On speaking, walking and writing

On speaking: People speak lots of crap these days; probably it is a market need to keep the titillation going, the attention seekers galore. I am rarely finding any interesting or sensible talks nowadays; it is becoming far and few. There aren’t many people whom when you hear you take notice, that there is an indication of something deeper, substantial. Such speaking has become quite rare. There are ofcourse some riveting stuff online so on, some of the TED talks really are worth the time. Some of the talks by Osho, that I got hooked to in my 20s really stands out (need to emphasis, there are crap too), J.Krishnamurthy so on and yes, followers can only be followers, cheap replications. Recently I happen to listen to Jayant Narlikar, quite an amazing man (ofcourse I already mentioned about Ted Turner, in context to recent listening experience). 

 What does it take for people to speak some sense? I am reminded of a movie I saw long time back that I took out to watch again recently, from my pirated video stock. My Life to Live is a quintessential Godard stuff, hence a customary philosophical interlude is always on card, that adds to the charm I guess. There is a scene where a woman, who is into prostitution, has a rendezvous with a philosopher (Brice Parain, playing himself). The woman says “It’s odd. Suddenly I don’t know what to say; it often happens with me. I know what I want to say. I think about whether it is what I mean. But when the moment comes to speak, I can’t say it”. The philosopher addresses the issue with an interesting take from a fiction work “You’ve read The Three Musketeers?” he asks, expectantly the woman has not read it and she queries “Why”.

“Because, in it there is a character named Porthos…tall, strong and little stupid. He never thought in his life. He has to place a bomb in a cellar to blow it up. He does it. He places the bomb, lights the fuse, then he runs away, ofcourse. But suddenly he begins to think”. And this one is really terrific, he starts to thinks about “How is it possible to put one foot before the other?!” “So he stops running. He can’t go on, he can’t move forward. The bomb explodes and the cellar falls on him…and he is crushed to death. The first time he thought in his life and it killed him”

The woman, evidently not getting the drift, says “Why are you telling me this story?”

“No reason. Just to talk”

The woman takes it from there, into an archetypal Godard loop, “Why must one always talk? Often one shouldn’t talk, but live in silence. The more one talks the less the words mean”

“Perhaps but can one?...I have found that we cannot live without talking” says the philosopher.

“I would like to live without talking”

“Yes it would be nice wouldn’t it?...but it is impossible”

“But why words should express just what one wants to say…Do they betray us?”

The philosopher explains “But we betray them too. One should be able to express oneself. It has been done in writing. Think someone like Plato, can still be understood…he can. Yet he wrote in Greek, 2500years ago…we should be able to express ourselves. And we must”

“Why must we? To understand each other?” asks the woman.

“We must think, and for thought we need words. There is no other way to think” (this blogger holds that you can think in images, and then use appropriate words to bring it out). He adds “To communicate, one must talk; that is our life”

“Yes, but it’s very difficult” the woman confesses, that she is a prostitute makes it stark, as also that she is killed in a senseless violence later adds to the irony. She adds after some thought “I think life should be easy”

Now here the philosopher says something that brings in the gist “I think one learns to talk well only when one has renounced life for a time. That is the price. So, to speak is fatal. Speaking is almost a resurrection in relation to life. Speech is another life from when one does not speak. So, to live in speech one pass through the death of life without speech…there is a kind of ascetic rule that stops one from talking well, until one sees life with detachment”

“But I cannot live everyday life with…I don’t know”

 “With detachment?...We balance, that is why we pass from silence to words. We swing between the two because it’s the movement of life. From everyday life one rises to a life we call superior. The thinking life. But this life presupposes one has killed the everyday, too elementary life”

“Then thinking and talking are the same?”

“I think so. Plato said so, it’s an old idea. One cannot distinguish the thought from the words that expresses it. An instance of thought can only be grasped through words”

(this blogger avers that it remains an idea with Indian elite who have expertise on detaching thoughts from speech, it is quite effortless around here, achieved by centuries of inbreeding and deceitful ways. Indeed they have taken to the next level, the nuances of semantics adds to the absurdity of speaking, as also writing –an occupation that guarantees scholastic attributes, whatever nonsense one may write).

