Flawed Society Model...

My previous post on Rape led me to seriously consider what our Indian Society is all about. We do take pride in our Indian Heritage/Culture and the unique family values we seem to have compared to the west. Our culture had thousands of years to develop and the unique thing about it is that, it was organic (deliberately used the past tense here). It was ever growing and never stagnant. 

We should understand that it was never a monolithic structure that could be used to paint the whole of India with a single brush. In contrast it was diverse with many constituent sub-cultures. These sub-cultures  found space to co-exist without any serious conflict. In that sense, our Indian Culture is unique. And it will continue to be unique only if it retains its organic structure, discarding those aspects which are not in tune with the prevalent society and gaining new contours making it ever colorful. 

The family values we see now grew with this culture. However, It is not an unique aspect to India. It would be highly ignorant of us to say that the West never had any family values and were always promiscuous...etc.  Though i am no expert on Western culture nor Indian, taking into consideration the various literature available (visual and written), i can say with confidence that our Family values are not unique. 

It is said that if we have a set of monkeys in a enclosure and give them typewriters, they eventually would end up giving you Shakespeare's plays. The question would be who got it first, and that is what makes Shakespeare special but not unique. With billions of human beings teeming the earth, nothing is unique.

The West did have family values analogous to us and still do. Before the hippie era, the west's sense of family was congruent to ours. The Family was an all important unit and patriarchal. However, with the advent of modern education and empowerment, the family concept grew to its current form. They were right in doing so, because sticking to the old rigid concept would have led to serious conflict of what they were being taught through education and what they were led to believe through Culture.

This is what is happening in India. As usual, we experience things 20 to 40 years after the west. We do not need to accept the Western model and it would be equally wrong if we do not learn from them. Our Model of Family is a flawed concept in the modern state. It is highly selfish and anti-thesis to democracy as enshrined in our Constitution. Ideology is always bad when it borders on fanaticism.

For example, Dynasty politics is an offshoot of this concept and it is eating into our nation. (seeds for which were sown when Kamaraj unwittingly favored Indra Gandhi). We keep our house clean, but throw the garbage out into the street. Our complacency to all and every thing stems from the fact that as long as it doesn't affect our family everything is hunky dory. But what we do not realize is that, by the time it affects us, it would be too late to do anything. Unless we do a rethink of what a Family is, we would not press into action even if the city burns provided our houses are not burnt. This selfish streak has permeated the core of our being and is such that we are no longer fit candidates for effective democracy.

Various governments in India have given importance to the concept of JUSTICE, LIBERTY and EQUALITY as given in the preamble of our Constitution. However what we have missed is FRATERNITY. This cannot be brought about by any legislation. It requires action on the part of us, Citizens. However, our Family Model on which the society prides itself on doesn't recognize the concept of FRATERNITY. It is limited either to our family members or caste or region or religion  It is not all encompassing as the framers of our constitutions expected it to be. Unless that is achieved justice, liberty and equality can never be fully realized and will remain a half dream. To err is human. But so is to learn from it.

Does it mean that the family concept that had been followed for thousands of years is wrong. Definitely not. In its purest form as practiced long ago, family was the concept of fraternity. However, somewhere down the lane, we have ignored its true spirit and given it its current narrower meaning.

Our fraternity at present goes only to the extent of finding an Indian connection wherever and in whatever we can. In today's The Hindu, there was an article (EU promoted Potatoes to replace rice in Asia). At the end of the article, the author had written about a particular farmer and out of the blue, how he had an Indian Connection (Apparently his daughter had come to Puducherry once.) This is sad. It is high time we discarded this flawed model on which our society is based on.

Back to the Future...

