The old tree

Here like a sentinel and a pause

I can retell stories of scars and seasons

Invading armies plough the land

Pilgrim’s procession of suffering

Wise leave trail in the folklore

I can tell the secrets hidden in crevices of unknown

Conscious that floats forever and settle briefly

To catch the colors of rainbow     

Climate culprits

 

The other day per capita carbon footprint of richest people was published and discussed. Disinformation spreading toxic media controller Murdoch is right there. This fellow is really a criminal, ideally one shouldn’t be happy about someone dying but yes people like Murdoch will do a big favour to the world by their death. Each moment they breath they take lives. They make world a worst place. There are many extremely rich toxic people who spread misery as they live, and then we also have not so rich down the pecking order emulating and aspiring to be richer and equally toxic -a statement on system that nurtures these people and crass reality of existence. About a decade back reducing carbon footprint became a conscience movement. Everyone, including this blogger, made efforts to reduce. Very soon it became clear that these efforts don’t really matter much unless there is a systemic effort. System -and greedy arbitrators, was parasiting on common people.

So, although huge carbon footprint of parasiting billionaires in West must be publicized the stark cruelty of rich people in poor society need to be dealt with equal seriousness. In a company the salary of CEO is compared with the lowest paid to get the comparison. Similarly, in countries with lowest per capita carbon footprint the rich people’s carbon footprint must be put in context to common people. This will bring out the horror of irresponsible wanton consumption while playing victim at international forum.  

Unbecoming of an aspirant politician

There must be decency in public discourse. Personal attack, if ever, must be to highlight nepotism or corruption. To mock a leader -that too PM, for failure of cricket team, and that his presence has brought bad luck, has in the context of society sinister intent. Associating people or person with bad luck -ashubh, has hoary past. It ticks on baser qualities, and attempt to bring the mob in herd. It is a dog whistle for street chuckle that sane people will find disgusting and an alarming breach of conduct. Political parties these days use trolls to keep the social media active, which then is reflected by fomo market media, but when a leader becomes a troll, it is a new low and reflects poorly on the leadership qualities. Superstition, fate, assigning bad energy/good energy, proposing solutions/rituals by pleasing is how charlatans cannibalize. Unacceptable and unbecoming behavior of politician aspiring for bigger role. Climate change -the heat wave, can have a debilitating impact and has the potential to crash all grand plans. It will not be bad luck but incompetent policy making.  

       

Please not another one

 Argentina is a large south American nation, and to see it go down like this is deeply saddening. That this fellow is elected by large number of people is a reflection of insecurities of people that is cleverly tapped by charlatans with atavistic appeal. In the last few years world is moving towards chaos which is having debilitating impact on common people hence they look for primal associations. Technology has unleashed powerful tools that has positive potential through all the communication and knowledge at fingertip to get deeper meaning and associations. But the way market has manipulated and designed it is to maximize profit through superficial attention of dangerous world. Astounding possibilities of technology is seeking lowest denominator. We no longer know whom or what to trust hence we side with subconscious associations of primal over egalitarian possibilities of unknown and awareness of better world. This has debilitating impact on society that may not be really be equipped to factor in such onslaught. Democratic values, critical thinking and empathy driven spiritual contexts have not really percolated. Add to it depleting resources, social turmoil and alienation. With impact of climate change set to cascade, and with that resource loss, food insecurity, displacement and diseases, things are set to worsen unless ofcourse people find better self and society consolidates evolved understanding. South America has vibrant history of left movements that have percolated awareness of rights into society, even religions have played fairly positive role. But has been marred by outside forces and wanton corruption. Left movement too has become corrupted and, in the West, controlled by devious ego driven feudals working theoretical jargons of debating points to settle score than any connection with reality. They severely degraded the world. Unhinged demagogues using tools of disinformation and mass connection are going to make it worse.        

  2.0°C is breached

Yesterday (Nov.18) first time in the recorded history surface temperature breached 2.0°C above the 1850-1900 IPCC baseline.

Be very concerned.

When is it hate?

 Ridicule is important part of freedom. Curtailing ridicule is attack on freedom of expression hence attempt at diminishing humanity. Aesthetics is the deciding factor. Nature of society also matters in the evolution of aesthetic sensibilities. Primitive individuals/societies lack nuance hence aestheticism. This lack of discerning abilities leads to incapacity to deal with complexities of modern world. They become vulnerable to extreme emotions and violent responses. Ridicule also has complex context. Denying these complexities makes it a civilizational setback hence emboldens primitives. Degrading and dehumanizing systems like religion must be ridiculed, and any attempt to give it significance as human identity by devious forces must be resisted. Forcing this subjective anachronistic nonsense as defining parameter in human dealing is sinister ploy to control. So is the disturbing attempt to freeze narration in horrendous past defined by sensibilities of barbarians. Semantics of deal -that essentially must have evolved with complexities of present, is frozen in icy reactions of dreadful past. This then trigger herd to emulate the past. The fractures are cannibalized by controlling forces to accrue power. In an evolved world words like antisemitism (or islamophobia) shouldn’t mean anything at all therefore confined to horrible past. These must be expressed frequently within the confines of contemporary to take on the systems that trap herds into agents of horror. Any sensible human must, with all their being, resist systems that dehumanizes, segregates and degrades. Religion has always been a threat to humanity. You must hate degrading system. You must pity and ridicule the herd. But you cannot hate human being. This demarcation of ridicule from hate comes with awareness of human condition. Religion, in the personal space, has served hapless people trapped in increasingly bleak fate and existential insecurities. Even in collective space some religions have complemented to modern life in many ways. The problem arises when in personal space it pushes humans into unthinking herd hence diminishes humanity, while in the collective space it pose a threat to enlightened values. All religions are not same some have not passed the critical scrutiny to enlighten itself but they must be treated equally to face the rule of law. In the awareness of contemporary world if some want to keep isolated and secure in primitive ideas of past then it is their problem. It cannot be problem of the world. Common people cannot be used as fodder to keep primitives occupied or distracted -since a focused herd can be nothing but threat. Denying rights, threat of physical violence as also associating past crime of history with contemporary is hate. Denying rule of law is hate. To classify people is hate. To assign people into history is hate. To assume that human being is anything other than human being is hate. The constant endeavor of devious controllers is to keep the herd occupied in their misery and barter them for power. That surely is not how enlightened society works, nor if you want to deal with complexities of future. We must ridicule the systems that nurture herd and reduce humanity. Herd is a pity. Let the awareness of human condition define aesthetics.   

