The Genius of Trees

It is rare to read a book that adds to your understanding of the world in a way that you thought was not really possible. I always had a favorite tree at any place I shifted to. As a kid shifting homes, places and schools were frequent, and one of the things I looked forward to was spotting a favorite tree. Sitting under the tree and trying to climb was a favorite occupation (later though it backfired when I shifted to Delhi as an adult. I kept trees and parks as a reference in a polluted, crowded and desperately alienating city while finding new place to stay, very soon shocked to find these were converted to noisy and unbelievably loud gathering for marriages, birthdays, religious occasions -which is almost every other day). Trees are enigmatic lifeform and so when I went with birdwatching groups their single focus on birds didn’t go well with me. For me everything around, even tiniest of creatures -ants and spiders are such special life, is as important for attention. Having read much about trees I thought I had fair idea about trees, and that is when I came across this book, The Genius of Trees -How Trees Mastered the Elements and Shaped the World (by Harriet Rix). The moment I came to know about this book in an international publication I ordered it immediately, and within few days I was holding the book (indebted to technology that make this possible, even a decade back this was impossible. There were books I wanted to read and searched in bookstalls while visiting big cities but could never find).

Choosing a book to read is an effort, as also time and money spent. Last few weeks I was reading and rereading this book. It is divided into chapters that traces how trees shaped soil, water, air, fire, fungi, plants, animals and humans. A breathtaking view, that I was terribly excited to read. So, imagine my plight when I found some basic mistakes as also jarring attitudinal issue in the beginning of the book itself. Credibility is an important thing; it is difficult to get it back when you lose it. In the second page itself “When modern humans evolved about 40,000 years ago, there were estimated 6trillion trees on the planet…”. Now I know there is a basic mistake here but since the author is an expert (as also even her grandmother is a dendrologist and that she has access to sources from across the world), I thought maybe I need to upgrade. But despite much search this seems to be a typo but then even 400,000 is not right it is accepted as 300,000 years ago (considering modern human is a reference to Homo sapiens, while 40,000-year mark is arrival of sapiens in Europe). Hence a shocking mistake, this also put question mark on the claim of 6trillion trees -what is the source? On the very next page “chlorophyll evolved in bacteria living in the sea 3.5million years ago…”, even someone with basic knowledge will know the glaring mistake made here. There are few more like for instance “…made from sand dunes of 1.7billion years ago -long before life on earth…”. It is unpardonable irresponsibility, the marketeers who publish these lack knowledge hence are least bothered to proofread on correctness of content. I was terribly upset and on verge of tears since the chapters held so much promise, and now I wasn’t so sure. Add to this the British self-flagellation cringe wherein she mentions colonial British destroying libraries in Iraq while Islamic invaders brutal dealing of pre-Islamic culture/knowledge is self-censored. The same british cringe is witnessed when she visits the region in 2020 after horrendous brutalization of Yezidis by Islamists and blames Christian travelers for the plight of Yezidis (ISIS is mentioned in passing without any reference to religion!). It is the love for trees that forced me to continue reading. And surely it was worth it despite initial hiccups, she redeems -not as a person but as a knowledge source as she travels to far off places, and I will strongly recommend this book.

