Human Infection

 

A serious breach

 

So, Norwegian writer Jon Fosse is awarded the Nobel prize in literature. I look forward to these awards since these give reference to best in literature across the world. Not that the awards are only reference for perceptive writings. Over the years I found much quality in these writers hence became definitive reference for sophisticated literature and nuanced ideas and expressions herein. I do buy atleast one book of these writers to get the reference. And of all the Nobel laureate writers if I had to choose influence, I would pick Samuel Beckett’s fiction for stark relentless stare into human condition, Camus for his nonfiction writings of immense insight, Naipaul for skill with language and observation, and ofcourse Szymborska for poetry. I do have list of others too including those not awarded so on. Must add that in recent times I have shifted to nonfiction, reality has become too stark -luxury of long fiction is getting limited to few people. But I do keep an eye on literature since these are defining expressions. So, with much excitement of finding a new writer searched net (placed order online for the book ‘Morning and Evening’). I found a short story -that is removed from paywall for this occasion, and some interviews conducted few years back (https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-second-silent-language-a-conversation-with-jon-fosse/). I am quite concerned. Ofcourse Fosse is a prominent writer but what is disturbing is his coopting to be part of dehumanizing system. For a perceptive empathy driven human being to make such a choice -however personal maybe, is truly distressing in the context of times we live in. This is a serious breach. Is it because of lack of biodiversity in Scandinavian region (unlike say India) that they are stuck in human created systems for redemption?

Fosse says in an interview “When I manage to write well, there is a second, silent language. This silent language says what it is all about. It’s not the story, but you can hear something behind it -a silent voice speaking”. I am really concerned about this silent voice -implication of Fosse, his ideas and expressions. He says “In my teens, I was a kind of stupid Marxist and atheist -it was the normal thing to be in those days for young, aspiring intellectuals. But in the process of writing, there was something I couldn’t quite understand, some mystery: where does it come from?” There is nothing really stupid about Marxism it has provided insight into society and is an abiding reference into understanding human condition. Ofcourse it is flawed but NOT stupid. Marxism is as flawed as capitalism in its practice, and is a necessary corollary to exploitation. Socialism has much influence from Marxism and communist thinkers, and democracy takes root and thrive with socialist values. Any perceptive human being will realize how much neoliberal capitalism as a system -essentially controlled and defined by few, created the havoc that the future generation will heavily pay for. Much of nature works on mutualism, the myth of competition is outcome of this control unleashed by psychopaths with wanton greed and insatiable consumption onto hapless people. Church as “anti-capitalist theology” is more of wishful thinking, and doesn't pass historical scrutiny. Religion has always been in conduit with power (right from colonialism, slave trade and other horrendous past, also don’t forget church’s role during holocaust or recent revelation of child abuse), ossified in certainties, relegating humanity from humans. Even the idea of capitalism can be traced largely to Church -protestant ethics, so on. Those who are attempting to assign respectability to ridiculous are suspect. Take the example of Kerala -where I am located, church played a significant role in undermining initiatives to protect western ghats. They side with exploiters and normalize patriarchy. To assign religious systems some benign divine attribute, indeed spiritual, will be resisted. These don’t pass the basic scrutiny of realities of the world we live and the challenges we face. And yes, in the contemporary context atheism is a natural extension of humanism. This cannot be emphasized more. Humanism is an enlightened expression of what is to be a human that has long tradition across the world and has enthralled best of minds across centuries who made invaluable contribution in the progress of humanity. Humanism is necessarily being part of nature. Humans as free souls jiggling in collective euphoria of living. 

Fosse elaborates on his believes “In the mid-1980s, I went to a mass in a Catholic church…and I liked it, to the point that I even started to attend a course to become a Catholic…I decided to convert to the Catholic Church”. He mentions his encounter with near death experience, and how it became an influence. Well, I too had near death experience, and not once but few -and yes for people existing in congested hellholes of Delhi every day is skirting between death and living. As a human being how do you factor in these experiences defines you. For me it helped to work on the priorities, and in an overwhelmingly mediocrity thriving crass society it gave necessary perspective. This fact of living with constant awareness of absurd. Most become fatalist, but then most are unthinking herd incapacitated by powerful systems and easy options, they really don’t have choices nor the capacity to use their faculties to understand their condition. Indeed, if they are able to use their intellect to understand their condition isn’t fatalism better than hopelessness? There is lots of suffering in this world. And there are controlling systems that seeks to trap human being into its fold. Foss says that “I call myself a Christian, but it’s very hard for me. It’s so reductionist. In a way, I am a minimalist, of course, and in another way, I am a postmodernist — I was influenced by Jacques Derrida”. There is lot to untie here. Ofcourse to claim to be a Christian is to claim to be part of system based on miracles -of Jesus and holy book. It also means to be responsible for the misery that such dehumanizing systems spreads. To choose such a response to one’s tribulation is reflection of moral weakness and a deeply flawed understanding of human condition. A skilled writer placed in such dehumanizing value system and anachronistic narrations may impress but doesn’t really pass the scrutiny of being a human. The tribulations of the protagonist will be necessarily limited by restricted world view of writer. It’s a loss to humanity. 

