Big data, free will and why Indians are in for serious bother

          

There are so much data available out there, and with expanding ‘Internet of Things’ this is bound to increase exponentially, that big data is now unfortunately seen as new oil. Huge unstructured information is being retrieved and channelized through cognitive immersive technology.  Data with augmented intelligence has now created possibilities of better reasoning, hypothesizing or seeking correlations for further study, and essentially better decisions and understanding. Unfortunately though, data is also limiting into a new feudal order. Feudalism was nurtured through land ownership while Capitalism thrived with proprietorship over machinery. And now control over data is creating a new order of Dataism. Societies where feudal norms are strong, where capitalism is the interplay of cronyism and nepotism, and where moral ethical frameworks are weak, there is a serious threat that has potential for cataclysmic impact on the lives of common people. Their world is expected to shrink further and life made more meaningless. Where humans are treated as slaves, expendable commodities, for entitled few, and where exploitations of weak and sycophancy for powerful is a norm then things are going to get much tougher. The situation becomes much bleaker when you realize that the elite section is highly insecure –as they are effete and incompetent, that adds to the tyranny of control, the brutal control. There is a strong tradition –indeed a culture, of fixers and manipulators nurtured by sycophancy hinged power centers that keep shifting wherever there is gravy to lick. It has array of rituals to please and propitiate to whichever be the power.

Data has become intrusive, and is used to create psychological profile and attributes of individuals and classify people into different groups of consumers for targeted sales and marketing campaign. It is used to influence choices individual makes, even insecurities are used for manipulations, and now it is being taken to next level with cognitive data. Social media is all about building the user base. How do I drive lots of engagement? Building engagement is important in this money metric game, and they don’t care about the nature of engagement, this engagement-based business model that incentivizes the most mindless things that harm the fabric of society. It’s consistently trying to trigger fear and anger to get the outrage cycle going, because outrage is what makes you be more deeply engaged. You spend more time on the site and you share more stuff. Therefore, you’re going to be exposed to more ads, and that makes you more valuable. The social-media giants have become “attention merchants,” bent on hooking users no matter the consequences. “Engagement” is the euphemism for the metric, but in practice it evolved into an unprecedented machine for behavior modification with everyone under surveillance by their devices and receiving calculated stimulus to modify them. Digital networks are creating mass behavior-modification regimes, manipulating minds, trapped in feeder bubbles. Even original good intention winds up empowering its opposite.

As they say dataism is the singularity, an all knowing omnipresent processing system based on the universal faith in the power of algorithm. While the real emerging issue is that people are not able to assign moral agency to algorithms. For instance Trump’s narrow victory appears to have been fashioned, at least in part, by a covert appeal to the insecurity, religious fervor or racism of voters willing to rely on social media for information about the world. “Those who financed and carried out this ugly propaganda campaign were careful to avoid having their names associated with such lies and distortions. They were also unwilling to openly argue and defend their ideas”. These kinds of intrusions have been happening all the time through advertisements where human emotions are relentlessly targeted and society measured at stunted adolescent cravings. Societies where myths and truths are persistently kept blurred, perceptions are constantly pushed into authentic, so as to ease manipulation and domination is going to be particularly at risk.

It is therefore incumbent on us to insist on primacy of free will. You can have all my data but you cannot manipulate my will, therefore my decisions and choices. Humanity must be retrieved from these cannibalizing creatures. Societies like India where every innovative technology has much significance as manipulative technology to control choices of common people this must be insisted. Children must be taught on these matters, hence critical thinking must be insisted as part of inquisitiveness. Quite an arduous task for societies where elders are severely compromised to fatalism in the mounting hopeless burden of realities that works in moral vacuum and quick fixes. Where people are ready to fleece lives (even souls of dead), brutalize thoughts. In such a situation atleast the minimum hinge i.e. hard earned money must be safeguarded from these exploiters, and must be judiciously spent. To start with anything that is sold through advertisement must be avoided, they have nurtured mediocrities from film and cricket as recruit of art and sport –a hint of competence for common people, that is kept so low that it is tantalizingly reachable in the process has degraded the society to trap people. The society has been constantly bludgeoned into adolescent dealings –that market proposes, which has now become more intrusive with new technology. Perceptions and exaggerations have severely compromised the society, as it is readied for exploitation. A beginning can be made with younger generation.  

