Story of your life

 

Ted Chiang’s "Story of your life" is arguably one of the best short stories I have read. I read it sometime back and even saw the movie “Arrival” -adapted from this story. The movie though is interesting doesn’t really match the nuance of the writing, then of course there is limitation of medium. Good Hollywood movie is certainly a notch up, and this languorously developing movie is definitely at the top. The other day I read the story again. This is one story that stays with you for long time and influences your thinking.  Chiang has heightened sensibilities as also the awareness on wide range of field of inquiry from mathematics to linguistic to philosophy. Control over language and expression that exudes humanity and deep love while tries to understand the alien thoughts in the process creating a new way of thinking that further asserts humanity in an entirely refreshing way. Amor fati. Savor these lines that leaves you fascinated and rivetted 

“Humans had developed a sequential mode of awareness, while heptapods had developed a simultaneous mode of awareness. We experienced events in an order, and perceived their relationship as cause and effect. They experienced all events at once, and perceived a purpose underlying them all. A minimizing, maximizing purpose”.     

Human language is bound and limited by time and its sequential order. While the experience of wholeness of life in a moment transcends time. So the question here is: Is the language limiting the human experience or is it -accumulation of experience through time, enriching it by a new way of seeing the world? 

“For the heptapods, all language was performative. Instead of using language to inform, they used language to actualize. Sure, heptapods already knew what would be said in any conversation; but in order for their knowledge to be true, the conversation would have to take place” 

Ted Chiang’s "Story of your life" is strongly recommended. Read it, and then maybe you could watch the movie -it's a commendable attempt (short listed for Oscars). Stories like these needs long space of rumination and vast silence. It is a tremendous effort. Such a brilliant writer.   

 

 Indispensable grace

 Will life just let itself shrink into a dot

 And vanish?

Billions of years of misses and chances sophisticate atoms into life 

Wither away? 

 Will matter’s experiment with consciousness lost forever?

Or is the harmonious dance of fundamental forces gauging the discord?

Is the cosmos sensing the loss?

Will the healing begin?

For random atoms to align elements

To set the story of life

Peg the milestones

That led to human

And back

There is something preciously compelling about herds that only herd controllers can understand

Breakthrough research and vaccine

 

I have taken both my doses of vaccine, the first dose was fairly easy to get since those were pre-second wave period and people arrogantly assumed -suitably egged on by politicians, that blessing will save their uniquely entitled life, the health centre was sparse, while for the second dose I really had to struggle as the online registration was mostly non available and finally managed to get one opening after much effort about 20kms from home. It is amazing the speed by which they developed these lifesaving vaccines. I had read about vaccines but the other day I read it in much detail and truly stupefied by the effort and intelligence of people involved. The picture here is of Katalin Kariko -the Hungarian American, who realised the potential of m-RNA (messenger RNA) as early as in 1989. She was ridiculed, demoted (why would people do such a thing?) and defunded. She though persisted, and with another researcher Drew Weismann, made breakthrough finding through modified RNA (incidentally Moderna stands for modified RNA) but again they were ignored. It is only recently that their research on mRNA has been recognised as it sped up the vaccine research. Within few months of genetic sequencing of virus, the vaccine was ready. It is an unprecedented achievement.

It is therefore important to spend some time to understand the basics of their work that is indeed saving millions of lives as also has potential to save more. The conventional vaccine works by exposing human body to virus in a benign way. These could be by breaking viruses into pieces or by killing or inactivating the virus. Using mRNA is entirely new way of vaccine research. They introduce mRNA into the body and turn recipients own cells into drug manufacturing factory. So, the body becomes reservoir of protein that resist the virus. This is easier said that done. The DNA (that we studied in school) carries the code of life, the genetic makeup. There are 3billion letters that make up human genetic code which are segmented into genes. The DNA though are quite passive and are dependent on mRNA as intermediary to deliver genetic instruction (hence messenger RNA) to make protein that makes cellular actions possible. These proteins are what makes life possible. Vaccine uses these mRNA to produce protein (in case of covid19 spiked variety). But again, this is quite difficult to achieve. Any outside nucleic acid (mRNA used by vaccine) triggers body’s immune system activating antiviral pathways. If you recall from your school biology the DNA consist of four base ATCG that stands for Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine and Guanine. The RNA has an extra base U that is Uracil. Uridine, that composes of uracil, is what they modified to make the outside mRNA acceptable. There are immense possibilities of this therapeutic use of mRNA ranging from cancer to fibrosis and so on. Like CRISPR Cas9 that is contributing to precision medicine (as also exciting possibility of reviving recent extinct species like Mammoth or passenger pigeon through breakthrough CRISPR gene drive) modified RNA present absolutely spectacular possibilities. We are indebted to these researchers and their amazing level of dedication and uncommon intelligence.  

Tottering at the edge of chaos

Tottering at the edge of chaos

It looks like a misshaped beetle

Or conceived as mandalas or probably a meditating mendicant

Mandelbrot set is a totem of pattern

Building from the wild on the edge of chaos

Pushing the limits of random into template of life

Trees reach out to clouds

The eyes, the leaves, tentacles, brain, milkyway, universe…

All connect in deep primordial unconscious of churning patterns.

Undulating color cycling in and out without any movement

Magnifies forever in more psychedelic detail

Ricochets at Planck’s length to infinite space and back

Knitting coordinates that is the beginning of matter and space 

Seed of self-reference describing physical world

Iterating between self and the whole

A system in a system, in a system

One string taut change the tune of creation.

Deterministic in intend not in practice

Body the container, mind the free will

Explore infinite in finite

God play dice or dice play the god

Simple instructions set the code in the yolk

Tether the caterpillar to unravel

Smudges of pale rust and purple on Malabar flash.

 

               

The prime number

Valiant warriors defending division

building block by block from the unknown

into a strand

as infinite as time itself

unpredictable, fiercely free

no rules or theories hold them to order

scattered like vultures in thermals

floating, appearing and disappearing

whenever wherever it fancy

sometimes as twin primes

like exclamations of absences 

on the transmission line

stretching into desert

sparse and harsh

as if a mirage    

After reading The Housekeeper And The Professor (some words taken from the book, not mine).

 (Yoko Ogawa’s English translation of Japanese book “The Housekeeper And The Professor” is highly recommended. Sensitive writing with brilliant translation by Stephen Snyder. Check these lines: "In my imagination, I saw the creator of the universe sitting in some distant corner of the sky, weaving pattern of delicate lace so fine that even the faintest light would shown through it. The lace stretches out infinitely in every direction, billowing gently in the cosmic breeze. You want disparately to touch it, hold it up to the light, rub it against your cheek. And all we ask is to be able to re-create the pattern, weave it again with numbers, somehow, in our own language; to make even the tiniest fragment our own, to bring it back to earth". Her concern in most of her writing is about fragilities of memories. “The Memory Police” is next one on my reading list)  

 

The kingfisher

Those who can see it

Will see it

Those who cannot

Will not.