On walking: “No wealth can buy the requisite leisure, freedom, and independence which are the capital in this profession. It comes only by the grace of God. It requires a direct dispensation from Heaven to become a walker”. That is Thoreau writing exclusively on walking. I really don’t want to burden it with my thoughts, except I have been quite a walker, so I leave some views of Thoreau. 

  

“The walking of which I speak has nothing in it akin to taking exercise, as it is called, as the sick take medicine at stated hours”

“I am alarmed when it happens that I have walked a mile into the woods bodily, without getting there in spirit…The thought of some work will run in my head and I am not where my body is –I am out of my senses. In my walks I would fain return to my senses. What business have I in the woods, if I am thinking of something out of the woods?”

 “My desire for knowledge is intermittent, but my desire to bathe my head in atmospheres unknown to my feet is perennial and constant. The highest that we can attain to is not Knowledge, but Sympathy with Intelligence. I do not know that this higher knowledge amounts to anything more definite than a novel and grand surprise on a sudden revelation of the insufficiency of all that we called Knowledge before—a discovery that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our philosophy. It is the lighting up of the mist by the sun. Man cannot KNOW in any higher sense than this, any more than he can look serenely and with impunity in the face of the sun: "You will not perceive that, as perceiving a particular thing," say the Chaldean Oracles”

“I am astonished at the power of endurance, to say nothing of the moral insensibility, of my neighbours who confine themselves to shops and offices the whole day for weeks and months, aye, and years almost together”.

On writing: I started reading things seriously only in my mid20s, before that mostly confined to comics. When I say seriously I mean not under any duress or compulsion but choosing books as I thought appropriate without any intent or reason, just that I got to read and nothing much.  Three to four years of consistent reading, and then one morning as I saw this man walking across the street in Karol Bagh on a cold morning, I thought I should attempt on writing. Haven’t ever written even a paragraph properly it didn’t really pan out the way I thought. It was messy and regrettable venture but I kept at it, as and when it occurred to me that I should write. In last many years I have written more than I ever thought I would, writing still is quite a complicated task. When the thought is to be converted into English words, it comes out like a bunch of horses out of starting gate; there is a stampede of words, some words move here and there, some move faster than others. In the meanwhile some words have their own problems, the appropriateness, the texture, the spelling so on. The task is to reign in, streamline it into something logical, into an Indian line, steadily moving towards sentence, despite these eventual calm stray words do jut out like a surprise longer odds at the wining post. Causing much irritation, a steward’s enquiry, some probing, rechecking so on. 

  

Why monarchy exists in this modern world?

It is baffling that monarchy exists even in the so called modern societies, even one that prides for its egalitarian ways. I was going through countries that have monarchy; it is shocking that many countries in Europe too have monarchy surviving in varying form of pomp and vestiges. It is in the nature of primitive societies to give value to entitlement but when it is seen in modern societies one wonder what kind democracy or indeed democratic values they are espousing? An entitled world is in direct contradiction to liberty, and when you have these depraved conceptions existing as references then it very much degrades values and systems that safeguards human rights. In primitive societies like India where the machiavellian elite have been usurping benefits perched on feudal power structures and medieval norms it makes it difficult to assert democratic values. They quite easily push in status quo that thrive on discriminations, incremental changes are brought after much struggle and deliberation. You can see this at all levels in places like India, where the richer section thrive on misery of downtrodden. Socialism in the earlier part of India’s independence was the worst era, it merely consolidated primitive structures into evolving modernity. Wherein revolutionary changes could have been possible to counteract the feudal and medieval ways, they played around with fancy notions of nation building essentially feeding the entitled and dispensing patronages. They did nothing about the primitive structures or any attempts on consolidating egalitarian notions, if ever these were piecemeal efforts with short term gains. Most ‘leaders’ themselves were feudal lords, experts in patronising, even as basic as land reforms was ignored. That is why this blogger believes that two decades of communism after independence would have very well put a right foundation for Indians. Socialism brought in worst of both world. Communism would have very likely focussed on basic foundations that affects the common people, includes primary education, basic health, equitable distribution so on. This was the need of the fledging nation that had deep held discriminatory ways and exploitative mindset. That opportunity is lost forever, and yes communism too has lived its time. That really doesn’t mean that capitalism has anything significant to offer. Indeed they actively undermine surroundings and downgrade to lowest denominator. It isn’t surprising that debilitating issues aren’t their concern as they themselves are in the dock. This hoopla about minimum governance is dangerous thought, indeed it is an attempt to make democracy ineffective and play into the hand money bags, wanton consumption as panacea. Not surprisingly nepotism driven capitalism will have value for monarchy.

