Killing cows and politics

A great many people hold in India that eating beef should be banned in India. Their point of view: Beef should be banned because killing a cow hurts their religious sentiments. They say they consider the cow as a holy animal, 'The cow is like our mother' they say.  It is a tradition in India to respect the cow. Cows provide dairy products and support many livelihoods. But the main argument of many beef-ban supporters is based on the religious importance of the cow. And the rest are animal enthusiasts, who hold that killing of cows as killing of any animal should be prohibitted. They say everyone should follow vegetarianism, as killing of animals is not a humane thing to do. Article 48 of Indian Constitution says about taking steps towards prohibitting the slaughtering of cows and calves and other milch and drought cattle. But the laws governing cattle slaughter vary greatly from State to State. 
Now the other point of view: Religious matters should never intervene with the politics of a country. Because religion is based on faith, which has an ambiguous nature. The matter of god itself has no conclusive consensus. In an ideal community, such matters are purely a private affair. It should never intervene in the rights of another person. We can understand this more if we take examples from other autocratic countries where the rules of a certain religion or faith are the rules of the country as well. The beliefs of other communities are only secondary there. Think of the treatment you may receive in such countries.If you think such a treatment is derogatory, do not treat others as secondary also: that is what a progressive society should do. So from a religious point of view, banning beef only projects religious intolerance: you are interfering on the other person's rights, as you are telling him what to eat and what not. Hinduism has great traditions in this matter; certain sects of Hinduism even feed on dead human bodies. Even atheism has been a historically propounded view point in many orthodox and heterodox Hindu philosophies. The present laws regarding religion altogether also ought to be put under re-consideration, because people should have access to means of knowing the truth behind many religious organisations and their claims, which do not exist in present social scenario. That is another matter.


Now from the point of view of animal cruelty. This view has its basis in sentiments: poor animals should not be harmed. I put a few points here in this matter.

1. If animal cruelty is your point, then you must be a person not eating any meat including chicken, mutton, fish etc. Even eating eggs may be considered as foeticide.
2. You should avoid dairy products too, because since you are against animal cruelty, you must be against slavery of animals. The notion that 'cow gives us milk' is misleading. By treating it as a slave, it is forced to give us milk! (Well this one is a little naive, nevertheless worth contending) Of course, no human enjoys enslavement, and it must be the same with animals too.
3. You must be against using many soaps, creams and other cosmetics, many medicines, leather bags, shoes, belts etc. ; not only that you must eschew these things, but you mustn't allow others to use them also, which is your attitude when it comes to beef ban.
4. India ranks 5th in beef production, and first in exporting. You seem to have no problem with it. Means you don't mind if these animals are killed and taken abroad.  Otherwise, if you are against it too, you want our already impoverished farmers to provide for all these cattle; or these really big number of useless and non-lactating cattle to roam about and share resources with our starving millions, and scavenge in these polluted surroundings.

(Not mentioning about scientific and medical testing and other areas where cruel treatment is meted out to animals.)
These facts show that what these animal enthusiasts profess is nothing but vain sentiments.

Other area is concerning nutrition. By avoiding meat food, a large portion of Hindu population is limiting their food options and thereby straining their agricultural resources. A large number of Indian children suffer from malnutrition, and protein deficiency problems. By availing of the large quantities of meat India produces, and by avoiding superstitions related with meat-food, India could find some way to manage its abysmal nutritional levels.

Friends, think about it, impartially, independently without any preconceptions. What we want is a progressive India with free independent citizens. 

How does it happen that whenever I publish anything, I get some views from USA?(sometimes only from USA)? Who is looking from there? Can they let me know? 

The Tiger
People tell than lion is the king of the jungle. tiger is admired for its majestic beauty. People have a sort of awe and respect for these fearsome beings. This may give an insight into peoples' minds. People give so much importance to power, and to those who have power.If someone has power, his needs are regarded. If you don't have that power, your needs are secondary,or your demands do not get enough attention. This doesn't take into account if you harm others. On the contrary, if the harm you cause is sufficiently big, even the law enforcers treat you with dignity, unlike those poor people whom they treat like vermin. Fear is one of those primitive and defining feelings of human mind. Peace is only an outer covering. Inside is so turbulent.Violent.

