Cynicism is the natural culmination of anyone who attempts to study and analyse India’s problems. Unlike Japan and China, India’s problems are overwhelmingly man-made. It is utter lack of patriotism, national pride and discipline that is churning out most of India’s problems. Our practice of democracy is not an ideal one and it has been hijacked by a select few families. Its current trend will only lead to India’s decay and decadence sooner or later. The incumbent democratic structure is corrupt inside out and the very few Gandhians (Mahatma Gandhi variety) left in our midst can do very little to set things right. The newly advocated Lok Pal will be at best an unsuccessful David against the Goliath of corruption. And what is the guarantee that another Balakrishnan or Kalmadi or Raja will not incarnate as the next Lok Pal? In a society that looks upon money and power as the quintessence of virtue, no amount of whistle-blowing, watch-dogging and judicial-remands can bring about improvement.
There are many Indians, especially the youth, who got excited about the ‘victory’ of Anna Hazare. But their excitement can be short lived. Some clippings from the drama are indicative enough. Anna Hazare has spent his entire life for others and he has been completely apolitical so far. Imagine the plight of such a hard core Indian pleading to ‘Indian’ leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh to set things right in India. What is the urgency for them to end corruption in India? It may be the inherent thirst for a virtuous environment that drives true Gandhians like Anna Hazare. But what is the basic motivation factor for people like Pranab, Chidambaram, Sibal etc., to put an end to corruption? It is foolish for any Indian to expect a committee of such people to draft any sensible legislation for ending all scopes for corruption. It would be like expecting Vatican or Saudi setting in motion an exercise to end religious conversion in the entire world.
Worthless Politicians
Politicians of the worthless variety are the cause of all problems in India. We usually hear about the four pillars (and the extended pillar of media) of democracy. But the most important supports for any democracy are the politicians and political culture in the country. No democracy can function without politicians and in India too we need them. The world’s largest democracy of more than one billion people will require at least one hundred political parties and one million politicians to make it function. We have the numbers but what we lack is the political culture that will attract talented people and develop them to seek power to rule over us. Pre-1947 era had produced so many talented and worthy leaders in India. But in post-1947 we are coming across mainly those who have taken up politics because they are not good for anything else. Career politicians are the biggest threat to any democracy and India is a victim of this.
The other main problem that is in many ways unique to India is growth of political clans or family politicians. There need be no better reason to get worthless and unwanted elements into politics than this. Anyone who does not study well or jobless or idiotic in a political family is automatically inducted into politics during the lifetime of the ruling patriarch. Even if the patriarch is unwilling, scores of his or her sycophants will urge and edge such candidates into the political arena. Their idea is to ensure lifelong gratitude of such empty politicians on those who brought them into politics, but the damage to the political culture of the country is unlimited. Many of them learn the nuisances of governance at the cost of our misery and just one such leader in power is enough to retard the entire nation by years if not decades. Imagine the combined damage to the nation if a dozen of such worthless politicians from political families come to power throughout the country. This is exactly what is happening in India today.
Worthy Politicians
It is the nature of politics in India that is making most of its politicians worthless. Things will definitely change if the rules of political game change. Many of the current worthless politicians are innately good and they can become assets rather than liabilities to the nation. India’s post-1947 power elite were living in euphoria in a make-believe world of their own. Having achieved independence quite unexpectedly, some of the most significant leaders wanted to become world leaders in the short span left for them. It would be ungrateful to ridicule their contributions but they should have done much more for setting a better framework for the future politicians. As an example, if state funding and modest campaigns for elections were introduced in 1947 itself, India would have been literally a welfare state by now. Instead, our dirty competitive electoral politics have forced our politicians to become corrupt to earn a livelihood and amaze wealth for the next elections.
It is too late now to think of quick solutions to cleanse Indian politics of worthless politicians. Speedy trial and severe punishments are the only signals that can bring about quick results now. If a dozen of the confirmed corrupt can be thrown into the jail the spin-off results will be tremendous. Assured retribution is the best key to instill the most wanted fear in the minds of those who err knowingly. Investigations must start as soon as there are first reports in the media about corruption and such investigations must be automatic without any sanction. It will be very much in the national interest even if 75% of such investigations result in acquittals. If such a determined action is initiated now, it can be safely concluded that Indian politicians 25 years from now will be a worthy lot. And only a worthy lot of politicians can deliver as rulers in a vast democracy.
An exaggerated version of secularism in India has also undermined our traditions and traditional values. Concepts like dharma and karma have no religious connotations, and it should have been part and parcel of our primary school education. If our children are brought up knowing the correct meaning of their dharma in each phase of their life, profession and karma, the picture would have been entirely different. Despite few aberrations in our history, India still remains one of the few nations in the world where people enjoy true freedom. There is equality in front of the state, at least on paper. This has been possible only because of the accumulated wisdom of our civilizations and the eternal values of our Sanatana Dharma. Rekindling the true dharmic spirit enunciated in our scriptures is the only way to usher in a just and fair society. Only such a dharmic Indian as Lok Pal can help us in building a Dharmic Republic of India.
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Tale of Two Tongues
Languages (tongues) are the most visible symbols of regional civilizations and religious culture. No civilization in any part of the world can be considered significant unless it has generated some outstanding literary works at some point of time during its existence. Many of the glorious civilizations are no more, but the differences between Inca and Greek civilizations provide a striking example about the importance of language and literature. While the former exists only in the books of History students, the latter is still a matter of delight merely because of Iliad and Odyssey. Whatever be their achievements in terms of monuments and territorial vastness, the literary content of a civilization far outweighs everything else when it comes to counting its greatness. In the eternal comparison of significance between physical and mental achievements, it is always the mental achievements that matters. The meaning of Akshara (letters) in Sanskrit is ‘that which does not perish’ and literature is its popular form. People of letters are far more respected than those who build monuments.
Language and literature are activities of the mind and it calls for far greater knowledge and capabilities to excel in them than in physical activities like annexing territories and building monuments. A casual comparison between two individuals trying to build up their body and brain respectively in a gym and library is enough to prove this point at micro level. Within an year or two the whole body can be built up to competitive levels, whereas it will take years and years of effort for anyone to reach the level of even attempting a literary work. And if such works are to be of outstanding nature, the amount of calibre and hard work required can be easily guessed. It will take generations of accumulated knowledge, skills and environmental encouragement to generate classical literary works. Perhaps no other civilization till date in the face of earth has produced more such outstanding classical literary works than Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD) and its associated Sanskrit literature. An update about its present condition vis-à-vis some richer tongues reveals a shocking picture for the entire human civilization.
Arabic Ascent
Arabic is the language of Arabs and their population is not significant. But Arabic language has become so much identified with Islam because of the simple reason that Koran, the Islamic holy book, is in that language. Muslim population in the world has increased significantly in the last few centuries and the importance of Arabic language is also increasing. Their disciplined uniformity throughout the world makes it obligatory on the part of all Muslims to learn Arabic in order to practice the religion properly. Without a significant knowledge of Arabic language it is almost impossible to offer the daily prayers, refer the holy book and perform their other rituals. Though spoken dialects vary from country to country the written Arabic language remains uniform. Classical literary works in Arabic language are few, but its religious association makes it one of the most prominent languages in today’s world.
The new found richness of Arabs has also raised the importance of their language. Millions of dollars are spent on its propagation and development. Muslim children are memorizing the entire holy book in their young age and the level of encouragement offered for such efforts is unprecedented. Just like the religion, the language has also become a convenient tool for realization of Arabian dreams for international domination. The British and their English provide a very good example of what a language can achieve for imperial dreams. Original speakers of any language remain the ultimate authorities in any language and such an eternal domination provides the psychological upper hand to rule over the new speakers. The goal posts for correctness in the language can always be shifted by its original owners. And it becomes inevitable and unquestioned, if the language owners happen to be rich, powerful and ambitious.
Sinking Sanskrit
In stark contrast to the continuing victory lap of Arabic language, the story of Sanskrit presents one of awful degeneration. The number of classic literature works in Sanskrit language far outweighs all other languages put together, both in terms of quantity and quality. If Islam is cent percent identified with Arabic language, the association of Sanskrit with Hindu Sanatana Dharma is also of very high significance. Almost all its original religious scriptures are in Sanskrit language, though commentaries and interpretations (which are freely allowed in HSD, unlike Islam) are available in many other languages. Sanskrit is considered the mother of almost all Indian languages, yet the efforts for its encouragement and development continues to be abysmally low. India is rich and millions of Indians are more than rich. But the condition of India’s most significant cultural symbol is pathetic with no turn around in sight.
One of the surprising reasons for the current state of Sanskrit language in India is the skewed secularism of Indian state. When India got partitioned in 1947 into a religious Pakistan and secular India, the ruling elite in India took extra efforts in segregating religions from state affairs. In this laudable attempt, they made the fatal error of associating Sanskrit language entirely with Hindu religion. The neglect has now gone to the extent of hatred for the language. Schemers and anti-nationals in the Indian state also used this opportunity to whip up caste feelings among the Hindus by their false propagation about Sanskrit being the language of only high caste Brahmins. The clever among them knew very well that killing Sanskrit language will be best way to conquer India again.
The future of Sanskrit is not at all bright, except for the knowledge explosion taking place over the electronic media and internet. Stray efforts are ongoing in different parts of the world for digitization of all the Sanskrit manuscripts available. There are also attempts to promote learning of the language in various pockets of the world, some of which unbelievably astonishing. Indian efforts in this direction continue to be apathetic, thanks to the overdose of vote bank politics and political correctness in the ‘clanocracy’ of India. Greatest symbol of Indian civilization is being destroyed by planned negligence and official antipathy in a systematic manner. But we should always bear in mind that a Dharmic Republic of India can become a world leader only on the strength of its own Sanatana Dharma and Sanskrit. There is absolutely no other way to reach the top by becoming a Ramarajya once again.
Language and literature are activities of the mind and it calls for far greater knowledge and capabilities to excel in them than in physical activities like annexing territories and building monuments. A casual comparison between two individuals trying to build up their body and brain respectively in a gym and library is enough to prove this point at micro level. Within an year or two the whole body can be built up to competitive levels, whereas it will take years and years of effort for anyone to reach the level of even attempting a literary work. And if such works are to be of outstanding nature, the amount of calibre and hard work required can be easily guessed. It will take generations of accumulated knowledge, skills and environmental encouragement to generate classical literary works. Perhaps no other civilization till date in the face of earth has produced more such outstanding classical literary works than Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD) and its associated Sanskrit literature. An update about its present condition vis-à-vis some richer tongues reveals a shocking picture for the entire human civilization.
Arabic Ascent
Arabic is the language of Arabs and their population is not significant. But Arabic language has become so much identified with Islam because of the simple reason that Koran, the Islamic holy book, is in that language. Muslim population in the world has increased significantly in the last few centuries and the importance of Arabic language is also increasing. Their disciplined uniformity throughout the world makes it obligatory on the part of all Muslims to learn Arabic in order to practice the religion properly. Without a significant knowledge of Arabic language it is almost impossible to offer the daily prayers, refer the holy book and perform their other rituals. Though spoken dialects vary from country to country the written Arabic language remains uniform. Classical literary works in Arabic language are few, but its religious association makes it one of the most prominent languages in today’s world.