It is quite clear that monarchy has no place in modern world; its presence emboldens the feudal ways and impinges directly on to rights of citizens. Enlightened people must raise urgent voice against this anachronism and discriminatory mindset that it thrives on. As also the so called monarchy must shun itself and take initiatives to voluntarily give up their entitlements, even if it's titular (ideally a democratic society shouldn't have allowed these in the first place). They have far outlived their need and context. It is not only a burden on people but this idea in itself is degrading. It must start from the richer and enlightened societies. They must take the initiative to step down and help make the world a better place to live.            

It’s a reference, not an identity

There have always been successful attempts by Indian elite to twist narration to work in their depraved end. The mediocre debauched society and its crude ways are quite an illustration of it.  That these depravities are now mainstream narration of culture and tradition shows their clout and hold over this godforsaken society. It was reported that two Dalit children have drowned. This is how they twist it for requirement, this mischief is also to bring in their conspicuous compassion and crude opportunism that this society is so famous for. Dalit is a reference to point out discrimination and mindset functioning herein; it is not an identity of an individual. Identifying these with incident that has no reference to discrimination is a clever ploy to solidify identity that is functioning out of squatter’s conceptions, this also a valiant attempt to morph decadent home truths as they playact liberals. There is also an attempt on ‘Dalit literature’, as if a new organism is seeking light hence our duty to bless. Classifying people, putting hierarchy and then intellectualising is been a favourite pass time around here for a very long time, in the intricacies of these they find philosophies of redemptions. There is also a clever ploy to track similarities between ‘Dalit literature’ and Afro-American studies. Clearly there is a similarity in terms of heinous discriminations and violence, but atrocities on Dalits and primitive frameworks are much dreadful than any known form of organised atrocity in human civilisation. Afro-American was an identity, while Dalit is a reference, indeed twisting Dalit as an identity is itself an attempt on discrimination, that is worse than racism, and points to debauchery at work. Discrimination on Afro-American was on race and physically identifiable pointers, which in some sense was quite common during medieval period, as societies were quite closed and xenophobic. That it took the form of racism is what makes the voices of Afro American narration distinctive and empathy evoking. The difference here is that Dalit is a situation that is a creation of depraved framework that works within, among itself. It is a form of cannibalism. Handiwork of wily squatters to usurp the benefits and passing it into hereditary frame was an effortless consolidation. That the primitive framework is still thriving and the conspicuous compassion dispensing elite is cleverly tethered to it is what makes it uniquely terrible. Dalit and Afro-American are definitely not the same narration, the experience of heinous atrocities much similar but the framework entirely different. There is a clever attempt by Indian elite to mix the two hence to show themselves as compassionate. They are attempting to place themselves with civilised world, and jostling with enlightened sections who try to give space to Afro-American voices and strongly condemn acts of racism, Indian elite is also trying to find their traction in this hallowed circle. Gandhi was hoisted quite successfully, evidently everything else was muzzled in this juggernaut of conspicuous compassion; the apostle of peace narration quite cleverly hid the depraved elite and their primitive ways. They therefore sashayed the world ramp with compelling ease, representing and consolidating themselves as peaceful souls.         

  

While racism is condemned around the world and Afro Americans are protected from these discriminations with structures and policies under place (gun hugging white Americans falling behind in the civilizational scale). The primitive structures that created and authenticated Dalit atrocities are still in place, and not at all shocking is the Indian elite's attempt on positing as benevolent and competing with West as enlightened souls. The habitual offenders have created Dalit narration to match Afro-American, hence show themselves, therefore Indian society, as beacons of kindness. These ingenious attempts must be exposed, primitive Indian elite shouldn’t be allowed to squiggle in the cloak of some eastern mystic with unique elevated connection to truth, reality is much mucky.