The miracle in every place

The trees, birds, the bees

The sun, moon, the river.

All wait.

The moment the kingfisher

Catch the glint of sunlight

On fish’s fin.

False binaries and cost on humanity

 Israel Palestine conflict, or what is generally referred to as Middle East problem, flares up quite regularly with huge human casualties and misery particularly on Palestine side as also unintended victims like a nurse from Kerala (a small state in India where this blogger is based) who died in the crossfire yesterday. It’s again the gift of West on other part of the world. This conflict is so much discussed and analyzed threadbare that it is futile to go into it as also expect any solution when you are aware of valiant attempts by astute leaders over the decades have failed. It’s a viciously divided region and the crack spread all across the world because of its connection with controlling systems. It’s like staring into an abyss. The world is again in an impasse while many important issues like pandemic or climate catastrophes are pushed into background that the humanity can ill afford.  

This issue though has its beginning in early 20^th century is rooted in systems dating back to centuries. It’s an affront on enlightened souls and evolved thoughts that helped in progress of humanity to where we are now -and intend to progress further in the exciting possibilities of future, if the same staid tools and primitive mindsets are applied to approach this pernicious problem that is becoming gangrene on humanity. It clearly needs a fresh approach, a new perspective, which reflects evolution of human societies in 21^st century. If the societies don’t evolve with the minds that created these wonders of contemporary world then the technologies become dangerous and ideas become lethal weapons. Ofcourse there will be primitives but these must be relegated into the sidelines, that is, reduced to insignificant minorities, and cannot control the mainstream discourse. Humanity cannot evolve if it is stuck with primitive systems that control humans and degrade them into herds. The primacy of herd is the root cause of most problems across the world. It must be recognized that the system is the cause of the misery. Herds are just cogs paying the price. Religion the fantastical notion that was meant to sooth humans has become anachronistic nuisance with perilous consequences.

The region of Middle East is where the three prominent systems –religions, intersect. The events here have such cataclysmic impact across the world because of the number of herds associated with these influential systems and their respective orchestrated reactions. It’s the game of dominance of systems wherein herds are the pawns and humanity is the casualty. If ever any meaningful intervention is proposed then it must necessarily be to negate the system and extricate the humans. The moment humans are free they will realize the futility of fighting, meaninglessness of occupying piece of land and absurdity of defending structures of system –worship space. The problem is kept alive and accentuated by herd controllers whether its politicians or influencers of religions or media who don’t want to antagonize the herds as also seek to benefit. Jew have narration of being exterminated hence they defend to last blood while Islam works on as defender of its space. They pass narration to younger generations as the misery move from one generation to other producing generations of deeply flawed human beings. Meanwhile herds around the world choose the binary they want to associate with. The misery it spreads to human beings is least of their concern. They are seen as martyrs for the system. The narration has passed beyond absurdity and has become an embarrassment for the contemporary world we live in if it not for the deaths and mayhem. We must deconstruct the systems and walls of protection it has built at the expense of human beings. We must encourage anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, and all phobias against all religions and systems that seek to degrade and dehumanize. We are not living in 1940s. Religions fighting with each other are false binaries. There are no sides to be taken when herds fight. You can only pity at the depth of depravity. 

The world has evolved. Our understanding of the world, the access and the capacity to influence makes 1940s distant memories –fatal flaws of the past need to be understood, analyzed and surely not re-lived. Individuals need to use their faculties and possibilities to understand the potential of the world they live in. They must understand their unique context and connect to the world. They must critically scrutinize and question that which prevents these understandings. Societies must evolve and nurture values, spaces and narrations that prevent systems that seek to dehumanize and segregate. Anachronistic nuisance like religions needs to be critically analyzed and ridiculed. You must tolerate being ridiculed for putting faith on fantastical fiction. You must be pitied for your lack of common sense and inability to use your sensibilities to scrutinize world. Private personal spiritual earnings that reassert being human and unique member of humanity is how narration can be build. From this space collective association will naturally attain its possibilities. The challenges facing humanity needs free humans, free thinking minds and empathy driven world. Dehumanizing systems are not only a threat to humanity but to the very world we live in.       

WTO NEEDS TO ACT IMMEDIATELY

Now that the powerful nation like US has taken the initiative to waive the patent on vaccines its incumbent on multilateral arbitrator like WTO to ratify at the earliest without wasting even a single day. People are dying every minute all across the world while the situation is dire in India. It will be criminal negligence that these are delayed further. Already so much time is wasted, and if you recall this blogger had republished a letter by concerned group calling on the WTO to waive the patent. That was 21days back (504 hours back) since then hundreds and thousands of people have died and many are in serious conditions. Also, as the virus spreads its mutation rate will increase and chance of dangerous variants too will increase which may make the vaccine ineffective. So time is of much importance. There is too much at stake. PLEASE ACT IMMEDIATELY

Yes millions of dollars and skilled time was spent on research for the vaccine. It is but natural that these must be compensated. Also considering that most nations did not even invest adequately on crucial health infrastructure and were generally lackadaisical and incompetent, and so to now ask for help for sake of humanity is rather hypocritical. But these are extraordinary times and precedence set by multilateral cooperation in vaccine manufacturing must be consolidated further to fight the virus. Distinction of geography should not matter when the threat is on humanity. This template needs to be nurtured as the future threats needs multilateral cooperation and sharing of information. It is unfortunate that UN is not really living up to its role at this crucial juncture. 

I am reminded of Jonas Salk who developed the much anticipated polio vaccine in 1955 after years of dedicated research and chose to not patent the vaccine or seek any profit from it in order to maximize its global distribution. When asked "Who owns this patent?” He replied, "Well, the people I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?" Salk was an amazing human being and its about time to invoke his value system to fight the pandemic.   

Meanwhile people die

Meanwhile people die

They die

And they die

They die waiting

in the queue, 

at the gates of hospital, in the autos, in ambulances, 

On the cart, in the arms. 