മലയാളത്തിലെ പത്രങ്ങൾ 

കേരളത്തിലെ പത്രപ്രവർത്തനത്തിന്റെ ചരിത്രം തുടങ്ങുന്നത് 'രാജ്യസമാചാര'ത്തിന്റെ പ്രസിദ്ധീകരണത്തോടെയാണ്. സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യം കിട്ടുന്നതിനു 100 വര്ഷം മുമ്പ് 1847 ഇൽ ആണ് ജർമൻകാരനായ ഹെര്മൻ ഗുണ്ടെര്റ്റ് 3 'C'യുടെ നാടായ തലശ്ശേരിയിലെ ഇല്ലിക്കുന്നിൽ ബാസെൽ മിഷൻന്റെ ഭാഗമായി ഇത് തുടങ്ങിയത്. 1847ഇൽ  ഇദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ തന്നെ പശ്ചിമോദയവും പുറത്തിറങ്ങി. പക്ഷെ മലയാളഭാഷയിൽ ആദ്യം പ്രിന്റ്‌ ചെയ്ത ദിനപ്പത്രം എന്ന് അറിയപ്പെടുന്നത് ജ്ഞാനനിക്ഷേപം ആണ്.ഇത് കോട്ടയം CMS പ്രസ്സിൽ ആണ് പ്രിന്റ്‌ ചെയ്തത്. കേരളത്തിലെ ആദ്യത്തെ കോളേജ് പ്രസിദ്ധീകരണം എന്ന് അറിയപ്പെടുന്നത് CMS കോളേജിന്റെ 'വിദ്യാസംഗ്രഹം' ആണ്. 1864 ഇൽ തുടങ്ങിയ വിദ്യാസംഗ്രഹം വിദ്യാഭ്യാസത്തിനു വേണ്ടി സമര്പ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ട ആദ്യ പ്രസിദ്ധീകരണം ആണ്.
പത്രങ്ങളുടെ എണ്ണം കൂടിയതോടെ വാർത്തകളും അതിനെതിരെ ഉള്ള എതിര്പ്പും കൂടി. കേരളചരിത്രത്തിൽ ആദ്യമായി നിരോധിച്ച ദിനപ്പത്രം സന്തിഷ്ടവാദി ആണ്. ആയിരത്തി എണ്ണൂറ്റിഎഴുപതിയാറിൽ കൂനംമാവിൽ ഇറ്റലിയൻ കാര്മെലൈറ്റ് മിഷൻന്റെ ആശീർവാദത്തോടെ തുടങ്ങിയ പത്രമാണ്‌ സത്യനാദകാഹളം. 

ആയിരത്തിഎണ്ണൂറ്റിഎണ്‍പത്തിനാലിൽ ചെന്കുളത് കുഞ്ഞിരാമൻ മേനോണ്‍ കേരള പത്രിക തുടങ്ങുന്നതോടെ മലയാളപത്രപ്രവര്ത്തനരംഗത്ത് പുതിയൊരു അധ്യായം കുറിക്കപ്പെട്ടു. ചെന്കുളത് കുഞ്ഞിരാമൻ മേനോണ്‍ ആണ് മലയാള പത്രപ്രവർത്തനത്തിന്റെ പിതാവ് എന്ന് അറിയപ്പെടുന്നത്. ആയിരത്തിഎണ്ണൂറ്റിഎണ്പത്തിയാറിൽ തിരുവിതന്കൂറിൽ നിന്ന് മലയാളി പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിക്കപ്പെട്ടു തുടങ്ങി. നിലവിൽ പ്രചരണത്തിൽ ഉള്ളതിൽ വച്ച് ഏറ്റവും പഴയത് ആയിരത്തിഎണ്ണൂറ്റിഎണ്പതതിയെഴിൽ തുടങ്ങിയ നസ്രാണിദീപിക ആണ്. ദീപിക തുടങ്ങിയത് നിധീരിക്കൽ മാണിക്കതനാർ ആണ്. കേസരി എന്നറിയപ്പെടുന്ന വേങ്ങയിൽ കുഞ്ഞിരാമൻ നായർ പത്രാധിപത്യം നിർവഹിച്ച  പത്രം കേരളസഞ്ചാരി ആണ്. കേരളത്തിലെ ആദ്യത്തെ സാഹിത്യ സംബന്ധി ആയ മാഗസിൻ എന്ന് അറിയപ്പെടുന്നത് ആയിരത്തി എണ്ണൂറ്റി എണ്പത്തി ഒന്നിൽ പുറത്തിറങ്ങിയ വിദ്യാവിലാസിനി  ആണ്.
     ആയിരത്തി എണ്ണൂറ്റി എണ്പത്തി എട്ടിൽ ജോയിന്റ് സ്റ്റോക്ക്‌ കമ്പനി ആയി തുടങ്ങിയ മലയാള മനോരമ  പ്രസിദ്ധീകരണം തുടങ്ങിയത് 1890 ഇൽ വീക്കിലി ആയി ആണ്. കണ്ടത്തിൽ വർഗീസ്‌ മാപ്പിള ആണ് മലയാള മനോരമയുടെ സ്ഥാപക പത്രാധിപർ. ഇത് ദിനപ്പത്രമായി പ്രസിദ്ധീകരണം തുടങ്ങിയത്  1928ഇൽ ആണ്.  1905 ഇൽ ആണ് ചരിത്രപ്രധാനമായ സ്വദേശാഭിമാനി  പ്രവർത്തനം  ആരംഭിച്ചത്. വക്കം അബ്ദുൽ ഖാദർ മൗലവി ആയിരുന്നു സ്ഥാപകൻ.സി വി കുഞ്ഞിരാമൻ ആയിരത്തി തൊള്ളായിരത്തി പതിനൊന്നിൽ സ്ഥാപിച്ച പത്രമാണ്‌ കേരള കൗമുദി . ആദ്യ പത്രാധിപർ കെ സുകുമാരാൻ ആയിരുന്നു.       

