Commemorating Kumar Gandharva

 

Not into Indian "classical" music, actually don't even recognize it. Exposed to Carnatic music -that is ensconced in squatter's world, and with very rare exception I find it tedious and unable to connect -shows the quality and self assured arrogance that permeates the music. They are promoted by racket while 'folk' is alive and strongly connected to verve of life. There is a reason why western classical connects (not the high pitch singing though, I even went for paid sessions to understand but just couldn't connect to this one) sometimes brimming in tears -its searing and yes scary that you will be lost in a such beautiful world that you may not be able come back. Hindustani has much openness but trapped in "pristine purity" of cringe -the spiritual religion. Kumar Gandharva worked his magic by bringing in the subtleties of 'folk' into 'classic'. And really changed the syntax and aesthetics of music, context and narration. I wasn't aware of him until happen to land up in a festival on Kabir in late 1990s. When it comes to Indian music Kumar Gandharva is right there in a special place. The other day I was listening to him and realized it was his death anniversary. Humanistic prose of Kabir find voice through Kumar Gandharva and epitomizes everything that is human. These humanistic value system were severely degraded by Castetva forces and now passed onto Hindutva (and the worst binary projected through Islam). Religions are serious threat to humanity. Any system that seeks to nurture religion is therefore a threat to humanity. Religion can exist in sidelines but cannot be given primacy that is being appropriated for last many decades. It cannot be allowed to intrude into human identity. Religion is a pity, and really is woefully incapable to contain vastness of life. 

Ud jayega hans akela...is hauntingly beautiful rendition.

Imagine a world where language could listen

Words could understand

Say the things soul sense

And express itself in pause 

Imagine the words as breath itself

That gives life in prose, and music

Black hole 

There is a stillness that grows and summons at busiest of hour

Reaching the expanse of blue sky, envelopes the darkness of the space

Relating with random breeze, synchronizes with fireflies

Merges into the pastel yellows and blues of garden flowers

It presents in the most chaotic occasion as a drop of silence

Eating into loudest of noise, turning gibberish into music

Scatter thoughts into meaningless, memories into hallucination

Past into illusions

It exists, you can sense it, but is unknowable

Like a vortex in space time

When you know you cannot tell, if you tell it vanishes

What goes in cannot come out, if it comes out it’s not the same

Event horizon a realization  

Of living and dying into expanding still.

 

Night flowers 

Night flowers sway in the Milky Way

The meteor ignites an unseen stem

Painted and erased in haste

The canvas shimmers in countless ways

 Like clouded electrons they swirl in space

Mind is the nucleus filled with stars

 Kindles thoughts kept safe deep in time

Till the day dust settles

And arrange a new kind of life and form

    The memories are then packed in tiny gifts

           Left at the doorsteps of abandoned homes.      

They talk by flapping their meat

 

“They talk by flapping their meat at each other” is a line from a funny but incisive short story They're Made out of Meat by Terry Bisson. The aliens are describing humans, they are intrigued, one of them speculate “…they a carbon-based intelligence that goes through a meat stage." "Nope. They're born meat and they die meat…”.

This excerpt from their brief exchange:

"Spare me. Okay, maybe they're only part meat. You know, like the Weddilei. A meat head with an electron plasma brain inside."

"Nope. We thought of that, since they do have meat heads like the Weddilei. But I told you, we probed them. They're meat all the way through."

  "No brain?"

"Oh, there is a brain all right. It's just that the brain is made out of meat!"

  "So... what does the thinking?"

"You're not understanding, are you? The brain does the thinking. The meat."

  "Thinking meat! You're asking me to believe in thinking meat!"

"Yes, thinking meat! Conscious meat! Loving meat. Dreaming meat. The meat is the whole deal! Are you getting the picture?" 

So when you watch the dimwits in media one can but think “They talk by flapping their meat”, ofcourse with no thinking meat, the brain. The meat is driven by money, greed, power, prestige, ego and entitlements. 

Meanwhile the unthinking putrefying meat in primitive society is working on “hindu seer” abusing “mahatma” gandhi. Hindu seer is such an oxymoron. Dictionary meaning of seer is “a person of supposed supernatural insight who sees visions of the future”. How can someone who has no connect with any reality but wallowing in primitive framework (read religion) lacking any basic human qualities hence incapable to even understand complexities of present see future? Future prediction and related BS is Indian speciality that emerged from sanctum led degradation to con insecure people – the beggar minded herds seeking tricks to get blessing. Using the reference of “mahatma” to Gandhi is in itself an abuse of common people and civilized sensibilities. It’s controlling the narration to work castetva narration as also self-justification for being in putrefying pit. Indeed check the “news” (when squatter bless news it is but natural for it to become views that is presented as godsend –like clever use of Sanskrit, which then easily replace news even if there were no facts to begin the news itself!) that is working to create caste vote bank/herd issues as if there are no important issue for a society that has amazing level of exploitation, corruption and challenges. The castetva narrations are nurtured with castetva herd controllers before elections to scuttle and control the herds. And yes, it was the colonial british (after ofcourse the squatter authentication) who fed these nincompoops to control and exploit the society. Pity this putrefying primitive society.