Now, take the instance of Fosse’s remarkable short story ‘Dreamed in stone’, I like the style of writing here. It reminds of Beckett’s iconic ‘Waiting for Godot’. Read these concluding lines of the story.   

I go in, in behind the stones, and I sit down. I sit and look at the stones. I see that it’s me. I am the stones: it’s not like me, but like what is I in me. I go out between the stones and take my place, I stand there with outstretched hands, like a cross. I see a cross. I look down. I look up. I sit down. I look at the stones, so beautifully laid, stone on stone, in a wall. I get up. I stand.

And then you hold my hand. And the stones say that love exists, love is.

Weren’t you scared?

No, never.

But you almost died.

I wasn’t afraid to die.

I am not afraid to die either.

No.

 

Clearly the implication here is of dying moment of the protagonist. There is a reference of cross, and holding of hand -essentially God -in the context of cross it has to be interpreted as Jesus, and Christian preaching of love, so on. A writer not restricted by religion would have worked to elevate into spiritual experience of universalistic timeless value resonating with eternal longing of reader hence leaving an abiding impression. The above, although extremely skilled, doesn’t resonate with me, nor with anyone who is not a practicing christian -to moved by this you need to be a devotee -a follower. The reason why Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’ -located in time and space without any social or geographical reference is still brutally social and political rooted in every time and every space of human life, has such everlasting connection of emptiness and existential absurdity. 

Let me take another example that could be much relevant to context of Christianity. Raymond Carver was a brilliant writer. There is a short story titled ‘Cathedral’ -and those who have read it will never forget, it’s a deeply moving story that brings in the same framework of Christianity through the sacred building -cathedral, but swiftly move into realm of everlasting beauty of universalism of human angst and yearning. The sheer beauty of this story elevates much beyond restrictive views of religion into ephemeral moment of connection. This is how the story ends, and those who haven’t read it I am spoiling it, the condescending man is trying to show the blind man what a cathedral looks like by drawing it with both holding the pen. What happens is entirely unexpected…It takes a blind man to make this connection; to see beyond human eyes. 

 

“Keep them that way,” he said. He said, “Don’t stop now. Draw.”

So we kept on with it. His fingers rode my fingers as my hand went over the paper. It was like nothing else in my life up to now.

Then he said, “I think that’s it. I think you got it,” he said.

“Take a look. What do you think?”

But I had my eyes closed. I thought I’d keep them that way for a little longer. I thought it was something I ought to do.

“Well?” he said. “Are you looking?”

My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything.

“It’s really something,” I said.

 

This story left me bleary eyed. This wouldn’t have happened if there were references of Cross or Christ or whichever God, I dare say ‘silent voices’, indeed there is not even cathedral. It’s an open space that connects humans to their primal bearing and longing. That is why this story has so much compassion and deep awareness of human condition. One can also see this in Dostoevsky, especially The Karamazov Brothers (and let us be clear his context was limited world of 19th century, unlike sinister context of religion now), even questioning Jesus like figure (the grand inquisition discourse is best of world literature), "You didn't do well, there is suffering". The idea of god unable to fulfill basic needs -of food, security, while propounding high sounding virtue and freedom. Indeed people are ready to give up freedom and don't have problem to follow or somebody to tell what to do. This is failure of god and miracles -why not bread from stone every time? The devil is able to do much better. People will barter freedom for happiness -to reduce suffering, and for security. Dostoevsky was able to see human mind and what makes totalitarian forces rise to undermine freedom. It cannot happen without consent of people. This is where he places the blame on God -Jesus, abstractness of faith moved away from realities of life. This is what is expected from best of literature. The reason why I had such a bad taste when I started with Indian literature -trapped in its own self referral loops of self obsessed grandeur. Where the writer is incapable to see waterfall as waterfall and verdant nature but dreadlocks of god and divine designs. Where human condition is joke of fate, blessing, entitled position as writer hence arbitrators of sacred narration to correct and guide fellow humans and hapless people, pedantic righteousness and festering sickness of mind. There are ofcourse rare occasions where the soul of the sensibilities channelized through centuries sprout out. Kolatkar's Jejuri is one such occasion. There is so much compassion and awareness of predicament of people that is rooted in the land that effortlessly uproots for universal acknowledgment of human condition. The irony of lives of suffering fatalistic people makes ridiculous a portal of deeper understanding."...he popped a stone/in his mouth/and spat out god/what is god/and what is stone/the dividing line/if it exists/is very thin/at jejuri...scratch a rock/and a legend springs". When I first read it I was blown away (and told as many people to read. Visited the site few times and even took pictures working on the references of poems. You may visit me at https://iseeebirds.blogspot.com/2013/09/rise-of-sparrow.html. I abandoned this blog about a decade back. I would like to correct few typos but forgot password/phone link hence no longer in my control). 

