On appreciating good books...

There are so many things to read how do we know what is good or what is not worth the time? This is one question that rankled me in mid 90s when i had decided to spent more time on reading. It was the time when Internet hadn’t overwhelmed the scene so as to surf and get varied opinions, but whether Net or in person views of others can be biased, secondly you need to also be around some matured people with some good reading habits to give considered opinion, reading at home was confined at the most to Malayalam newspaper!. Ernakulam public library did have some decent collection but then the question remains what is a good book?

It was while travelling at some corner somewhere that i happen to come across this article written by Virginia Woolf: How should one read a Book. This excellent piece had a tremendous influence, I actually had forgotten about this rare article until the other day. I was at Shantiniketan (Bengal) loitering around the place and went to the same second hand book stall that i have visited every time i am here (some places really don’t change, but must add the quality of second hand books have deteriorated, clearly an indication that the famous seat of learning-Shantiniketan- is going weak on intellectual inquiry, its getting quite mediocre around here), flipping through things i came across this article (need to add was quite ecstatic to get the book for 30R...and yes of all the essays of Woolf available in the Net you not will find this). Ms Woolf writes “In the first place, i want to emphasise the note of interrogation at the end of my title. Even if i could answer the question for myself, the answer would apply to me not to you. The only advice, indeed, that one person can give another about reading is to take no advice, to follow your own instincts, to use your own reason, to come to your own conclusions”. So there Ms Woolf seem to have washed off her hand!!. Well not really this brilliant article does provide some insight, first being the above ‘follow your instinct’.

She writes “...few people ask from books what books can give us. Most commonly we come to books with blurred and divided minds, asking of fiction that it should be true, of poetry that it shall be false, of biography that it shall be flattering, of history that it shall enforce our own prejudices. If we could banish all such preconceptions when we read, that would be an admirable beginning. Do not dictate to your author; try to become him. ...if you open your mind as widely as possible then signs and hints of almost imperceptible fineness, from the twist and turns of the first sentences, will bring you into presence of a human being unlike other. Steep yourself in this, acquaint yourself with this, and soon you will find that your author is giving you, or attempting to give you far more concrete.

These few lines have had a seminal influence on me, one significant factor that influenced me to dabble in writing “words are impalpable than bricks; reading is a longer and more complicated process than seeing. Perhaps the quickest way to understand the elements of what a novelist is doing is not to read, but to write; to make your own experiment with the dangers and difficulties of words ....but when you attempt to reconstruct it in words, you will find that it breaks into thousands of conflicting impressions. Some must be subdued; others emphasised; in the process you will lose, probably all grasp upon the emotion itself. Then turn from your blurred and littered pages to the opening pages of some great novelist. Now you will be able to appreciate their mastery”. How brilliant and how very true.

Having created a parameter Virginia Woolf does provide an insight on ‘judging’ a book “We have only to compare- with these words the cat is out of the bag, and the true complexity of reading is admitted. The first process, to receive impression with utmost understanding, is only half the process of reading; it must be completed, if we are to get the whole pleasure from a book, by another. We must pass judgement upon these multitudinous impressions; we must make of these fleeting shapes one that is hard and lasting. But not directly. Wait for the dust of reading to settle; for the conflict and questioning to die down; walk, talk, pull the dead petals from the rose, or fall asleep. Then suddenly without our willing it, for it is thus that Nature undertakes these transitions, the book will return but differently. It will float to the top of the mind as a whole. And the book as a whole is different from the book received currently in separate phrases. Details now fit themselves into their places. We see the shape from start to finish...now then we can compare book with book as we compare building with building. But this act of comparison means that our attitude has changed; we are no longer the friends of the writer, but his judges; and just as we cannot be too sympathetic as friends, so as judges we cannot be too severe”.It would be foolish, then, to pretend that the second part of reading, to judge, to compare, is as simple as the first-to open the mind wide to the fast flocking of innumerable impressions. To continue reading without the book before you, to hold one shadow-shape against another, to have read widely enough and with enough understanding to make such comparisons alive and illuminating- that is difficult”

“If this is so, if to read a book as it should be read calls for the rarest qualities of imagination, insight, and judgement, you may perhaps conclude that literature is very complex art and that it is unlikely that we shall be able, even after a lifetime of reading, to make any valuable to criticism”.

What a lovely paragraph this one, the best you can come across “Yet who reads to bring about an end, however desirable? Are there not some pursuits that we practice because they are good in themselves, and some pleasure that are final? And is not this among them? I have sometimes dreamt, at least, that when the Day of Judgement dawns and the great conquerors and lawyers and statesmen come to receive their rewards-their crowns, their laurels, their names carved indelibly upon imperishable marble-the almighty will turn to Peter and will say, not without a certain envy when He sees us coming with our books under our arms, “look, these need no rewards. We have nothing to give them here. They have loved reading"


Post Script: In an essay titled A Poet’s School Tagore gives indication on what lead to starting the school at Shantiniketan (Sriniketan to be precise). There are many brilliant ideas on matter of education, this blogger find Osho, Jiddu Krishnamurthy, Aurobindo among others to be exceptional, this one by Tagore is quite brilliant...i have taken the liberty to delete many paragraphs as also to emphasis what i thought was significant in matters of Education (...you can read the whole essay on the Net. Plz also visit www.iseeebirds.blogspot.com for more on Tagore’s view on education..I am quoting few interesting paragraphs from the essay A Poet's School)

"From question’s that have been put to me, I have come to feel that the public claims an apology from the poet for having founded a school, as I in my rashness have done. One must admit that the silkworm which spins and the butterfly that floats on the air represent two different stages of existence, contrary to each other. The silkworm seems to have a cash value credited in its favor somewhere in Nature's accounting department, according to the amount of work it performs. But the butterfly is irresponsible. The significance, which it may possess, has neither weight nor use and is lightly carried on in pair of dancing wings. Perhaps it pleases someone in the heart of the sunlight, the Lord Treasurer of colors, who has nothing to do with the account book and has a perfect mastery in the great art of wastefulness. The poet may he compared to that foolish butterfly. He also tries to translate all the festive colors of creation in the vibration of his verses. Then why should he imprison himself in an interminable coil of duty, bringing out some good tough and fairly respectable result? Why should he make himself accountable to those sane people who would judge the merit of his produce by the amount of profit it will bring? I suppose this individual poet's answer would be, that when he brought together a few boys, one sunny day in winter, among the warm shadows of the sal (shorea robusta) trees, strong, straight and tall, with branches of a dignified moderation, he started to write a poem in a medium not of words.

