India lives a glorious variety and not a debatable diversity

   Why India does not need a media narrative lexicon defined   ‘Secularism’ or any lessons on nurturing diversity from media ?

1.   Let media be frank enough to accept that they gave a new connotation the word ‘secularism’ in India to fit their and their pay masters’ narrative i.e. Non-Hindu appeasement and Hindu traditions and cultural bashing [ in certain issues rightly and in some wrongly].

2.   The real Indian psyche sees no diversity but breathes and lives in enormous variety. So, no one, much less media journalists, need to teach about diversity to India. India revels and reveals itself through its variety and not some ideologically hammered homogeneity through social engineering by politics, religion, economic systems etc.

3.   India has been naturally diverse and nurturing and nudging about nicely with diversity/variety with certain aberrations here and there and a few exceptions which the media loves to gloat over because sensationalism triggers adrenal instantly whereas sense can review, rationalize and render a sense of balance but may not get brownie points to media.

         

4.   It smacks of typical journalistic arrogance and usual leftist tendency to slide inappropriate appropriations of lofty terms like ‘liberal, universal, blab la.. .’ the following sentence vindicates that ‘leftist steeped in universalism’. [I call this The Telesis of terminology and the creation of contrived expressions].

5.   While majority of media journalists have been and can only work with templates based on left oriented ideological extrapolations with a rider these templates can be compromised only with selective bias according to the nation, region, religion etc.

6.   Having said all these there are limits social engineering effected through any top down or macro control [as has been proved through the failure of left ideology dominated social systems].

7.   Any change or perhaps, all changes happen through bottoms up  or as a result of  organic development as Matt Ridley observes , ‘ emerges from the interactions of millions, not from the plans of a few’.

8.   So, however much the left leaning media may wish to set the frame as well as design the contents inside the frame of its fancied templates, evolutionary trends will organically shape the nature and scheme of things.

9.   Evolution has ensured that human beings as a species have moved from kuru disease contacting cannibals to cyber gurus. Everything in every domain constantly evolves as excellently brought out by Matt Ridley in his wonderful book ' Evolution of everything'

10.         Life in its entirety in general is a mere train in the grand unending and unknown track of evolution.

Human beings unfortunately lack the humility to accept this because of their conscious awareness, acquired knowledge, all these stored in memory and their propensity to control and dominate everything and everyone.

There is nothing either permanent or absolute or perfect to something as temporal or mortal as human life- as one among the many species- more so to individual human beings.

Everything is either intended or unintended manifestation in the process called evolution.

Life is lively and is always in motion and evolution operates with its own dynamics to effect changes constantly.

So, it is difficult to grab any of them but we can grasp and understand the dynamics of both through various methods and the loads of existing literature and documents available in various subjects.

Therefore, life in all its wonder has to be enjoyed and lived and evolution in its entire splendor has to be experienced as an inevitable metamorphosis.

That’s why even any definition with axiomatic certitudes eludes what we mean by terms like Reality, Faith and Truth because everything in life, or to be precise life itself on the whole, is an unmapped atlas which gets its maps based on our choices, beliefs, actions, reactions, thoughts, attitudes and understanding and so on.

                   

cosmopolitan outlook

When sense and sensitivities get polished by unbiased observation based rational sophistication or as an aspect of survival necessity, there emerges as part of evolution of civilization, a cosmopolitan outlook acknowledging all identities but does not discriminate and divide.

Wisdom and posterity

The very thought of leaving something meaningful for posterity in the process of our life experience must get ingrained in all our actions be it physical behavior, psychological attitudes, emotional reactions, intellectual ideas and interpretations, spiritual experiences, social interactions, all types of services and the way we render them at home and elsewhere; the vibes we manifest; the enthusiastic vibrations we generate, in short, the combination of our overall  inherited natural instincts, nurtured thoughts and actions and all of them internalized as inward  behavior and manifested through us as our character to the outside world is what is going to impact our children, our multitude of relationships, our environment and so on.

While life is, obviously and in reality, only the present moment ' The Now', we do imitate and get impacted by and do influence our surroundings in multiple ways and means.

So, if life can be experienced with a conscious concern for the type of impact we would prefer, based on that, our thoughts and actions can be impregnated with such outlook. Then, that by itself is a great wisdom.

Macro economic policies

Unfortunately,  the government cannot be run by one or a few individuals intentions ,however good they may be:- like ensuring toilets, electricity and roads to villages etc.