I am also upset since in the same line where Fosse claims to be christian (infact a “good christian”) he also identifies as post-modernist influenced by Derrida. O dear. How can a man -indeed a skilled writer, entrenched in primitive system claim to be postmodern? If there is no fixed meaning then how can there be a fixed system -that too hinged on ridiculous? There is an unbridgeable contradiction here. It’s insane. The fixed ideas of religions are persistent threat to humanity. 

Derrida had elemental influence on me, ofcourse I took it to extreme to work my context, indeed even my name. There was a time when I was really into Derrida, and took deconstruction as weapon of choice! What is neglected by systems and its dominance is where the worth is. There is a world beyond the neat solutions of religions. Nature thrives in chaos and entropy is the eternal reality. There is more to life in confused chaos than in clarity and quick fixes of religion. This attempt at using Derrida to create binary of respectability for religion is 20^th century. I seethe in anger at this breach.                             

 

Attosecond: Real time vision

 

Nobel prize in science are reference for knowing about the best in scientific achievements. You come to know about significant steps in research that you never knew. Today’s Nobel prize in Physics is for methods to “…generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics…”. It’s about observing electron dynamics in real time thus providing insights into how electron move and interact at quantum level, timescales previously inaccessible. It is like having a new sense at attosecond level. This access to nature is quite similar to Gravitational Waves that gave us a new sight to observe space. The implication of attosecond is set to revolutionize fundamental science -imagine most people (including me, and I like to keep myself abreast with latest in science and technology) were not even aware of this, and numerous technological applications with this real time ability to control and harness properties of electron.

It also reminds me of some incredible examples from nature. For instance, Fire Chaser Beetles can sense fire at a whooping distance of 130Kms -imagine that! Their heat seeking pits are as sensitive as quantum detectors using much less energy. Another example that comes to mind is that of Killer Flies found in Mediterranean region that have ultrafast vision -indeed it could be quantum level real time. Eyes don’t perceive at speed of light. Eyes work at different speed, meaning, what we perceive as real time is much slow from insect’s perspective. For Killer flies it takes 6 to 9 milliseconds for its photoreceptors to react to incoming photons and then for the photons to send electrical signal to brain and to respond, that is, to send command to its muscles. All these three steps are achieved in mindboggling 6 to 9 milliseconds. For humans the first step -for photoreceptors to receive the signal, itself takes 30 to 60 milliseconds! Which means by the time we even perceive Killer fly has already caught the prey!

What would be interesting to know is whether species have evolved through the 3.8 billion years of evolution of life to tap the potential of attosecond (indeed, a question was asked about photosynthesis during the Q&A session today. Few years back I happen to see Prof. Jim Al Khalili's documentary that had reference of quantum level jiggling during photosynthesis. Or the process of mimicking by species). Will awareness of attosecond help us to study survival strategies of species better hence insight into potential applications and understanding nature?     

Reading rooms

 

Reading rooms are common sight that you come across while walking around villages of Kerala. These I found the other day on my morning walks. Essentially it will have rudimentary desks, chairs, and many newspapers pursuing different political interests, sometimes there will be some magazines. Few decades back these used to have libraries attached and games room like chess, carroms so on. Libraries have vanished so have games. What you see now are some elderly people scanning through the newspaper. It becomes quite active in small towns and cities -public libraries. 

Kerala reached high rate of literacy due to various constructive forces coming together. Early advent of christianity, as early as 52AD, and the active involvement of missionaries for spreading awareness to common people through literacy, widespread assimilation of Buddhist values -that ofcourse attempted to create egalitarian space through libraries and humanistic concerns leaving indelible mark on collective memory of society (even the word pallikoodam -school in Malayalam, Tamil, Sinhalese, has Buddhist origin) and expressed through aesthetics of unique temple architecture so on, these though were sidelined by mediocrities of squatters and ensnared into primitive ways.  In the mid-20^th century communism played a significant role to spread literacy as mass movement. Meanwhile HDI improved with knowledge and grassroot involvement hence strengthening primary health centers and public distribution systems. Practical eating habits rooted to the reality of surrounding helped to achieve high nutritional standards.

Literacy initiates reading and possibilities of education. Failure of literacy to evolve into education and enlightened worldview is incapacity of society and inability of individuals. It’s a failure of education system. These reading rooms are remnants of possibilities that are lost and trapped in lowest denominators of trashy newspapers vying for attention, market needs for consumers enticed through persistency of mediocre entertainers of middle-class minds, devious herd controllers and uncouth politicians salivating for next opportunity. It has created deviant consumerist society. What was once a possibility of vibrant society is now a putrefying pit with competing herds and self referential entitled worldview.     

