Tuesday, April 29, 2008

A tree under siege !!

This terrible sight I came across sometime back while traveling, this could be anywhere in India. First I thought the tree was blooming, as I approached I saw multicolored plastic kits hanging. It was a strange sight, the tree was the only one in the vicinity surrounded by multistoried buildings. The residents threw their garbage, some stuck in the branches. The thing is trees don’t have legs otherwise this one, like many in cities would run away!!. When I was a kid I used to think trees could speak to each other also that trees could take revenge if you break its branches, particularly in the night when they sleep. All of that is myth but now we know tree really can take revenge, you cut more trees you will definitely pay for it in the future and that is not a myth!

Many cities have banned plastic bags, the measure has been quite successful (the brigade that rant ban is no solution please excuse. It works!), the floods in Mumbai city to some extend was due to clogging by plastic. The earlier the government takes these steps better, much better would be biodegradable options. I have read somewhere about organic plastics.

Congrats to Delhi Government: This blogger wants to congratulate Dilli ki sarkar for introducing dedicated lanes for Buses!!. It is brilliant, the government shouldn’t give much significance to Media cry, since they are concerned about themselves and their family and friends. Yes there seems to be some chaos but that is normal, ask common people who travel in bus and they will tell how important this step is. The litmus test for any new measure is whether it is helping more people?. Further hundreds of people who occupy minimal public space while traveling should be given precedence.

Quite coincidently this blogger has traveled in the route where this experiment is being conducted i.e. from Khanpur to Moolchand, probably not less than thousand times in Bus (522 was my favorite route). I have spent hundreds of hours stranded inside crowded buses (summer was really bad), wherein a single occupant in a car would be contributing more towards the traffic jam and pollution. Introducing measures that give respite to more people should be the priority of the government- that is the reason why poor people stand in long queues to vote (it is not an outing for them). Ideally it should be win-win for all members of society but with depleting resources and space we have passed that.

Monday, April 28, 2008

In the meantime there is no Jashn Manale at Mehdiganj








If you are follower of Indian Mainstream media you will never know that there are huge protest against CocaCola Pepsi around the world as well as many places in India where these companies have set up their exploitative plants. That is freedom of expression for you!!. I guess the censor by Market is a serious threat. In March this year there was a huge protest by people of Mehdiganj. Plants in Plachimada is closed few years back by popular action, very soon Mehdiganj and Kaladera will follow by peaceful protest (visit http://www.indiaresource.org/action/faxcoke.php). Coca Cola is also known to have committed gross crimes like in Colombia. Coca Cola Pepsi have positioned itself as youthful energy drink, which obviously is a lie. But that is nothing compared to misery it causes to local population by groundwater depletion and pollution. This the copy of what happened in Mehdiganj.

Over 1500 villagers marched to the Coca-Cola company's bottling plant in Mehdiganj in Varanasi in India yesterday demanding that the bottling plant shut down immediately.

Breaking a police barrier that attempted to keep the protesters 300 meters from the bottling plant, the villagers held a rally at the plant's gate accusing the company of creating severe water shortages in the area and polluting the water and land.

The march and rally against Coca-Cola in Mehdiganj in the latest in a series of protests against the company in India where communities have accused Coca-Cola bottling plants for exacerbating the water crises through heavy extraction of water from the groundwater resource and polluting the groundwater and soil.

The march and rally against Coca-Cola was preceded by a two-day conference in Mehdiganj on Right to Water. At the conference, Mr. Ghanshyam, a representative of the Uttar Pradesh State Pollution Control Board admitted that the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mehdiganj did not have a current hazardous waste authorization from the Pollution Control Board required to operate. The authorization had expired on July 27, 2007 and the Pollution Control Board has sent a legal notice to Coca-Cola in this regard.

"Coca-Cola has been operating illegally for the last 8 months and the Pollution Control Board and the state government must take immediate steps to shut down the bottling plant," said Nandlal Master of Lok Samiti, the primary organizer of the conference and protest. Coca-Cola's bottling plants in India generate hazardous waste and they have to obtain authorizations from the Pollution Control Board to ensure that the hazardous waste is handled as required by the Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 1989.

The communities' claims of declining water tables (which Coca-Cola refutes) have also been confirmed by the latest data from the Ground Water Board, a government of India agency.

Data collected by the Ground Water Board confirm that ground water levels have dropped up to 8 meters (26 feet) in the first seven years of Coca-Cola's operations, from 1999 to 2006.

The result has been the drying up of wells and hand water pumps in the vicinity of Coca-Cola's bottling plants, and continues to pose a significant crisis for farmers who also rely on the ground water resource to meet their needs. Over 80% of the community in Mehdiganj engage in agriculture, and groundwater remains the primary source of water for the community to meet all its water needs.

"The Coca-Cola company is a gross violator of human rights in India by continuing to operate its plants in areas where the community is unable to meet its basic water needs. Do we need to satisfy Coca-Cola's thirst for water when even the farmers don't have enough water to make a living?" said Amit Srivastava of the India Resource Center, an international campaigning organization. "All of Coca-Cola's claims of being a socially responsible corporation ring hollow when weighed against its track record in India."