But macro economic policies, especially, for a huge population consisting of drastically different economic strata ( I mean economic / income/ affordability to spend factors) need multitude of businesses and employment opportunities.

Though, the government  may not be able to fund and follow all activities generating such conditions as all welfare measures cannot happen through top down percolation of benefits, the least, the government can do is to create a conducive atmosphere to create bottoms up organic growth of businesses, where MSMEs can function without fear of excessive harassment in the form of compliance ( it has only replaced red-tapism) and most importantly device plans to generate the much needed in big capitals LIQUIDITY, if not as hard currency at least as electronic currency.

Everyone knows, that in this country what percentage pays income tax ( whether it should continue at all?) and also what is the percentage of organized sector ? Then, why and how can or must we try to control every movement of currency. It is like a story of trying to kill a rat set the whole house on fire.

How the government is going to overcome the two major problems of liquidity crisis and employment crisis must be prioritized and left to experts and markets without letting in populist measures interfering in the process.

The reality is obvious that most businesses are either dull or suffering without investment for scaling up. 

While it is important to nab and nail down defaulters through a multitude of post morten departments like DRTs, ARCs, NCLT etc .

Government must also focus of economic health care departments and global investors confidence boosting actions ( not mere slogans, intentions and incentives).

The reality is obviously reflected in the vacant hotel rooms and restaurants; unsold real estate assets of all types; reduction in internal tourism ( the most important income generating and also most neglected area). Fortunately, pilgrimage tourism is in tact.

The government is aware of and armed with exact data on all parameters and how they are going to address them is going to decide the future of economy , political survival ( which cannot be taken for granted if visible and real economic development and actual employments do not take place) and even the very integrity of the nation. 

Religious fever and affinity and common enemy may be good factors for elect​oral politics but will not get continued patronage when the stomachs and purses are empty.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness i.e. sincere, focused , involved ( mind space fully devoted) and unbiased observation of inherent attribute of anything or anyone we deal with , devoid of our preconceived images or notions and dealing with it or with them is more important than any imaginary miracles.

Simply conveyed, when we eat we must just relish the food; when we bathe just relish the water on our body; when we talk just relish our speech ( not worry about whether the other person listens or likes it); when we listen to music just immerse in it or allow it to permeate into us; when we walk enjoy the vibration of our body and its communication with the ground, especially , if it is a rock or mountain because they carry huge accumulated knowledge of many years as their life span is of several generations.

MSMs in short

MSMs are outrage manufacturing factories,mass opinion molding industries, narrative marketeers, victimhood peddlers, sensationalism suppliers, controversy creaters. No more fourth pillar only froth fillers. While selective amnesia remains at bottom collective indifference froths out.

Law and legal profession

Good North meets South. 

With legal knowledge, rich experience, thanks to great exposure and good company and sharp intellect I wish your team inherits a wisdom of understanding that values concern for socio-cultural sensitivities ( pride in ancestry of Bharath Matha) and sensibly evaluates facts with contextual relevance without upsetting the sense of balance of rationality and humanism while taking care of the imperatives of larger socio- economic considerations ( hope for the future) and deliver not only the usual justice based on jugglery of verbal nuances but an interpretation of cases that prioritize lasting ethical and institutional values for posterity to cherish.

This will restore the much needed confidence and respect to the profession.

Once again wishing  your team all the best not to compromise on most of the above aspects.

That's why perhaps very often people say legal frame work, what gets painted/ projected within the frame work is more vital.

 

Father's Day

​​Father's Day 2018 someone asked me to write a 500 word article.

Whether it is Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Parenting has lot of nice things and offers many lessons.

Any relationship we may choose to evaluate or expect aspects like trust, reciprocation, gratitude, understanding and multitude of other compatibilities and trade offs.

However, when it is the parental relationship , none of those are expected and that is the very beauty of this unique relationship where most things are present, taken for granted and most importantly many sublime factors are on offer unqualified like unqualified affection, care and love.

Best part is till children grow up it is mostly one way traffic.

This is perhaps the reason why our tradition has placed duty bound reverence in this order Matha, Pitha, Guru, Daivam.

Parenting involves too many things with too much of involvement. 

Many of which may be contradictions, blatant manifestations of hypocrisy etc. 

Still, they all work together with too many strong ,personal , interpersonal emotions like care, concern, some amount of possessiveness, obsessive protectionism, sentimentalism, indescribable love which does not seek reciprocation, being and wanting to be physically and mentally available , wanting and willing to eagerly participate in the growth and evolution of the children etc. All of these can be realized only when one is a parent.