മാതൃഭൂമി തുടങ്ങിയത് ആയിരത്തി തൊള്ളായിരത്തിഇരുപതിമൂന്നിൽ കോഴിക്കോട് നിന്നുമാണ്. മത്രുഭൂമിയുടെ ഉദ്ദേശം കോണ്‍ഗ്രസിന്റെ നയങ്ങളും തത്വങ്ങളും പ്രചരിപ്പിക്കുകയും മലബാറിലെ ആള്ക്കാരെ സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യ സമരത്തിൽ ഇറങ്ങാൻ പ്രേരിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുക എന്നതായിരുന്നു.കെ പി കേശവമേനോൻ ആയിരുന്നു മത്രുഭൂമിയുടെ സ്ഥാപകൻ.മുസ്ലിം അച്ചടി പ്രസിദ്ധീകരണ കമ്പനി ആരംഭിച്ച പത്രമാണ്‌ ചന്ദ്രിക. ആയിരത്തി തൊള്ളായിരത്തിമുപ്പതിയേഴിൽ  തലശ്ശേരിയിൽ ഒരു വീക്കിലി ആയി ആയിരുന്നു ചന്ദ്രികയുടെ തുടക്കം.1942 ഇൽ കമ്മ്യൂണിസ്റ്റ്‌ പാർട്ടിയുടെ വീക്കിലിയായി ആയിരുന്നു ദേശാഭിമാനിയുടെ തുടക്കം.ആയിരത്തി തൊള്ളായിരത്തി അറുപത്തി ഒൻപതിൽ എം സി വർഗീസ്‌ തുടങ്ങിയതായിരുന്നു മംഗളം.  മാധ്യമം ദിനപ്പത്രം 1987 ഇൽ ആരംഭിച്ചത് ഐഡിയൽ പബ്ലിക്കേഷൻസ്  ട്രസ്റ്റ്‌ ആണ്.

when the supporting capacity of nature moves closer to saturation point, nature finds a way to keep things in control. when population increases, our feeling of self worth decreases. if we enough problems to survive, we do our best and our minds function at a life supporting level. We are designed in such a way as to grow by facing, tackling and overcoming obstacles. So we grow in the direction against obstacles we face. /in other words, our minds need obstacles to grow. If there are none, that is the most difficult situation for life. So our minds seek and discover new difficulties.

Onam-the national festival of Kerala

Keralites traditionally celebrate Onam as the time marking the beginning of their new year and as a harvest festival. The festival of Onam is also linked with the myth of Mahabali or Maveli- a ruler believed to have ruled ancient Kerala. This is one story which reveals the cruelty and fascist attitude of Aryans. According to the story, Maveli was the victim of  envy of devas. Maveli was a good and generous ruler which made him popular day by day. Devas, envied by his popularity and growth, accosted Vishnu to put an end to his rule. The legend is that Vishnu went to Maveli in the guise of a poor Brahmin named Vamana, and requested three pieces of land. Maveli consented. to his request. Soon Vamana grew to gigantic proportions and with his two steps, took the whole world, heaven and netherworld(patala) and asked for his third piece of land. Unable to fulfil his promise, Maveli offered his head. Then Vamana placed his foot on Maveli's head and immersed him to Patala, and made him the King of Patala. This is one story which the Aryans failed to cover their wickedness properly. Kerala celebrates Onam as the occasion when Maveli comes to visit his kingdom once every year, according to the wish granted by Vamana. Actually the story symbolizes the conflict between Aryans and the native Dravidians, who were pushed more and more to the boundaries as Aryans prospered. Onam  is a celebration of the multicultural fabric of India, and as the remains of a Dravidian past. During Onam nature adorns itself and bears a festive mood with the characteristic pleasant weather and flowering of all kinds of plants, as though nature harmonizes with the happiness of people.

