Passing scribbles….

Double click life

I saw her
when I took a wrong turn
in the lane parallel to Jew street
of good old kochi.
That was 1995.
This is 2008.
Her skin had sagged and taken some fat,
gait slower than what I was used to in her,
like an actor playing a part much older than her.
“What’s wrong with you?
Wearing such a bad make up.
Take it off” I said quite angry.
“It will take
many more years to bring me back” she said.
And turned older
and older
and stooped
then she closed her eyes gently
and flapped her wings.

Intend to kill

In February this year WHO came out with the report that a billion people will die of tobacco related causes by the end of this century. Contribution of smoking in this is very significant. Smoking killed 100 million people in the 20th century, and the yearly death toll could pass 8 million as soon as 2030 — 80% of those deaths will be in the developing world, where tobacco use is growing most rapidly. According to a study by New England Journal of Medicine “Smoking kills 900,000 people every year in India, and unless corrective action is taken soon that number will increase to 1 million smoking-related deaths annually by 2010. Smoking accounts for nearly one in 10 of all deaths in India”.

WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008 called on governments to adhere to six tobacco control policies it calls MPOWER: monitor tobacco use; protect people from secondhand smoke; offer help to people who want to quit; warn about the risks of smoking; enforce bans on cigarette advertising; and raise tobacco taxes. According to the report, nearly two thirds of the world's smokers live in 10 countries — China, India, Japan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the U.S., Brazil, Germany, Russia, and Turkey. This blogger read in the Net that combined destruction of AIDS, World War II, and outright homicide accounted for less death than cigarette smoke over a 75 year period.

It is in this context that Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss role comes into significance. We Indians need to be grateful to this man, despite the consistent onslaught from Market driven media (clearly they are fed by cigarette companies, no rocket science there!!) even attempting to brand him as some sort of a maniac (a case of sense of humor from media gone far!!). Mr. Ramdoss according to this blogger -which most will agree, is one the best Union Health minister so far (he is definitely is a role model for policy makers in developing countries) he had the option of playing with the Market but he was brave enough to side with the people and has done what is expected from a health minister of more than a billion people- at mercy of money bags trying to peddle their product despite grave health risk. Lobbies functioning for cigarette companies are quite vicious people and they can go to any extend. Poor and corrupt society like India is an easy game. BBC sometime back did an investigation on how they work in Africa, trying to create addiction as early as possible and other blatant unethical practices. One thing about these lobbies is that they absolutely adore democracy and their each and every argument reiterates commitment to freedom !!

Further a smoker is attempted to be portrayed in Indian media (and most importantly in American media, from where these people get their reference) as a regular guy like you and me!. On the contrary Smoking like any other addiction needs psychological help. A person who destroys his/her health with each breath he/she takes is by no stretch of imagination normal. This epidemic has another dimension and that is passive smoking that affects people around the smoker. Studies have shown serious consequences of this. Clearly they are putting others life on risk too because of their addiction. Everybody has a right so long as they aren't harming others, in this case it is not mere harming it is threat on life. Now this is where the line has to be drawn and a policy of zero tolerance needed. Thankfully Health Minister has taken the responsibility despite usual hoarse from media. From October 2^nd we people can breath easy and don’t have to tolerate some maniac who has to smoke because of democratic reasons !!. They can do it inside their house (provided children’s right to access clean air is not threatened or else it is an abuse) or toilet the onus is on them and not us to give them space for smoking. This is what health minister had to say recently “Demographically, India, home to 60 crore young people below the age of 30, is the youngest nation in the world. They are our national assets and they must be protected against tobacco. We are strengthening our Tobacco Regulatory Authority to enforce strict anti-tobacco laws.” Very right. His jab on Shah Rukh Khan or Budhadeb (incidentally Bengal State has one of the highest smokers) is well intentioned, this blogger like most people in this country welcomes these, he is counterpointing the image the cigarette companies create: “it is not cool”. As also his attempt to rein in surrogate smoking ads in movies is welcomed, don’t know about efficacy part, but it generated lots of awareness about tricks morons play in the name of creative freedom.

Further passive smoking is “intend to kill” (like drinking and driving) and there should be protection from passive smoking and make smokers who puts anyone at risk considered a serious offence (protecting people from secondhand smoke is a policy initiative proposed by WHO). Also the onus is on the owner of private places (like Offices, clubs) to implement these strictly. For the very same reason chairperson of BTC (Bangalore Turf Club) stands accused of “intend to kill”, they are not implementing the no smoking rules strictly jeopardizing the health of its patrons. Hopefully such negligence will be considered a serious offense after October 2^nd. Long live people like Anbumani Ramadoss. He is a very rare politician. This blogger rates him as the best Health Minister ever, probably one of the most responsible Health Minister in the world today. We common people are grateful to him.

