undefined political setup like what exists in China can become dangerously robotic and inhuman. China has certain unique characteristics in terms of its race, religion, culture and nationalism. It will be another dose of Nazism, but of a much more frightening scale. Millions and millions of lives will be required to end the rule of a Chinese Hitler. It is not too late now, but only if we can heed to the voice of wise men and visionaries.
People’s Republic of China (PRC) is almost certain to replace United States of America (USA) as the world’s biggest economy by the year 2015. It will be followed in the ladder by USA, India, Japan and Germany in that order. Economic power is fast replacing military might as the winning parameter for world power and PRC will soon start dictating its own terms in the new world order. China is a special country and it has several features that can bring about disastrous consequences for the world, especially its immediate neighbours. Perhaps the one and only way to survive a disaster is to become aware of it early enough and start preparing for its prevention or damage control. Chinese interests are definitely going to turn against India sooner or later, whatever we way look at it.
Hegemony & Fifth Columns
Someone rightly said that future wars will be fought for water and not for oil or gold. With the ill effects of global warming setting in much earlier than expected, it is definitely going to make matters worse. Snowing in Arabian Peninsula, unlimited number of cyclones and typhoons in America and unprecedented extent of snowing in China are going to make the strategy planners sit up in these parts of the world. Water for everyday life is as important as air and the most affected nations know their increasing requirements in the wake of global warming. Chinese strategists must be definitely looking for an entry into tropical areas with access to warmer seas. Their doubletalk about the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India is proof enough for this. They know that a democratic diversity like India is weak and its rulers (like Nehru) can be easily fooled.
In this background India can forget its 1962 experience only at its own peril. A much more stronger and unchallenged China can easily rip through Arunachal Pradesh and redraw its borders overnight. Then it is only West Bengal or Bangladesh that stands in its way to the Bay of Bengal. A vast majority of Maoists, Leninists, Marxists and what not, which are thriving in these parts of the world will make it easier for China to cut its glorious corridor to warm waters. No UN and no USA will come to the help of India at this juncture. Though Chinese themselves have given up Communism, it has been carefully cultivating the growth of leftist offshoots in many parts of the Asian sub-continent. All such apparently disparate groups will come together as the fifth column for the Chinese army when it wants to reach the bay. We must also bear in mind that Myanmar is much more close to China than to India.
World Policeman & Democracy
All those who can think independently about the future of this planet will agree on the need to have a responsible world leadership and world policeman. Of course we can always cherish and nurture our hopes for a just and equitable United Nations which bestows equal status for all world nations; but it will always remain a desirable target. Whenever there is a world crisis and we need some one to take decisions, the whole world looks up to UN. And its organizational mechanism has always risen to the occasion in arriving at some sound decisions. But when it comes to the difficult part of its implementation, it is always the strongest nation that can do something. During cold war era we had options, but it is not the case anymore. Like it or not, the world policeman is USA now. But it may not be the case forever.
There is a growing dislike for anything and everything American among various sections of world society for various reasons. This is bound to translate into all transactions and business between nations. The role of China becomes very important in this scenario. With its seemingly unbiased stand on almost all world issues, China is slowly and steadily pushing out USA in every sphere. Chinese rulers are utilizing its unique low cost production advantage to its fullest use in replacing USA as the preferred trading partner for all nations except its rivals. Sooner or later this is bound to reflect in the health of US economy and its position as a world policeman. A strong and resurgent China is bound to punch out USA from the world ring in not so distant future.
We have everything to lose in this scenario. No Indian and no Japanese will sleep peacefully after China anoints itself as the world policeman. The whole world must realize that it is better to have a democracy as world policeman rather than a pseudo-communist monolith. If the policeman is misbehaving there is at least a chance to correct it by voting out the incumbent leaders. But an undefined political setup like what exists in China can become dangerously robotic and inhuman. China has certain unique characteristics in terms of its race, religion, culture and nationalism. It will be another dose of Nazism, but of a much more frightening scale. Millions and millions of lives will be required to end the rule of a Chinese Hitler. It is not too late now, but only if we can heed to the voice of wise men and visionaries.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
KRISHNAIC MOTIVATION
Many of us in the industry and business often overlook the simple fact that it is Man who becomes Manager. Perhaps semantics of the word is meaningful – it is the aged man who should become a manager. The process of aging brings in various changes in the physiology and psychology of Man and only those who undergo the best ripening process end up as successful Managers. One of the most important factors that will make a good manager is the types of motivation he or she has passed through. But for motivation no one will perform and but for performance no one can become a manager. Motivation and performance being so closely related the real managerial qualities of any manager is directly dependent on the quality of motivation he has received or undergone.
Motivation is nothing but an urge or reason to perform. It is always required for any man to perform any task. Thus it is basic to every human action and let us not go into it. What we need to look at a bit more seriously here is the process of motivating intelligent and qualified individuals to become successful managers. It is quite different to perform at different levels and to excel as a manager needs extra-ordinary types of motivation. Many management pundits reach the conclusion that ‘managers are born and not made’ based on their inability to decipher the process of motivation. Managers are born or made, but to become a successful manager needs motivation for the mind, body and spirit.
Progressive Motivation
It was Abraham Maslow who studied the behavior of outstanding individuals and concluded that people have certain needs which are unchanging and genetic in origin. These needs are the same in all cultures and are both physiological and psychological. Maslow described these needs as being hierarchal in nature, meaning that some needs are more basic or more powerful than others and as these needs are satisfied, other higher needs emerge. Motivation in workplace is nothing but fulfilling these needs of individuals so that they perform what they are supposed to. While a worker will need more and more of his physical needs to be satisfied for improved performance, those in managerial cadre would look for psychological elements as well. A well designed systematic scheme for progressive motivation of the labour force can yield very good results in any industry.
But providing progressive motivation for the managerial cadre is a totally different game. It is not always easy and straight-forward to motivate managers. Pleasure, fortune and fame can form the important parameters for designing any motivational program. By designing a program that will provide increasing elements of these three parameters attached to higher hierarchical positions, it is definitely possible to motivate the ordinary folk to perform and aspire for higher positions. The triple carrots of more money, more power and more name have motivated and produced many legendary managers in every industry. And many of them have made their mark by writing about their ideas and experiences as extra-ordinarily motivated managers. But what we do not hear is about their eventual disillusionment with all their achievements. What is lacking in every one of our motivational schemes is the spiritual element that will take care of those who are already at the pinnacle of their motivational status.
Ultimate Motivation
It is truly difficult to find out the exact nature of anything that can motivate a manager at the height of his achievement and career. It might vary from person to person. Fame and fortune may not be attractive anymore, and it might become counter-productive as well. And as senior citizens, it cannot be something that will provide more pleasure and joy. What else can it be? What can possibly appeal to those aged men who have proved themselves as outstanding managers? The best guess is that it will be something that will address their spirits. Motivating the spirit and soul can become more important at the very top of a hierarchy of needs. It is common knowledge that the desire for spiritual aspects of life becomes more and more accentuated as we age.