Importance of Production

One the problems faced by our society is that ours is an increasingly consuming society, at the same time not enough encouragement is given in the sphere of production. We produce less, consume more. And we have globalisation, which means that even if we don't produce, we can consume by banking on multinational producers. In the present scenario, we are too afraid to take risks- we want our children to choose a safe future, by safe I mean they get guaranteed income for a long time, and they do not have to invest either money or time, both of which are essential in production. A good portion of Indian economy consists of  providing services to people: in areas like Information Technology and enabled services, telecommunications, Financial Services(as in banks), Community Services, Hotels and Restaurants, etc. And nowadays people crave for government jobs. All these sectors doesn't involve production, which forms the foundation of a successful economy. With a rapidly increasing population, we need to focus on increasing our production. But our society is groomed from an early level in such a way that people prefer jobs that involve minimum production and maximum wages. One defect of such a system is that it negatively impacts our infrastructure. Everything we produce is of sub-standard quality. Indian goods rank low in international market. We are too compromising in our attitude. The best we have is only valued within the sub-continent. The value of Indian Rupee is ever-falling, when the best brains of our country are either abroad or involved in some sort of job in service sector; there is only a little scope for productive activity in our country. But the mixed socialistic and capitalistic economy of our country is not to blame for this; actually it is one positive thing for us. The problem lies in our way of providing education. We need to reconstruct our education system. The quality of education provided, the variety of courses provided, the organisations (including governmental) entrusted with the duty of providing education, the functioning of bureaucracy involved, researches in this field- all these need to be more organised and rethought about. We need to remove the play of politics in this field, and authorize geniuses at the top. A revolution in the field of education will change every sphere of activity in a country. With such a huge human resource, India need to channelize its man power and use our brains for our own benefit.

primitive justice

primitive justice in humans

The general trend of life on earth is the survival of the fittest, through competition amongst living beings. I began to ponder about this when i happened to see a programme in the National Geographic Channel. It showed two  colts(young ones of a crane) inside a crane's nest. One colt was pecking and hitting the other. The other one must have been tired and exhausted, it remained at the receiving end and didn't counter-strike.Some time later, the parent crane came with food in its beak.The aggressive chick flapped its wings, got the attention of his parent and had all the food alone. The parent did nothing. It gave all the food to this chick and flew away. This is justice- the primitive justice, the justice of nature. We think we deserve a better justice than that, and so we make our own justice, and term it universal justice. But in fact, primitive justice frequently emerges through the facade of human justice, in human societies. It is very plain and straightforeward, but it strikes us cruel and harsh. The one who is more powerful wins, or in other words, the one who is better THAN THE OTHER is preferred. Probably, the other is doomed or forced to change its course. 

                 Ironically, it can be said that primitive justice, in its most savage form, is present in human communities. In no other living community is the one with lesser power so ruthlessly exploited or so brutishly executed or so violently humiliated or so abjectly crushed as in human community.  (Of course, there is an opposite side too.)  All those police and military atrocities against the weak and defenseless are also included in the examples of the serving of primitive justice. Those who believe in any other justice are in a make-believe world created by humanity. The structure that holds the humane justice stands only when all is well and smooth. When catastrophe arrives, this make-believe world falls apart. This phenomenon was visible in the Europe just after the Second World War.

                  Such is the world we live in; the losers have no consolation. That means, if you are a living being, it is your objective to acquire power,  to discover ways to be on top so that you are not crushed in the weight of the world. There are no excuses for being weak.

moderate vs extremist

Why should I be a Hindu partisan? I would rather like to support a secular organisation rather than be a religious fundamentalist.

  

Because you are a Hindu, it would be disgraceful if you do not  stand with Hindus.

If Hindus were to support a Hindu group and Muslims were to support Muslim group,  wouldn't that cause division between people and create polarisation? How can a polarised country be united? Moreover, the essence of Hinduism is its freedom and diversity. If  Hinduism was to function as an organised religion, wouldn't it be against the spirit of Hinduism itself?

Because of the peculiarities of certain religions(e.g. Muslim), they cannot go in harmony with other religions. They form a separate unit in the society.They are not taught to compromise with other religions. In India,if Hindus form a Hindu organisation, it is treated as ultraist and fascist; and Muslim organisations are given the tag of being secularist. Such is the pseudo-secularism that exists in our country.

Extremism of any religion is bad for the country. Saffronisation of the country is as dangerous as islamisation. This will not promote openness  among people. Man should essentially be free. Polarisation obstructs this free thought. Polarisation creates bias in our thoughts, however unintentional it may be. Forming religious groups, especially with political designs, leads to mistrust, suspicion and fear in the opposite community. Consider this situation: If a person from one community is beaten up by another person from another community, the general feeling of the people is that they should take revenge upon the other group; they  want not just the culprits to be punished,  but they want the entire community to be persecuted. Instilling such a mindset in young minds is not an advisable way of human development.

The general trend of Muslims all the world over is to congregate together, and if they are powerful, they dominate the  social activities in the area. In many customs and beliefs, Hinduism is just the opposite of Islam.Considering many countries where Islam is a minority religion,the support India gives to Islam is noteworthy. There has been a growth in the percentage of population of Muslims in India since Independence. In 1951, Muslims constituted about 9.9% of the total population; but now it has risen to 14.4. But take the case of Pakistan, where Islam is the ruling religion. In 1951, Hindus constituted about 22% of Pakistan's population. But now it has come down to a mere 1.2%. This shows the need for Hindus to stand together. In case of any attack against Hinduism,Hindus will have to defend by organising themselves to protect their beliefs and way of life. Why does an ideal country build and maintain an army? Not because they want to attack and conquer others,but they need to defend themselves from foreign domination and to assert themselves in the international community. Same is true with Hindus.