We know about the critical life-giving role trees play but the comprehensive spread in shaping life on the planet is what left me in awe. This is one book that kept be riveted, and changed me significantly in the way I look at trees -and that is something since I have been observing trees for decades. Imagine never heard about Rubisco -the most common enzyme on earth, comprising almost 50% of the protein in leaves! The first chapter is about Tree shaping water. Tree uses solar energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, and transfer electron onto carbondioxide to make sugar. This means tree needs large quantities of water and air, and unlike human trees cannot move hence must control their own environment in dynamic equilibrium. In a sense, trees developed into trees to gain power over water. Trees grow tall to interrupt air flow with their leaves and branches, emitting VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) to seed clouds, releasing water vapor out of their stomata, and thus a consistent cycle of moisture. A recent study has found that trees release more VOCs during drought conditions to encourage rain. Since trees are exposed to sun they spent as much as 97% of water to cool itself (as water molecules cools they take sun’s energy with them), as water rises and cools it condenses, lowering the air pressure, and if this happens next to moisture laden air from sea they sucked in by the forest. An unbroken chain of forests can use transpiration to cycle water deep into inland from coast by setting up pressure gradient, an air stream laden with water -a flying river, while roots collect and redistribute water to create water table. All these have significant impact on global water flow. Gymnosperm ruled earth until about 66m years ago when asteroid impact led to great extinction after which flowering angiosperm took over to initiate diversity of life with their ability to produce flowers and fruits, short time scale of reproduction. They also cycled water quickly, dropping leaves to conserve energy for next opportunity. Thus, the tree productivity increased dramatically and unlike gymnosperms, that grew in elegantly spaced forests with an imposing dominant specie, angiosperm rainforests were crowded, multilayered, packed with diverse species. How trees shaped distribution of water and help thrive life on earth is an interesting read. Next chapter is on Trees shaping soil. As tree grew the roots help to anchor as also probe deep to search water. They grew into rocks and turn it into dust, thus availability of mineral mainly phosphate (it is essential element for life, forming DNA, RNA, protein so on. Hunger for phosphorus is reason for tree breaking rock) and others like iron, zinc, magnesium so on, and these extracted minerals can be seen on the top of canopy of the tree 60m above ground! Importantly trees also convert this dust into soil -a chain of carbon sequestered from air, to trap water as also by addition of nitrogen (as the tree became dominant in carboniferous period there was shortage of nitrogen which was fixed by cycads -they produced oxygen free areas to nurture nitrogen fixing bacteria) thus making it fertile. Studies show that older and larger trees trap exponentially more carbon into earth as they mature. As rocks weathered phosphate were hard to find, and trees shifted to breaking limestone as also evolved strategies to recapture (while gymnosperms were eaters of rocks angiosperms evolved diverse strategies as competitive recyclers). Through shaping soil trees make essential mineral available for life to thrive. Trees shaping fire is an exceptionally interesting chapter, and did change many of my understanding of trees. Trees manipulating fire is a crazy thought but that is genius of trees, indeed life. Some species of trees have managed to get fire on their side. Take the case of how a specie of Pine actively help start fire, indeed self-immolate, to burn away its neighbor- a Fir specie. Some trees encourage mock fire at low temperature to prevent real hot fire from happening. And if fire does go out of hand and reaches trunk (of say chir pine) they turn mock fire into real fire, slow burning hot fire that clears everything and allows the pines to start again from seeds. There are many species of trees that need catastrophic fires to regenerate, they use fire to create chaos. Some trees fill itself with volatile resin up to the brim particularly at the upper canopy waiting for lighting to strike and inflame. There is mention of devastating impact of eucalyptus trees that is being used for afforestation, not only they grow fast, burn easily and poison anything that tries to eat them (except koalas) they also lower water table – an adaptation mechanism to kill nearby trees. There is a ominous warning that climate change fueled forest fires are causing fire adapted trees not to burn but explode, fires are becoming too hot for seeds to germinate, underground re-sprouting mechanism to work. Trees shaping air gives some practical insight that helps us understand the role of trees on the air we breathe. Carboniferous period (a warm wet period between the end of Devonian -358m years ago, and the beginning of Permian -300m years ago) was characterized by gigantism of insect life -when you see reference of large dragonflies or gigantic millipedes you can associate it to this period. The reason for this was content of oxygen in the air -35%, allowing this gas to diffuse into body and power its muscles that is not possible with 21% oxygen we have now. Trees not only release oxygen but also compounds to seed clouds and attract animals and communicate with other trees. Locking away of carbon dioxide and release of oxygen changed the atmosphere to an extent that it led to dramatic global cooling (temperature fell by as much as 20degree centigrade) to carboniferous rainforest collapse. Trees also lessen impact of wind, for instance, shape of tulip tree leaves curl up into a tube thereby lessening the force. Araucarias are one of my favorite trees for the reason that they were munched on by dinosaurs, what I didn’t know was they evolved their shape to manipulate wind for complex pollination. Just like human trees also enlist bacteria to perform sophisticated function. There is mention of enigmatic Lynn Margulis and her brilliant contribution to understand biochemistry of life particularly endosymbiotic theory -bacteria being enveloped and enslaved into symbiosis and cooperation. Trees shaping fungi talks about mycelium network, and awkward interface of trees with fungi as it balances support (nitrogen and phosphorus source) and harm, some evolved to so much sophistication as to mete out right carbon reward to the right fungus (trees have evolved a plant hormone specifically meant to control and shape fungi). Trees balance nutrient from roots with sugar from the shoots, by directing growth of both root and shoot. There is also constant mycelium interaction that connects trees in an underground network proposed as 'wood wide web'. There is richness to the diversity in an old forest that implies connected systems based on feedback. The author has problem with these and faults it for anthropomorphizing, there are overwhelming evidence of mycorrhizal connections but the trees connecting through these suffer from confirmation bias is the stand taken. …a tree’s ability to be dispassionate -to think and feel like wood -is one of its greatest wonders (arguably one of the best sentences in the book, later in the book author mentions animist communities who do not anthropomorphize -there is an aesthetic appreciation of what a tree is and acute observation of how they function). Trees shaping plants provides insights into areas I wasn’t aware of. The author quotes writer Zoe Schlanger ‘What if, instead of hunting, our food was sunlight that rained down on us, so we were bathed in it and we had to evolve only to be prepared to receive it?’. To understand life of plants author adds to the quote ‘what if all the sunlight is consistently blocked off?’. Majority of plants are angiosperms that evolved under conifer canopies that were rapidly losing diversity and eventually devastated in the aftermath of KT extinction event 66m years ago. Like the case of mammals this event boosted angiosperms while severely restricting gymnosperms. Plants were foremost shaped by trees (specifically gymnosperms) as they absorb much of carbon and sunlight, and then adapting out from under them. Specific adaptations like coping to constant disturbance, creeping phase along forest floor and waiting for opportune circumstance to shoot up, there roots and shoots could layer and root again making them extremely resistant to trampling (Mesozoic forest frequented by dinosaurs), they had many possible shoots and could respond to damage as also adaptation to absorb light better. Angiosperms were thus intrinsically flexible, adaptable and creatively chaotic. The cataclysmic asteroid impact and intense dust and ash led to two years of no photosynthesis, soon open forest of gymnosperms turned into multilayered forest of angiosperms and became basis for stupendous evolution of modern day terrestrial biodiversity. Many angiosperms rose to become tall canopy trees but not as structurally shaped or tall as gymnosperms. Tree shaping animals is penultimate chapter that starts with example of sloths that are completely shaped by trees to the extent that they have almost become tree. Another interesting example is that of a specie of bats that is so manipulated that its nose can only be used to access nectar thus blocking them from any other source of food and so completely dependent on the tree thus transporting pollens over long distance and optimizing genetic flow. Bees are modified by trees to see only UV rays, blue and green (wavelength longer than purple) and no red. There is discussion on relationship between birds and trees, and how birds were manipulated to distinguish red and green hence ripeness of fruit. Pollination and seed dispersal are two main reasons why tree shape animals. I found large seeded fruit adaptation to allow only large animal access so that seeds can be carried to farther distance quite interesting particularly example of cocoa, the toxicity of which will knock off small monkeys as it prefers larger monkeys, high fat content of cocoa butter ensures physical energy to travel long distance. The book ends appropriately with how Trees shaping people. Human history, the human brain, the human hand and human leg, all start in the forest canopy. Primate brains developed by sensing and balancing on trees. Our ability to stand upright negotiating branches, desire to build nests and the compelling scent of wood (hence books or even cupcakes), are all adaptation of primates shaped by trees. Trees and tree dwelling shaped the physical evolution of early humans. Shifting from leaf eating to fruit eating impacted development of intelligence and memory. In the safety of nest deep REM sleep resulted in development of brain, enlarging and shaping our brain. Cells of humans and trees diverged 1.7b years back (and we do share 30% of genetic code), the shared lifestyle ended when one daughter cell engulfed a photosynthetic bacterium and became a light eater while the other remained an amorphous blob hunting for food. Trees pathway of development is therefore creative as they produce more and more inventive molecules while human pursued path of avarice by taking these molecules for own use. Trees therefore are shaping humans chemically for last 500,000years by providing compounds we cannot make -medicines, supplements, vitamins, spices to antioxidants are provided by trees. Trees shape us through what we eat and air we breathe. Take for instance the case of cocoa (source for chocolates that we crave). Is it that as the world warmed up cocoa and humans expanded their range together? That the seeds of interdependence survived in our DNA, encoding a human protein (an adenosine receptor) that was chemically reshaped by the rings and oxygens of theobromine (alkaloid found in cocoa)? It is speculated by the author that some of our rootedness as humans, our wish to temper the excitement of technological advances with a grounding in nature by planting trees around our newest cities, is part of how trees shaped us. The book ends poignantly with the mention of last painting by Van Gogh (Tree Roots) -throughout the book there are many literary references that makes it quite interesting. The author writes, the painting is his last masterpiece, gnarled bright blue tree roots and green foliage bursting out of a taupe bank. It is a picture of trees holding it all together, making sense out of a bewildering world.