The best illustration of such an unconventional form of motivation appears in the Hindu holy book of Bhagavat Gita wherein Lord Krishna motivates a war-manager Arjun, who had put down his weapons in the midst of a battlefield, to pick it up again. The Lord achieves the unimaginable task by explaining the theory of dharma to a confused and diffident warrior. For Arjun, who is a warrior by his karma, there is no choice but to fight for justice. This is an outstanding feat when we consider the fact that any warrior, even if he is the best, could be killed in a war and a great warrior like Arjun knew the risks involved. Yet he was compelled to rise again because there is no other way he could satisfy his own conscience and justify his existence. The argument that each man is irrevocably destined to carry out his duties according to his dharma is the ultimate form of motivation possible.
As in every other field of knowledge, Science and Religion converge at this point in Motivation Management. What Science and Religion cannot achieve of their own, their terrific combination can do in a wonderful way. The process of aging is natural and it will no doubt work on the individuals and make them heed to the call of dharma more and more as they age. And by defining the dharma of President, Vice-President, General Manager, HR Manager etc., the incumbents will be motivated to perform and even aspire for higher positions at old age. Fulfilling one’s own dharma, at least endeavoring for it, is the one and only way to attain ‘moksha’ or reach heaven (as the case may be for followers of different religions). Thus ‘Krishnaic Motivation’ can definitely provide an inspiring, motivating and even compelling basis for motivation of managers of all ages.
Motivation is nothing but an urge or reason to perform. It is always required for any man to perform any task. Thus it is basic to every human action and let us not go into it. What we need to look at a bit more seriously here is the process of motivating intelligent and qualified individuals to become successful managers. It is quite different to perform at different levels and to excel as a manager needs extra-ordinary types of motivation. Many management pundits reach the conclusion that ‘managers are born and not made’ based on their inability to decipher the process of motivation. Managers are born or made, but to become a successful manager needs motivation for the mind, body and spirit.
Progressive Motivation
It was Abraham Maslow who studied the behavior of outstanding individuals and concluded that people have certain needs which are unchanging and genetic in origin. These needs are the same in all cultures and are both physiological and psychological. Maslow described these needs as being hierarchal in nature, meaning that some needs are more basic or more powerful than others and as these needs are satisfied, other higher needs emerge. Motivation in workplace is nothing but fulfilling these needs of individuals so that they perform what they are supposed to. While a worker will need more and more of his physical needs to be satisfied for improved performance, those in managerial cadre would look for psychological elements as well. A well designed systematic scheme for progressive motivation of the labour force can yield very good results in any industry.
But providing progressive motivation for the managerial cadre is a totally different game. It is not always easy and straight-forward to motivate managers. Pleasure, fortune and fame can form the important parameters for designing any motivational program. By designing a program that will provide increasing elements of these three parameters attached to higher hierarchical positions, it is definitely possible to motivate the ordinary folk to perform and aspire for higher positions. The triple carrots of more money, more power and more name have motivated and produced many legendary managers in every industry. And many of them have made their mark by writing about their ideas and experiences as extra-ordinarily motivated managers. But what we do not hear is about their eventual disillusionment with all their achievements. What is lacking in every one of our motivational schemes is the spiritual element that will take care of those who are already at the pinnacle of their motivational status.
Ultimate Motivation
It is truly difficult to find out the exact nature of anything that can motivate a manager at the height of his achievement and career. It might vary from person to person. Fame and fortune may not be attractive anymore, and it might become counter-productive as well. And as senior citizens, it cannot be something that will provide more pleasure and joy. What else can it be? What can possibly appeal to those aged men who have proved themselves as outstanding managers? The best guess is that it will be something that will address their spirits. Motivating the spirit and soul can become more important at the very top of a hierarchy of needs. It is common knowledge that the desire for spiritual aspects of life becomes more and more accentuated as we age.
The best illustration of such an unconventional form of motivation appears in the Hindu holy book of Bhagavat Gita wherein Lord Krishna motivates a war-manager Arjun, who had put down his weapons in the midst of a battlefield, to pick it up again. The Lord achieves the unimaginable task by explaining the theory of dharma to a confused and diffident warrior. For Arjun, who is a warrior by his karma, there is no choice but to fight for justice. This is an outstanding feat when we consider the fact that any warrior, even if he is the best, could be killed in a war and a great warrior like Arjun knew the risks involved. Yet he was compelled to rise again because there is no other way he could satisfy his own conscience and justify his existence. The argument that each man is irrevocably destined to carry out his duties according to his dharma is the ultimate form of motivation possible.
As in every other field of knowledge, Science and Religion converge at this point in Motivation Management. What Science and Religion cannot achieve of their own, their terrific combination can do in a wonderful way. The process of aging is natural and it will no doubt work on the individuals and make them heed to the call of dharma more and more as they age. And by defining the dharma of President, Vice-President, General Manager, HR Manager etc., the incumbents will be motivated to perform and even aspire for higher positions at old age. Fulfilling one’s own dharma, at least endeavoring for it, is the one and only way to attain ‘moksha’ or reach heaven (as the case may be for followers of different religions). Thus ‘Krishnaic Motivation’ can definitely provide an inspiring, motivating and even compelling basis for motivation of managers of all ages.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
GREATNESS OF GORBACHEVS
Chances are less that we find people like Mikhail Gorbachev and Deng Xiaoping in anyone’s list of great leaders who contributed to the progress of mankind. Their greatness lies in their signal contributions to the downfall of unrealistic and unworkable isms. Otherwise mankind would have spent another century experimenting with systems of governance that can never be stable and satisfying. These visionary leaders could achieve the noble task as insiders and they could convince their own followers the impracticality of hoping for paradises to evolve from unrealistic systems. Nobel prize for peace would have been the apt one for such people. While Gorbachev could successfully dismantle Soviet Union and thereby the cold war, Deng Xiaoping took his billion strong crowd away from a path of useless revolution. Millions of lives have been saved from attaining unwanted and unproductive martyrdom.
The phenomenon of late realization is very common among Communists everywhere in the world. Almost 90% of the Communists who are not active in politics invariably turn against the ism when they pass the age of 50. Only those who are in active in politics, especially those who are enjoying the spoils of power as members of leftist political parties, prefer to live with it. They have something to lose and they learn the technique of adjusting with their conscience till they have completed their tenures of enjoyment. The case of Jyoti Basu is the best example in contemporary India. In any case they speak out the truth at the fag end of their lives. If they cannot speak out, it will be definitely there in their autobiographies. But this is not enough. Mere admission and speaking the truth will still let the ism live on. We need Gorbachevs and Xiaopings in every country to destroy such unworkable isms from within.