This brings to my mind the name of another poet of ancient India, Kalidasa....The poet in the royal court lived in banishment--banishment from the immediate presence of the eternal. He knew it was not merely his own banishment, but that of the whole age to which he was born, the age that had gathered in wealth and missed its well being, built its storehouse of things and lost its background of the great universe. What was the form in which his desire for perfection persistently appeared in his drama and poems? It was in that of the tapovana, the forest dwelling of the patriarchal community of ancient India. Those who are familiar with Sanskrit literature will know that this was not a colony of people with a primitive culture and mind. They were seekers of truth, for the sake of which they lived in an atmosphere of purity, but not of Puritanism; of the simple life, but not the life of selfmortification. They did not advocate celibacy and they had constant intercommunication with the other people who had to live the life of worldly interest. Their aim and endeavor have briefly been suggested in the Upanishad in these lines:

Te sarvgam sarvatah prapya dhira
Yuuktatmanah sarvamevavsanti
(Those men of serene mind enter into the All, having realized and bring
everywhere in union with the omnipresent Spirit).

It was never a philosophy of renunciation of a negative character, but of a realization completely comprehensive. It was not a deliberate copy, but a natural coincidence, that a poet of modern India also had a similar vision when he felt within him the misery of a spiritual banishment....Therefore, in order to be real it must find its reincarnation under modern conditions of life, and be the same in truth, not merely identical in fact. It was this, which made the modern poet's heart crave to compose his poem in a tangible language”

Let’s speak about vanishing species

Let’s speak about vanishing species

Speak not about humans
and their problems now
speak about vanishing species
and extinctions underway
the irreparable losses
happening every moment around us, that
cannot abdicate our irresponsibility, greed and arrogance.

Lets speak about the forlorn Rhino grazing at Kaziranga
who doesn’t understand the fault of its brethren
found mutilated and hacked, same with tigers and elephants.
Black bear at the zoo climbs and unclimbs a dead trunk
in a maniacal disorientation.
It’s the vulture that pays the heavy price for the milk we nourish.

Speak not about humans
and the gods they create to fight each other
The perfect little selfish worlds
they each snooze in
and choose to ignore the calamities that knock harder each day
Lets speak about Asiatic lions at Gir
hounded and cornered they live on time we borrowed
Dwelling flattened Malabar Civet’s too is at the door
saying the final goodbye, shouldn’t we atleast get up?
The angst of dolphin pair in the Ganges, sacred and filthier,
is for mercy
for the crime they aren’t even aware
while the perpetrators choose to count profit.

Lets speak about waterbirds that is lost
to roost, in wetlands encroached by builders,
vanishing mangroves and bleached corals, lets speak about these.
Speak not about the humans now
we have listened them and their reasons enough
lets listen to the world that is not speaking, that doesn’t have much reasons
except their fragile presence
vanishing traces of splendour
like the endangered wild orchid
sparkling in its radiance under the blue sky
feet away from being uprooted
and lost forever...

(Please find time to visit my birds blog at the link or visit www.iseeebirds.blogspot.com. The traffic to that blog seems to be less than this one, which is a tragedy since that is my main blog, not that i am terribly concerned, but i would prefer readers from as many countries as possible, in particular from Africa and middle east ... It is a triumph of internet, just amazing!)

A dear King who was Beloved to the God

Asoka was a rare king, a king who lived more than two thousand years ago, a king so very contemporary that he could be even be future. A king who was referred to as: Devanampiya Piyadassi-beloved of the god who looked on with affection. Asoka (304BC-232BC) belonged to Mauryan dynasty (Capital Magadh) who ruled most of the subcontinent from present day Afghanistan to southern part of India. He started his reign as a ruthless ruler but a war at Kalinga and the suffering that he saw changed him. He sought Buddhism (which at that point was another Hindu sect), followed the Dhamma. He aimed to be a model king, erecting rock edicts all across his kingdom to guide his subjects. Hundreds of years later it was John Princep (1837) who was able to decipher these. This blogger was at Dhauli (which comes under ancient time Kalinga), the Rock Edict recommends "practise of morality consisting of courtesy to slaves and servants, reverence to elders, gentleness to animals and liberality to ascetics". Another asks for “purity of mind and self control”....and so on.

Here i quote from other edicts found across the subcontinent and you will see why he was beloved (i have emphasised some of the edicts to underline its significance)...

