A case of kettle calling…

The above picture is of Dalai Lama leaving White house, through the back door, and what you see is garbage around. This should put in perspective on high moral ground some are taking. Most Indians remain tolerant, though more tolerant than what is needed. They many time lack the intent to protest, as the cunning elite obfuscate the reality and take advantage of the confusion. India should be judged in relation to deteriorating situation around the world, clearly it cannot be isolated from the surrounding. Indians don't live in pristine perfect world. Little skirmishes happening vis a vis Christian (in Delhi) should be dealt accordingly, though loony left (with some gargantuan hedonistic appetite) and some mischief makers who want to corner Union government on the matters is ridiculous to say the least. Just because evangelical groups have lots of clout in US shouldn’t be reason why PM should ‘break his silence’. He has better things to do, and yes, like US President, PM Modi has his constituency/interests to worry about. He must work accordingly. Some localised stone throwing/break ins cannot be exaggerated. These are law and order problems. In the precedence of problems Indians face these are nothing.   
  

Most importantly, the reason why Christian missionaries/groups are holding some prime properties in cities (quite disproportionate to its population) is because of colonial power legacy. As and when India got independence these should have been taken by the government (except the church) and converted into what was considered important for nation (In Mysore many of the erstwhile royal structures have been converted into government institutions). Though must add here that Christian missionaries have done tremendous work in the field of education as also giving strength/moral support to marginalised. Freedom fighters firmly entrenched in squatter’s wanted to show themselves as modern and egalitarian therefore they associated themselves to colonial remnant. Christian missionaries were direct beneficiaries of colonial incursions. They were assured of the spoils. It is also becoming clear that in West Christian missionaries were quite aware of genocide on Jews, they may have even actively connived with fascist. With mullahs getting funded through petrodollars, and missionaries enjoying the benefits of colonialism as also cash rich west, it is but natural that ghar wapsi will gain credence. Hindu rightist groups should have their space, and nobody should have problems with these. It is hypocrisy of highest order if they find any problem with these, and that is precisely what squatter masquerading modern are hinging on. The hypocrisy is obvious. It is arrogance of the mediocre elite that they can dictate terms of engagement as it suits them. Clearly things have changed, and they are tugging on international strings to gain credence. The nation-state will respond if it feels that its internal affairs are being unwarrantedly prodded on and exaggerated by interest groups. Balance is necessary. In the meanwhile…PM Modi should break his silence on pertinent issues like for instance why are Anglo-Indians nominated to Rajya Sabha. What is so special about them? Indeed on what basis was such provision granted?

There are some mischief makers sucking under the garb of conscientious NGO, they delve in cities sucking and cannibalising on genuine NGOs who are doing tremendous work at the grassroot level. These therefore try to gain credence at the international level with their manipulation and decibel sweetness. The one at Sirifort learned lessons by understanding about lice (ridiculous), a clear case of person being planted (hence reaping the benefits) than one is genuinely involved. It is a Gandhian moment. Gandhi wouldn’t have known about discrimination if he wasn’t pushed out of plush compartment in South Africa, which he had comfortably ensconced as part of entitlement. The ordained world he carried from India. Amazing is it not!! That he spent all his life in India without realizing discrimination is truly impressive. If he was born little later I would have speculated that he lived in the lovely world of Malgudi!! More than ‘Gandhi would be shocked’ (Obama), I am finding more reasons to be ‘shocked by Gandhi’, indeed Gandhians truly amazes me. Always do. As the learned Judge pontificates ‘Hinduism is way of life’. Ghar wapsi is absolute nonsense but those highbrow high angst types protesting against are what makes it groovy. Truly homecoming of scoundrel squatters.
 

O dear O dear. Take it easy Mister Rushdie

Bhalchandra Nemade is a respected writer, who is recently awarded the highest literary award in the country, he has his views, and is mostly right on. Clearly English is a killer language, it is a well-documented fact. English writer, despite low readership and quality, gets more share because of market, and in Indian context some amazingly mediocre English writers are exaggerated because of this very reason.Though I consider Naipaul writer of highest order, as also brilliantly incisive. Rushdie should take it easy, it was coming his way for some time now. Wasn’t he who a decade or two back grandly condemned Indian non English writers (protest were dismissed as ‘sprightly’). Obviously chickens are coming home to roost, the tap from Aunt Elzi is of no help. Dear me, dear me, what thou has cometh to thee world!!! More than Nemade not reading Rushdie it is whether Rushdie has read Nemade? Bravo Mr Nemade we would like to hear more from you.   