Insider Advantage
Unlike an enemy there are several advantages for insiders. Enemies of any ism may not be experts in it and might have developed the enmity based on reasons other than logical. Such reasons do not give the enemies moral right to kill the isms. But the case of a knowledgeable insider is totally different. He has not only learned the theory but has been involved in its application as well. What an insider leader like Gorbachev has done is killing a confirmed heretical ism with full conviction. He had grown with it and he has seen for himself its drawbacks and impracticality. He knew that Communism has outlived its usefulness in Soviet Union and its continuance will only harm the people. The greatness of Gorbachev comes in killing it once for all, at least in Russia.
Many of our leaders get such opportunities but most of them do not dare to take it up. When one has seen through his own system and is convinced that it is a failure, there are very few who admit and speak out. The numbers are still lesser if we are looking for leaders who then put their own personal lives at stake to reform the system from within. We have seen very few instances in the last century. To fight or reform a system from within is easier if we have leaders with morality and courage. What we lack today in almost all nations is exactly the tribe of such courageous leaders. It takes a rare combination of extreme courage and complete conviction for any leader to fight the odds for the betterment of society in which he is also a part of.
Inevitable Death
Just like human rights there should be rights for any ism to get it tried out. But unlike humans, isms must get killed once their usefulness is over or if they fail to perform. The only alternative that must be available to failed isms is complete modification. The case of Communism and Socialism must be on these lines. Pure forms of both these isms have completely failed in application and must be shelved for ever. What can now be tried out are modified versions that can yield the desired end results. We must bear in mind that the ultimate purpose of any ism for governance is the well being of one and all. In addition there must be a constant reform process for positive progress of the ism and its beneficiaries. Anything that does not allow reforms is unnatural and must die even if it is an ism.
What happened in the case of Communism in Soviet Union and China highlights inevitability of such fundamental fate of any ism. Those which are incapable of reform shall die. Mikhail Gorbachev is only a social doctor who helped the unworkable ism to die in the Soviet Union. Instead of the violent death in such cases, he helped the Russian people achieve the same without any bloodshed. His brilliance and vision provided the required pace and ambience for the gradual and calibrated death of a communist form of government that promised so many unachievable ideas. In the same position, Deng Xiaoping achieved much more by modifying Communism beyond recognition. But unlike Russians, the Chinese remain untruthful to their own conscience by clinging onto the name of Communism. Current Chinese Communism is nothing but a progressive cousin of Capitalism.
In India, we must consider ourselves lucky that such unworkable isms have not found much ground in our political arena. Outside Bengal and Kerala, the red flags are seen only in the railway stations. It has been the case so far and communist leaders like Jyoti Basu gives us hope that it will remain so in future. The veteran leader has spoken the truth at the fag end of his life. Communism and Socialism are unworkable isms and they can never be achieved anywhere in the world, more so in an ancient nation like ours. The ‘unworkabilty of extreme rightism’ has always been true in the case of a plural and secular Hindu dominated India. What is needed now is a marriage of value based Hindutva principles with the rationality of Communism to produce the best offspring of ‘Dialectical & Integral Humanism’ to usher in Ram Raj once again in Indian history.
The phenomenon of late realization is very common among Communists everywhere in the world. Almost 90% of the Communists who are not active in politics invariably turn against the ism when they pass the age of 50. Only those who are in active in politics, especially those who are enjoying the spoils of power as members of leftist political parties, prefer to live with it. They have something to lose and they learn the technique of adjusting with their conscience till they have completed their tenures of enjoyment. The case of Jyoti Basu is the best example in contemporary India. In any case they speak out the truth at the fag end of their lives. If they cannot speak out, it will be definitely there in their autobiographies. But this is not enough. Mere admission and speaking the truth will still let the ism live on. We need Gorbachevs and Xiaopings in every country to destroy such unworkable isms from within.
Insider Advantage
Unlike an enemy there are several advantages for insiders. Enemies of any ism may not be experts in it and might have developed the enmity based on reasons other than logical. Such reasons do not give the enemies moral right to kill the isms. But the case of a knowledgeable insider is totally different. He has not only learned the theory but has been involved in its application as well. What an insider leader like Gorbachev has done is killing a confirmed heretical ism with full conviction. He had grown with it and he has seen for himself its drawbacks and impracticality. He knew that Communism has outlived its usefulness in Soviet Union and its continuance will only harm the people. The greatness of Gorbachev comes in killing it once for all, at least in Russia.
Many of our leaders get such opportunities but most of them do not dare to take it up. When one has seen through his own system and is convinced that it is a failure, there are very few who admit and speak out. The numbers are still lesser if we are looking for leaders who then put their own personal lives at stake to reform the system from within. We have seen very few instances in the last century. To fight or reform a system from within is easier if we have leaders with morality and courage. What we lack today in almost all nations is exactly the tribe of such courageous leaders. It takes a rare combination of extreme courage and complete conviction for any leader to fight the odds for the betterment of society in which he is also a part of.
Inevitable Death
Just like human rights there should be rights for any ism to get it tried out. But unlike humans, isms must get killed once their usefulness is over or if they fail to perform. The only alternative that must be available to failed isms is complete modification. The case of Communism and Socialism must be on these lines. Pure forms of both these isms have completely failed in application and must be shelved for ever. What can now be tried out are modified versions that can yield the desired end results. We must bear in mind that the ultimate purpose of any ism for governance is the well being of one and all. In addition there must be a constant reform process for positive progress of the ism and its beneficiaries. Anything that does not allow reforms is unnatural and must die even if it is an ism.
What happened in the case of Communism in Soviet Union and China highlights inevitability of such fundamental fate of any ism. Those which are incapable of reform shall die. Mikhail Gorbachev is only a social doctor who helped the unworkable ism to die in the Soviet Union. Instead of the violent death in such cases, he helped the Russian people achieve the same without any bloodshed. His brilliance and vision provided the required pace and ambience for the gradual and calibrated death of a communist form of government that promised so many unachievable ideas. In the same position, Deng Xiaoping achieved much more by modifying Communism beyond recognition. But unlike Russians, the Chinese remain untruthful to their own conscience by clinging onto the name of Communism. Current Chinese Communism is nothing but a progressive cousin of Capitalism.
In India, we must consider ourselves lucky that such unworkable isms have not found much ground in our political arena. Outside Bengal and Kerala, the red flags are seen only in the railway stations. It has been the case so far and communist leaders like Jyoti Basu gives us hope that it will remain so in future. The veteran leader has spoken the truth at the fag end of his life. Communism and Socialism are unworkable isms and they can never be achieved anywhere in the world, more so in an ancient nation like ours. The ‘unworkabilty of extreme rightism’ has always been true in the case of a plural and secular Hindu dominated India. What is needed now is a marriage of value based Hindutva principles with the rationality of Communism to produce the best offspring of ‘Dialectical & Integral Humanism’ to usher in Ram Raj once again in Indian history.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Contemptuous Religious Conversions
One of the few welcome offshoots from the twin dangers of globalization and liberalization is the conclusive confirmation of an earlier feeling that everything in this world is related to one another. No species, no nation and no individual can survive or succeed in isolation. All are related and it is becoming more so as the world is progressing in time. Modern technology, way of thinking and way of living are converging on same or similar lines. All recent developments on renewed efforts to combat global warming with true sincerity (usually absent among most of the signatories on any UN resolution) is an example of this new found optimism. Now it is more important to identify other such global issues and tackle them in a united and determined manner.