The Coca-Cola company in India is under fire from various communities who have accused the company of creating severe water shortages and pollution. The Coca-Cola company was forced to agree to an assessment of its plants in India as a result of a sustained campaign internationally. The assessment of six plants (out of fifty Coca-Cola plants) released in January 2008 was conducted by the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and was a scathing indictment of Coca-Cola's operations in India.

The assessment, which was paid for by the Coca-Cola company, has recommended the closure of another bottling plant in India-in Kala Dera, Rajasthan-because of the acute water situation. The assessment also warned Coca-Cola on Mehdiganj, noting that the water tables have been depleting and the aquifer is moving towards a semi-critical situation.

"Coca-Cola, Pepsico and other companies are plundering our natural resources. Water sustains life, and without water, life in not sustainable. The time has come to put an end to the misguided expropriation of our natural resources and assert the right to water to the communities to whom it belongs," said Medha Patkar of the National Alliance of People's Movements, who led the march and rally.

For more information, visit www.IndiaResource.org

Contacts:Nandlal Master, Lok Samiti +91 94153 00520 (India)Amit Srivastava, India Resource Center +91 98103 46161 (India) +1 415 336 7584 (US)

This is cover of Ohio University Magazine

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Jashn Manale of Simians!!

T-20 IPL is now quite popular, this blogger has found lots of people talking about it. I guess it is here to stay. Nothing wrong in that since T-20 version of cricket is quite exciting unlike the dumber version- Test matches. I am told there is technique and art in older version, I guess they have to redefine their definitions now or be outdated!!. Further IPL as also ICL gives chance for lots youngsters to play with international players, it also is good deal for audience.

This blogger is very much excited about how IPL tried to protect its rights by denying media free entry or copy. This is path breaking and keeping with the time we live in, IPL should have pursued it to its logical end. Media is in business and like every business you have to pay for your raw material. You cannot drop into stadium and treated like VIP (this blogger strongly believes media shouldn’t be given any privileges. They will have to pay for it) and take material free and use it for your profit in the name of medium to public. IPL is a private organization and has every right to run its business as it wants, intrusion into this right is illegal. IPL has the right to sell its pictures and video of the event the way it feels profitable. IPL could have easily got what it wanted instead of succumbing into arm twisting by media cartel, since the game is so popular that media will have to buckle to the reality of game reaching homes without its ‘service’. Further most media don’t have anything much to report so they will have to use the material from IPL!!. Understand this media needs IPL, than IPL needs media. Maybe in future IPL would give the media less leverage and take steps to maximize its profit. Only government through national interest clause has the right to show through Doordarshan what it considers important. That is democracy, and please no cribbing. Learn to stand in the queue and follow the rule.

In the meantime there was Jashn Manale (courtesy Coca Cola) at Mohali cricket field. Monkeys got too much money they end up slapping each other, one moron got a tight one and whined in front of gleeful cameras. Surely a nation of more than one billion has something to think about!!. This also an opportunity for peddlers at Coca-Cola Pepsi to get into the script. Brothers are fighting and so CoCa Cola Pepsi could bring them together, of course for the national interest-the patriotism factor. We could have ads of these two monkeys drinking Coca Cola Pepsi together and soothing Aj tu Jashn Manale bhai. Bhai-bhai ka pyar nostalgia. So what are peddlers at Coke waiting for?!!.

This blogger also feels that boxing could be part of cricket. After each match the loosing team’s captain should be given boxing gloves and asked to choose any opponent to hit out. Surely this will break all TRP record (the suspense, the action…the experts discussing whom will he choose to hit and so on. The possibilities are immense) and I am sure Coca Cola Pepsi will be more than happy to sponsor this event. Aja Jashn Manale !!!

Disclaimer: this blogger has absolutely nothing against monkeys!!.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Really Senator Clinton? Obliterate will you?

Hillary Clinton the Democrat Party presidential hopeful (in USA) has threatened to “obliterate” Iran “if it attacks Israel”. She is increasingly morphing into an American the world likes to hate. Iran is no banana republic, it is a great nation and like all societies around the world it has its own share of fundamentalists. Attacking Israel is hypothetical but by threatening to ‘obliterate’ if you do is instigation. How about some leader in another country saying I will obliterate USA, surely that is terrorism!!. Dictionary meaning of Obliterate is ‘to destroy completely’, ‘annihilate’.

Really Senator Clinton you do want to destroy completely, is it?. 2006 census of Iran puts the population at 70million (two-third below 30years of age-the snap of Iranian children taken from a blog). Senator Clinton 70million is a huge number of people you want to reduce to ash, clearly if you have such intentions before the election then God save us (in comparison Hitler was subtle). Obliterate is the word that resonate with genocide, extermination, cleansing, holocaust...