Post script: He does it again !!

The Union Home Minister was quoted as saying that there was specific knowledge about threat of bombing in Delhi (don’t whether the intention was to upstage Modi. Never can trust the games politicians play). Obviously terrorists are not going to drop in the address and time. Understanding that it is an uphill task when there are millions of people and so much of lack of information about people and so on, making security agencies job very difficult. What this blogger fails to understand is why basic precautionary standards not taken?. Video footage was a great help in London bombing so that should have been the priority area. The CCTVs in Karol bagh was found to be malfunctioning (also consider crowded places like Karol bagh are always on miscreants radar. This is second one in Gaffar market) therefore valuable inputs lost. This is shocking. Who is responsible for these?. Delhi’s law and order comes under Union Home Ministry, this blogger wants to know whether orders were passed. Otherwise Union Home Ministry is accused of nothing less than criminal negligence.

...in the meantime

What is the responsibility of this man???.

To come in TV after each blast and talk crap (he probably is the most detested politician in India right now), some people don’t know when to keep shut. After Ahmedabad blast this man was found giving “exclusive interviews”, where again he spoke nonsense. Absolute lack of sensitivity, shear lack of comprehending the gravity of the situation. Pity the people on the street. Bad luck I guess. So be brave, tolerate and show your grit…there is no other option is just a coincidence.

Tribals are not Hindus

It is difficult to classify who is a Hindu, broadly it can be referred to as those who follow rituals under Brahminical traditions or wherein the local God has some story that links to mainstream Hindu Gods (the trimurthis). Theoretically those who deny these can also be Hindus !!.

The tribes in India follow animistic traditions and in most cases have nothing to do with rituals associated with Brahmins, they also don’t come under dreaded caste folds. Tribals have fiercely maintained their independence (Birsa munda is a well known name, probably one of the first Indians to take up arms against colonial British). This though has gone against them as they could not garner the benefits of development. It is also true that Macaulay designed education system that was followed enthusiastically till recently alienated most Indians from their surroundings- creating a mindset that is servile to Western. For the tribals the contradiction was so acute that they dropped at the very first instance from an education system that they didn’t see any practical applications nor had anything to do with their surroundings.

Eventually tribals became one of the poorest and most exploited sections quite ironical since Adivasi means the earliest settlers. The mainstream India and the state machinery had nothing to gain from them hence their miseries were ignored for decades (although in paper lots of money was spend). The beauty of Christianity is that this religion produced some committed people who could travel to even difficult terrains to spread the message of Christ (there shouldn’t be any doubt that message of Christ was for goodness but the attempt of ‘civilizing’ which some took it with zest was ridiculous. In mid twentieth century though Catholics made attempts to adopt and assimilate the local traditions, sometimes even regressive like caste or say the recently acquired sindoor obsession in kerala. Organized religion understands rules of market!!).

Christianity provided an alternative for social mobility for tribals, missionaries filled the gap that was ignored by the state. If I place myself in the place of a tribal I would definitely see the benefits of following Christianity (note here there is no conversion since tribes don’t follow any religion that is conventionally understood). Also the following is basically part of economics (the idea that one religion has superiority over other in understanding spiritual is an exaggerated nonsense). Christian missionaries have done a remarkable job in last many decades to raise the self esteem of tribals crushed by the exploitative nature of surroundings. The widely spread education institutions under missionaries has given them the opportunity to learn and progress. Though elitism exists in these institutions and sometime they are reduced to commercial establishment. This blogger strongly feels that Christian community need to immediately put into perspective what is purpose of education institutions they run. There is an urgent need to increase reservations in these institutions to Christians from economically backward communities, next priority need be given to poorer section from not Christian background. Compassion shouldn’t have any space for elite or market defined merit, compassion is about competence. Christianity’s competence is in spreading the massage of goodness to all. (Colleges like St. Stephen should give preference to competence, I give this example since this college has been decided by and among elite section as torchbearer of merit, alumni include mostly of nuisance value and big time chatteratis).

The State and people of India should be grateful to missionaries since they prevented the alienation of huge section of population. The reason why Naxalism is not rampant in many poorer parts of India has to do a large extend with missionaries. Brahminical ideology instigated violence is nothing but consolidating power. Tribals will loose whatever they have if they enter ‘Hindu’ fold, they are numbers in the larger mission of power brokers. The heinous violence against tribals need be understood from the context of superiority of caste hindus over ‘lowly’ tribals and their audacity to challenge this authority. They also tend to patronize them as gullible people!