On Book weight

 

There was a time I used to collect bookmark, and I did have a collection of some wonderful bookmarks. Over the years it fizzled out. I have also seen fancy Paper weights in shops and movies but never took liking for them since these are too heavy. I prefer ‘book weights’, that hold pages open unlike bookmark. So, the book is kept open on the table so that you can peek into it while go about doing your chores. I realized, the content stays in mind for long since you repeat and leave it half way. This pic of ‘book weight’, these are lightweight artifacts mostly tribal in origin. I really don’t recall where I bought these from, it's been many years now. One is a bee in metal and another a crocodile in stone. The books are Tales from Ant World by Edward Wilson -the good thing about this book is that chapters are unrelated and so you can start from anywhere. The second book is The Invention of Nature (The adventure of Alexander Humboldt -The lost Hero of Science) by Andrea Wulf. I really cannot stop this without discussing Alexander Humboldt whom poet Emerson referred to as “one of those wonders of world”.  

I really don’t prefer biographies or autobiographies, read it quite young as utilitarian reading -what in primitive understanding called ‘motivational’ so on, pushed by mainstream onto younger generation, meant to consolidate ideas of success through ego ride of popular as the society deems. Autobiographies and biographies were prescribed reading. During those days reading was meant to be for purpose, and reading indeed was about studying. Otherwise, why would you read?! It is a simple question that hides amazingly deviant nature of society, and how herds are initiated. Most of the times I instinctively sought exactly the opposite of what was told, and being part of crass evaluation of education it worked for me in the long run. It didn’t get me any ‘marks’ or suggestions of ‘intelligence’ but I was quite satisfied with myself. The reason why I was keen on reading without any purpose, and as randomly and widely as possible. This I enjoyed thoroughly, particularly encyclopedias, is where the seeds of useless reading and purposeless learning got consolidated. In a degraded society autobiographies can acquire sinister meaning. The context is always about power, money, nepotic connections, and even in case of scientific achievement it is voyeurism of personal that degraded society craves to locate some lessons which suits its grand narrations and acceptance among herd.

Human beings are quite complex and cannot be really worked into two-dimensional narrow description for simple comprehension and sale. Located in primitive society I had to be very careful as to how I invest my time; since there is always pull by overwhelming mediocrity and active herd trapping systems. It is not surprise at all that sometime back Hitler’s Mein Kampf was quite popular among youngsters. I even interviewed few -mostly in corporate management, and the reasoning they gave still shocks me. They aren’t too much bothered about ethics when the learning is ‘organizational’ (imagine to value a person for his organizational skill for systematically exterminating millions of people) and the potent ‘leadership’ qualities that this world presents. These were articulate youngsters from extremely comfortable background located in posh colonies of Delhi, capitalizing on best of education, and yes, striving to take up leadership positions and surely must have.

    Humboldt: Our wonder of the world         

I rarely read biographies unless ofcourse it deals with something significant and not too much personal details of the person –a kind of voyeurism that market thrives on. This book is quite well written and is really about importance of Humboldt. I have read about Alexander Humboldt many years back, and few months back his writings on Gutenberg archives. He was arguably one the most fertile mind you can think of. A brilliant man in every conceivable sense. Humanity owes much to very few people (ofcourse some we don’t even know -those who strived for better world and vanished without leaving a trace of themselves nevertheless a better world -atleast an attempt) and Humboldt is there right at the top. His was a pathbreaking personality and influenced our understanding in more than many ways. Humboldt was a unique exciting figure in the annals of human history, and his ideas still shape our thinking. Aptly his name is associated with ocean current, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, counties, town, mountains, bay, glacier, parks…spread across Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Columbia, China, south Africa, Germany, France, USA…infact Nevada was almost named Humboldt. 300 plants and 100 animals are named after him including squid, penguin so on. Interestingly Humboldtia lauriflora -a specie of plant, was one of the earliest to be named after him based on his early publication, much before he even undertook any voyage, and he was quite excited about it. This plant is found only in Kerala and Srilanka! Several minerals carry his name, there is a place in moon named after him. The man truly was one of his kind, a gift to humanity that an indebted world accepted with open arms.  

Humboldt is celebrated for his scientific thinking and immense knowledge but he was not the conventional cerebral scholar, he ventured into rainforests of Venezuela, crawled narrow ledges of Andes Mountain, and travelled into the remotest corners of Russia. Ecologists, environmentalists, nature writers, poets, across the world carry his vision. He influenced important figures like poet Goethe (indeed Faust was very much influenced by Humboldt), Bolivar (his writing had revolutionary impact), US President Thomas Jefferson (his maps were of immense help, USA would be much smaller country without him, and he used his immense understanding of nature as standpoint against racism and slavery “nature is domain of liberty”), Thoreau (Walden wouldn’t happen without Humboldt), Darwin (was inspired by expeditions of Humboldt hence undertook his own journey that gave him insights into nature of evolution, and carried Humboldt’s writings wherever he travelled), poet Emerson who referred to Humboldt as “one of those wonders of world”) so on.

Alexander Humboldt is someone each person in this world must be aware of. A visionary, who with his scientific mind meticulously studied -measured and analyzed, nature, created weather maps, understood climatic zones across continents, and with his poetic soul and sensibilities sensed the web of life. As the world is increasingly enveloped in climate disaster concerns it was Humboldt who first elaborated on human induced climate change and warned of unforeseeable impact for future generation.          