When did this Hindu spirit originate? Before the coming of  outsiders, there was no religion called Hinduism. None of the sacred texts of Hindus says about a religion called Hindu religion. And later, when it was recognized as a religion it was plagued with malpractices and evils like caste system and Sati. later various reform movements and outside influences brought the Hindu religion to the present state. It can be argued that Hinduism felt the need to reform when other religions and British rule seemed to threaten them. No civilisation can be destroyed from outside, but from within itself. History has proved it again and again. So there is no point in making Hindu extremist organisations to protect the religion; its protection lies power of its content; its own depth of thought or belief. The Hindu organisations that claim to protect and preserve 'Hindutwa' have nothing but political and other motives. Moreover, the era of religions must come to an end, because the destructive effect of religions felt in the current scheme of the world is more than the constructive effects they claim to have. Man ought to become more global in his outlook, wider in his perspective. The attack on Hinduism is similar to attack on any individual or organisation, it must dealt with like any criminal case with good and strong governance. The motive of forming religious organisations may seem justifiable, but more often than not, they usually end up in creating undesirable results. 

This is not a practical solution at all. The wider outlook and pacifism sounds very pleasing to the ears, but this is just a Utopian ideal. If someone comes to hit you in your house, you will not talk philosophy to that guy. You will have to attack him. It is a natural reaction among living beings. 
(cont.d)

INDIA IN ELITE CLUB 

On January 6 2014, ISRO's GSLV-D5, powered by an indigenous cryogenic engine, put GSAT 14 into orbit. By doing so, India powered itself into the elite club of U.S, Russia and France. Presently, cryogenic countries are U.S, Russia, France, Japan, China and India.
Both U.S and Russia had refused to give the technology to India. The successful operation of cryogenic technology has enabled India to defy the bossy attitude of U.S and other hot-shot countries. Way to go India and ISRO! This is just an entry into the scene. India is beginning to make its presence felt in the global arena.

cat

the cat is coming

end of an era

What is special about Sachin? He was of course a great cricket player. But there are other great players too. What separates Sachin from them? 
About five years earlier, I couldn't imagine an Indian team without Sachin. I couldn't believe that he could retire from cricket. An aura enveloped the ground when he came in to bat. When he got out, we turned off the TV. Whenever I saw the letters MRF, I remembered him. The name Sachin caused a burst of energy to run through my body. Ironically, the game of the the English instigated patriotism in many Indians and Sachin Tendulkar played pivotal role in the process. Every young boy idealized Sachin. Sachin was not a mere man for them. He was a symbol. For every boy , Sachin was himself. Or in him, he could see a future Sachin. If sporting capabilities only are taken into consideration, Sachin cant be called the greatest. But he was at the right place at the right time. He came at the time when the whole of India was searching for a national sporting hero. At once, he captured the imagination of a whole population. There was an Indian whom Indians could be proud of. He embodied the spirit of India- he was humble and yet bold, austere yet destructive, meek yet domineering. Never did a nasty word or a deed come from him; not from Sachin. He was as dedicated as a saint. This saintliness separates Sachin from other great players. Wherever he went, he kept his dignity intact. During his span of 24 years as a cricketer, he never for once got into bar brawl or came in news for licentious behaviour. When the match-fixing issue rocked Indian cricket, he  kept the faith of millions of fans. He never appeared in ads promoting alcoholic drinks. He probably knew the impact he had on kids. The country closely followed its icon through the years, his every dip in form, his injuries, his comeback: everything was subjected to precise analysis and argument. The whole country lamented at his every cheap dismissal and every house-hold passed through nervous moments once he crossed the nineties. His decision to retire came as a surprise to many, as a shock to many. But anyway,the timing was perfect. I doubt if such a farewell had been given to any sporting icon in any sport, let alone in cricket. 
Now is the age of ruthless cricket. The image of cricket as a gentleman's game is fast fading. The past generation cricketers are finding it hard to cope with the changing trend in cricket. Sachin epitomized the cricketing culture of his age. The age had fierce competition, but the players respected each other. Team members had deep mutual understanding. Playing for the country was their primary aim. Now-a-days, money rules cricket. Talent is of course more now, but talent is never polished and perfected; talent nowadays is not long lasting. By comparing Sachin and Virat Kohli, we can understand the difference between the two cultures. Virat is a very promising player. The record of Kohli now and the record of Sachin at Kohli's age reveals the class of Kohli. But Virat cannot possibly attain the stature of Sachin. 
By the retirement of Sachin, an era has come to an end. He is now a legend. As time passes, it gets bigger and bigger. A fifty years hence, we would be proudly saying to the coming generation that we lived in a time when Sachin played. He is a part of the country's psyche. I now remember the moments in my memories which was glorified the little great man and say from the bottom of my heart: Thank you Sachin!