The three major issues that should have caught the immediate attention of any world body today were (1) Global Warming (2) Religious Conversion and (3) Growing Income Disparity. It is a bit saddening that only the first one has come into the limelight now. The other two are equally, if not more, important. All three factors have direct or indirect impact on our everyday lives and sooner they are tackled the better. It took almost one decade and few Katrinas for the ‘world policeman’ to realize and accept the dangers associated with global warming. But we may not be as lucky in the case of other two. There are vested interests in the establishments who want organized religious conversion to proceed unfettered and income disparity worldwide to widen. They have their own shortsighted agenda that is dependent on the success of such negative processes.
Silent Terrorism
Terrorism and Security are two of the most widely discussed issues everywhere. Confronting terrorism post factum is like treating symptoms and not the disease. If the world leaders have any sincerity of purpose they should realize the futility in spending billions to fight terrorism rather than spending a fraction of it to tackle the reasons that give birth to terrorists. Granted that religious terrorism is the gravest, providing a level playing field for all religions is the most logical solution. All individuals must be freed from the clutches of religious clergy who are indulging in organized efforts to increase their numbers. In one way or other the key to power is always determined by the number of people who can be influenced. Dedicated and salaried clergy of organized religions are increasing their numbers by harvesting souls by might and lure. What is happening in India today is exactly this and the pilot plot is unfolding in the state of Kerala.
In real terms the net result of any form of religious conversion is generation of suspicion, doubts and hatred among the followers of affected religions. This is nothing different from terrorism by means of guns and bombs. By repeatedly declaring to the world that souls will be harvested in highly populated and democratic countries in Asia, one of the world nations is challenging the sovereignty of others. In a world order structured along nation status, religion should not be allowed to undermine the very existence of nations. It is high time the world bodies and more importantly the ‘world policeman’ realized that it is nothing but a silent form of terrorism. This is so obvious from the fact that wherever religious conversion has crossed the critical level the bloody cry for separatism is also high. Papua New Guinea, North East of India etc., are examples of this. The much acclaimed war on terror must tackle silent terrorists also.
Increasing Disparity
If familiarity with evil designs of the organized religious clergy is breeding contempt in the minds of all peace loving people, the growing disparity in the income levels is breeding revolutionary ideas in the minds of the worst affected. The whole world is now much more connected and it would be difficult to progress further until and unless all are carried forward. In the last two decades, the rich in most parts of the world have become more richer and poor have become more poorer. This is definitely increasing the temperature of our social order to unsustainable levels. More governments are running away from their primary responsibility of providing the basic minimum requirements for their people and leaving everything to the market forces. The role and use of new organizations pushing world trade and tariffs is definitely in question.
Increasing disparity in wealth among the developed and developing nations in the world is another factor that is disturbing world peace. The proponents of organized harvest of souls (for increasing their faith) have something to explain in this regard. Prior to Asia, it was the African continent that was the target of these robed harvesters in the last century. They have succeeded in increasing their numbers too. But look at the condition of these nations where so many souls have been harvested. The television pictures of poverty situation in several African nations are highly disturbing. Harvesting of souls has increased poverty levels because the rice and milk powder promised by the harvesters never came. Now these miserable people are left with their new names (and the book) but much more miserable bodies and souls.
The strongest and biggest democracies in the world must realize the simple fact that the greatest threat to world peace is coming from the smallest state in the world. The silent form of terrorism unleashed by this miniscule set of faith hunters is fuelling hatred in the minds of other religionists and the end result is bloody terrorism which calls for billions of dollars to tackle. This money could have been better utilized for improving the lot of impoverished millions world-wide. UN must take the initiative in organizing an international conference (like the recent one in Bali) and declare all forms of organized religious conversions as immoral, illegal and tantamount to terrorism. An International Forum Against Religious Conversion (IFARC) – similar to IAEA - needs to be instituted under the auspices of UN to monitor the activities of the evil perpetrators of organized religious conversion.
The three major issues that should have caught the immediate attention of any world body today were (1) Global Warming (2) Religious Conversion and (3) Growing Income Disparity. It is a bit saddening that only the first one has come into the limelight now. The other two are equally, if not more, important. All three factors have direct or indirect impact on our everyday lives and sooner they are tackled the better. It took almost one decade and few Katrinas for the ‘world policeman’ to realize and accept the dangers associated with global warming. But we may not be as lucky in the case of other two. There are vested interests in the establishments who want organized religious conversion to proceed unfettered and income disparity worldwide to widen. They have their own shortsighted agenda that is dependent on the success of such negative processes.
Silent Terrorism
Terrorism and Security are two of the most widely discussed issues everywhere. Confronting terrorism post factum is like treating symptoms and not the disease. If the world leaders have any sincerity of purpose they should realize the futility in spending billions to fight terrorism rather than spending a fraction of it to tackle the reasons that give birth to terrorists. Granted that religious terrorism is the gravest, providing a level playing field for all religions is the most logical solution. All individuals must be freed from the clutches of religious clergy who are indulging in organized efforts to increase their numbers. In one way or other the key to power is always determined by the number of people who can be influenced. Dedicated and salaried clergy of organized religions are increasing their numbers by harvesting souls by might and lure. What is happening in India today is exactly this and the pilot plot is unfolding in the state of Kerala.
In real terms the net result of any form of religious conversion is generation of suspicion, doubts and hatred among the followers of affected religions. This is nothing different from terrorism by means of guns and bombs. By repeatedly declaring to the world that souls will be harvested in highly populated and democratic countries in Asia, one of the world nations is challenging the sovereignty of others. In a world order structured along nation status, religion should not be allowed to undermine the very existence of nations. It is high time the world bodies and more importantly the ‘world policeman’ realized that it is nothing but a silent form of terrorism. This is so obvious from the fact that wherever religious conversion has crossed the critical level the bloody cry for separatism is also high. Papua New Guinea, North East of India etc., are examples of this. The much acclaimed war on terror must tackle silent terrorists also.