 Today morning I was hearing from blaring loud speaker wherein a squatter was humbly elaborating scripture (wonder how and why gita became prominent?) from local temple to herds. He assures “…of all the yogas, (-gyana so on) its bhakti that is superior” (these dimwits always have hierarchy of dealing “superior” “pure” never much attempts at understanding) meaning just become thinkingless meats, he also requests “…of all your earning give substantial portion to temples!” It’s a package deal. Somnath temple was ransacked 17 odd times every time the invaders (must be few hundreds riding all the way from Afghanistan –clearly brave and industrious but brutal) looted huge amount of precious items and killed hundreds with much ease and least resistance, and everytime herds collected money to rebuild and repeated to store precious things for invader's ease. The nincompoops were incapable and incapacitated to think and create strategies to defend. They were busy brutalising and cannibalising the herds. This in gist is the metaphor of this godforsaken society. Ofcourse now there is wherewithal to create grand stories and myth to replace history and control the present. Castetva’s version of Indian subcontinental history differs from Pakistan’s mullah version of the same history. Now let’s wait for Hindutva’s version. Meanwhile what is increasingly getting clear is that authentic history is the history of common people –how societies evolved to understand and deal with their surroundings, and not feudal wars and juvenile simplistic lazy narrations.    

Threshold of biomass

 

Of all the teeming biomass that atoms conceive through mindboggling journeys of miracle of life on earth humans have evolved its intelligence into conscious that synchronizes life’s system into astounding possibilities. Human life provides matter sentience, an opportune outcome of perilous odds. Humans sense the truth of the reality as they consolidate and evolve to survive and thrive. So the systems that nurture humans must provide all the freedom as also the latest means and understandings for the conscious to sense the reality. In most cases ideas, thoughts, understandings or discoveries happen in an incremental process but many a times path breaking, or disjointed to any narration as if a new stream of sensibility, has presented itself. Einstein’s theory of relativity or stories of Kafka are such examples. It superimposes into the known reality a new matrix. I was watching discussion between Foucault and Chomsky on this matter. Both are equally right while there are path breaking ideas and discoveries that produce cataclysmic shifts, as Foucault posits, there are also constant incremental additions. Indeed cataclysmic shifts are carried out using the semantics and tools of the accrued –standing on the shoulders of giants, as Chomsky the linguist argues.                  

There are reasons why paradigm shifting and path breaking discoveries and inventions happen in certain societies or regions. It has to do with how much a society has evolved. The threshold of biomass of humans to sense the reality and express is very much determined by socio-cultural factors which in turn impacts the systems that thrive and how much these provides independence for minds to explore and souls to dance. Sensing the threads that runs through the universe needs acceptance of silence and systems that nurtures and values contemplative space. It must value varied thoughts, free exchange of views that are built on logic of mind and illogic of soul. It must encourage inquisitiveness and consolidation of knowledge through understanding. Such society creates space for excellence which then percolates into every aspect of human expressions. Individuals too are not confined to narrow fields of inquiry as they seamlessly cross in search for understanding. As they reach the threshold of inquiry it starts to synchronize with expanding reality. Many regions across the world have experienced this. In modern times cities like Vienna, Paris or New York have seen spurt of expressions that significantly sensed the reality and helped in consolidating understanding for humanity. Even during restrictive ancient world Greece, Egypt or China etc. had provided such spaces that help consolidate human civilization by exchanging these into collective knowledge. Think of intellectual vibrancy during the period of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle or during the early period of Buddhism in Indian subcontinent – that saw many universities and libraries being set which latter shifted to East Asia, you will realize how much these matters and how much these have contributed to put foundations of evolved societies. As Foucault asserts it’s not about individuals but systems that nurtures these evolved ideas to be expressed, discoveries to happen and inventions to be carried out. Societies that lack these evolved attributes (essentially primitive) focus on individuals –who are elevated as heroes (or even god/incarnation). They wait for miracles, and work to build stories around these to assure its worth and myths of grandeur. There is a constant need for inane records to compensate quality. Lacking any framework that nurtures free minds and attributes that contribute to excellence –essentially expressions of heightened beauty, they seek to downgrade these.        

In the last few years something remarkable has happened. Internet has created virtual world. Real has shifted to virtual and with it distance has vanished. Though real world cities and centers of learning still hold sway virtual is consolidating and is set to make real immaterial in knowledge dissemination, exposure to liberal values, liberty and freedom, and experience of excellence of all of humanity presented through a click. There are also restrictive system like religion and market that have consolidated, and is attracting unthinking minds and herds, which have started to have detrimental impact. As has been the case through human history these have degraded societies, caused immense misery while wasting human lives into drudgery. It restricted humanity, isolated minds into dead habits and drained souls. It created barren lands of thriving primitives who have no contribution to humanity and seek to trap in dark ages, capitalizing on fear and insecurities. If humanity has to face the emerging challenges and evolve to new realities then it will have to keep its threshold for free minds much above herd reach. It must be aware of this ever present threat. It will have to therefore make every effort to restrain degrading systems. Diversity is crucial but it cannot be representation of regressive values and restrictive systems. These can only degrade and increase potentialities of problems. Diversity means diversity of knowledge, experience from diverse regions and challenges of different social realities, and not the least, diversities of ideas and approaches, these add to vibrant understanding and creates synergy for evolving into better world.                          

Wow that was spectacular!!

 

The launch

Will be watching live. Thanks to internet anybody anywhere in the world can.  Truly amazing.

James Webb Space Telescope by NASA/ESA/CSA is a crucial mission, as also quite complex with complicated deployments. Hope everything goes fine, and we will know more about the universe. Rooting for the mission.   

Also, don't forget to watch this movie Don't Look Up (on NetFlix). Based on truly possible events (truly happening events is probably a better description!).