Creating external enemy to rally people around is an old ploy (and Wild West does love it. Aint it?). Senator Clinton is positioning herself as tough and decisive. In American context ‘decisive’ means attacking other countries and

causing misery to people. They have other words like ‘collateral damage’ more civilized society would refer to it as mass murder. By these actions they have created more enemies. Enemy is not about individuals it is a mindset. Individuals can be killed but the mindset prevails and spreads faster, in this case getting increasingly bitter. Of course Taliban are serious threat but the way they have dealt has made it only worse, it is American arrogance at its worst. They have created more terrorists by their unilateral actions. Attacking Iraq was a serious blunder (incidentally this blogger was never against action against Afghanistan- though it could have been multilateral).

Hillary Clinton incidentally had supported the attack on Iraq, now she cannot pretend ignorance (as Mike Moore said in CNN sometime back …you cannot be less intelligent than millions of people who were against it and aspire to lead…there is something wrong here). Obama is a great guy and has got his heart in the right place, he also motivates. There are dimensions about him that is inspiring. Recently the Hillary campaign has been focusing to cut him, therefore the ploy of instigating him, con him to blunder, as it turns vicious they will make him say things and take it out of context- that too an old ploy, but in here the damage will be significant. Following the script Senator Clinton is invoking external threat right from pearl harbour (now when was that?) to Osama and ability to meet these crisis. One thought there are some very significant crisis facing America and the world. The debate has gone very negative and personal despite Barak Obama’s best effort. This will help warmongers on the other side.

Supporting woman candidate just because she is a woman is bias but if she brings in perspectives that is absent in the decision making then that is significant otherwise there shouldn’t be any difference between male or female. It is getting clear that Senator Clinton though a remarkable lady seems to be lacking any new thinking or for that matter change. This blogger has started to see her as not much different from Bush, despite her intentions she is not giving the genuineness, this blogger has lost faith in her. It looks all made up for the show. I don’t know but is there a ploy by Republicans to keep Hillary Clinton going? It looks very plausible since it is going to be a pyrrhic victory, very much to their advantage. Obliteration is a strong word to be used against a set of people for perceived threat, it is quite sad. Senator Clinton might have won Primaries but it would do the Party and US and the world much good if she quits. It has to be Barak Obama, the earlier they decide the better.

Post script: This blogger strongly prefer Nancy Pelosi, the US house Speaker. She definitely has the perspective that could enrich policy making in Washington.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

At the most sacred place for the Sikhs

Sikhism is one of the youngest religion in the world the foundation of which was laid by First Guru, Guru Nanak ji. This happened in one of the most vibrant phase of Indian subcontinent history- the Bhakti movement. The early medieval history of north Indian subcontinent is very much influenced by Bhakti and Sufi Confluence. This period saw great saints like Ramanuja, Ramanand (his great and very popular disciple Kabir), Ramdev, Farid, Tukaram, Chaithanya (the Hare Krishna movement has roots in these) Sufis like Chisti, as also Shaivites, Vaishnavites in south India and many more. Mostly from the lower strata of the society and from very humble background this movement was a first serious reaction to the ossified hierarchical Hindu society probably after Buddhism some ten centuries early, as also later Islamic invasions. They gave message of unity of God and tolerance, they initiated personalizing God for common people through devotion also using language used by common people, stressing equality. This period not only had a significant influence on moral and spiritual ways of life of the medieval society but laid the foundation for future generations to live with the spirit of toleration. This was also the phase which saw tremendous growth in literature in various languages, new languages like Urdu and Punjabi got consolidated. Also singing as part of devotion got wider acceptance (Kirtan at Temple, Qawalli at a Dargah, and Gurbani at Gurdwara are all derived from the Bhakti movement). One wouldn’t be mistaken to assert that the idea of India was tremendously influenced by understandings of this period. Some of these great saints and mystics we have studied in school. Some wrote dohas (poems is the nearest word in English) we had to mug them and write the meaning. Kabir was quite popular with the kids. His dohas are brilliant and is part of Indian folklore, he is so entrenched among common people that they even quote these during discussions in small towns of north India, recall how many times have we have heard

this one:

Bada hua tho kya hua jaise ped kajoor
panthi ko chaya nahi phal aye athi dhoor

(what is the point being big-meaning rich and powerful, it is like being a Date tree there is no shade for travelers and fruits are so far…translate into English the punch is gone!!). During school days we used to use these to make fun of taller kids!!.
I recall this unfortunate incident years back when I had gone for a seminar on Kabir (at National Museum, Delhi, if I recall rightly) wherein two speakers-supposed to be experts on Kabir had verbal duel, one claiming Kabir to be Hindu while the other tried to prove him to be Muslim. I could not help laughing (….incidentally like most seminars food was good!!. Long live seminars and seminar culture!!. This culture has recently shifted to TV studios). Kabir was a mystic and in his dohas he had distanced and simultaneously claimed both Ram and Rahim (ie hindus and muslims). This is what he had to say about God

I am neither in temple nor in Mosque,
neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash;
I am not in any ritual or rite nor in yoga or in renunciation;
If thou be a true seeker, thou shall find me in a moment
.

In another place he says:
To the East is Hari, to the West Allah’s abode,
search thy heart, within the inner core, Ram and Rahim live there.