Increasing Disparity
If familiarity with evil designs of the organized religious clergy is breeding contempt in the minds of all peace loving people, the growing disparity in the income levels is breeding revolutionary ideas in the minds of the worst affected. The whole world is now much more connected and it would be difficult to progress further until and unless all are carried forward. In the last two decades, the rich in most parts of the world have become more richer and poor have become more poorer. This is definitely increasing the temperature of our social order to unsustainable levels. More governments are running away from their primary responsibility of providing the basic minimum requirements for their people and leaving everything to the market forces. The role and use of new organizations pushing world trade and tariffs is definitely in question.
Increasing disparity in wealth among the developed and developing nations in the world is another factor that is disturbing world peace. The proponents of organized harvest of souls (for increasing their faith) have something to explain in this regard. Prior to Asia, it was the African continent that was the target of these robed harvesters in the last century. They have succeeded in increasing their numbers too. But look at the condition of these nations where so many souls have been harvested. The television pictures of poverty situation in several African nations are highly disturbing. Harvesting of souls has increased poverty levels because the rice and milk powder promised by the harvesters never came. Now these miserable people are left with their new names (and the book) but much more miserable bodies and souls.
The strongest and biggest democracies in the world must realize the simple fact that the greatest threat to world peace is coming from the smallest state in the world. The silent form of terrorism unleashed by this miniscule set of faith hunters is fuelling hatred in the minds of other religionists and the end result is bloody terrorism which calls for billions of dollars to tackle. This money could have been better utilized for improving the lot of impoverished millions world-wide. UN must take the initiative in organizing an international conference (like the recent one in Bali) and declare all forms of organized religious conversions as immoral, illegal and tantamount to terrorism. An International Forum Against Religious Conversion (IFARC) – similar to IAEA - needs to be instituted under the auspices of UN to monitor the activities of the evil perpetrators of organized religious conversion.
Monday, November 19, 2007
‘BHARAT RATNA’ MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI
To err is definitely human, but institutions must never err. One crucial mistake can make an important institution thoroughly meaningless and redundant. If Nobel Foundation was awarding only annual prizes for peace, it would have suffered such a fate. Luckily for everyone, they operate in other areas as well and that makes the institution still relevant. Their grave mistake lies in NOT awarding the Nobel Prize for Peace to the most eligible individual of all times viz. Mahatma Gandhi for ‘unknown’ reasons. Every year they try to wriggle out of the same embarrassment by flouting stories about Gandhiji being nominated many times but not being awarded due to the imperial pressure from British Raj. But the question still remains as to why they failed to do it in 1947 or immediately after that posthumously. To conclude that all White governments are essentially ‘colour-blind’ may not be a wrong conclusion even in this twenty-first century. Attitudes and current policies of countries like Australia strengthen only such arguments further.
A very similar situation is arising in our own country in the case of Padma and other civilian awards. The discretion of governments in power is no doubt important. But there are certain towering personalities who cannot be ignored by anyone in power. Turning a blind eye to such outstanding individuals will only make the selection process questionable and suspicious. Many a time we have seen highly popular governments in India (which comes to power once in a while) awarding the highest civilian award to certain unpardonable ‘misses’ and thereby trying to correct the so-called historical mistakes. But that is not enough. What needs to be done today must be done today and not after a few years. The country is doing a grave mistake (and ingratitude) if we are continuing to avoid conferring the highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’ on living saints like Mata Amritanandamayi and Sathya Sai Baba. In many ways it is the least a grateful nation can do to its greatest living children.
Colonial Mentality
During colonial times awards are always given at the whims and fancies of the colonial establishments. More often it goes to those colonial citizens who have worked in favour of the colonial power than in the interests of their own motherlands. Times have changed in India after it has become world’s largest democracy but the attitude of those who comes to power by elections remains unchanged in many respects. The case of annual civilian awards is a classic one. The most important point often missed by the new periodic rulers is the transparency required in any selection process. It is not enough if there is majority liking within the elected group for deciding on awards and rewards. The majority mandate is only for wielding the reigns of power and not for deciding on the colour or pedigree of the horse to ride or even the path to take. All such decisions are always left to the open court of the people at all times.
In sharp contrast to colonial establishments, the civilian awards in a democratic society must be igniting a sense of pride in those who give it than in those who receive it. Any award is recognition for the immense efforts undertaken by individuals voluntarily. No true proponent of charity would wait for a reward or canvass for it behind the curtains. And no true servant of God would put conditions on the beneficiaries of their charity efforts. Some one who is willing to serve all (and hug all), irrespective of colour, race and religion is definitely almost near the one and only God, if not God itself in human form. And when the nation awards such individuals, it is the nation that is more honoured. In India today, everyone knows who deserves ‘Bharat Ratna’ most. And the elected establishment in power must implement that popular desire of millions of people.
Charity Monopoly
Thanks to the high publicity content in whatever Westerners do, charity worldwide has come to be associated with a few Western icons. Many people still have the feeling that if it is charity work, it has to be by the church. This feeling is not only nourished by their believers but also by a vast majority of other religionists as well. And if there is somebody who is taking an initiative in helping the poor and downtrodden, the foregone conclusion is that it will be a White lady of European origin. It is still difficult for our people with colonial frame of mind to recognize and accept a helping hand from our own midst. Many of our people are still stuck in the quicksand of Western publicity regarding their ‘charity monopoly’. But the fact of the matter is that charity or helping others is essentially an Eastern concept that had spiritual dimensions.
Charity is part and parcel of Indian civilization from time immemorial. But many Indians are still made to believe that charity came to Indian sub-continent in the form of some missionaries of charity. It was a clever but highly successful ploy of the missionaries that they could influence their cousins in power to grant official status for charity work only to their own institutions. That is why we find schools and hospitals doing charity work only in the name of a particular community. What their cousins did is understandable, but not what was done by our own Rajas and Maharajas. Thousands of acres of land and crores of rupees were given to such ‘monopolisers’ of charity in order to be in the good books of the British. The very sight of costly mansions in central locations all over India in the name of some such charity institutions is a stark reminder of the mistake made in granting official status to do service to humanity. What must be a voluntary noble work has been turned into a lucrative real-estate business by the missionaries.
In post-1947 India there are hardly any social, religious or political leaders who have touched the lives of so many millions of people than Mata Amritanandamayi and Sathya Sai Baba. The hospitals, schools and other institutions they have built up are reversing the negative destiny of thousands of people every day. Their activities have crossed borders, races and even religious barriers. The world has recognized them, but not our own elected establishment. It is already too late not to have conferred ‘Bharat Ratna’ on both these highly revered universal personalities who happened to be born in India. We should not miss the opportunity to show our gratitude and earn their blessings for the country as a whole.
A very similar situation is arising in our own country in the case of Padma and other civilian awards. The discretion of governments in power is no doubt important. But there are certain towering personalities who cannot be ignored by anyone in power. Turning a blind eye to such outstanding individuals will only make the selection process questionable and suspicious. Many a time we have seen highly popular governments in India (which comes to power once in a while) awarding the highest civilian award to certain unpardonable ‘misses’ and thereby trying to correct the so-called historical mistakes. But that is not enough. What needs to be done today must be done today and not after a few years. The country is doing a grave mistake (and ingratitude) if we are continuing to avoid conferring the highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’ on living saints like Mata Amritanandamayi and Sathya Sai Baba. In many ways it is the least a grateful nation can do to its greatest living children.
