भूख बड़ी या टमाटर दाल

कल भारत सरकार ने नए वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशें स्वीकृत करलीं। बड़ी ख़ुशी की बात है की कुछ टाइम से होना भी शुरू हुआ देश में। अर्थव्यवथा जानने वालों का कहना है की इससे बाजार में और पैसा आएगा क्यूंकि क्रय शक्ति बढ़ेगी, और सामान्य भाषा में मैं कहूँ तो अब सरकारी कर्मचारी ज्यादा दाल-टमाटर खा-खिला सकेंगे। जब ऐसी खबरें समाचार चैनलों पर उछाल लगाती होती तब मेरे मन ये सवाल अक्सर उथता है - उनका क्या जिनका टमाटर दाल की चिंता नहीं पर पेट भर खाना ही संघर्ष है।  मैं उनकी बात कर रहा हूँ जिनको देश की सहृदय जनता और कंपनिया सरकारी न्यूनतम मजदूरी तक देने से बचना चाहती हैं. क्या सरकार सिर्फ सरकारी कर्चारियों के टमाटर दाल का इंतजाम करने के लिए होती है? क्या जिनको जीवन की सामान्य जरूरतें पूरी करने भर भी पैसे नहीं मिल पा रहे पूरा दिन काम करने के बाद भी, उनकी परवाह कौन करेगा? 

Making a bigger line

In childhood, we often listen to this puzzle that how to make a larger line smaller without rubbing it off. And, the method is to make a larger line next to it. It seems people in Indian mass media have recalled this. They tried their level best to paint the current PM black when he was trying to be a candidate in the direction of their bosses. They failed miserably. He came to power and changed the entire discourse from daily debates on corruption and name-shaming to development. This was a shock for these people and they tried to align but neither they were accepted with the same glory as by the previous govt. nor they were capable of such alignment with development debate. To be critical of the agenda of development, one needs to have some knowledge of science, economics, history, etc. These guys with mediocre knowledge and jack-based uplifting found it very difficult, in fact absolutely unbearable. All they know is spoken English and who is their real boss. So, not knowing what to do brought them to their childhood lesson, Make A Bigger Line, i.e. inflate agendas of their scope bigger than the development issues. With the help of some of their likes, they have made the agenda of communal tension, beef, and freedom of speech. Wow, now no need to know the science, economics, and history, life can go on as before! But let's see, how long..let them try this as well!

Found a tweet with a very similar feeling...

विरोध और भड़ास में अंतर समझना चाहिए। विरोध करने के लिए उपयुक्त माहोल चाहिए, भड़ास निकालने के लिए माहोल बनाया जाता है। यह भी आजमा लीजिये

— Dr Rakesh Sinha (@RakeshSinha01) October 29, 2015

Rational of rationalism

India is going through an enormous transition after the victory of PM Modi. People who occupied the mainstream to reap all fruits and favors of "democracy" and "secularism" in the past are now being sidelined. But, that's not easy because the money and positions they acquired over the years are now being used for repositioning to be a part of the race called "rationalist." And, the first step started with the blame that the voice of rationalist writers like Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare have been silenced by the new regime (although one was killed when the previous government was in power). Thus, it is crucial to see what is this so-called "rationalist" about and why this gang has chosen this title. In India, a rationalist is who "speaks/writes" about flaws of religion on different forums, write in English (damn the local reform, the world should know my liberation first) and often chased by some religious fringe (as most of the population doesn't care for religion). But, huh! There is a Taslima Nasreen with all these qualities, is she be included? No, not al all! She defies the essential requirement to be the rationalist by finding flaws of Islam, the religion of peace all over the world.

No Islam and Christianity, because then the majority of people will come to know that we are not the worse, we can also rise with our good deeds. The way this so-called rationalist community has kept this lady away from their community and maintained their anti-Hindu agenda made them the best-qualified group to join for people who left India suffering for the last 65 years despite independence. They know that the day India will come to know its identity and start feeling proud of its strength and not named by its weaknesses, it will work to restore its glory and remove the ills. This will make them out of business..no power, no slaves, no money! So, it's better to keep telling the majority of people you have got nothing good, it's better to be the rationalist.

Cleanliness drive and Indian reality

PM started his big cleanliness drive on Independence Day and everyone theoretically appreciated it. But, most of the Indians lack civic sense so much that they don't even realise what they are doing to their surrounding. They sit in clean place, litter around and walk out as if someone else should take care of all. They train their children the same. There were some people who do care about and exist like exception but as an old saying that a rotten fish is enough to make the whole pond dirty, their exception can't make any difference. What a filthy creatures, but we need to live with them!