“everywhere has Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadassi, made provision for two types of medical treatment: medical treatment for humans and medical treatment for animals. Wherever medical herbs suitable for humans or animals are not available, I have had them imported and grown. Wherever medical roots or fruits are not available I have had them imported and grown. Along roads I have had wells dug and trees planted for the benefit of humans and animals”

“Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadassi, desires that all religions should reside everywhere, for all of them desire self-control and purity of heart. But people have various desires and various passions, and they may practice all of what they should or only a part of it. But one who receives great gifts yet is lacking in self-control, purity of heart, gratitude and firm devotion, such a person is mean”

“Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadassi, honors both ascetics and the householders of all religions, and he honors them with gifts and honors of various kinds. But Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadassi, does not value gifts and honors as much as he values this -- that there should be growth in the essentials of all religions. Growth in essentials can be done in different ways, but all of them have as their root restraint in speech, that is, not praising one's own religion, or condemning the religion of others without good cause. And if there is cause for criticism, it should be done in a mild way. But it is better to honor other religions for this reason. By so doing, one's own religion benefits, and so do other religions, while doing otherwise harms one's own religion and the religions of others. Whoever praises his own religion, due to excessive devotion, and condemns others with the thought "Let me glorify my own religion," only harms his own religion. Therefore contact (between religions) is good. One should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others. Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadassi, desires that all should be well-learned in the good doctrines of other religions.

“In the past there were no Dhamma Mahamatras but such officers were appointed by me thirteen years after my coronation. Now they work among all religions for the establishment of Dhamma, for the promotion of Dhamma, and for the welfare and happiness of all who are devoted to Dhamma. They work among the Greeks, the Kambojas, the Gandharas, the Rastrikas, the Pitinikas and other peoples on the western borders. They work among soldiers, chiefs, Brahmans, householders, the poor, the aged and those devoted to Dhamma -- for their welfare and happiness -- so that they may be free from harassment. They (Dhamma Mahamatras) work for the proper treatment of prisoners, towards their unfettering, and if the Mahamatras think, "This one has a family to support," "That one has been bewitched," "This one is old," then they work for the release of such prisoners. They work here, in outlying towns, in the women's quarters belonging to my brothers and sisters, and among my other relatives. They are occupied everywhere. These Dhamma Mahamatras are occupied in my domain among people devoted to Dhamma to determine who is devoted to Dhamma, who is established in Dhamma, and who is generous.
This Dhamma edict has been written on stone so that it might endure long and that my descendants might act in conformity with it”.

“Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadassi, speaks thus: In the past, state business was not transacted nor were reports delivered to the king at all hours. But now I have given this order, that at any time, whether I am eating, in the women's quarters, the bed chamber, the chariot, the palanquin, in the park or wherever, reporters are to be posted with instructions to report to me the affairs of the people so that I might attend to these affairs wherever I am. And whatever I orally order in connection with donations or proclamations, or when urgent business presses itself on the Mahamatras, if disagreement or debate arises in the Council, then it must be reported to me immediately. This is what I have ordered. I am never content with exerting myself or with despatching business. Truly, I consider the welfare of all to be my duty, and the root of this is exertion and the prompt despatch of business. There is no better work than promoting the welfare of all the people and whatever efforts I am making is to repay the debt I owe to all beings to assure their happiness in this life, and attain heaven in the next.
Therefore this Dhamma edict has been written to last long and that my sons, grandsons and great-grandsons might act in conformity with it for the welfare of the world. However, this is difficult to do without great exertion”.

“Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadassi, speaks thus: To do good is difficult. One who does good first does something hard to do. I have done many good deeds, and, if my sons, grandsons and their descendants up to the end of the world act in like manner, they too will do much good. But whoever amongst them neglects this, they will do evil. Truly, it is easy to do evil”.

“Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadassi, does not consider glory and fame to be of great account unless they are achieved through having my subjects respect Dhamma and practice Dhamma, both now and in the future. For this alone does Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadassi, desire glory and fame. And whatever efforts Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadassi, is making, all of that is only for the welfare of the people in the next world, and that they will have little evil. And being without merit is evil. This is difficult for either a humble person or a great person to do except with great effort, and by giving up other interests. In fact, it may be even more difficult for a great person to do”.

“Beloved-of-the-Gods speaks thus: Twelve years after my coronation I started to have Dhamma edicts written for the welfare and happiness of the people, and so that not transgressing them they might grow in the Dhamma. Thinking: "How can the welfare and happiness of the people be secured?" I give attention to my relatives, to those dwelling near and those dwelling far, so I can lead them to happiness and then I act accordingly. I do the same for all groups. I have honored all religions with various honors. But I consider it best to meet with people personally”.

“Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, speaks thus: Twenty-six years after my coronation various animals were declared to be protected -- parrots, mainas, //aruna//, ruddy geese, wild ducks, //nandimukhas, gelatas//, bats, queen ants, terrapins, boneless fish, //vedareyaka//, //gangapuputaka//, //sankiya// fish, tortoises, porcupines, squirrels, deer, bulls, //okapinda//, wild asses, wild pigeons, domestic pigeons and all four-footed creatures that are neither useful nor edible. Those nanny goats, ewes and sows which are with young or giving milk to their young are protected, and so are young ones less than six months old. Cocks are not to be caponized, husks hiding living beings are not to be burnt and forests are not to be burnt either without reason or to kill creatures.

The Dhamma regulations I have given are that various animals must be protected. And I have given many other Dhamma regulations also. But it is by persuasion that progress among the people through Dhamma has had a greater effect in respect of harmlessness to living beings and non-killing of living beings

Along roads I have had banyan trees planted so that they can give shade to animals and men, and I have had mango groves planted. At intervals of eight //krosas//, I have had wells dug, rest-houses built, and in various places, I have had watering-places made for the use of animals and men. But these are but minor achievements

On anguish of Kalinga

Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadassi, conquered the Kalingas eight years after his coronation.[25] One hundred and fifty thousand were deported, one hundred thousand were killed and many more died (from other causes). After the Kalingas had been conquered, Beloved-of-the-Gods came to feel a strong inclination towards the Dhamma, a love for the Dhamma and for instruction in Dhamma. Now Beloved-of-the-Gods feels deep remorse for having conquered the Kalingas.