       

Uncouth India exhibits itself at the highest level

Someone send across this picture the other day. He was very angry. The anger was on expected jingoistic framework of ‘respect the martyr’s wife’ so on. I have nothing against these, after all a nation state is duty bound to take care of its martyr. Jingoism is part of democracy in primitive societies. In countries like USA it’s on the sleeves, as the market dominated crude society just has veneer of sophistication as most don’t put premium on knowledge but on acquisition while sensibilities are outsourced to faith running rackets. It has an amazingly horrendous variety of irresponsible middle class that increasingly belligerent, uncouth and mediocre Indians have taken it as reference of everything modern.

It is therefore quite appropriate that USA President is also in the framework of this amazing travesty that one can observe in the picture. It is an occasion of highest level of prestige for the nation but look how the Indians have performed. I cannot blame the present government as they are only following the ‘tradition’. It goes back to India’s freedom fighters and the framework they put across for the modern nation, well supported by tail wagging writers, thinkers and dutifully reported by intellectually challenged journalists. It is the squatter’s framework that strives to strike balance the heftiness of modernity. Mukherjee (the temple hopper with inbuilt jee) is engrossed in his duty to the nation, so are others. The umbrella bearers are seen giving the masters respite from vicissitudes of nature so that they can concentrate on bigger matters (does their job profile mentions about umbrella holding?). That this doesn’t extend to the ‘martyr’s wife’ –a young woman arguably facing intense personal turmoil. Normal people/system would have seen to ease her discomfort.  Mukherjee who was all the while seeing rain drizzle on her could have taken the umbrella, and given her some comfort, or atleast he could have asked someone, or even snapped his little finger. That he couldn’t, that nobody could is what defines Indians. The nonviolent barbarians. It is a zombie moment at the highest level.

Now let’s come to other detail which is part of hallowed tradition. Look at the size of chair, apparently the host has bigger (ornated, oversized) chair compared to ‘chief guest’. How wonderful!! Even the most impoverished families when entertaining a guest would extend the best that is there to offer, sometimes at their own acute discomfort. They may not know much about attithi devo bhava but they understand propriety. Temple hopping Mukherjee will see nothing amiss, he is in the world of entitlements, bigger chair is ordained by higher forces which he has no control over. Its squatter’s framework modified, to show thyself the centre of the world, that our freedom fighting elitist leaders and disgusting bureaucrats have put in place.

Last month I was travelling in Delhi metro, and as it happens sometimes you have some ‘nutcase’ talk loudly. This elderly man was talking to everyone who cares to listen, one or two people responded. He raised some relevant questions and one of them being why is the President of India staying in ‘500acres house’ (I didn’t cross check, I don’t want to) while most people don’t even have place to stay. Quite relevant thought. Clearly the scoundrels who were the leaders (indeed masquerading freedom fighters but aiming at lick from the transfer of power) wanted to replicate British model, despite the apology of freedom. President was to be compared to the monarch. The so called leaders from Nehrus to Patels to Radhakrishnans didn’t see anything amiss. That the elected leader i.e. PM will be seen as subservient to someone who stands for pomp and grandeur, essentially was to put the elected leader in his ‘lowly’ place.  I am underlining it because this is what Indians are good at. Maybe the idea of President as an essential continuity from electoral matters is understandable but as expected they messed up on pomp. It is disgraceful that a poor nation has ‘not much to do’ and ‘unelected’ head displaying the degrading pomp, a feudal reminisce. It’s amazing that they just couldn’t hide their admiration for British monarchy, essentially a self-justification for their entitled degrading squatter’s thoughts. This is replicated in every state in the name of Governor, a wasteful specie, a regret hoisted on state government.   

Rastrapathi Bhavan should be a museum, displaying best of India, also a part can be reserved to host foreign heads by the PM. President should be given a small two room set where he can undertake constitutional function when called upon to without much pomp. I know these are wishful thinking, nor have any President so far refused to stay at Rashtrapathi Bhavan, referring to colossal waste hoisted on people.  

Now to the matter of displaying military might. These are done by insecure societies, and have much pride of place in primitive societies, indeed their constant cultural references hang around these. This blogger finds people who wear fancy dress (also referred to as uniform) and trained to kill others, and in the process getting killed as extremely saddening. There are many who are ready to fight and die for the geographical region called nation, and it is duty of the nation to compensate and respect these martyrs. Considering that mullah indoctrinated rabid dogs are on constant itch across the border. But this blogger is against increased militarisation of society, soldiers needn’t be celebrated (primitive market like USA are good at these, they mainstream these through gun hugging movies). A soldier singing war mongering song to young child is not poignant moment, I think it borders to child abuse. Anachronism cannot be celebrated. A soldier is essentially someone who has to follow orders and lay his life when asked to, it needs an exceptionally low intellect human to be trained to do these. Amazingly in the construct of nation-state, feudal egos, prestige and chauvinisms these are much easier than what is assumed. There are millions who will queue up to give lives away. EU has done away with borders, a remarkable achievement. But societies across the world haven’t changed much in centuries despite modern gadgets. For instance, in India every other movie is about some low brow fellow in uniform as saviour. Art becomes degradation, freedom an apology. But I really cannot blame since the surroundings are becoming increasingly insecure, societies are not enlightening.  