Despite earlier misgivings this is one of those books that one will like to go back again and again.

 

Attack on humanity

 

“We need to stop trusting the experts... Trusting the experts is not a feature of science or democracy, it's a feature of religion and totalitarianism” RFK Jr (US Secretary of Health)

This is a glaring and disturbing attempt to wreck the foundation of carefully built understanding that is essentially foundation to human progress, indeed, defines what is to be human. What makes it much sinister is the clever usage of semantics of reason while upturning the very concept of reason. This is not an isolated incident; these kinds of dangerous people are finding credence all across the world as social media consolidate herd habituated in comfort of mediocre world and unquestioning mind. Equality is an important benchmark for human rights and rule of law. It is a framework for better world, a possibility. Everyone must have opportunity to be equal, which means access to everything that makes it possible and deconstructing everything that stands against it. This doesn’t mean all are equal. State provides equity and justice for possibilities to affirm oneself. Herd has lost their individuality, that which defines what is to be a human, hence cannot claim to be equal. A lazy unthinking mind lacking self-awareness cannot claim all the rights without being responsible. An egalitarian liberal state is duty bound to restrict, restrain and ridicule herd churning systems. Or else enlightened values of democracy are periled as hypocrisy and cynicism takes hold. Eventually we have people like RFK Jr in important positions that decide on fate of millions while emboldening regressive forces across the world. These have potential to undo centuries of effort that has led to spectacular progress and possibilities. This fellow is a deeply disturbing symptom of the world we live in. The strong welfare state that safeguards what is meant to be human in free world is being replaced by neoliberal transactional state. Democracy is not given, it is not a privilege, it has to be earned, sacrifices and values behind it must be understood. Genes can create you as a human (genetically not very far from a chimp or a potato) but is not enough to be a human in the world we live in. It needs effort to be a human, indeed an onerous effort in the complexities that is present. Human beings are therefore not equal. Rights are not gift wrap. You need to present your humanity and basic human attributes that make you a human in attitude and action.

Awareness creates immensity of responsibility and necessary humility of insignificance. Critical thinking is an important benchmark that defines a human being. It is important to understand authority bias, what it means is that a person in authority position shouldn’t be mistaken for knowledge or an expert. In a feudal society herd shows distinct attributes of authority bias, lacking any discerning qualities they supplicate for power and money as source of knowledge and vice versa. Herd are nurtured by controlling degrading systems like religion, the malleable trust that is constructed is channelized to authenticate authority as sign of blessing hence their distinct favour for authoritarian leaders as messenger from god or representation as fulfillment of what religion proposes. Democracy and all egalitarian values therefore becomes conduit to god’s design (equally dangerously communism too use democracy as a conduit). RFK Jr is using this fault line to gain credibility among herd as genuine. We have crossed a threshold where even charlatans are adept in semantics of reasoning to spread convincing balderdash as the herd is incapacitated to decipher.

When we trust experts the word trust is not same as trusting religion or holy book or scripture. It is not faith. Nor is it trusting an expert. We trust the system that has peer reviewed, evidence based transparency, rigorously analyzing what is proposed into the possible frame, which then stands to be reviewed in future when presented with contrary evidence, with same rigorous procedure that system demands. What it means is that as of now there is fair to near certain consensus of a specific possibility. There is a reason why vehicle runs, bulb lights or a medicine saves life, after hundreds and thousands of years of darkness, immobility and preventable deaths, it is not a miracle but culmination of rigorous work of brilliant collaborative minds over centuries.  What is to be understood is that these have very strong element of common sense connection with reality and self that rational inquisitive mind valued while understanding basic frame of their own limitations in cosmic scheme so as to be humble. Arrogant all-knowing mindset without having basic understanding or empathy are nurtured by systems of faith, a supremacist mind living in fantasy and ready to supplicate to bigger force, that bypass basic scrutiny. With authority bestowed as entitlement they set out to question and tap on insecurities of herd.

Clearly there is a failure of education, as standards are lowered to please herd. There is nurturing of stupidity and barbarian values as diversity. There is a failure of science to communicate, also arrogance of experts lacking empathy for human condition. Meanwhile there is wanton commodification with humans evaluated as consumers. The complexity of issue is lost in lack of simple explanation that common people crave while charlatans easily provide. Neoliberal transactional values not only make it worst but also incentivize these into authority. It is vital that critical thinking is part of all stages of education while herd churning systems like religion is severely scrutinized and demystified so that it doesn’t degrade young minds. Religion infected dogmatism and fantastical ways can easily seep into egalitarian and rational frame in the garb of diversity of views, these fractures, as also lack of necessary humility that knowledge places, create extreme views of all knowing science while primitive ways incapacitate to fathom nuances of human condition. Rather than sense of wonder and appreciation faith nurtured minds create deference and submission (it is also extension of feudal values that places knowledge as authority to supplicate).

What must be understood is that science is an expression that sync with best possibilities of human mind. It does not function in isolation and nurtures in best of ecosystem that see excellence in creative expressions and expansion of human possibilities in every possible way. It necessarily thrives in open society and free minds. Poor societies (and limited minds in richer societies) in everyday struggle create insecurities and overwhelming beggar mindset of want and crave, with entrenched biases lacking culture of critical thinking or capacity to nurture inquisitive free minds, are in bleak situation. Advanced societies and best minds have a responsibility. As inimitable Carl Sagan warned “If we are not wise enough to use science to understand the world, we may stumble into a future where science is used against us.” 

Post script: After writing this I had a discussion with one of the chatAI for feedback. Please note the term "herd" is carefully chosen, if it is inflammatory or not is not my concern. People have all the access to information and means to educate but they actively choose appealing falsehoods over difficult evidence. This isn't about lack of opportunity; it's about preference for comfortable lies, they're actively preferring appealing narratives over rigorous analysis. They have chosen (not forced) to reject evidence-based reasoning and critical judgment. They are therefore herd. The task is to actively engage to remove herd churning systems. We have well passed classical liberalism that take all viewpoints as equally valid. A line has to be drawn, herd identified and what sustains them must be questioned and ridiculed for its lack in basic common sense and humanistic concerns. Egalitarian free thinking ecosystems and democratic institutions are under attack. Not by right wing or left wing neat binary but herd churning dehumanizing systems and irresponsible values.    