Post script: After the blasts in Bangkok, one clever fellow was quick to hit the button. He lamented the fact that India is not leveraging its ‘historical cultural’ connections with East Asia. The blast happened near Hindu temple is what got him excited, it was pushed in that the temple brought in positive energy, predicted by astrologers, hence balance to calamitous world that only some have the tricks for quick fix solutions. It is clear that the bomb blasts didn’t fall into positive. So how are we going to cover that one, squatter embedded journalist should have the alibi. In the meanwhile in the midst of the unfolding tragedy he seemed offended that ‘brahmins’ are replaced by Buddhist monks in ‘saffron robes’, but is satisfied that atleast clandestinely Hindu ways are practised, having witnessed ‘brahmin decedents’ at work in the royal palace. Incidentally this fellow’s enthusiasms were not shared as he was corrected, ‘Indic influence’ as our man went gaga on Indian civilizational influence. Sane people don’t want to have any reference to Indian “civilizational” influence -the predominating narration being that of obnoxious squatter, this our man doesn’t really get. This scoundrel who is masquerading journalist needs to understand that opposite happened in India as Buddhist temples were grabbed by squatters and converted into spots of debauchery in the meanwhile the temples in East Asia incorporated the subtleties and refined ways, quite clearly squatters didn’t have any place in such narration. That is the difference between Hindu religion of East Asia and the subtle practises that evolved through Buddhism, and squatter controlled Indian Hindu temples that remain spaces of decadence and unethical ways that gets continuously replicated as it spreads into other fields and sustains. It is a mindset, hence attitude.  While they target Radhe maas of the world, the debauchery inside temples and how it corrupts souls is ignored. Not surprising, as this will expose lot of home truths and crude foundation of some ever purifying conscience keepers, including some accuracies on mahatmas and pundits.

It is also getting clear (atleast from this fellows claim) that ‘royal’ families in Thailand got their nourishment on elevated thyself from hobnobbing with squatters, if not now atleast few centuries back, –who are renowned for the ability to churn out creative otherworldly alibis to suit the occasion, hence the ‘royals’ in Thailand find themselves indispensably entitled. Monarchy is a disgraceful anachronism of modern times, a joke played on common people as also severe flaw in sensibilities of equitable dealing.                       

The Radhe maas of market media

There is nothing intriguing in the way market media chooses its target, like a pack of predators they ferociously attack and gleefully comment in an ever purifying and competing self-righteousness. Clearly the forces behind these theatrics are the same, they vary in the display and sensational intent, as also the sponsors (puerility of that in itself is another story). There is a woman who has become centre of fancy among the English and Hindi ‘news’ channel, now this one is some kind of comic relief therefore an easy target. The belligerence of the reporters and countering of the same create an absurd situation. She claims to be goddess (a goddess with a Punjabi accent is dream come true scene! Being an Indian can be sometimes be seriously funny affair) or atleast her followers believe so. Garishly dressed, gaudy surroundings, crudely materialistic concomitantly absence of application of mind or critical thinking is typical of most people in this part of the world, that has been suitably exploited for ages. Now this one is no saint or great soul that this society revere as the source of awareness in bleak world. There are so many like her who cleverly associate the nuances of squatter’s temples and showcase themselves as carriers of miracles. Not coincidentally this is what the squatters do in the temple too, creating wonders of gods and hawking the miracles, they also exaggerate human attributes of gods and in a clever sleight also to themselves for being the mediator. Now shift the framework to market media and service sector absurdities, what really has changed? Nothing much. The gods are now the specially created market icons, the actors and cricketers, both competing for varying degree of mediocrity. Indeed being an actor or cricketer is a minor matter, as they ferociously compete for endorsements (without ofcourse ever being responsible, and the onus is one use to be understanding towards them. Aw), and that defines their worth. These are the gaudy gods the market create and are carried from one product to another, from brand to another, dexterously parroting lines that seek to trap people. How is this different from the Radhe maas of the world? What is different from this fellow Shah Rukh khan pedaling cola and whatever, that market media depends on for its daily roti. Taking high moral grounds on slippery ethics is quite an art.

