Are we religion-wise independent? Now, there comes the proverbial thorny question. The root cause of modern terrorism around the world. From Iraq to Iran to Syria to Lebanon to Israel to Palestine to India to US…. the list of affected places is never ending, so you can imagine the enormity and sufferings that come with them. The hatred w.r.t religion is at the peak and the tolerance level for them has hit an all-time low. In India it is the case of Hindu vs. the Islam, in Israel it is the Jews vs. the Islam and thanks to these religious fanatics Islam has earned a bad name even though it being internally and morally harmless. This is the Frankenstein monster that we have to fight with and render it toothless and spineless. Terror instills fear and collective fear weaken the nation so its in our own interest that we fight this scourge and emerge victorious.
Are we economically independent? Now here is the question whose answer is a medley of positives and negatives. Yes, we can proudly call ourselves a developing nation but the journey has just begun and we have to change our internal fiber to herald a revolutionary metamorphosis of India. We as a nation is plagued with systemic corruption ,genetic incompetence and lethargy and we are content at calling ourselves the ‘Chalta hai’ country with a ‘chalta hai’ attitude. These shortcomings drag us down and we fail to live the ‘developed world’ dream. India has to shed the cobwebs of casualness and indifference to become a true economic superpower. Atleast we have a realistic chance in this case.
Are we medically independent? I would say an emphatic no! Actually in this case there is a huge chasm between the haves and haves not. On one hand we have the apollos, the lohias who are providing the best-in-class service so much so that the foreigners are making a bee-line to India for getting a world-class yet cheap treatment and I salute our brave and competent doctors for that. But on the other hand majority of the population is devoid of the most basic healthcare services, the govt is as usual non-receptive and there are thousands of deaths because of lack of medical care. Sincere efforts are being made here and there but that’s just a trickle, we need a tsunami of such individual and organizational efforts to make India a healthy place to live in. May be we should give it another 40 years.
Are we politically independent? Its answer involves satire and irony.How? Let’s check it out. India is more than independent in terms of the formation of the parties; every groused soul can or rather forms a party and uses tax-payer’s money and other public resources to further its own sinister political goals. Does any informed soul has any idea of the no. of regional and national parties in India. I bet I won’t get one as the number keeps changing by the day. In this respect I seriously feel that the freedom is far too much, it should be curtailed and India should introduce 2 party system as in the US. This would help immensely the average Joe like me in making informed decisions and would also keep the incumbent government on its toes. Yes, Yes, I know that I’m living in a fool’s paradise to even imagine such a scenario but guys its independence day and every patriotic Indian has a right to live in this utopian world even though for a few minutes in his dreams.
Remember we can live this dream longer, brighter and closer to reality. Amen. Long Live India.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Are we really independent?Do a soul search this independence day-Part II
In this part we would try to answer the questions posed in the previous section.
Are we democratically independent? Yes we are. India enjoys theoretical democracy for the past 60 years and save for three wars with Pakistan and an odd one with China, its national security has had a good track record and unless neighboring countries force war on us we don’t see any immediate national threat.
Are we socially independent? The answer is a big and vehement NO! India of the 21’st century reeks of bygone social structure where discrimination is based on things which are not in our control like color, race, sex, caste etc. Why for heaven’s sake do us imbecile Indians continuously dig our own graves by harping over such issues? Why can’t a human be judged by his rationality, his thoughts and actions? Why we as a nation of highly educated Indians tolerate such hypocrites as Murli Manohar Joshi and Arjun Singh? Why and I ask Why have we forgotten to fight for our own cause and why have we increased our tolerance level in this duration of 60 years. Why don’t we have a modern Bose, Bhagat or Azad who can show and blaze the way to us mere mortals? Just think over it.
Are we culturally independent? Again my heart shouts a loud NO! India has been the land of diversities and glaring complexities since time immemorial. We have had the cultural influence of the Aryans, Mughals, British and a myriad others and this should have made us culturally more tolerant, but the reality is quite the opposite: we spare no chance to resort to petty mud-slinging and harsh vitriolic. We make all the right noises demeaning one cultural tradition and glorifying the other and this group include not only the illiterate but the intelligentsia of the country. We have always been poor of appreciating our own internal wealth: be it the Kama Sutra or the Kohinoor, same is the case with our varied cultural heritage. Come on, lets learn from our past mistakes and starting appreciating the kaleidoscopic culture of India.
Are we regionally independent? This has to be a bolded NO! Again our short-sightedness and our vested interest are the main culprits. People can fight for a Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and what not just to gain political brownie points! Organizations like Naxals, ULFA, Ranvir Sena, MCC etc can spread terror and hatred just for a tract of land! Have we gone down to such low moral depths so as to justify thousands of lives for some acres of non-living land? This is not what our forefathers dreamt of. We need to change the mindset and I sincerely hope and pray that this doesn’t take another 60 years.