Attack on tribals need also seen in the context of racism. Tribals have same reference point with ‘Indians’ of American continent or aborigines. The tribal leaders should also try to forge ties with these groups and try create a pan international protection. It is high time UN sponsor such an initiative. These racist attacks should be condemned at the international level, so far only Pope and Italians have reacted for what they think is an attack on Christianity. Unfortunately these attacks are much heinous and are part of systemic act of racism. There is a case for UNHRC against India, in particular the Orissa state. The Indian State stands accused of not protecting victims of racism.

Unprecedented catastrophe

River changing its course is unheard of, it’s unbelievable. Kosi River in Bihar has created unprecedented havoc, it has stranded some 25 million people (that is population of many countries). It is probably the worst natural disaster to hit India after Tsunami. The death toll is rising and there is a threat of disease. Amazingly the situation is not given the gravity it demands. This is not a national crisis, it is international crisis. As the situation unfolds it is matching the catastrophe of witnessed during hurricane Nargis or Katherina. This lackadaisical approach of policy makers and aid agencies (as also international NGOs) probably has to do with the fact that these are poorest people in one of the most impoverished states of India. This is a catastrophe at international level, it is unprecedented (snap taken from National Geography site).

What to do in life ??

This is one question that troubled me a lot when I was in my early twenties. At that time you have so many career options and non options in front of you, and the social system is such that you have to take these decisions as early as possible. Further one was made to feel that whatever one does will somehow affect the future, so continuously scrutinized and heckled. I recall being in a continuous state of confusion with absolutely no reference point. Reaching a stage that one day I sat down with a paper to chart down what exactly was a human supposed to do?. Extending later to ‘what is purpose of life?’. Marina beach Chennai in the midst of crowded people was where I pondered on these metaphysical queries!!.

What does Police do?
They take care of law and order. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??

What does Army do?
They protect us from external threat. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??

What does Engineers do?
They use/enhance technology to make our life easy and comfortable. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??.

What does Doctors do?
They cure the disease and help us keep our body fit. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??

What does singers/ actors so on do?
They entertain us. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??

…..and so on. I would ask people whom I meet as to what they did and then try to analyze the career. Like I recall meeting a man regular at Music Academy (Chennai) who worked in a Bank, querying him at length as to what he ‘really’ did !!. I guess since he was elderly man he tolerated me. But then anyone working in Bank is concerned with monetary transaction which is about taking care of money. So if he is taking care of my money what am I supposed to be doing??

It took me some time to zero down to the fact that the purpose of life is “to know”. The next question was “to know what?”. That which leads to awareness. To know therefore is life. I recall being quite ecstatic about this understanding. (Here I am not working on para and apara vidya, the sacred and mundane, which though is a significant understanding but was sucked in by wily Brahminical nonsense. Environment, nature, diseases…is very much part of the awareness). I recall writing a poem on this, probably one of my first few poems.

My Ambition
Some want to be Pilot
and ride the world.

Some want to be in the Army
to save the nation.

Some want to be Engineers
to correct the world.

Some want to be Doctors
to correct the people.

Some want to be models
to show it to the world.

Some want to be actors
to let the world see.

As for me
I want to sit on the seashore
And count the waves.
Waves are water
So is sea.

Bit juvenile but I still like the last few lines. It was during this time (I was around 24) that I started taking up reading bit seriously and made it a point to visit Connemara library once a week, and later Ernakulam Public library where I decided to finish atleast two books a week !!. Though I really had some tough time and did revert back to confusion since “knowing” is not a career. And career was understood as capacity to make money. I recall being severely stressed and very nearly gave up.

Since last few years I have got involved in Career training for young people I could not help recollect these thinking I dwelled upon. As for me this understanding has stood the test of time except that I have added “to know and contribute to collective conscience” as purpose of life. Means used for contributing may vary. Basic money is important that is the reason why constant source of earning must be there.

One realizes that Market (I have read has its origin in Protestant ethics) emphasizes on means of earning, the better the skills more competent the person (‘chosen’-the means to reach God). It means to constantly refine oneself, since earning comes with basic Christian tenet of compassion (snap taken from www.flickr.com).

But the way crassness has crept in with “competitive environment”, necessarily at the cost of what doesn’t have Market value. I dare say this contradicts the basic nature of humanity, the alien context (like for instance Patenting wherein the local understanding is sharing) is leading to alienation- from society and surrounding. For the very reason Capitalism may not be a not flawed system, though it looks best possible option. When all that can be used is used competition is cannibalism.