It needs also be noted that Market media in the avatar of saviour doesn’t really question the primitive foundations, indeed they quite gleefully promote it, as all kinds of charlatans, pandits (incidentally the abuse in Nehru Wikipedia entry is the word Pandit, and that should be investigated. Why Nehru is a pundit while others, some exceptionally erudite like Ambedkar, are not is a serious issue that will open up the Indian elite's depraved world), we are told bless their presence with absolute nonsense, they predict future, suggest puerilities as traditions so on, it’s an amazing racket. Of course some have morphed with bit of education into journalism, as political commentators prospecting Indian society while some does as 'consultants' on matters ranging from finance to anything under the sun. The crazy exaggeration of issue like Radhe maas of world are attempts by clever market operators trying to assert their moral superiority. Closer scrutiny shows they are as depraved and muck filled.      

The issues are chosen carefully by the market media as to how it can be exaggerated and squeezed, it is amazing how different media stampede from one issue to another in a tawdry replication of each other in intent and content indicating how they are controlled by similar source. This source, the cash rich byproduct of corporates, is the new benchmark. This cash rich specie that does the hawking, as the money pour in for the same, seems to be setting the agenda. A new low is created on every occasion. It is in this ecosystem likes of Trump are born and thrive, and as these get replicated in India as market spreads, one can be quite sure that there are hundreds and thousands of millionaires like him in here too are getting richer and richer. Indian elite is pupating in the same ecosystem, what differentiates them from likes of Trump is their dexterity of words and deep understanding of barbaric nonviolence, that make them look like angels. Negotiating entitlements through nepotism and crony capitalism, cunningness posited as higher conscience, liberalism pointers in semantic jugglery…these are only the tip of iceberg. You will encounter much depraved home truths as you go down. Consumerism is therefore the new great liberator, indeed with few well-placed shots even creates a sense of patriotism. They therefore degrade systems and institutions, quite an easy task in a society where rules are lax, traditions strong and culture ever superior. This megalomaniac specie has necessary attributes of squatter’s primitiveness and cunningness while carrying the finesse of western liberals, they land into juiciest of occasions for enhanced branding. How much they have encroached policy making institutions is the mute question. There is no question that they have severely intruded into public space, and has further pushed the society into thriving absurdity filled consumers.   

Now that an Indian is heading Google, the market was alert to dumb it down for the herd. “Bollywood and cricket” was sought to be rushed in as essential hinge of Indian identity. The market driven buffoonery was in full swing. Ofcourse now finally the mediocre IIT has found the traction, to justify their ordained selves and position that the world will have to deserve them (?!). Hence the section is furiously pushing in the mythical attributes of IITians which the world as also universe will have to but recognize one day. Reality check: IITians are mostly mediocre and amazingly insular, as much as engineering field is exaggerated, they are just fine tuning market requirements and filling in. The so called innovators are only working within the framework, mostly incremental opportunists. This blogger thinks that, with few rare exceptions, this is one of Indian myth making racket. I used to meet IITians quite often while I was moonwalking in JNU and around, except some rare occasions they are mostly blinkered and too focused in all its negative import. I rarely found them interesting. Few months back I was interacting/interviewing a boy from IIT Delhi, and thought he was quite a genius (knowing how this word is misused). He could read and write a language, any language, within few days, and could retain it forever. He knew more than 20 languages! So we asked him to write a random name (srinivasan) in Tamil and Malayalam. And he was able to, though ‘shree’ is second word you learn in Malayalam (hari shree ganapathaye namaha), it is quite tough to write. I thought he was brilliant and one rare human being. But the boy was extremely confused about what to do with himself, he doesn’t really fancy engineering, and was extremely short on self-confidence on the verge of breakdown. That is what this bullshit called IIT, fixation and exaggeration, the mediocre society has created. 