Immediate need for cooling centers

 

All indications point to a devastating summer approaching Indian subcontinent. Heat, floods and Putin have already ruined vast track of farm land and food growing regions. The agroclimatic system across the world is severely stressed. A malnourished society lacking egalitarian context is looking at death and misery. We are staring at climate disaster. Hopefully state has taken enough measures for storage and alternative ways of food production. 

Many countries around the world are taking initiatives to adapt to temperature rise. There are heat officers being appointed. Heat island affect in poorer congested sections of big cities are being addressed with climate compliant buildings, climate proofing and retrofitting to reduce temperature. India too initiated Ahmedabad plan for cool roof. These will be not enough. Earlier this year Kerala took steps to work out permanent cooling centers in high public activity zones like market so on. Last many years heat was dealt with temporary tents/shades that provided cold water, buttermilk so on. With temperature set to keep increasing, also dangers of high humidity, permanent airconditioned cooling centers are being built. How will it deal with stress on electricity supply as also increase of ambient temperature due to ac exhaust?

Hopefully heat vulnerable districts are identified across the country and concrete measures taken. Cooling centers that use sustainable innovative strategies of natural air-conditioning, climate adapted buildings suiting to local needs are built. As mentioned earlier, in context to sponge cities, big stadium like structures along the low-lying areas that stores water during flooding can be converted to cooling centers during summer. We are staring at an unprecedented climate disaster. If hindutva is intending to impress herd with big temples and tall statues… well it may have worked in normal times. We are living in a time when earth is “well outside the operating space for humanity”. India is extremely climate vulnerable. Policy makers cannot afford to play around this.

Election Commission must postpone the elections, or have it early next year, so that state can focus on emerging crisis. Diverting state machinery for elections is the last thing needed. It is very likely that the general elections are postponed. An early election though will be good for the ruling party since with delayed election they will have to take the blame for climate disaster and outrage. Unless they are fully prepared for unprecedented heat waves, drought, forest fires, food shortages…or else they will take castetva path of entitlements (unchallenged castetva normalized objectionable reference of Nehru as ‘pandit’ and sacred chenkol ‘touched’ by him was ominous and indicate hindutva attempt at capitalizing on castetva degradation), of blessing and fate, deviousness, and manipulate narration away from misery and package it for herd while thousands die.               

  

Hereafter 

Years of rain fell in months 

Months of rain fell in days

Days of rain fell in hours

Now. Hereafter.

I have become snarling spirit

Every day

Every night

For more blood

More blood. 

To be young is a profound responsibility

 

When you have systems and values that create charlatan Trump as most powerful man on planet and dimwit Musk as richest man on the planet, and these are replicated across the world with thumping ferocity as ‘success’ then you know how much the rot has set in. The system has become so toxic that these people are just momentary embodiments of bubbling muck that acquire human form. They rise suck it up and vanish for next to rise. This amazing level of irresponsibility has reached a point of no return. To be young has therefore become a profound responsibility (to paraphrase Emily Dickinson). We are witnessing a generational experience that was never experienced in the 200000 years of Homo sapien history. We have reached a critical point where the young have become the very voice of life. They now embody all that life cares for and fragile world that sustains it. They had to. They have no choice.       

Nature is asking intensely probing questions for some time now. The viability of humans on the planet is being urgently sought. The irresponsible actions of humans are having debilitating consequences on other species. Life sustaining systems are collapsing. The young have ignited these questions, and now pursue it by searing the streets. What is seen as inconvenience is existential for them. They seek immediacy because they are aware that they will have to live the answers very soon. These answers by nature is going to be their everyday struggle to survive. The young will therefore drill each and every word of the question to wherever they can hit. This really cannot go on. They are asking to pause. They are asking you to come out of greed shell and dreadful systems of securities that has lulled senses into false retreats. They are asking you to open your eyes, to see and exhibit intellect and reasoning skills that has brought humans to such spectacular awareness. Above all, they are asking for simplest and most basic of human response: to care.

Words and colors

 

I am rarely impressed by what I write, it is always the eternal feeling of 'this could be expressed better'. Then you spent more time reading discerning writers, thinkers so on. You create framework of excellence and keep evolving, without losing your footing though -your presence is indelible. Sometimes when you write some incredible stuffs do come out, and you enjoy and move on. This poem though stands out. I wrote it few years back and really forgot about it. Recently I was flipping through and happen to read. I am totally impressed. This is really there. And I love to read it again and again. So fortunate that I wrote this.