Guru Nanak dev ji (1469-1539) was an enlightened man who had traveled widely from Haridwar to Ceylon to Mecca, he preached against caste distinctions, ritualism, idol worship and the pseudo-religious beliefs that had no spiritual content. Significantly he started community eating to stress equality and sharing (every Gurudwara anywhere in the world will have Langar and is open to anyone).

Legend has it that when Nanakji was only twelve his father gave him twenty rupees and asked him to do a business, apparently to teach him business. Guru Nanak dev ji bought food for all the money and distributed among saints, and poor. When his father asked him what happened to business? He replied that he had done a "True business". At the place where Guru Nanak dev had fed the poor, a gurudwara was made and named Sacha Sauda. Guru Nanakji chose to mix with all, the normal life-i.e. family life, became the medium of spiritual training and expression. He continued to work as an ordinary peasant as he preached. This is significant aspect of Sikh religion- the negation of saints as recluse or higher than others; even now you will find most Sikhs extremely hardworking, enterprising and religious. The stress was on practicality.

Asceticism doesn't lie in ascetic robes, or in walking staff, nor in the ashes. Asceticism doesn't lie in the earring, nor in the shaven head, nor blowing a conch. Asceticism lies in remaining pure amidst impurities. Asceticism doesn't lie in mere words; He is an ascetic who treats everyone alike. Asceticism doesn't lie in visiting burial places, It lies not in wandering about, nor in bathing at places of pilgrimage. Asceticism is to remain pure amidst impurities.

This was also the period of extreme misery for common people, with ossified Hinduism on one side and Islamic invaders on the other. Guru Nanak’s teaching provided an alternative. Nanakji tried to take the best of the times he lived in to give spiritual insight and moral fiber to people. There is a story which I found very riveting: On his return journey home he stopped at Saidpur in western Punjab during the invasion of the first Mughal Emperor Babar. On seeing the extent of the massacre by the invaders, Mardana asked Guru Nanak why so many innocent people were put to death along with those few who were guilty. Guru Nanak told Mardana to wait under a banyan tree and after a while he would return to answer his question. While sitting under the tree Mardana was suddenly bitten by an ant. In anger Mardana killed as many ants as he could with his feet. Guru Nanak said to him, "You know now Mardana, why do the innocents suffer along with the guilty?"

Khushwant Singh (who has written two volumes on Sikh History that is considered authoritative version, incidentally he also has collections of some seriously bad jokes!!. His reckoning definitely is ‘Train to Pakistan’, a book enjoyed reading as well as watched movie version by Pamela Brooks. It was a well made movie. We also had a short story in school ‘Mark of Vishnu’- if I recall rightly, it was about a snake killing its own devotee) writes …..it is till disputed whether Guru Nanak intended to reform Hinduism, form a third community or bring Hindus and Muslims together. It would appear that in his earlier career he tried to bring the two communities closer to each other. Being himself a Hindu he was at the same time equally concerned with reforming Hinduism. But as the years went by and his message caught on among the masses, he decided to give his teachings permanency through a sect of his own.

Th

ese lines of Nanakji I got from the Net

Had thou the eighteen Puranas with thee,
Could thou recite the four Vedas.
Did thou bathe on holy days and give alms according to man's castes
Did thou fast and perform religious ceremonies day and night,
Was thou a Qazi, a Mulla, or a Sheikh,
A jogi, a Jangam did thou wear an ochre-coloured dress,
Or did thou perform the duties of a household
Without knowing God, Death would bind and take all away
.

Guru Nanakji says, “Truth never gets old” (Sach Puraana Hovai Nahi). His preachings were consolidated as Gurubani. These eternal words are considered most sacred by the sikhs and the Holy book Granth Sahib given the status of sacred Guru. These words are enshrined at the beginning of the holy scripture:

"There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none, he is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death, He is self illuminated, He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True, He is also True now."

(this blog is continued later with visit to Harmandir sahibji)

Saturday, April 19, 2008

A poem and some thoughts

The highway killer

It must be you
who has drawn the contours
of mountains and oceans
and decided the heights and depths.
No doubt
you the one who sprayed
lemon yellow on pansy flies
and pastel pink on wildflowers.
Then it must be you
who squeezed the blood
out of her tender body
thrashed again, bludgeon to the tar
and thrown lifeless next to the
speeding tyres.
Her tiny hands still trying to reach
the pencil she had dropped.
Her white socks clotting red
on her disfigured little legs.
Her eyes firmly shut
unaware that you still are God.

(for the kid who died in an accident sometime back)

This is a request to Government to please enforce some stricter laws that protects the dignity of dead. The hooligans in media shouldn’t be allowed to ‘capitalize’ on gruesome scenes. Some channels do blur the scenes but many would want it to be grotesque for the audience (I read sometime back that the cameraperson tried to the remove cloth covering of the body to get the shot, these scoundrels can go to any extend). The selling pitch here is shock factor, apologies to Voltaire- wonder how many of these media person’s have even heard his name (also my sincere apologies to Khali)!!. This blogger strongly believes that privacy of individual is paramount and significant as much as hyped freedom of expression. Two reasons, one is we don’t live in ideal world of Voltaire, it is the crassness and hype. Second, India particularly is a skewed society with huge gaps, the media therefore is an extension of power, and narrow interest. Of course there are exceptions and have made significant contribution to democratizing society.