a dilemma

Fear is one of the strongest emotions of people. Everybody has fear, I guess. Handling fear is one of the key skills in attaining success. So what is fear? It is generally explained an unpleasant emotion which is caused when one is threatened with danger, harm or pain. But this is a very straight-foreward and plain explanation. Emotions in humans often involves many dimensions because of the depth of human mind. The emotions often criss-cross each other, and sometimes the same experience can arouse conflicting emotions like joy and sorrow at the same time. Aristotle exhorted that an ideal tragedy must aim at generating catharsis, i.e. it must cleanse the mind of the spectator by arousing in him the emotions of pity and fear and thereby causing a purgation by the proper mixing of these emotions. This indicates that fear is a defining factor in the development of one's personality. As babies, we don't know what to fear. As children, we are taught what to fear by society and experiences. But we instinctively fear certain things like sudden loud noise, darkness, etc. As children grow into men, the object of their fear may change from one thing to another. 
People fear everything: death, cockroaches, insects, closed spaces, darkness, light, strangers, women, men,  failure, success, praise, criticism, fame, separation and what not. 


This fear takes many forms, sometimes very subtle. Fear of losing something by an action you do- for example, you like something very much, but you restrain from doing it because of moral pressure. Some of your dear ones want you to behave in a certain way. You behave like they say because you don't want to lose their love and want to stay with them. You once believed in their faith, but now it is no longer strong. Now a tug of war begins- between your likes and your loyalty to them. I believe you should have courage to put forward your views without hurting them. This is also a question of fear. You have the fear of losing their warmth. But other things have to be considered in this case too. You feel the pressure not because they coerce their views upon you, but you love them so much, and its you who actually force yourself, and put you in a dilemma. Clarity of thought is very important in such situations, which is actually very difficult once you enter into such a position. Such a position can be morally very testing and tiring, believe me. You have to compromise between two parts of yourself before it tears you apart.

my amateur flash work

some thoughts on God

All issues related to spirituality boils down to one question: whether there is God or not . Answers are many- yes, no, there are many, may be, probably yes, probably no, we need god,  i don't know, i don't care. Well, I too don't have any answer, I only have more and more questions.
Do you believe that everything happens for a reason? Do you believe everything happen according to a plan? Or do things just happen, they don't need any specific reason? Just like the 'dog-chasing-cars philosophy' of the Joker in the film 'The Dark knight'? Does meaning exist only in people's minds, and there is no purpose as such to creation? Many people believe that if life has to have a meaning, they should live for something, for a reason, for a motive. The better the reason, the more meaningful the life becomes.

To many, science is the final word of man. It may not have found a complete answer to life, but it is definitely on track. These are some most probable arguments about the genesis of world: The Sun broke into fragments. One of the fragments formed the Earth. Earth got transformed over millions of years And when conditions became ripe, life appeared on earth in the from organic molecules. Single celled organisms formed, from them multi-cellular organisms formed, simplest creatures formed in water, and life started getting more and more complex. It spread to land, and fins of aquatic animals gave way to limbs. Various animals arrived, in various forms and shapes. Then life started progressing in various branches, each branch evolving in a different way. Many animals came, through various stages. Many species progressed, many species perished. And last, about 2.5 million years ago, came predecessors of modern humans. This is the most reliable explanation about earth and life mankind has produced.
Let me ask you an irrelevant question: do you believe you can become US president? Yous odds of becoming a US president are one in ten million. The odds of you dying in a lightning strike are 1 in 134,906. Now let us look at the odds of a life molecule forming by random chance.
According to Richard Peacock,"the calculation which supports the creationist argument begins with the probability of a 300-molecule-long protein forming by total random chance. This would be approximately 1 chance in 10³⁹⁰."
In percentage, it becomes 0.0000000000000000...(387 zeroes)1. When rounded, it approximates to 0%. 

So if one says God created man, you have no grounds to refute them.

Some people say they believe in God, but not in god-men. God-men are only impostors; they are either frauds or just some eccentric people who just believe they are special. People who follow them are all fools. Let me ask something: aren't there special people? Some people play cricket better than anyone else. Some have unparalleled leadership skills, some have great IQ, some can take their bodies to unbelievable extends. Some have unique mental abilities. Then why can't one have superlative spiritual abilities? History has shown that man can grow most in spiritual abilities rather than in other means. Just consider the most powerful names in human history : Muhammad, Jesus Christ, Buddha, Confucius .. you can spot many spiritual names among them. Don't get me wrong: I am not saying that they are all perfect or I personally uphold their ideas completely. But they show us that human achievements can reach greater heights.

Many people may not agree that there is such a thing called spirituality. There is no thing as soul. There is only mind and brain. If there is a soul, where can you locate it in the body? Well, a simple answer that can be provided is that spirituality may be the answer for 'why you live'. 