The new found richness of Arabs has also raised the importance of their language. Millions of dollars are spent on its propagation and development. Muslim children are memorizing the entire holy book in their young age and the level of encouragement offered for such efforts is unprecedented. Just like the religion, the language has also become a convenient tool for realization of Arabian dreams for international domination. The British and their English provide a very good example of what a language can achieve for imperial dreams. Original speakers of any language remain the ultimate authorities in any language and such an eternal domination provides the psychological upper hand to rule over the new speakers. The goal posts for correctness in the language can always be shifted by its original owners. And it becomes inevitable and unquestioned, if the language owners happen to be rich, powerful and ambitious.
Sinking Sanskrit
In stark contrast to the continuing victory lap of Arabic language, the story of Sanskrit presents one of awful degeneration. The number of classic literature works in Sanskrit language far outweighs all other languages put together, both in terms of quantity and quality. If Islam is cent percent identified with Arabic language, the association of Sanskrit with Hindu Sanatana Dharma is also of very high significance. Almost all its original religious scriptures are in Sanskrit language, though commentaries and interpretations (which are freely allowed in HSD, unlike Islam) are available in many other languages. Sanskrit is considered the mother of almost all Indian languages, yet the efforts for its encouragement and development continues to be abysmally low. India is rich and millions of Indians are more than rich. But the condition of India’s most significant cultural symbol is pathetic with no turn around in sight.
One of the surprising reasons for the current state of Sanskrit language in India is the skewed secularism of Indian state. When India got partitioned in 1947 into a religious Pakistan and secular India, the ruling elite in India took extra efforts in segregating religions from state affairs. In this laudable attempt, they made the fatal error of associating Sanskrit language entirely with Hindu religion. The neglect has now gone to the extent of hatred for the language. Schemers and anti-nationals in the Indian state also used this opportunity to whip up caste feelings among the Hindus by their false propagation about Sanskrit being the language of only high caste Brahmins. The clever among them knew very well that killing Sanskrit language will be best way to conquer India again.
The future of Sanskrit is not at all bright, except for the knowledge explosion taking place over the electronic media and internet. Stray efforts are ongoing in different parts of the world for digitization of all the Sanskrit manuscripts available. There are also attempts to promote learning of the language in various pockets of the world, some of which unbelievably astonishing. Indian efforts in this direction continue to be apathetic, thanks to the overdose of vote bank politics and political correctness in the ‘clanocracy’ of India. Greatest symbol of Indian civilization is being destroyed by planned negligence and official antipathy in a systematic manner. But we should always bear in mind that a Dharmic Republic of India can become a world leader only on the strength of its own Sanatana Dharma and Sanskrit. There is absolutely no other way to reach the top by becoming a Ramarajya once again.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Evolution of Gods
The truth of evolution is absolute and it is universal. Evolutionary process is an uninterrupted phenomenon applicable to everything. Evolution is taking place every second in all living beings and because of that in the associated non-living environment too. Though God is everywhere at everytime, the concept of God is man-made and it has also undergone evolution. It is very interesting to analyse the different concepts of God and see how it has evolved over the ages into the level of Ishvar – the omnipresent and omnipotent energy that is devoid of any characteristics (nirguna) and hence beyond any man-made definition. In India the various community, caste and sectarian Gods have evolved over ages, sometimes even vying with one another and have eventually surrendered before the ultimate version of Ishvar. It is definitely difficult to think of something that is present in everything, but that is (and only that can be) what can answer all our questions convincingly and provide the much needed rational support for our faith of Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD).
Knowingly or unknowingly we all recognize the presence of God much before we begin to explore, study and attempt to define it. The same must be true among all living species. But we do not know how other species do it and what is the final outcome of their explorations? Man is just another living species (though many among us have lofty pretensions about our uniqueness and greatness) and our exploratory efforts about God also follow the same evolutionary path. From a mere individual feeling it develops into a collective feeling and continues to acquire the form and name of a community or tribal God. As the individuals evolve, their concepts too evolve and the community or tribal God(s) must also evolve into the perfectly logical concept of a universal God. And if it does not happen in any community or tribe, it is either due to the spiritual deficiency inherent in their pursuits or due to the take over of such spiritual pursuits by extraneous considerations.
Best Realisation
Be it Asia, Africa or Europe, the early civilizations have always displayed their zealous enthusiasm for projecting a God or a set of Gods as part of their cultural symbols. The mighty Greek did it and almost all the numerous tribes in Arabia and Africa did this without fail. In India we had our own Gods for almost all communities and castes. This is part of a natural evolution process that concerns the need and definition of God. As individuals we need a God for our worship and we always tend to reach a consensus within a community. And once some collective Gods are established, it becomes rivalry between different Gods that signifies the victory of one tribe or community over others. This process has continued across continents and now we see many such tribal Gods dominating the world scene thanks to the economic and political strength of its supporters (or worshippers). This process will continue without any end until humanity exists.
While most of the civilizations content themselves with the sight of their God or Gods gaining primacy over others, a significant minority of humans have gone further and realized the ultimate truth in this process of Godly evolution. In India we have seen bitter rivalry between Shaivism Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism giving way to Advaitism, Dwaitism and Visishta-Advaitism first and finally accepting the ultimate truth as enunciated by Advaitism. It can be easily stated without an iota of doubt that the realization and recognition of Ishvar in every tangible and intangible part of this universe signifies the height of spiritual evolution that humans have achieved so far. And that remains the best realization that any human belonging to any community or tribe or caste or religion can ever achieve in his or her spiritual pursuits. Most of our inter-personal problems will disappear if this objective gains acceptance as our common target.
Best Practice
The lofty principle of Advaita is complex to comprehend for many and much more difficult to be put into practice. For most of us it will take years and years of effort to reach the level of raised divinity when we begin to see over the wall and start recognizing the divine presence in everything. It is widely believed that a Guru, someone who has already been on the other side of the wall, can guide us in easier ways to achieve the same. But this may not be a necessary condition to reach over the wall. There have been many born and self-made humans who have accomplished the feat. Ramana Maharshi and presently Mata Amritanandamayi are just two examples of the same. Having complete faith and close associations with such realized souls can definitely increase our chances of climbing the wall successfully. In short, climbing the wall is a must but it can be done in many ways. A ladder may not always be required to accomplish the feat.
It is quite interesting and baffling to note that the concept of Ishta Devata (personal god) underlines one of the easier methods of arriving at Advaita. Idol worship forms an integral part of this. In Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD) we often hear of the 330 million Gods that make up its pantheon. It is almost certain that this particular figure had come up when we had about 330 million humans in the entire world. The underlying principle is to have a personal god for each of us in the name and form we want. Each and every individual born (reborn and yet to be born) in this world is unique and so his or her method to search for the truth. The concept of personal gods gives such an ultimate liberty for each and every one of us to worship our own form for the one and only Ishvar which is present in all of us. And instead of worshipping one another we have the option to design (and define) our own version of God that symbolizes the ultimate reality ie. Ishvar.
Evolution of Gods must take place in all religious communities to usher in the new era of super humans as Swami Aurobindo had once envisaged. Only the realization that there is only one Ishvar and that it is present in everything can take us individually and collectively into a higher realm. Uncompromising fundamentalism and parochial religious beliefs can lead us only to our mutually assured destruction. Our current situation is akin to a semi lighted room with several individuals, several pieces of rope lying around and a single serpent let loose. We are all sighting the serpent in the piece of rope near to us and claiming it to be the real serpent. Seeing serpents in all the ropes and respecting each of them is not at all bad, provided it is with the full knowledge that there is only one serpent. But realizing the ultimate truth that both the concepts & realty of serpent & ropes are made up of the same Ishvar is Advaita that can give us the ultimate deliverance.
Knowingly or unknowingly we all recognize the presence of God much before we begin to explore, study and attempt to define it. The same must be true among all living species. But we do not know how other species do it and what is the final outcome of their explorations? Man is just another living species (though many among us have lofty pretensions about our uniqueness and greatness) and our exploratory efforts about God also follow the same evolutionary path. From a mere individual feeling it develops into a collective feeling and continues to acquire the form and name of a community or tribal God. As the individuals evolve, their concepts too evolve and the community or tribal God(s) must also evolve into the perfectly logical concept of a universal God. And if it does not happen in any community or tribe, it is either due to the spiritual deficiency inherent in their pursuits or due to the take over of such spiritual pursuits by extraneous considerations.
Best Realisation
Be it Asia, Africa or Europe, the early civilizations have always displayed their zealous enthusiasm for projecting a God or a set of Gods as part of their cultural symbols. The mighty Greek did it and almost all the numerous tribes in Arabia and Africa did this without fail. In India we had our own Gods for almost all communities and castes. This is part of a natural evolution process that concerns the need and definition of God. As individuals we need a God for our worship and we always tend to reach a consensus within a community. And once some collective Gods are established, it becomes rivalry between different Gods that signifies the victory of one tribe or community over others. This process has continued across continents and now we see many such tribal Gods dominating the world scene thanks to the economic and political strength of its supporters (or worshippers). This process will continue without any end until humanity exists.
While most of the civilizations content themselves with the sight of their God or Gods gaining primacy over others, a significant minority of humans have gone further and realized the ultimate truth in this process of Godly evolution. In India we have seen bitter rivalry between Shaivism Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism giving way to Advaitism, Dwaitism and Visishta-Advaitism first and finally accepting the ultimate truth as enunciated by Advaitism. It can be easily stated without an iota of doubt that the realization and recognition of Ishvar in every tangible and intangible part of this universe signifies the height of spiritual evolution that humans have achieved so far. And that remains the best realization that any human belonging to any community or tribe or caste or religion can ever achieve in his or her spiritual pursuits. Most of our inter-personal problems will disappear if this objective gains acceptance as our common target.
Best Practice
The lofty principle of Advaita is complex to comprehend for many and much more difficult to be put into practice. For most of us it will take years and years of effort to reach the level of raised divinity when we begin to see over the wall and start recognizing the divine presence in everything. It is widely believed that a Guru, someone who has already been on the other side of the wall, can guide us in easier ways to achieve the same. But this may not be a necessary condition to reach over the wall. There have been many born and self-made humans who have accomplished the feat. Ramana Maharshi and presently Mata Amritanandamayi are just two examples of the same. Having complete faith and close associations with such realized souls can definitely increase our chances of climbing the wall successfully. In short, climbing the wall is a must but it can be done in many ways. A ladder may not always be required to accomplish the feat.
It is quite interesting and baffling to note that the concept of Ishta Devata (personal god) underlines one of the easier methods of arriving at Advaita. Idol worship forms an integral part of this. In Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD) we often hear of the 330 million Gods that make up its pantheon. It is almost certain that this particular figure had come up when we had about 330 million humans in the entire world. The underlying principle is to have a personal god for each of us in the name and form we want. Each and every individual born (reborn and yet to be born) in this world is unique and so his or her method to search for the truth. The concept of personal gods gives such an ultimate liberty for each and every one of us to worship our own form for the one and only Ishvar which is present in all of us. And instead of worshipping one another we have the option to design (and define) our own version of God that symbolizes the ultimate reality ie. Ishvar.