Indeed, Beloved-of-the-Gods is deeply pained by the killing, dying and deportation that take place when an unconquered country is conquered. But Beloved-of-the-Gods is pained even more by this -- that Brahmans, ascetics, and householders of different religions who live in those countries, and who are respectful to superiors, to mother and father, to elders, and who behave properly and have strong loyalty towards friends, acquaintances, companions, relatives, servants and employees -- that they are injured, killed or separated from their loved ones. Even those who are not affected (by all this) suffer when they see friends, acquaintances, companions and relatives affected. These misfortunes befall all (as a result of war), and this pains Beloved-of-the-Gods.

There is no country, except among the Greeks, where these two groups, Brahmans and ascetics, are not found, and there is no country where people are not devoted to one or another religion. Therefore the killing, death or deportation of a hundredth, or even a thousandth part of those who died during the conquest of Kalinga now pains Beloved-of-the-Gods. Now Beloved-of-the-Gods thinks that even those who do wrong should be forgiven where forgiveness is possible.

Even the forest people, who live in Beloved-of-the-Gods' domain, are entreated and reasoned with to act properly. They are told that despite his remorse Beloved-of-the-Gods has the power to punish them if necessary, so that they should be ashamed of their wrong and not be killed. Truly, Beloved-of-the-Gods desires non-injury, restraint and impartiality to all beings, even where wrong has been done.

The people of the unconquered territories beyond the borders might think: "What is the king's intentions towards us?" My only intention is that they live without fear of me, that they may trust me and that I may give them happiness, not sorrow. Furthermore, they should understand that the king will forgive those who can be forgiven, and that he wishes to encourage them to practice Dhamma so that they may attain happiness in this world and the next. I am telling you this so that I may discharge the debts I owe, and that in instructing you, that you may know that my vow and my promise will not be broken. Therefore acting in this way, you should perform your duties and assure them (the people beyond the borders) that: "The king is like a father. He feels towards us as he feels towards himself. We are to him like his own children."

H.G Wells writes “In the history of the world there have been thousands of kings and emperors who called themselves 'their highnesses,' 'their majesties,' and 'their exalted majesties' and so on. They shone for a brief moment, and as quickly disappeared. But Asoka shines and shines brightly like a bright star, even unto this day”.

This quote from historian Madhav Kondvilkar sums up Asoka the beautiful king "In some cases Asoka may be compared with Alexander the Great, Augustus Caesar, Genghis Khan, Timur, Peter I of Russia, Napoleon I. But Asoka was not extra ambitious like Alexander. Asoka was an ideal administrator like Augustus Caesar, but unlike Caesar, he didn't want to be known as a dictator. Asoka was a strong general but unlike Napoleon I Asoka never was unsatisfied. Asoka wanted to be loved by his subjects. He never terrorized his subjects like Genghis Khan, Timur and Peter I of Russia. Nobility of soul, purity of mind, honesty of nature, clarity of dignity and love for all let Asoka sit with Gautama Buddha and Jesus Christ".

Shocking is understatement

The way things are happening i don’t know whether words like ‘shocking’ have any meaning. The arbitrariness and desultory process adopted in removing books from reading list is amazing to say the least and that too a threat from a boy!!. Maharashtra government, in particular, the Chief Minister is a disgrace. And what is about the book that is deemed ‘offensive’ than activities of Shiv Sainiks over the last few decades?. It is incompetence of successive governments in the Centre (including the present one) that laws are not strict and these people blackmail society. Ideally Thackeray and gang should be languishing in jail. Lax, tardy and politicised investigative agencies have seen to that people who foment hatred and threaten common people are made powerful (it is a Bhindranwala syndrome), politicians take mileage from these subjectivities. I think it also helps some to play ‘secularism’- unless fundamentalist aren’t around secularist are jobless, so it makes lots of political sense to pander Thackeray &Co. This blogger also believe that ‘minority appeasements’ (particularly some medieval practices in the name of religion like say polygamy and so on...not many civilised countries allow these kind of nonsense) has led to lots of resentment which is capitalised by Hindu fundamentalists like Shiv Sena and has got some legitimacy among the middle class. Keeping alive fundamentalism helps lots of powerful people.
It’s about playing divisive and usurping benefits. People will be killed, maimed and looted but no one will be prosecuted and we will be asked to be ’secular’ and be against ‘communalist’ (and pray how do we know who is what, should media tell us or decide?). Successive Governments at the centre (for keeping the investigation under itself) and the Judiciary (for slow process and low conviction rate) are the biggest communalist. They have failed the people; they work for short term gains at the expense of society.

It is vulgar that much liked writers like Rohinton Mistry has become a pawn in this crude game, he is arguably one of the best writers around. This blogger takes pride in mentioning that i have read all the works of Mr. Mistry and eagerly waits for his next book. Such a Long Journey (though the movie was quite feeble) is one of the best books i have read, and i strongly recommend and everyone should read as much A Fine Balance.

A book if it is against what we believe or cherish should be encouraged as it adds to our understanding (not referring to writing as slander or personal diatribes-lets reserve that to crude woman and power hungry rodents!...it’s quite fun, giving some well directed punches sometimes to these pretentious people!!. I guess we now know what Vikram Akula is all about, play act saviours filling their coffers from poorest of people, some do it with slum children, some by kidnapping orphans in Leh) and gives us interesting perspectives. Denying these understandings is a loss, and i guess youngsters should be aware of these at the earliest the reason why anti-establishment material should be given space. I believe society should be matured to tolerate varied opinions. A society that puts any restrictions on ideas and thoughts is primitive.

Revisiting Gunnar Myrdal: I picked up Gunnar Myrdal’s The Challenge of World Poverty from College Street, Kolkata the other day, this a book i was keen on more than a decade back, i recall a boy in JNU talked quite passionately about it, I read few chapters in the library. I searched for it on the pavements of few cities couldn’t find and forgot about it, anyway i was too much into fiction those days (so not really a ‘revisit’). Quite lucky to get it for 50R after so many years!!.