Are we democratically independent? Yes we are. India enjoys theoretical democracy for the past 60 years and save for three wars with Pakistan and an odd one with China, its national security has had a good track record and unless neighboring countries force war on us we don’t see any immediate national threat.
Are we socially independent? The answer is a big and vehement NO! India of the 21’st century reeks of bygone social structure where discrimination is based on things which are not in our control like color, race, sex, caste etc. Why for heaven’s sake do us imbecile Indians continuously dig our own graves by harping over such issues? Why can’t a human be judged by his rationality, his thoughts and actions? Why we as a nation of highly educated Indians tolerate such hypocrites as Murli Manohar Joshi and Arjun Singh? Why and I ask Why have we forgotten to fight for our own cause and why have we increased our tolerance level in this duration of 60 years. Why don’t we have a modern Bose, Bhagat or Azad who can show and blaze the way to us mere mortals? Just think over it.
Are we culturally independent? Again my heart shouts a loud NO! India has been the land of diversities and glaring complexities since time immemorial. We have had the cultural influence of the Aryans, Mughals, British and a myriad others and this should have made us culturally more tolerant, but the reality is quite the opposite: we spare no chance to resort to petty mud-slinging and harsh vitriolic. We make all the right noises demeaning one cultural tradition and glorifying the other and this group include not only the illiterate but the intelligentsia of the country. We have always been poor of appreciating our own internal wealth: be it the Kama Sutra or the Kohinoor, same is the case with our varied cultural heritage. Come on, lets learn from our past mistakes and starting appreciating the kaleidoscopic culture of India.
Are we regionally independent? This has to be a bolded NO! Again our short-sightedness and our vested interest are the main culprits. People can fight for a Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and what not just to gain political brownie points! Organizations like Naxals, ULFA, Ranvir Sena, MCC etc can spread terror and hatred just for a tract of land! Have we gone down to such low moral depths so as to justify thousands of lives for some acres of non-living land? This is not what our forefathers dreamt of. We need to change the mindset and I sincerely hope and pray that this doesn’t take another 60 years.
Are we really independent?Do a soul search this independence day-Part I
Today as I was surfing channels I came across a movie called Sehar (featuring arshad varsi as the police protagonist) about which I had heard a lot but didn’t get a chance to see it. Sensing my habit of switching over channels by the minute, the last thing I had imagined was straining my eyes to see the entire movie but believe it or not I did manage this Herculean task in the end and I’m proud of my decision.
The movie although devoid of big stars and the usual razzmatazz, was based on a reality-based script and razor sharp execution.
Arshad Varsi has certainly grown in stature as an actor in my eyes after watching this movie.
This class of a movie vividly describes the symbiotic relationship between the local goons, politicians and the police and is very real, very believable and vulnerable (in terms of story set-up). It clearly sums up the frustration and helplessness of the honest souls in the system and shows how big and deep is the rot which is sucking the country slowly and steadily until it looses its power of resistance.
I tried to relate this movie with the auspicious date of 15’Th Aug and I found glaring deficiencies plaguing our country. There are still numerous questions begging to be noticed and answered and to which we are turning a blind eye for the past 60 years.
Let’s pore over some questions and try to access the ground reality related to them.
1. Are we democratically independent?
2. Are we socially independent?
3. Are we culturally independent?
4. Are we regionally independent?
5. Are we religion-wise independent?
6. Are we economically independent?
7. Are we medically independent?
8. Are we politically independent?
I will come up with the answers in the second part of this blog. Keep watching and a HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY to all the proud Indians.
The movie although devoid of big stars and the usual razzmatazz, was based on a reality-based script and razor sharp execution.
Arshad Varsi has certainly grown in stature as an actor in my eyes after watching this movie.
This class of a movie vividly describes the symbiotic relationship between the local goons, politicians and the police and is very real, very believable and vulnerable (in terms of story set-up). It clearly sums up the frustration and helplessness of the honest souls in the system and shows how big and deep is the rot which is sucking the country slowly and steadily until it looses its power of resistance.
I tried to relate this movie with the auspicious date of 15’Th Aug and I found glaring deficiencies plaguing our country. There are still numerous questions begging to be noticed and answered and to which we are turning a blind eye for the past 60 years.
Let’s pore over some questions and try to access the ground reality related to them.
1. Are we democratically independent?
2. Are we socially independent?
3. Are we culturally independent?
4. Are we regionally independent?
5. Are we religion-wise independent?
6. Are we economically independent?
7. Are we medically independent?
8. Are we politically independent?
I will come up with the answers in the second part of this blog. Keep watching and a HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY to all the proud Indians.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Friday, August 11, 2006
honest reflection on everyday experience
After a tiring, drab and stale day I trudged forward enthusiastically to my favorite retreat: my window that is strategically located at my tenth floor apartment which overlooks a highly energetic road. Somehow I have developed this peculiar habit of staring blankly from this window and analyzing the humdrum on the ground.