Journey back

My flight from Brussels to Amsterdam on my way to Delhi got cancelled due to strike in Belgium. So, on an urgent notice I decided to come to Amsterdam to get flight to Delhi. Good from bad, brought me with lots of nice memories from the past. I'm living very close the place where I lived when I was living in Amsterdam. My friend Michael lives here to whom I am guest now. It is a great feeling now to go around see all the seen, and trying to recall how much I still remember. :-) We biked around the city center till quite late yesterday. The reflection of red lights in the canal, smell of Marijuana as much as all the time, and streets leading to next street till we were out of town all recalled.

Just for a like!

I started blogging in 2004 when blogging was still a new thing on the internet and a lot has changed since then on social media. Facebook and microblogging site Twitter has now taken most of web traffic and are being used for all civil to evil purposes. Those days internet was still accessed largely through PC's and laptops, and posting your thought was like doing something special. Now the game has completely changes with all these social media access on mobile devices. When it started it was a cool thing that people can share all the special moments as they are going through it and everything is archived like life. All the shades were bright and beautiful, but that didn't last long when people with the agenda conquered it. Now some use these apps in/as toilets and do the same thing both in real and virtual worlds. Also, some people not social at all as I know them from their real life social behaviour are all the time super active on social media. For what, just for a like or favourite?! Just like religious frenziedness is outcome of forgetting the fact that the man-made religion, not the religion made the man, new social media madness is result of the fact that many think now that technology is solution to social challenges. Sounds old school but, it's time to realise that if we are not robots, forget tweets, posts and chats, we need to talk more often!

Typical ...ian-ness

For God we believe, rest everyone needs to show data. That's an interesting saying I heard for someone. But, there is also the next step which happen with data. We all like to draw a frame with that..some will say they don't but, they do. Anyway, there is also very interesting cross -ianism between people where two different -ians use the same characteristics to identify eachother. I heard from some Belgian friends that Dutch are rude, while from Dutch friends I hear the contrary. They both agree agree Germans are dry, but then I found Germans very friendly. So, the message is that we all are are working with our own datasets. Ours or may be some more we know have the same experience, but life is too short to gather all datasets. So, try to avoid this -ianness if not for yourself, at lease for others. Bob Marley's saying.."Truth is everybody is going to hurt you: you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for."

Subversioning truth!

"Who can reason with someone who does not wish to face the truth?" 

"The truth", what is that? Bhagwat Gita talks about the "Saswat Satya", the ultimate truth, but is there an ultimate truth? Everyone around is walking with his/her own version of it. And if you try to showcase your version, even before you present your version you have to face the ego. And the debate goes beyond the truth to an attempt that my ego is bigger than yours. What a shame! In such situation if you debate and win you loose (because the real debate was about truth and not ego) and if you loose you loose anyway.

Longway back to home

From Bangalore I went to my wife's place via Kolkata. I spent holiday working with her on PhD thesis comments and having lots of sweets. I can't recall more than this. After Khirpai together we went to my bother's place in Bokaro. The most remarkable thing about this journey was the finding of the borders and transition of regional cultures. It was a region from Medinipur to Purulia where temples were dominated by Goddess Kali and then came the region from Purulia to Bokaro where typical North Indian God Hanuman took over. It's magical in India how with millions of Gods we never find uncomfortable living with others with different one while rest of the world is still full of people who love n hate and even kill you for not believing theirs God. In Bokaro, I went to see a steel plant, a life time experience to see steel flowing like water! We stayed there for 2 days before we traveled to Mau via Varanasi by train. I was at home, place about which I can complain, but my no journey to india can be complete without.

Experiencing experiences

Back to the blogger after long time. Returned from India with lots of masala to write about but almost forgetting them now. But anyway, with some scratching of the head I can think of few. Let's start on the journey. First time I flew to India through Mumbai, not Delhi. I was travelling to Bangalore with my research group for attend PBM conference at IISc, before I could officially start my vacation. With foreigners with me I had few more critical eyes for things in India than mine, showing things that certainly need to change. I don't know how they liked it; least could be understood with their flat faces. But with many complaints there were also appreciations for something. We landed in Mumbai, and it was as new for me as for others. I could believe how it is business capital of India, be it airport, roads or general outlook. The city was covered with posters each having 50 faces for every corner and even if one is using Indian liberty (stupid habit of peeing at roadside) he will be wetting some of the many faces without missing. Well after a night stay in Mumbai, we started again, and it was a pleasant surprise to see the Bangalore. City was clean and beautiful at least near the airport where I was staying. First time I was feeling a bit relieved and told my colleague, what you saw in Mumbai is not all India; it can be worse, and can be better as well. We stayed in Bangalore for three days and with lots of talks a happening. beside the conference talk, once again some foreigner complaining about every little thing, others curious to know more and enjoying the difference of cultures. Can't say who was right, but I go by the later one as they did "paisa vassol" act, which was the need of time for all the trouble they faced for getting the Indian visa and getting there. 