*The above cartoon is defining characteristic depravity of herd; they have been so dehumanized that to maintain the system they even indulge in self harm. A region that has abysmal air quality- also horribly noisy, decide to celebrate their festival without care or concern, meanwhile asserting their herd identity as they snarl against and compare depravities of competing herd (religion). Such horrible carelessness and incapacity to enlighten themselves must be ridiculed in every possible way. Rule of law must’ve been strictly imposed. The lack of rule of law shows how primitives are emboldened with increasing numbers and using common people as fodder. Millions of vulnerable populations suffer/die because of this wanton crime of celebration. On a personal note, I am thankful since I moved to spent time with nature from these horrible irresponsible people.

In the context of degraded world, the above cartoon will be classified as hinduphobia. Thanks, patronizing fattened fluffs in west. It is victory of narrative control of lexicon sharpened by hypocritical left. Ah the beleaguered minority.              

 

Loop

 

When we are finally photons in the massless universe

Every space is like everywhere else

Past, present and future interlocks

Everything that ever happened, will happen,

All exist somewhere in space time slide

Fast forward, pause, rewind

Like wandering spirit we can step out to trace the shapes we take

Cyanobacteria, chloroplast, cambrian…

Mishaps, mischances, mutations

Improbables, impossibles

And then this

…and that

Shades of color weave life

Dancing bees

Mind that unravels pattern

Life simulates never ending fractals

Happiness sadness happiness 

Present absent present

Day night day

Plato points the heaven, Aristotle measures the world

Atom splits and splits and engulfs

There was light in the beginning and end

And beginning      

 

Stormtroopers of narration control

 When atrocities are committed on humanity there is only one response that is possible to redeem collective conscience and that is through shock, anguish, and justice. Perpetrators of crime against humanity must face full force of the rule of law without any exception. Enlightened values, ideals of democracy and its institutions are hinged on retributive justice as also prevent such transgressions in future. When state is attacked -as has happened in recent times in Ukraine and Israel -and now Palestine, it is expected that multilateral agencies like UN take action through peace keeping force and restore order and justice through international courts so on. This is what civilized people do when faced with barbarity and crime against humanity. We unfortunately don’t live in ideal world, and most people are not civilized. So, what’s the deal?

It is always exhibition of power, and wanton greed, that use common people as fodder. There are no effective multilateral agencies nor efficient mechanism for synergic response to safeguard against transgressions, most countries are ruled by authoritarian leaders with almost no democracy while others are ruled by hereditary despots using religion or controlled by army or feudal ways to control the herd, and those that are democratic are mostly controlled by greedy psychopaths trying to amass their influence. In such scenario we can only be appalled and hope for better sense to prevail. We can only pray for unfortunate people who face worst of the world, and also feel fortunate for not being in such situation.  In the meanwhile, we can also respond by making every attempt at our disposal to see that power that sustains such dehumanizing systems are weakened, people presented with egalitarian choices and enlightened ways so that they can assert and protest against transgression on their liberty and freedom. They get educated and understand the importance of being a human and not reduce to herd. They become vigilant compassionate humans and not compliant segregated herd (snarling and vandalizing only for ‘our’ herd and ready to kill ‘other’ herd). There are devious forces trying to trap human being to frozen histories, fixed identities, and classify for benefits and control.

In the aftermath of barbaric attack on Israel -that saw massacring for more than thousand people within few hours, the scale of brutality should shudder any human being. But what we saw was appalling display of people in support of this horror. Primitive societies nurture brutal people, and that is the norm, and always a threat to the world, more they grow more is the threat. But what was shocking was  that these parades were happening in democratic societies that values liberty and freedom, and as always compromised Britain leading the way. These appalling celebrations of horror were also seen in many cities that pride in liberal values, accepting environment and egalitarian spaces. That some people, despite all the opportunities provided by open societies, think that brutalities against other humans is to be celebrated is a horrible statement on values nurtured. It is a caution and a lesson. Each and every person who supported/supports hamas must be weeded out and face full force of law (indeed in Australia -of all the place -indicating how things have degraded, some people were seen shouting ‘gas the jews’). There are videos available, liberal societies cannot nurture such people among its midst they are termites, they eat from inside. This was hours after innocent people were massacred and kidnapped by barbarians. Ofcourse now scene has changed. Brutal bombardment of Palestine and massacring of civilians has become serious concern, and those in support of plight of Palestinians -and against Israel state, are on the side of humanity. What also need to be understood is that terrorists have created massive underground network in gaza against Israel and are using civilians as shield. There are complexities but what cannot be denied is that civilians, specifically children, must be given safe passage to leave the area and extended all humanitarian aid. Meanwhile Israelis must revolt against state, and demand complete stoppage of war on Palestine. They can eradicate hamas but they leave vacuum for increasingly hostile people like what they did in Iraq and Afghanistan. Death of single innocent human being is a colossal tragedy on life. Netanyahu has no moral right to be the prime minister.   