Gunnar Myrdal’s analysis is quite potent and much relevant to this day (the book came out some 40 years back). I particularly liked the chapter on ‘Soft State’, these lines are so very striking “...the laxity and arbitrariness in a national community that can be characterised as a soft state can be, and are, exploited for personal gain by people who have economic, social, and political power”.

Read these insightful paragraphs that were written almost four decades back

“when policy measures have been instituted specifically aimed at ameliorating conditions of lower strata, they have either not been implemented and enforced or have been distorted so as to favour the not-so-poor and to discriminate against the masses. The foreseen difficulty or impossibility of enforcing a law aimed at aiding the poor rather than the better-offs may indeed make it easier to get such law passed in a legislature, as the representatives of those who should make a sacrifice can feel that nothing much will be changed. An Indian State assembly can thus show generosity to the landless and poorer peasants by passing laws on minimum agricultural wages or moneylenders interest charges without a risk that such laws will be enforced (this blogger would like to remind readers the Minimum wage controversy in NREGA as also the fact that they couldn’t anticipate exploitation of farmers by microcredit NGOs is rather shocking). In regard to its practical effects, the whole political, legal and administrative system is thus systematically and heavily weighed against the masses of poor people. This comes about through lack of enforcement of laws and the distortion of policy measures...

The laws and policy measures are motivated as measures to realise the egalitarian ideals and, more generally, the modernisation ideals which have commonly become accepted by the educated upper class whose intellectual and political elite had been harbinger of these ideals. When it comes to actually formulating the laws and the policy prescriptions and, still more, taking measures to implement them, however, they commonly follow narrow selfish interest.

When dealing with the lower strata, including the very poorest, the state also avoids laying down definite obligations, sanctioned by state power, and relies upon inducements and voluntary adjustments. This gives a sort of conscience-consolation for not giving effect to the laws and policies instituted in their interest. ...

Though for these and other reasons the matter is complicated, fundamentally the main explanation of the soft state is that all the power is in the hands of upper class who can afford egalitarian laws and policy measures but are in an unchallenged position to prevent their implementation”.

Baby elephants made to beg at Nandankanan National Park

Elephants have been declared as heritage animals, in recent times there has been severe pressure on wild elephant due to habitat loss and encroachment, there is also spate of deaths on railway crossings. Animals like elephants are made illegal in zoos and circuses (at one point they were popular attractions), thankfully so. Spaces are made in wildlife sanctuaries for elephants, some used for safaris and so on. But nothing prepared me for the way these animals were treated in Nandankanan National Park in Odisha (about an hour from Bhubaneshwar, quite a popular destination bustling with holiday crowd), baby elephants were being made to beg, they were coerced to ‘bless’ the visitors for money. Even the ‘official guides’ seems to be encouraging these. It is natural for people to be attracted to these adorable creatures, in the beginning i thought they were being taken to another destination or something of that sort as happens in other sanctuaries, soon i realised that the purpose was entirely different as the men were taking these baby elephants around unsuspecting tourists and encouraging them to touch, pet and so on. Then money was demanded, the baby elephants ears were twisted, pocked and hit with sticks in case of non compliance. It was a pitiable sight. Sometimes the tourists were also threatened. That this atrocity is happening within a National Park makes the offense much grave , it is clear that without knowledge of senior official this is unlikely to happen. I took it up with the guard (where i lodged an oral and later a written complaint), he said he is helpless since his jurisdiction is only limited to ‘guarding’, i found that excuse quite funny. But he was quite helpful in letting me write a complaint, even offering me his pen (thanks i carry my own!!). Hope somebody reads the complaint and this crime is stopped at the earliest and exemplary action taken against the perpetrators.

(more pictures in photo blog)

Now that we have done with it...

Now that we have done with humiliating a nation because of misdemeanour (moronic would be better) of an individual and got our pride back shouldn’t the Srilankan government summon the Indian envoy and express that country’s displeasure?. It’s like this: sometime back i was watching a Hindi channel, quite popular one need add, it is supposed to be about laughter. The joke of the day was on colour of the skin of legendary Srilankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya. The pun was on expected line... since he is dark skinned he couldn’t be seen by viewers and needs light. Some in India might think this is what fun is (like some in New Zealand). But their views are not shared by civilised people around the world, for them this is blatant racism. It is definitely no laughing matter. There is no humour here but obnoxious and regrettable understandings. Just because it is in Hindi doesn’t mean it is less grievous-the New Zealand fellow spoke in English therefore we understood. If Indians are quick to take offense on these matters then they should also be open to scrutiny. Does anyone around the world know how degrading people from this part of the world can be? Joke at the expense of religion, caste, colour, gender and so on should have zero tolerance. Those running ‘entertainment’ shows this blogger has this to say: You cannot have jokes at expense of others to cover your lack of innovation and talent. World outside India is not all Fair & Lovely. We are looking at can of worms, sofar hidden under the cloak of hypocrisies and great Indian tolerance. This blogger expects world to be severe on Indians too. Shouldn’t the Indians apologise to the Srilankans?.

Post script: now I hear that Australian envoy is being summoned because of some misdeed of dimwits in Australian police. Clearly such attitudes are not expected from Police force but then should these be given such importance that too in this country? Should the Government of India get involved? I also need to point out the tardy response of sports ministry with regard to injury of Ugandan players.