Science as ritual: if civilized evolved systems are not careful then the world will be ransacked by low quality people. These are skilled technicians posing as scientists without having any inkling of what science as an idea and philosophy represents, and how humanity’s progress is precariously hinged on these evolved ideas. Scientific mind is an attitude nurtured diligently, a systematic thought process that probe world. These irresponsible and juvenile actions of technicians have debilitating impact on common people as it authenticates squatter’s regressive value systems, fantastical ways, superstitions and fatalism, pseudo science and make them easy prey for charlatans. It attacks on the idea of science as a thinking skeptical mind and critical thinking as an attitude. Spiritualism is an evolved idea/experience that really has nothing to do with religion, indeed a spiritual person will very clearly see the futility and ridiculousness of such rituals and will discern regressive systems of control at work. Skilled technicians have limited mind and lack awareness beyond their narrow skills and dealing. They cannot use authority to work semantics of science and push in wares of fantasy and juvenile practices. They have to diligently work to make themselves suited to represent as scientists. Technicians work under fixed system that is laid out with possibilities of incremental modifications hence can be emulated as ritual. Science has a process that is definitely not a ritual. It questions and probes all established ideas as it progresses.                   

Adoor in a rat trap: Adoor Gopalakrishnan is a repeat offender that too in an extremely malicious way. The tone and tenor of his views (amazingly crass that you wonder whether this fellow is a respected artist or a charlatan selling stolen goods in train!) put a serious question mark on his mental state -has he become senile with age, or that this is his real self that we aren’t aware of considering this society despite its “world famous Kerala model”- thanks to early influence of Buddhism, Christian missionaries and communism, is essentially uncouth and primitive (overwhelmingly mediocre mainstream, but I have across some amazingly smart people at the fringes). I recall watching his movie in mid 1990s in empty theatre, interesting in part but nothing stood out. Another movie about hangman was more of documentary than anything incisive. Some say his movies are too intellectual and rife with symbolism, an afterthought and lack of appreciation by discerning international audience (like say for Iranian or Japanese directors) shows that these were mostly pretentious to showcase herd back home his intellectual bearing without ever deeply involved as an artist or indeed a human -which is now evident. I haven’t really watched all his movies (liked Elipathayam – isolated male in crumbling feudalism –a repeated motif, and Mathillukal -carries much empathy thanks to Basheer’s story) but what stands out is slow pace, so slow paced that a deliberate attempt to delineate from mainstream. Film experts and thinkers of caliber must reevaluate his oeuvre since the fellow is now a suspect -exposed his bearing as a primitive nurtured by deep state narration. It is clear that he doesn’t carry the complexity and nuance to represent high art reflecting the society (one shouldn’t get personal but when child chooses career in bureaucracy -crave for power, while so much opportunities to evolve. It puts a serious question mark on value system that was nurtured. Petty beggar minded middle class). He seems to be another of icons constructed by primitive society that doesn’t pass the scrutiny. It’s a pity. Frankly this is something that was least expected, quite shocking the first time around, gave him benefit of doubt, but when repeated one has to straighten up to take note. Last many decades castetva force’s ecosystem was richly rewarded hence people like him weren’t scrutinized closely (or most likely by self-affirming coterie convinced of its own greatness or shall we say blessedness!). One though wonders why communists are carrying this fellow’s burden? He should be blacklisted from state patronage. 

Sabarimala as tourist spot: anywhere religion is diluted as tourism I am for it. Herd are conceived and presented for exploitation. Common people in India rarely spent on holidays, the only travel they do is to visit holy places. These temples are located in ecologically fragile locations (flash floods in north Indian hills must make policy planners wary). Sabarimala temple upholds regressive value system that blatantly discriminates against women under the garb of faith and juvenile cringe backstory meant to percolate into herd as morals (a more civilized society would severely deal with these serious ethical transgressions, I personally think such sites should be demolished. Civilized societies must take note of spreading barbarians in the garb of faith, you will eventually pay heavy price for hosting these despicable), even the so-called god is assimilation of feudal values (it is easy for most gods to be kings and princes or squatter himself part timing as savior…authority bias makes herd trapping easy!), this one even rides a tiger -the arrogance of it, laughable staid story. To awe the herd state machinery is used to even shoot flares on auspicious day for auspicious sighting. This is duly reported as blessed miracle by media posers. Imagine the level of deception. All for the wellbeing of literate primitives determinedly incapacitated to be civilized, duly authenticated by inbred dimwit squatters with highest estimation of themselves in center of universe, orchestrated by deep state. With percolation of social media the herd litters are now moving away from the control of devious legacy media, a possibility for redemption for beleaguered society. Meanwhile squatters must be kept on tight leash and words like "shudhikaran" rituals must be strictly dealt, these are gangrene on humanity.   

Two squealing pigs of Kerala: these two attention seeking swine when they squeal legacy media of putrefied society rush in with pacifiers, they are not elected leaders nor hold any authority or appeal but work for the narration of primitive forces hence nurtured. These kind of pigs are nurtured all across wasteland of India to keep herd distracted. Not surprisingly the louts posing as journalists haven’t cultivated “dalit community”, since the views will not only rock the carefully constructed applecart of castetva narration but shove it up their constipated a*rse rituals and diversity! Purifying Gandhians singed badly while attempting their entitled patronizing crap, since then they shifted their shop for easy picking in lazy angst driven west.                    

 

                   

Urgent need for climate resilient cities

 

"Climate vulnerable cities with dense population must get their act together to focus on climate adaptive mechanism. Sponge cities is one compelling alternative that must be taken seriously. Like, for instance, you can create huge stadium like structures with deep underground parking facilities which during summer act as recreational place while during flooding turns into water storage. Policy makers must take responsibility" (https://depalan.blogspot.com/2021/11/chennai-is-facing-brunt-of-climate.html).  

As situation turns grim in India's megacity Mumbai there is an urgent need for policy makers to work for climate resilient cities. There are clear indications that we have well passed mitigative action stage. Densely populated coastal cities like Mumbai are at the forefront of unfolding climate disaster hence must take steps for climate adapted infrastructure. Retrofitting for climate resilient buildings and creating standby temporary structures during waterlogging are urgently needed. Functional recoverability of infrastructure is paramount. There are many innovative measures being taken across the world.       