There is another sinister presence that needs to be identified and dealt: The leftist intellectual. Let us make one thing very clear. Marxism is a powerful and liberating idea, and it has contributed much to the understanding of dynamics of society and power matrix within. It is an insightful presence and a check on crony/neocapitalism, wanton consumerism and feudal control through neo colonial agencies. Communism in a democratic society is a pitch towards socialism and distributive justice. It has nurtured and consolidated democracy through grassroot social movements all across the world. Grassroot consolidation leads to high level of literacy hence awareness of rights and progressive values, efficient public health and distribution system leading to better quality of life and possibilities. Kerala is an example of grassroot consolidation of democracy significantly through communist ideas and socialistic values (ofcourse entrenched feudal ways, corrupt values and lack of ethical contexts have severely limited the progressive intents). While Bengal is an example of failure of communism, a failure due to lack of grassroot democracy. Bengal remains low on social indices but high on left intellectuals and amazing level of hypocrisy that it breeds. There is a reason why communism in Bengal was uprooted without any trace. It is a study on depravities of left intellectualism. Abstraction into theories that alarmingly loses any connection with reality, essentially an ego ride, so much so that humans are abstracted for elitist indulgences -the kind that has roots in Britain. In some market driven circle it is also fashion statement, and with gandhian mix it becomes extremely virile power display for the sake of proletariats.  

So, although Marxism is an incisive understanding on society it is flawed as model for governance and can only complement within the democratic framework. Leftist intellectuals worked on binary narration of society as class, and as they abstracted these into spheres of dealing in their zeal (and characteristic indifference) they abstracted humans too. So in the absence of individuals empathy had no value. Theory and control over narration was the game. Unique context of human condition was systematically ignored in favour of the narration. Left thinkers are therefore perpetually trapped in the binary narration of historical dialectic. For them every contemporary event has to be controlled and evaluated through this narrative prism. They already have semantics abstracted to fill narration, carefully abstracted words that is used to compress class wars from history to the present, hence presenting a neat version of contemporary that they parrot devoid of the complexities. With this characteristic positioning, that essentially lack empathy, they can easily side with barbarity since it suits the leftist narration. Like capitalism, which only values humans as profitable cog in the system, communism has created binary of collective where human is lost in abstraction. This abstraction is now their only concern, to work their narration, and since leftist intellectuals almost always emerge from feudal frames with all the benefits and regressive values intact, a high level of sense of entitlement over fellow human being, they work their abstraction through comforts of debating clubs and increasingly narrower coterie of writings and dehumanized esoteric arguments dangerously disconnected from sense, this then is applauded by the group. Enthused they pretend to be in the pole position as moral arbitrators on all critical issues. They eventually get trapped in the hypocritical justification of their own loop of narration. Abstracted ideas and narrative control becomes more important than basic ethics or even decency. A normal human being will shudder at brutality on another human being but for leftist intellectual this is a paradigm justifying moment, they do suppress their winning smile though -a glimmer of humanity. Meanwhile any deviation from prescribed narration is taken as a personal failure, an affront on theory, and lacking compassion they hedge their emotion on ego. Thus, what we get is a boorishly rude person as left intellectual, lacking empathy or concern for contemporary or compassion for human predicament but ever ready to elaborate with high sounding words and exceeding articulate performance that do charm the youngsters. Idealist youngsters are susceptible, and by the time they unravel the layered chicanery they have already compromised their soul. Ofcourse, I do agree deeper involvement with ideas are important and a necessary stepping stone to understand world better. Or else there is always the herd hauling abyss of religion and mediocrity of market capitalism. Marxism is a compelling viewpoint to evaluate the world. It though is woefully limited and dangerously insidious like religion and neoliberal values. In the end it too is virulently dehumanizing and segregating. What is sinister is that it poses as an anti-thesis to market and religion, and glimpses a better world -that is a mirage. Communist atrocities that have led to mass killing and misery are rarely condemned by left intellectuals. It is not about compassion or reevaluating their worldview or position but a personal failure to communicate. Dead people could easily be explained with abstract words into abstract humans. Hence it is about chiseling the ideology, against the binary of imperialism. What they don’t realize is that they are increasingly the worst side of the coin. Leftist intellectuals have made Faustian deal with power. Be very concerned.                           

As thoughts get sophisticated words get evolved to express the nuance of the complex world we live in. Ideas get evolved and consolidated through words. The problem is when it loses connection with reality -importantly with humans and environment that are essential part of it. It is a passion devoid of humanity or habitat. It therefore becomes sinister manipulation to sustain their position in the argument. You will see how least concern left intellectuals are when some humans don’t fit their narration -even when they are brutalized or killed, concern is to articulate the logic. Since marxian world is a historical struggle of binary, they will also rarely show any concern for environment -it is not something that is factored, and like its adversary capitalism, nature is an exploitable means. Abstracted human as an agent is their concern everything else is usable for bigger cause. They see human as an abstraction in historical progress -struggle. This also makes them extremely sensitive about history. The use of abstract words and thoughts are therefore not for awareness of contemporary reality -the complexity of which has miniscule connection with history (past is exaggerated by devious forces to work the status quo of misery and trap humans for power struggle). There are therefore ‘colonial’ forces. If Israel-Palestine conflict is frozen as ‘colonizing’ -that is sought to go back to early last century, then there are many colonial angsts all across the world. Hindu herds will say it was colonizing forces that divided their land, it was an injustice that they would like to rectify. And they have ample history to prove their claim for pure land, extending from whole of south Asia and beyond. So why not invade Pakistan and rectify colonial injustice (some nutcases do hold this view, as an unfinished agenda). Vice versa, muslim herd from Pakistan would claim that India is part of their pure land, since muslim king ruled for centuries. So they have compelling reason to attack India and free their pure land. What kind of ridiculous arguments are these? Left intellectuals are notorious for working history to bring their besotted godforsaken dangerous narrations. Abstracted human herein is no longer struggling against historical exploitation but is a conduit to power that nurture herds into their pre assigned ascribed roles to repeat and replicate historical dialecticism. Intellectualism essentially boils down to ego ride of psychopaths who use humans as fodder for narration. 