Evolution of Gods must take place in all religious communities to usher in the new era of super humans as Swami Aurobindo had once envisaged. Only the realization that there is only one Ishvar and that it is present in everything can take us individually and collectively into a higher realm. Uncompromising fundamentalism and parochial religious beliefs can lead us only to our mutually assured destruction. Our current situation is akin to a semi lighted room with several individuals, several pieces of rope lying around and a single serpent let loose. We are all sighting the serpent in the piece of rope near to us and claiming it to be the real serpent. Seeing serpents in all the ropes and respecting each of them is not at all bad, provided it is with the full knowledge that there is only one serpent. But realizing the ultimate truth that both the concepts & realty of serpent & ropes are made up of the same Ishvar is Advaita that can give us the ultimate deliverance.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Opportunities in Spectrum & Black Money
The on-going tussle in spectrum and black money may be turning murkier everyday, but the two ‘resources’ present a golden opportunity in India today. The history of black money is almost as old as mankind and in India too it dates back to ages. But spectrum is relatively new and the recently unearthed spectrum allocation scam has inducted more black money into the Indian economy than any other single exercise in the past. The yet to be constituted JPC may or may not succeed in unlocking the secrets of spectrum allocation and its related scam, but there are immense opportunities for some good offshoots latent in the present confusion. If only our politicians and law makers are imaginative enough, some novel ideas and institutions can be setup for the betterment of Indian nation and society. Let me present just two of them.
Spectrum for Religions
India is a secular nation and as envisaged by its founding fathers, all religions shall be accorded equal respect. Yet we find appeasement of the so-called minority religions and its rights crossing the limits many times. One of the most irritating practices indulged by all factions is the amount of noise pollution generated in the name of religion. Another one is the number of TV channels that have come up in recent times for propagation of religions. Under the guise of so-called comparative studies a major part of time by each religious channel is spent on finding out the demerits and weaknesses of other religions, rather than criticizing and denouncing the evil practices within one’s own religion. All this can be changed by a few reforms.
In the revised allocation of spectrum that is imminent, I would suggest a few MHz to be reserved for the various religions. With a mobile penetration of about 80% in India, all the call for prayers and religious announcements can be easily made over the mobile phones rather than creating noise pollution for the entire society. Each one can setup his or her mobile phone to receive the religious calls depending upon his or her religious preference. And the various mobile operators may also offer it free or at negligible charges. Similarly, the religious TV channels can also be allotted spectrum to operate within a certain range, perhaps at a much lower cost, with the strict conditions to deal with only their own religion. Comparative study of religions is purely an academic exercise and must be limited to the four walls of academic institutions.
National Conscience Fund
Black money of Indians in various foreign banks is estimated to be more than 25 lakh crores of rupees. Most of these accounts have been created by the swindlers themselves, but there are many which are inherited. Even worse is the case of inheritance with out even the beneficiaries being aware of it. Staunch denial by many celebrities is based on this simple fact or by using this as a convenient excuse. The entire civilized world is turning against the Swiss style banking systems and days are not far off when all nations will be willing to share the details of foreign accounts. Indian government will get the longest and most shocking list of illegal account holders in foreign countries. Investigations into the source of such funds must definitely follow, but a simple step before that can prove highly productive.
Indian government must immediately set up an Indian National Conscience Fund (INCF) for various reasons. All swindlers must be given a few months time to transfer their ill-gotten money into INCF if they so desire. And once the swindlers’ list is available from the various foreign countries, all the inherited wealth must also be transferred to INCF under intimation to those who inherited it knowingly or unknowingly. A simple legislation may be necessary to setup INCF and operate it without any unwanted judicial interference. Such a permanent INCF can also go a long way in channelizing a good portion of our black money into nation building activities. But our legislature and legislation must make it double sure that Rajas and Kalmadis do not hijack such an INCF also.
Indian nation would have literally become the world leader and a model democracy for all nations by now if we had erudite and imaginative legislators. The bane of Indian democracy is the growing number of career politicians with no knowledge other than petty politics and conducive family backgrounds. A few revolutionary legislations and innovative administrative steps can bring about unimaginable changes and strengthen our secular democracy beyond all our imagination.
Spectrum for Religions
India is a secular nation and as envisaged by its founding fathers, all religions shall be accorded equal respect. Yet we find appeasement of the so-called minority religions and its rights crossing the limits many times. One of the most irritating practices indulged by all factions is the amount of noise pollution generated in the name of religion. Another one is the number of TV channels that have come up in recent times for propagation of religions. Under the guise of so-called comparative studies a major part of time by each religious channel is spent on finding out the demerits and weaknesses of other religions, rather than criticizing and denouncing the evil practices within one’s own religion. All this can be changed by a few reforms.
In the revised allocation of spectrum that is imminent, I would suggest a few MHz to be reserved for the various religions. With a mobile penetration of about 80% in India, all the call for prayers and religious announcements can be easily made over the mobile phones rather than creating noise pollution for the entire society. Each one can setup his or her mobile phone to receive the religious calls depending upon his or her religious preference. And the various mobile operators may also offer it free or at negligible charges. Similarly, the religious TV channels can also be allotted spectrum to operate within a certain range, perhaps at a much lower cost, with the strict conditions to deal with only their own religion. Comparative study of religions is purely an academic exercise and must be limited to the four walls of academic institutions.
National Conscience Fund
Black money of Indians in various foreign banks is estimated to be more than 25 lakh crores of rupees. Most of these accounts have been created by the swindlers themselves, but there are many which are inherited. Even worse is the case of inheritance with out even the beneficiaries being aware of it. Staunch denial by many celebrities is based on this simple fact or by using this as a convenient excuse. The entire civilized world is turning against the Swiss style banking systems and days are not far off when all nations will be willing to share the details of foreign accounts. Indian government will get the longest and most shocking list of illegal account holders in foreign countries. Investigations into the source of such funds must definitely follow, but a simple step before that can prove highly productive.
Indian government must immediately set up an Indian National Conscience Fund (INCF) for various reasons. All swindlers must be given a few months time to transfer their ill-gotten money into INCF if they so desire. And once the swindlers’ list is available from the various foreign countries, all the inherited wealth must also be transferred to INCF under intimation to those who inherited it knowingly or unknowingly. A simple legislation may be necessary to setup INCF and operate it without any unwanted judicial interference. Such a permanent INCF can also go a long way in channelizing a good portion of our black money into nation building activities. But our legislature and legislation must make it double sure that Rajas and Kalmadis do not hijack such an INCF also.
Indian nation would have literally become the world leader and a model democracy for all nations by now if we had erudite and imaginative legislators. The bane of Indian democracy is the growing number of career politicians with no knowledge other than petty politics and conducive family backgrounds. A few revolutionary legislations and innovative administrative steps can bring about unimaginable changes and strengthen our secular democracy beyond all our imagination.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Pranic Engineering
Since time immemorial, Civil and Mechanical have been the two basic engineering fields that have caught the attention of mankind. Both the fields of engineering knowledge have contributed in no uncertain terms to our progress and development from being aborigines to becoming the modern Man. Electrical engineering came in later with the invention of electricity and then followed Chemical, Electronics and Information Technology as offshoots of the existing filelds. And thus for a long time now we are stuck with the three basic branches of engineering viz. Civil, Mechanical and Electrical. Time has come to think of enlarging the scope of engineering to the living world also. We are at the doorsteps of creating life of our own in the laboratory (though a victory over death is almost impossible and far away). We have emerging fields of limited scope like Genetic, Biotechnology and Biomedical engineering, but the need for an all encompassing new field is a necessity now. The Sanskrit word for life is prana and what can be more apt than Pranic Engineering as the best name for such a new field of engineering that deals with all engineering aspects of life and living.
Pranic Engineering can become the fourth basic field of engineering that would complement Civil, Mechanical and Electrical to cater to our entire engineering needs. Atleast a section of our Engineers in the not-so-distant future would be dealing with novel engineering scenarios like ‘living’ tools and fabrication of body parts. As life and living are involved, the question of ethics and values would be of paramount importance in the field of Pranic Engineering. Engineers who have so far dealt with only non-living raw materials will be called upon to handle materials that have life within or that could sustain life. Sustaining life by manufacture, modification and mending of body parts will become a joint effort of engineers and doctors rather than doctors alone as of now. Once we are able to recognize each Man as a combination of three or four distinct systemic parts (Body, Mind and Soul), Pranic Engineers must be dealing with sustainability of the tangible Body part of Man. Doctors were doing this so far, but we definitely need engineering involvement if we are to incorporate the concepts of spare parts, interchangeability, genetic manipulation, cloning, artificial life etc., into the field of Medicine.
Body Spare Parts
For an alien to this world of ours, it would be utterly puzzling to watch the thousands of dead bodies that are buried or burnt away everyday when thousands of others are also dying for want of parts from the very same bodies. It is an unpardonable mistake and an utterly illogical practice to dispense away human dead bodies without making any use of its valuable components that may save and sustain the lives of those who are struggling for life. When Man has even proved his capabilities in cloning and genetic manipulations, the argument of those who attribute God’s involvement in the management of post-death physical dead bodies looks irrational and idiotic. To avoid controversies and religious arguments, let us leave aside the question of Mind and Soul after one’s death. Let us leave it to the secrets of Nature to deal with these two aspects of Human life once the body has been overrun by death. In any case, both are invisible and whatever happens to the invisible components need not bother us in our practical lives. But human body is different and it must be treated so.
Human body is a valuable tangible part and it must be used to the maximum extent just like the dead bodies of all other living beings. Each and every part of a human dead body is invaluable for a limited time and we are still wasting it without putting it to any use. Even in the twenty first century we are directionless when it comes to a scientific way of handling human dead bodies. Religious rituals must concentrate on the Mind and Soul parts of our makeup and leave the tangible body to the doctors and Pranic Engineers to extract all that are useful and dispense off the scrap by incineration. We need only a photograph or mere memories of a person to carry on with the religious rituals. Modern Man must accept Science as an integral part of all religions and wholeheartedly agree for incorporation of scientific elements in all aspects of our lives. In return, Science must accede the entire space of spiritual and after-life affairs to the religious and spiritual leaders, and also stay away from provoking or poking at what is not yet known to Science.
Solving Living Problems
The relevance of Pranic Engineering will be all the more clear to everyone when we enter the age of artificial life. Days are not very far when very crude or primary forms of life will get created in various laboratories across the globe. We need systemic and systematic approaches for dealing with such situations, and only a universally accepted branch of basic engineering can further the healthy development of such a field. Like all new discoveries of tremendous potential, the possibilities of misuse are equally alive in this field as well. Ethical values of professionals in such fields are of great significance for the entire mankind. Evolution of Pranic Engineering as an established branch of Engineering is a must for development of an associated curriculum for training more and more people into this field. Only such trained professionals can control the growth of such new fields of knowledge and avoid its hijack by extremists and terrorists who have very limited and skewed agenda.