Human intelligence, Artificial Intelligence, and patterns

 

We are at a crucial crossroad. It’s an epochal moment. Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to alter human beings’ relationship with Reason and Reality. The world is never going to be the same again. AI is changing course of human history. Machine learning algorithm with neural network is transforming human understanding of reality. Its employing logic beyond scope of human reason. There is a non-human form of logic consolidating. Within a discreet set its identifying relationship that not only escape human detection but comprehension. It defies any known human descriptions.

What is important here is that AI doesn’t work on any strategy, atleast the way human being understands, but on patterns from vast set of possibilities. What it means is that it is not working on a linear time frame but is synchronizing with patterns to optimize. You must have studied in school science about how synchronicity (resonance in this case) is exhibited in vibrations/oscillation (famous example being the soldiers crossing a bridge asked to break their synchronous steps), or how chemical reactions reach a critical phase to change the state or attribute. It reaches a point, and then as if with a snap of finger, there is an awakening into new reality. A spontaneous synchronicity that change the reality. It happens when part find its synergy with the system. Patterns are always seeking to synchronize, and when it synchronizes it ignites the path for synergizing with the system. It is how life happened. It is how consciousness awoke in the mind. It is what evolution is seeking; to optimize energy and matter by synchronizing with life system.  It’s clear therefore that the reality that AI is creating or sensing is synergizing with complexities that we are not aware of. A system much nuanced and waiting to be understood. I was reading physicist Wolfgang Pauli who writes (to psychiatrist Carl Jung) “Synchronicity should be defined in a narrower sense so as to comprise effects that only appear when there is a small number of individual cases but disappear when there is a larger number… In quantum physics, there are not just effects that appear with large numbers instead of with small ones…”. It is therefore conceivable that AI is tapping the potential at quantum level of involvement. Strategy works in causality. While synchronicity is meaningful coincidences (Schopenhauer) i.e. simultaneous events not casually connected.     

If you ask me to define human. I would say human being is a pattern seeking animal. Atleast that is how I identify myself with. World is about patterns. Everything has shape but when the shape recurs and associate -sometimes not apparent to human senses, then there is a pattern. What is not apparent to human senses tend to awake in subconscious and creates its own associations that is mistakenly attributed to clairvoyance. For pattern to be apparent one must have deep sense of connection with reality with all senses acutely aware, the perceptions go beyond senses. Its not spiritual nor divine nor any religion driven chicanery but comes with consolidation of all the information sought through inquisitive vibrant presence, contemplation, sustained reflection into stream of knowledge, sifted in time and abstracted into wisdom. Great ideas, thoughts and expressions tend to carry this imprint. It’s an ultimate consolidation of human expression that validate being a human and opens new horizons of reality and reason.

AI is coming out with insights and aspects of reality that humans have never known and may not even directly know. It is perceiving reality heretofore unknown to human minds that has potential to transform all realms of human experience and fundamentally change social political structure of our societies. AI’s thinking, ofcourse within the defined problem and measurable goal, is far superior to human that it even questions our identity. I think therefore I am is how human being identifies. What happens when thinking is taken away from humans and presented with superior logic of which the process cannot be understood? Where does that leave human beings?           

 Footnote: I was reading about AI named GPT-3 (Generative Pretrained Transformer -3^rd generation) that can generate human like texts (I also registered to test it few months back, the queue is quite long though!). It learns text by constructing approximation of reality -just the way Wittgenstein understood language. As it reads more i.e. inputs more data with context, it constructs an approximation for words by overlap of various representation. As the data increase with variety the approximation tends to narrow to near exact. This is the basic template. Now that is precisely how I learn language! It's astounding. I never really understood grammar nor sentence construction. So, there was no reference for learning except reading. The more I read more it created a framework. Also, considering English was my third language with Malayalam and Hindi being first two while English entered later. We even had English being taught in Hindi! So, it was arduous task when I finally decided to focus on reading in my mid-20s. Slow reading and words floating made it worse. But slow reading helped focus on idea and image better. Meanwhile I was earning by training people for comprehension through fast reading! It was just crazy absurd scene. I wasn’t really aware what good writing was. There were no frameworks to work on. So, focused on Sahitya Akademi (considered with some gravitas) library books of Indian writers, starting alphabetically, very soon randomly, and became quite frustrated by lack of vigor or insight in most writings, mostly staid and pretentious. Soon I had shifted to Russian, French, Latin, Japanese and sky is the limit frame with some amazing writers. I was getting the frame for good writing. Later I needed some contemporary writers, and so focused on Nobel prize as reference. Not disappointed at all. Syzmborska to Naipaul to Beckett and many more…was an exhilarating ride. All the while framework was being constructed with deep loop feedback through great literature. Though my writing was not a very successful venture but this is precisely how I constructed a framework for writing. And like GPT-3 I many times make embarrassing mistakes -a kind of glitch in the system. A paradox of deeply insightful flourish and the very next instance some really stupid mistake. Now, GPT-3 is inorganic meaning its memory is forever it can therefore learn further and further while human mind is organic and prone to deteriorate. That precisely is my concern. If I don’t read continuously, I feel as if I am losing grip for the language. It keeps me in constant state of anxiety. So, when I get the urge to write, a thought, and idea so on, I start to walk. I walk around the room, around the chair or just go for a long walk. I read that walking pace tends to synchronize with thinking pace. When I write I am only conscious, there isn’t right or left frame, words just flow in suiting the thoughts which I make sense through subconscious frame gained through reading. Sometimes the words stampede so you have to use conscious effort to straighten it -which really is scary. Many a times I write words the meaning of which I check only later. I would say, it’s about synchronizing the pattern. There is no time frame. Words synchronizes with the image and works to create close loop of sentences.     