Colonial Mentality
During colonial times awards are always given at the whims and fancies of the colonial establishments. More often it goes to those colonial citizens who have worked in favour of the colonial power than in the interests of their own motherlands. Times have changed in India after it has become world’s largest democracy but the attitude of those who comes to power by elections remains unchanged in many respects. The case of annual civilian awards is a classic one. The most important point often missed by the new periodic rulers is the transparency required in any selection process. It is not enough if there is majority liking within the elected group for deciding on awards and rewards. The majority mandate is only for wielding the reigns of power and not for deciding on the colour or pedigree of the horse to ride or even the path to take. All such decisions are always left to the open court of the people at all times.
In sharp contrast to colonial establishments, the civilian awards in a democratic society must be igniting a sense of pride in those who give it than in those who receive it. Any award is recognition for the immense efforts undertaken by individuals voluntarily. No true proponent of charity would wait for a reward or canvass for it behind the curtains. And no true servant of God would put conditions on the beneficiaries of their charity efforts. Some one who is willing to serve all (and hug all), irrespective of colour, race and religion is definitely almost near the one and only God, if not God itself in human form. And when the nation awards such individuals, it is the nation that is more honoured. In India today, everyone knows who deserves ‘Bharat Ratna’ most. And the elected establishment in power must implement that popular desire of millions of people.
Charity Monopoly
Thanks to the high publicity content in whatever Westerners do, charity worldwide has come to be associated with a few Western icons. Many people still have the feeling that if it is charity work, it has to be by the church. This feeling is not only nourished by their believers but also by a vast majority of other religionists as well. And if there is somebody who is taking an initiative in helping the poor and downtrodden, the foregone conclusion is that it will be a White lady of European origin. It is still difficult for our people with colonial frame of mind to recognize and accept a helping hand from our own midst. Many of our people are still stuck in the quicksand of Western publicity regarding their ‘charity monopoly’. But the fact of the matter is that charity or helping others is essentially an Eastern concept that had spiritual dimensions.
Charity is part and parcel of Indian civilization from time immemorial. But many Indians are still made to believe that charity came to Indian sub-continent in the form of some missionaries of charity. It was a clever but highly successful ploy of the missionaries that they could influence their cousins in power to grant official status for charity work only to their own institutions. That is why we find schools and hospitals doing charity work only in the name of a particular community. What their cousins did is understandable, but not what was done by our own Rajas and Maharajas. Thousands of acres of land and crores of rupees were given to such ‘monopolisers’ of charity in order to be in the good books of the British. The very sight of costly mansions in central locations all over India in the name of some such charity institutions is a stark reminder of the mistake made in granting official status to do service to humanity. What must be a voluntary noble work has been turned into a lucrative real-estate business by the missionaries.
In post-1947 India there are hardly any social, religious or political leaders who have touched the lives of so many millions of people than Mata Amritanandamayi and Sathya Sai Baba. The hospitals, schools and other institutions they have built up are reversing the negative destiny of thousands of people every day. Their activities have crossed borders, races and even religious barriers. The world has recognized them, but not our own elected establishment. It is already too late not to have conferred ‘Bharat Ratna’ on both these highly revered universal personalities who happened to be born in India. We should not miss the opportunity to show our gratitude and earn their blessings for the country as a whole.
Friday, November 02, 2007
DAWN OF DE-EVOLUTION
Outspoken or silent belief in evolution of species (of life) is indeed the sure sign of intelligent human beings in this modern age. Those who are still struggling with unsubstantiated theories of creation of species can be at best classified as primates who missed evolution process or those who are trapped in the cobwebs of their social setup. All natural phenomena in this universe, including the very working nature of it, are cyclic in nature and it is nothing but natural to expect the reversal of evolution to take place in due course. The upward evolution of species will definitely be followed by their steady deterioration once the evolutionary trend has peaked and a plateau had set in for some period. One look at the increasing disorder in this planet in recent times makes me feel that we have already been on the evolution plateau and are seeing the dawn of ‘de-evolution’
All evolutions follow a path of slow and steady improvement of qualities based on natural selection and survival of the fittest. Then it is only natural to expect that the reverse is true in the case of de-evolution. It may not be far away from truth to expect the ‘unfittest’ to become extinct first. Those among all the species who cannot adapt well to the changing conditions of physical and social world would fall away first only to be followed by those who are little better. The process would continue until some species would disappear totally sooner than others. We are already seeing this in the animal world and many world bodies of human beings are monitoring this with great concern. What is not being monitored in a similar pattern is our own decline in the various parts of this world. Many individuals, communities and isms the world over are finding it increasingly difficult to survive the unmerciful march of time.
Unsurvival of Unfittest
If survival of the fittest was the crux of evolution, the disability of individuals, communities and isms to fit in with the pace and scrutiny of modern times are the reasons for their decline leading to eventual extinction. What we call as Science is the sum total of human capacity for scrutiny and analysis of everything for their substance and relevance. All tangibles and intangibles who cannot survive the trial of Science will have to decline and fade out in the long run. The decline of so many empires and emperors is nothing but a combined effect of the failure of the associated individuals, communities and isms. In the beginning of evolution, the resourceful few could establish their rule over others and popularize their own isms. When evolution climbed steadily upwards they had to give way to the pressure from evolving ‘others’ and the scrutiny of their isms by ‘others’. All those which were built up on falsehood and power naturally failed in the process.
The steady decline of many of the religions, empires and races is nothing but a natural phenomenon in an evolving world. The same process would have happened among all species in the animal world as well. The essence of animal stories in the form of Panchatantra and Animal Farm are very much realistic though allegorical. In all smaller kingdoms, the rulers and their ruling isms would have been subjected to pressure of power politics and scrutiny, and the weaker oldies would have given way to the stronger beings and thoughts. True knowledge is like a powerful ray of light and it is impossible to shut it out forever from any living body. And when such light falls on each of the living, the result is a mutiny or revolution within. It is only a matter of time before the combined might of such ignited minds from overthrowing the kingdoms and isms built on falsehood and power.
Ultimate Scenario
Many of our current isms are threatening us about an impending collapse and full stop for mankind. Nothing can be further from truth than this. The intention and agenda of those who are propagating such falsehood becomes clearer when we analyse their background. They want submission of humans out of fear. The story of cranes who wanted to eat all fish and crabs in a pond by frightening them with an impending drought is well known. All those who are telling us about apocalypse here and promising paradise elsewhere are behaving like these cranes to get everyone under their control. What awaits such people and their isms will be similar to what happened to the cranes in the story. All such greedy and cunning cranes would meet their ultimate fate at the hands of intelligent and evolved crabs.