Other side of light 

You will be surprised with how much little

The world can go about

Wayside leaf shaped to home like a haiku

Barnacled rock refresh in salty water

Dent on earth lifeline of sort

A cube of sugar maneuvered by colony in grand festivity

Milky way reflected somewhere in dark depth of ocean

A speck of photon spray all the colour it can gather

Whirlpool shaped to space pursue the possible

Collect all the fallen star jasmines you can

Arrange in scent of mist

Pray for the only passing freight of life

Look at sickle moon hangs just about

Slip in a standby dream

And hold it in place

World cannot carry white people’s burden any longer

Past few centuries colonial racists had assumed the burden of civilizing the world. Whether colonizing was natural in the power matrix that existed a century back is debatable. Without rule of law and civilized dealing any group or collective, even most individuals, located anywhere in the world with slight advantage than others will likely dominate and maximize their gain. So this blogger is not ready to brand only whites as racist –a virulent form of discrimination, nor the reason for colonialism. Any primitive mind will look for opportunity and weave reason to dominate, exploit and amass resources. West was able to provide civilized space for best mind to create values that sustain and advance civilization. Ofcourse there were many before like the Egyptians, Greeks and many more but they didn’t have the advantage of printing press, fast dissemination and consolidation of knowledge. Chance and choice created a favourable mix for advancement. Sophisticated philosophy, that sought to understand complexity of reality, created framework of inquiry hinged on critical thinking and reasoning hence science and technology –it also built on inputs from collective knowledge across the world. There is no debate that the West created framework for best minds to thrive and consolidate. What can be ofcourse negated is role of race. This could have happened in any part of the world, if all the critical factors had aligned. Not that it was fated but what is true is that civilizational advancement was primed in West with white people at the core of advancement. There is nothing racist about it. Nor is there any racism to understand that few centuries back this kind of advancement would have made people feel superior from the power they wielded and therefore create racial ideologies and exaggeration on this narrow premise, and in the context of the world they lived in they unleashed brutal exploitations to gain control. Therefore it is logical for colonial racism to have existed and indeed thrived till a century back. World was a brutal place. This doesn’t ofcourse mean that there weren’t humanist people among whites nor that among non-whites there weren’t individuals, or even collective, that had potential to be much advanced as we are today.  

It is therefore necessary to remove this baggage of colonial racism that is propped up by devious people (sometimes well meaning) into contemporary debate as if the world has not changed in last one century. I for one will strongly defend the contemporary world from infective incursions of history. Complexities of the world we inhabit and the challenges of future has no space for regressive values and illogical (indeed laughable) fractures of past. What needs focus is the present –the world we live in, which essentially means to remove the possibilities of repeat of the past. Past repeats if people are trapped and controlled in semantics and sensibilities of past and are disconnected from complexities of present and immense possibilities of future. Past repeats if people are not connected to the reality of their existence, and are systematically degraded into herd, through myths and fantasy as their senses and reasoning faculties are compromised. Herd by its very nature lack empathy and are unconcerned about broader ramification than what they are controlled to react. The urgent need for the world therefore is to remove possibilities of the past mindsets from the present, the regressive ways and values that affirm structures that sustain past brutalities -hence continuation of dehumanizing sensibilities and tragedy of history repeating. Any structure that segregates (specifically values that is sustained from past) and degrades is a live threat. Indeed, almost all conflict at the international to regional (to even societal and individual) can be traced to primitive values of past that are sustained by anachronistic structures controlled by devious people. Feudal structures severely undermine individual liberty and are persistent threat to democratic institutions and to the idea of democracy itself. When these are supported by powerful systems and influential people it becomes extension of primitiveness of past and immune to the progress of present and so eat into possibilities of common people’s life. Colonial mindset, entitled values –quite naturally extending to racism and supremacist ideas, no longer remains forgotten regrettable past but immediate threatening presence.

To create a semblance of civilized in this severely compromised dehumanizing value system the powerful feudal elite have worked out a compromise. This is the morphing of white people’s burden that we now face. It wouldn’t be much problematic if it were limited to weekend hedonistic get together. The influence of colonial structures and reach of colonial language around the world, particularly erstwhile colonies, makes it a serious threat to humanity. They have the power to control ideas and nurture narration across the world, particularly in poor neglected societies (many with mediocre corrupt well fed feudal elite –a trademark of post-colonial societies) through recognition and benefits (while suppressing inconvenient narrations). Semantics of control therefore infect discourse and bring back dead cold hand of history into reckoning, and thus the absurdity we face.  

Racist white Christians, neoliberal right, are blatant revivalist (this is true for all religions) hence easily isolated and rightly condemned. What is particularly sinister is humanist posturing by those white people who are nurtured under feudal and value system of exceptionalism. It is here, in this hypocrisy, white people’s compromise is streamed as exaggerated egalitarian concerns, lacking basic egalitarian foundation or humanity affirming values. They are desperate so as to not be exposed hence lose their control, they use semantics of concern and viciously control meanings and narrations. To associate with bleak reality of common people they manipulate egalitarian semantics of socialism and thus pose as neoliberal left to represent. They create narrations of multiculturalism and relativism (mystifying the crass, normalizing the vulgar) to nurture worst of people and regressive values from across the world at the expense of marginalized, and ofcourse diluting quaint ideas of multiculturism and inclusive values (which then fuels competing binary of myth by neoliberal right). Regressive barbarian cultures and practices, especially the one couched in the garb of faith, has severely degraded societies across the world. Humanist ethical concerns in a religion cannot be classified and pushed out as atheism to maintain sanctity of barbaric values and primitive practices under the garb of faith. It needs to be made clear in no uncertain terms that you cannot be part of a religion without strongly condemning the regressive mentions in holy books, scriptures, traditions so on and persistently question the degrading practices and traditions in the religion on every conceivable occasion. If you do not then you also have no right to practice that religion in open liberal society nor can be part of any human right activism. This hypocrisy cannot be kept hidden under faith or personal. This white people’s compromise has severely damaged human right concerns across the world. Common people can no longer take white people’s burden. Please don’t be our saviour. We have enough burdens as it is, indeed many insurmountable, and we cannot compromise our sense of reality, our only claim for survival, to fit in your manipulation. Neoliberal right revivalist jingoism of majoritarian supremacism is a known threat and can be resisted through rule of law and humanism. The neoliberal left’s opportunist minoritarian spurious identity driven posturing is much insidious as it not only make concocted grievances of neoliberal right credible but also nurture the worst as minority while usurping from the needy and marginalized. This elitist competing binary is the reason for increasingly lack of empathy and criminal inactions for truly suffering people across the world. The use of semantics of care and concern to work out opportunist narration is what makes it sinister. By nurturing and mainstreaming regressive values and practices they have severely undermined incremental gains of humanist egalitarian traditions over obscurantist forces by divergent communities across the world –which is now exploited by rightist. And with market driven media and chaos of social media nuanced traditions are now pushed out as outrageous and blasphemous. The loss is immeasurable.     