AI has an advantage of space while humans are limited by size of the skull. However, unlike GPT-3, good reading adds to thinking and contemplation. That is a distinct advantage for human beings as GPT-3 only works in specific framework searching connections to reality that may astound but human brain is an open system with potent tool for reflection and consciousness to broader reality. The advantage of good reading unlike digital reading is that it avoids echo chamber closed insular loops. Before I took reading seriously, I was mostly into comics but quite significantly encyclopedias. The things about reading encyclopedias is that its random knowledge. It is a surprise package of different knowledge from varied disconnected fields.

Fractal pattern seen on a walk at the beach  

(inputs from ‘The Age of AI and Our Human Future’)                

Theatrics of power

Nobody is concerned about Britain, it has done much harm to the world (and good too but the final evaluation from the contemporary worldview falls into sinister), but yes since it has had such an influence on course of history and power dynamics across the world it cannot be ignored. Also, it has squiggle into position of influence with money and greed, significantly the English language that has been manipulated to define competence on erstwhile subjects -british accent is deemed as unchartered space of brilliance that only few are capable of, though in the recent times with local assertions these have become parody, desultory call center references. Primitive Indian elite’s civilizational pointers are embryonically linked to britain, the theatrics adds to compelling everlasting values of feudal ways. The binary of absurdities played out in britain is an insight to power salivating elites in erstwhile colonies.

If Conservative Party is about wanton display of special place in universe as herd controllers (we don’t give a f*ck -to put it mildly, you have to depend on us as saviors) then Labor is about opportunists miming the empathy reaction binary frame as concerned meanwhile “minorities” boxed and ardently petted for necessary redemption incase truth hits home. Then there is insidious insular media spread across the spectrum for binary niche weighing heuristic benefits as the occasion provides. Castetva Congress easily worked into the frame of saviors with liberal pointers picked from colonizers -imagine the level of degradation that liberal values have to be learned from racist colonial exploiters. Assortment of lawyers and squatters were baffled that they saw themselves as adversary to ‘refined’ british. They saw more in common hence the easy liberal claim of connecting with humanity -which sprightly gandhi worked into his theatrics. Always benevolent, working for higher and highest morals, for humanity sake while placed in putrid pit meanwhile keenly eyeing the next opportunity to grab and accumulate as blessing. Caste cannibal primitive Indian elite had more in common with racist colonizers they therefore begged, cajoled, supplicated, and indeed argued for transfer of power (hence irresponsible positioners for gravy tidied as liberal argumentative Indians, indeed what was there to argue? Britain left when it emminently suited while causing immense misery for common people as despicable herd controllers haggled for power), afterall we are quite similar humans what is their to fight, hence nonviolence, meanwhile wanton greed and untold exploitations were unleashed on Indian subcontinent culminating in massacre, maiming and displacement of partition not seen in annals of history  -the role of herd controlling natives in this horror is not the least. White racist colonizer, caste cannibal mediocres and monster mullahs struck the deal for arbitrarily dividing land for herd purity – a degraded value system that each understood and empathized.

The Indian origin members in Conservative party is also symbolic to the narration. It is not surprising that they got along with these entitled whites (or it must be higher calling, something called conscience!), it’s the same that ruled India with stratospheric connection with liberal values. The Labor party is another chicanery to deal that bleeding-heart gravy posers salivate on. Despite blatant violations, gross behavior and absolute incompetence of Conservative party Labor don’t really find much favor with common people is a testament on distrust. When I became aware of the scene Britain was ruled by Labour party headed by one who went by the name of Tony Blair. He played poodle to US as they attacked Iraq while the british media sexed up the reasons. This then was sought to be balanced by feeding monster mullahs in Britain as compensation who in turn care the gangrene as multicultural display. All miseries meanwhile are easily delegated to common people. With firm control over narration these miseries become nonexistent unless ofcourse there is some eyeball catching scandal and then there is collective “Aw” loop.

Caste cannibals could be seen loitering around labor party venues with enlarged pupils to eke even a half a chance as saviors which resonates back home as ‘making India proud’ within putrid pit ofcourse. The debating clubs in London is where feudals exact their strategies of entitlements while surreptitiously working the semantics of liberal which then percolates into India as desired template. Hindutva has slashed all these constructions to push its own reality that vibe with large herds, it also has firm connections and semantics of Indian reality unlike the debating club fluffing assertions. Castetva manipulators are realizing where the gravy has shifted and will fold up into Hindutva. The entitlements to control will find its rationale.   

Footnote: I recall two decades back, in early 2000s, when USA was preparing to attack Iraq, we took out a signature campaign against war. It is important that each individual make their presence felt when there is atrocity on humanity, as also it was quite clear that this was unwarranted. Unlike some clever positioners I was for targeted intelligence input driven attack on monster mullah controlled Afghanistan as much as firm response to terrorists in Pakistan in the aftermath of Mumbai attack -as the evidence were substantial and compelling. To understand Castetva Congress’s mindset you have to get into the rotted minds of cow urine drinking despicable like Digvijays (it’s a statement that likes of him are airdropped as leaders, and even now finds suitable to be nominated to RS. This arrogance is what defines). They dithered since their concern was whether this will antagonize monster mullah, how this will impact herd vote bank, hence the ruse of nonviolence. They have no value for human being. They don’t care about their fellow citizens who elected them. The state not only failed to protect its citizen against wanton attack but miserably failed to respond thus emboldening the terrorists and their controllers. 