Freud has explained the journey of mankind from the time of its appearance on earth to the present day as a slight growth of spirit from dominant id to dominant ego(in his terms). Now, it may be speculated that this journey may continue till the spirit of man evolves to a new species of superman.

skin deep

Two days before,a child was  born to my sister and her husband. I went there to visit the new-comer. It was a baby-girl, and a beautiful one. My sister and her husband were having all sorts of discussions- ranging from how to lay the baby in bed and how to design the cradle, to setting her educational qualifications and even searching for her bride-groom! And then my sister said: "Thank god she is not black like my grandfather. I had a fear about that." A much debated unresolved question re-surfaced from the depths of my racial mind. A question regarding our racial hypocrisy. We are black. But we hate to admit that we are black. We admire being white(specifically, fair). We use a lot of cosmetics to become fairer. As little children, we do not care whether we are dark or fair(or do we?). From our childhood, we are fed by the idea that being fair is beautiful, and dark is ugly. Films, stories reinforce this thought very often. Many films involve situations in which dark-skinniness is used for evoking laughter. Dark students are ridiculed  in school. Parents advise children: "Don't be out in the sun, it will darken you." We have fair heroes and heroines. To be more exact, fairness has to be combined with other features: long nose, thin lips, tall  physique, straight wavy-swavy hair: such are our conceptions of beauty. Our girls like fair boys, our boys like fair girls. Is this the admiration of a slave for his master? A friend of mine told that many Asian girls in Europe fall cheaply for a European boyfriend, and they don't have an esteem for their own race. Is the case same here too?
 Even before the coming of Europeans, when the hold of caste system was stronger here, we had a coloured mind. Is the present prejudice an extension of our past self? It is likely that it is a combination of both and other factors. There is a malayalam saying which goes like :"forgetting to march when you see a sahib(Britisher)". (Sayippine kanumbo kavathu marakkuka.) This is a common attitude of Asians and Africans. Many Indians brag about having European friends, like it is a privilege. This can be a danger, making us lose our self esteem and pride. Cant we be dark skinned and happy?

Arguments of Satan

Arguments of Satan

These are the arguments of Satan which convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, against the command of God. This rhetoric of Satan was one the factors which inspired William Blake to exclaim that Milton was of the Devil's party without knowing it.
After befriending  Eve in the guise of a snake, Satan started enticing her with  his innate charm. He took her to the fateful tree bearing the forbidden fruit. When Eve refused to eat the fruit at first, he started using his cunning to put forth his arguments in the most convincing way.

To Eve's remark that God had forbidden her and her husband to eat the fruit, Satan replied:

"Is it so? Has God declared you the supreme masters all this earth and air, and yet you are not allowed to eat this fruit? This tree is the mother of all knowledge. I can feel its power clearly within me. O Eve, do not believe these harsh threats of death. Look at me. I have touched and tasted this fruit, and still I have not died. on the contrary, I have attained a more perfect life. Even you know that this tree is named 'The Tree of Knowledge'. You are afraid because you think God will be angry at you. Will God's anger be provoked by such a petty act of trespass? Maybe God will praise you for your dauntless courage when even the threat of death could not stop you from achieving what might lead to the knowledge of good and evil. If it brings the knowledge of good, how can God be just by depriving you of it? And if it brings the knowledge of evil, you could easily shun it. God, therefore, cannot punish you and still remain just. If he is not just, he is no God, and is not to be obeyed. And if you are afraid of death, don't say that you are fearful of God.

To my thinking, by eating this fruit, you shall become as gods just as I, a low creature has become a man internally. Maybe God has used death in this sense: you may perhaps lose your human limitations and acquire the character of gods.This kind of death should be wished for. Gods came first, and they exploited our belief that all things proceed from them. If they created all things, who created the Tree of Knowledge, from which whosoever eats the fruit, acquires wisdom without their permission? What is the offence if Man acquires knowledge this way? How can our knowledge hurt him, or this Tree impart knowledge against his His will, if everything has been created by him? Or is this merely envy?

So friends, what points do you have to counter these arguments of Satan? 

 