Next they are stacked to be cremated 

It is difficult to tell from the smoke through the crematorium chimney 

Where the mother ends and brother begins 

Or whether it is the son or grandmother 

That is the problem with the smoke 

It doesn’t tell 

It keeps its secret 

But sometimes a swirl of breeze 

Conjure a shape 

Wisp a tug

Attempts a final farewell

Collapsing medical infrastructure

 

What we are seeing is horrifying reality of real time collapse of medical infrastructure in India. International community needs to intervene. WHO please take note. This is building up to a human tragedy of colossal scale that humanity has not seen for a long time. Most market media, as is the affliction, is concentrating on big cities where ‘people like us’ are suffering, it is quite likely a calamity of much bigger scale is unfolding in hellholes of small villages where discrimination and exploitation are rampant and systemic, where health centers are non existent. Life in India is series of tragedy for most Indians which are orchestrated by cunning arbitrators. Willful neglect of what was crucial for common people i.e. public health infrastructure is defining characteristic of this society. It is a society that lack compassion or care but position itself as moral authority with assortment of deeply disturbing nonviolence posturing and cannibalistic vegetarianism that impresses west. It’s about manipulating narration.

You cannot manipulate for too long nor recruit charlatans as PR agency, and when reality strikes it has to be dealt. Check few oft repeated data to again show how desperate the neglect is. India ranks 184 out of 191 countries in public spending on health. Despite the fact that almost 70% of India’s population lives on less than $2 a day, the country continues to have one of the highest out of pocket expenditures on health. It is estimated that 62.4% of the total current health expenditure is paid for by the patients themselves and the government only contributes 16.7%. It’s a vicious cycle that most Indians are trapped in. What we are seeing now is an accumulation of neglect of last many decades. Castetva forces put the framework and consolidated this at the expense of lives of common people as they viciously milked aspirations into personal gains. Hindutva only accentuated the misery with its own unique depravities (but yes health insurance for 12R/annum through bank accounts was commendable initiative).

The effort was always to provide template to accentuate blessing while cunningly working the narration of spiritual nation of satisfied people (who seems to have found some eternal connection that west will never comprehend. Western fluffs meanwhile dropped in to take pictures of smiling impoverished Indians for their amusement). Effort was rarely to solve the problem or be genuinely interested in finding solution, to sincerely work to develop infrastructure for human development. Fate therefore became the significant reference for common people. Take for instance how Castetva deviously encouraged culture of statue building (as an extension of valued attribute of sycophancy modified from squatter sanctum references) on street corners to consolidate their ideology in public space. This was replicated by new entrants (like say mayawati or Dravidian parties in TN), and then taken to next level by Hindutva. One cannot blame hindutva it had to establish its narration onto common people into public space. This is just another example of how castetva worked to create framework to undermine and degrade the democratic institutions. How scarce resources were being used to capture mindspace of common people and firmly push them into snarling herds. Meanwhile lacking any understanding of responsibility –expressed through competence, the society slipped into worst of references producing mediocre outputs and embarrassing attempts.

Crony capitalism produced its billionaires. As much as statues are vulgarities in public space antila -the home of richest indian, is the consolidation of collective crassness that castetva nurtured that has now possessed hindutva and is an aspiration for valueless populace. They also degraded media by nurturing nepotistic association through awards and perks. All these righteous barking by some section of media is the same that were given awards and perks by castetva, the same template now hindutva spreads –thus we have competing barking. Meanwhile an important institution of democracy stands degraded capitulated to power and market adding to the misery of common people. The same is true for art too –the one that is supposed to add richness of experience to society. Awards are being manipulated for decades. Mediocres with limited talents use power, perks and awards to consolidate their brand hence this constant haggling. What was supposed to be austere wise space like RajyaSabha (house of elders) has been ransacked by ruffians of all shape and size. Sometime back I wasted my time focusing on a disgust who posed as lyricist celebrity/ZK. Now this fellow, even as an elderly man (imagine the crassness), decides to spent time on trash talking TV feeding on vulnerable youngsters. With all opportunities one has this is how these people decide to spent their time. What kind of people are these? These crude were nurtured by Castetva (specifically because of muslim name), now Hindutva has its choice. It’s a fake binary. A waste of time. In these counter posturings of those salivating for power majority of the people across this huge land are neglected. It is but natural that they didn't have the time nor the inclination to create a robust health infrastructure nor enlightened framework for quality education. The intention was to showcase blessing, and lessons on fate. They worked their deceit by firmly controlling and manipulating narration, and that seems to be the expertise. This is the foundation of this society. It has failed miserably.              

This society failed to even invest in what was basic for survival. They thought they can handle reality by illusions of grandeur embellished by sickening sanskrit quotes of plagiarized ideas, by manipulating narration and doing some PR work (with huge population and exploitable resources corporate conglomerates have dropped money for powerful marketeers as influential mercenaries, the fixers). A society that doesn’t even understand what community means is incapable to face reality. Democracy adds to chapter of deceit. Trapped in a depraved society common people can only curse their fate and pray more fervently, and that is precisely how it is scripted. Pity.                    

 13th April 2021 

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Director General World Trade Organization 

cc. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Director General World Health Organization cc. Members of the WTO 

Dear Dr. Ngozi, 

We congratulate you on your election as the Director General of the World Trade Organization. Civil society organizations signed on to this letter are encouraged that you would like to contribute to addressing the global challenges of inadequate supply and inequitable access to COVID-19 medical products, especially vaccines. However, we would also like to express our concern over the emphasis on industry-controlled bilateral agreements as the primary approach to addressing global production constraints and supply shortages. We note that some WTO Members have submitted WT/GC/230i . While the objective of this proposal may be well-intended, the proposed approach is also mainly centred on bilateral agreements controlled by corporate rightsholders. The same strategy has already been used by the pharmaceutical industry for the past year, including the oft-cited Oxford/AstraZeneca agreement with the Serum Institute of India. There is considerable experience on the constraints such agreements put on local production and equitable worldwide access to life-saving pharmaceuticals. Bilateral agreements that have been signed to date contain restrictive terms and conditions that reinforce vertical control of technology-holding companies, artificially limit production and supply to constrain global supply options and are mostly un-transparent with governments and the public learning about the limits imposed post-facto, if ever. For instance, Astra Zeneca almost entirely relies on one manufacturer in India, which it has licensed, for the supply of its vaccine to low and middle income countries including the COVAX Facility, and consequently billions of people are now primarily dependent upon the vaccine supplies from one company in India. 

Most of the existing bilateral agreements to produce COVID-19 vaccines are contract manufacturing agreements through which the contracted entity manufactures on behalf of a licensor that maintains full control over the use of its technology, the volume of production and where and at what prices vaccines may be supplied. Although contractors may help ease some production pressure in the short term, the model cannot guarantee sustainability because contractors have no legal rights to independently produce and supply the concerned technologies worldwide. We have also observed from publicly available information that in some agreements the technology holder maintains control over the vaccine component and prevents the licensee from manufacturing the vaccine component, hence creating dependency on the technology holder for the supply of the vaccine component, while others contain territorial restrictions . 