I have been away from the blog scene for a long time. To be frank i was not doing justice to the blog and i attributed this to paucity of time. I know what u are thinking. How can an unemployed  complain about paucity of time. If at all, he has extra time at hand. Well, that's a debate for another time. What is important is that i found out the solution and here i am, back to writing. The solution is a simple one. I decided to keep off Facebook for a while and voila, my calender got freed up big time. :)

It is sad that the flavour of the season seems to be Rape in the Capital. There  has been outrage over the incident and various organisations and people had called for stringent punishments...etc.  Let me ask you one question, does having strict legislation make it any more safer? It never will. Rape is a multifaceted problem and it needs to be approached as such.

Rape in the Indian Legal System is a flawed concept. The IPC categorizes rape under Sexual offenses. What we need to understand is that Rape has nothing to do with anything sexual. It is an aggravated form of violence. The person committing rape doesn't derive pleasure from coitus. They derive a sense of satisfaction and pleasure from the domination of the other, the pain and helplessness of the other and the brutality of it all. This aspect of the crime needs to be kept in mind while framing the law. Moreover, the legislation needs to be gender neutral. In that sense, our legislation and approach is outdated.

These are nothing new and have been doing the rounds of legislative corridors for long with nothing to show for it. But do you think a legislation alone can stop this. Nope. If at all, it shows that one can rape and the only consolation for the victim is that he will be just punished for it. And ofcourse it goes without saying that if you have money and power, one can altogether escape punishment (in most cases). Does it do anything to prevent rape?

I remember my childhood days when our hostel warden used to inspect our rooms. Our rooms used to look spotless and clean. But that is all, it just LOOKED clean. We used to hide all the junk underneath all the cleanliness. I have even seen this approach of patchwork in many aspects of the society. We are happy as long as everything goes back to normal. Not to weed out the root cause of the problem.

The first approach that needs to be taken care of is our children. Todays criminals were yesterdays children. So to protect the future, we need to instill our young the concept of right and wrong. I have seen parents who revel in their child's capacity to cheat the examiner and even encourage them to sponge off others. These are the seeds for tomorrows crimes. We should teach them to differentiate between right/wrong and to do the right thing. The children also need to be taught to respect women from their childhood days.
Now is this alone enough. Definitely not.

Of course, It is not correct to blame the women for the dress they wear. Nor is it a valid defense to say that she asked for it.  But what can we learn from this? Doesn't it show that our society is stifling of any signs of sexuality. Pre-marital sex is frowned upon and in some parts of india, even beaten upon (pun intended). Ofcourse, some would argue that it is not in our culture. But what i ask you is, in a patriarchal society like India, isn't it setting a collision course when on one side where there is an increased awareness of sexuality and on the other side stifling its expression and thereby not equipping the society to deal with such modernity?

So to conclude, i would say that we have been barking upon the wrong tree. If we don't wake up to that fact and do something about it, stricter punishments are not going to change anything. This will still be our future.

Too lazy to come up with a title...

I usually decide on what to write (Topic/Title) and then write about it in this blog. Though the end product seems like a stream of organised thoughts, it is actually not a product of anything organised. This is because, when the initial thoughts occur to you (in this case, me), they are more random and unorganized and you tend to store it like a dam and then when needed, release them in a coherent way.

So i am going to depart from my usual style and write whatever occurs to me. 

First and foremost, right now i am a refugee. How am i a refugee?  It is actually incorrect to say so because, i have not been subjected to persecution on account of my race/colour/region/religion or any other of those stupid things which causes people to behave like animals. However i am away from my habitual residence and in search of another (meanwhile seeking asylum in any sympathetic friend's place). Hence i take the poetic license to declare myself to be a REFUGEE. Now how is this relevant to you and why would you be interested in this story (if you can call it one)? Because, this story has a moral. 

This moral of the story is --> The plans you make will work, provided you see to the nitty gritty. This is because, it is the details that decide whether the plan works or not. The plans we usually make are sound in principle and when we take it from the drawing board to the field, they flounder. I learnt this the hard way and hope you do not have to. (Do not ask me how i connected refugee to this moral.)