On a rough estimate the average life expectancy of a human being now is only about 25,000 days. Of this the last 5,000 days will be the difficult phase with physical ailments and psychological issues. Pranic Engineering can do quite a lot in reducing the difficulties of human beings in this phase by development of tools, equipments and techniques that can alleviate pain and misery. It is not that there are no efforts now. But a focused engineering effort can produce more focused and effective solutions to the current problems and future ones. Well qualified and trained Pranic Engineers forming an integral part of the medical fraternity can deliver much more effective remedies to ailments, both physical and mental. Very effective tools and techniques that are available in the unorganized and off-mainstream communities & cultures can be adopted and developed for common use as part of a modern scientific medical system. No life must be lost for want of timely remedy must be the motto of Pranic Engineers.
Modern medicine which is often wrongly referred to as Allopathic has really come of age and is constantly under evolution. Newer and newer techniques and medicines for treatment are added everyday, but so also the types of ailments and diseases. Designating a basic field of engineering to work along with medical experts to provide cost-effective and easily available solutions to human pain will highlight this vital gap. More focused and dedicated efforts are required to bring in discoveries and inventions in the field of Pranic Engineering to make our lives painless and more fruitful. The role of Pranic Engineers in the coming centuries would become more and more crucial because injuries to human bodies inflicted by the twin evil of fundamentalism and terrorism are also on the increase world-wide. Acceptability of Pranic Engineering as the fourth field of basic engineering is our immediate necessity now.
Pranic Engineering can become the fourth basic field of engineering that would complement Civil, Mechanical and Electrical to cater to our entire engineering needs. Atleast a section of our Engineers in the not-so-distant future would be dealing with novel engineering scenarios like ‘living’ tools and fabrication of body parts. As life and living are involved, the question of ethics and values would be of paramount importance in the field of Pranic Engineering. Engineers who have so far dealt with only non-living raw materials will be called upon to handle materials that have life within or that could sustain life. Sustaining life by manufacture, modification and mending of body parts will become a joint effort of engineers and doctors rather than doctors alone as of now. Once we are able to recognize each Man as a combination of three or four distinct systemic parts (Body, Mind and Soul), Pranic Engineers must be dealing with sustainability of the tangible Body part of Man. Doctors were doing this so far, but we definitely need engineering involvement if we are to incorporate the concepts of spare parts, interchangeability, genetic manipulation, cloning, artificial life etc., into the field of Medicine.
Body Spare Parts
For an alien to this world of ours, it would be utterly puzzling to watch the thousands of dead bodies that are buried or burnt away everyday when thousands of others are also dying for want of parts from the very same bodies. It is an unpardonable mistake and an utterly illogical practice to dispense away human dead bodies without making any use of its valuable components that may save and sustain the lives of those who are struggling for life. When Man has even proved his capabilities in cloning and genetic manipulations, the argument of those who attribute God’s involvement in the management of post-death physical dead bodies looks irrational and idiotic. To avoid controversies and religious arguments, let us leave aside the question of Mind and Soul after one’s death. Let us leave it to the secrets of Nature to deal with these two aspects of Human life once the body has been overrun by death. In any case, both are invisible and whatever happens to the invisible components need not bother us in our practical lives. But human body is different and it must be treated so.
Human body is a valuable tangible part and it must be used to the maximum extent just like the dead bodies of all other living beings. Each and every part of a human dead body is invaluable for a limited time and we are still wasting it without putting it to any use. Even in the twenty first century we are directionless when it comes to a scientific way of handling human dead bodies. Religious rituals must concentrate on the Mind and Soul parts of our makeup and leave the tangible body to the doctors and Pranic Engineers to extract all that are useful and dispense off the scrap by incineration. We need only a photograph or mere memories of a person to carry on with the religious rituals. Modern Man must accept Science as an integral part of all religions and wholeheartedly agree for incorporation of scientific elements in all aspects of our lives. In return, Science must accede the entire space of spiritual and after-life affairs to the religious and spiritual leaders, and also stay away from provoking or poking at what is not yet known to Science.
Solving Living Problems
The relevance of Pranic Engineering will be all the more clear to everyone when we enter the age of artificial life. Days are not very far when very crude or primary forms of life will get created in various laboratories across the globe. We need systemic and systematic approaches for dealing with such situations, and only a universally accepted branch of basic engineering can further the healthy development of such a field. Like all new discoveries of tremendous potential, the possibilities of misuse are equally alive in this field as well. Ethical values of professionals in such fields are of great significance for the entire mankind. Evolution of Pranic Engineering as an established branch of Engineering is a must for development of an associated curriculum for training more and more people into this field. Only such trained professionals can control the growth of such new fields of knowledge and avoid its hijack by extremists and terrorists who have very limited and skewed agenda.
On a rough estimate the average life expectancy of a human being now is only about 25,000 days. Of this the last 5,000 days will be the difficult phase with physical ailments and psychological issues. Pranic Engineering can do quite a lot in reducing the difficulties of human beings in this phase by development of tools, equipments and techniques that can alleviate pain and misery. It is not that there are no efforts now. But a focused engineering effort can produce more focused and effective solutions to the current problems and future ones. Well qualified and trained Pranic Engineers forming an integral part of the medical fraternity can deliver much more effective remedies to ailments, both physical and mental. Very effective tools and techniques that are available in the unorganized and off-mainstream communities & cultures can be adopted and developed for common use as part of a modern scientific medical system. No life must be lost for want of timely remedy must be the motto of Pranic Engineers.
Modern medicine which is often wrongly referred to as Allopathic has really come of age and is constantly under evolution. Newer and newer techniques and medicines for treatment are added everyday, but so also the types of ailments and diseases. Designating a basic field of engineering to work along with medical experts to provide cost-effective and easily available solutions to human pain will highlight this vital gap. More focused and dedicated efforts are required to bring in discoveries and inventions in the field of Pranic Engineering to make our lives painless and more fruitful. The role of Pranic Engineers in the coming centuries would become more and more crucial because injuries to human bodies inflicted by the twin evil of fundamentalism and terrorism are also on the increase world-wide. Acceptability of Pranic Engineering as the fourth field of basic engineering is our immediate necessity now.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Sabarimala Solutions
The callous attitude of authorities in power has taken its toll once again at Sabarimala. More than a hundred lives have been lost in an ‘accident’ that is not accidental at all. In a way we can easily see that it is a disaster by design. It does not need a doctorate in disaster studies to foresee the accident that is waiting to happen when a crowd of 200,000 people are crammed into an open area without lights, barricade, drinking water, police control and with very few exit paths in the midst of a dense forest. Disasters at Sabarimala have become a routine affair every year and even the news media are only waiting to hear the annual toll. And once it happens it is ‘festival’ time for all the electronic media with visuals of dead bodies piled up in lorries and pickups. God’s Own Country and Kerala Model have now become undesirable nightmares that frighten others.
Sabarimala temple at the heights of Western Ghats is a highly symbolic one. It embodies the message of Advaita, which is the very essence of Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD). Advaita philosophy signifies the heights of human philosophy and it takes HSD into the unique realm of Ishwar (the truly omnipresent and omnipotent) whereas all other religious paths are stagnating at the lower level of Devatas, the personal gods of tribes or communities which are vying with one another to become the one and only God or his son. Our ancient sages had their own reasons to set up such a unique temple at a unique place. But time has moved on and Hindu society must demonstrate the sagacity to reflect the same level of resilience that their Hindu Sanatana Dharma has always displayed in history. Solutions to problems at Sabarimala must come from within Hindu society. We respect Nature (of which forests are an integral part) and we live in a noble nation which has adopted a secular constitution, though its implementation has been pseudo-secular in every sphere.
So many people have suggested so many solutions, most of them well intentioned, for solving the problems involving deficit of infrastructure and resources at Sabarimala. But given all the constraints and opportunities (which are well known to be listed again) that exist in HSD and Indian nation, I see only TWO plausible solutions to the Sabarimala issue:-
1. Spread the Season:
All the present problems at Sabarimala are essentially because of visit by about 50 million people in a narrow window of 60 days time. It is almost impossible to acquire more and more forest land to set up facilities for such a big population for a mere 60 days usage every year. The more we encroach into forest land the more damage we are inflicting on the forest and its animals, which is very much against the ethos of HSD. There must be a complete freeze on the forest land already acquired and the human corridor must be completely segregated by providing frequent underpass for the passage of animals. And the temple authorities must decide to spread the Sabarimala season to atleast 6 months (October to March) instead of the present two months. If this is done, the present infrastructure is more than sufficient for the expected pilgrim population. All that is required is constant upkeep of the available facilities and infrastructure.
2. Setup more Sabarimalas:
Setting up a few more Sabarimalas is the next solution. Tantris (parent priests) of Sabarimala Ayyappan are clearly designated and they should take the initiative in setting up more temples for Sabarimala Ayyappan at different places in similar terrains. To make a beginning, Sabarimala Ayyappan temples can be set up on hill tops in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It is definitely not a pre-requisite to do it in the midst of thick forests or game sanctuaries for wildlife. The surrounding areas can be nurtured into thick forests at the temple expense in due course. This would be immense help for our environment also. Pilgrims can avoid the ordeal of train / bus travel and loot by unfriendly vendors like in Kerala. The name and fame of Sabarimala Ayyappan will also spread to more areas.
The number of Sabarimala pilgrims every year is bound to increase whatever be the scale of disaster this year or any other year. This is inevitable because the concept of Advaita, which the Sabarimala temple essentially represents, is the most cogent concept of God that can satisfy the innate rationality of any free thinking human being. Those of us who are bonded by the various types of organized religious thoughts, some of which are more political than philosophical, are bound to break free some day. More and more Advaitic spaces like Sabarimala and Oachira are the need of the hour and we can only hope that the authorities in power now will open their eyes to our spiritual demands.
Sabarimala temple at the heights of Western Ghats is a highly symbolic one. It embodies the message of Advaita, which is the very essence of Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD). Advaita philosophy signifies the heights of human philosophy and it takes HSD into the unique realm of Ishwar (the truly omnipresent and omnipotent) whereas all other religious paths are stagnating at the lower level of Devatas, the personal gods of tribes or communities which are vying with one another to become the one and only God or his son. Our ancient sages had their own reasons to set up such a unique temple at a unique place. But time has moved on and Hindu society must demonstrate the sagacity to reflect the same level of resilience that their Hindu Sanatana Dharma has always displayed in history. Solutions to problems at Sabarimala must come from within Hindu society. We respect Nature (of which forests are an integral part) and we live in a noble nation which has adopted a secular constitution, though its implementation has been pseudo-secular in every sphere.