Dead don’t speak, the onus is on the society that claims to be civilized to prevent these barbaric practices in the name of media freedom. Every person who has died in public place in most unfortunate circumstances has the right to dignity (why I insist on this is, here the body is not under care of relatives or other civilized surroundings. It is reduced to voyeuristic object). Dignity of the dead cannot be trampled in the name of reporting. If you find it necessary to show gruesome sights to the world you have to show some restraint. Restraint though is not the vocabulary found in dictionary of market driven barbarians. It’s time to draw the line. Tomorrow it could be you or me….

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Meet Lao She (Shu Quingchu)

Beneath the Red banner is book I bought from second hand book seller on the pavement (probably in Pune) for 20 odd rupees some years back (original Chinese, Panda publication!!). Lao She is modern china’s most loved writer and significant figure of 20th century Chinese literature. This book is an autographical novel published after his death (he died in 1966). It is an account of Beijing at the turn of century, told in wit, candor and sympathy, intact despite translation. Lao She once said “During my childhood, I didn't need to hear stories about evil ogres eating children and so forth; the foreign devils my mother told me about were more barbaric and cruel than any fairy tale ogre with a huge mouth and great fangs. And fairy tales are only fairy tales, whereas my mother's stories were 100 percent factual, and they directly affected our whole family.” As one reads through the book one can easily get transported into the life of ordinary Chinese people, their aspirations and fear. Like these lines:

Duofu prized the ‘freedom’ which allowed him to do whatever he pleased, believing that this ‘freedom’ has been bequeathed to him by his ancestors and would be passed on forever, ‘for the enjoyment of his children and his children’s children’. Therefore he believed that Fuhai by working as an artisan had lost his Bannerman’s sense of self respect and that calling himself a member of White lotus sect smacked of sympathy with rebels. Duofo knew the White Lotus sect had rebelled at some time in the past, in what year he couldn’t tell.

Several months before I was born, my maternal uncle, Duofu and his father were all in a state of great agitation. They fervently opposed the reforms of 1898. My uncle had simplest and most convining reason: “we must not change the laws established by our forefathers!”. My eldest sister’s father-in-law couldn’t find anything better to add than the comment: “any change is change for worse”.

From another page of the book: As she washed me, Granny Bai recited the blessing she had used on innumerable occasions, leaving out not a single word:
First of all your head we rinse,
And know someday you’ll be a prince.
We next proceed to clean your back,
Good fortune your descendants will never lack.
Next we wash your ‘eggs’ in haste,
You’ll join the county magistrates.
Last your buttocks to my washing succumb,
And rule a province under your thumb.
…Although I never became a county magistrate or a prefect, I am still extremely grateful for the way Granny Bai washed me so spotlessly clean, cleaner perhaps, than any county magistrate or prefect ever was. Next, Granny Bai applied a burning mixture of ginger slices and moxa to my forehead and to all the critical joints in my body. As a result, I didn’t begin suffering from arthritis until I was sixty years old. She also soaked a brand new piece of blue cloth in fresh tea and vigorously massaged my gums with it. At that moment I burst out crying. Unintentional as it seemed, that crying was a most propitious omen!.

Later in the book there is description of preparation for Chinese New Year: …father didn’t buy anything special for New Year, the main reason being he had no money. He did not neglect Gods or Buddhas, however, and respectfully bought paper images of the God of wealth and the God of hearth, long sticks of incense, large and small red candles and five plates of half baked moon cakes .He also cooked some New Year rice and put it in special small ricepot. …he expressed the joy in his heart quite simply. “What we eat isn’t so important. But we mustn’t treat the Gods and Buddhas shabbily!....”. And continued “….For generations our family had very strictly maintained the custom of staying up all night on New Years eve and ‘sitting out the year’. Father just muttered and went back to wrapping dumpling. He took out a small coin, polished it, and stuck it inside a dumpling in order to determine which member of family would enjoy good luck…”. “at midnight, the sounds of firecrackers exploding increased as shop owners began sacrifice to the gods. My father chuckled again. He wasn’t sure if Yunnan was located to the east or the north, and he had less of an idea whether England bordered United States or was close to Yunnan but as soon as he heard the dong! dong! of firecrackers exploding in Beijing, he felt sure that there was peace and happiness on earth.

These lines on names I found very interesting: “…. in those days the more Bannerman desired to remain Bannerman and perpetuate themselves for countless generation the more they tried to imitate the Han Chinese. At first the upper crust intellectual sought out poetical and musical nicknames to add to their regular first names. Gradually this spread downwards until even colonels and captains in the Imperial Army had their own poetic names. For them this was height of sophistication.
I came across names which translated meant ‘pavilion of clouds’, ‘studio of abundance’!!. Amazing!!