Gender Cautios to Gender Biased

Finally the bill turned into law related to crime against women after approval by President of India today. But, something still keeps on going in my mind regarding all this, why so much cautiousness for identification of gender to punish the crime. I know a simple argument can be that because mostly its women/girls who suffer. But, over making laws for every divisive factor is how much a right approach? I can easily see two examples from the past, first it one is Hindu and the Muslim law, second one is for reservation so, general and backwards, but did they really help to bridge the gap. I don't see that, despite of the fact that they are similarly empowering laws as the new one is said to be for girls. In fact, what bothers me is that we are going to be even more gender cautious society which will only lead to even more biases, for good or for bad with all this! We need balanced laws with quick implementation rather than Gender specific strict laws with little-to-no implementation to not to thicken the line between even more but to fade it.

Small town brand

In the transitory society of India, there is a cross channel branding between the small town India and the India that mega cities. While many small towners are dreaming to be one day have that metropolitan brand, those already there in metropolitan live a love-hate relationship with their small town. They don't get involved to stay away from the life and challenges over there, but don't even like to miss the "small town brand", mostly because how hard they try they fail to mix with the real big-town brand owners and "small town brand" turns out to be savior for that group. Some even go to an extent to sell their small town brand, to prove their genuineness. I remember BJP leader Sushma Swaraj's speech in parliament saying, Adhati Kisan ka ATM hota hai to pretend her knowledge of a small town. It was one of the biggest bullshit I ever heard. Anyway she was not an exception to be so. Earlier with big media in place it was a stunt done by celebrities that they go to some small town or the outskirts of the same town showing charity to  pronounce how close they are to the rest while hiding their own hollowness.  Now, with the new social media age, the less celebrated but still disconnected this new class of people try to do the same. Once in a while they visit their small town not to be part of it but just to create photo opportunities which rolls into Twitter and Facebook to satisfy their self-ego. Nothing to complain but I find both the small towns and so-called small towners in big cities in a very looser's situation between all these. We will see how India grows in the next decades.

After Mother

Life is a learning, every while!, nothing new about it. But was just thinking for a few days how it has changed in past years, to be exact, after my mother passed away. When she was there, getting very irritated by some of the act, she used to say, you will come to know when I will be no more. Her saying this was nothing more than a joke to me as I lived in a dream that she will always be there. But, now when she is not there, I feel it every while!, how many lessons were to be learnt which I come across now, all bitter. I always live in a gratitude that whatever I am is the making of her great sacrifices, but least ever realised that whatever I was not, had so much sacrifices aw well. She like a big wall preserved me from all bitterness of life, personal agendas and politics from all angles, to which now I sometimes succumb, fell and later learn. Wish she could have been here for some more time, but not with the pain she was carrying.

National problem

When I got up on the new morning of 2013, heard someone saying on BBC that rapes are  national problem of India. Least to disagree but much more to say, I thought I will write some day about it, but today reading the interview of a trafficked girl in Justice Verma's report in the backdrop of brutal Delhi gang rape which led to previous statement by someone, nothing could stop me to write on it. I agree, rape is the national problem of India, but is that all? Do we really understand what a rape is? Is it all about act involving sexual parts of the persons engaged. Isn't a rape performed, when a person is made to work for such a low cost for his/her labor which in no case can bring a fundamental need of dignified life for him/herself and the family. Don't we see it and make it happen in everyday life! The whole civilization is so much soaked in the thought that, if you have might all what you do is right. Many will not even accept that they are all rapist; rapists of millions of lives which would have been different if they were treated rightfully. And, its not just a gender problem, it is been done vigorously by men and women in all parts of India. Physical rape is just one form of the same. And since this rapist is sitting in all of us, even if we come to know about some declared rapist by law we fail to distinguish them from us to punish. Time is over for just lauding our aged civilisation but think on what wrong has grown up between us and weed it out. We need to learn treating and rewarding every individual and efforts with equal value as we expect for us. Only a sense of equality can solve the problem in the root, without which all other efforts will have only some fringe effect.