So many people have suggested so many solutions, most of them well intentioned, for solving the problems involving deficit of infrastructure and resources at Sabarimala. But given all the constraints and opportunities (which are well known to be listed again) that exist in HSD and Indian nation, I see only TWO plausible solutions to the Sabarimala issue:-
1. Spread the Season:
All the present problems at Sabarimala are essentially because of visit by about 50 million people in a narrow window of 60 days time. It is almost impossible to acquire more and more forest land to set up facilities for such a big population for a mere 60 days usage every year. The more we encroach into forest land the more damage we are inflicting on the forest and its animals, which is very much against the ethos of HSD. There must be a complete freeze on the forest land already acquired and the human corridor must be completely segregated by providing frequent underpass for the passage of animals. And the temple authorities must decide to spread the Sabarimala season to atleast 6 months (October to March) instead of the present two months. If this is done, the present infrastructure is more than sufficient for the expected pilgrim population. All that is required is constant upkeep of the available facilities and infrastructure.
2. Setup more Sabarimalas:
Setting up a few more Sabarimalas is the next solution. Tantris (parent priests) of Sabarimala Ayyappan are clearly designated and they should take the initiative in setting up more temples for Sabarimala Ayyappan at different places in similar terrains. To make a beginning, Sabarimala Ayyappan temples can be set up on hill tops in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It is definitely not a pre-requisite to do it in the midst of thick forests or game sanctuaries for wildlife. The surrounding areas can be nurtured into thick forests at the temple expense in due course. This would be immense help for our environment also. Pilgrims can avoid the ordeal of train / bus travel and loot by unfriendly vendors like in Kerala. The name and fame of Sabarimala Ayyappan will also spread to more areas.
The number of Sabarimala pilgrims every year is bound to increase whatever be the scale of disaster this year or any other year. This is inevitable because the concept of Advaita, which the Sabarimala temple essentially represents, is the most cogent concept of God that can satisfy the innate rationality of any free thinking human being. Those of us who are bonded by the various types of organized religious thoughts, some of which are more political than philosophical, are bound to break free some day. More and more Advaitic spaces like Sabarimala and Oachira are the need of the hour and we can only hope that the authorities in power now will open their eyes to our spiritual demands.
Monday, January 03, 2011
Tainted India .vs. Maha Bharat
Indian nation is passing through one of the most difficult times. Who is not corrupt? This is the question that is ringing in the mind all ordinary Indians. Those among us who used to feel proud about the credibility of our incorruptible judiciary are also feeling shaky nowadays. Politics and politicians in India have always been dirty and the only the scale of scams have increased. Politicians have always got their livelihood and expenditure for the next elections as the common excuse for corruption. In the long saga of evolution from Mahatma Gandhi to Sonia Gandhi, Gandhism itself has undergone complete transformation and to be known as a Gandhian in India today is not a compliment anymore. Depending upon value of the scam, we can even start designating politicians as nano-Gandhian, micro-Gandhian, mega-Gandhian and even super-Gandhian. I would even recommend different colours for the Gandhi caps worn by such politicians during their annual get-togethers. The tainted adjective is now sticking to all positions like CJI, CVC, CEC and even the King, Queen, Prince and Prime Minister.
Adarsh, CWG and 2G scams have taken our nation to record heights in terms of the ‘scaming’ abilities of our politicians. Aiming for a few thousand rupees in bribe is no more attractive to even ordinary Panchayat members in India. Lakhs and crores of rupees are also not very tempting for many. Lakhs of crores and very soon crores of crores will be the target of national level politicians. Our seemingly unimpressive politicians, especially the capped variety, have outgrown our expectations in terms of identifying all the commodities that can be sold. Who would have thought that they would graduate so soon from their favourite crimes like human trafficking, sweat equity and kickbacks to the unseen world. Not even our top scientists and engineers could have dreamt of making money out of the unseen electro-magnetic waves. Stems cells, human body parts, emotions, values, virtues, relations, nationalism, patriotism etc., are some more items that be ‘sold’ and I am very sure that our politicians will start dealing with them very soon. Indian politicians have truly surpassed their cousins in other democracies.
Sinking Credibility
It is very easy to identify corruption and scams in India now. The RTI (Right-To-Information) act has literarily opened a can of worms and empowered the new brand of RTI activists. Real reasons behind the strong objections by some higher ups in Indian judiciary to the RTI act covering them also has become very clear now. All Caesers’ wives must be above suspicion but many of his wives are shying away from public scrutiny for reasons best known to everyone now. All those who aspire for a public life must bear in mind that they simply lose their right to privacy by this option. In a democracy, public life is the only way to power, but one must be also prepared to stand scrutiny for all their actions. Government officials who migrate into public life display such displeasure very often. As part of the Executive they are protected by suitable laws, but once they are in public life in search a greener pastures, they are answerable. The problem with many byzantine logothets who have come into public life only for the sake of fame lies in here. Manmohan Singh (MMS) is one such.
MMS had a successful stint in official life with Indian government, and he continued to get a lot of patronage and protection as Finance Minister under the shrewdest Indian PM Mr. Narasimha Rao. But ever since he has become a nominated (unelected) Prime Minister under Sonia Gandhi, his real test as a democratic leader has started. He has completely failed in this and has repeatedly shown his lack of skills in handling smarter politicians who work with him. A real leader in a democracy is always near and dear to a majority of public, even if he does not meet them or mingle with them. His words and deeds must match and generate confidence in the common man. But MMS is far away from all this. By not contesting general elections, he has abdicated his moral responsibility to be an elected leader and declared that he is far away from all of us. Impeccable character and unquestionable integrity become mere sycophant adjectives in such a case. Only a democratically elected leader can command respect and feel outraged if a unite opposition goes on the offensive. ‘Scamsters’ are continuing with their loot without any inhibition and fear only because they have sensed a complete lack of moral authority and legitimate leadership.
Golden Opportunity
A completely corrupted ruling establishment in India today is presenting one of the best opportunities for the Right who can easily get into the ruling throne if they are smart enough. Ever since the partition of India on religious lines in 1947, the legitimate owners to Indian territory is an open secret. All that they have to do is to win the elections and present one full term of dharmic rule. It may be easily said than done. Mass leaders with impeccable credentials must be brought into the forefront and given the mandate to rule the country without fear or favour. Temporariness must be the only difference between a democratically elected ruler and a monarchy. Constitution of India, which is considered one of the best in the world, must be implemented in letter and spirit. Equality of everyone before the rule of law is the best tool to bring in prosperity in an inherently rich country like India. Same laws applicable to one and all, irrespective of religion and region, can take India to its glorious heights once again. A tainted India can become Maha Bharat once again.
It is often heard that Mahatma Gandhi was very much in favour of disbanding Indian National Congress that spearheaded our struggle for liberation from the British rule. His logic was perfect and it would have given all the political parties a level platform. People from all sections of the society in all regions of India took part in the struggle and Indian National Congress was the only platform available then. But one single party’s claim now for full credit is nothing but absurd. And the partition of India makes their case completely meaningless in every sense. What they claim to have liberated is only a part of the whole and there is hardly anything creditable about it. In fact this should have been made clear in our constitution itself, that we the people of India have liberated this nation. It is a shame that the opposition parties are allowing the present Congress to make such claims, when it can be legitimately challenged in a court of law and declared illegal. And once their illegitimate claims are annulled, what is it that is left in the present day Congress? It is a mere crowd of family sycophants with no ideology, purpose and sense of direction.
The entire political spectrum is responsible for the mess that India is in today. Those on the ruling side by their uninhibited indulgence and those in the opposition by their inexplicable inaction. Indian opposition parties have been in the opposition for so long that they could have put out draft versions of legislation that reflect their intentions on everything that concerns an Indian. The only such idea that is floating around is the preference for a uniform civil law. In that too, what is preventing the Right from putting out the entire set of acts, laws and rules that needs to be passed by the parliament for this purpose? That would have made their intentions and purpose crystal clear to everyone including their political opponents. If the Right can bring out their real intentions and lay it in front of the Indian public in all such vital aspects of nation building, it is almost sure that they can make their entry into the corridors of power in Delhi with no need for exit in any foreseeable future. A tainted India is waiting for Mr. Right to set it right.
Adarsh, CWG and 2G scams have taken our nation to record heights in terms of the ‘scaming’ abilities of our politicians. Aiming for a few thousand rupees in bribe is no more attractive to even ordinary Panchayat members in India. Lakhs and crores of rupees are also not very tempting for many. Lakhs of crores and very soon crores of crores will be the target of national level politicians. Our seemingly unimpressive politicians, especially the capped variety, have outgrown our expectations in terms of identifying all the commodities that can be sold. Who would have thought that they would graduate so soon from their favourite crimes like human trafficking, sweat equity and kickbacks to the unseen world. Not even our top scientists and engineers could have dreamt of making money out of the unseen electro-magnetic waves. Stems cells, human body parts, emotions, values, virtues, relations, nationalism, patriotism etc., are some more items that be ‘sold’ and I am very sure that our politicians will start dealing with them very soon. Indian politicians have truly surpassed their cousins in other democracies.
Sinking Credibility
It is very easy to identify corruption and scams in India now. The RTI (Right-To-Information) act has literarily opened a can of worms and empowered the new brand of RTI activists. Real reasons behind the strong objections by some higher ups in Indian judiciary to the RTI act covering them also has become very clear now. All Caesers’ wives must be above suspicion but many of his wives are shying away from public scrutiny for reasons best known to everyone now. All those who aspire for a public life must bear in mind that they simply lose their right to privacy by this option. In a democracy, public life is the only way to power, but one must be also prepared to stand scrutiny for all their actions. Government officials who migrate into public life display such displeasure very often. As part of the Executive they are protected by suitable laws, but once they are in public life in search a greener pastures, they are answerable. The problem with many byzantine logothets who have come into public life only for the sake of fame lies in here. Manmohan Singh (MMS) is one such.
MMS had a successful stint in official life with Indian government, and he continued to get a lot of patronage and protection as Finance Minister under the shrewdest Indian PM Mr. Narasimha Rao. But ever since he has become a nominated (unelected) Prime Minister under Sonia Gandhi, his real test as a democratic leader has started. He has completely failed in this and has repeatedly shown his lack of skills in handling smarter politicians who work with him. A real leader in a democracy is always near and dear to a majority of public, even if he does not meet them or mingle with them. His words and deeds must match and generate confidence in the common man. But MMS is far away from all this. By not contesting general elections, he has abdicated his moral responsibility to be an elected leader and declared that he is far away from all of us. Impeccable character and unquestionable integrity become mere sycophant adjectives in such a case. Only a democratically elected leader can command respect and feel outraged if a unite opposition goes on the offensive. ‘Scamsters’ are continuing with their loot without any inhibition and fear only because they have sensed a complete lack of moral authority and legitimate leadership.
Golden Opportunity
A completely corrupted ruling establishment in India today is presenting one of the best opportunities for the Right who can easily get into the ruling throne if they are smart enough. Ever since the partition of India on religious lines in 1947, the legitimate owners to Indian territory is an open secret. All that they have to do is to win the elections and present one full term of dharmic rule. It may be easily said than done. Mass leaders with impeccable credentials must be brought into the forefront and given the mandate to rule the country without fear or favour. Temporariness must be the only difference between a democratically elected ruler and a monarchy. Constitution of India, which is considered one of the best in the world, must be implemented in letter and spirit. Equality of everyone before the rule of law is the best tool to bring in prosperity in an inherently rich country like India. Same laws applicable to one and all, irrespective of religion and region, can take India to its glorious heights once again. A tainted India can become Maha Bharat once again.