So, we sent few thousand signatures with writings against war – that took lots of effort and time, to a newspaper. I feel violated to even mention the name of this disgusting newspaper (The Hindu) -was quite naïve to the working of charlatans. They not only censored it but even refused to acknowledge. Thus our effort was vanished. This the same third-rate high posturing Indian media that cultivates politicians and agendas, segregating people and undermining issues, creating inanities as news through mediocre celebrities and herd controlling wastrel games. Earns through instigating consumptions, hawking racist products, natural resources guzzling harmful colas and regressive matrimonials. They lack the credibility. If there is one thing that I respect about PM Modi it is his complete disregard, indeed desultory treatment, of Indian media and uses them as he wishes while he directly engages with people through social media and direct contact through AIR. Most in Indian media have not earned their position nor do they understand its significance. Democracy doesn’t automatically guarantee them as fourth estate unless they are responsible and work their way up without losing focus and conviction. When information is contextualized into knowledge and compels conviction it becomes wisdom, it’s a process. Frog leaping from sanctum moral vacuum onto entitlements as imperatives is not freedom of expression nor does it amuse anyone.

Book recommendation for the month

 

Omicron: The variant of concern

 

As long as there is wanton greed, absence of globalized and unified effort, the virus will spread and as it spreads the mutation rate increases and then we are presented with Omicron -variant of concern, and then it will spread, making the vaccine ineffective. We are in a loop of misery unless lessons are learned. The microorganism is insistent on us to face the basics. As long there is vaccine inequity we are in a predicament of entirely human making -the greed of few over other. Yes, earning money for years of efforts and investment need to be compensated (otherwise we are told some are not motivated enough) but how much do you want to earn? Unless ofcourse you are looking at virus as a long-term investment with assured returns through variants and so we are dependent on big pharmaceutical forever in a sinister cycle of exploitation and deaths. Never was merchant of death so suited. This is equally true for religions that has created vaccine reluctance, nurturing narration of fantasy and omnipotence in the image of gods, blessings, arrogance of pseudo science.  International community (as also organizations like UN, WTO, WHO so on -though making persistent efforts) has again failed us. And now we are at the mercy of apathy of authorities, greed of market and irresponsible ways of religions. Its going to get worse in poorer societies accentuated by climate led price rise (for instance flooding is spiking vegetable prices). It seems humans are mutating for self-destruction. Understanding the sentience of evolution this is troubling.       

The dead

 

When life abstracts into memory 

Does it still live?

Is it alive and excited for the day out?

Choosing the best dress and socks to match

Or does it need a reminder

Glint of sun against the sill

Or a whiff of fragrance in the crowded street

Warbler in the dense shade intonate each breath

To sync with every passing absences

To try the dead alive  

Secularism needs to be replaced with humanism

 

Any structure that nurtures systems that degrades humans is a constant threat to humanity. Secularism is an idea that was initiated with egalitarian intention of providing freedom to practice and propagate faith, that essentially regress into oppressive systems of religion. Religion isolates from reality into fantastical fictions that animated minds of people many centuries back. To put faith in these anachronistic systems (indeed ridiculous and juvenile if the harm is not this severe), that once assuaged the terrified ignorant souls with mounting uncertainties and threats, negates understandings and progress of last few decades hence severely degrades human capacity for critical thinking and connect to everchanging exciting reality. Religion seeks to trap and ossify mind into catacombs of dead thoughts and meaningless ways. It preys on human spiritual urges and natural fear of unknown. It extends solace and security but extracts heavy price on humanity. It is segregating and branding humans, increasing source of degradation, and is a major reason for strife among perfectly normal and decent humans with all their faculties alive being turned into snarling herds or tolerating actors devoid of basic sensibilities that defines humans. Faculties that developed critical thinking and ability to extrapolate data and facts into precious knowledge and understanding are being compromised. Verifiable evidences authenticated through science, rational inquiry and modern technologies are being questioned without any logic or even basic understanding of premise or skills of argumentation. It is as if everything is being reduced to a battle of binary. In primitive societies this battle is between religions while in more civilized societies religion pose itself as victim to reign in the herd.     

Religion creates individuals who pendulate between fate and entitlements. Beggar minds incapacitated to use their faculties they are led and deluded into fantastical narration and are easily exploited. The rise of fake news and easy acceptance of conspiracy theories points to herd's incapacity to handle reality. Evolved thoughts -democratic institutions being byproduct, cannot nurture such systems that seeks to convert humans into herds for the simple reason that herds are threat to democratic institutions, they constantly weaken egalitarian efforts and make democracy meaningless. Hard earned values of liberty and equality that defines humanity and nurtures individuals to their potential and possibilities is severely negated. Democratic values thrive with open mind, debates, discussions and interactions. Communication cannot happen when the other is not free and doesn’t matter when the other is incapacitated to use mental faculties hence cannot be equal. Communication happens and thoughts shared when people are free to express and think, assert their liberty and are placed in framework of equality. This breakdown of communication leads to prejudices, bigotry, and further spiraling of conspiracy theories among herds. This then severely impacts the functioning of democratic institutions and threatens the basic foundation of society.           