Talking about shit...i am right now in Odisha (Chilka to be precise), most people around here are terrifyingly poor, emaciated and malnourished. Concept of hygiene is generally non existent, it is so shocking you wonder how they survive. Then you realize most really don't, this place is low on human development indice, and could be worst in the world. Next to Chilka lake there is a shed-most likely for tourists to wait for boat-but i found it with people sleeping, annoyed i wondered whether these people have nothing else to do or some other place to lie down. Later i walked around the place, it is appallingly dirty and heavy rain has clogged. Mud houses were half submerged-children though were merry catching fish-women managing their household in dry patches, vicinity of the house was kept clean. Probably the shed was one of the very few places they could stretch themselves. Now the question is why are these people so very poor?
Most people make a subsistence from fish and subsidiaries. They are quite hardworking and industrious (some men do wile away their time playing cards), some are also very talented in converting bamboo into useful and intricate product, watching these itself is an experience.
Why is that they don't make money? Clearly these don't have market value, therefore despite being talented and hardworking they have tough time and “live in shit”. Now a very important question here is how is that New Zealand fellow able to make so much money and “not live not in shit”. You will notice our man may not have any specific talent or competence but the system has seen to that he makes as much money in a month that the people in chilka may not make in a decade. It is not really about uncouth fellow in NZ but also in this part of the world. Some people talk rubbish, do rubbish and make huge amount of money while people who matter-or on whom society is dependent, like say farmer, artisans, people having traditional understanding so on- ‘live in shit’. What kind of system is this?.

Picture is that of a boy who could be seven or eight controlling the steering of the boat in chilka lake, in hot midnoon in the deeper part of lake, another pic is that of boy who was found sculpting out this beautiful statue in another part of the state (more photo will be put in Photo Blog soon), who didn't even had the time to look up, so absorbed was he in his work. Girls going to school in cycles which seem to be some kind of trend here...

Rajnikant strikes again!!

One of the rare events that we mortals are fortunate to witness is ready to strike! I am bit apprehensive about Endiran since they are making hindi version and so on…that I believe might dilute the core that defines Rajnikant movies, hope there are no compromises and other unnecessary sophistication. Rajnikant don’t come to world, world enter Rajnikant. Jagrthe !!

These few quotes I got from the net...

You don’t Google search for Rajnikant, Rajnikant searches you.
His email: gmail@rajnikanth.com
If you want to know all the enemies of Rajnikant check the extinct species list.
Rajnikant can drown a fish
Rajnikant can strangle the villain with a cordless phone
Rajnikant made Mona Lisa smile.
Rajnkant house has no doors, only walls he walks through
Rajnikant doesn’t move at speed of light, light moves at the speed of Rajnikant.
Words like awesome, legend etc were added to dictionary when he was born


***

Watch Peepli (live): the other day I happen to see Peepli (live), what a wonderful movie. This is what we call a movie. Boosa na pani gand meh gayi kisani” sums it up!!. Somehow the impression given was that it is a satire but I thought it was thoughtful and hard hitting (I loved the take on dudes dealing with ‘sansani khulasa’ but I really thought a kick should also have been given on the ‘you are seeing this for the first time in our channel’ stampede when they unfold a tragedy, as an audience I really get horny ‘seeing it first time in your channel’ disgust). To know that it is made by a debutant director (Anusha Rizvi) is most pleasing. I came to know that it even got selected for Oscars, I sincerely hope it wins. It really is a good movie and a movie that should be seen, an Oscar would definitely help (but I really don’t know whether the American jury will get the incredibly done subtle social nuances that we Indians understand so well. Like for instance when the fellow reads the report on newspaper and says ‘sri natha…sri!!’ and the way the fellow giggles…there is so much to it). I think we do recognize these people in the media, the ‘wink n nudge go getters’ (dude that was about Stephenian camaraderie!. Talking about our-very-own-always-seen-on-TV-but-not–to-be-seen-now-after-resigning-stephenian this is what my favorite writer Basheer had to say- it is much biting in Malayalam- “somebody wrote that when you hear kerala your blood should boil with pride, I already have less blood in my body and don’t want to vapor it by boiling”. Basheer was a funny guy, I got this from the Malayalam book ‘basheer phalithingal’). Coming back to Peepli (live) not only was the Direction exceptional the performances of the actors too were brilliant. I particularly loved the screaming old woman (Farooq Zafar) on the bed, she got it absolutely right.

***
Sometime back I happen to pick up this book “Reluctant Fundamentalist” (Mohsin Hamid), shorlisted for booker prize 2007. What I really found interesting about the book was the way it was structured. I really don’t think I have read a book in recent times that is a monologue. Not monologue as musings or thoughts but a person just speaking for 184 pages (beat that one!!). In some critical times-deftly handled- he covers for the ‘interlocutor’ by speaking his thoughts. It is a compelling reading (the problem is when I take up something I don’t keep it down unless I finish it…I read through the night and got up late next day still craggy, and lost some money at turf club…I blame the book!. One recall many books wherein you forget the concept of time…like I was reading God of Small Things more than a decade back, on cold winter night of Karol Bagh…I started hearing caws, ‘so whats with the crows tonight’ I thought and realized it was actually morning!!). These few insightful lines from the book...

“We were taught to recognize another person’s style of thought, harness their agenda, and redirect it to achieve our desired outcome”

“…creativity, was not excised- it was still present and valued- but it ceded its primacy to efficiency. Maximum return was the maxim to which we returned, time and again. We learned to prioritize-to determine the axis on which advancement would be most beneficial-and then to apply ourselves single-mindedly to the achievement of that objective”

“Our creed was one which valued above all else maximum productivity, and such a creed was for doubly reassuring because it was quantifiable-hence knowable-in a period of great uncertainty, and because it remained utterly convinced of the possibility of progress while others longed for a sort of classical period that had come and gone, if it had ever existed at all”

It is interesting how market and organized religion (also referred to as ‘institutionalized religion’ includes ritualized Brahmanism) share the same emphasis on fundamentals!. Also the misplaced understanding of ‘valor’- violence and domination, massacre and imposition- as proud glories, the pride, ego, justifying wrong as god’s will. The edifice seems standing on wrong foundation. I guess desperation of some societies has to do with this fear of waning or regaining the past in crumbling self. Till a century or two back violence and barbarianism were celebrated in many part of the world, and they spread their primitive worldview. These seem to have ingrained collective psyche, and have found channel through market which is a sophisticated version- ‘mental judo’ is a mild word considering the misery they spreading. Also the traces could be found in the construct of patriotism, especially gets obnoxious during sporting events between countries.