It is through semantics of abstracted meaning that we try to understand, and then attempt to deal with the issue. Words helps us to understand the complexities of the world we are in. We really need to therefore critically analyze these crucial words that keys the issue as also the power play within. Most thinkers, in their growing phase atleast, are influenced or have engaged with left -since left had deeper involvement as their concern is collective struggle against power, so words gets accepted and with that the context. Now this is problematic. When you control the context of the word you also control the narration and intricacies of engagement. The narration of abstracted collective lacking humanistic concern, as a mass of people evolving in the binary struggle. History therefore is the lynchpin of context from marxian viewpoint. Historicity their weapon of choice to cleverly work into leftist narration of struggle against power. The problem here is history is always incomplete, manipulated, controlled, and significantly, has increasingly limited value (indeed nuisance) to understand the complexities of contemporary -we live in an increasingly complex world with catastrophic challenges that were inconceivable even few decades back. Since historical dialecticism is the foundation of marxian history, history is the wound that has to be kept festering. This is how you work the binary of us and them. The way left intellectual look at the world one would think human beings are divided into two unrelated species. And the one with which left intellectual sides are essentially human while the other has to be destroyed -far left doesn’t rule out violence the reason why they must be contained within democracy and strict rule of law. 

Since the world is complex, and with profusion of technology and comfort as also social media and easy access to global world, individuals have found their voice and have become assertive to express their reality. Simultaneously lacking deeper engagement, or nuanced approach, to whatever is there to deal. The world is increasingly attention seeking, superficialities rivet. This is where words become even more important. People are not reading long incisive articles and insightful understanding but throwing words at each other which carry deeper meaning -many a times without realizing it. Words that invoke history is what we need to be beware of since it brings in fracture of the past that surely has no, and must not have, relevance to contemporary. Systems that invoke these words are persistent threat to the world we live in. Communism and religion are systems that seek relevance from past. They really have nothing much to offer for the contemporary. The binary -us/them, segregation, dehumanizing values lacking compassion or concern is how these systems consolidate. They persistently bring words from the past to degrade the present. With words they bring the context of dead past as festering wound, and so the world loses much of humanity. So, eventhough communism steadily lost its influence across the world due to its incapacity to abstract human for their collective dialectic they are able to control the narration through the words used that percolate into common parlance and claims of historical wrongs and counter claims -that use same semantics of deal devoid of contemporary context.

Communism spread in 20^th century and held hope for better world but very soon major flaws were apparent. In the last few decades, it has failed or had to morph from core ideology to garner support. Failure to abstract human for collective dialectics is a fall out of the changed world. Technology leading to individual assertion and increasing awareness of nuance of world we live in -individual context and human condition. Communism though has much left to offer against work place exploitation through unionizing collective voice against neoliberal neocolonial power structures spreading through market capitalism and their nefarious attempts to control through insidious technologies. Socialism remains a significant understanding for public policy. Technology, and easy access to world, has also led to lack depth in dealing and understanding. In this superficial, and increasingly fake and manipulated, world human seeks collective -being social animal as also dreading loneliness, isolation or incapacity to face frightening human condition and absurdities of life. Superficial values of unthinking minds find juvenile premise of religion comforting, its assured association with other compelling. There is also primal subconscious angst for known that get satisfied, as also fear of unknown assuaged through fantastical claims and grand stories. The reason why religion despite its anachronistic degrading values gets primacy. Laughable claims that don’t stand basic scrutiny is found acceptable, and in complete horrifying dehumanization are ready to kill another human to justify the absurd. Such absolute lack of connection to reality of existence and faith in fantasy is what religion presents. More the number of herds increases more it stands as a challenge to humanity.

The paradox of lacking followers but firm control over narration is where left intellectual workout their devious plan to establish their entitled self on the world. Instead of high stand of abstracting humans for collective struggle they now find readymade collective -albeit herd with entirely different concern but equally dehumanized and segregated. So, the left intellectual doesn’t have to dehumanize people into abstract human collective, herd is already dehumanized and incapable to think. The binary of imperial forces, colonial atrocities and fascist agenda are words that are freely used. Herd has to be a victim. While herd controlling state is the aggressor, indeed, imperial fascist force. There are no complexities. Period. Left intellectual has his or her work cut out. And in the luxuries of feudal trappings, they pronounce the verdict in spellbinding semantic flourish that encompass vistas of history to how we landed into the present. This is the danger we face.             

The essential and abiding identity of human being is to be a human, a vibrant life with all unique possibilities. There is providence of race and gender which shouldn’t matter if societies have evolved. Any other identity is a choice. It cannot be imposed on people, to classify and segregate. Ofcourse societies can be primitive, individuals insecure and crass, but that is not the reason to dilute progressive thoughts and evolved ideas. Being a social animal human being must have the all the option to associate into collective of their choice and identify as they wish. What matters is humanism and understanding, and a connection with reality of life. If you persistently classify people -and piece of land, under religion then you take away the choice of being a human -it is an assault, and ofcourse also the absurdity of branding land as a claim for religion. These absurdities are deviously worked into history, and then into contemporary to create recurring loops of misery and wasted future. It places humans as replication of past generations and as such lack faculties to think or express, or the capacity to identify with vibrant present. It is an attempt at negating human, and bracketing into preconceived identities. The reason why progressive societies must actively remove religion or its influence from education space that impress young minds. Education is meant to equip to be a human and assert one’s unique individuality.                  

To relegate crisis to past -the history, as definitive reference is to trap people in a sinister loop wherein devious narration control act as arbitrators and moral authority. The claim of history can easily be challenged since it is based barbarism of past -which shouldn’t be a reference for present. To claim victimhood from past is spurious attempt at obfuscating complexities of present. Victims were in context to time and space in which they lived. Their choice were denied. The claim of victimhood from history is based on the fallacy that you represent the victim and that you don’t have choice, or that past is about you. What is needed is to deny the past, and attempts to invoke it. What is needed is to see that systems that denied choice in past is relegated. Feudal structures and regressive values that denied humanity is dismantled. Democratic ideals and institutions are nurtured, freedom and liberty asserted.    