Stillness of the forest

In between the rustling of leaves

At the end of long intonation of cicadas calls

Just before the hornbill wings break the afternoon

If you still yourself

A sincere self 

Emerge from long forgotten recess

Beckons a strange spectacle

Colors break free and whirl in the air

A vital force surge through the space

To settle the colors lightly in precise proportions

You will be astonished where you arrived

(visit for original post  https://depalan.blogspot.com/2020/08/blog-post.html?spref=tw) 

As I read, I find the word ‘beckon’ a bit jarring, and spent few hours replacing the word, ‘signal’ ‘wave’ are too broad expressions that it loses the impact, ‘entice’ is cheap, ‘gesticulate’ crude. ‘Summon’ is the word that I am playing with. Though summon goes with the flow it has to be beckon. Beckon is an expression without words. This feels jarring maybe because ‘beckon’ is not commonly used.

Words are like colors. You have to find the right shade. It has to creatively knit the texture of surrounding and appropriately express firmament of thought. If you look at nature colors are rarely jarring. They melt into each other in an evolutionary sense of subtle and remarkable arrangements that satisfies soul. Crude -bright and tawdry, is out of place and mostly a sign of warning. There are so much of colors we cannot even see that is everyday deal for little insects. When I first started to write I was quite troubled by lack of correct word. Then I came across this wonderful dictionary of synonyms. I got it photostated from a library after much request and pleading -they really wouldn’t, it was not available in the market and I even conspired to tear one page a day and smuggle it out if they didn’t arrange the copy. I emulated sad faces from the movies into the mirror to overwhelm the librarian, it eventually worked -not because of my histrionics, I guess she got tired of me -wearing out people always work and I surely have no problem repeating infinitum! This wonderful dictionary I got photostated into smaller version so as to fit easily and reduce weight while I travelled. It helped me to work out words that are suited to the context and express appropriate nuance gained from much reading. Now ofcourse we have everything on fingertip with grammar and spell check, and recently AI -to comment (interesting) and even suggesting a reworked poem! I must add they need to put in more effort. Not impressed!           

       

Flitting butterflies, and naming

 

So, I was at a fruit shop there were all kind of fruits- avocado, rambutan, longan, persimmon, pears, Iranian apples, Californian grapes…so on, all these fruits were never heard of in this part of the world few decades back but now they are quite common. Humble oranges, variety of local bananas, pineapple, pomegranate, custard apple so on also find space. It’s common to see fruits from all seasons so that you get confused. The shop was quite crowded and noisy, and there on the rotting ooty plum sat a butterfly, quaint as a dream, indifferent to all commotion, and at a slightest inconvenience she did a delicate flap and floated about supremely confident. I was fully taken in by the scene. She had brownish smudge of a wing with white style patches and some oval scribbles as if done by an enthusiastic child. Overall, an enchanting sight among bleak haggling noisy humans. It was when I tried to apply mind and recall name that I cringed.

Richard Feynman was a charming man and an exceptional scientist (in the recent Oppenheimer movie there is miss-if-you-blink presence of Feynman as a banjo playing maverick – I am sure most of us have watched videos of ‘orange juice’!) who once said, and I paraphrase, ‘quite early in my life I came to know about the difference between knowing things and knowing names of things’, I have quoted this few hundred times while trekking since people get lost in names -exhibiting knowledge, without enjoying the scene. It truly irritates. Ofcourse names are important for classification and taxonomy so on, it has a significant context. I have done treks with few 'lepidos' (lepidopterist), quite interesting. Names that carry regressive references -that were introduced and mainstreamed through narration control, is where the problem is. In recent times people are becoming sensitive to these matters thanks to social media that has wrenched narration from feudal controllers. Racist attack on birdwatching black man in US was a trigger point. Then there are sensitive youngsters initiating movements against racist occupation -like statues, in public spaces. The elegant butterfly that I was watching is commonly known as ‘common baron’. The reference of ‘common’ in itself is quite upsetting, many of these butterflies and birds referred to as common are not common at all, indeed increasingly getting rare. What is common are humans. Homo commonus. Many of these dainty butterflies have regressive names: Baron, Baronet, Nawab, Admiral, Commodore, Sergeant (there is one Sergeant Major too!), Begum, Prince, Rajah, Caliph, Queen, Kaiser, Lascar (Army servant), Duke, Archduke, Duchess, Count, Viscount, Earl, Marquis, Knight…so on. It seems we are in theatre of absurd orchestrated by medieval feudals. That these are names given to butterflies is cringeworthy and really is extremely upsetting. There are other degrading names too like Painted courtesan (painted prostitute), duffer so on.  

So, as we try to understand these beautiful creatures and get closer to biodiversity and species around us, we are introduced to feudal ways and attempts at normalizing degrading references. When these colorful species are introduced to children with these common names it is child abuse. Naming of species were very much influenced by colonial racist expressions of gratitude to power. There is an immediate need to wrench this out of regressive frame and restore to glory of nature. Like these amazing butterfly names; Travancore evening brown, Bamboo treebrown, Lilacfork, Spotted mystic, Southern birdwing, Chocolate pansy…so on. The word for butterfly in Greek is psyche, soul of the dead. Let’s bring back the soul into the names.  

*correction made: white smudge on the wing is a female and not male as earlier mentioned.               