Civil vs Evil

India or atleast Delhi is shaken and thus awake for last two weeks in view of brutal rape case. No rape is less brutal anyway but this was somehow made people think that, this is not good! No, socially and morally straight person will say so either. But, the million dollar question in my mind these days is that are we really serious about it, or does it really reflects our personal enlightenment or is it just a wisdom of crowd. I might be sounding very pessimistic but let me tell that I am very happy that people have come out of their houses to protest I still don't believe it. People are angry that our police stations are not working, our courts a slow and our laws are loose for rapists, but I have question from the society that, are we the people are serious about it. Rapists don't come from other planet neither they run away to other planet after committing the crime. They live between you and me and between the people protesting all across the India before and after the crime and everyone knows them, accept them socially as brother, son, husband, friend and business partners and go to worse to reward them. Is it cure all about police station, court and laws? Humans are social animal; a complete social boycott would have been worse than castration of such devils and would have solved the problem internally, but it never happens. We certainly  need better laws and its enforcement, but I believe as long as it doesn't happens law alone can't stop such evil.

India inside india outside

It was a lot time due and thoughts were boiling for quite sometime inside me. It was pushed with several recent event/incidences. Just two to quote, 1st one regarding meeting a guy who returned from india and 2nd regarding an event by india platform here in gent. The guy who returned after india trip said on Indian road the mightier the better just like jungle (I thought u don't know, it's just not on road but all walks of life in india). In india platform meeting it was been told by two indian presenters that India is booming! Now connect both these remark and try to find out which one is correct state of India.

Who We Are and What We Want

Ran out of my internet connection limit today and it was a crisis which gave me an opportunity to look a different side. Silently sitting in a more alien world for me here in Ghent, I see myself with three kind of worlds in which I am living: the two real worlds: one around me, other inner of mine, and the other is the virtual world; the world of internet which has penetrated on both side, making its own biases and inferences on global thought. I don’t want to mean that people without internet don’t have outsourced biases and inferences. But certainly they have more opportunities to correct themselves by looking into the real world which surrounds and within them and engage their own perspective. Internet certainly enlightened our lives much more than anything else, destroyed the barriers of distances and censorships not to be allowed in civilized society. But, there was an essential benefit caused by these barriers and censorship in lesser developed state society, and it was spread of epidemic of evil thought. Now when we are freer and open, the responsibly lies on our ownself to identify the good, bad and the ugly and protect ourself and actively respond against it. And the only way to do so is to look within, “who we are and what we want”.

PS: I will post this from my office only once I am there tomorrow :-)

The Google of God

There is an essence of Hinduism which tells, God is not outside, and God is inside within all of us. It just not only gives a perspective that God is not a mere spectator or a referee around you in this great fight of being in this world, but actively involved and informed of you. All, your actions, best and the worst one are also involving him. And, once you are indulged in thought, ask yourself, is that what you want your God to act, if answer is yes “go ahead”. In my school days, NCERT books used to have a page with “Gandhiji’s Talisman” with a wonderful thought of thinking the poorest of the poor before any act and find how it benefits him for suitability. But, many times in life of a commoner like me I find it very hard to bring a perspective to my life challenges with “Gandhiji’s Talisman”. Then, the simple way is, what if my God acts like this, will I like it? This will save your God if you think you deserve to be part of the God.

Another year

Good or bad, every event of life has an anniversary and everytime we think of it, we think of lesson learnt and commitment made to ourself out of it. Today the same day is back for me, now the 3rd year without my mother. Realities of life have masked much more than life earlier for me and lesson learnt and commitment made are becoming harder to follow by growing years. Sometime I think why? Change in environment changes the ultimate lessons and commitment or its the time which redefines its version or just because they were my lessons and commitments, not others! Anyway, years are passing but some how the unsaid lesson I got from my mother that, what I want is more important than what I know, is still unattenuated.

PS: Its 7th year complete for my blog

Nationalism from outside India Route

I often think that why so many people living outside India are very critical and passionate to see India a better place even though there life situation will never let them go back. The reason may be, because we have not yet given-up like most of the Indians I know, even though they are there. May be because they are beaten, everyday by the system, and may be it has all become obvious for them. But, what about us who are living a un-flared life outside India and don't get affected by whatever shit happens overthere. But no! we do care and what to make it better, not to live it, not to cherish it , but to feel it. Fell that we are part of the same country which is great from past to present! And, what motivates us for that dream is not just inherent but environmental. We see how the little developed information and resources are conserved here in resource and people live its glory and then question comes in mind, why not we? We are from a land of great civilisation and knowledge, why can't we do the same? why we Indian are so much living in inferiority. We have so much push out ourselves that we don't feel it odd, when we are called Third world and pushed along with Africa, in the state of development, why? These all questions, make is more nationalistic than, we were when we were inside India. By visible examples we can see now that, the life of pride and glory is possible for every citizen of India if attempted properly.