These agreements also depend on the “willingness” of the technology holder to license at all and as such are failing to mobilise global manufacturing capacity and diversifying supply options, on transparent terms that prioritize boosting global supply of the vaccine components and the final product. For instance, Moderna and Pfizer have yet to enter into license agreements with developing country manufacturers allowing for technology transfer and manufacture to supply developing countries. We recall that early on in the pandemic the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the COVID19-Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) initiative calling on pharmaceutical companies to commit to transparent non-exclusive global voluntary licensing. However, this initiative has been rejected by the global biopharmaceutical companies. The voluntary bilateral contracting approach is the preferred choice of pharmaceutical corporations holding the technology for it allows them to control production and supply to markets, which they consider lucrative for their future profits. An example of this expectation of future profits is Pfizer‘s stated intention to shift some production to manufacturing booster doses for rich countries even while some low and middle income countries have not had an initial vaccine and to raise its vaccine price to an estimate $150-175 per dose in what it considers the post-acute-pandemic phase.

 We understand your recent call, alongside other proposals, for a “Third Way” that entails once again appealing to pharmaceutical corporations to take voluntary actions. As elaborated above, we sincerely raise your attention to the inherent limitations of being dependent on corporations' voluntary measures that have been proven to be insufficient in this pandemic. The world is in a state of a global health emergency, where societies, economies, and livelihoods worldwide are in a dire situation. And most pharmaceutical companies have benefitted from large amount of public funds invested in R&D, trials and spent on procurement, with little to no accountability and conditions attached to guarantee access. For instance, Pfizer and Moderna are expecting vaccine revenue of between $15-30 billion in 2021.vii It is time to realize governments' core and collective responsibility to collaborate and address monopolies on technologies concretely. 

We believe that the way forward should be to remove barriers towards the development, production and approval of vaccines, therapeutics and other medical technologies necessary for the prevention, containment and treatment of the COVID-19 pandemic, so that more manufacturers, especially from developing countries, may independently contribute to the global supply. Global supply should not be dependent on the purely commercial prerogatives and exclusive rights of pharmaceutical companies holding the technology. There is simply too much at stake. In the context of WTO, temporarily waiving relevant intellectual property rules that reinforce monopolies, is an important contribution that the WTO as a rule-based multilateral institution can make on this matter in the pandemic, alongside reaffirming and supporting the full use of existing public-health-safeguarding flexibilities of the TRIPs agreement. Voluntary licensing, if pursued, should treat vaccine as a global public good, be open and allow for transparent global non-exclusive licenses with worldwide coverage of supply, and left to the WHO that has established C-TAP for this purpose. 

We look forward to further engagement and discussions on this matter. 