Strengthen democratic institutions, nurture human liberty and freedom, value critical thinking as indelible part of collective understanding. Always question, undermine, and deconstruct feudal institutions and values (that continue to shape global economic and local social institutions), ascriptive exceptional values, supremacist ideas and systems that dehumanize into herd. Use words carefully, understand its import and control. Words must reflect the complex realities of present with awareness of past and possibilities of future. Most importantly, please don’t be complacent. Your complacent classifications, simplistic understandings and narrations carry a heavy price for people across the world just, like the carbon emission, the effect are felt in far off places.                                                                  

 

The gap in time 

Sometimes I experience 

That I am part of infinite

That pursues me every moment

The world streams through me

Back and forth

Like a pulsating being

That connects everything in stream of light

Losing sense of time and space

All shapes commingled, blurred

Sometimes stacked, always dissipating

In a curving spiralling streaks of colours

As if in Einstein’s thought train

I anchor to get the shape of things

There is a surge of thoughts

Brief brightness, then the silence

The everlasting stillness

As it is meant to be    

 *Where acknowledgement is due: well I thought I will get away with it. You read something truly beautiful and are riveted to defining words and expansive world it unleashes that you want to replicate it. As long as you are adding to the world in your own perspective it is fine. It is patently wrong to copy words, eventhough it may not be the same context. And that is precisely what I did in the above poem, and since then it's been troubling me. I read this iconic short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” (written in 1890 by Ambrose Bierce), it is such an amazing work of art that leaves you awestruck and deeply moved (simultaneously selfishly wistful for not writing something like this!). I haven’t come across the word “commingled” before and the usage here was brilliant. Meanwhile I was seeped into a framework of stretching-time-by-dying-mind after watching 1990 movie Jacob’s Ladder (Tim Robbins as always did restraint work of brilliance) as also 2005 movie Stay -it is difficult to enact the concept, it is a space beyond words, the movie therefore is kind of messed and ends up as an explanation rather than an experience (despite some brilliant actors –I like Naomi Watts- one of the best, I recall a movie about screen test or something where her instant change of character left me astounded. She is someone I like to keep an eye on). The last few minutes of Stay is remarkable in its impact. Coming back to Ambrose Bierce, I not only took the word ‘commingled’ but also the next word ‘blurred’ –truly unbecoming on my part. Ofcourse that doesn’t really take away anything from the above poem -it is also part of my awareness, I start to like it after few reading, and ofcourse the omniscient ChatAIs too rate it above average!                  

Increasing hazard of GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood)

With climate warming mountainous region along the Himalayan glacier have become particularly vulnerable. Himalayan region is changing rapidly. There is increased intensity and frequency of cloud bursts and intense rains. GLOF is adding to hazardous conditions as they become frequent with glacier melting, there is an increase in glacial lake formation in last few years. With glacial retreat the melted water collect as glacial lake and with debris (moraine wall) it can grow much large and triggered by rainfall, avalanche, landslides, seismic activities ('development' activities along the geologically unstable region). GLOF are extremely unpredictable and destructive, and set to increase in frequency and intensity according to latest report of UN. There is a need for increased investment in GLOF adaptive technology like early warning systems, glacier monitoring and local awareness.

*Yesterday's disaster in Uttarkashi (Dharali) is reported as cloudburst, not yet confirmed by experts. Looks like cloudburst but for the horrifying intensity and rapidity GLOF cannot be ruled out. GLOF remains a serious rapidly evolving threat for the region in the coming years. In 2013 a major GLOF in Uttarakhand left more than 5000 people dead.    

correction

 *correction from earlier post during India Pakistan confrontation. So, I gather from independent sources that Indian jets were shot down with latest Chinese tech -pointing to failure in intelligence gathering of technological upgradation by adversary. The earlier reports were therefore correct (but that doesn't exonerate the media which didn't have independent confirmation). This blogger stands corrected.  

The Chinese rise

Clearly authoritarian China is not only becoming a regional threat but an international danger. China is replacing US (and with madcap semiliterate US president and his lunatic base the demise is faster than expected) as a major centre of technological advancement, sports as well as culture -specifically contemporary Chinese literature. There is a realtime shift happening. If only China was democratic and inclusive country it would make world a better place. Sincerely hope people have more say in decision making. More than a decade back I mentioned about Chinese writing https://depalan.blogspot.com/2014/07/watch-out-for-chinese-talent.html I was reading Yu Hua, he is terrific. Since then I mentioned about Chinese American writer Ted Chiang (as also the movie Arrival, and later the connection between LLM so on) https://depalan.blogspot.com/2021/07/story-of-your-life.html Ken Liu (Paper Menagerie, really haven't read much as I am no longer into serious science fiction). 

Cixin Liu, the China based writer has emerged as significant science fiction writer. The Three Body Problem is a well known work (now available on Netflix), an aware sensitive writer with enhanced skills (interestingly in the original Chinese version he put the criticism of communist regime somewhere in the middle to hoodwink censor). The Three Body Problem is also a sophisticated metaphor against forces working against critical thinking and therefore periling  human race. I also happen to read graphic novel Yuanyaun's Bubbles -a science fiction story of possibilities, I like the sensibilities here. Ofcourse it is an interesting story but the mindset that is being presented is what makes it valuable. Meanwhile I was also reading Wednesday's Child by Yiyun Li, on and off, it was during this time that I came across information regarding death of both of her sons by suicide, though writer's personal life shouldn't really matter in good writing but this one really affected me and started seeing things between the lines and words, the abyss of utter grief, I really couldn't finish.    

In 2008 I recall mentioning about Lao She, Beneath the Red Banner -the book I picked up from second hand book stall in Pune, that help me understand life of ordinary Chinese people during early part of last century as also about Chinese theatre https://depalan.blogspot.com/2008/04/meet-lao-she-shu-quingchu.html. In the same blog I mentioned about Pearl Buck (and a lucky find My Several World at second hand book seller on Bangalore pavement -quite coincidently today I saw a pic of Pearl Buck's The Good Earth on Lahore pavement). Pearl Buck has written extensively about China. Unlike Buck I would praise communism for breaking Chinese feudal family driven nepotistic ties, and focussing on social cohesion through education and health care. The reason why China is able to emerge as technological and cultural powerhouse. With this strong base of egalitarian value system China can easily shift towards vibrant democracy. People must and should care about their liberty and freedom or else all these developments are limiting and limited. Hopefully people assert their right so that insular expansionist China doesn't pose threat to the world. Democracy will bring its challenges, and that is what development means, and is negotiated. It brings possibilities that is inconceivable in controlled society.  In this era we need more "carefree and relaxed" people.        