It is our reason that help us judge, to theorize our experiences. It is the reason that gives us sense of freedom in a brief but what is essentially determined frame of life followed by death. Reason also gives us the unique ability to understand reality, as it unfolds, and equips us to discern –through experimentation and thinking, to decipher as to which reality is absolute in nature and which is mutable. To submit willingly to what is discerned as immutable necessities of reality rather than bitterly, or in ignorant blissfulness of fatalism driven choices. This attitude that springs from comprehensive understanding of free will is what is precious. This unique human attribute is what helped us to not only negotiate, calculate but channelize with remarkable accuracy the laws of nature into wonderful discoveries and inventions. This free will nurtured see big data as no threat whatsoever.  

New religion, and other humanizing assertions

This blogger doesn’t have time for religions, an increasingly dangerous anachronism that I consider a waste of time. It is uniquely based on juvenile premise, a collective hallucination working on unthinking irresponsible people’s insecurities. Those who have bartered their conscience, and expect to be rewarded hence can be easily be manipulated. They are dehumanized and made ineffectual, nourishing on narrowing premise that keep them diminishing. A clever attempt at constructing pleasant consequences of truth, prescriptive trap of control on which institutions are built, authority is established –this then gets rigid over time, regressive perpetuating shells and loose link with truth if any. Enlightened thoughts get percolated as miracle driven chicanery. Miracle not of amazing life and profound, that sparkles everywhere, but exaggerated human conceived divine that exhibits its power by breaking the natural laws and orchestrates fanciful and ridiculous. This miracle is the beginning of alienation of soul from mind, and mind from connection with reality. It is an illness that spreads in the name of faith, and audaciously stakes higher claims in the hierarchy of grievance. There is no doubt that religion had its space and time, and yes some were more evolved and attempted at creating egalitarian context in what was an essentially brutal and unpredictable world, when forces of nature were not properly understood. The situation now is quite different, not that everything about mysteries of life has been understood, as Carl Sagan said “the universe will always be much richer than our ability to understand it”, but yes what has been understood cannot be undermined nor can values associated with rational logical evidence based verifiable universal thinking that forms an important hinge of humanity.

Religions as it stands now –considering mounting problems unique to the time we live in, are severely undermining the core of humanity, and are attempting to pull us back into primitive self-defeating ways. At social level they divide and segregate, and create an antagonistic reality that is in odd with humanity as also nature. Hence uniquely alienated individuals and strife filled society. Even attempts at truce, some even call it secularism, is working on regressive premise of respecting different versions of juvenile nonsense. It is not really an evolved society but a society in truce that is perilously spiraling down. People thrive on degradation as their faculties and senses are made immune to the immediate verifiable realities. There is no future here. Religion therefore is not part of solution, and is very clearly constructing a dangerous reality from its proclaimed virtuous virtual context. It’s akin to video game, with all its childish rules of gain and loss, good and bad, but differs in it debilitating impact on the reality. Indeed the violence found in video games –which is mostly confined to virtual space, is nothing compared to what religion has unleashed from its not entirely different virtual space into reality. Religion as a defining identity of individual –that is being pushed in by vested interests, is therefore seriously flawed, and must be reconsidered at the earliest. Identity of humans must begin with and end with humanity. Anything else is peripheral and must be evaluated in its context provided it doesn’t contradict with values of that upheld humanity. Understanding this one can assert that identities based on enlightened shared ideas, thoughts, practices can be source for identity. So is self that identifies through linguistic affiliation, profession, or even discriminatory context of gender and race that arise from flawed yet clear objective reality of birth (unlike caste, that is manipulated in by effete inhuman Indians). Nation based identities too are regressive but must be taken in for administrative reason. That leaves religion as lowest –indeed regrettable, point of reference. Spirituality is essentially an enlightened context, and really cannot be binary to reason. Indeed it complements and contributes to personal growth, to be a better human, a wondering human and free member of humanity.  Spiritual needs therefore must be seen as personal, and any overt expression in public must be confined to this need. Religions as an identity is asserted when spiritual need is seen through political frame of power hence identity. This assertion will have to be resisted, it emerges from a primitive worldview, hence nothing positive is expected out of it. You can see its vicious outcome at the cost of urgent matters. This sideshow cannot and will not be allowed to take the centrestage. It has created tremendous damage and agony. Meanwhile one should also note that the market driven alternatives that constantly presents as nothing short of adolescent nonsense posture as liberal, sometimes encompassing the most illiberal and regressive aspect of religion into its fold depending on mass appeal that is surely hinged on greed and opportunity. Some posture as atheist and try stretch liberalism to crass consumerism and amazing level of irresponsibility.