                            

Eunice Foote: Climate science pioneer

 

I have read about Eunice Newton Foote sometime back (today morning happen read it again at https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/09/12/eunice-newton-foote/ -this is an interesting site run by Maria Popova that has random articles posted everyday, refreshingly insightful on people who matter -their ideas, thoughts and awareness). She was the first scientist to demonstrate the ability of atmospheric water vapor and carbon dioxide to affect solar heating, and predicted that increased atmospheric CO₂ would make Earth hotter, “an atmosphere of that gas would give to our earth a high temperature” -a fact now accepted as the main cause of climate change. Her paper was presented at the meeting of American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1856, by a male scientist. Few years later John Tyndall (who was very likely aware of Ms. Foote's work) conducted experiment with similar result on the role of CO2 in atmospheric temperature. He didn’t find it necessary to acknowledge Ms. Foote as is the norm indeed ethical prerequisite for any research paper or else it is plagiarism. Tyndall’s experiment though was sophisticated in that it measured infrared absorption by C02. Also to be noted was Tyndall's strong opposition to women’s suffrage. It’s not difficult to connect the dots. Eunice lived during a period when women were meant to have limited role in society. She did experiments when women were not expected to. She was in the forefront of women’s suffrage movement in US. What is shocking though is to downplay gender bias against Foote or toxic patriarchy by some of the contemporary narration controllers. There is no need to sanitize history and retrofit with festoons of choice.

West need not redact history. Ofcourse there were serious systemic violations but what need to be acknowledged is that brilliant women like Eunice would not have seen light of the day in most part of the world, and still cannot. Eunice was based in US while Tyndall was Irish. Some societies were able to nurture their best and indeed made effort to acquire better ideas and thought from across the world. Western world was significant in its ability to consolidate science into systematic understanding of great value that was shared across the world and became precursor to amazing technological developments as also significant social changes that it initiated. Science consolidates humanistic values and evolves mind into better possibilities. Ancient Greek played a pivotal role in the advancement of humanity that put foundation of western civilization and abiding framework for best minds to explore. There is no need for self-flagellation, atrocities were committed against race and gender, but what needs vigilance is whether such systemic prejudices and biases still exists. Are systems closely scrutinized? Are we by our lazy patronizing and culture ‘relativism’ excuse lacking critical scrutiny and empathetic involvement, mystifying the exotic for safe dealing, tainted as we are from the past -that is invoked to suit the narration?

 

Shocking

It is shocking that a british news media channel had the audacity to use caste cannibalized word. Sufficient warnings were given even then they refuse to mend their ways shows the level of arrogance and proprietary confidence that louts who migrated from Indian subcontinent has entitled them as representing. Racist colonial monarchist used primitive Indians with minimum of efforts, by playing the egos of nincompoops -even throwing them occasional bones through number of gun salutes juvenilities to keep these parasites satisfied in their own muck. Squatter authenticated nincompoops have since worked on redacted history to retrofit history of valor, some even achieving mythical status to awe the herd. Bunch of shopkeepers were able to capture a subcontinent within a matter of few decades and rule for few centuries shows the caliber -essentially lack of basic involvement with realities or equipped to deal. They did what they were bred for by siding with the powerful hence became conduit for exploitation. In the meantime, the main concern was to keep the herd in control. British understood this very well and played along and nurtured the worst who then extended the well-suited act of freedom struggle while exploiting the society and nature. In this process deviant lexicon were exchanged and normalized. What was being normalized was caste cannibalized world as exotic. With racist monarchist feudals caste cannibals weaved an idea of India. Words like 'Pariah' and 'Pundit' are putrefied pus that has oozed into English. Ideas of blessing and fate.

Caste cannibalized words have no space in civilized society and must be expunged at the earliest. That mediocre Indians posing as intellectuals, artists, civil society and even writer -who deal with nuance of language and should be aware of the import, were incapable to point out this severe transgression shows the culpability and overwhelming influence of regressive society. This from a society which seems to have positioned as moral torchbearer -that seems to be in danger through hindutva! I recall many years back when a trash mouth politician referred to another politician (who was CM of TN) as ‘pariah’. She was furious, not because this violation is normalized in English but because she is called as one. Cunning trash mouth excused by saying that this is just English language while squatter ensconced English media dutifully reported without any ethical ambiguity. Meanwhile note that some people in this region are classified as such, as 'pariah community', and are forced to carry this reference by squatter infected world and further pushed through state. Imagine the grievous violation of human life. Imagine the lack of concern. Imagine the children. Sniffing mami and sons may sniff matrimonial di*k/c*unt arrangement possibilities while word defecating vermin with call center accent may wallow in rotten thali, cud chewing cadavers (read gandhians) incapable to see human will hug harijans…this society is too primitive to worth consideration. Audacity of ritual vegetarian as civilized and entitled place in universe. 

AND what is much shocking is that these words are used with such normalcy at international level as if this is English, and that there is nothing more to it except fixed meanings authenticated by dictionaries. Lack of outrage shows deeper malaise, Indians don’t really measure up. And yes, any Indian ‘chosen’ by west to represent India will be critically scrutinized, and damned. Beware. Nothing is normal no more.  