Now in terms of current affairs - I just read the news that INDIA won against PAKISTAN in cricket. But, what was really of significance (or insignificance if i may say so) was the various hate posts against Pakistan that was rampant in FB before/during/after the match. The State in cohorts with phony historians has always successfully brainwashed the citizens against the other side (India/Pakistan as the case may be ). This is so true in both sides of the border. However, the irony is that despite propagating so much hate in their School textbooks, the public stance of these oligarchs is for the common people to have amity towards each other and building of a friendly relationship.  

These school textbooks need to be overhauled and written in way that is not biased towards anyone. The young should never be poisoned with the grownup's biases. We all know how selective reading of facts can get the desired result. 

Moreover, i recently read a blog talking about how Narendra Modi is a good administrator and how his sins need to be forgotten like how we forgot Rajiv Gandhi's (actually a broader inference from the blog). However, i feel the whole issue should be seen in light of the Edmund Burke's words that "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing". Therefore Modi should not be let off lightly and as for as Rajiv, sadly as we talked earlier, it is the winner who writes the history books. Anyway, we should be concerned about the present for now.

Lots more to say, but if we get that started it will never stop. Do we ever cease to think?

Anyway... as Spock says "Live Long and Prosper"

Bye.

The Day I Am Dead....

I did promise a friend that i would publish a blog today. Since i had thought up the crux of the topic a couple of weeks back, i think it is more appropriate that i finish what i started unlike Rahul Gandhi. The topic sounds sombre and i would like to assure you that it is far from it. It is more a positive piece.

Now we know that one cannot talk for others without knowing about them. And whenever we tell someone that we empathize with them, what we actually are doing is that we only sympathize. This is because we can't possibly know what the other person is going through and even if you have been in a similar situation before, the fact that each of us are unique individuals makes sure that we perceive it differently. So, the next time you tell someone that you empathize with them, think twice.

Now sympathy is different, it all depends on the person. If the person likes pity, go ahead with it. Some like it so much that they wallow in self pity. According to me that is the worst one there is. Well, then again that is me. I would prefer it if you helped me understand what went wrong and helped me achieve my goal, with a tad bit of sympathy. Come on, i am human and humans like to know that someone cares.

So coming back to the topic, we all are organic structures that are like any other animal on this planet. Now, we differentiate ourselves from the other animals by calling ourselves Human Beings (Homo sapiens if you are scientifically inclined). That differentiation is not justified by mere classification. We attribute it to our intelligence or sixth sense as some call it.

However i beg to differ, do we know whether animals think or not? Haven't we seen animals show intelligence and lets not forget the dolphins. Or is it the degree of intelligence? Even in that angle, i can show you many a human being who are dumber than an ass (to the ones giggling - A donkey is also called an ass. However i know i am doing great injustice to the donkey).

So let us safely conclude that it is not the degree of intelligence, lest we declassify some of our brethren.
According to the humble me, it is the learning part or to be more exact, the continuous learning part. If we look at history, we have continuously learned and we have excelled from our past experiences. Though some of us might point out to many a times when we haven't learnt from our previous actions. Well we learn, but we do not get it correct all the time. After all, to err is human.

So how do we connect this condescending post to DEATH. Well it is my belief that unless we continuously keep learning, we are not fit to be on top on the food chain. But, declassifying us as humans is no good either. We are as good as dead. Hence the connection. :)

There may be times when we face challenges and succeed, good for us. But most of the time we lose. But to look at it glass full, we get an opportunity to learn, to exhibit that we are alive, that we are human beings. Agreed that losing is not fun. But what makes us unique is the bundle of experiences we carry within ourselves. Winning all the time doesn't make you such an enriched person, if not arrogant.

Always try to come out of your comfort zone and explore the unexplored. There is no use existing if you haven't lived your life. However, we may have to draw the line when we continuously lose,NOT BECAUSE WE AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH. But, because LIFE IS SHORT AND YOU HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO and to find more things you excel at.