Signatories (updated as at 14 April) Global 1. Amnesty International 2. AVAC 3. Casa Generalizia della Societa del Sacro Cuore 4. Congregation De Notre-Dame 5. Congregation of the Mission 6. Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) 7. EqualHealth Global Campaign Against Racism 8. Fondation Eboko 9. Health Alliance International 10. Health Action International 11. Health GAP 12. IndustriALL Global Union 13. International Network of Religious Leaders living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS 14. International Presentation Association 15. International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) 16. LDC Watch 17. Médecins du Monde 18. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Access Campaign 19. Oxfam International 20. Passionists International 21. People's Vaccine Alliance 22. Reality of Aid Network 23. Regions Refocus 24. Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur 25. Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat, Society of Jesus 26. Social Watch 27. Society for international Development (SID) 28. Vaccine Advocacy Resource Group (VARG) 29. Yolse, Santé Publique et Innovation Regional 30. AIDS and Rights Alliance in Southern Africa (ARASA) 31. African Alliance 32. Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) 33. Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (APN+) 34. Asian Indigenous Women's Network (AIWN) 35. Corporate Europe Observatory 36. Focus on the Global South 37. Health Action International Asia Pacific 38. International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPCru), (Eastern Europe & Central Asia) 39. International Treatment Preparedness Coalition Latin America and The Caribbean 40. International Treatment Preparedness Coalition ITPC-MENA, (Middle-East & North Africa) 41. Jesuitenmission Germany & Austria 42. Pacific Network on Globalisation 43. Project Organising Development Education and Research (PODER) 44. Red Latino Americana por el Acceso a Medicamentos (RedLAM) 45. South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication 46. Southern African Programme on Access to Medicines and Diagnostics 47. Third World Network-Africa (TWN-Africa) 48. Universities Allied for Essential Medicines Europe (UAEM) National 49. Access to Medicines Research Group, China 50. Acción Internacional para la Salud, Peru 51. Action against AIDS, Germany 52. ActionAid Australia 53. Active Citizens Movement, South Africa 54. Africa Europe Faith and Justice Network (AEFJN), Belgium 55. Africa Faith and Justice Network, United States 56. Africaine de Recherche et de Coopération pour l’Appui au Développement Endogène (ARCADE), Senegal 57. Africa Japan Forum, Japan 58. Aid/Watch, Australia 59. Alboan Fundazioa, Spain 60. All India Drug Action Network, India 61. American Friends Services Committee, United States 62. Asian Health Institute, Japan 63. Asociación por un Acceso Justo al Medicamento, Spain 64. Association for International Development and Research in Sustainability, Malaysia 65. Association For Promotion Sustainable Development, India 66. Association Marocain des Droits Humains, Morocco 67. Association of Concerned Africa Scholars (USA), United States 68. Association of legal entities Association of harm reduction "Partner network", Kyrgyzstan 69. ATTAC Hungary Association, Hungary 70. Auckland Peace Action, New Zealand 71. Australian Arts Trust / Music Trust, Australia 72. Australian Council for International Development, Australia 73. Australian Council of Trade Unions, Australia 74. Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network, Australia 75. Balance Promoción para el Desarrollo y Juventud AC, Mexico 76. Balay Alternative Legal Advocates for Development in Mindanaw, Inc., Philippines 77. Belgian Lung and Tuberculosis Association, Belgium 78. Belong Aotearoa (Formerly known as Auckland Regional Migrant Services Charitable Trust - ARMS), New Zealand 79. Both ENDS, The Netherlands 80. Brazilian Federation of Library Association and Institution – FEBAB, Brazil 81. Brazilian Interdisciplinary Aids Association, Brazil 82. Bread for the World, Germany 83. Building Inclusive Society Tanzania Organization (BISTO), Tanzania 84. BUKO Pharma-Kampagne, Germany 85. Campaign for Access to Medicines-India 86. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Canada 87. Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research, Canada 88. Canadian Jesuits International (CJI), Canada 89. Canadian Society for International Health, Canada 90. Cancer Alliance, South Africa, South Africa 91. Cancer Patients Aid Association, India 92. Center for Accountability and Inclusive Development (CAAID), Nigeria 93. Center for International Policy, United States 94. Center for Peace Education and Community Development, Nigeria 95. Centre Europe- Tiers Monde (CETIM), Switzerland 96. Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), South Africa 97. Charitable organization "100 Percent Life", Ukraine 98. Christian Education and Development Organization (CEDO), Tanzania 99. Citizens Trade Campaign, United States 100. Citizens' Health Initiative, Malaysia 101. Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development (HEPS) Uganda 102. Coalition for Research and Action for Social Justice and Human Dignity, Finland 103. Coalition of Women Living with HIV and AIDS, Malawi 104. Coletivo Mangueiras, Brazil 105. Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach, United States 106. Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentario MX, Mexico 107. Consumer Association the Quality of Life, Greece 108. Consumers' Association of Penang, Malaysia 109. Crisis Home, Malaysia 110. Delhi Network of Positive People, India 111. Diverse Women for Diversity, India 112. Drug Action Forum-Karnataka, India 113. Dua'a Qurie, Palestinian NGO Network, Palestine 114. Ecologistas en Acción, Spain 115. Equal Health and Medical Access on COVID-19 for All! Japan Network, Japan 116. Edmund Rice International, United States 117. Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia, Mexico 118. Fair World Project, United States 119. Fairwatch Italy, Italy 120. Federation of Democratic Labour Unions, Mauritius 121. Food Sovereignty Alliance, India 122. Fórum Nacional de Prevenção e Erradicação do Trabalho Infantil – FNPETI, Brazil 123. Foundation for Research in Science Technology and Ecology, India 124. Freshwater Action Network Mexico, Mexico 125. Fundación Arcoíris por el respeto a la diversidad sexual, Mexico 126. Fundación Entreculturas-Fe y Alegría España, Spain 127. Fundación Grupo Efecto Positivo, Argentina 128. Fundación IFARMA, Colombia 129. Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiar, A. C. MEXFAM, Mexico 130. Fundación Salud por Derecho, Spain 131. Gandhi Development Trust, South Africa 132. Gestos (soropositividade, comunicação, gênero), Brazil 133. Global Health Advocates / Action Santé Mondiale, France 134. Global Humanitarian Progress Corporation, Colombia 135. Global Justice Now, United Kingdom 136. Grandmothers Advocacy Network, Canada 137. Green Without Borders, Kenya 138. Groupe d'Action, de Paix et de Formation pour la Transformation (GAPAFOT), Central African Republic 139. Grupo de Incentivo à Vida (GIV), Brazil 140. Handelskampanjen, Norway 141. Health Justice Initiative, South Africa 142. Health Equity Initiatives, Malaysia 143. HIV Legal Network, Canada 144. Human Rights Research Documentation Center (HURIC), Uganda 145. Ignation Solidarity Network, United States 146. Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), India 147. Indonesia AIDS Coalition, Indonesia 148. Indonesia for Global Justice, Indonesia 149. Initiative for Health & Equity in Society, India 150. Instituto Cidades Sustentaveis, Brazil 151. International Treatment Preparedness Coalition-South Asia, India 152. International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific), Malaysia 153. IT for Change, India 154. It's Our Future, New Zealand 155. Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) Rajasthan/Prayas, India 156. Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar, Kenya 157. Jesuit Justice and Ecology Network Africa, Kenya 158. Jesuit Missions, United Kingdom 159. Just Treatment, United Kingdom 160. Justice is Global, United States 161. Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS, Kenya 162. Knowledge Commune, Republic of Korea 163. Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society, Republic of Korea 164. Lawyers Collective, India 165. Life Concern, Malawi 166. Little Sisters of the Assumption, United States 167. Madhyam, India 168. Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC), Malaysia 169. Maritime Union of Australia Victoria Branch, Australia 170. Mauritius Trade Union Congress, Mauritius 171. Médecins sans Frontière, Japan 172. Medical Action Group, Philippines 173. Medical Mission Institute Würzburg, Germany 174. Medico International, Germany 175. Médicos sin marca Colombia, Colombia 176. Migration and Sustainable Development Alliance, Mauritius 177. Milwaukee Fair Trade Coalition, United States 178. MISEREOR Germany, Germany 179. Missionary Society of St Columban, Australia 180. MY World Mexico, Mexico 181. National Campaign for Sustainable Development Nepal, Nepal 182. Nelson Mandela TB HIV Community Information and Resource Center CBO Kisumu Kenya 183. NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, United States 184. New South Wales Retired Teachers' Association, Australia 185. New Zealand Alternative, New Zealand 186. NGO Federation of Nepal, Nepal 187. Nigerian Women Agro Allied Farmers Association, Nigeria 188. Observatoire de la transparence dans les politiques du médicament, France 189. ONG Positive Initiative, Republic of Moldova 190. Oxfam New Zealand, New Zealand 191. Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC), Japan 192. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Pakistan 193. Passionist Center-Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, Inc., Philippines 194. People PLUS, Belarus 195. People's Health Forum, Malaysia 196. People's Health Movement Canada, Canada 197. People's Health Movement (PHM) - Japan Circle, Japan 198. People's Health Movement Nepal, Nepal 199. People's Health Movement Uganda (PHMUGA), Uganda 200. People's Health Movement South Africa, South Africa 201. Pertubuhan Kebajikan Intan Zon Kehidupan, Malaysia 202. Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), Philippines 203. Philippine Human Rights Information Center (PhilRights), Philippines 204. Phoenix Settlement Trust, South Africa 205. Positive Malaysian Treatment Access & Advocacy Group (MTAAG+), Malaysia 206. Public Citizen, United States 207. Public Eye, Switzerland 208. Public Health Association of Australia, Australia 209. Public Health Research Society Nepal, Nepal 210. Red Argentina de Personas Positivas (Redar Positiva), Argentina 211. Red de Acceso a Medicamentos, Guatemala 212. Réseau québécois sur l'intégration continentale (RQIC), Canada, Quebec 213. Rural infrastructure and human resources development organisations, Kpk, Pakistan 214. Salesian Missions, Inc. United States 215. Salud y Farmacos, United States 216. Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust, India 217. Save the Children South Africa 218. SEATINI-Uganda 219. SECTION27, South Africa 220. Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), Philippines 221. SHARE, Japan 222. Sisters of Charity Federation, United States 223. Social Development Through Community Action (SODECA), Kenya 224. Social Watch Philippines-Alternative Budget Initiative Health Cluster, Philippines 225. Southern and East African Trade and Negotiations Institute - South Africa 226. Southern African Programme on Access to Medicines and Diagnostics (SAPAM), South Africa 227. Students for Global Health, United Kingdom 228. SWP-ABI Health Cluster, Philippines 229. Tebtebba (Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research and Education), Philippines 230. Terra Nuova, Italy 231. Third World Network, Malaysia 232. Trade Collective, South Africa 233. Trade Justice Network- Canada 234. Trade Justice PEI, Canada 235. Trade Justice Pilipinas, Philippines 236. Trade Justice Prince Edward Island, Canada 237. Transnational Institute, The Netherlands 238. Treatment Action Group, United States 239. UDK Consultancy, Malawi 240. UNANIMA International, United States 241. UnionsWA, Australia 242. Universities Allied for Essential Medicines UK, United Kingdom 243. War on Want, United Kingdom 244. Washington Biotechnology Action Council, United States 245. Watch Democracy Grow, United States 246. Women's Coalition Against Cancer – WOCACA, Malawi 247. WomanHealth Philippines 248. Women’s Probono Initiative, Uganda 249. Youth and Small Holder Farmers, Nigeria 250. Zimbabwe National Network of PLHIV (ZNNP+), Zimbabwe