     

Commentators were also seen pushing Indian value system?! And what really is that?  A society with amazingly ambiguous moral bearings always looks forward to justify itself on flimsiest of occasions. These kinds of individual achievements when you compare with overwhelming regressive surrounding and primitive ways cannot be generalized as an attribute of a society. Indeed this blogger will posit that despite overwhelming odds that Indian society creates some people are still able to do well is indeed a stupendous achievement, and instead of self-congratulating (for god knows what reason), it is better to introspect as to why Indians are such mediocrity appreciating bunch with extreme rare attribute of subtlety. These achievements has more do with the framework, and individuals escaping it. And yes they do well if they have to work within the system, that favor sincerity and hardworking as main attributes. As one fellow said in BBC: this is nothing to do with region or race. Assuming that there is an Indian race, though there are many Indians who tend to believe themselves to be quite superior, the dexterity with words morphs them as liberal. 

This blogger is here to rip the mask, quite sure of that one. This is an arduous task as the entrenched deviance is strong, and they have strongly positioned themselves as the money, power, traditional structures and alliances consolidates. They created crude aspiration frameworks, that are the basis of mediocrities and miseries. They are adept in degrading people and elevating gods, ditto with market -degrading nature and undermining basic ethical values. They are the basis of crony capitalism and nepotism, and primitive worldviews that is transmitted to younger generations. Morphing liberal values may impress the world community but this blogger knows the home truth, and is here to expose it. In this context Gandhi is only one of the array of defense that the elite carry with so much relish. The unfortunate reality is whether right or left, or anyone in between, Indian elite is severely compromised lot, and the depravity is much ingrained as they are aware of it. And that they have spread thin across the spectrum is the curse on Indian society. 

The desperate branding of goodness

The Nestle (Maggi) issue was quite a revelation, as devious commentators brought in their compassion exuding versions to side with the defaulters. Market as harbinger of goodness is now an established fact among certain section but that the multibillion dollar rich corporates are epitomising conscience is something of a revelation. Political clout and money power is the constant crave hence the stable factor, how you negotiate these into positive frame is the narration here. Corporates wants to display themselves as good, hence in constant look out for goodness. The goodness is now cemented as liberal values, hence ferocious defence and stampede by the elites meanwhile exaggerating threat perceptions to maximise their advantage. Being a mediocre lot they have hinged themselves as service providers a compelling euphemism for sweet talking facilitators adept in range of manipulations. After liberalisation big money has been flowing to multiply itself, hence the touts have morphed into sophisticated versions. With this huge money they have been twisting and degrading the system with ease as compliant policy makers wait for their cut. Market media is very much in the game and have their own agents working furiously to gain clout. As they went on with their nefarious ways they needed cloak of goodness, that is why we have these soul mercenaries who moonwalk as opinion makers, slick communicators, do-gooders etc. morphing into the requirement for a price. They expertise in taking conscience to ridiculous level embellishing it with Indian culture and tradition (i.e. if they intend to give a right twist to the narration) or higher goals of humanity cleverly hinging it to western pointers of liberalism. Exploitative corporates need them as a front, market media has a high value on them, so do the political establishment depending upon twist that is needed.    

          

A cash rich specie has emerged, as an essential by-product of service industry gigantism, they fix things and provide twist to the narration as and when needed. They expertise in creating perceptions on demand, obfuscate ethics and push in subjectivity to rules. Even basic facts are sought to be dimmed, recently Coca Cola is reported to be pushing the nonsense that “to maintain a healthy weight, get more exercise and worry less about cutting calories”. “The beverage giant has teamed up with influential scientists who are advancing this message in medical journals, at conferences and through social media. To help the scientists get the word out, Coke has provided financial and logistical support to a new nonprofit organization called the Global Energy Balance Network, which promotes the argument that weight-conscious Americans are overly fixated on how much they eat and drink while not paying enough attention to exercise”. While Health experts say this message is misleading and part of an effort by Coke to deflect criticism about the role sugary drinks have played in the spread of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. They contend that the company is using the new group to convince the public that physical activity can offset a bad diet despite evidence that exercise has only minimal impact on weight compared with what people consume.