Today’s setting was no different from the rest of the days: an avalanche of cars, buses, trucks etc going bonkers on the road, howling salesmen and harrowing customers, anxious passengers waiting for their right numbered bus, fearful but hopeful street urchins and their brethrens with tears in their eyes and fire in their bellies, bullying hooligans, hypocrite politicians once again promising the moon and other myriad characters dutifully performing their roles to near perfection. Do they complain of their fate? I don’t know. Do you want to know? Of course-blurted my inner voice in unison and that is the reason this window has become my gateway to reality or should I say pseudo reality!
Gosh! What on earth are you saying? It can’t be false, it is what I see.
And that is precisely why you are wrong, you only see it, you don’t feel it and experience it. You have this weird notion that big people with big cars and big houses and big money are happy. On the contrary happiness is inversely proportional to size: the more material you own the more you degrade on the happiness quotient and which results in the destruction of the moral fiber.
When I first started forming my opinion based on my observations on the ground I was like an amateur: feeling and praising the skin without bothering the soul, I considered myself happy and why not, I had a good job, an adoring family and a future full of hopes and dreams, I had no wants and hence I ignored God and his earthly drama.
Slowly as the time passed by I realized happiness is not one-sided but is multi-dimensional, is very referential and extremely fickle. One should seek satisfaction and happiness out of very small things that happen daily in one’s life. Cribbing about one’s fate can go on till eternity but one loses simple charms of life in the process. Humans are created for the sole purpose of being rational and intelligent, yet we hardly use this divine gift. We consciously or otherwise seek or discover ways to be angry, jealous, haughty and all other bad qualities that we know since time immemorial. Why do we do it? Because we want to fool ourselves into believing that we are actually happy and that’s the way it goes amongst the majority of us.
The ones who beg to differ are the truly happy and enlightened souls.
I’m in the former category training myself for that rarefied zone of people and this window helps me in that. It provides me with numerous examples where poor people are happy and satisfied with one good meal with their kiths and kins and their rich counterparts strain their lungs and intestines with five daily meals and are still groping for that elusive smile.
Why are they hell bent on self-destroying themselves when they have all the ammunition with which they can not only achieve self satisfaction but also can make a million hearts smile? I have this unflinching faith that this would change, that chaos would give way to rationality and happiness would win hands down in the clash with dissatisfaction but for that to happen we have to shed our cobwebs of complacency and ignorance and open our window to a rational and healthy mind. Then probably no one would need to sit and gaze emptily from any window of any house. Our open mind is our window.
Today’s setting was no different from the rest of the days: an avalanche of cars, buses, trucks etc going bonkers on the road, howling salesmen and harrowing customers, anxious passengers waiting for their right numbered bus, fearful but hopeful street urchins and their brethrens with tears in their eyes and fire in their bellies, bullying hooligans, hypocrite politicians once again promising the moon and other myriad characters dutifully performing their roles to near perfection. Do they complain of their fate? I don’t know. Do you want to know? Of course-blurted my inner voice in unison and that is the reason this window has become my gateway to reality or should I say pseudo reality!
Gosh! What on earth are you saying? It can’t be false, it is what I see.
And that is precisely why you are wrong, you only see it, you don’t feel it and experience it. You have this weird notion that big people with big cars and big houses and big money are happy. On the contrary happiness is inversely proportional to size: the more material you own the more you degrade on the happiness quotient and which results in the destruction of the moral fiber.
When I first started forming my opinion based on my observations on the ground I was like an amateur: feeling and praising the skin without bothering the soul, I considered myself happy and why not, I had a good job, an adoring family and a future full of hopes and dreams, I had no wants and hence I ignored God and his earthly drama.
Slowly as the time passed by I realized happiness is not one-sided but is multi-dimensional, is very referential and extremely fickle. One should seek satisfaction and happiness out of very small things that happen daily in one’s life. Cribbing about one’s fate can go on till eternity but one loses simple charms of life in the process. Humans are created for the sole purpose of being rational and intelligent, yet we hardly use this divine gift. We consciously or otherwise seek or discover ways to be angry, jealous, haughty and all other bad qualities that we know since time immemorial. Why do we do it? Because we want to fool ourselves into believing that we are actually happy and that’s the way it goes amongst the majority of us.
The ones who beg to differ are the truly happy and enlightened souls.
I’m in the former category training myself for that rarefied zone of people and this window helps me in that. It provides me with numerous examples where poor people are happy and satisfied with one good meal with their kiths and kins and their rich counterparts strain their lungs and intestines with five daily meals and are still groping for that elusive smile.
Why are they hell bent on self-destroying themselves when they have all the ammunition with which they can not only achieve self satisfaction but also can make a million hearts smile? I have this unflinching faith that this would change, that chaos would give way to rationality and happiness would win hands down in the clash with dissatisfaction but for that to happen we have to shed our cobwebs of complacency and ignorance and open our window to a rational and healthy mind. Then probably no one would need to sit and gaze emptily from any window of any house. Our open mind is our window.
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