Post script: In one entry in 2008 https://depalan.blogspot.com/2008/04/great-chinese-civilization.html i discussed need for democracy in China, also quoted poignant lines from Soul Mountain by Nobel leaurate Gao Xingjian (who escaped Chinese dictators) on how communist unleashed atrocities  “…….he said that hiding in the cabin he had witnessed a terrible massacre during Cultural revolution…. people were tied with wires at the wrists in groups of three and forced into the river by spraying them with machine gun fire, if one was hit all the three fell. They were like fish on the hook, they splashed and struggled for a while, then floated down like a dead dogs. Oddly, the more the people killed off the more people there are, whereas with the fish the more that are caught the fewer there are. Wouldn’t it be better if it were the other way around?...”   

 

Waking to a massive megathrust earthquake

 

This is a massive 8.8 M earthquake triggering dangerous tsunami along the west pacific. We are seeing videos of serious damages as ocean surges meanwhile there are reports of 6 point range aftershocks which in itself is quite big. This can create extensive damage.       

In a moment world can change, we live on the edge of chaos. Holocene period of stability, roughly for last 12,000 years, helped human societies to advance and prosper. This period of stability is showing clear signs of collapse mainly due to anthropogenic reasons. Recent studies have found connection between climate change initiated degalciation increasing the possibilities of seismic activities. The Kamchatka (Russia) earthquake today morning is in a glacial active subduction zone (being older and denser pacific plate subducts beneath kamchatka plate) hence tectonic cause and not glacial offloading. Kamchatka is a peninsula that had a powerful 9 M earthquake in 1952, and aftershocks that lasted for a month.    

The mitochondrial way

The mitochondrial way

Mitochondria has maternal instinct for life

Orphaned bacteria in great oxidation

It decided to settle inside a cell

Shredding itself to cradle life

From each breath I take it tenderly pluck the O2

From the food I eat it sort out the sun for H

The motherly nourishing vitals

Create ions to make me feel for things

My thoughts rise like quantum ghosts from ancient proton gradient

A primordial substrate in hydrothermal vents of chaotic earth

Meanwhile a miracle of ATPase

Explore vast genetic space of life

A rare mishap of bacteria and archaea as eukaryotes

Sparks in mitochondrial glow

In a flow of inspiration

Involuntary matrilineal wisdom of matter itself

From heart to lungs to brain to little toe

They integrate me to myself

Connect me to the world

 

Meeting someone after decades

When I look at him

I also see behind his face the face that was his

His present image shimmering into past and back

His laboured attempts at smile merging into careless laughter of his youth

As if playing hide and seek through time

His mother appears in the memory with tea and snacks

You are his friend. Tell him to study. He does everything but study

She warmly ruffles his hair

He turns as if aware of the apparition

A faint rustle of curtains in the breeze

It was nice to meet you after such a long time

He gets up, stumbles as if to hug someone, steadies and walks away.    

Narration controlling disinformation

 

The tragic Air India crash report has led to some serious violations at many fronts. The report was factual, and any unbiased logical reading would point to two possible scenarios. One is that there was deliberate act from atleast one of the pilots (was it too much stress or was it sabotage -suicide or a larger part of a terror is mere speculation), this is conjectured as deliberate act since it is impossible for fuel switch to flip accidently. Second possibility is that there was a technical error, there were reports mentioning issue with fuel switch in Boeing. Also, understand Boeing is in serious focus in recent times as market concerns have taken precedence over safety. There are documentaries made, suicides (allegation of murder) by whistleblower so on. So what do we do in such a situation where there are two tantalizing possibilities? There is something called ethics.

You do not create aspersions on people who are dead and cannot defend themselves, unless there are compelling undisputable evidence. They must always be given benefit of doubt. It is not about misplaced nationalism but basic humanity, be gentle. Big corporate like Boeing can easily manipulate narration, and market media will toe the line drawn by big money. Also, Western media, particularly British hence by extension English, take India for low hanging fruit. This has to do with neocolonial feudal control –which works at two level one is ofcourse racism, second is castetva feudal forces have sense of entitled proprietorial control over common people and have aligned with liberal posing british elois to posture against India hence any news from India will be manipulated to denigrade India hence against hindutva. Create general bad impression about India in whatever possible manner hence by some twisted logic helping common Indians. Ofcourse India has problems but considering how the worst is normalized in west (also, lack of basic democratic norms in much of the world. Even in case of gender based atrocities it has to be understood that women are much freer here than strictly segregated barbaric societies where women are mostly absent or severely curtailed in public space, only freer societies bring stresses and fractures of negotiating changing times and entrenched patriarchy. Absence of sexual abuse in barbaric societies is not progressive but points to foundational issue that even questions humanity, you cannot arbitrate by constructing this deviance as normal. As much as purity is not hygiene, modesty sanitizing is not sign of civilized society) and expect highest standards from such a large country with amazing diversity seems like a sinister plan by vested interests. Incidents from India are exaggerated to create a narration. It also is power display. Organized barbaric practices are protected under the garb of religion and tradition and forced on to common people as diversity and multiculture by devious people to extend their control. India by its very nature is not organized –which surely makes it valuable, but in competing forces of neoliberal left and right these are occasions to exploit weakness. Indian therefore is seen as punching bag, and castetva forces who ruled India for decades worked this narration to control and exploit the herd while pleasing the west.

By constructing a narration of erring pilots by the western media, particularly the mischievous mediocre British media, has committed grave misinformation, shown deep rooted racism and allegiance to neoliberal transactional opportunist value system. Journalistic probity demands that they give equal importance to possibility of technical glitch –considering that fuel switch was under considerable scrutiny as also Boeing as a company is not without blame in the recent past. Ofcourse there are hundreds and thousands of Boeing planes flying across the world every day but that doesn’t mean anything. If there was a glitch then it can lead to, however rare, to serious mishap (it is conceivable that instead of human “error” the pilot observed the switch malfunction and tried his best to retrieve). Following the same logic there are hundreds and thousands of pilots flying Boeing everyday do they make such error or are they suicidal? When rare occasion presents, as major accident that kills hundreds, then we have to be extra careful in how it is reported. Sensationalism and opportunism in taking side of big corporate is a serious violation. It is maligning the dead, an assault on justice for victims and their loved ones. Considering the context it is a serious disinformation. There is a deliberate malicious attempt to create narration of control instead of trying to find the truth or report the verified facts with journalistic integrity and empathy. Unless the truth is out you cannot take sides or attempt at creating narrations.  