Post Script: 

This i saw the other day at zoo visit. Quite tired of explaining but yes white feathered/hence pure/good omen is 'brahminy kite' (in local language it has reference of god) and dark one -essentially seen in garbage mound hence dirty/impure, is named 'pariah kite'. This is a uniquely uncivilized society. With colonial racist britisher they even infected naming of birds. They must remove these appalling names at the earliest. Wherever caste cannibals have left their influence/infection must be expunged/sanitized.                         

‘Cow Slaughter, Catastrophes and Earthquakes-An Interrelationship’

 

Clever castetva media and narration controllers are trying to create a perception that things suddenly has changed for bad in the last few years -that is after hindutva has come to control the narration and ofcourse institutions. This is a devious attempt to rewrite. This society was always quite primitive, didn't pass basic scrutiny, while worst kind of people were nurtured. The sample size is infected with low caliber worst, indeed deviant, people who were at the helm. The difference now is that they are too open as also social media has added to the exposure. Let me repeat this: hindutva is a natural extension of castetva, and is much closer to reality of this nation. Whether it will tap the egalitarian values of hinduism (ofcourse within the limited frame of anachronistic juvenile frame of religion and its fantastical regressive claims) needs to be seen. Indication are that castetva has already overwhelmed and degraded the society for decades hence hindutva will very likely evolve into worst possibilities (meanwhile legacy of gandhi is fertile ground of turf war for narration controllers). Resistance can only consolidate by realizing this reality. Castetva has no role whatsoever. There is no going back. It will be a civilizational loss. 

Meanwhile read this. I copied it from Outlook magazine while reading about our gem at IIM Mandi (well even gandhi had unique take on reason for earthquake!). Check the words used by con artists to awe the herd. This nonsense with high sounding words is the defining characteristic, indeed, a hallowed tradition. Now, if you are part of this society it takes years of persistent effort to remove this infection from the your psyche. I am sure readers can understand the effort needed and constant vigilance against intrusion.           

Its syllabus included a chapter titled ‘Cow Slaughter, Catastrophes and Earthquakes-An Interrelationship’, which equated the laws of gravity and that of ‘every action has an equal and opposite reaction’ with the ‘laws of Karma’ of the Vedas. 

The chapter claimed that “physicists have proposed the theory that animal slaughter and natural calamities like earthquakes have an interrelationship.” It hypothesis “large-scale abattoir activity as the causative agent for major earthquakes.” 

"Their theory makes an interesting reading because science still does not have proper answers as to why earthquakes happen and how they can be predicted with reasonable accuracy. This theory is being hailed for filling the gaps in the science of seismology, still a nascent science", claimed the chapter in the syllabus. 

If this was not outlandish enough, the syllabus added that the theory “critically examines” the “origin of earthquakes due to the interaction of nociception waves (the waves generated by the animals on the verge of being butchered) with gravity waves.” 

This ‘nociception’ wave supposedly impacts the splitting of ‘shear wave’, which in turn is ‘linked to ‘seismic anisotropy’. “This splitting is associated with the cracks in the crust aligned by stress,” it said. This creative mix of fantasy with seismological terms may stun scientists, unable to decide whether to mourn, agitate, be amused, or break out in laughter. 

Night of sea angels

I was in a funeral at the beach 

Apocalyptic fire burn the night

Palm trees ignite and briefly acquire shapes of humans writhing in pain

Flaming pyre line the shore

Insects dance with floating embers not knowing what else to do

Sea wails and thrash like a madman in the moonlight

The earth is warm, sea warmer, and the sky burns

Dead fishes etch language of dying that anyone can read

Lone turtle gasp too tired to leave the body

He is carried away by the waves

To the sea angels     

Condolences

 

I am a keen follower of cartoons. Ajit Ninan was right there. In those bleak years in Delhi Ajit Ninan's cartoons was fun respite and the reason why I bought newspaper. Each line was a masterstroke -absolutely charming, that you could spent hours looking at. A good cartoonist has nuanced sensibility and heightened awareness of present. Many a times I tried to copy his cartoons into my notepad and kept cutting of things I found interesting. 

*In recent times I too have start to post few "cartoons" -not good at all, these are exigencies where words fall short so one has to use some other means to express.    

The Coming Wave

This is arguably one of the significant non fiction book on AI to come out in recent times. Mustafa Suleyman is an AI insider (cofounder of DeepMind). Two things disappoint me. Firstly, why is it available only in hardcover and not paperback? Why do these people have to do these cheap market tricks to make few more money when they already have enough? Hardcover is not only unwieldy but unnecessary spending as also high carbon footprint. Within few months paperback will be available so what is the need for this? Why are they forcing people? Secondly, even at this age why is the waiting period one month?! Ofcourse kindle version is available but most may not be comfortable staring at screen.             

 (please click to enlarge)