Religion’s booby-traps must be recognized. We must insist on individual values as every human is unique and hence has a commitment to herself to explore and experience that uniqueness without any boundaries and restrictions. Religion with its high moral tone, frozen from contexts of centuries back cannot be of any guidance, at the most a minor reference that can be rejected as and when the need be. Any other posturing by religion over people and also on society is unacceptable and impedes into basic expectations from democratic society and foundation of human values. In recent times despite remarkable advancements and possibilities that technology offers there is an onslaught of religion based balderdash that is making it difficult to focus unbiased on urgent matters logically sanely. Religious propaganda is overtaking critical reasoning faculties and this acquires serious dimensions with children being targeted. It is the duty of the egalitarian state to plug this incursion on humanity that has devastating impact on society. Children must be exposed to all kind of ideas, most critically that counters religions and refutes it claims. Thoughts and deep insights on myriad nature of life must be insisted as part of study that inspires inquisitiveness and understanding. Children must become humans with their humanity intact, and not religious zombies nor technology satiated frankenstein. Faith based schools therefore should be seen as a threat to humanity. Religion, like market capitalism, is being used to bypass the rational side of human, into the subconscious and sedate into complacency while the moral neutral technology –that is becoming too powerful and intrusive, is being used to extend the control. Democracy is dependent on critical thinking, so is humanity. Centuries of collective understanding contributed and sustained by efforts of some keen concerned minds cannot be allowed to be overtaken by primitiveness and juvenilities of religions nor the adolescent sensibilities of market. There is an immense loss when lies, deceptions and perceptions are considered normal, indeed necessary, process of any dealing.
        