Recently there are calls made to apologize for colonial atrocities of past from british monarchy. This is precisely the ridiculous level to which narration are controlled, without any care for contemporary. Where do you draw the line of where history ends or begins? Or to whom do you apologize? Where the societies democratic with each individual enjoying freedom before western colonization? As we stretch history back in time the list of apologies will grow. Similarly, many religions and faiths controlled land over centuries, and much before that early human settlers from hunter gatherers. If anybody has claim on land then it should be early humans, much before any contemporary religions existed. Where do you freeze the line of history, and why? And who decides? This invoking of history is dangerous and futile. There is no doubt that monarchy is a regressive presence and sustains feudal values and carries the fractures of past and must be dismantled. Its continuation is an insult on each and every human being on earth. Colonialism is a source of festering wound across the world. It is however failure of society to blame the past, it shows incapacity to deal with the present. Many societies, specifically in east Asia, were poor swampy regions only a few decades back but through investment in education as also progressive values are able to reclaim. Britain need not apologize for its past, it is absurd. It must surely apologize for the present. 

 

 

    Antisemitic and Islamophobic cartoon 

Let us play war

 

You bring your bodies. I bring mine 

Let us arrange them in neat rows

Head matching the torso. Arms matching the legs

What doesn’t match shouldn’t bother us

Whole number is the whole human

To exchange stories of how

Missiles, guns, bombs, machetes, stones…

Blasted, shot, blown, chopped, hit…

Our god in heaven obliterate satan to eternal burning hell

Our god gouge eyes of satan in hell

Let us now haggle on numbers and claim avenging for blessed martyrs

Let us yell our narration of morals through shrieks of pain

Dead people of your land dance in joy in our land

Dead people of our land dance in joy in your land

Do you hear the beat?

 

Failure of collective will

 

We are facing existential crises that needs collective global response. Technology has made it possible for global collective actions the kind never seen in human history. The possibilities this offer is tremendous. But there is a failure of intent. There is a failure of collective will. It’s a colossal failure of humanity. Consequences are dire. There is urgent collective action needed to prevent climate breakdown -indications are pointing to growing fracture, how fast this will cascade into runaway climate is to be seen. With this the collapse of biodiversity and resilience of habitats and all that we care.

This failure of collective will to tackle crisis is now apparent in middle east conflict. There is a crime against humanity unfolding in Gaza. It’s a failure of multilateral organizations like UN as also other powerful entities that control narration. Israel, like any other country, has right to defend itself particularly when barbarians intrude and assault conscience of humanity. It has all the right to pursue the terrorists, destroy and decimate the terror infrastructure. It is incumbent on international community to extend unconditional support. Collateral casualties could be contained by precision targeting and intelligence gathering. This is the sanest path. It avoids the sinister trap laid by terrorists for war of accretion and mayhem, as also breakdown of rule of law within the civilized society and collective conscience. When you kill innocent people part of you also dies. When society becomes avenging blood thirsty jingoistic nation democracy and civilized norms gets sidelined. This works for devious people and authoritarian leaders.  

If Bush hadn’t taken the megalomaniacal path of retribution world would be a better place. What was needed was precision targeting terrorist hideouts and infrastructure with intelligent input. Carpet bombing Iraq as a personal vengeance against Saddam Hussain and all the mass killing and mayhem led to an unsafe world. Netanyahu is playing the same text book of incompetent leader trying to redeem himself using crisis as an opportunity to consolidate. He is unhinged. His bravado has serious consequence. What Israel needs is a new leader who doesn’t take this as a personal failure but a collective failure and works this crisis as an occasion for transformation. Enough of bombing Gaza, message is communicated that such barbarianism against state has dire consequences. But this really cannot go on. It has well past the retributive intent. It is now a crime against humanity. Those supporting this military action by Israel in Gaza need to pull the plug. This will have to stop.

Meanwhile supporters of terrorist groups must face full extent of rule of law. What also need to be understood is that when we support Palestine against, what is now essentially a crime against humanity, assault by Israel we are not morphing this as trap of Islamic brotherhood nonsense and the vicious narrations that it spreads, nor supporting Israel earlier has to do with zionism or stand against antisemitism. Suffering humans anywhere is a concern for all and we extend our support. Some suffering, it seems, has more traction than others among opportunists because it has more number of herds. Religion should have no place in identifying what suffering to associate to. These kinds of easy narrations are dangerous and meant to segregate and dehumanize, and undermine complexities and essential human condition as also devious forces at play. Democratic countries should have space for protest against massacre unleased by Israel but if it is calling for annihilation of Israel -very much orchestrated by islamic radicals as some kind of medieval war against jews, then we have to be very cautious and weed these out. The call for ‘free palestine’ seems to be couched in euphemism for annihilation of Israel. People must really make it clear what this means, or is it like what they are shouting in Britain; to ‘remove’ jews. One would avoid using words like antisemitism or islamophobia since these are trigger words for wider narration and counter narration of grievances that has absolutely no relevance in contemporary, indeed it complicates and vitiates. Beware of those who use these terms. It is a criminal lack of context and complexities of contemporary and an attempt at easy narration of control. Left movement, which was expected to provide vibrant viable option against wanton market capitalism and cronyism with assertions of socialist values that strengthens democracy, is seen with suspicion for associating with worst of humans as victims hence playing into revivalist regressive right. You cannot use common people as fodder. Collective will need intent of sincerity and concern.   

What is urgently needed is to defuse the situation  in middle east. Israel must cease its military actions. Hostages must be released. Outside forces must stop its meddling and let civil society meet and work it out. Negotiate without falling into the semantics and pitfalls of the past. This is not about history. This is not about religion. It is about human beings. It is about the contemporary reality we live in, and only this awareness can help find some meaningful attempt at peace.   

  

Israel need to stop

 

ENOUGH. Israel must cease its attack on Palestine. Message is conveyed. Terrorist will be pursued for their crime against humanity (ideally multilateral international agencies must be involved), their infrastructure and safe havens destroyed.  Israel has no reason to stretch it beyond this. This cannot becomes vendetta of failed leadership to justify its fringe element at home. This is akin to Bush's personal war against Iraq. It is now crime against humanity. Netanyahu has no reason to continue as decision maker. His government has catastrophically failed to protect Israel's border. Ofcourse Hamas is terrorist organisation and all its infrastructure must be destroyed and each and every supporter pursued and dealt severely under rule of law but that doesn't exonerate Israel of its amazing failure to protect its border and citizens.   