Lao She’s acclaimed and popular work included Camel Xiangzi (Rickshaw boy- it was a best seller in US) and the drama Teahouse, which was made popular through Chinese theatre. This blogger had the fortune to watch traditional Chinese theatre sometime back it is spectacular- a visual treat, I particularly liked when they delicately emulated butterflies, it was brilliant.

Another book I read about China was sometime back, Pearl Buck though not a Chinese had spend most her life in china during the most tumultuous part of its history. Most of her writings are based in China (New York Times said: if ever, in one life, East and West met, it was in Pearl Buck). I happen to find My Several World, her autobiography few years back on the pavement of Bangalore. She being an insider to Chinese society is quite insightful and sensitive in the way she writes about its people. These lines about Chinese people’s ideas on governing interested me “…as a matter of fact, the Chinese had always governed themselves. They distrusted and even held in contempt governments. They were cynical to the last degree about official honesty and considered it inevitable that every official was corrupt. Their ancient adage is that the best government is the one that governs least. A country folk song runs thus:
When the sun rises I work;
When the sub sets I rest.
I dig the well to drink;
I plow the field to eat.
What has the Emperor to do with me?

And the Chinese people were quite capable of self government. Their traditional family system, wherein every individual man, woman and child belong to a clan and each clan was responsible for all individuals in it, was a sound basis for a new kind of modern democracy. It is hard for Americans to realize the soundness of the family clan as unit for democratic government, but indeed it is so. In china before communism began its destructive work on the family system, there was no need for example, for the expense of institutionalism which lies so heavily upon our own democracy. There were no orphanage……nepotism it is true, tended to be a problem, since it was natural that a man would try to get jobs for his relatives. Yet I do see the difference between family nepotism in china and political nepotism in the United States, and of the two, family nepotism in China seems less dangerous to society because the family remained morally responsible for each of its members, and the disgrace of any member was a family disgrace.

Could Sun Yat-sen and his followers, and this includes the later Nationalists governments under Chiang Kai-shek, have understood the value of the family system and have built upon its responsible democracy, there is little doubt that Communists would be ruling in china today. One proof of this theory is that the communists, wishing to establish their political theory, have made their main attack upon family system, and the measure of the length of their stay will be to the degree to which they are able to separate the members of the family from each other and thus destroy the fabric which has kept china alive, functioning and vital for centuries after her contemporaries in history were dead”.

How communists in China organized the society will help us understand contemporary China and its xenophobic reactions better, Ms Buck gives an insight:
..the communists had organized the forces and they were the leaders. Even Chiang Kai-shek was with the communists, we were told….something new and dangerous had been added. The communists were building upon hate, the hate for foreigners, the injustice of the past. Never before had the old hatreds been organized.

This blogger is not entirely against communist, provided they are just another Party in a multiparty democracy. Communism as state ideology is dangerous, it is dictatorship of few against majority and they have the tendency to mutate into worst kind-Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot created much misery. I have great admiration for many ex leaders of Left in Kerala (contemporary commies of Bengal are the worst. The CM of the State probably the most incompetent CM ever). At the international level Lenin and Gorbachov tops my list.

Pearl Buck writes on her influence of China in her upbringing and thinking, that I found similar to the elderly people around me used to think.

“...thus it was from him in those days of my early youth that I learned the first axiom of human life, and it is that every event has its cause, and nothing, not the least wind that blows, is accident or causeless. To understand what happens now one must find the cause, which may be very long ago in its beginning, but surely there, and therefore a knowledge of history as detailed as possible is essential if we are to comprehend the present and be prepared for the future. Fate Mr. Kung taught me, is not blind superstition or helplessness that waits stupidly for what may happen. Fate is unalterable only in the sense that given a cause, a certain result must follow, but no cause is inevitable in itself, and man can shape his world if does not resign himself to ignorance. Mr. Kung liked to quote also from the Bible, partly, I imagine, to prove to me his liberal Confucian mind, and he reminded often, in his lofty manner, that one could not expect figs from thistles”. “….but the important lesson which he taught me was that if one would be happy he must not raise his head above his neighbor’s.
‘He who raises his head above the heads of others’ Mr. Kung said ‘will sooner or later be decapitated.’
It was true in china as in other democratic nations that when a man becomes too famous, too successful, too powerful, mysterious forces went to work and the earth began to crumble under his pinnacle. The Chinese are a proud and envious people, as a nation and as individuals, and they do not love superiors…they never believed that superiors could exist…..the fact partly explains the present anti-Americanism, this and the attitudes of missionaries and traders and diplomats, all white men indeed, who consider themselves whether consciously or unconsciously superior to Chinese, so that a smoldering fury has lived on in Chinese hearts for more than a century and this fury, which white men could not or would not recognize, is the chief reason why Chiang Kai-shek lost his country and why communists won it. Had he been wise enough he would expressed boldly his own anti-western feelings and had he done so he might held the leadership. But he thought he could win by American force and this his people could not forgive him, and sadly for us, Mao Tse-tung seized the opportunity that Chiang threw away…….it is hard for Americans to believe that American charm …ready smile and outstretched hand, does not win the Chinese. What then can the American do? He must read history afresh.…”