India, being an overwhelmingly primitive society, the decision to give religious status to Lingayats section must be seen in its evolving context, and therefore must be appreciated. Lingayats are product of anti-caste movement that was initiated by some amazingly compassionate great souls like Basava–the same narration carried by likes of Buddha, Nanak etc, that really forms the core of Hinduism but had to severe itself –as the core was too degraded which finally was usurped through control of power structure, and it has severely degraded the society with regressive consolidation since the so-called independence as Castetva force took power. The cleverness and sly crude ways always have an upper hand in manipulation and deceit, nourished in moral ethical vacuum, that is expected to bring the worst. Social movements led by these enlightened souls were an attempt to shed crude ways and to aspire for egalitarian values that religion was expected to fulfill. The one that was severely brutalized by squatters who consistently worked to create a moral vacuum that nourished on misery, arguably no religion has fallen into such low levels of depravity. Not surprisingly under the hegemony of Castetva forces the depraved framework is enthusiastically being presented as diversity. Hence the charade of unity in diversity, specifically designed to awe strike the western audience. Some of these patronizing western fluffs working on lowest denominators of expectation are easy target. It makes me puke everytime. Lingayats rejected the muck that had eaten into the core of Hinduism therefore worked to extricate humans from this putrid pit, but you will see all kinds of trickery being used by ‘garbage at the top’ to keep them in the casteist fold. Finally, though it is clearly a political move that plays on divisions, Castetva forces –that Congress caters too and nurtures judiciously, has formalized the division into a separate religion. This was long overdue. There is also a need for ‘dalits’ or any enlightened section that is being kept in degrading and demeaning framework to stake its claim as separate religion. Castetva forces masquerading as freedom fighters essentially ‘garbage at the top’ arbitrating for ego hurt due to lack of control over masses recruited casteist racist ‘chatur bania’ –who was cleverly used to usurp egalitarian traditions. He, being a clever fellow, understood the game hence massaged little egos and small minds of castetva forces with sanskritised references (imagine quest of casteist for truth! Recently there was an activist –whom I dealt on twitter, who cleverly tried to usurp protest against exploitation of groundwater by corporates into this depraved gandhian frame –as ‘jal satyagraha’. Since I was at Plachimada more than a decade back, as the severely marginalized sections fought for precious water, I could easily understand this attempt at gandhian sanskrit reference and its implication. I stamped that one out with all the ferocity that it demanded. They are on watch out to virtue signal and usurp into depraved gandhian to showcase to the world. You must be in constant vigil). Gandhi was used to quell the ‘dalit’ assertion by Castetva forces, the minutes of Poona pact and aftermath was such a disgraceful part of India’s ‘freedom struggle’. Dignified life of great man Ambedkar, despite grave provocations and humiliation –by some very small men (‘garbage at top’ is the defining feature of this beleaguered society, who are given much importance as freedom fighters by state sponsored narration of history), is a study in contrast. Meanwhile acquiescence of casteist racist to the horrendous reality of the primitive society was seen as beginning of greatness, grand scheme of construction of mahatmahood from barest of civilized reference as they made futile attempts to salvage (done with much fanfare even now, like asking his wife to clean toilet!!) hints of even decency, ethics are quite farfetched ideas in a morally vacuum society. There is no doubt that ‘Dalit’ have strong case for separate religion, and I sincerely hope this is achieved at the earliest and are given minority status.

For Congress leaders –with rare exceptions, were mostly casteist feudals playing liberal, the shift from moral vacuum of sanctum into feudal grip over masses was easily achieved. Being casteist they severely degraded the society by usurping egalitarian references and turning it into euphemism meant to cleverly tap for political gains. As they driveled into the society –hapless beleaguered people, their sinister design they spread misery, they also infected democratic institutions with sanctum moral vacuum references. Meanwhile as they divided people into primitive frame, they sucked in all the benefits as entitlements, posturing as leaders. Never can you come across a society that suffers from such deep disparities, that it languishes in the bottom of all conceivable parameters when compared to world community. Some countries suffer natural calamities, others wars and civil strife but not in case of India it seems there is some uniqueness in suffering here –a nonviolent infection that seems to surpass any known disaster and constantly eats into the soul while the perpetrators seeks high moral grounds. Never has any society witness so much mediocrity among its elite sections that infects the policy making as also significant positions in democratic as also social institutions (even in matters of faith its filled with pus that ooze to ensnare people). In the meanwhile, myths are constructed and narrations created with dexterity to offset the reality and feed in the entitled world of omniscience and omnipotence, of special place in the universe. Indeed every new understanding in realm of science, that takes years of effort, diligence and critical study –standing as it is on the shoulders of giants over centuries, creates special interest in here in the form of claims that it is justification of ancient wisdom that this amazingly mediocre bunch was always privy to, only that the world hasn’t noticed. Universe has already bestowed on us these truths, indeed when encountering blessed souls what choice Universe had but to bestow! The world it seems is just catching up to mysteries that we always knew. And this myth and stories conceived by wastrels is used as constant reference of greatness. Squatters had time to fancy and speculate on anything and everything, exaggerated self-worth disconnected from any reality or civilized bearing while fattening in darkness of sanctum with constant assurance of entitled high valuation has created a ridiculous situation of buffoons trapped between wonderland of fantasy and myth. There is always this constant urge to project oneself as supreme. Greater the fantasy of past more miserable is the reality of present. What kind of people are these?