It is often heard that Mahatma Gandhi was very much in favour of disbanding Indian National Congress that spearheaded our struggle for liberation from the British rule. His logic was perfect and it would have given all the political parties a level platform. People from all sections of the society in all regions of India took part in the struggle and Indian National Congress was the only platform available then. But one single party’s claim now for full credit is nothing but absurd. And the partition of India makes their case completely meaningless in every sense. What they claim to have liberated is only a part of the whole and there is hardly anything creditable about it. In fact this should have been made clear in our constitution itself, that we the people of India have liberated this nation. It is a shame that the opposition parties are allowing the present Congress to make such claims, when it can be legitimately challenged in a court of law and declared illegal. And once their illegitimate claims are annulled, what is it that is left in the present day Congress? It is a mere crowd of family sycophants with no ideology, purpose and sense of direction.
The entire political spectrum is responsible for the mess that India is in today. Those on the ruling side by their uninhibited indulgence and those in the opposition by their inexplicable inaction. Indian opposition parties have been in the opposition for so long that they could have put out draft versions of legislation that reflect their intentions on everything that concerns an Indian. The only such idea that is floating around is the preference for a uniform civil law. In that too, what is preventing the Right from putting out the entire set of acts, laws and rules that needs to be passed by the parliament for this purpose? That would have made their intentions and purpose crystal clear to everyone including their political opponents. If the Right can bring out their real intentions and lay it in front of the Indian public in all such vital aspects of nation building, it is almost sure that they can make their entry into the corridors of power in Delhi with no need for exit in any foreseeable future. A tainted India is waiting for Mr. Right to set it right.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Advaitic Ayyappans
The idea, legend and concept of Lord Ayyappa is a typical one in Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD) that symbolically reflects the entire spectrum of its own evolution to the heights of Advaitic thoughts. The story of Lord Ayyappa is very interesting and how it connects the ancient with contemporary provides the best indications about the inbuilt auto-reformation process that is present within the most progressive, rational and secular religion available to mankind. Lord Ayyappa comes literally into the midst of the modern world as a renewed version of Sastha who is a product of the natural synergy of Haran and Hari. Seamless incarnations of the God into various forms with varying intensities and their interactions for the ultimate upkeep of Dharma is the best working model that is available for sustaining humanity. This is in sharp contrast with the destructive models of forcible beliefs about an unseen God who is bent on enforcing strict discipline by punishing and rewarding all humans. It is fear and not love that prevails in such beliefs.
It is not very surprising that such a human incarnation as Lord Ayyappa has happened in the very land of Adi Sankara who had earlier put the final seal of approval on Advaita philosophy. Any history beyond a few centuries in the past get mixed up with mythology and are to be taken as such. Debates and dissertations to establish its authenticity are worthless, especially when it concerns our beliefs and culture. Lord Ayyappa lived among us and he has left behind a formidable heritage that keeps on reminding us about the inseparability of God from anything including Man. There is an element of God in each one of us and the pilgrimage to Sabarimala signifies this aspect more than anything else. Symbolically all the pilgrims get completely identified as Ayyappans (God) just by putting on a chain worth a few rupees. This uniformity and simplicity may be found in many other pilgrimages, but never the height of philosophical wisdom of realizing the God within. Unlike other religions, it is not the prescribed duty of each volunteer to undertake this pilgrimage, but the natural urge within oneself to identify with his or her true self. There is no compulsion whatsoever, but only the inner quest for a pilgrimage in pursuit of rational truth.
Growing Popularity
The popularity of Sabarimala pilgrimage is growing every year. In the two month period every year, the number of pilgrims is to the tune of fifty million and it is perhaps the biggest annual pilgrimage anywhere in the world. On a rough scale the revenue generated in the region can be placed at above 500 million dollars (2500 crores of Indian Rupees) and the net annual income from this pilgrimage alone to the state exchequer (which controls the temple) is definitely more than 250 million dollars every year. It is crystal clear that the underlying logic for all festivals in Hindu Sanatana Dharma is generation & distribution of wealth, and yet it never happens in our pseudo-secular setup. A simple pilgrimage embodying the heights of Indian spirituality is fast gaining popularity through out India, but the intended churning of wealth is getting pocketed by an ‘adharmic’ setup. But how long can this loot continue remains to be seen. An oganised setup of contradicting ideologies co-operating only for the limited purpose of destroying the temple and the pilgrimage by looting the pilgrims is working overtime in Kerala.
What makes Sabarimala pilgrimage more popular is the geographical terrain that it entails. The mountainous terrain amidst dense forests where Lord Ayyappa finally chose to settle down, again symbolizes the heights of spirituality that is inherent in Advaitic thoughts. God is omnipresent, yet we need continuous ascent in thoughts and deeds to realize the God within us. Legend has it that Lord Ayyappa had Muslim and Christian friends during his times of constant efforts in the upkeep of Dharma. The legend may be true or false. But what it conveys is the message of equality and brotherhood as far as a highly intense divine existence is concerned. We see inequality and animosity around us because most of us are not making any attempt to realize the same God which is present in everyone. Each Sabarimala pilgrimage provides an opportunity to get a feel of the divinity inherent in such Advaitic practices. Irrespective of colour, creed and caste all Ayyappans carry the same God energy within them.
Scheming Animosity
Success of Sabarimala has also drawn the attention of other ideologies, some elements of which are working overtime in defeating Hindu Sanatana Dharma in its land of origin. Hindu Sanatana Dharma puts great emphasis on individual efforts to achieve self-realisation (or moksha) and that has become its main drawback for sustaining itself among the predatory religions. Getting together and organizing have become primary requisites for success in the present day world even for religions. Baber and British could defeat a pre-dominantly Hindu nation like India only because of the lack of an organizational religious structure. Though weak in content, the other religious ideologies made great inroads in India only because of their superior organized missionaries and mercenaries. Increasing popularity of Hindu festivals involving mass participation is viewed with great anxiety by many vested interests. An organized Hindu religion is definitely an oxymoron, but even efforts on the part of some leaders to make ordinary Hindus realize the greatness of their ideology can upset many global calculations.
Animosity of schemers against the success of Sabarimala started decades back. There were even attempts to burn down the temple. One of our secular leaders went to the extent of declaring the burning down as a great achievement. His words like “every temple burnt will bring down evil in our society” are still sacrosanct for the pseudo-seculars in our society. The temple has come up again and the pilgrimage is climbing greater heights every year. Crafty schemers have now joined the stream with the ultimate objective of defeating it from within. There is plenty of money involved in the pilgrimage and attempts are afoot to loot the pilgrims (especially those from outside Kerala) to the maximum extent. As the number of pilgrims is increasing exponentially every year, nothing more than the simple inaction of not providing basic amenities is required on the part of enemies to make it a failure.
But whatever be the schemes or designs of its enemies, the pilgrimage shall continue to progress because more and more people are realizing its underlying message and meaning. Those who are trying to burn down one Sabarimala may end in great distress when they find a dozen more Sabarimalas coming up in other parts of India. It is better for them to remember that Lord Ayyappan is not a Malayali in the narrow context of Indian geography. Anyone anywhere can realize his or her true meaning and another Lord Ayyappan can manifest anywhere in this universe. The natural process of self-realisation with the help of our rational mind is unstoppable. The Advaitic process is formidable and an inevitable necessity for a progressive mankind. All of us will achieve realization sooner or later and it will be a world full of Ayyappans then.
It is not very surprising that such a human incarnation as Lord Ayyappa has happened in the very land of Adi Sankara who had earlier put the final seal of approval on Advaita philosophy. Any history beyond a few centuries in the past get mixed up with mythology and are to be taken as such. Debates and dissertations to establish its authenticity are worthless, especially when it concerns our beliefs and culture. Lord Ayyappa lived among us and he has left behind a formidable heritage that keeps on reminding us about the inseparability of God from anything including Man. There is an element of God in each one of us and the pilgrimage to Sabarimala signifies this aspect more than anything else. Symbolically all the pilgrims get completely identified as Ayyappans (God) just by putting on a chain worth a few rupees. This uniformity and simplicity may be found in many other pilgrimages, but never the height of philosophical wisdom of realizing the God within. Unlike other religions, it is not the prescribed duty of each volunteer to undertake this pilgrimage, but the natural urge within oneself to identify with his or her true self. There is no compulsion whatsoever, but only the inner quest for a pilgrimage in pursuit of rational truth.
Growing Popularity
The popularity of Sabarimala pilgrimage is growing every year. In the two month period every year, the number of pilgrims is to the tune of fifty million and it is perhaps the biggest annual pilgrimage anywhere in the world. On a rough scale the revenue generated in the region can be placed at above 500 million dollars (2500 crores of Indian Rupees) and the net annual income from this pilgrimage alone to the state exchequer (which controls the temple) is definitely more than 250 million dollars every year. It is crystal clear that the underlying logic for all festivals in Hindu Sanatana Dharma is generation & distribution of wealth, and yet it never happens in our pseudo-secular setup. A simple pilgrimage embodying the heights of Indian spirituality is fast gaining popularity through out India, but the intended churning of wealth is getting pocketed by an ‘adharmic’ setup. But how long can this loot continue remains to be seen. An oganised setup of contradicting ideologies co-operating only for the limited purpose of destroying the temple and the pilgrimage by looting the pilgrims is working overtime in Kerala.
What makes Sabarimala pilgrimage more popular is the geographical terrain that it entails. The mountainous terrain amidst dense forests where Lord Ayyappa finally chose to settle down, again symbolizes the heights of spirituality that is inherent in Advaitic thoughts. God is omnipresent, yet we need continuous ascent in thoughts and deeds to realize the God within us. Legend has it that Lord Ayyappa had Muslim and Christian friends during his times of constant efforts in the upkeep of Dharma. The legend may be true or false. But what it conveys is the message of equality and brotherhood as far as a highly intense divine existence is concerned. We see inequality and animosity around us because most of us are not making any attempt to realize the same God which is present in everyone. Each Sabarimala pilgrimage provides an opportunity to get a feel of the divinity inherent in such Advaitic practices. Irrespective of colour, creed and caste all Ayyappans carry the same God energy within them.
Scheming Animosity
Success of Sabarimala has also drawn the attention of other ideologies, some elements of which are working overtime in defeating Hindu Sanatana Dharma in its land of origin. Hindu Sanatana Dharma puts great emphasis on individual efforts to achieve self-realisation (or moksha) and that has become its main drawback for sustaining itself among the predatory religions. Getting together and organizing have become primary requisites for success in the present day world even for religions. Baber and British could defeat a pre-dominantly Hindu nation like India only because of the lack of an organizational religious structure. Though weak in content, the other religious ideologies made great inroads in India only because of their superior organized missionaries and mercenaries. Increasing popularity of Hindu festivals involving mass participation is viewed with great anxiety by many vested interests. An organized Hindu religion is definitely an oxymoron, but even efforts on the part of some leaders to make ordinary Hindus realize the greatness of their ideology can upset many global calculations.