Separatism in Kashmir

The problem in Kashmir is a colonial legacy, the legacy of communalising the society to rule. Kashmir is a Muslim majority region the main reason for demand for separate state. In ancient India this region was known as centre of Buddhism. This blogger believes that Article 370 was a blunder it prevented assimilation of the region from the benefit of growth and isolated the people from pluralist influence, this was exploited by extremist elements. Hindus in kashmir were systematically eliminated (consider the appalling condition/rights of minorities in many Islamic countries starting with the Saudis). Although this blogger is in favor of self determination by people anywhere in the world in here there is a cause of worry. Muslim extremists have a juvenile world view of superiority and god given right to rule themselves through religion, clearly it is not self determination for common people but a clever ploy of fundamentalist to create a muslim ‘holy land’, the loss is of kashmiriyath, the loss is of inclusive tradition. Secondly this kind of move will have serious repercussion on Muslims in India since this is not about people but religion, so definitely Hindu power brokers will exploit this emotive issue. Why are Ladakis or people from Jammu not inclined for separatism?.

Religion is known many a times to poison its follower against the other when the other becomes minority the job is easy. They generally don’t tolerate pluralistic traditions even going against the local norms and values. Most religious fundamentalists whether Muslim, Christian or Hindu come from these surroundings. So even though the Kashmiris have nothing against hindus they were cleansed, so who is doing this?. Who are training the young Kashmiris on using weapons? Muslims or for that matter Hindus, in Bangalore or Delhi when don’t get water or electricity or other basic needs don’t shout for separate country. Kashmiris are not the only one who find themselves in the wrong end of security forces infact most people in India don’t have very positive view of police force. So what is so special about Kashmiris this blogger fails to understand other than the fact that it is Muslim dominated and has been kept isolated from other communities for 60 years.

This blogger is tired of “muslims as a victim” on the contrary the victims of Islam instigated invasions through out the history as also terrorism through bombs in the contemporary world are quite significant as compared to other religions, albeit local happenings add the fuel. However one may say that terrorism has no religion the fact is there are people who are ready to kill and religion has provided them the alibi. Also if followers of one religion are found to be involved in many violent activities it is but natural for man on the street to be suspicious of all people belonging to this religion. Prejudices are sometimes reaction to event around the person it may not be possible for people to take egalitarian worldview all the time particularly when they feel threatened. Further if I belong to a community whose members are committing heinous crimes then I should understand the context of prejudice towards me rather than react in belligerence, the onus is on me. The West may have space for such belligerence and they do have better law and order system but in poorer societies these suspicions can produce deep fractures. India today faces most from religion instigated acts of violence next probably to Iraq. In the meantime politicians worry about their vote bank (which is expected ditto Corporate worry about profit. CSR is basically brand building exercise. Is Market making the world more selfish and crude??. A study is needed on this. The man in suit maybe providing a suave alternative but beware). So some politicians blatantly support SIMI while others support Hindu fundamentalists.

The Muslim as victim has been quite hyped after the 9/11 because of misguided policies of Bush, this is what is being exploited by extremists for power. Common people following Islam do suffer and many suffer terribly first due to poverty second through prejudices. Many therefore get further marginalized and so exploited. Another irony is that this predicament of poor Muslims is exploited by pretenders in elite Muslims generally found next to power centers who fill in the gap as representing these Muslim masses. The truth though is that they have absolutely nothing to do with the reality of common people (if you study Indian history you will see that elite Muslims like Brahminical variety never really had to face any significant problem. They wallowed in extravagance and self inflicted degradation).

Kashmir just happens to be on the fault line. This is not about common people or their voice; it is about peddlers of religion. Peddlers have quite successfully sold the vision of paradise to Kashmiris. The fact is it is going to get difficult for common people. The power brokers on both sides are in for a terrific time. In the meantime more soldiers will die more kashmiris will die.

Post Script: Kashmir where it all began: A personal account

This blogger is into traveling and visiting new places. Sometime back used to spent almost four months in a year on traveling for months at a stretch now though I have reduced to specific periods of the year. I have traveled to almost all part of the country. Although my traveling started quite early (few months after I was born I was moving from Cochin to Assam!!) the place I first visited alone was Kashmir!!. Now that is what we can say incredible. Kashmir was in a way coming of age for me, the fun of travelling alone.