The intentions of Pearl Buck were benevolent but it seems that the reading history may not save the Americans, so much has changed in last few years that things have become only complicated. Unless Americans don’t behave more responsibly to world community, and that policies are extension of corporate needs things are going to get worse. Hilariously the worst of Corporate are finding something common…Coca Cola is having a strategic alliance with Beijing!!!.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

If you don’t agree with some people brutalize them, eliminate them: A lesson from authoritarian China

Communist China brutalizing its own people is a well documented factChina the most populous country in the world is under siege for many decades now. The citizens are denied basic rights and any access to information apart from state controlled and heavily censored media. The regime has systematically purged intellectuals and activists, many people whose ideas conflicted with the State have been brutally dealt. They repressed religion and any forms of worship, in a blatant attempt to control people. But Chinese are patient and hardworking people one wonders how long they will carry this burden of abuse. Market has provided short term respite but individual right is basic of any civilized society.

Falun Gong or Falun Dafa is a spiritual practice introduced in China by Li Hongzi. It is a system of exercises, meditations, and teachings that renew the body and mind. Three of the main principles in this practice are truthfulness (to be true to yourself and others, return to your true self), compassion (to have kindness and consideration to all beings), and forbearance (to bear humbly the trials and tribulations at each stage of your growth ). It soon became very popular. Either one agrees to Falun Gong or not is not the question here but the way it is dealt in China. Chinese regime will have to be civilized in dealing with dissent.

So what is wrong with something as peaceful as Falun Gong? Consider most countries around the w

orld where people of different religions, sects and other diversities live in tolerance. But the dictators in china cannot tolerate differences, anything apart from their ideology has to be eliminated. History has taught us how vicious communists can be (history will also teach us how dangerous uncontrolled Market system can be!!). Communists like Market lack soul they are systems where humans have to fit in. The problem is humans are not really into fitting in (if you look at it the fundamentalists of all religion have the same problem).

Respecting differences is not for regime in china. So thousands of followers of Falun Gong were massacred and maimed. They were crushed with such severity that only communists can muster. State run newspaper Xinhua used words like ‘decisive victory’ against “poisonous torrent” “people gone mad” (also note the language used against Tibetans, shows how uncivilized the mindset of dictators are). Except probably Gorbachov (he was a great man) if you look at the communist top brass you will see almost always people who are seriously deficient of basic intelligence and compassion. They are dogmatic and lacking tolerance (democracy also throws such people occasionally, Bush is no exception!!), although they have a very keen understanding of rhetoric and organizational skills. Crackdown on Falun Gong incidentally violated even the Chinese constitution that guarantees freedom of association and religious belief (Art.35-36), but then china doesn’t really have any opposition, at the best it is party infighting.

China recently has acquired a status thanks to its size and Market, so it is a economic power. Corporate world has been pumping their resources into china as they are assured returns (it surely is a safer place, harmonious!!). It is very shocking that a country that doesn’t guarantee basic rights to it citizen is permanent member of UNSC that too with veto right. China has been blatantly supporting oppressive regime around the world.

Chinese support to Sudanese massacres it is a well documented case in recent time the Chinese complicity in Darfur and the misery. China vetoed peacekeeping mission in darfur recently reason being ‘non interference’ while the government sponsored Janjaweed have massacred 200,000 people and driven out 2.5 million people from their homes in last four years (Spielberg quit the Beijing Olympic Organization committee in disgust). Quite clearly China is using its position in UN to justify its human right violations.


Chinese support for Military regime in Burma the oppressive junta in Burma is very much supported by china is no secret (even the monkeys in Indian government are trying that one, the scoundrels call it strategic alliance).

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

The great Chinese civilization

China probably is the only continuous civilization in the world, dating back to centuries. Most of us have studied about ancient China in school, the specific contributions of Compass, printing, paper and gunpowder (I also recall the merit based selection system to bureaucracy). Chinese for centuries had mostly trade relation with the outside world. European imperialism in 19th century influenced china in its own quest for expansion into central Asia and Korea bringing it in conflict with Britain and Japan, and so to world wars. Su Yat San (Nationalist Party) in the meantime proposed transforming China into a modern democratic country (the contribution of Chinese writer Liang Qichao need also be noted, however unknowingly contributing to autocracy). But the power struggle with communists saw Nationalists being relegated to Taiwan while Communists capturing the mainland.

The beginning of single Party dictatorship: Communist party of China under Mao Zedong established Peop

le’s Republic of China, a new political and economic order modeled on the Soviet example was installed. The “Great Leap forward” disaster saw Chinese comrades parting way with Soviet Union. Under Mao China saw “cultural revolution” that was Mao’s ploy to strengthen his position in the Party, millions of people were massacred, and vast cultural heritage destroyed.The poignant lines from Soul Mountain by Nobel leaurate Gao Xingjian who escaped Chinese Dictators

“…….he said that hiding in the cabin he had witnessed a terrible massacre during Cultural revolution…. people were tied with wires at the wrists in groups of three and forced into the river by spraying them with machine gun fire, if one was hit all the three fell. They were like fish on the hook, they splashed and struggled for a while, then floated down like a dead dogs. Oddly, the more the people killed off the more people there are, whereas with the fish the more that are caught the fewer there are. Wouldn’t it be better if it were the other way around?...”