Animosity of schemers against the success of Sabarimala started decades back. There were even attempts to burn down the temple. One of our secular leaders went to the extent of declaring the burning down as a great achievement. His words like “every temple burnt will bring down evil in our society” are still sacrosanct for the pseudo-seculars in our society. The temple has come up again and the pilgrimage is climbing greater heights every year. Crafty schemers have now joined the stream with the ultimate objective of defeating it from within. There is plenty of money involved in the pilgrimage and attempts are afoot to loot the pilgrims (especially those from outside Kerala) to the maximum extent. As the number of pilgrims is increasing exponentially every year, nothing more than the simple inaction of not providing basic amenities is required on the part of enemies to make it a failure.
But whatever be the schemes or designs of its enemies, the pilgrimage shall continue to progress because more and more people are realizing its underlying message and meaning. Those who are trying to burn down one Sabarimala may end in great distress when they find a dozen more Sabarimalas coming up in other parts of India. It is better for them to remember that Lord Ayyappan is not a Malayali in the narrow context of Indian geography. Anyone anywhere can realize his or her true meaning and another Lord Ayyappan can manifest anywhere in this universe. The natural process of self-realisation with the help of our rational mind is unstoppable. The Advaitic process is formidable and an inevitable necessity for a progressive mankind. All of us will achieve realization sooner or later and it will be a world full of Ayyappans then.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
External God Delusion
An organized campaign orchestrated by the organized religions to establish the irresistible delusion regarding an external God that is far removed from all of us is growing day by day. There are powerful forces at play with vested interests to prevent ordinary mortals from realizing the simple fact that there is no such entity as God who is working full time to monitor our activities. There is no God who can give us rewards and punishments. Those who are constantly driving this point into the mind of the poor and vulnerable are doing a great disservice to their own selves. Evolution of man to superman has been stunted by this sort of selfish deeds of a few thousands among the six odd billion humans. Efforts of those few who have realized and are convinced about the non-existence of any God that is external to anyone or anything need to be doubled to get rid of the current delusion. The single hand effort of Prof. Richard Dawkins is admirable and his book “God Delusion” is a must read for all those who are in serious pursuit of the ultimate truth (which we consider as God).
Dawkins has clearly exposed all the existing popular religious theories about God and the organized religions stand completely exposed as a result of his campaign. But he has clearly erred on one point ie. regarding the concept of God in Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD). He has mistakenly identified the core of HSD with a few facets of it visible to him in the West. Hindu mythology and Hindu festivals that overflow with the joy of multitude of Gods are only some of its umpteen lower versions that are meant for the ordinary mortals. Variety is the spice in everyone’s life and a religious philosophy that can elevate those who can understand it to an entirely different plane is only providing versions of it for accommodating one and all. But those who really want to go deep into it must not have missed the wood for the trees. Advaita philosophy lies at the core of HSD and if only Prof. Richard Dawkins understood what is Advaita, could he have avoided the few mistakes in his work. Nevertheless he has almost done the impossible by completely demolishing God delusion in his own society and its neighbourhood.
Ultimate Realisation
The concept of Advaita which establishes the presence of God in everything and anything that exists (and that we can think of) has been a thread that runs through HSD at all times. There are many even in India who still believes that it is something that was newly propounded by Adi Sankara (considered to be the most intelligent human being ever lived by those who have (bothered) to read and understand his works). Acrimonious and violent debates between strong schools of thought like Dvaita, Advaita and Vishitadvaita within HSD was commonplace in ancient India. Each of them had outstanding supporters and their arguments substantiating their own respective positions are plenty in the so-called Vedic literature. Among the three, Dvaita and Vishitadvaita are nothing but the original wine of what has been presented in new bottles in modern times as organized religions. Theological debates that are contemporary in the Middle East and West had taken place in India thousands of years back.
Adi Sankara immortalized himself by becoming one of the last scholars in ancient India who put the final seal on Advaita. His literary works which elucidates his arguments leaves no doubt in our mind about the authenticity of Advaita. He is the one who settled the longest debate on God by stating the obvious that God is nothing but the spirit or energy or righteousness that is present in everything. Now every religion talks about an omnipresent and omnipotent God, but when it comes to details the same God is external to us and is detailed as someone who is more bothered about our affairs than we are. This is nothing but cent percent contradiction. How can an omnipresent God be NOT PRESENT within you also? So if at all there is an omnipresent and omnipotent God, only Advaita can be true. Who wants a God which is not omnipresent and omnipotent? The defeated isms have made a successful comeback in other parts of the world in the form of organized religions preaching a God which is clearly external to us. And that is what modern Sankaras like Dawkins are now stripping apart. As for mankind as a whole, we have wasted and are wasting our time. If we had continued from where Adi Sankara had left off, the whole mankind would have attained self-realisation. And we would have had a paradise here itself!!
Analogously Digital
Though Advaita is the last word as a religious theory, its strongest proponent Adi Sankara cannot be considered successful because of his failure in building it up as a formidable ideological argument. Almost all the popular religious texts in HSD espouse Advaita, yet when it comes to the level of understanding of a common man, the force of argument and understanding weakens. The ultimate religious text viz. Bhagavd Gita is full of descriptions and symbols about the ‘advaitic’ nature of God. All the characters (and even animals and the inanimate ones) in Mahabharata & Ramayana stand out with the presence of God in varying degrees. While in Lord Rama and Krishna the divine content is almost full, it is the lack of it in Ravan and Duryodhan that makes them unique. Presence and absence of God is almost binary is nature with an infinite number of interim stages of its presence.
A complete emancipation of any human being will only come with his full comprehension about the analogously binary nature of God as espoused by Advaita. All his (or her) doubts will vanish only after a complete realization sets in about the nature of God. Name and form becomes unimportant then. And this exactly is the very reason for weakening of HSD society. All the realized souls and emancipated personalities in our midst take a backseat and tend to vanish from the vanguard of our society after they have realized the worthlessness of names and forms. The isms that have been squarely defeated earlier have surfaced again fully utilizing this opportunity. And the vulnerable, as all of us are at times, always get attracted to the easy ideas and quick-fix solutions like prayers and rituals instead of full application of their innate rationality and reasoning powers to understand God.
We still require all the efforts of all the thinking people in this world to ‘popularise’ Advaita to the entire humanity. The efforts of people like Prof. Richard Dawkins (www.richarddawkins.net) assume great importance in this regard. By effectively pulling down the concept of an external God, he is knowingly or unknowingly espousing the cause of Advaita. All his remarkably convincing arguments exposing the propaganda games of organized religions about a God that makes, monitors, punishes and rewards Man provide good framework for the ultimate success of Advaita concept. An ardent advocate of Advaita and a firebrand atheist are separated only by a veil of ignorance. This systematically arranged universe of ours needs the existence of an all pervading glue of logic, which we call as God. It is present in everything including humans in varying degrees and I have no doubt about its increased presence in people like Prof. Richard Dawkins. Best wishes for his noble endeavour of exposing the two organized religious ideologies.
Dawkins has clearly exposed all the existing popular religious theories about God and the organized religions stand completely exposed as a result of his campaign. But he has clearly erred on one point ie. regarding the concept of God in Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD). He has mistakenly identified the core of HSD with a few facets of it visible to him in the West. Hindu mythology and Hindu festivals that overflow with the joy of multitude of Gods are only some of its umpteen lower versions that are meant for the ordinary mortals. Variety is the spice in everyone’s life and a religious philosophy that can elevate those who can understand it to an entirely different plane is only providing versions of it for accommodating one and all. But those who really want to go deep into it must not have missed the wood for the trees. Advaita philosophy lies at the core of HSD and if only Prof. Richard Dawkins understood what is Advaita, could he have avoided the few mistakes in his work. Nevertheless he has almost done the impossible by completely demolishing God delusion in his own society and its neighbourhood.
Ultimate Realisation
The concept of Advaita which establishes the presence of God in everything and anything that exists (and that we can think of) has been a thread that runs through HSD at all times. There are many even in India who still believes that it is something that was newly propounded by Adi Sankara (considered to be the most intelligent human being ever lived by those who have (bothered) to read and understand his works). Acrimonious and violent debates between strong schools of thought like Dvaita, Advaita and Vishitadvaita within HSD was commonplace in ancient India. Each of them had outstanding supporters and their arguments substantiating their own respective positions are plenty in the so-called Vedic literature. Among the three, Dvaita and Vishitadvaita are nothing but the original wine of what has been presented in new bottles in modern times as organized religions. Theological debates that are contemporary in the Middle East and West had taken place in India thousands of years back.
Adi Sankara immortalized himself by becoming one of the last scholars in ancient India who put the final seal on Advaita. His literary works which elucidates his arguments leaves no doubt in our mind about the authenticity of Advaita. He is the one who settled the longest debate on God by stating the obvious that God is nothing but the spirit or energy or righteousness that is present in everything. Now every religion talks about an omnipresent and omnipotent God, but when it comes to details the same God is external to us and is detailed as someone who is more bothered about our affairs than we are. This is nothing but cent percent contradiction. How can an omnipresent God be NOT PRESENT within you also? So if at all there is an omnipresent and omnipotent God, only Advaita can be true. Who wants a God which is not omnipresent and omnipotent? The defeated isms have made a successful comeback in other parts of the world in the form of organized religions preaching a God which is clearly external to us. And that is what modern Sankaras like Dawkins are now stripping apart. As for mankind as a whole, we have wasted and are wasting our time. If we had continued from where Adi Sankara had left off, the whole mankind would have attained self-realisation. And we would have had a paradise here itself!!
Analogously Digital
Though Advaita is the last word as a religious theory, its strongest proponent Adi Sankara cannot be considered successful because of his failure in building it up as a formidable ideological argument. Almost all the popular religious texts in HSD espouse Advaita, yet when it comes to the level of understanding of a common man, the force of argument and understanding weakens. The ultimate religious text viz. Bhagavd Gita is full of descriptions and symbols about the ‘advaitic’ nature of God. All the characters (and even animals and the inanimate ones) in Mahabharata & Ramayana stand out with the presence of God in varying degrees. While in Lord Rama and Krishna the divine content is almost full, it is the lack of it in Ravan and Duryodhan that makes them unique. Presence and absence of God is almost binary is nature with an infinite number of interim stages of its presence.
A complete emancipation of any human being will only come with his full comprehension about the analogously binary nature of God as espoused by Advaita. All his (or her) doubts will vanish only after a complete realization sets in about the nature of God. Name and form becomes unimportant then. And this exactly is the very reason for weakening of HSD society. All the realized souls and emancipated personalities in our midst take a backseat and tend to vanish from the vanguard of our society after they have realized the worthlessness of names and forms. The isms that have been squarely defeated earlier have surfaced again fully utilizing this opportunity. And the vulnerable, as all of us are at times, always get attracted to the easy ideas and quick-fix solutions like prayers and rituals instead of full application of their innate rationality and reasoning powers to understand God.