However, the following advice brings some sanity to otherwise too involved parenting.

"When you parent, it’s crucial you realize you aren’t raising a ‘mini me’ but a spirit throbbing with its own Signtaure- Dr. Shefali Tsabary. 

This is nothing but what JK used to say as allowing the inward flowering.

Parenting very often does not know to differentiate between involvement and intrusion.

All said and done life is best ensconced only in the warmth of parental love which can be taken for granted at any circumstance.

When people whose parents are no more alive, think of them and fond memories cascade down the spine and fine feelings gush up the spine and both together flood the heart and choke the throat.

We all need to relish with love the relationship of our parents for whatever they did or did not or could not do and as parents let us do whatever we can to our children with love.

knowledge and awareness

The problem is knowledge and awareness are limited by inputs and information, further eroded by biases and  beliefs.

Besides , the radar of frames of references captures only those things that fit into ones prefixed ideologies.

Now,  with technological advancements we can get to know all that is happening across the globe at least at basic level ,  if we choose to, on any topic and in every domain.

India is variety personified

Mirage of a strong state is not a reality.

Making of a strong state is the reality and reality need not get confined to existing or established labels or models of economic development.

We may, preferably must, adopt certain factors of the Chinese  model mostly in infrastructure,  manufacturing sector and employment creation.

But having said that economics and politics –the holons in social engineering, as we Indians of all hues and strata know, are organic evolutions based on various factors and therefore, not easy to be excessively controlled and administered top down.

We Indians are aware that what ‘Sailor’ Bob Adamson says, “The reflection is not in the mirror but of the mirror”.

India may not, does not, will not and perhaps cannot go the Chinese way in all aspects [even in economics].

India is also called subcontinent, not without any specific reason.

Variety and acceptance and admiration of variety are inherent to India both as a country and as a nation.

No other land mass of a single country has so many different or varieties of bio-geographic zones as India;

No other land mass of a single country has so many different or varieties of languages being spoken;

No other land mass of a single country has so many different or varieties of classical dances and music;

No other land mass of a single country has so many different or varieties of religious and non religious movements and cults;

No other land mass of a single country has so many different or varieties of cultural and traditional practices and customs;

No other land mass of a single country has so many different or varieties of systems of health care;

No other land mass of a single country has so many different or varieties of political parties;

No other land mass of a single country has so many different or varieties of socio-cultural systems;

No other land mass of a single country has so many different or varieties of types vehicles;

No other land mass of a single country has so many different or varieties of and ways of business organizations and unorganized business operations.

That’s why anarchic ways are visible but well defined uniformity or standardization leave alone homogenization is functionally not possible in India.

Besides, Indian-ness can only be described as a multitudinous or variety in all its ways be it social, cultural, economic, political, commercial, philosophical systems, religious methods etc.

Fortunately, at least in our country i.e. India, most things and individuals have remained unencumbered by political ideologies formed and framed to homogenize everything and everyone and exercise control over and dominate and rule.

The bandwidth for dissent, discussion and different opinions is actually much wider and better in India than in brain washing propaganda instilled narrow alleys of many branded and brandied about systems in other places.

Another hallmark of Indian-ness is that it analyses anything in any realm  ideally and as a matter of practical expediency willingly adopts anything that enables synergy but does not allow itself to be confined to any specific single identity.

Economic development like electricity works for whoever fixes the correct machine they want, whether it is a fan or a tube light. It does not require media projected nomenclatures.

Irrespective of whatever model or labeled economic model we follow we feed 130 crore people every day 3 to 4 times [which other part of the world does that] we enable them to move around though some means of transportation.

We Indians do not hesitate to analyze anything and everything in depth from as many angles as possible but also ultimately find out the points of or areas or domains of synthesis/synergy leading to harmony and unity with all variety and/or differences in tact.

This is will be the automatic progression of life experience and life itself as D.J.Mercier, the Archbishop of Malines says, “Sound Philosophy sets out from analysis and terminates in synthesis”.

We Indians are aware that what ‘Sailor’ Bob Adamson says, “The reflection is not in the mirror but of the mirror”.