Herds are threat to humanity

Herd everywhere is a threat to humanity everywhere. Systems that degrades humans into unthinking entities who are then readied to be manipulated, used against every notion of being human, is persistent danger to life and to all living being. A dehumanized human is a tragedy on humanity. An emasculated human has lost the faculty that makes him or her human. As they spread they negate all the consolidated knowledge and understanding through the ages as also pose serious impediment to contemporary and future understanding and challenges. Herds are more than just passive animals but a serious threat not only to human progress but survival itself. Herd is an infection that systematically invades the mind making it useless.

Systems that create and nurture herds whether its religion, cult, traditions, feudal norms or market or insular ideologies, persistently undermine freethinking, egalitarian references, humanist contexts, anything that encourages inquisitiveness and critical thinking. Such systems are incapacitated to have compassion or nurture any nuanced values. They produce humans with sedated senses incapable to connect to their surroundings or any reality nor aware of their unique context. An unexamined life is grievously inept to examine the surrounding nor anticipate the future or potentials for learning herein. Their life is hinged to fate of the herd and blessing of the agency that control. These are carbon units with no potential or hope except as enthusiastic herd member. They are biomass that encroaches and degrades biodiversity, the habitat and finally the earth system. They are gangrene on earth. It is also important to identify herd controllers –who seek and encourage herds and work to manipulate. Herd matters as it is not about humans but numbers. In democracy numbers matters as voters which consolidates power hence control, for religions numbers are about followers or devotees, more followers means power and clout as also initiative to spread and garner strength while for market numbers is consumers which converts to money and clout. In recent times societies across the world have degraded as urgency of virtual connection have provided platform for these to consolidate. What was supposed to be means to evolve has become end in itself to rot the core. Ofcourse these vary with societies, those lacking civilized bearings deteriorate faster. What is certain though is herd controllers are inching into space of humanity at a rapid rate. They diminish egalitarian value systems and decimate hopes of progress. Promise of education is reduced to curriculums of followers and replicators, answering machines vomiting memories of mythical glories, rotting minds as guide into dark alleys of future.  Education is a strategy to multiply money and power. Youngsters get trained into herd quite easily having apprenticed in deviant families with parasitic relations. Lack of investment in education, substandard education system churning out amazingly focused herds, all these are hallmarks of herd controllers. Herd controllers make herds happy and contented. Carefully trained in myths of grandeur herds are eased into fantasy. Politicians tell them what they want to hear. Market feed them with inane entertainments of self-fulfillment as also framework of juvenilities of achievements that further sedates their unthinking minds. Religion assures their unexamined selves as blessing while presenting the slave minded with steps to glory. Since future is perilous, insecure, and are incapable to even fathom any hint of, reality is obfuscated with glories of past. Make it great again. Unavoidable bleak future that barge in as daily tragedies of woefully lacking society is delegated onto individuals as fate. When humanity is reduced to herd when humans are reduced to numbers it is but natural that deaths are just statistics which can be manipulated. The herds therefore don’t even get sanctity of numbers. They are nothing. They are kept insecure so as to become fatalist, kept occupied in their self-defeating grinding chores which are made much difficult in a combination of incompetence and apathy while herds are also kept in constant strife. Very soon they learn to pay obeisance to the oppressive system and work to perpetuate it. If they are sufficiently clever they understand the deceptiveness of herd controllers and with blessing of the system can upgrade to become sought after herd controllers. Market actively nurture these template for herd controllers, nowadays they are called influencers. An evolved person of subtlety, exposed to excellence, essentially compassionate nature, will rarely fall for herd controllers nor will aspire to be one and with his or her sensibility can only pity herds. They know it is a loss of humanity. The reason why herd controllers actively work to degrade the system, as also define the success as an extension of herd aspiration. Non thinking frames like crass entertainment, sports so on becomes sought after mechanism for herd controlling. So on the one side excellence of sports or art become competitive exhibitionism of market and hedonistic aspiration for herds like in US while it is reduced to games of manipulation to stampede for gravy in extremely mediocrity thriving societies like India –where these so-called sportspersons and artists having filled their coffer by titillating the herds in a egoistic drive aspire to influence policy making. A crude world of herd controllers coalesces through crony capitalism, nepotism, deviant traditions and values to create a much dangerous world. Herd controllers will go to any extend to keep the world in their sinister grip. Every innovative idea becomes potential for manipulation while the latest gadgets an instrument of intrusion and control. Herd controllers persistently squeeze the humanity out of herds leaving them as vulnerable pitiable carbon units waiting to release their carbon as redemption for better afterlife, ironically having wasted their present life but under the compelling illusion of having lived fulfilling life as herd member. Carbon is carbon. It doesn’t have afterlife. Herds live and die in their fantasy. Sometimes it is helpful as an individual but the problem is when these coalesce into herds and into rigid frames of dealings that is actively controlled.

As much as climate change or climate breakdown is immediate existential threat herds too are equally debilitating and imminent danger to humanity. Challenges faced by humanity whether its climate change, pandemic or violence gets accentuated in direct proportion of herd spread. Herd is a waste of life. They are an insult on being human, an embarrassment on humanity and a threat on existence.  