Castetva forces have been playing liberal hinging essentially on two parameters, firstly by demarcating minorities through segregation of religion, constantly feeding the worst of species to keep the divisions alive, and secondly by unleashing crude market, and within this wanton consumption showcased as liberal choice. As we see in the first instance they thrive on keeping people divided and exaggerating religion as identity for sinister motive, meanwhile since castetva forces cannot survive in egalitarian context they need to constantly muddy the water to emerge as benevolent pure savior souls. They flourish in birth based identities specifically the one that is conceived through regressive feudal values. So whether it’s obnoxious culture or degenerate traditions, monarchy or hereditary based acquisition they are extremely enthusiastic indeed and see it as god given occasion to showcase their tolerance. These kind of vermins have been at the helm of affair for all these decades. It’s no wonder that, in what is essentially a horribly discriminatory society wherein all the social institutions are severely infected, they didn’t find the need to utilize the opportunity provided by democracy (and even faith put on them by people through elections, however flawed) to immediately work on removing the unjust brutal nature of society, to initiate measures to work at removing these from its roots. Ambedkar did what he could, but was increasingly isolated and had to finally quit facing horrendous nature of reality, while casteist racist was being elevated as great soul and imposed on street corners –the great task of occupying public space with sacredness of statues. Despite such horrible discriminations and abysmal social indices measures were rarely taken that threatened their hold. Almost all the exploitative nature of colonial institutions functioned as such, to increase the stranglehold of castetva forces. No attempts were made to initiate much needed reforms though committees were setup as eye wash. From land reforms to severely taxing the hereditary transactions…nothing seem to be of concern. Liberal posturing Delhi based lawyers with no skin in the game play musical chair. Minority got confined to religion while secularism got confined to Islam. And in here worst types were fed to go down the depth of regressive ways to get into the uniqueness of identity while castetva forces used this frame to further drivel down the caste line. This despicable was projected as diversity as also seen as helping the minority. What an opportune situation, and it is here all these ‘senior’ castetva politicians from Iyers to Pranab pupate (remember that feudal Natwar Singh? The original ‘senior’ who masqueraded as guardian of high art, hobnobbing with literary figures, projecting himself as suave player –ofcourse corruption caught up with him is a different matter…not many in castetva media will like to recall the circumstance of his daughter-in-law’s suicide -how grudgingly the feudal "royally inclined" accepted her).  Now that the Castetva forces find themselves in existential crisis, they have up the ante. They have gone public with their casteist reference, what was once among inner circle entitlement is now shouted in public. “Jeneu dhari” is the weapon they could muster against hindutva force! (if put in context these claims –thread, are not value neutral, indeed it is worse than nazi symbol. Its presence in the core of religion makes it morally depraved). It’s therefore apt occasion to formalize divisions, that which was kept to simmer when needed, that which distracted zombie population (trapped as they are in well set fatalism driven misery) from any important issues or urgent needs. This is seen as egalitarian move to save minority! What kind of depth of depravity this society has slipped into. Meanwhile to counter mullahs muslim ‘liberal’ (essentially market driven posturers or feudals with similar narrations of mythological grandeur handed down through vagina route) were also promoted, to add to the bonhomie of diversity in lutyen’s delhi. People with muslim name was an attraction among castetva force, like some circus animal, while for common people these were similar people who lived in neighborhood of course unless primitive segregation to claim higher was introduced –very much encouraged by castetva forces and now easily taken over by hindutva forces.