If what we are seeing now is the dawn of ‘de-evolution’ we must also bear in mind that it is nothing new. Evolution and de-evolution would have happened many times in the past and it will happen again. It is something like births and deaths in Hindu philosophy. Like our own lives, everything follows a cyclic path. The striking resemblance of physical patterns at cosmic and sub-atomic levels is not a mere a coincidence. The meaning that it conveys has not been understood well by many of our religious leaders and those who have understood do not want to propagate it for fear of rendering their own isms (that is providing them cushy lives) obsolete. The bottom line is very clear when dealing with the social aspect of evolution – that we shall hear the truth only from an ism which has no ownership and patent. The ultimate end of never ending cycles of evolutions and de-evolutions will be the realization of such truth by each and every one of the living beings.
Some of our scientists believe that creation of artificial life is only a few years away. But even if we succeed in creating the physical form of life, creation of the creative mind is away forever. What is the use of life without a mind, which keeps all living beings interesting and innovative? Evolution and de-evolution happen only because of these features of living beings. And without the cycles of evolution and de-evolution there is not going to be anything worthwhile for being alive in this universe. The difference will be much like the desert silence of submission in the Arabian peninsula and the loud vibrant Asian tropical forests teeming with life of a million kinds. Of all the living species, life is meaningful for the human beings only if it is involved in a continuous cycle of evolution and de-evolution. We should be welcoming de-evolution even if it means violence, destruction and our own extinction, because the coming cycle will always be for the better.
All evolutions follow a path of slow and steady improvement of qualities based on natural selection and survival of the fittest. Then it is only natural to expect that the reverse is true in the case of de-evolution. It may not be far away from truth to expect the ‘unfittest’ to become extinct first. Those among all the species who cannot adapt well to the changing conditions of physical and social world would fall away first only to be followed by those who are little better. The process would continue until some species would disappear totally sooner than others. We are already seeing this in the animal world and many world bodies of human beings are monitoring this with great concern. What is not being monitored in a similar pattern is our own decline in the various parts of this world. Many individuals, communities and isms the world over are finding it increasingly difficult to survive the unmerciful march of time.
Unsurvival of Unfittest
If survival of the fittest was the crux of evolution, the disability of individuals, communities and isms to fit in with the pace and scrutiny of modern times are the reasons for their decline leading to eventual extinction. What we call as Science is the sum total of human capacity for scrutiny and analysis of everything for their substance and relevance. All tangibles and intangibles who cannot survive the trial of Science will have to decline and fade out in the long run. The decline of so many empires and emperors is nothing but a combined effect of the failure of the associated individuals, communities and isms. In the beginning of evolution, the resourceful few could establish their rule over others and popularize their own isms. When evolution climbed steadily upwards they had to give way to the pressure from evolving ‘others’ and the scrutiny of their isms by ‘others’. All those which were built up on falsehood and power naturally failed in the process.
The steady decline of many of the religions, empires and races is nothing but a natural phenomenon in an evolving world. The same process would have happened among all species in the animal world as well. The essence of animal stories in the form of Panchatantra and Animal Farm are very much realistic though allegorical. In all smaller kingdoms, the rulers and their ruling isms would have been subjected to pressure of power politics and scrutiny, and the weaker oldies would have given way to the stronger beings and thoughts. True knowledge is like a powerful ray of light and it is impossible to shut it out forever from any living body. And when such light falls on each of the living, the result is a mutiny or revolution within. It is only a matter of time before the combined might of such ignited minds from overthrowing the kingdoms and isms built on falsehood and power.
Ultimate Scenario
Many of our current isms are threatening us about an impending collapse and full stop for mankind. Nothing can be further from truth than this. The intention and agenda of those who are propagating such falsehood becomes clearer when we analyse their background. They want submission of humans out of fear. The story of cranes who wanted to eat all fish and crabs in a pond by frightening them with an impending drought is well known. All those who are telling us about apocalypse here and promising paradise elsewhere are behaving like these cranes to get everyone under their control. What awaits such people and their isms will be similar to what happened to the cranes in the story. All such greedy and cunning cranes would meet their ultimate fate at the hands of intelligent and evolved crabs.
If what we are seeing now is the dawn of ‘de-evolution’ we must also bear in mind that it is nothing new. Evolution and de-evolution would have happened many times in the past and it will happen again. It is something like births and deaths in Hindu philosophy. Like our own lives, everything follows a cyclic path. The striking resemblance of physical patterns at cosmic and sub-atomic levels is not a mere a coincidence. The meaning that it conveys has not been understood well by many of our religious leaders and those who have understood do not want to propagate it for fear of rendering their own isms (that is providing them cushy lives) obsolete. The bottom line is very clear when dealing with the social aspect of evolution – that we shall hear the truth only from an ism which has no ownership and patent. The ultimate end of never ending cycles of evolutions and de-evolutions will be the realization of such truth by each and every one of the living beings.
Some of our scientists believe that creation of artificial life is only a few years away. But even if we succeed in creating the physical form of life, creation of the creative mind is away forever. What is the use of life without a mind, which keeps all living beings interesting and innovative? Evolution and de-evolution happen only because of these features of living beings. And without the cycles of evolution and de-evolution there is not going to be anything worthwhile for being alive in this universe. The difference will be much like the desert silence of submission in the Arabian peninsula and the loud vibrant Asian tropical forests teeming with life of a million kinds. Of all the living species, life is meaningful for the human beings only if it is involved in a continuous cycle of evolution and de-evolution. We should be welcoming de-evolution even if it means violence, destruction and our own extinction, because the coming cycle will always be for the better.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Old is Often Gold
The very popular perception that youth and young blood are the sure solutions to all our problems is completely misplaced. Quite in contrast, most of the outstanding contributions for betterment of society anywhere in the world have come from leaders when they were past their youthful age. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Julius Nyrere or Abraham Lincoln did anything good for mankind only after they have passed their prime. It is only logical that such men who came up from the middle or lower rungs of society by their own merit could afford to contribute something only after their days of struggle to the very top. The climb to the top must take time and if we press hard to ripen the fruits, it will result only in unripened fruits which are good for nothing.
The laws of nature are very clear regarding such matters. As a new born, almost all of us (except those who are physically or mentally challenged) are in the same boat in terms of capabilities. But then we struggle on to develop our skills based on likings and opportunities that present before us. More than relative merit, sometimes it is the relatives’ merit that plays its part in getting us the opportunities. But whatever be the amount of backing we receive from our relatives, the ultimate result squarely rests on the foundations of one’s own shear merit, perseverance, attitude and luck. No force on earth can make a visionary leader out of an undeserving aspirant even if he or she happens to get the best of opportunities and backing.