Nonagenarian Chomsky

The other day I was watching an indie movie wherein they celebrated Chomsky’s birthday instead of Christmas and were ready for a discussion with anyone who ridiculed! Chomsky has aged considerably with his post pandemic Santa beard. It is quite saddening to see him shriveled in recent online talks, he is 92 but remains as always amazingly measured and insightful. Chomsky is one the very few living person who have had a considerable influence. I recall (it was probably in 1997) when I encountered “manufactured consent”, next few months was reading Chomsky. There were also some discussion groups in JNU that I occasionally dropped in where Chomsky was hot and anyone who didn’t know about Chomsky’s work could be murdered. He still is popular in campuses across the world. Ofcourse now there are younger Chomsky videos online. It was in 2001 after 9/11 when he was on a visit to India that the craze really picked up. I recall we were in stampede to listen to him (one fellow even caught a flight to Chennai to listen to him, ofcourse those were pre-internet era indulgences). There are few things one may disagree (I factor in as white patronizing the mysified other. Also, it is insisted that religion cannot be and will not be allowed to define identity nor meaning and significance of minority. Cannot pander herds nor authenticate herd controllers, these are done by cunning manipulators) but his views makes one think. He is brilliant. 

During those days I was under the influence of, apart from other thinkers (mostly western, Indians don’t really measure up despite valiant effort by likes of Amartya Sen, though advaita of Shankaracharya is compelling thought but comes enveloped in muck, and yes Buddha can hardly be referred to as Indian since his enlightened thoughts were decimated from the mainland by monster mullahs and caste cannibals), Nietzsche, later existentialist like Sartre, Camus –his early impetus on writing fiction with much aid from Gogol, Chekov, Dostoevsky, Kafka so on and guidance from Dickinson, Tagore, Whitman, Rilke, Thoreau so on . Much later I shifted to Spinoza. In between there was an interlude with Derrida. Now Derrida’s deconstructionism had a powerful influence but I worked it into an idea for my requirements. It even influenced me to pick up a name! Not many people know about this nor have I explained. It was while I was travelling on a night train from Allahabad to Delhi (in 1997, I guess) that I started working on names. Deconstruction was on the mind. So I took De, and then something that should suit Indian condition for name but meaningful. Palan in Hindi/Sanskrit/Malayalam means “to follow”, and follow I was not going to! Hence depalan. Previously it was confined to contributing articles or literary gatherings but now it is official! Many times people use de as in day then I have to insist with much pleasure 'de as in deconstruction'. Unfortunately at one place (while I worked as copywriter) they shortened it as de as in day, located in Bangalore with mostly south Indians these precariously dangled on derogatory, it was a valiant effort to keep it from slipping. 

Live theatre of climate disaster

Climate disasters are getting acute in its frequency and intensity. Australia –a continent nation, is fast becoming a showcase example. I use words like theatre and showcase because for majority of people these are spectacles that is shared and ‘liked’ while recommender algorithm takes it to worst possibilities of riveting disasters to blunt sense and hooked for self-worth. They are perpetual spectators addicted to the last eye catching fare, attention seeking inanities. It’s a market opportunity. They are not much bothered about what are the connections or reasons that perpetuate these disasters. In world bereft of subtleties and nuances knowledge makes sense if it serves the purpose. Market therefore streamlines knowledge for limited use as the vision gets narrower and narrower. Disasters seem to be happening at faraway place. For others, patched into securities of juvenile conceptions like religions, these are easily understood as wagers of sins. Never was majority of humanity so isolated from reality. It’s ironic since latest technologies and gadgets were meant to connect to the reality and open up amazing possibilities. It seems to have provided platform for the worst aspect of humans –the majority that were piggyback riding on best of lot and freeloading the benefits, to coalesce and create their alternate reality that is sucking into existential crisis, wasting energy and undermining effort. This majority of unthinking/incapacitated to think humans –the herds, are being pandered by competing forces to exploit. The Age of Morons has come at the worst time. This is no longer joke. Trump was no joke. Nor these moron herd controllers propping up all across the world are accident. They create immense damage. This foolhardy arrogance can no longer be overlooked. Younger generation –who will face the consequences, are teaming up and raising their concerted desperate voice. They have kept calm and have conducted orderly despite the fact that their future seems increasingly periled. Every day it’s their future that is being destroyed, ofcourse with hundreds and millions of species that forms the biodiversity. The world is collapsing in real time while majority are not concerned at all or that they are incapacitated to be concerned since are incapable to think. How long can younger generations keep straight face, raise their fist and take long marches? We are reaching the tipping point, about to breach the point of no return with cascading implications.

It’s perverse but Australia facing the brunt has some assertions to it. White rich people facing the worst could help drill in the urgency to herds across the world. Opulent people seeing their homes swept away or backyard burning into their palatial house can pause herds into thinking. If it were poor ‘third world’ then these disasters or worst get easily dismissed as oft repeated sad story of ever suffering miserables, or as Indians see: less blessed. White rich people are capitalistic aspiration that is fed all across the world through herd trapping popular culture. It’s the carrot for the hamster for perpetual success. A narration that hinges on perpetual wants and perpetual consumption wherein earth is seen as gifted for perpetual exploitation for blessed humans. It’s god’s plan executed ably by capitalist.  

There is an urgent need for radical transformation of systems that controls human.                

 

Climate catastrophe accentuated by arrogance

Glacier breaking into an avalanche in Himalaya leading to flash flood and destruction are definite signs of climate change emergency. With global warming glaciers are receding, and will substantially weaken to collapse into flash flood. It is similar to what is happening in polar regions except that instead of breaking into the ocean (that has become alarmingly regular) the high altitude glacier collapse into river.  These are expected to increase in near future as also with glacier receding the perennial source of water for major river systems too will be depleted. India’s vulnerability to climate change needn’t be reiterated. It is now a fact which the short sighted and amazingly imprudent policy makers haven’t really able to lodge in their intellectually challenged blessed mind. This tragedy was compounded by foolhardy decisions of cutting trees and constructing hydroelectric projects (that were tossed aside by nature’s fury) in geologically vulnerable and environmentally fragile regions. It’s easy to get literacy but to become educated is a big deal. It needs humility and understanding both casualties in entitled world that poses sycophantic humbleness to power, greed and collective hallucinations that please the herd. People living in fragile regions are aware and carry the wisdom of centuries of connection with the nature (which is not broken by squatter sanctum’s grand estimations and appropriated flowery commands in alien language since these are fragile regions hence people are very much in touch with reality as any lapse would kill so they don’t have time for crap. Ofcourse in recent time these have broken with delusion of market and religion working its bigger plans as people reduced to pawns patronized and used as the occasion demands).