Healthy conditions can be planned and programmed if those scripting any political narrative realize to do away with the outdated dichotomy of Left and Right because life, especially socio-cultural and economic life, has many dimensions each having its own dynamics and in addition there are also those emanating from intersectionality and interactions and all of these manifest themselves with varying degrees of intensity. Fortunately life and all its concomitant evolutions happen despite and beyond the blinkered narratives peddled by status quo addicts of trite dichotomies and have made visible various options between, besides, beneath and above those dichotomies, and these may strengthen the wings and enable the discourse to soar into unbiased zones and offer some solutions to many present day problems faced by humanity.

Nature manifests variety in abundance. Evolutions establish variety.      Civilizations require unity. Humane attitude enables humanity to understand the necessity for unity and also the inevitability of variety.

"The spirit of Advaita is not to keep away from anything, but to keep in tune with everything." - - Swami Chinmayananda. 

Unity must not be confused with uniformity or homogeneity enforced by any means.

“Across planes of consciousness, we have to live with the paradox that opposite things can be simultaneously true.” ― Ram Dass

Here I would like to quote Simone Weil, French social philosopher, mystic and activist in her work ‘Gravity and Grace’

“The world is the closed door. It is a barrier. And at the same time it is the way through.
Two prisoners whose cells adjoin communicate with each other by knocking on the wall. The wall is the thing which separates them but it is also their means of communication. … Every separation is a link.”

When talking about boundaries , barriers etc we cannot avoid these very meaningful messages reiterating the vagueness of boundaries from Ken Wilber in his work ‘ No Boundary: Eastern and Western  Approaches to Personal Growth’ like these two small pieces, “ Even to say ‘reality is no-boundary awareness’ is still to create a distinction between boundaries and no-boundary! So we have to keep in mind the great difficulty involved with dualistic language. That "reality is no-boundary" is true enough, provided we remember that no-boundary awareness is a direct, immediate, and nonverbal awareness, and not a mere philosophical theory. It is for these reasons that the mystic-sages stress that reality lies beyond names and forms, words and thoughts, divisions and boundaries. Beyond all boundaries lies the real world of Suchness, the Void, the Dharmakaya, Tao, Brahman, the Godhead. And in the world of suchness, there is neither good nor bad, saint nor sinner, birth nor death, for in the world of suchness there are no boundaries.”  And  "The ultimate metaphysical secret, if we dare to state it so simply, is that there are no boundaries in the Universe. Boundaries are illusions, products not of Reality, but of the way we map and edit Reality. And while it is fine to map out the territory, it is fatal to confuse the two."

Reality the jigsaw puzzle involving these things : Nothing, Everything, Anything, Something. Then as Jarod Kintz  says, “ Nothing, Everything, Anything, Something: If you have nothing, then you have everything, because you have the freedom to do anything, without the fear of losing something.” 

 “And no philosophy, sadly, has all the answers. No matter how assured we may be about certain aspects of our belief, there are always painful inconsistencies, exceptions, and contradictions. This is true in religion as it is in politics, and is self-evident to all except fanatics and the naïve”-Steve Allen, comedian, from an essay in the book-- "The Courage of Conviction", edited by Philip Berman

If we extrapolate it as most of us have experienced that no single economic model has all the answers to all the economic problems.

It would be pertinent to mention what ― Idries Shah the great Sufi writer says in Reflections

“You have not forgotten to remember; you have remembered to forget.
  But people can forget to forget. That is just as important as remembering to remember - and generally more practical.” 

Gobalisation over Isolationism

Some sane leaders amid power mongering and passion whipping political schemers.

1. Isolationism and xenophobia are extensions of bossy insolence of racial and colonial mindsets and in some cases excessive ethnocentric pride in one's ancestry.

2. The world is seen better through both microscope and telescope and look at the inherent interconnections and possibilities of synergy among most of the things that are visible through both.

3. Some leaders have mostly been brutally frank on facts and foreign relations.

4. Certain cultures have allowed humanity the freedom to brush with reality as it evolves beyond and besides the predetermined templates of doctrinaire confines and ideological cages.

5.  No nation or culture or political system or any ideology can afford to get isolated based on any of its past credentials be it past economic power or cultural supremacy or intellectual or political power.

6. It is obvious that the world is so inextricably connected irrespective of whether a nation wants to or not. So, any attempt at isolationism is nothing but idiotic self imposed punishment.

7. Every new technology was visualized or was supposedly intended to create a non- hierarchical,  decentralized functionality through quick communication channels ( telephone, radio, television, internet) and as a deterrent against war ( dynamite, nuclear,  submarines, planes ) but then, every now and then all of these well intended technologies were abused and misused.

8. What can really ensure a better life?

Which means a life of comfort, peace, sophistication, freedom, economic development, social welfare with a civilized and cosmopolitan outlook.