 It need be noted that these ‘minorities’ posturing liberal selected and nurtured by castetva forces played the game dexterously as was demanded and were quite keen to adhere to the pointers that fetch. Mostly they played their part and were fattened and readied to be showcased as wonders of diversity. Having lost the traction of mutual feeding ecosystem they are now being used to bulldoze in the narration of ‘minority under seize’ by castetva forces against hindutva forces. They also have strong hold in international media, built over many decades of purge, so any minor incident (concerning ‘minority’) in what is essentially a violent society surrounded by countries with weak rule of law and in much dire situation compared to India, is exaggerated. Indians are valued in higher pedestal as an extension to castetva claim of higher nonviolent purity that they possess. They manipulated casteist violence as minor law and order problem while unity in diversity awe struck the world. Unfortunately for them hindutva forces is using the same model to discredit any attack on muslims (again quite insignificant considering overall violent context of the society). It’s about using state machinery to spiral narration. Hence this is a great society where people live in harmony, violence is non-existent, if ever it is only law and order problem and no systemic or institutional problems as people live happily in astounding unity in diversity that stray foreigners land to pay homage. It is postured that we are the spiritual gurus of the world wherein the reality is quite disturbing. So as the control of narration shunts from Castetva forces to Hindutva forces bypassing the tribulation of common people there is heartburn among casteist posturing liberal hence these chest beating. Meanwhile it need to be pointed that liberal elite ‘minorities’ help in normalizing casteism, accepting the natural entitled position of casteist who feed them, there seem to be no irony, nor any hint of hypocrisy…as they climb higher and higher moral grounds. One Christian fellow, a ‘senior journalist’ at that (TJS George in ‘Divided people are easy target’) writes “…Linguistic antagonisms have since been overtaken by sharper, more dangerous communal enmities. Muslim extremists fight Hindu extremists and vice versa, Christian evangelists fight Christian establishmentarians…On the sidelines, Kadva and Leuva Patels fight Kachia and Anjana Patels, Kapus fight Naidus, Bhumihars fight Rajputs, Vanniyars fight Nadars, Jacobites fight Orthodox, and Jats fight everybody. The Roman and British empires were simple garden-variety exercises compared to today’s Indian Empire controlled by vicious religious hatreds…” There is a mischief being committed here by comparing divisions in Christianity to Hindus as some kind of normal thing that happens across the world, and since he has a christian name he seems to be carrying special insight by comparing “Jacobites fight Orthodox” to “Kadva and Leuva Patels fight Kachia and Anjana Patels, Kapus fight Naidus, Bhumihars fight Rajputs, Vanniyars fight Nadars” (quite clearly he seems to relish mentioning these, something you will observe among ‘minorities’ when they mention casteism as if a matter of joke, and not of concern. Ofcourse it helps in ‘secularism’ and yes there is always moral high ground waiting for tenants). Divisions in other religions are not based on degrading birth based primitive framework, that quite clearly works to put hierarchy in place –which forms the basis of brutal discriminations and infection driven tradition-cultural contexts that is nurtured and orchestrated by despicable garbage at the top. It need be mentioned that putrid caste contagion has spread to other religions too in Indian subcontinent but it’s not really the core nature of these religions. To be specific Jacobite and Orthodox skirmishes can be traced to the issue among a section of catholic christians based in Kerala as to whom to follow, between Pope of Rome and Patriarch of Antioch (Turkey). Another “senior journalist” with muslim name (JawedNaqvi in ‘Wretched of earth’), that I happen to read sometime back (in Deccan Chronicle –a group facing bank default case) always in an abnormal concern for ‘secularism’ mentions that this land is that of ‘diversity’, and if that is not sinister beginning to normalize casteism he moves swiftly to even include actor SunilDutt and Hussaini! He writes with flourish especially reserved for such crucial occasions “…The advantages of a generous spirit are countless. There is the legend of the Hindus who call themselves Hussaini brahmins. While I cannot vouch for the veracity of this narrative, we are told that a few Hindu men got the title after fighting for Imam Hussain in the battle of Karbala. Indian actor Sunil Dutt saw himself as a Hussaini brahmin. Was he one? What I do know about him makes for a quaint and fascinating story.” Aw the “advantage spirit” of casteist “are countless” and they infect into other religions (which are not known for these primitive conception, sikhism has borrowed many of the egalitarian references of islam). “Hussiani brahmin” is an oxymoron, and is, far from ‘quaint’ (that this depraved columnist tries to posit to get into Castetva forces liberal frame), an assault on egalitarian values and traditions. There are many like these with ‘minority’ names who were actively recruited, fed and fattened, to not only normalize primitiveness but to wrench it into liberal secular framework –in the process degrading the democratic institutions and spreading misery.