I probably was around 17, when I took this journey in the longest train route- Kanyakumari to Jammu, I got in from Trivandrum. The train stopped for hours at what was then Madras and although I was strongly instructed not to venture from the bogie, I went out and took a walk through Moore market (this market, bloggers will recall got destroyed in a major fire). It took me three to four days to reach Jammu (i recall early morning in the Pathankot railway station the news was about assasination of Zia and there was animated discussion in the bogies on who could have killed him). We were staying in Udhampur, a week later few guys known to us were going to Kashmir in a van so I joined them. It was a scenic journey we had a breakdown so ended up pushing the vehicle for few Kilometers. In the meantime there was a light snow, I recall stopping at a hotel on the outskirts of srinagar where we ate from the big tava itself!!. I met some fierce looking soldiers at Jawahar tunnel. I stayed for the night at probably the biggest house ever (just like the one we get to see in the movies), the fellow was a military contractor (that’s where the money is dear!! For details Dick Cheney would be much help. Soldiers die, people die but some people will always make money. Ever wonder why defence contractors and arm dealers are mostly related to senior officials. Nanda BMW car hit case is well known basically because it happened in delhi the important thing for me here was his father was a arms dealer and that his grand father Admiral. Not at all a coincidence. They know where the lick is, it is anybody’s guess whether national security was compromised). The family I stayed with, I recall was extremely courteous; the guest room was a like a five Star hotel- the servants serving hot milk before going to sleep and waking with bed coffee. Next day though I shifted to Army mess that was a familiar surrounding to me.

For two days I roamed around Srinagar going for long walks and boating at Dal Lake, even going for a late night movie. Although I was told not to eat from outside I did venture out (I am a big fan of Kashmiri wazwan. There is a small shop in Nizamuddin delhi I drop in for Rogan josh and pounded spicy meat balls in curd-goshtaba. There is also one at dili haat that rarely opens. Then of course at the Kashmiri stall at annual trade fare, Pragathi maidan). It was a great experience and I guess I got hooked to it and have been traveling since. Kashmiri people are quite friendly it is the outsiders who fill them with poison not to mention apathy of government.

The day Grandmother stopped telling stories

Grandmother's legs were like

branches of dead tree.

Sometimes

I thought she sprout out of mud

and that her fingers

grew from the corners.

Then one day she did a trick

and dug herself

into the mud.

Absurd scribbling

Switching the bulb in the dark

Hands faltering
in the darkness of the night
for a support
the doorknob
the wall
the switch
then falters again
and stumbles.

The matrix of memory
shifting
reshifting
floating with no reference.
Weary mind plays the trick,
imagine there is a wall
imagine there is a switch
imagine a new world.

It's Raining !!!

I have always been excited about rain and rain and rain!!!. And rain on beach is one incredibly beautiful happening.

Exultation is the going
Of inland soul to sea,-
Past the houses, past the headlands,
Into the deep eternity!.

Few years back during the southwest monsoons I stayed on a beach with a small glimpse of the ocean for nearly two months. It was a costly place, by my standards, but I got an off season discount (incidentally "off season" is the best time to travel). I carried a trunk of books…poetry, fiction.

The soul selects her own society,
Then shuts the door;
On her divine majority
Obtrude no more.

That was the first time I read Emily Dickinson!!!.

I also became friendly with guys who were into deep sea fishing. After the rains they invited me for a night of fishing in the sea. One look at their boats and I refused. Believe me their life is in as much danger as any soldier at the border.

When in chennai a decade back northwest monsoon was spectacular. Once I was the only one (except few fisherman who had just landed from the sea) on the entire stretch of marina beach during one heavy rain lastly for few hours. I also was lucky to have an access to coast guard beach. So you can say I had a beachy stay!!. Sometimes I went to play cricket too with local youngsters on Sundays. It was very shocking to know that hundreds of people were swept away by the tsunami from the very spot. Today I read that another major earthquake is expected. Something terrible is churning in the earth.

Mangrove trees are an effective defense against the fury of nature. That is the reason for concern about Andhra Coast (kakinada) where the second largest mangrove forest in India is located and how it is been destroyed by the ship breaking industry. The toxic pollutant (particularly ballast water) creating an havoc in the region. There has also been enough documentation on threat to workers from pollutants and appalling working conditions. It is time that this industry is contained. There are series of extensive articles by Mr. Dilip D'sousa on the world's largest scrapping site of ships: Alang. It is a suggested read to know about workers conditions in such places.

Golden boy Bindra !!

So finally India has won a gold medal at Olympics. It feels great !!!. This blogger was quite coincidently following the event. It was very keenly competed event, although Bindra started fourth in the finals. He kept his grit with consist performance 10.5-10.6, he was in the second spot then he became first, next he scored 10.1 so got tied for first spot. Then came the clincher, probably his best shot of the day- a 10.8 near perfect. Following this event was tense for me wonder how that boy handled it!!. It is amazing strength of mind. Truly remarkable. We can learn lot from him. It is very true of most sportspersons irrespective of any country. It is great fun watching them.