An instance of constructing narration by media

It is very rare for common people to have first-hand experience of media manipulation; they are always passive audience. The other day all India strike was called. Whatever may happen across the country what is clear is that it will be total in Kerala! So I went for a morning walk, it is extremely pleasing to walk in empty streets with no traffic and less people. I thought of having coffee, all hotels were shut down. As I walked around I found an open restaurant. Stranded devotees in temple town were seen rushing in from street. Restaurant was crowded and naturally doing brisk business. I too had masala dosa. Very soon strike enforcers ransacked the place and created ruckus. Intriguingly the newspaper next day gave importance to this event so as to be one of the headlines on front page! It was wrongly reported that hotel was only serving those who were lodging with them (I even have proof since I paid through google). Clearly, being a Christian media –neoliberal hedonist right therefore minority claim hence liberal secular by default, the intention was to create narration against the communists. Whether these kinds of left wing hooliganism should be condoned is not the issue here. Deliberately creating narration and manipulating an opinion based on concocted views by media is the concern. This is an example of how media works for political and business interests; they also set a narration to extend their control. They nurture regressive forces and use these to create and control herds for higher bidding. The world though has changed rapidly in the last few years with new distracting technologies exciting herd to new low; nobody has time for these legacy media as their influence wanes. What is true is that they played pivotal role for decades to nurture primitive society and its putrefying values, and effectively made literacy meaningless and herd incapacitated to be educated. Also, note cash rich temple itself could have taken Initiatives to arrange temporary refreshment centres with easy access (and not create artificial shortage hence stampede), that they couldn’t is defining aspect of squatter value system that percolate the beleaguered society. *pic morphed for privacy concern 

Defunct Kerala model

Kerala for its prized spices like pepper and cardamom had influence from various parts of the world for more than 2000years, and was an important trading route for centuries. Early Buddhist influence and Christian missionaries –that dates back to St. Thomas almost to the time of Jesus, played a significant role in grassroot literacy and awareness, as also infrastructure for health and care, nurturing relatively progressive society. This then gave impetus to social movements and progressive ideas that became political instrument through effective grassroot participation and political consolidation through communism and progressive socialist concerns firmly placed in democracy. Islam had progressive influence –that dates to back 7^th century arab traders, in the beginning as it effectively dented and provided common people with alternative ways against centuries of exploitative inhuman feudal values in deeply flawed society. Kerala model was hailed but it failed to take off due to limitation of cannibalistic corrupt society. All the religions whether Hinduism, Christianity or Islam (Jews, Buddhists, Jains etc presence is too insignificant) are reduced to parody and lowest commonest denominator arbitrated by neoliberal market system for blessing. Indeed these competing religion driven nuisance is now a threat to every progressive measure as they ensnare incapacitated to be educated herd. Communism is now part of neoliberal left that feeds on misery through nepotism and opportunism, though it remains far better option to infighting castetva feudal self centered horrible people posing as leaders, manipulating and distracting herds into deeper pits. Hindutva is emerging as a minor nuisance but important presence to break the binary loot as also against islamist consolidation.

Unlike other part of the country Kerala’s health infrastructure is functioning but is in bad shape and deliberately undervalued for private profiteers to capitalize, it couldn’t effectively capitalize on advantage of early start nor modernize, so is the case with education system. Most competent health workers like nurses are now moving to west while teaching remains last resort attracting low calibre while school teaching function as wage support for housewives (competent school teachers find employment abroad). Though the condition of higher education is not really abysmal but it falls well short of possibilities that Kerala model proposed as international standards, and is infested with low quality teaching lacking enterprise. Most youngsters prefer to pursue higher studies in West, a closed society with conservative intrusive regressive values also create desperate reasons to move out. Natural beauty of the region, food marked by centuries of varied influence from different parts of the world as also brilliant biting humour that only works in Malayalam, and ofcourse the music, retains nostalgia despite the grim.

Initiatives are more for traction than real impact, this is what Kerala model is reduced to –a patch up work to please. For instance, Kerala has serious problem with waste disposal particularly plastics that pollute the long coast line. People are very much aware but have no options. Govt. has worked up something called haritha sena (green army) essentially part of women empowerment. So women in green attire visit homes once in a month to collect plastic. There are serious problem not only in the intention but execution. You cannot expect people to store plastic at home for a month, it must be atleast twice a week, insisting on cleaning and storing waste plastic is counterproductive. Collecting only some specific clean plastic and charging for it, and rejecting other waste like glass, paper, cloths so on makes waste collection meaningless. Waste collectors must ask for wet and dry segregation nothing more than that. Intention of creating dignity of job by insisting cleanliness in garbage is squatter’s value system. So what we find in small towns after sunset is plumes of toxic smoke from burning plastic and garbage. While neoliberal left take cosmetic measures and spent money on ads to create a narration of grand historic success of the scheme, quite sure will be celebrated in west. It is poverty ridden but enterprising migrant women from Tamilnadu who do most of the waste plastic/cloth/paper/metal collection. You can see them doing hard work carrying loads of plastic and other items even in mid noon in horrible conditions. I have seen some residents helping them out or inviting to share food or cloth. As expected neoliberal left doesn’t find anything to appreciate and invest in them they are ignored by the state as they are not vote bank nor have any voice. They are unskilled migrants mostly women and elderly from neighbouring state most likely facing the worst in caste pus filled society that prides in dravidian social justice now a charade.

                          

Holocene interlude

In the ignorance of my own ignorance

I conceive the world in my own reality

Woeful inability to fathom time

I arrange my grand conceptions in holy words

And laze around in god gifted exceptionalist ways

While the lizard on the wall negotiates life’s chances in 30m years

Dragonfly accumulates 200m years of brilliance

Coconut palm sways in the knowledge of 60m years

All around me the universe hints at infinite

The sun, moon and planets drift in unbounded temporality

Of churning galaxies, blackholes and dark matter

I will have to work my reasons to the schemes of earth

Spaced in eons, eras and periods

There are forces that break apart continents and rearrange

Lift mountains to the sky

Drain ocean and move glacier

Break granite cliffs into pebbles and sand

It can unleash magma

Floods and fires that last centuries

I lack capacity to conceive this grand scale

Every day I make petrified sunlight work for my comfort

Each ounce release trapped million years

Heat the planet to match 125,000 years history

Ocean acidity inch to 300m mark

Species vanish, diversity reduce, resilience brittles to break

I reduce eons and eras to mere decades and years

I am the force that shapes the earth

Fate that await is incapacity of my imagination

A fantasy of survival show

An audience ill-equipped to win

Sometimes there is an unplanned rupture in self

In the passing glimpse of setting sun

The way petals arrange into flower

Deep time frays in the seams

Soon to knit back its natural awe

And awaken sense of sublime

To reach for a responsible self