Religion has become an assault on humanity and contemporary sensibilities hence idea of secularism has become meaningless and oppressive. State cannot be a bystander when degrading system encroaches into vibrant spaces of humanity and attempts to create staid barren lands of god’s wishes, commands and swift repercussions for erring. Its pertinent to point out that all religions are not same though they all have the same pernicious potential to degrade into exploitable herds. Despite the strife the commonalities are more pronounced than the differences. Christianity has had devastating impact on humanity in the last few centuries through dark ages, colonial exploitations and racism -the pernicious slave system and apartheid. But reaction to Christianity gave space to reforming movements and renaissance, it gave space to modern developments as well as exploitations. Independent thinking and philosophies helped to consolidate and institutionalize ideas of liberty and freedom, democracy and modern values that help assert human rights. Connection to reality, hence observation skills, gave primacy to logical thinking and foundation of science through systematic studies. Though Christianity remains potently dehumanizing -in its varying degradation from gay rights to anti-abortion so on it has provided lots of space for protest and ridicule hence template to deal. The world though face serious threat from gun totting white supremacists as they encroach into institutions of powerful nation like USA. This is a live threat and has the potential to take the nation into civil war. Other religions have undergone reformation in varying degree but not to the extend of Christianity. Hinduism, though lacking a single rallying point and is dependent on outside to define and play victim, is a potent degradation that would shudder humanity to its core for its depravities. It has converted a vast population into fatalist herd who gnaw and brutalize each other. It has nurtured some extremely devious inbred people with highest estimation of themselves and entitlements hence infected with acute savior syndrome. Though caste cannibals have spread across the world their damage is limited by lack of spread and insular nature. Other religions like Jews, Buddhism, Shintoism, Sikhism etc. too are limited hence the degrading impact is confined. Not denying that where the numbers are more these have the same potential to degrade and dehumanize whether Hindus in India or Jews in Israel or Buddhists in Myanmar (though Buddhism negates god hence takes the sting out of degrading potential but the herds converted buddha into god and nurtured the degradation of religion). That brings us to Islam which carries all the horrors that religion as dehumanizing system presents, it’s being transported across with all its regressive ways intact without any questioning or scrutiny. The spread, reach and definite rallying point of miracle book and its pernicious references and interpretations makes it a live threat to every cherished ideas, enlightened thoughts and humanistic concerns. Religion is a threat to humanity and Islam represents the threat and immediacy since it is being mollycoddled as representation of minority and pushed in as beleaguered to a large part of the world. With its spread it has been persistently presenting problems to humanity, it is degrading democratic institutions, challenging human rights and undermining evolved thoughts. It is creating reactionary and regressive forces in other religions too -not that they need any provocation but yes an alibi to consolidate. Instead of pointing out the problem it is being presented as stand point for tolerance and lynchpin for adherence to democracy and freedom. Miseries cannot be delegated to common people since elite want to work out a narration to showcase themselves as benign meanwhile very much complicit in maintaining systems that bomb and exploit common people.

Its dehumanizing to identify humans through religion. It needs to be seen as personal choice and private matter. Secularism is a natural way to humanism hence ideas of secularism should have seen to it that state has no business to do with religion, and made every effort to negate it from public space as also stifle its effort to entrap common people. Ideally human beings were expected to evolve into these through increased understanding and thinking. Minority protection is an important component of civilized world and defining aspect of democracy but unfortunately, and frustratingly, it is usurped by religion and has redefined enlightened intent into its credulities. Minority ideas, the way these are held, expressed and understood needs protection. Ideas that majority find problematic but holds an evolved view to humanity needs protection and nurturing. Take for instance the issue of LGBTQ and understand how religion works to degrade while this minority idea holds that humans have choices that must be respected. Humanity thrives if these ideas are cherished. That is how minority needs to be defined. To tolerate anachronistic and violating religion is also numbing senses to protest against what is wrong and encroaching into humanity. To tolerate such violation on cherished values makes us less human hence must be resisted.

There are entrenched powers that have gained by keeping humans segregated and dehumanized into herds, these powerbrokers gain from status quo of degradation. They have manipulated egalitarian values into euphemism of transactions for short term gains. Devious elite section control narration (akin to Marxian controlling means of production), and in effect history of humanity is how these controls are expressed. As the societies moved from feudal to market to virtual the narrative control is where the power struggle is. These narrative controls are used to extract benefits and penalized those who stray. It is how deep state spreads its tentacles through democratic institutions, media and all expressions of power. Take for instance the monarchy patriotism narration that is controlled by deep state in Britain. Despite patently feudal and against democratic principles, hence humanity, these are pushed through control over narration. Protagonist changes and contexts vary but deep state’s control over the narration remains. It deals severely with any attempts to question the narration and distributes largesse generously for adhering to the same (for instance, the stampede for gandhian narrative benefits by worst kinds of people). They have consolidated narration for religion, defined religiophobia and explained minority protection that everyone is expected to adhere to despite glaring lacunas, untold misery to common people and severely degrading democratic institutions and cherished values. There is clearly an attempt to pander religion. Extolling religion is how benefits are accrued from deep state. Degraded societies are example where power, positions, literature, art…all extol religion for gain without critically examining nor any care or concern. This then give primacy to mediocrity and status quo exploitation hence nurture hypocrisy and apathy. Religion tarnishes the aesthetics of truth. It introduces ugliness of false absolutes.                     