Indians tend to do exceptionally well when it comes to games needing concentration. But not many people get the opportunity. After all how many of us have handled a gun or for that matter even seen an event like this!!!. This blogger has maintained that Indian sports should be brought under Indian Army. The sports ministry should be held by retd defense chiefs (retired senior Defence personnel need be involved in much more active role, they are exceptional people. Country needs their service and most are very ready take up this challenge). People who excel in international sports need be given honorary defence title. This gives respectability and boosts the morale. Army could start something on the line of military school- the sports school, so that talent is identified at the earliest and nurtured. Army has all the international facility and infrastructure. Sports needs disciplined and scientific approach, the diet requirement has to be taken serious care. Army personnel are exceptional in handling these, they also have a very challenging and competitive environment (this would also be inspiration for Army personnel and their children also). If one looks at the people who have done well in sports they mostly seems to have some connection with Defense (like Dhyan chand, Milkha Singh, Rathore, the boxers, rovers, hockey players and so on. Not only that most Coach do have Army background). That clearly means they had the opportunity but think of some millions of people who never could get that opportunity despite being talented. If they had the opportunity and given all the facility, probably the country might have had twenty Bindras now at Beijing. Think of PT Ushas who could not make it.

This blogger had seen some exceptional sport people in Kerala. In kerala even the school district sport meet is given such an importance that most Malayalam media give significance, it is main news (when was the last time the so called ‘national channel’ given any importance to these events). Kerala has a culture of sports unlike most other States. But since people are not very rich the facilities are primitive, further many young people take sports as means for gaining employment. It is about surviving and its quite tough out there. This blogger also suggests that earnings of cricketers/actors from ads be severely taxed-and given to other Sports, since they earn so much money in few seconds because of the population and nothing to do with talent. It is quite disproportionate.

Sports in Delhi like everything else is about big lick by uncouth manipulative people. It is a business of officials to promote themselves at the expense of sports and sportsperson. Kalmadi it seems will continue for ever!! Sports should be freed from the clutch of politicians and small timers who have absolutely nothing to do with the sports.

Trivia: This blogger is a keen follower of sport events, I recall during delhi Asian games we had bought TV and I fell ill for the entire period of the games. Didn’t go to school for three odd weeks watching all the games. People thought he was having some serious disease and all kinds of tests were conducted, nothing came out but the boy looked very ill. Then the games got over and presto he is normal and back to school!!!.

Taking on the Left

There is a brilliant painting of “bombing of Guernica” by Picasso .This blogger happened to visit Picasso exhibition at National Museum, Delhi but unfortunately this one was not there, later I came to know that French had problems with Picasso. Anyway it was great experience for me, I saw the ‘blue period’ and ‘pink period’ paintings as also that brilliant sculpt of the goat (I visited twice to have a good look, thankfully there was not much crowd, primitive Delhi has other preoccupations!!...like for instance squatting around the power centre to wait for crumbs to fall you never know when what is falling- also referred to as networking, the business of licking. Some have passed this talent on to next generation!!!. Apart from politics, business …the soft target is culture. So we have lots of pretentious mediocre people doing the round hawking secularism, freedom and so on to catch the attention. It is not about what you speak-that is absolutely easy when God has given tongue and face to mime, it is about what you gain by what you speak. The lick is big in the capital of a country with more than billion people).

I also recall buying Picasso painting cards that has since adorned my wall! Gen. Franco’s Nationalist forces heavily bombed and completely destroyed Guernica killing hundreds of people. In the meanwhile Soviets were asking money from the Republicans to fight the Nationalists! As is the case Communists generally mutate into manipulative clique that eventually loose touch with reality and soon turns onto its own people. The case of Bengal is just an example. The worst is to follow in Kerala, thugs at lower level who caused maximum damage to common people in the name of communism in 80s and 90s, they even had “noku coolie” which meant they have to be paid even to look at others doing work! I have seen these scoundrels in action at personal level when I was a kid, every time we came to kerala we experienced this. Further the ideological shift from Left to Right is as easy, this too I have seen with people around. The fellow who quoted Marx few years later is exaggerating religion, it sometimes make me laugh! Ideologies lack soul, the reason why the shift is immediate (photo taken from the Net).