 There is amazing level of hypocrisy involved in classification of “minority” too by castetva forces, its crude and opportunistic. If hinduism is about caste groups, which is euphemistically being referred to as ‘community’ –a valiant effort by casteist posturing as compassionate liberals to gain traction in civilized setting, so when religion is also tagged as ‘community’ then it is quite clear that caste groups should get minority tag. Either you accept casteism, and accept being casteist, therefore brutes, or you redefine the term community (because this is not how community gets defined in civilized human setting, where people living as neighbors for centuries and following same faith don’t cannibalize each other hence kept segregated). Casteist hindus, indeed casteist Indians, will have to be dealt severely. International community needs to take serious note. This is worse than racism, the gravity of which has been systematically diluted by ‘garbage at the top’ with the hold over power structure and influence. This initiative of creation of new religion is therefore in right direction, of moving out of casteist fold that has ransacked hinduism –vigorously so since independence. It is formalizing what was informal as also an evolved step to move away from primitive frame. Though it is a politically opportune step but it is also culmination of circumstances and forces of history.  India’s power structure core was always aligned to the pointers of Hindutva force, thus easy control. Castetva force is only a subset. Castetva forces therefore were just a mask that mimicked liberal and blurred the ethical lines meanwhile very significantly contributed in nurturing Hindutva forces. If hindutva forces were in power for atleast five decades a credible liberal and compassionate opposition would have coalesced and risen that would have asserted and upheld the egalitarian narration of this country –which is severely mutilated by casteist forces over the decades. But since Hindutva forces had struggled to gain credibility over the decades, mostly as a reaction to minority appeasement as also blatant value degradation through nepotism and corruption, they attempt to include egalitarian narrations. PM Modi is still seen as an admirable leader by majority of people in this country, NDA is seen as a break from the past (though that claims seems getting increasingly precariously perched), and he is making efforts to remove casteist forces (atleast a beginning in symbolic sense, in what is essentially realpolitik). Eventually after a point he will have to face the casteist forces within the core of hindutva (NDA) but till then there is a reactionary space to neutralize castetva (UPA). So these are exciting time, a much awaited, social churning that was expected many decades back. As the Castetva forces seeks to exploit and accentuate caste divisions (and patronize as trustees) meanwhile assigning minority status to religion (read muslims) as also play liberal by siding with wanton market consumption, we are now having a binary option consolidated –that has taken the centrestage, the Hindutva forces that seeks to (apparently) remove casteism from political forum (being a primitive society with entrenched depravities, these can be only a minor beginning). The government must initiate measures to remove mention of caste (and religion) in all educational institutions, specifically in application forms that can only be used for internal reference that too in case of benefits for marginalized. This must be applied to government recruitment process. Castetva forces (saturated with wide spectrum of depravity from Aiyer to Pranab to Natwar that ruled the roost, and these are only minor references. The kind of people at the helm will make you cringe starting with scoundrels like CR, this casteist small timer was recruited to quell egalitarian anti caste Dravidian movement in TN) have infected their casteist divisive agenda into the bureaucracy and you will find amazing level of mediocre buffoons nurtured and promoted to the higher echelons. I am aware of many cases, for instance there is this casteist retired bureaucrat, whom I was interacting with, who was specifically recommended by Aiyer for Secretary position. As for secular masquerading Aiyer another retired Ambassador, who knew him personally, tells a joke from ‘depraved Aiyer collection’ of how he chortled on his own while mentioning ‘I pity Pakistan that now have an iyengar replacing iyer as an ambassador”, these asinine comments are considered as amazing sense of humor in lutyen's circle, no wonder feudal Pakistani leaders are besotted to him and feed him regularly. This kind of shockingly mediocre morons were at the helm, who constantly short sold Indians, while taking common people for granted as they executed their nefarious design while audaciously seeking high moral grounds. 