The challenges of modern world are much subtle and needs introspection and a perspective that is inclusive as also greater existential realities. That I think religion (or market) lacks- they can only make deals or status quo, threat and blackmail. Religion, organized religion in particular, works in regressive applecart situation. We end up tolerating all kinds of nonsense and exploitative norms in the name of religion, especially ‘respecting’ other religion and putting our future in serious peril.

Thoreau on Reading

Thoreau has been quite a significant influence, “Walden and Other Writings” is a must read book. I have taken these paragraphs from the chapter ‘Reading’ from the above mentioned book, I picked it from some pavement somewhere in the country, I am thinking hard where?...mostly likely Kolkata or Shimla. Quite thought provoking these lines…

With little more deliberation in the choice of their pursuits, all men would perhaps become essentially students and observers, for certainly their nature and destiny are interesting to all alike. In accumulating property for ourselves or our posterity, in founding a family or a state, or acquiring fame even, we are mortal; but in dealing with truth we are immortal, and need fear no change or accident.

……

To read well, that is to read true books in a true spirit, is a noble exercise, and one that will task the reader more than any exercise which of the day esteem. It requires a training such as the athletes underwent, the steady intention almost of the whole life to this object. Books must be read as deliberately and reservedly as they were written. It is not enough even to be able to speak the language of that nation by which they are written, for there is a memorable interval between the spoken and the written language, the language heard and the language written.

……

However much we may admire the orator’s occasional bursts of eloquence, the noblest written words are commonly as far behind or above the fleeting spoken language as the firmament with its stars is behind the clouds. There are stars, and they who can may read them. The astronomers forever comment on and observe them. They are not exhalations like our daily colloquies and vaporous breath. What is eloquence in the forum is commonly found to be rhetoric in the study. The orator yields to the inspiration of the transient occasion, and speaks to the mob before him, to those who can hear him; but the writer whose more equable life is his occasion, and who would be distracted by the event and the crowd which inspires the orator, speaks to the intellect and the heart of mankind, to all in any age who can understand him.

……

The works of the great poets have never yet been read by mankind, for only great poets can read them. They have only been read as the multitude read stars, at most astrologically not astronomically. Most men have learned to read to serve a paltry convenience, as they have learned to cipher in order to keep accounts and not be cheated in trade; but of reading as a noble intellectual exercise they know little or nothing; yet this only is reading, in a high sense, not that which lulls us a luxury and suffers the nobler faculties to sleep the while, but what we have to stand on tip toe to read and devote our most alert and wakeful hours to.

……

It is not all books that are dull as their readers. There are probably words addressed to our condition exactly, which, if we could really hear and understand, would be more salutary than the morning or spring to our lives, and possibly put a new aspect on face of things for us. How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book! The book exists for us, perchance, which will explain our miracles and reveal new ones. The at present unutterable things we may find somewhere uttered. These same questions that disturb and puzzle and confound us have in turn occurred to all the wise men; not one has been omitted; and each has answered them, according to his ability, by his words and his life. Moreover, with wisdom we shall learn liberality.

What kind of Government is this?

Millions of tonnes of food grains are shown rotting in open, it is a criminal negligence. It is shocking that they didn’t anticipate these. It is incompetence at the highest level of policy making. You don’t necessarily bring down prices by economic jargons and fiscal measures. After all people don’t eat numbers they eat food. Millions of children are undernourished and malnourished, it is worst than poorest of countries in the world. One in three of the world's malnourished children live in India, says the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), a number more than in sub-Saharan Africa. Consider that India also has steadily increasing millionaires and billionaires. It is astounding the negligence. When they could make such swanky malls, why is that food grain storage not in place? Building these infrastructures is I guess much more important and urgent than making, say big dams (a fraction of money is enough). And these don’t need high technology. Whooping $12 billion in losses of agricultural produce owing to the absence or shortage of post-harvesting infrastructure. Shame on the government. We haven’t even start to discuss food security (I feel sorry for people like Swaminathan, they have been suggesting the policy makers for decades now). Consider this statistics: an astonishingly low 2% of fruit and vegetable production is processed annually in India, compared with 30% in Thailand, 70% in Brazil, 78% in the Philippines and 80% in Malaysia.

When supreme court recently passed a stricture (an 'order' in fact) against the government regarding millions of tonnes of rotting grains and asked to “distribute food grain free to the poor, instead of letting millions of tonnes of it rot”. An usually reticent Manmohan Singh found it necessary to say "It is not possible in this country to give free food to all the poor people" and that “Supreme Court should not go into the realm of policy formulation”. Lack of sensitivity is astounding. It is shocking that he couldn’t get the drift of the matter.

The other aspect that affects common people is criminal justice system. It is one of the slowest and corrupt. This blogger wants to know what has been done by the government on these matters. Why is investigation still under political authority?. What has government to do with Central Bureau of Investigation and other investigating agencies? Why shouldn’t these be autonomous? What has Manmohan Singh government done on this matter?