The Left leaders in Bengal and Kerala represent two end of spectrum, wherein in Bengal they are still the brown sahibs of 50s quoting English poems and eulogizing bourgeoisie passions et al cricket, recently though with proletariats catching up on cricket the comrades sahibs in Bengal had early advantage! Bengal remains one of the most backward region with low human indices and poverty, and absolute lack of social mobility with squatter most conveniently ensconced themselves for proletarian cause. As expected when the time has come to give way to others the arrogance is not astounding. 

Tribute to Solzhenitsyn

Alexander Solzhenitsyn who died the other day was Russia’s most well known contemporary writer. He had to face the atrocities of Communist regime under Stalin even spending eight years in forced labor camp. The critic of barbarism of totalitarian Soviet Union formed the basis of most his writing. One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich (1962) brought the monstrous evil of Stalin’s labor camp to the world. Other writing includes Gulag Archipelago, Cancer ward and so on. Later in his life as he moved to west to escape tyranny he came to disdain soulless capitalism.

These lines from Gulag Archipelago "It was granted to me to carry away from my prison years on my bent back, which nearly broke beneath its load, this essential experience: how a human being becomes evil and how good. In the intoxication of youthful successes I had felt myself to be infallible, and I was therefore cruel. In the surfeit of power I was a murderer and an oppressor. In my most evil moments I was convinced that I was doing good, and I was well supplied with systematic arguments. It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good. Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart, and through all human".

The shock and disillusionment towards policies followed by Soviet Union regime just before the world war two is well known. The case of happenings in Spain civil war is poignant wherein instead of supporting peasants and workers; Soviet supported Franco and his subsequent tyranny. This forms the backdrop for the story The Incident at the Krechetovka Station. Zotov- the protagonist, an enthusiastic upright young soldier realizing that all may not be well with his country (Solzhenitsyn also served in the Army briefly). He in his naïve eagerness demands to be send to Spain as a private soldier, least aware how the mechanism of the State is working to quell what he passionately feels for. “‘We must remember the general atmosphere at that time’ Zotov said heatedly. ‘The Spanish civil war, the fascist reaching the Madrid students settlement, the international brigade, Guadalajara, Teruel !. It was difficult to stay still. We clamored fro intensive course in Spanish, but they gave us German course instead. I got a Spanish teach yourself book and start studying it instead …I felt we were vitally involved in the Spanish situation and that our revolutionary conscience made it impossible for us remain in the sidelines. But I found nothing of sort in our newspaper, and wondered how I could get over there”…..“And then one day I read …from some French journalist who among other thing wrote ‘Germany and USSR look upon Spain as testing ground for warfare’”.

This line from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech is very pertinent “But for the whole of mankind, compressed into a single lump, such mutual incomprehension presents the threat of imminent and violent destruction. One world, one mankind cannot exist in the face of six, four or even two scales of values: we shall be torn apart by this disparity of rhythm, this disparity of vibrations. A man with two hearts is not for this world, neither shall we be able to live side by side on one Earth".

End of History??

Is this end of history (Fukuyama)?. The triumph of liberal democracy has happened?...Maybe no. The last men of history are here..its time to drag them back into history. ...now before you guys start screaming creeeep...its like this i got some time to read American history(?!)..well just timepass....but been a great experience to go through the history of triumph of the culture of the eye and ear ..of Faulkner (challenging the official American culture of triumph), Bellow, Langston Hughes (what happens to a dream deferred), Morrison (marginal experience), Salinger (spiritual life could be reconciled with an art of gaiety), Raymond carver (what we talk about when we talk about love), Twain as also Tennessee Williams (about lives in relentlessly commercial world).....so on

Reading the political history stumbled upon this incredible person a man who was instrumental not only in American Revolution but also the French revolution !!. A man whose influence was such that he is described as a ''turning point of the history of free thinking''. Unfortunately he was sidelined as leftist atheist (he had absolutely nothing to do with commies). A man who wrote to do good is my religion...humanised religion and its ultimate philosophical and ethical results have not yet been reached (Religion of humanity is a beautiful read). His obituary read he had lived long did some good and much harm. Thomas PAINE landed in America in his late 30s, decrepit after a life of obscurity and failure in England . He wrote the famous pamphlet ''Common sense'' which created the momentum for freedom struggle as also influencing the ''Declaration of independence''.

Common sense he said was nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments and common sense. It starts with the line “ These are the times that try men's soul... ..the cause of America is in great measure the cause of all mankind ". Common sense was an inspiring vision of independent America as an asylum of freedom This faith carried through Lincoln's determination to wipe out slavery as also Woodrow Wilson’s attempt to use conflict as a crusade for democracy. This is the faith which guided the settlers into great modern nation which unfortunately in recent times has slipped into all time low. Consider this arrogant stance of ''final umpire’’ (Sr Bush) on soviet crisis as also the most recent aggression of Iraq, in this context Paine's lines are so prophetic (common sense on king of England’s speech).