We still require all the efforts of all the thinking people in this world to ‘popularise’ Advaita to the entire humanity. The efforts of people like Prof. Richard Dawkins (www.richarddawkins.net) assume great importance in this regard. By effectively pulling down the concept of an external God, he is knowingly or unknowingly espousing the cause of Advaita. All his remarkably convincing arguments exposing the propaganda games of organized religions about a God that makes, monitors, punishes and rewards Man provide good framework for the ultimate success of Advaita concept. An ardent advocate of Advaita and a firebrand atheist are separated only by a veil of ignorance. This systematically arranged universe of ours needs the existence of an all pervading glue of logic, which we call as God. It is present in everything including humans in varying degrees and I have no doubt about its increased presence in people like Prof. Richard Dawkins. Best wishes for his noble endeavour of exposing the two organized religious ideologies.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Kerala Pandits
Kashmiri Pandits and Palestinians share many unfortunate commonalities. Yet whenever the civilized world deliberates on human atrocities, the former community is entirely forgotten. The reasons are obvious and there is very little that Indians can do about it. Bloodshed and bombs are the only proven methods to catch world’s attention and Pandits, being Indians, are inherently incapable of excelling in that option. Second and third generation of Kashmiri migrants are languishing in refugee camps spread over India for reasons unknown to them. Indians have an uncanny knack for suffering and Pandits seem to possess more of it. There may be many more similar refugees in different parts of the world, but the case of Kashmiri Pandits is something unique and worthy of study by others. All that is required is to note that India’s first Prime Minister, who could have done literally anything in India, was a Kashmiri Pandit himself!
What happened to the Pandits in Kashmir did not take place in one month or one year or even one decade. It was a long process which provided enough warning signals and opportunities for remedial action. But the so-called community leaders saved their skins (also their immediate family) and collective conscience of the community became numb when it was supposed to be alert. Action was most wanted when the first signs of trans-border loyalty started showing and the community failed miserably in doing anything. Wishing for divine interventions and unsolicited help from others have not solved the problems of any community anywhere in the world. In critical times, action and even thoughts of each and every individual in a society can contribute to their ultimate victory and survival. Recognising and accepting the reality of dangerous signals is the first requirement for avoiding any catastrophe in the future. Unfortunately this is exactly what is lacking in the case of the many more Pandits in the making. The case of Kerala Hindus, especially the so-called higher castes, is a typical one.
Demographic Disaster
Kerala’s Hindu community is dwindling on account of four major factors – Family Planning, Religious Conversion, Family Suicides and Migration. One of the main factors that resulted in the famous Kerala Model of 1980s was the decreasing denominator trend namely population growth. While all political parties and leaders are claiming credit for Kerala Model, the fact remains that such a decline was solely due to the strict adherence of Hindu community to the Family Planning program advocated by the governments in power. A few of the progressive elements in the other two religious communities might have done the same, but a majority of the minority communities ignored the nation’s need with complete impunity. The net result is the shrinking of majority community from almost 70% to about 55% now. Organisations of the two organized religious communities used the situation to create a demographic advantage by ‘educating’ their masses to shun Family Planning. It would be a great eye-opener if someone can conduct a thorough study on this.
As if one weapon was not enough, organized religious conversion was the other deadly weapon in the rivals’ arsenal to tilt the numbers in their favour. Milkpowder conversion by the missionaries and the newly revealed Love Jihad are nothing but deadly weapons that continue to take its toll in Kerala society. Now it is almost a certainty that in any inter-religious marriage in Kerala, the loser is always the Hindu community. If not the spouse, the organized communities will ensure that atleast the children are converted. And once they are in, there is no question of going back for fear of life or loss of limbs. The situation has become even worse in recent times due to the increasing number of family suicides and migration of Hindu families to other districts and states when they are surrounded by the might of organized communities. The number of electoral constituencies is fast growing in the so-called minority districts and decreasing where there is majority. The impact on government and governance is obvious in the days to come.
Political Hypocrisy
Hallmark of petty politicians is arch hypocrisy and current Kerala politics is infested with such a variety. The words secularism and communalism have lost their meaning completely. Each individual politician has his own meaning and interpretation for the two and that too varies with situation and times. Division of India on communal lines affected the north of India mostly and people there still retain some spirit of true secularism and realize the horror of communalism. But it is not so in Kerala. The future Pandits of Kerala are now in a self-destructive mode being lectured on secularism by political parties like Muslim Leagues and Kerala Congress. Some of their leaders have even written books on what is true secularism (sic). Just like Family Planning, the charlatans have quietly discovered the next platform to deceive the lotus-eating majority. While the foolish lot will watch the debates and seminars on top of the platform, focused and determined work will be done underneath to subvert the entire edifice.
In the reality of today, liquid money is the root cause of everything good and bad. Things have started going bad in Kerala ever since a cunning few from the minority communities identified their goldmines in the Gulf and the West. What they have promised their sponsors abroad can be easily guessed, and containers of money are flowing into the state for consolidation of vote banks to capture power democratically. And once it is achieved, it is known to all about what will follow. The trap of political correctness has mimed the few sincere politicians who are anyway considered ‘misfit’ in contemporary politics. Erstwhile imperialists in the West and new aspirants in the form of Arab imperialism are eagerly waiting to land in the shores of God’s Own Country à la Vasco-De-Gama in 1498AD. If it was East India Company then, it will be outright communal corporations that will penetrate the whole of India through Kerala this time. For any close Kerala watcher, the minority grip on politics, government, police, judiciary, business etc., is so very evident and any relief is not easy.
But Kerala Hindus are fast asleep and their snoring is growing day by day. Communities that produced the likes of Adi Sankara, Sree Narayana, Chattampi Swamikal, Mata Amritanadamayi are clueless and lost in direction. Leaders of their prominent community organizations have fallen for slush money and now they spent more time proving their secular credentials in front of minority leaders than in their organizations. While some of the ‘secular’ leaders refuse to light even ceremonial lamps, the petty majority leaders are waiting in front of their palaces and majlises for an appointment. We can only pity the Kerala Pandits who have reposed their faith on Communism to save them from the impending disaster. Remember that the ‘greatest’ communist EMS was a Kerala Pandit and he did exactly what Nehru did to his own people. With his landmark land reforms act, he not only destroyed his own folks but made the poaching communities richer by excluding commercial crops from its purview. Kerala’s Hindus, like Kashmiri Pandits, will end up in refugee camps sooner or later if they cannot secure their position. It is now or never.
What happened to the Pandits in Kashmir did not take place in one month or one year or even one decade. It was a long process which provided enough warning signals and opportunities for remedial action. But the so-called community leaders saved their skins (also their immediate family) and collective conscience of the community became numb when it was supposed to be alert. Action was most wanted when the first signs of trans-border loyalty started showing and the community failed miserably in doing anything. Wishing for divine interventions and unsolicited help from others have not solved the problems of any community anywhere in the world. In critical times, action and even thoughts of each and every individual in a society can contribute to their ultimate victory and survival. Recognising and accepting the reality of dangerous signals is the first requirement for avoiding any catastrophe in the future. Unfortunately this is exactly what is lacking in the case of the many more Pandits in the making. The case of Kerala Hindus, especially the so-called higher castes, is a typical one.
Demographic Disaster
Kerala’s Hindu community is dwindling on account of four major factors – Family Planning, Religious Conversion, Family Suicides and Migration. One of the main factors that resulted in the famous Kerala Model of 1980s was the decreasing denominator trend namely population growth. While all political parties and leaders are claiming credit for Kerala Model, the fact remains that such a decline was solely due to the strict adherence of Hindu community to the Family Planning program advocated by the governments in power. A few of the progressive elements in the other two religious communities might have done the same, but a majority of the minority communities ignored the nation’s need with complete impunity. The net result is the shrinking of majority community from almost 70% to about 55% now. Organisations of the two organized religious communities used the situation to create a demographic advantage by ‘educating’ their masses to shun Family Planning. It would be a great eye-opener if someone can conduct a thorough study on this.
As if one weapon was not enough, organized religious conversion was the other deadly weapon in the rivals’ arsenal to tilt the numbers in their favour. Milkpowder conversion by the missionaries and the newly revealed Love Jihad are nothing but deadly weapons that continue to take its toll in Kerala society. Now it is almost a certainty that in any inter-religious marriage in Kerala, the loser is always the Hindu community. If not the spouse, the organized communities will ensure that atleast the children are converted. And once they are in, there is no question of going back for fear of life or loss of limbs. The situation has become even worse in recent times due to the increasing number of family suicides and migration of Hindu families to other districts and states when they are surrounded by the might of organized communities. The number of electoral constituencies is fast growing in the so-called minority districts and decreasing where there is majority. The impact on government and governance is obvious in the days to come.
Political Hypocrisy
Hallmark of petty politicians is arch hypocrisy and current Kerala politics is infested with such a variety. The words secularism and communalism have lost their meaning completely. Each individual politician has his own meaning and interpretation for the two and that too varies with situation and times. Division of India on communal lines affected the north of India mostly and people there still retain some spirit of true secularism and realize the horror of communalism. But it is not so in Kerala. The future Pandits of Kerala are now in a self-destructive mode being lectured on secularism by political parties like Muslim Leagues and Kerala Congress. Some of their leaders have even written books on what is true secularism (sic). Just like Family Planning, the charlatans have quietly discovered the next platform to deceive the lotus-eating majority. While the foolish lot will watch the debates and seminars on top of the platform, focused and determined work will be done underneath to subvert the entire edifice.
In the reality of today, liquid money is the root cause of everything good and bad. Things have started going bad in Kerala ever since a cunning few from the minority communities identified their goldmines in the Gulf and the West. What they have promised their sponsors abroad can be easily guessed, and containers of money are flowing into the state for consolidation of vote banks to capture power democratically. And once it is achieved, it is known to all about what will follow. The trap of political correctness has mimed the few sincere politicians who are anyway considered ‘misfit’ in contemporary politics. Erstwhile imperialists in the West and new aspirants in the form of Arab imperialism are eagerly waiting to land in the shores of God’s Own Country à la Vasco-De-Gama in 1498AD. If it was East India Company then, it will be outright communal corporations that will penetrate the whole of India through Kerala this time. For any close Kerala watcher, the minority grip on politics, government, police, judiciary, business etc., is so very evident and any relief is not easy.
But Kerala Hindus are fast asleep and their snoring is growing day by day. Communities that produced the likes of Adi Sankara, Sree Narayana, Chattampi Swamikal, Mata Amritanadamayi are clueless and lost in direction. Leaders of their prominent community organizations have fallen for slush money and now they spent more time proving their secular credentials in front of minority leaders than in their organizations. While some of the ‘secular’ leaders refuse to light even ceremonial lamps, the petty majority leaders are waiting in front of their palaces and majlises for an appointment. We can only pity the Kerala Pandits who have reposed their faith on Communism to save them from the impending disaster. Remember that the ‘greatest’ communist EMS was a Kerala Pandit and he did exactly what Nehru did to his own people. With his landmark land reforms act, he not only destroyed his own folks but made the poaching communities richer by excluding commercial crops from its purview. Kerala’s Hindus, like Kashmiri Pandits, will end up in refugee camps sooner or later if they cannot secure their position. It is now or never.
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