It not who laughs at the end of a race, but who laughs at the end of loss because who has got wiser huh? So to the ones wining all the time. Please do not get complacent.. You are losing if you get complacent.

"Hitch your wagon to the stars" said a great man whom i admire very much, because it is better still when one learns from other's experience. And this great man had many a wise thing to say that has stood me good stead. So do take criticism in the right sense and from the right people. Because an opinion is a dime a dozen and you need to be careful from where you get it.

So according to my humble self,  The Day I am Dead is the day i stop learning something and the day i stop trying to excel. So do not write me off yet. So to you all arseholes (not you my reader, but to my detractors..), i still have some fight left in me. So bring it on...

Adios Amigos... until next time...

Last out of Pandora's Box...

Politics Politics everywhere as far as eye can see,
Round the rocks and into the nooks runs the slimish thee...
Not a drop of honesty in this human sea,
While all along disgusting the hell out of me...

Away flew the charm, taking away the calm...
Away flew the sanctity, leaving no morality...
Is this true? Is that true?
Potent is this doubt's brew...

Fed by this brew,
Has the cynic grew...
As sure as the rising sun,
Will he doubt everyone...

Lets not Forget! Lets not Forget!
Out of Pandora's box came many,
But Hope came last, Stronger than any...
Lets not Forget! Lets not Forget!

Out of coloured glasses we see, 
The world with abandon and glee...
Beware! Beware! The darkening of the Tint!
Lest  Hope be lost forever...
And you remain a cynic forever...

It starts with Thee and ends with Thee...
Lets not Forget!
Lets not Forget!

Manmohan Singh... Genius or Otherwise?

The public image of the honorable Dr. Manmohan Singh (hereafter referred to as MMS) has taken a lot of beating in the past year. It particularly reminds me of a  beautiful book by Ayn Rand, "We the Living". I use the term beautiful in the literal sense here. You have to read it to appreciate it. (Spoiler Alert)To sum the book without disclosing much of the plot, The person who seems to be the Hero at the start, becomes the Villain in the end and the person who seems to be the Villain at the start, becomes the Hero in the end. This transition is so subtle and brilliant in the book that you wouldn't see the carpet being pulled under your legs. Seriously, if you love a good read, you gotta read "We the Living".

Now coming back to MMS, If you take the case of his public image, you too would draw a parallel with "We the Living". Once hailed as the Prodigal Son, he is now called the lame duck Prime Minister.
 Click here to read the entry in Wikipedia about how the public's perception has varied from UPA1 (First Term) and UPA2 (Second Term).  Ofcourse, Wikipedia should never be cited as an authoritative source, but being the lazy person i am, i think Wikipedia would do just fine for our purpose. :)

However, you also got to appreciate MMS's intellect. He has held various posts in his time as a bureaucrat and also as a politician. That definitely speaks volumes of his intellect and integrity. Mind you, it is no easy task to hold these various positions and that too not having a surname that opens door (read nepotism). Considering the outcomes of various policies of the government, it would be apparent to even a laymen to ask MMS the following questions.

1. How would a politician appoint a CAG who rocks their own boat?
2. Why wasn't the first Anna Hazare episode handled like how Indra Gandhi would have done in her times? or at least like it was handled the past month? Instead, why was Anna treated like a VIP and all his whims entertained ?
3. How would a politician bring about the RTI Act without knowing about its implications?

and there are many more questions. But to answer these questions i am going to take some poetic license.

Gandhi For All Ages....

There have been  many a recent headline around the world with regard to the communal tensions/violence (especially in India, China, Srilanka, USA, UK, Africa and the list goes on). It would be easy to point fingers at a section of the society and criticize the government for the failings.

But i choose not do those today. 

This cycle of hatred has been going on for too long. Far too long. The directors/location/cast might have changed from the Crusades, but the script remains the same till today.

 --> Intolerance.