Coca cola can do this so easily in India. Confusion over ‘science of health’ is an easy matter to manipulate. You can use the service of array of soul mercenaries, as also specially ordered icons, journalists, politicians, marketeers (includes colossal waste nutcases who do IIM after IIT, ready for any money suck), creative sellers (some even get poetic)…everyone is available at the right price. This usual haggling or even show of minimal talent, in whatever field, is for enhancing their brand value. Nestle is a good corporate image, hence soul mercenaries have latched in, it is a symbiotic relation. It is also quite likely these corporates might have fed handsomely as service gigantism spread with liberal values cloak, nepotism fattened clique furiously clearing the path with higher and higher conscience in shifting moral grounds. The new government most likely played its trick, the Lead/MSG issue seems like a convenient alibi. I gather there are corporates that is taking sides (or have taken sides) or is trying to masquerade higher conscience. There is a wresting of initiatives going on, as the other sides are trying to push in the ‘ominous portent’ narration. It is in this wrestling that crumbs fall for common people, atleast now we have some standards on packaged food that will be checked. It is the same reason why the Congress government didn’t initiate any meaningful changes or reforms (despite some brilliant suggestion by subsequent reform commissions so on), there was no gain, they therefore maintained socio-political status quo as the cronies reaped in. Afterall in this society moral codes were sought to be established through Mahabharata, essentially a family feud exaggerated for grandeur; scheming, and cunning protagonists mostly devoid of ethics or compassion. In this family feud of elite we have to search our morals, it is the same framework that exists even today. The negotiators have shifted from primitive frameworks to board rooms. In this narration of one-upmanship crumbs are dropped to common people, that is democracy.

Donald Trump could very well be Donald Deshpande, a convenient Gandhian (if seeking to take higher moral grounds), or a high sounding bureaucrats (with negotiable ethics, but high on traditional pointers), pretentious journalist (dexterity with words, also exalting lifestyle puerilities), or a machiavellian marketer (on a liberal high ride, ever so landing softly as GDP trustees), investment friendly politician (ready to open up the natural resources to be plundered by likes of billionaire Trumps or Aggrawals), an activist socialite (market props who cover loose ends, purring sickularism/compassion, moral morphing whatever can fetch)…thankfully the new government is seeking to plug in the loopholes, although it is an arduous task, decades of apathy have severely dented the institutions. Knowing the primitive social system, entrenched apathy and contemporary realities this blogger is not expecting any miracles but is ready to give this government atleast a decade. Even some of the corruption charges can be excused, it is a minor matter at this stage (overwhelming perception is that Sushma Swaraj is not corrupt, she made the habitual mistake of Indian elite when they see money bags, but nothing substantial was compromised. IPL is a stink pot and everyone including the cricketers are corrupt and severely compromised). Compared to the kind of loot and arrogance initiated by the previous government these are nothing, and what makes it distressing is that they don’t seemed to have learned the lessons, many of the cunning leaders are still in currency and espousing high values. Amazing lack of leadership, one would have thought worst defeat would have revamped them, kicked out the dead weights, crafty weasels. Indeed that is what happens when you feed sycophants while arrogant leaders tend to be assured of their invincibility in these fawn filled surroundings.  

First ever ant website. Wonderful.

In my world ants have always had a very special place. Better part of my childhood was spent observing ants than anything else. I am also quite fascinated by myrmecomorphy, that is, the insects that mime ants, the most common being spiders and wasps. It is in this context I am glad to inform that a spellbinding website, world’s first ever ant map showing the distribution of ants around the globe, was launched yesterday by the University of Hong Kong. http://antmaps.org/. It is a colourful interactive online map which took four years to complete, and displays the geographic locations of nearly 15,000 types of ants. What more can one ask for?

Would you be calm and placid

If you were full of formic acid?

(Ogden Nash)

IUCN, WWF, CITES must answer

"Trophy hunting is a form of wildlife use that, when well-managed, may assist in furthering conservation objectives" (IUCN)

My respect for WWF is substantially diminished over the years, now the intent of CITES, as was elucidated by one of its spokesperson, has appalled me in no small measure. As one was trying to come in terms with serious ethical breaches and moral expediencies comes the revelation of IUCN. Are these people for conservation or is conservation a ruse for furthering themselves and their ways, animals as a convenient alibi to spread oneself. Animals cannot speak so you can be the spokesperson and manipulate (reminds me of cunning Indian elite who with effortless feudal ease seek to represent common people and rub it in through ever purifying moral matrix). 