Feudal cunning elite have been using religions to control people. Already reactionary forces accentuated by destabilizing climate concerns and pandemic are playing havoc. Humanity must assert that the system that is intolerant cannot be a reference to tolerance. It can only slide to bigotry and strife. Not having strife is not an achievement. To avoid strife is where the humanity compromises. It negates cherished values. In these virulent competing forces that segregates and drag hapless humans into medieval frames is where the possibilities of humanity is lost. Even the ever-limiting space that is left in religions for sane discourse is being bludgeoned by competing forces. They take human identities. They claim children, their innocence targeted. They occupy land. They claim regions as theirs. They infect even something as innocent as color, expression of art, language, food…so on. They seek to control our past, present and claim our future, its heart wrenching. Every space that is claimed by religion is a loss for humanity. With predatory claims of religion there is decreasing space for other narrations. There is no space for nuance or humanity. It is as if we are dragged into medieval setting and are made to glimpse and partake atrocious primitive ways despite having better understanding.

Religion cannot solve any of the crisis that humanity faces and is not part of any solution -it never was and it never will be, the framework is just incapable. If ever it is a compromise, a compromise over humanity, hence a violation. Meanwhile it causes daily nuisance and undermines the seriousness of the critical issues as also deflect it into superficial matters that humanity has least time for.  Isolated from reality herds are lost and become dead weight on human efforts. They will patronize and claim ‘god will save’, express love and community feeling in a redemptive effort. Yes, many become immune to deteriorating reality and are content with their blinkered ways and limited understanding. Studies show they live happily and longer. So do some crustaceans. To live as a human being needs effort, a capacity to be alive meanwhile painfully aware of absurdities, searing connection of senses to be present to the moment and the capacity and consciousness to decide what to attend. Religion negates this. There are however limits to which we can live the reality and express the same. Indeed, reality is expressing through our will to be free. Yes, one must assume Sisyphus to be happy. That seems to be the only way to align ephemeral with vastness of existence.  

 

Disappearance of Peng Shuai

 The disappearance of Peng Shuai is not an issue that should be confined to tennis, not even to sports, its a matter of grave concern for humanity. How can state be complicit in disappearance of high prolife sportsperson? People do get vanished from across the world (in impoverished sections of big cities like Delhi children go missing all the time), and the life of people concerned with environmental issues are seriously periled in recent times as greedy corporate unleash its power. State is complicit in disappearance of people who threaten their power and status quo of elite. If democratic institutions are strong and if people are vigilant then these become difficult or there is severe backlash that the state cannot afford. The problem becomes acute in totalitarian states as also countries with quasi democratic systems that is controlled by elite. Disappearance of Peng Shuai becomes a grave matter since China is now becoming a powerful nation that has potential to substantially decide the fate of humanity and therefore has a responsibility. Atleast countries like USA or European nation -despite their human right violations and exploitations, provides space for outrage and protests. Since people in China have no space for protests it becomes incumbent on people across the world to voice in. Chinese authorities should not be allowed to carry on as if this is normal. This is not normal. This cannot be normal. Yes people are being killed by authoritarian state but the impunity with which an internationally known sportsperson faces the same fate should not be allowed to go without a challenge. With high profile sportspersons and internationally known celebrities joining in this must be made an example. A recognizable face like Peng Shuai must be made a rallying point against impunity of state. Chinese authorities have lot to answer. 

International bodies must take action. All sporting links with China must be suspended with immediate effect. If Chinese authorities are complicit, and it is increasingly clear they are, then there is a case for even expelling China from UN and other affiliated bodies. This matter must be taken with all seriousness it deserves. 
     

Existential creativity

Beautiful disappearances

On the undulating fringe of colliding stars, galaxies and black holes

Hurling asteroids sow the atoms in the implausible ocean

To snatch miracle of starlit life from engulfing chaos

It congregates in misses and chances to evolve

Into complex breathing shapes and colours

I see

I notice

I experience and I witness

The disappearances

And scramble to save the memories of existence

Of the last flutter that gravity extracts

Last bloom that colour spreads

Lost fragrances that once swept the hills

Patterns of finale merge with each vagrant weather

Every loss ebbing my life in diminishing silence

My grief is not mine

It’s the grief of everything alive

It’s a sadness that stretches to eons

When elements conspired to create consciousness  

 

Sometime back I was reading “The Memory Police” by Yoko Ogawa, it’s an Orwellian dystopian world where things disappear and are enforced to be forgotten. It’s soon erased from memory. People don’t realize the loss and seem least bothered as things are back to ‘normal’. Each day something or other vanishes. The protagonist uses her writing as surreptitious means to preserve the memory -something that is resisted by draconian Memory Police. There is a riveting passage in the book where rose petals inundate the river as people stare in awe, indicating that roses have disappeared. A bystander remarks as he observes the river flooded with petals "This is the most beautiful disappearance ever". Next day there are no roses.  

Last month there was Biodiversity summit, as also IUCN report so on, pointing to species getting extinct at alarming rate as also numbers too are dwindling significantly. People don’t seem to be bothered, even during COP26 meet rarely was much importance given in media nor was it trending while juvenile entertainments kept herds here in India interested. Now, these news will disturb those who are close to nature -read about it, watch documentaries, experienced being in nature and know the sublime connections (as also those who have studied biodiversity and its importance) but for people staying in cities and towns with minimal interaction, contemplation or observation of nature -at the most utilitarian, this is another boring news -indeed in the infotainment market meant to keep the herds excited these don’t even qualify as news. Therefore it is important that to comprehend the enormity of loss one has to witness, experience and be connected. I recall almost two decades back we witnessed Siberian cranes in Rajasthan, there was so much excitement while we spent hours and days observing. Narrating these to people back in Delhi made me stand out as odd. Within a year or so Siberian cranes stopped migrating to the region. Imagine the loss we felt. Now imagine if these birds become extinct. Will anyone in Delhi be bothered? The reason why people need to experience being part of nature. This must begin quite early in life through education system, or else during holiday stays in resorts. Most resorts located next to forest or eco fragile regions are rarely interested in these (atleast when I started off as naturalist, indeed I had to create the position and explain. Now ofcourse things are changing). Otherwise issues like climate catastrophe or biodiversity loss will not resonate despite dire consequences. The greedy systems are working to make profit while failure of education is a failure to realize human potential and therefore incapable to comprehend reality. 