President Biden, and USA, is therefore now responsible for this continuation of attack on Palestine. This will have to stop immediately. Declare Palestine as separate country but with restriction to arm itself or right for defense force which should be strictly monitored by international agencies. Israel has existential fear from extremely hostile neighbors and from dangerous herd indoctrinated to see 'Jew'/other humans as eternal enemy, network of terror. There seems to be no other solution to this carnage perpetuated by worst of people against humanity. The world cannot sit back and ogle at 'viral videos' of death and misery that numb sense. This horror will have to stop.    

Human misery and semantic traps

 

As war mongers trap ordinary people through devious systems and work the fracture for opportunities, to gather power and influence, what is being lost at an alarming rate is space of sanity, of liberal values and egalitarian contexts. Complacency of elites in open societies (that provided democratic progressive spaces, individual liberty and freedom) has become a significant source of this degradation. Their proprietorial authority over common people through medieval feudal structures, nepotistic association and neo colonial control has severely damaged the social contract. Their sense of entitlement has seen to it that they use common people as fodder to cover up their irresponsible ways for easy fixes. They let egalitarian values and democratic ideals to be diluted as they nurture primitive systems. Instead of letting humans thrive and reach their potential they authenticated systems that dehumanizes and degrades humans. They patronized religion and wanton consumption-based capitalism to play havoc while they used semantics of higher morals to consolidate their positions as representors of better world. They sold themselves as smart operators and aspirational figures. Democracy therefore is reduced to a conduit of brutal power plays. The reason why charlatans and psychopaths have such influence.

Democracy needs constant vigilance, it took centuries of effort to reach this stage of human progress, to consolidate this humanism based endeavor and value systems to take root in societies, into individuals and the way they think and influence their surrounding and world, and is therefore preferred across the world as optimal way of governance. It guarantees individual right and provides freedom to pursue one’s dream and aspirations. This is what progress means, this is the most significant and abiding achievement of humanity,  all scientific and technological achievements are byproducts, and this is where the future is hinged. This has come with great sacrifice and tribulations. The forces that sought to undermine were always active and still are. If we are not vigilant then this progress will wither away. There are grassroot movements that seek to consolidate the gains of democracy into individual relations and social institutions. They work under tremendous odd as obscurantist regressive forces gain across the world. Unfortunately, in the name of vigilance what we are increasingly having are rant rakers and activist opportunists who create the binary noise against the leaders without ever wondering why are certain type of people getting elected or that people are preferring them. These opportunist choose the easy narration and play local guardian to herds -as oppressed, without pointing out the reason. They failed to critically scrutinize systems that churn out these herds, whether religion herd or market herd or herds of circumstance who became incapacitated to apply their mind since they are too much coopted by the system. Vicious forms of religions are gaining control while some are searching viciousness in benign beliefs to match the threat and counter threat. These have severely eviscerated egalitarian intents and weaken democratic institutions. Regressive dehumanizing religions, feudal systems that nurture crony capitalism and consumption and provide base to neo capitalism have become serious threat to humanity. These are not accidents or providence; they are culmination of sinister forces working the fracture.  

It is matter of grave concern that egalitarian liberal values are confined to few spaces across the world, and in the last few years sought to be further reduced thus a significant setback to progressive values. With technology and awareness one would have thought liberal values will spread and world would be happier place with all possibilities. Unfortunately that is not what is happening. There are also efforts made to subjectify and degrade democratic institutions to let in primitive systems as a case for inclusiveness without scrutiny. West is severely compromised by its complacence and sense of entitlement. In the schizophrenia of self-assured superiority and self-loathing angst they don’t realize they are being eaten from inside. The rise of China doesn’t hold much hope, and will be a constant source of regressive consolidation across the world. This is not what China is -indeed could have been a source for progressive forces but is shackled by devious authoritarian forces making them a serious threat, so is the case of Russia -and opportunist elite in West have much to blame as they gained from crony capitalism and strategic influence with fall of USSR. NATO has no role in the contemporary and is invoking fractures of cold war. Instead of strengthening multilateral agencies like UN they made it ineffectual to deal with global challenges. Much of Arab world is barren land of medieval religion/values and competing feudal forces presenting not much hope. There is money and glitter, but nothing really progressive. Pathbreaking ideas comes from spaces that nurture excellence -it is necessarily based on liberal values that provide freedom to question. Inquisitiveness doesn’t thrive in closed society.

Humanity progresses by not falling into the traps of past or sustaining systems that nurtures these. As humanity gains more awareness meanings of the words used must assimilate the changing context, or else we need new words to factor the evolved awareness and stop using words of the past. We really cannot repeat the same words and expect the world to be different. Just like science, as the knowledge is updated meanings changes and therefore the reality changes. So, it is matter of serious concern that western leaders and commentators are falling into semantic trap of the past and thus nurturing fractures of past hence persisting the misery. Meanwhile authenticating vicious obscurantist forces seeking to segregate and trap humans into fixed narrations lacking any complexity or regard. We fall into the well-set trap and carry the burden of history, and keep looping the misery without much learning or any control over fate. Hence what shouldn’t repeat repeats with appalling frustrating regularity. Words are incapacitated to convey iterating understanding or awareness of contemporary. History can only repeat when societies are static and dead while humans are incapacitated as herd to be manipulated by devious forces and everyday charlatans. A world in status quo will necessarily repeat the tragedies of the past.