9. This requires an organic development through individual attitudes and collective socio- psychological approaches which are often either decided or dictated by the ruling political dispensation or dominant religious ideology. 

10. When the course or direction of these two (politics and religion) are not in sync with reality, then, there will be manifestations of insane activities and decisions.

How can we get rid of or overcome certain practices, beliefs etc?

​

How can we get rid of or overcome certain practices, beliefs etc?

And is getting rid of them necessary?

If the answer yes, then how can we do it ?

Yes similar to above list there are many more.

Let us make it clear at the outset that our nation is not alone in following such stupidities does not justify continuing them.

We do many things ( even very meaningful and useful ones) blindly with a mechanical and ritualistic approach without bothering to know their real meaning and significance because earning brownie points for following ( considered as discipline) is valued more than learning the real import or questioning to know ( considered as impertinence).

We get offended when some outdated traditions which are not in sync with modern civilization based sophistication are questioned.

Most importantly, most of us have a very healthy public view and a filthy personal and private agenda.

We seldom acknowledge that for mortal life there are no permanent taboos or trends.

We fail to realize the however great, good and grand our region, religion, language etc that there are similar, if not superior, splendors all over the world.

Pride of ancestry is the hope for the future but succumbing to larger than life ethnocentric pride is counter- productive.

As everything around us and about us change, we fail to realize that we also must be willing to change or to adjust internally.

Universal mantras are contextual relevance and everything that provides  comfort, convenience; begets benefits and profits; ensures utility, happiness, pleasure and so on without hurting others and evaluating everything or anything based on its inherent attributes/merits and intrinsic value/purpose.

All wisdom and value systems must be woven around these universal mantras or at least relevant to these. Otherwise something else will replace all values, wisdom, principles, practices etc.

The most important wisdom is to make the necessary adjustments to emerging changes and contexts.

Unfortunately most aspects of traditional practices, rituals, customs etc are forced on us as social obligations [though initially no harm in it]. But further energizing the inherently vulnerable hypocrisy and putting forth vocal justifications for not only following them blindly but trying to perpetuate them without any valid reason is bad.

Guy Murchie declares, “Evolution itself is an open ended and indeterminate process”… “Given the remarkable progress in our understanding of biochemistry, molecular biology, and evolution as a whole … we have failed to develop concepts, ideas, even a language that could capture the dance of this life” 

I would like to add it is because of our intellectual reluctance and religious impediments.

He adds, “Darwinism is agreed and uncontroversial: humans are an accident of evolution, because everything produced by evolution is strictly incidental to the process”.

But the whole malady started when certain societies, already well connected, intellectually more advanced ones and therefore got so well conditioned by their traditions and religiously prescribed ways of life based on such sound base, obviously ended up, out of lack of humility and refused to or blocked to accept alongside biological evolution, evolutionary psychology and evolutionary sociology as well.

Greater the comfort with abundance of resources and intellectual advancement providing a sense of or false notion of intellectual superiority made them get insulated in their ethnocentric arrogance and moved away from humility.

I think it happened to certain societies, naturally so because of their great advancement when most parts of the world were in dark ages.

Where there is no humility or lesser humility there is less and less attempt to learn.

So they developed certain systems or practices which were superior at that earlier point of time in human history compared to the rest of humanity and hence they felt that such practices had no expiry date at all.

While innards and inherent qualities are inevitable and beyond our choice, at least, our utilization of strengths /reactions to shortcomings can be sane and more sensible, that is what must be the attempt of any subject be it philosophy, spiritual science or pure science.

Evolution goes about its jobs unmindful of whatever we do or do not do, and this evolution decides and determines everything including our birth and death as biochemical organisms- which are bound to decay or to die or to reorganize or to be reborn or to recreate into something else eventually.

What we must be actually be teaching to the present generation is to expose them to the positive aspects of our great heritage which do not contradict any rational approach or curtail any acceptance of change or constrain seeing facts as they are and help them to address any issue based on such premises.

Human psychology is more comfortable and conversant dealing with premises, frames of references and observations rather than through indoctrinations, conditioned prejudices which will collapse at some point of time when the poor people will be left to suffer in a vacuous inanity without a proud socio cultural and psychological identity and will also be very vulnerable to adopt anything and everything irrespective of its long term benefits or inherent value.

So, let us impart more importantly prioritizing humaneness, rational approaches and humanitarian values along with our rich cultural heritage.