It is becoming quite clear that the wildlife related conservation issues are still run by erstwhile hunters and colonisers. The kind of literature on hunting by colonisers will leave you baffled, the depravity of it beyond shock. Indeed if you visit Bharatpur bird sanctuary you will see a placard on the number of birds killed in one go, it crosses thousands. What kind of sick people will do these? These hunting zones were protected as they wanted the numbers to increase so that they can kill for their perverse pleasure. These regions later acquired the status of wildlife sanctuaries, so conservation wasn’t the early concern. During these massacres of animals for pleasure common people’s knowledge were used for tracking, while Indian elite were enthusiastic participants of massacre creating their own records to match the masters. In the weekends they cemented further as they fawned over master’s gentlemanly attributes through cricket (like squatter’s temples cricket was also quite successfully pushed through the throats of common people, with immense success and relish. Cursory study will show how mediocrity thrived as it sucked on), they also got essential lessons on modernity that they easily blended into feudal norms and sickening traditions.

It is in this context I find the ease to analyse WWF, CITES, IUCN so on (I must again express my gratefulness to Indian elite and their depraved ways). Clearly the erstwhile hunters and decadent colonisers have occupied responsible positions in the wildlife conservation related organisations. They might have morphed themselves successfully as conservators but their intent will show in the crucial situations. ‘Trophy hunting’ is such an occasion where they open up as practical souls with higher intent in mind.  The kind of conservation strategy that they pursue quite clearly carries the legacy of brutes and colonisers. Selective killing maybe used as a last resort to balance or to weed out, in rare instances, but trophy hunting is a different matter. It seeks to encourage sick minds and their debauched ways, it is awfully disturbing. Even the monetary gains and ‘economic incentives’, that seeks to exploit the poverty in an exceedingly classist framework, doesn’t stand scrutiny. A study shows that 70.4 percent of Americans would pay to view lions on an African safari, while only 6.6 percent would pay to hunt them.

The people who are holding responsible positions in WWF, IUCN, CITES etc. must be scrutinised closely, the erstwhile scums seems to have morphed as conservators. Ironically people who are connected to forest and its ways generally tend to be sustainable in the practice and compassionate in their outlook. They rarely kill for fun, sick thrills nor will support depraved minds, their poverty (which ofcourse is the result of skewed nature of socio-economic system, than any claim to competence. Donald trump is a sterling example) is being exploited for furthering one’s debauched ways.

The picture herein is that Donald trump’s son. A CNN newsreader, an Afro-American trying to balance the discussion, was saying in defence of Trump “...but his children are normal and not in wrong ways”. Being normal is such a big deal, even in this limited ethical space look what is there to see. Sickening.   

The Ted Turner way

To be very frank I didn’t know much about Ted Turner, just a vague idea of him being a ‘media mogul’ so on. The other day I was watching CNN and saw this interview (Amanpour.) that got me riveted. What an amazing man. Apart from brilliance and quaint quintessential American way, that is almost extinct, he is precise and alert to the point with sharp memory. Some people attract you instantly. When asked about Bill Gate’s investment in fossil fuel, he didn’t go haranguing of any sort, on the contrary, he just said ‘he is smart’. Sarcasm at its best. What I also liked is this concept of buying land and let it be the way it is, with free horses and wild bisons, quite a sight that one.

I have seen palatial houses that doesn’t even leave an inch of ‘waste space’ no gardens no nothing just concrete. It is therefore a refreshing idea to buy land and create forest or just leave it the way it is. I recall few years back while I was cycling through Kerala meeting a man who created a forest on his private property. The task of conservation should include more people, private sanctuaries should be allowed ofcourse under strict wildlife laws and precautions. It is time to introduce private/public participation into wildlife sanctuaries. I have sponsored animals in the zoo, but if there is an option of sponsoring wild animals in their habitat I will prefer that.