Take the high profile case of riots that killed hundreds of people in Gujarat. Even after seven odd years we don’t even know who were behind all these (same with 84’ riots, and many more crimes that kill and maim people). It seems to be working on political exigencies and perception that need be created for the same. It is about fixers and lickers (the Delhi Superbugs!). Somewhere some sections of the media and others have passed a verdict against Modi. Why should we believe them? Who are they to decide? And we are goaded to take stand against these ‘communal’ people. Indeed I would like to ask for an apology from Mr.Modi for early utterings and accusations (so should many in media and otherwise…the rules against defamation should be made strong). We have the right to condemn someone only once the verdict is passed by the judiciary on the basis of investigation. As long as the investigation is tardy and lackadaisical we need to blame the system. Which means the Union Government, which means the head of council of ministers and that is the Prime Minister. If they can’t get these basic systemic issues rectified then THEY SHOULD QUIT. I guess we had enough of this. Being nice is good, being knowledgeable is great but it is time to be competent. It is high time for delivering to the basic expectations and rectifying flaws in the system, we expect sterner response (for the same reason I think MS Gill is amazingly incompetent. I am shocked by his statement in parliament taking the example of ‘marriage’. It is condoning the systemic lacunae. Means and ways of achieving is important indicator of competence. This blogger even question the basic criteria under which he was appointed as Union Minister of Sport. He seems to be the product of years of bureaucratic mediocrity and chaltha hai attitude at the expense of the common people).

It is likely that these issues are kept subjective (who committed the crimes…take your guess depending on what helps you, take sides, snarl at each other) as it seems to be helping wide range of political spectrum. It works in building perception, since these have more maneuverability and therefore political dividends. That is why they are delayed. Further, delaying and politicizing the investigation gives the perpetrators also the leverage, they can now accuse of being victimized and posture for immediate gains. It works in dividing the society, which helps politics but is very detrimental to people. If crimes are committed, in particular mass killings, then they should be investigated without any outside influence and conjecturing. Criminal investigations should be brought under autonomous body or judiciary at the earliest. Result of the investigation should be concluded within a year or two, if not reasons should be given.

Look at what happened with Bhopal…they delayed it so much that it was made subjective and so manipulated by powerful people. So much so that they can even claim that it never happened!. Manmohan Singh government should be able to take policy decision on these matters that seriously plague the society and cause misery to millions. It might give less political leverage to ruling party (and the fixers within) but is a step towards better and healthier society.

An attempted poem!

That is a good point*

Blame not the Government
for the rotting foodgrain
children going hungry
Malnourished they survive
It is in our fate dear
that rain falls on the grains and it rots
and price too rise.
That they couldn’t even build storage
for tonnes of produce that go waste
in the land of despairing millions
is only a matter of debate
that can be refuted, reflected, rechallenged
and retalked.

What kind of people are these
who run the government?
Oh I mean blame not the government,
it's in the stars, planetary positions
and feeding the black cat on a rainy night
under the banyan tree
and wait for it to add up next birth
om bheeem creeem

*title courtesy: TV channels

10/10/10: A day to celebrate Climate solution…

Have you registered for Global Work Party?? This letter from the Organizers of wonderful event 10/10/10

Dear Friends,

Well, no one said it was going to be easy.
Last year, thanks to many of you, we built up enormous momentum for climate solutions. The global day of rallies you pulled off on October 24th turned out to "the most widespread day of political action in the planet's history," according to CNN, with 5200 actions in 181 countries.
And in Copenhagen that translated into 117 countries--most of the world's nations--supporting a tough 350 target.
But it didn't translate into political victory. The biggest polluters wouldn't go along. So we still have work to do.

In fact, our slogan for 2010 is "Get To Work." Get to work to start changing our communities, and get to work to make our leaders realize that they actually need to lead. We've sifted through thousands of your emails from all over the world, and come up with an action plan for this year that we think may break the logjam and get us moving. But only, of course, if we act together to make it happen.

The first date to mark on your calendar: October 10. Working with our friends at the 10:10 campaign, we're going to make the tenth day of the tenth month of the millennium's tenth year a real starting point for concrete action. We're calling it the 10/10 Global Work Party, and in every corner of the world we hope communities will put up solar panels, insulate homes, erect windmills, plant trees, paint bikepaths, launch or harvest local gardens. We'll make sure the world sees this huge day of effort--and we'll use it to send a simple message to our leaders: "We're working--what about you? If we can cover the roof of the school with solar panels, surely you can pass the legislation or sign the treaty that will spread our work everywhere, and confront the climate crisis in time." 10/10/10 will take a snapshot of a clean energy future -- the world of 350 ppm -- and show people why it's worth fighting for. It's not too early to sign up here: www.350.org/oct10

Every nation is not created equal in this climate crisis, of course. If we can't get the biggest polluters and the biggest economies to change, then we'll never win. So we're going to focus some particular attention on China, the United States, and India with a Great Power Race--college and university campuses will compete to see who can come up with the most, and the most creative, climate solutions. We hope friendly competition will help governments see that they have a lot to gain by diving into clean energy--and a lot to lose by missing this opportunity.

And we'll keep figuring out ways to apply political pressure where it counts--in the U.S. Senate, say, where we're joining a group of our best allies in backing the proposed Cap-and-Dividend approach that would stop letting big polluters pour carbon into the sky for free. In other parts of the world, we'll hold more of the climate leadership workshops that produced so many great leaders last year.

And as the next UN conference approaches in Mexico in December, we'll stage the largest piece of public art in the planet's history--a reminder that we have to bring passion to bear along with science and economics if we're going to move this process.

We know, from the calls and emails we've been getting, that people all over the world are ready to go to work. We think this plan can increase the odds of real action. We know that we have no choice. When, years down the road, the next generation asks what we did to save the planet, we want to be able to say: "We rolled up our sleeves and got to work." There's no guarantee we can beat the rich and powerful interests that we're up against--but thanks to you we've got enough momentum to have a real chance. Let's use it now.

About 350

350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts,and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO₂ in our atmosphere.

Accelerating arctic warming and other early climate impacts have led scientists to conclude that we are already above the safe zone at our current 392ppm, and that unless we are able to rapidly return to below 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.