Pre-Maturity Ensures Mishandling
It happens that familiarity may breed contempt, but it is absolute necessity to have some familiarity if one wants to do anything good in any field or to anyone. Without familiarity it is not possible to develop an understanding that will enable doing something good for anyone. People who are totally unrelated to the situation or community will not be able to appreciate the intricacies involved and provide solutions. These factors are more relevant when we are talking about leaders of countries and movements. The background, character, caliber and training of leaders are no doubt important, but much more important is the actual experience of these leaders. In India, we have seen in action when an inexperienced leader could come to office with an unprecedented majority. Yet another historic opportunity was wasted and the country lost at least one more vital decade.
But we cannot blame the particular individual for all that happened. It is simply impossible for anyone who is unfamiliar with the system to perform in any situation. This is a universal truth, irrespective of the capability, caliber and background of the person involved. All that such persons do, when they come to occupy positions of power by vagaries of popular democratic processes, are to become unwilling puppets in the hands of ‘vulturous’ advisors and classy old men who know how to play the power games. The opportunity gets lost not only for the individual but also for the millions whose lives are dependent on the policies of those in power. The whole system gets vitiated on account of a wrong decision of the voters to overlook relative merit for the merit of the relatives.
Maturity Ensures Understanding
In sharp contrast, we all know the tremendous changes that happened in India subsequently, under two totally different dispensations, but with two old men at the helm of affairs. The maturity arising out of their fifty odd years of experience came into play in changing the direction of our growth and development. It is jokingly (but rightly) said that there are two ways to achieve socialism – by distribution of wealth or by distribution of poverty. But for the first few years of infrastructure development in post-1947 India, we have been witnessing only the latter method of socialism being adopted by subsequent governments in power. It was the maturity of an experienced old man that decided to change our destiny. The present glory of India is entirely on account of this change of course, initiated and nurtured by the two old men in power.
The advantages of maturity are manifold. All of us are accumulating knowledge every second in our life. Some of it is voluntarily, but most of it unknowingly. Our vital senses are picking up elements of knowledge without fail in every moment of our daily lives. Whether one is an engineer or doctor or graduate or illiterate, the process of accumulation of knowledge is exactly the same. The more worldly experiences one undergo, the more wise he or she will be. By repeated dosages of success and failure, time - the world guru - is tempering each of us and preparing us for more such incidents in future. What a mature person possesses is this accumulated wisdom, which makes him recognize the consequences of his actions upfront. The more aged one is, the more capable he or she will be in analyzing the consequences of each action. There is no substitute for actual experience, like there is none for actual performance. Perhaps the only field where elders must give way to youngsters is in athletics and games, where brawn plays more role than the brain.
The amount of damage wrecked by immature leaders in poorer nations is something that is working against the interests of democracy. More than democracy as a form of government, it is the associated electoral mechanisms that are to be blamed for this. We still do not have a good method for identifying or qualifying leaders for contest. In unrestrained popular democracies, it is still possible for undesirable and immature contestants to win and come to power in a legal manner. Populism is working against the interests of democracy, which is still perceived as the most evolved form of government in the twenty first century. A few more immature leaders can easily kill democracy even in the world’s largest and strongest democracies like India and USA.
The laws of nature are very clear regarding such matters. As a new born, almost all of us (except those who are physically or mentally challenged) are in the same boat in terms of capabilities. But then we struggle on to develop our skills based on likings and opportunities that present before us. More than relative merit, sometimes it is the relatives’ merit that plays its part in getting us the opportunities. But whatever be the amount of backing we receive from our relatives, the ultimate result squarely rests on the foundations of one’s own shear merit, perseverance, attitude and luck. No force on earth can make a visionary leader out of an undeserving aspirant even if he or she happens to get the best of opportunities and backing.
Pre-Maturity Ensures Mishandling
It happens that familiarity may breed contempt, but it is absolute necessity to have some familiarity if one wants to do anything good in any field or to anyone. Without familiarity it is not possible to develop an understanding that will enable doing something good for anyone. People who are totally unrelated to the situation or community will not be able to appreciate the intricacies involved and provide solutions. These factors are more relevant when we are talking about leaders of countries and movements. The background, character, caliber and training of leaders are no doubt important, but much more important is the actual experience of these leaders. In India, we have seen in action when an inexperienced leader could come to office with an unprecedented majority. Yet another historic opportunity was wasted and the country lost at least one more vital decade.
But we cannot blame the particular individual for all that happened. It is simply impossible for anyone who is unfamiliar with the system to perform in any situation. This is a universal truth, irrespective of the capability, caliber and background of the person involved. All that such persons do, when they come to occupy positions of power by vagaries of popular democratic processes, are to become unwilling puppets in the hands of ‘vulturous’ advisors and classy old men who know how to play the power games. The opportunity gets lost not only for the individual but also for the millions whose lives are dependent on the policies of those in power. The whole system gets vitiated on account of a wrong decision of the voters to overlook relative merit for the merit of the relatives.
Maturity Ensures Understanding
In sharp contrast, we all know the tremendous changes that happened in India subsequently, under two totally different dispensations, but with two old men at the helm of affairs. The maturity arising out of their fifty odd years of experience came into play in changing the direction of our growth and development. It is jokingly (but rightly) said that there are two ways to achieve socialism – by distribution of wealth or by distribution of poverty. But for the first few years of infrastructure development in post-1947 India, we have been witnessing only the latter method of socialism being adopted by subsequent governments in power. It was the maturity of an experienced old man that decided to change our destiny. The present glory of India is entirely on account of this change of course, initiated and nurtured by the two old men in power.
The advantages of maturity are manifold. All of us are accumulating knowledge every second in our life. Some of it is voluntarily, but most of it unknowingly. Our vital senses are picking up elements of knowledge without fail in every moment of our daily lives. Whether one is an engineer or doctor or graduate or illiterate, the process of accumulation of knowledge is exactly the same. The more worldly experiences one undergo, the more wise he or she will be. By repeated dosages of success and failure, time - the world guru - is tempering each of us and preparing us for more such incidents in future. What a mature person possesses is this accumulated wisdom, which makes him recognize the consequences of his actions upfront. The more aged one is, the more capable he or she will be in analyzing the consequences of each action. There is no substitute for actual experience, like there is none for actual performance. Perhaps the only field where elders must give way to youngsters is in athletics and games, where brawn plays more role than the brain.
The amount of damage wrecked by immature leaders in poorer nations is something that is working against the interests of democracy. More than democracy as a form of government, it is the associated electoral mechanisms that are to be blamed for this. We still do not have a good method for identifying or qualifying leaders for contest. In unrestrained popular democracies, it is still possible for undesirable and immature contestants to win and come to power in a legal manner. Populism is working against the interests of democracy, which is still perceived as the most evolved form of government in the twenty first century. A few more immature leaders can easily kill democracy even in the world’s largest and strongest democracies like India and USA.
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