Words that are critical of religion cannot carry the burden of past. There is nothing wrong with anti-Semitic nor is there any problem with being a religiophobic -islamophobia or hinduphobia or whatever, these are western narration of compromise that is devoid of contemporary understanding and has dangerous ramifications. Anachronistic juvenile context of misery spreading religions must be critically scrutinized and ridiculed. Followers are not special, and indeed are major source of degradation all across the world. Recent scenes of support for horrendous violence of terrorist group Hamas (that surely has pattern of a religion which has not been scrutinized critically and is relativized with other religions. Clearly, large numbers spread across is holding some kind of blackmail call hence precious values are being compromised and common people fed as fodder) is not anti-semitic nor attack on innocent people in Israel anti-semitic. Nor does these horrible attack invoke history of genocide of jews. This horrible violence is not anti-semitic, giving into this narration is to prise open the wounds of history that has no comparison or relation with contemporary realities whatsoever. It is playing into the hands of devious forces who seek to control and segregate through religion and attaching sins of history. Attack on innocent people in Israel is an assault on humanity. It is a deep wound on collective psyche of humanity. It is not anti-semitic. To reduce it to attack on jews is an affront to the world we live in. These horrors are reflection of complexities that we face, and religion can only be given minor significance. Complexity of changing aspirations, of widespread technology and access, of toxic social media, of weapons with tremendous destruction power, of shifting geopolitical complexities and depravities so on. Complexities also include actions of Israel as also present reprisals that surely needs to stop.

It also needs to be pointed out, and firmly asserted, that the action of british newspaper The Guardian against cartoonist Steve Bell is deeply disturbing, it is an attempt to use this terrible occasion to expand the sphere of control of religion. There is really nothing wrong with the cartoon here. It is stark and appropriate. This is an assault on press freedom. It is censoring individual freedom. High moral posturing devious people posing as media are curtailing freedom of expression. As it is britishers are severely compromised and ensconced in feudal values and christianity grip, not knowing what to do their angst constantly shift between pandering to sycophancy to supplicating the exotic and religiophia, they end up feeding the worst that create misery across the world -because of their colonial legacy and semantic reach. They provide safe space for scums on earth including caste cannibals, monster mullahs among others. Meanwhile hamas, as also their supporters -specifically those in West who enjoy all the freedom and comfort, that millions of deserving people around the world do not, these depraved vicious herd must face full force of the rule of law. They must get lessons on evolved collective values. There are opportunists who want to work easy narration for benefits, as also lack of awareness of complexities, they have assigned human fancy identities and expect to barter their soul. Beware of those who use semantics of the dead past to control and degrade the present and influence future as if there is some game going on. Every attempt must be made to retrieve humans from herd. That is the deal of democracy and dealing of democratic institutions. That is the responsibility of egalitarian forces. To retrieve humanness and to establish humanity.

Indigenous voices need protection and representation

 

Democracy needs protection of vulnerable voices -voices that represent indigenous knowledge and understanding rooted in thousands of years of connection with land, least contaminated by ludicrous religions and arrogance that it breeds. Voices that have deep knowledge of the realities of world they live in. Voices that are voice of earth. Voices that were brutalized. Voices that have become important for the survival of humanity. In a disturbing usurping of democracy protection of minorities is ransacked by viciously competing religions and is posing as vulnerable. Segregating and dehumanizing religions not only isolate people from surrounding but also give them grander narrations of omniscience. These entitled worldview and intolerance that it breeds is a serious threat to democracy and egalitarian values.

Today’s rejection of referendum by Australia to give political rights to indigenous population is a serious setback. Some common pattern needs to be recognized here. Countries like Australia, New Zealand and Canada have conducted genocides against indigenous people, to decimate quaint cultures and enslaved them into their religion and way of life. While no real attempts were made to give political rights to voices of these oppressed uprooted vulnerable voices, they showed devious vehemence to showcase degrading religions and regressive values as exotic hence minority and showered with kindness -that these religions surely do not deserve while they usurp minority voices and ideas, weakening democracy and individual rights. Canada was, and continues to be, extremely violent towards indigenous population while they encourage worst of religions. What is significant is that these nations i.e. Australia, Canada and New Zealand are headed by british monarchy, white people/christianity. This should shudder the soul of humanity that this colonial legacy -that necessarily represent wanton exploitation of land and people, is still carried on without any irony while indigenous people are denied their voice. Compromised political system -that places centrality to feudal values and christianity, has led to misplaced and easy redemption seeking through feeding other religions -as minorities and exotic presence, for deviant compulsions of multiculturalism. Worst of people and values are being nurtured. It is not at all surprising that these nations are breeding ground for religious extremism and active source for misery across the world. Britain has done immense damage to the world, and continues to do so.   

Over the last few centuries indigenous people, tribes and aborigines were brutalized by powerful competing forces across the world, and sought to be decimated. These are original people of the land. They have deep connection to the world they live in. They carry the wisdom of centuries. They are soul of the land. They represent the entirety of biodiversity of the land as they are intricately connected to it unlike dehumanized people slaving for power and money while destroying their own habitat and nature with impunity. As earth is reaching a point of no return for human existence it is the indigenous voices that matter most. They are not exotic presence with colorful attire to fill in the gala of photoup. They need active representation not only at national level but at all international forums. Voice of indigenous people is the voice of earth. We need to listen. We need to listen carefully.  

*Many years back I spent time with various tribes across India, mostly trying to understand their world view as also language and poetry/oral traditions. There maybe bit of romanticism here, mundane and disappointments, but yes there is lot to learn. You could easily sense deeper connections through language, poetry, certain aspects of way of life and thoughts.

You may visit me for few of my visits https://iseeebirds.blogspot.com/2011/03/ (for Toda tribe)  https://iseeebirds.blogspot.com/2012/01/ (for Irula tribes)              https://iseeebirds.blogspot.com/2013/09/geez-its-streaked-laughing-thrush.html (for Warli tribes)...and for many more you can visit the blog (apologies for cringe typos)   

Sights

  

Where do you hinge your soul? 

Is it in the memories of bright sky caught in latticed branches

Green etching the blue, all the delight of colours 

Or is it frolicking waves and crinkling fronds

Sights of scooping pelagic birds

Frenzied ghost crabs among ruckus of crow

Or is it kept safe in quieter recess of time

While you negotiate noisy traffic among careless drivers

Liberate it to pause passing skein into the setting sun

Take it as if it is the last breath     

#WorldMigratoryBirdDay

Sins of 20th century

 

Herd kill each other for the sins of the past. They kill because they are trapped in the systems of past controlled by sinister forces. They kill because they are incapable to be human. They are the sins of 20^th century that raises its ugly face to shadow the hope of future. They are kept trapped in semantics of past as they are incapacitated to live the realities of present. Herd is a profound lost possibility of humanity. More they grow more they end up wasted.