....that the man whose ignorance and obstinacy first involved and still continues the nation in the most hopeless and expensive of all wars, should now meanly flatter them with the name of free people and make a merit of his crime , under the disguise if their essential rights and permanent interests, is something which disgraces the character of perverseness ...these are the words which impress nothing but the ears and are calculated only for the sound.

This definitely cannot be the end of history, there are too many repressed forces...the killing of teenage ''aborigine'' in Australia and subsequent violence is only an indicator, Fukuyama's ''remarkable consensus'' is far from reached.

Post script: this piece was written in Feb 2004, those were the days when the world was experiencing the aggression of Iraq by Bush, vigored with his reelection. Iraq was a serious blunder; this blogger like majority of people around the world was shocked.

Lots of things have happened in the world since then. Apart form other things Bush on his way out, thankfully. But our man was quoted as saying that “he will sprint all the way to end”, don’t know what its mean but attacking Iran (that will be very serious mistake) or other violence helps Republicans. When 9/11 happened Condalisa Rice was quoted as saying “so how do we capitalize on this?”. Don’t know whether its true but yes they did maximum their opportunity (ditto how Market driven people work “seize the opportunity”. These cause maximum damage for self gain). Iraq is now a big shopping mall for merchants of death. McCain is a war hero, and hero’s are supposed to lead from front- whatever that means, but yes you cannot lead from front when there is no “front”! The reason why belligerence helps to capture power. Fear works to cower the voters to certain mindset. That disadvantage collective world. That is disadvantage humanity.

In the meantime in an unprecedented step Australia and Canada has apologized for its past treatment of aborigines.

People the world admire

There are some people whom the world reveres. Nelson Mandela definitely tops the list. He is like an avuncular figure to the world. Most people around the world would agree to this. Despite living in detention for 27 years (try imagining that one) and having faced acute forms of racism under apartheid he doesn’t carry any bitterness or anger. That is amazing.

Another living person who is an incredible source of inspiration is Stephen Hawking. A renowned physicist he is been completely paralyzed (he cannot even speak) but has an amazing determination and a brain to match. His book A Brief History of Science is one of the most popular book on Science around the world, a book you can find with any pavement book seller around the country!!. He is immensely popular, I recall few years back he had come to India and I stood for three hours in the queue but even then couldn’t make it (they though arranged a screen outside the auditorium). Thousands of people had turned up right from scientist, physicists….to children as young as ten!!. He is also known for his sense of humor.

There are others too like Gorbachev, Aung San Suu Kyi, Mohd Ali…many more.

Once upon a time there was a man named Woodrow Wilson…

Woodrow Wilson was the President of USA (from 1913 to 1921) during the crucial years of World War 1. He restrained his country from entering into the war for as long as two years before the German Empires submarine intrusion couldn’t be ignored. Even during the war he focused on diplomacy. After the war he came with “fourteen points” in which he presented an idea of peace making organization-multilateral international association of nations to enforce peace, this was instrumental in creating League of Nation that was precursor to United Nations.

However despite all his effort US didn’t enter League of Nation (the Republican under Cabot Lodge unfortunately were in majority in Congress) the point of disagreement was whether League would diminish Congress power to declare war. With League of Nation giving way to UN and despite the fact that US is a veto member this dispute has remained, with US Presidents (most times Republican) prone to take unilateral actions on sovereignity of other nations undermining all international laws, promoting isolationist foreign policies.

Woodrow Wilson was a visionary whose ideas set the tone for the world in the twentieth century. Democratic government, collective security, international laws…all these have became the guiding principles “the world must be made safe for democracy” (compare that with Bush’s narrow agenda of exporting/planting/bulldozing democracy “because it’s good for America”. The way things have gone past in recent times Woodrow Wilson looks like some mythical figure in a long lost story).

Woodrow Wilson’s influence was significant. He was probably one of the first few modern leaders who recognized the need for global community of nations. In the last few decades as the world gets global the response also will have to be global the reason why United Nation has become so significant and its effectiveness against common threats like global warming, terrorism, food crisis, nuclear proliferation, genocide, civil war…is substantial. Multilateral solutions and Agreements at the global level (like Kyoto) are the only way out. What threatens the world threatens the nations too as nations are part of the world, in the competing space this reality sometimes gets lost. As Woodrow Wilson said in his Nobel Prize acceptance letter “The cause of peace and the cause of truth are of one family”.