This region has vibrant environmental movements. It’s time that people raise their voice vehemently and forcefully against these grand projects conceived in grand ivory towers of insular mind trained in medieval notion to dominate and subjugate nature. Earth can very well survive humans. So it is better to learn to work with forces of nature, understand that we are only part of a system. Humans have no exclusive right nor are there any gods waiting to save humans. It might be difficult for blessed minds to fathom but you are not special. You can save yourself by understanding nature. Or else get ready to face the wrath of nature. In the meantime it’s time that policy makers start working on adaptive measures.  

Vanishing wisdom

 It is expected in an ideal situation that as people get old they gather experience and with knowledge and insight through exposure to wide range of ideas and thoughts acquire holistic understanding, compassionate and mindful presence. Through scrutiny and critical thinking an examined life is deemed to possess wisdom (if not in the entire gamut of life atleast in some aspects that adds to collective wisdom). We are so much fortunate that wise thoughts over the centuries have been preserved through printing and now disseminated by internet and available at one click. Whether it’s simmering thoughts of Walt Whitman or talks and searing writings of Toni Morrison or an astounding expression of deep connection of remote tribe…all are available. Despite deluge of insights it has become increasingly rare to come across wise elders or perceptive views that gives deeper analysis into the quandary these days. Not that the elders hold the key nor becoming old makes anyone wise. The numerous, and kinds of perceptive thoughts available, can save lots of time so even younger minds can acquire insights previously impossible. Younger minds bring newer ideas but older minds are tempered with experience and emotions hence high probability of wisdom. However if society itself is evolved then possibilities of young minds achieving amazing insights becomes quite likely. There is a reason why breakthrough ideas and exalted subtlety emerge from very few diminishing spaces of the world.       

As it is the contemporary world has become much crude and louder with market crassness that has kept the crowd mesmerized over large public space. While anachronistic religions with juvenile compelling narrations have created herds out of insecure and pitiable humans who have become more than nuisance in recent times. Politics is a convenient intersection of market and religion for charlatans to ensnare herds as voters. Older these politicians get worse they propose. Hence these contexts can be negated to produce wisdom and perceptiveness to evaluate cascading existential problems that humanity faces. It was therefore such a pleasant surprise to come across fresh whiff of wisdom through octogenarian Sugatha Kumari in her talks and prose, without any characteristic arrogance or entitlements or positioning that this society relishes and traps people in. In the severe stampede for the loot in the name art and activism, the pecking order established through nepotism, blackmailing and fervent haggling in and around power center, decency is the first causality. She passed away the other day from covid infection without much ado. It is quite rare to have insightful people that too in primitive society reeling in overwhelming mediocrity.  A region of fragile ecosystem and biodiversity placed in crass consumerism of crudest of people self-assured in varying idiocity of religions.  

It is a significant loss to humanity when wise people pass away. And when one is middle aged it tends to expose oneself to uncertainties that are left behind. As a generation of amazing people is passing away suddenly a protective shade of assurance is being snatched. Insights to comprehensively understand and deal the challenges are being lost. They now live in their writings and talks. But then who has the time as the society without any ethical anchor or compassion bearing swirls in the entertainments of glittering golden shitpot waiting to be flushed out into gutter of puerile entitlements.   

Post Script:

Once, and no more

The dirty brown splotched caterpillar munch the last of the leaves

yawns and indicates that it’s to roll up into dried leaf pupa

The wonder that emerges as brush footed commander  

Surprises itself by flying to the top of golden shower tree to share its colors

That’s too many things in a life, I yell to the butterfly

So what’s the trick?

How do I know how to live, be alive?

He surely did hear me.

I could tell from the way he unfurled and furled his proboscis  

My life is too short for your queries.   

Once, and only once to be here

And no more.  

He spreads his wings as bed spread

And stitch dreams from one end to another

For a long long sleep

And connect the constellations to exchange his life

          For the atoms and all                    

To find meaning

Presence is most important understanding. That is, you as a sentient being connect to the reality with all the senses. This then links, slowly but deliberately, as conscious to what is not perceived. Over the years with dedicated work and scrutiny one attunes to the best that is to offer. Getting attuned to excellence –pinnacle of possibilities, takes lots of effort as much as getting connected to simple and common. It could be subtlety of sights epitomized through nature or efforts of art. It could be ideas or thoughts that one seeks through searing presences in books, talks or writings or sometimes through visual mediums or images, that connects to the best thoughts over the centuries and contemporary and points to fertile future and possibilities. Meanwhile the mind works through its own ways of assimilation and consolidation and evolves its individual conceptions and insights in this nurturing ecosystem. Internet has made the connection to excellence much easier and eclectic thoughts accessible. There is no need to walk to the library and spent time on searching though not denying that these were charming activities. 

It is in this rich tapestry that one encounters words. Words that consolidate meanings into ideas and possibilities herein. These words carry insights and understandings of thinking minds that deliberated. These words with rich meanings, subtleties of thoughts and ideas encapsulated are being wrenched and thrown into haggling and deceit of market media. Visual media is defining arbitrator of issues and topics to highlight and is influencing majority of unthinking minds into herds which is having severe repercussions. Debate, which is a serious degradation of sane discussion into neoliberal social Darwinian binary, is ruining interactions and articulation to act. It is reduced to show of absurdities that is sucking reality into farce. For instance words like liberal and conservative are being tagged, boxed, into narrow binary meanings devoid of any subtleties or nuance of deliberation or context hence is meant to indicate bearers as competing forces thus cleverly segregating people into warring camps. There is an ease of effort, a monstrous simplification, meant to land into deep recess of herds and keep them held there. Market media and greedy arbitrators are accused of dumbing down and reducing issues as spectacles for consumption.                     

Words are not dead. They live and thrive. They have rich meaning that are an intrinsic aspect of evolving minds, an elemental aspect of individual presence, social interactions and defining feature of society. All these assimilate the words into richer tapestry of communication and meaning. Words therefore must be assigned its nuance to hold the possibilities. When words are taken out of context and held into single restrain meant as identity it dies. And with it dies the diversity of possibilities and contexts. These attempts to convert words into staid transactional currency to please and trap the herd must be resisted. Herds must be jostled from their market festooned bovine comfort and religion supported relaxing swings into the chaos of life and possibilities of individuals merging and emerging from multitude. And for that to happen words must be alive.