After Mao’s death sidelined leaders like Deng Xiapong were instrumental in initiating reforms and opening the economy. Deng and his supporters argued that managing the economy in a way that increased living standards should be China's primary policy objective,

even if "capitalist" measures were adopted. Despite the reforms in economy the politics still remained under the tight clutches of Communists, the single party tyranny continued with crack down on any dissidence the most significant being the Tinnanmen square massacre of 1989. China has in the recent times acknowledged the importance of protection of human rights and has taken steps to bring its human rights practices into conformity with international norms but serious problems remain.

Individual freedom is sacrosanct to modern civilized societies. Freedom of expression (with responsibility) and choice to practice faith is integral to this understanding. Whatever may be the forms of government if people are not granted freedom and human rights violated then it is abuse.The reason why democracy is cherished despite many shortcomings, is the degree of transparency and representativeness. In traditional China Philosophy of Confucius was developed into an autocratic ideology and the individual after birth was conditioned to be subservient to clearly defined hierarchy of authorities (Buddhist and Daoist retreats too constituted the collectives with institutionalized order). This influence of Confucian ideology that stresses harmony and obedience that permeated each sections of society was the reason why communists were able to have ruthless control in the last few decades since its inception.

The need for Democratizing China and freeing its citizen from repressive Communist dictators.
Communists mostly are ruthless people since they have one track mind and have difficulty in accepting variant views (this blogger has read Functionalist sociologists….there is a Marxian view on everything from marriage to history. They have theory for everything!!. It is a very interesting read, at extreme it is hilarious. As funny as Market panacea). The irony of China is that coterie of people have tight hold over the most populous nation on Earth and although Communists they work on Capitalism!!. The gist here is control by few and benefits of boom passed on to party cadre and rich, thus consolidating position and hold. Poor people are getting poorer and exploited, their voice suppressed (any other country there would protest- against say misguided Three Gorges dams, and massive dislocation of people in the name of development but in China it is about harmony!!. Paradoxically communist China doesn’t even allow unions!!).The current economic system favors cities, especially coastal cities, over countryside; state-owned enterprises (SOEs), communist officials (who comprise some 80 percent of private business owners, though a small fraction of the population), and foreigners over ordinary Chinese; and high technology over agricultural development. A democratic society would have made possible rural majority to probably force the government to give them greater economic opportunity and a larger voice in major projects.

Like any other forms of dictatorship, single party dictatorship in china looks for external enemies to divert the attention of its citizens, the reason why they are so manically upbeat about nationalism associated grandeur. Also note the brutality in dealing with any forms of dissidence or protest. It is a sign of supremely confident and egoistic leaders an eventuality in authoritarianism as they are not in touch with people, they loose connection with reality. Also note Chinese involvement in repressive regime around the world whether Burma or Sudan. A transparent China will help in stability of the world as also environment. It is estimated that the 2008 Beijing Olympics will cost more than $20 billion. The cost of launching first manned space mission in October 2003 was comparable. China is also spending massively on missiles, warships, and a new air force, much of which is imported. Democratization would almost certainly change Chinese policies.

The world needs to empathize with Chinese people particularly the majority who are exploited and have no voice, the economic benefit is going to a minor section as well as the Party. China is a significant nation, more than a nation it is a brilliant civilization, but is run by a set up that is not representing nor answerable to its people. It is shocking that authoritarian China is a permanent member of UNSC. In recent times China has gained credibility thanks to follies of Bush & Co. and seem to be aligning with “Islamic world” as a counterbalance against “prosecution of west”, the reason why constructive change in leadership of US will help call the bluff. The requirements of China’s increasingly well informed society (thanks to technology) and its dynamic economy, political change in the People’s Republic of China is a distinct possibility in near future, happenings in Taiwan and Honk Kong are indicators. The world needs to help the Chinese people against the repressive regime. It is one of the very few remaining communist dictatorships in the world: the overwhelming majority of the world’s nations are democratic or democratizing. Local elections do happen in China but it is decided by Party, even the choice of the candidates is dictated. Organized opposition is not tolerated.Chinese point to these elections as evidence of the development of democracy. Some argue that such experiments in democratization indicate major changes taking place in China today and reflect genuine political reform,other however, have charged that elections in rural China have little practical significance in China’s political process.

In recent times China has been using Market to off balance democratization efforts. Economic and material prosperity will weaken the need for democracy is the overwhelming belief in the Party. Paradox is communism has turned out to be spectacular success for capitalism, china’s economy I read is booming. And regime is also using corporate to track down the dissidence. It is a win-win situation, greed-creed win-win