The other day I was reading Ben Okri (Nigerian writer), he writes "We have to ask unthinkable questions. We have to go right to the roots of what makes us such a devouring species, overly competitive, conquest-driven, hierarchical". "We have to find a new art and a new psychology to penetrate the apathy and the denial that are preventing us making the changes that are inevitable if our world is to survive. We need a new art to waken people both to the enormity of what is looming and the fact that we can still do something about it", and proposes "existential creativity, to serve the unavoidable truth of our times, and a visionary existentialism, to serve the future that we must bring about from the brink of our environmental catastrophe". "As a writer, it means everything I write should be directed to the immediate end of drawing attention to the dire position we are in as a species. It means that the writing must have no frills. It should speak only truth. In it, the truth must be also beauty. It calls for the highest economy. It means that everything I do must have a singular purpose".    

 

Chennai is facing the brunt of Climate breakdown

 For last few days Tamil Nadu is facing the onslaught of North-West monsoon. A combination of climate assault, faulty planning and greedy irresponsible ways has making of a disaster. One thought last major flood in Chennai (in 2015) would have cautioned but the herd controlling systems prevented it while the herds were too happy to be distracted with inanities. With majority of people poor impoverished and exploited tragedies are delegated fate. 

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.  

TONIGHT CHENNAI IS SET TO FACE INTENSE RAIN. When there is no preparation one can only pray and wait for fate to unfold. 

 

Increasingly less reasons to be optimistic

 

The show

I have a dark room in my mind

that I enter on neglected days 

festooned with horrifying

cold, damp, and still

hanging in unending space and recurring time

I see passing processions of gaiety and grief

to emote an appropriate response

unaware of past or any clue of future. 

The trickster on the street

entertains an absent audience

his skinny body folds up

and he dance in deathly frenzy

for the moment

    to exist.        

Moonlight clouds 

I dread the passing clouds in the moonlight

It blanks the night into swaying spirit

The trees, the river and the restless crows

Enter the silence as if in a pact

Punctuated by rushing stars

Pulsating in heart beats

From light years to light years

        Swirling in churning space 

Incapable and incapacitated

 I read somewhere that as people age they become cynical and rigid. That may not be true. Over the years I have come across some wonderful vibrant elderly people, but these are not norms in an overwhelmingly bleak scenario degraded by systems. Indeed, I have come across more and more youngsters who are cynical and sarcastic, either as a reaction to systems or coopted by it -either way it really cannot be positive. With overwhelming omnipresence of technology -that opens up amazing possibilities, youngsters are also getting exposed to systemic oppressive values and manipulations at an early age. Having awareness and deeper understanding -that comes with exploring their senses to realities, and comprehending with their mind as also exposing to interesting thoughts and contemplations is how unique presence gets consolidated. Overwhelming and constant exposure to systems tends to destroy this uniqueness or very likely makes one reactive, and this has debilitating impact on young minds unless ofcourse they are protected and natural inquisitiveness nurtured. We live in the best of times, and its increasingly clear, in the horribly worsening time. Although humanity is having best of life’s possibilities anywhere experienced in human history, we are also seeing real time breakdown of life sustaining systems that were exploited to create this sense of wellbeing. We are passing the tipping point and real time collapse.  

So, with great expectations we are watching COP26 at Glasgow. And I must add I for one (like billions of people holed up in their little corners across the world working their existential problems and survival needs but still concerned, atleast for some hope, in an increasingly futile scene) is getting quite cynical. With the absence of major nations like China and Russia we aren’t sure how this climate commitment -if ever, going to work. Fragile egos of few is how our lives seems to be hinged on. Placed in primitive society like India I am quite aware of this frame but I was expecting something different at international scene when facing with overwhelming odds. To put their little lives aside and take responsibility. What emblemizes the tragedy of the times is leadership of the summit. Boris Johnson is the sickness of systems we have created (and by no small measure the fattened fluffs who contributed to the reactionary choices for common people meanwhile also the worst of nonwhites in the cabinet, as representation). I had overwhelming sense of anguish, and seethed in anger, when I watched the image of venerable David Attenborough (at the age of 95, active enthusiastic and concerned -a rare human being – a life well lived) was made to sit next to unmasked drowsing pile of a human. Then there are formalities of “excellencies” and what not as they speak to the audience while studiously avoiding each other. I am told there are discussions happening in the back drop. What is clear is that the system is not placing -indeed incapable, the best of humans to deal with what is essentially the most crucial occasion for survival of life.

There is a sense of dread. You really cannot blame when concerned youngsters are getting abusive. They may even get violent. It’s overwhelming odds they are facing, and decency is least of concern (reminds me of jostling to get into crowded dirty bus in Delhi every morning -you have a livelihood to work out, you got to survive). It’s about survival and all that they love.  In their limited frame of action, they tend to get reactionary. While on the internet chats there is another section who are fed by the systems and algorithm to be vile and bring out the worst in human being. Its getting difficult.

I am closing down.