Coming to the speech made by Obama at Sirifort, the market media had their pick, indeed it all was frenzy. For people these overenthusiasms, that Indian media are prone to, are an embarrassment. Pretentious one’s looking to embarrass the government with its agenda, Obama gave the bytes that could be interpreted anyway you could. Clever fellow. This blogger though expresses his protest in his strongest terms on something market media missed. ‘Caste’ is not expression of ‘diversity’. Mr Obama should be careful with the kind of bleeding hearts from whom he gets his brief in India. These are disgraceful people. Casteism is racism. He better know it and should be careful with Indians, they know how to camouflage their nastiness.

The other day I was watching Shekhar Gupta, a senior journalist. In Indian it means they may not have much insight into Indian society or any association to their problem, but would know how to associate with power structure and further their career. Guptaji is battle hardened, meaning he understands the minds of devious politicians and political parties. How much is that an achievement I wouldn’t know but yes he has the power and clout. What else you need!! Now our man was interviewing Bhagwati, the economist. I am quite convinced now that economists are quite dumb people. They have not much understanding of social context, and try their best to fit in their economics theories. There is nothing original about these obnoxious people. Bhagwati seems to have issues with Sen, and does crosses lines of decency. I am not a fan of pretentious names dropper like Sen (though I like some of his writings) but Bhagwati was vicious. Never mind why get into two economists, who seems like equally dumb (with Sen having found greatness in Sanskrit. The necessary balance that he avoids makes him amazingly puerile. In the context of things this man should apologise). Bhagwati exhibited his lack of intellect by claiming his casteist reference ‘I am a bania, like Gandhi’. Guptaji too chucked in ‘I too am bania’. Its called camaraderie, senior journalists worth his salt are known to play these. Its an upward mobile password. It’s like referring Martin Luther King as ‘Negro’. Though caste reference is worse than racism but the funny thing is King would be appalled being referred to as Negro, Gandhi wouldn’t have any problem being referred to as Bania. It’s called tolerance, unity in diversity. Likes of Shekhar Gupta should be in fringes of civilised society, the fact that he sashay as senior journalist is what this society is all about.

Deeply saddening

…for many many years Laxman’s cartoons began the day. I even had books of his cartoons that were quite popular. And one could look at it for hours, each stroke effortlessly well considered!! Brilliant (though I will add there were sometimes too many words, ironically the 'common man' rarely spoke!!). For most it was ‘common man’, for me it were the crows. He understood crow. You could look at them for eternity  

An enlightened culture attacked

The brutal incident in France is undoubtedly a serious attack on a society and the enlightened values that it stands for.  In the last few hundred years French society –with some eminent thinkers and philosophers, has been pivotal in our attempts to understand and create a just and equitable world, the foundation on ideas of modernity. The individual rights and liberty is the foundation on which progress of the societies are hinged, it opened up an amazing world that questioned the primacy of entitled world. A framework that sought to create just, wherein, individual liberty was paramount. The people around the world, particularly the oppressed lot, owe it to a large extend to France that provided space to some amazing thinkers. One would add that though these ideas on enlighten worldviews were present in most societies around the world, even in what is deemed as ‘most primitive’, but these were far and wide, blip here and there, and were mostly subjugated by dominant barbarity and rarely could find much outlet to thrive. It was in West, specifically France, that these found wider acceptance and became a way of life. It therefore became the framework that inspired and fuelled individuals to attain amazing heights. The modern values that were hinged on enquiry and frank, persistent, questioning of nature of things became foundation to egalitarian values. Technological advancements were to a large extent possible because of ideas of individual liberty and rights that consolidated these. The world owes French society a lot, and it is this foundational idea, this culture that is being attacked. 

Entitled world is much dangerous, as it has prejudices inbuilt. Religion becomes just another clever idea that gestates on feudal values. The reason why enlightened thoughts in religions rarely percolate, and if ever, confined to narrow section, individual space, a painful existence. That brings to a very pertinent question: Why don’t ordinary Muslims convert to some other religion or non-religion? They have all the reasons, indeed they should, to avoid these miserable realities. As much as lower section of Hindus must convert to Christianity as it promises better opportunities of education and progress. There is no change of god, there really never was, it is choosing the circumstances that makes one feel better. I guess it is the enlightened people or the oppressed who understand the value of these. Human beings are born into humanity and not into any religion. It is therefore incumbent on the society to provide space for choices herein. Everything must be questioned, few years back, restraint was the word I favoured on these matters, but things are changing as the world is. Even the basic norms of aesthetics are being questioned. Restraint cannot be cloaked in tolerance of brutal and fear of worst. This blackmail has to be resisted for the sake liberty and values that it upholds.