It is the same from east to west and north to south. It has nothing to do with the level of the development of the country. As long as humans are involved, the ends have been the same, though the means might have been different.

In this atmosphere, I find it imperative to revisit some of Gandhi's teachings/ideals to bring back some perspective. (though what he said was from a different era and in a different context, it still holds true.)

The below excerpts from the some of his teachings will appeal to any sane and reasonable mind.

"The golden way is to be friends with the world and to regard the whole human family like members of one family. He who distinguishes between one's family and another's mis-educates the members of his own and opens the way for discord and irreligion.
-----

It is easy enough to dig out a few criminals from their hiding places and hand them over 
to the police, but it does not protect society against the repetition of them. It is necessary 
to remove the causes by undertaking a thorough process to reform. There must arise in 
Islam as well as in Hinduism men who being comparatively pure in character, would work 
among such men.

We would not then try to shift blame for ugly happenings on the hooligan elements. We 
could convert and control the hooligan elements too.
There is not a man, however cruel and hard-hearted, but would give his admiration to a 
brave man. A goonda is not the vile man he is imagined to be. He is not without his noble 
traits.

(‘A goonda does not understand reason.) But he understands bravery. If he finds that you 
are braver than he, he will respect you.
-----

Mutual toleration is a necessity for all time and for all races. 

Honest public opinion should make it impossible for grieved parties to take the law into their own hands and every case [of dispute] must be referred to private arbitration or to law courts.… "

source: http://www.mkgandhi.org

The only way to remove the tree of discord is to strike at its roots. Otherwise, it will only keep cropping up back. And the best place to start is with some self-introspection.

I would love to elaborate and explain on what he meant, but it is best if one discovers the truth for oneself. 

Hope you see the light...
Hope you reflect on them...
More earnestly, Hope you illuminate your world with it...

Independence Day - Me, John Doe and The Ghost...

The sun rises to another beautiful day on this glorious nation that is India. And somewhere along this bountiful country which is the epitome of DIVERSITY, I rise in my corner of my house to a highly anticipated day in the Indian Calender. THE INDEPENDENCE DAY (August 15, 1947)

We all know the story of how India attained independence from the the various well documented history books. Whether the History books do justice to everyone who contributed to the struggle for independence or whether its just a narrative of the winning side (read the Indian National Congress) is a discussion for another day. Before we further deviate from the topic, let me ask you this " What does the independence mean to you?". Though i cannot speak for my generation of Indians, i can fairly say with authority that it has always meant to be day where OPTIMISM is at its best.

Initially, I was tempted to write an opinionated piece on what the Independence day means to a lot of my generation (middle/upper middle/rich/filthy rich and internet savvy). Then i realised that it would not be fair to you since there are always a lot of opinionated pieces out there.

So let me take you through the Independence Day through the eyes of

1. An Average Indian's Independence day Celebrations -- Mine
2. Ghosts of Independence days past. (1947 - 2011) -- In the form of Mamta didi.
3. A Third party observer -  A non-Indian (Control/Placebo to check what a reasonable man would think under the facts presented). Let us call him John Doe for familiarities sake.

So here it goes. Cock-a-doodle-do and cue...

Who am I ?

I had a hard time choosing the topic to start my blog with. My choices ranged from the international menagerie of American politics, the Syrian conflict to the domestic issues plaguing our nation. In the end i have come a full circle in choosing to talk about my kind.  "The Unemployed Indian".


The Unemployed Indian is a complex product of the Indian Education system and the Indian society. The education system is skewed in favour of higher education whereas failing to focus on the foundation i.e, the primary education. Without a strong primary education the students lose the fundamental joy of learning and their creativity/individual thinking. This education is more "adult-aspiration focused" , and I use the term the "adult-aspiration focused " in a liberal sense to highlight how adults thrust the children with what they want, than with what the children need.

How do you expect a student who is weak in the basics to confront the challenges of the higher education?