Mention of caste must be only for internal matters, for affirmative actions or in case where there is atrocities being committed, otherwise there is no reason to mention. This creation and insistence of primitive identity is the game plan of castetva forces so as to trap common people as it helps them to gain control, manipulation space and usurp benefits, least they shouldn’t be allowed to posture liberal and kicked out of the high sounding gandhian pedestal they constructed. NDA government should initiate immediate action to negate these nefarious plans of castetva forces that has severely degraded the society over the decades. Last but not the least Castetva forces have been masquerading wanton consumerism as growth, and hedonistic wasteful lifestyle was cleverly mixed with atheism to give impression of high liberal. The narration you will observe among manipulative market media too who form the ecosystem for castetva (as also hindutva when opportunity arises, it’s about profits and contacts) to thrive while giving the hint of modernity, constantly promoting amazing level of mediocrity and irresponsible means to trap people through wastrel’s game of cricket as sports and trash mainstream Indian movies as art. This then is used to syphon easy money while nepotism and crony capitalism does the deal. Atleast Hindutva insist on probity, and an insistence on patriotism (that ofcourse can bloat to nationalism and totalitarianism, but then that is the risk this self-exaggerated society always face) that forms the basis of preserving the nation hence conservation efforts has easy traction. Swach bharat abhiyan and other initiatives, though limited, can be seen in this context (as the previous govt. initiated RTI, not through self-obsessed tardy bureaucracy but by egalitarian pressure groups that were given space). PM Modi has taken initiatives that are creating benchmark for renewable energy, as also mitigation measures for climate change. India is becoming a leader on these matters. Meanwhile market media though masquerading as liberal still survives by getting fossil fuel sponsors, indeed their whole earning model –existence, is based on consumption. That is the irony that explains lots of things, as also priorities of posturers. What locus standi do these people have to arbitrate, or even claim to be a responsible institution, for democracy?                                  

..and then on a fine Pi day

There was Einstein who was born on Pi day, and now, quite sadly, there is Hawking who went “flying like a superman in microgravity” (to quote NASA). This blogger had stopped writing obituaries, and despite some amazing people passing away in recent times I have stopped expressing my condolences for the reason that, I realize, these are quite personal moments, as also that there are some disgraceful cringeworthy people who even use condolences for self-promotions, indeed they are waiting for any opportunity to grab on to. It’s very sad being an Indian you end up confronting the worst kind of humans, almost on daily basis.

But this time around I cannot resist. Stephen Hawking is a big loss in more than many ways. He really was stupendous. I recall when he came to India, in 2001, I was so very excited for the opportunity to listen to him in person, and stood in the queue for more than four hours but unfortunately was not allowed in, couldn’t even get a glimpse of the great man. And so ended up listening to him onscreen outside the hall. I was totally devastated for not able to meet him, or listen to him live. If ever there was someone I would have really loved to meet it was Stephen Hawking. Syzmborska writes about enigmatic Pi, that could be very well be now true for Hawking “…nudging, always nudging a sluggish eternity to continue”.