Land is about power. The control changes with time. To claim that land eternally belongs to a particular religion doesn’t stand the scrutiny of time nor civilized expectation of contemporary reality. The claim of religion over land cannot be allowed to be normalized. There is no Islam land or Jew land or Hindu land. Land belongs to people who inhabit, and not of eternal control of religion. People have different identities and claims, to straight jacket identities of vibrant people into staid religion is the biggest racket orchestrated by sinister forces in the recent times, to divide, distract and control. There were sacred sites in the past and as the power control shifted the site became irrelevant. This has been the history of homo sapiens for thousands of years unlike blessed herd want to believe from the assumed security of their eternal trapholes. Invading marauders, religious nutcases, colonizing psychopaths captured land and claimed to be theirs. Narration controlling historians authenticated these simplistic versions and thus seeped it into common knowledge which now becomes rallying point for herd claims and counter claims, hilarious and horrible. History is much complex than what historians with limited access can perceive. Indeed, it is difficult to comprehend history, and is as difficult and meticulous as paleontology. Atleast paleontology doesn’t suffer as much conjecturing as history does. We need to be humble about our lack. At the most we can get a glimpse, and to claim the glimpse is the whole is  initiation of simplistic version leading to ever simplified occupation of herd mind. History is sought to control the present, the reason why narrow version of history is fed through control of medium. One would have thought that with dilution of control through social media they would acknowledge the humbling complexities hence work together but instead what we get is rabid ranting hawkers of little glimpses they carry arrogantly as their version of whole world while cheered by ever polarizing herd. They fight with each other to impose their superior glimpse of history over other hence control and claims. While sinister controllers evaluate the situation for opportunities.

If humans were humans, alive to the complexities of life, there wouldn’t be claims of ‘our land’ and ‘their land’ that juvenilities of religion feeds. So, people can move and settle wherever they want while adhering to rule of law and basic decency. This synergic involvement for evolved expression is what democracy proposes. The reason why herd has audacity to not only claim their unique sacredness but divine right to kill other humans, even children, is what sinister systems does to people. Human take the extreme step of killing another human being for possession, passion, to survive or is mentally ill. Human is no longer a human when they kill for system. They become herd, and gain potential to do worst atrocities. Since they are detached to what is to be a human, they objectify other into ugly version and abstract lessons of history. So, innocent children could be massacred, women are stripped of any individuality (and as pointed earlier primitiveness of religions vary, some haven’t really been scrutinized critically hence move around with their depravities intact while well placed opportunists use this as bartering tool for power and influence) and reduced to object of power display. In the meanwhile, nature is as much vandalized. Sacred life is violated in every possible way while herd claim sacredness of their land and their inviolable right to destroy. A human being realizes that to destroy life is to destroy oneself. Herd is incapable for such nuance. Herd is eviscerated of any human qualities hence works in the Manichean binaries of simple world of loyalties and punishments of horror.

Challenges of future can only be faced by human being aware to human condition and vibrantly alive to complexities. Juvenile fictions of holy hell books and anachronistic dehumanizing feudal systems have no space in the future dealing, at the most they can be warily tolerated, ridiculed and critically scrutinized. They cannot have any special ordained place. To give dehumanizing systems a special place is an assault to humanity. Semantics of 20^th century cannot be allowed to be carried without scrutiny. These embed fractures of past, and are meant to trigger the herd into set pattern of actions and counter actions. Complexities of contemporary world cannot be confined to dreary patterns of the past.

Those who are nurturing dehumanizing systems and feudal values must be called out and held responsible. They don’t value nor respect human life. They infect every egalitarian effort for their sinister control. They know that religion can easily be used to trap and manipulate vulnerable people hence nurture these as identities for easy control. Every thread that weaves systems of control is responsible for degrading life on earth. They are responsible for each and every violation on humanity. They are responsible for recent attack on Israelis and now on Palestinians. This righteous posturing is sickening. As for godforsaken sacred land. The Israelis and Palestinians must learn to be humans, and yes if left to themselves they would easily find their humanity. There is more in common than systems like them to believe. This is difficult to achieve since there are sinister system controllers and depraved herd nurturers with laden semantics and loaded guns keenly evaluating the proceeding for opportunities. As long as religion claims identity and feudal values defines dealing people will be massacred with impunity -as semantics of past trigger horrifying pattern of brutal past, and while we watch in horror sinister posture for moral high grounds and opportunities. These patterns had it run in the past. This cannot be allowed to repeat. Hence looking at history for lesson or input is futile. Freeze the border as it is now. Declare Palestine as a country with specific safeguard for provocation against Israel -use of land for terrorism -since herd controllers have grand plans of depraved world. Meanwhile every attempt must be made to weaken herd controlling systems. Religion cannot be identity nor given any sacrosanct space, the more it encroaches more humanity loses. Not only religion must be critically scrutinized and denied central role in human dealing but also herd must face stringent rule of law to make them realize the importance of evolved collective will -any violation is violation of humanity. Also, dismantle feudal systems of West that has left these regions severely compromised and vulnerable to deviant value systems of high moral ground stampeding fattened fluffs. They have nurtured the worst and are persistent threat to the world as they wallow in their colonial luxuries while lazily seek angst guilt redemption from next exotic estimation.  

Meanwhile take a look at what could be possibly middle-east “sacred” region in few centuries from now   

          

        

Human Infection

 

A serious breach

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weren’t you scared?

No, never.

But you almost died.

I wasn’t afraid to die.

I am not afraid to die either.

No.

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

“Take a look. What do you think?”

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

“Well?” he said. “Are you looking?”

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

“It’s really something,” I said.

 

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

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

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