muzaffarabad issue

Communal violence have subsided in Muzaffarabad. 27 people are killed so far. Each community has blamed each other for inciting the violence. Political parties took the role of the jackal drinking blood dripping from the two fighting goats. These riots that erupt once in a while are not separate singular occurrences. It is like volcano; the matter is fuming and boiling inside; it just needs an immediate cause to burst out. Aligarh, Meerut, Moradabad and Muzaffarnagar are areas where religious harmony is particularly fragile. Government repeatedly fails to curb the issue at its sprouting stage, when a few tight actions could have sufficed; and it is addressed only when it spirals out of control. The striking point is that the patterns of every communal clash are more or less the same: each party claims the other to have drawn the first blood, but nobody knows at first hand  what exactly is the cause; everyone has heard about the issue from another one.; each party has its own version of the story and claims to have the right to be indignant.; the local newspapers take partisan stands and spread stories that foment violence.; the government uses the issue only to suit their election needs.; there may be a person intent to use the condition to shoot up his political career. This is a routine. 
Isn't there any permanent solution for the issue? E.M Forster suggests a solution: Tolerance. Ours is a society where complete harmony is impossible in the present scenario. We are a multi-cultural multi-lingual society living so tightly close to each other. We cant love all others. The only alternative left is to tolerate; which is the next best option. We can't eliminate everything we cant accept., we just need to put up with those. In the present day world, nothing is completely right, nothing is completely wrong as well. Sometimes, what seems as the direct opposite of right turns out to be the right one. Hitler himself has proved that complete extermination of a race is impossible. As long as violence lays dormant inside the society, disputes and clashes arise- it is not because some are Hindus and some are Muslims; it is not because some are Sunni and some are Shia; it is not because some are lower caste and some are higher caste; it is not because some are Blacks and some are Whites. It is because we are human beings and we need to cleanse ourselves by passing through all these stages.

what's wrong with Indian men?

[The picture above shows the hostile treatment of a schoolgirl outside a pub in northern India. She came there that night with her friends who got drunk and started fighting. When people started gathering, they fled leaving her alone. Soon, male inquisitors surrounded her and started questioning and ill treating her. They started grabbing and pushing the hapless teenager.Her clothes were torn off, and she couldn't find any means to escape. Even passers by started to join hands with the aggressors in molesting the young girl. A TV reporter who passed by caught the incident on film and aired it on local channels and did nothing to save the girl.]  
This is a question that I often come across now a days. The recent spree of rapes all over the country has confirmed the precarious position of women in Indian society. This entry is not a definitive attempt  to delve deep into the causes and solutions of the problem. I am just trying to figure out the area where a few perspectives intersect.

One of my friends recently told me about her disgusting experience while traveling in a transport bus. She was a small child then. She and her mother got into a crowded bus(you know, typical Kerala Transport bus), and she was invited to share seat with two young men. That was the first encounter with the nasty 'neurotic' male behaviour. She didn't tell anybody about it that time. Later, when she came to know that her friends all had similar experiences, she knew that her's was not a rare case. So what actually is wrong with the people here?, she asks.Women are targeted everywhere- in buses, public places, roads, and even in places of worship. She exhorts everyone to give up silence and speak up. She suggests that if government can do nothing else to prevent rapes, it may legalize prostitution and set up sanctioned brothels to divert 'untamed male impulses' so that at least some children may avoid traumatic pasts.

Dileep, a bank job aspirant who hails from Kannur, says: 'Bitter punishment and strict enforcement are necessary if crimes are to subdue. There is no use in condemning society. Individuals make up society. In instances such as the Delhi rape case, the aggressors should be castrated. This will serve as a deterrent from any such future attempts.'

Kavya, a civil service aspirant, says: 'The problem is inherent in menfolk, even though a few cases involving women are reported. We have heard about reports of fathers raping their daughters. Ever heard about a mother molesting her son? That says it all.' She sounded like a fierce feminist.

Midhun, a psychology graduate, views the issue through an analytic eye. The matter of sexual exploitation is a multifaceted one. Generally, the mentality to 'rape' or 'violate' may have roots in repressed desires or expressions which have not found an outlet. 'Unexpressed emotions never die; they're buried alive and come forth later in uglier ways. In other words, weakness or incapability is the chief reason behind many instances of sexual perversion. This may be inaccessibility to ways of sexual gratification, or  belief that one cannot satisfy one's partner and resulting loss in self confidence, or repression owing to pressure of society, etc.'
'Setting up of lawful brothels is one way to reduce the occurrence of rapes' , he says.

Another boy, who confesses having groped a girl in bus, says; 'Society is the culprit. We were framed to this kind of mindset. From my childhood, I have grown seeing films in which women are presented as objects to be enjoyed. In my formative years, I got this message from peers, TV programmes, advertisements and elders. The poems of my language contained descriptions about women physique. Being a man was being rude, strong and forceful.  My friends boasted to me about touching a girl and kissing a girl. Initially, I thought it was bad, but gradually I fell into the groove. I have even heard a girl telling with approval: 'boys should be a little mischievous'. In my school days, the 'naughty' boys got everything they wanted. I got jealous of them. Now when I see a beautiful girl, I see it as someone's asset, a thing to be possessed. Society taught me so.'
saying so, he put the entire blame on the society.

To what extent will women-only buses, banks, sites and places help? What do you think? 

Whatever analyses we make, whatever steps we take, we cant hide the darkness of our collective psyche.Time and again, it tends to show up. Surface patching doesn't cure cancer. The story of rapes goes on.

lets talk

1. Resmi says:"Our culture has imposed on many of us, different sets of rule and restrictions which we knowingly and unknowingly are bound to follow. For instance, if we take in to account the rules imposed on our women in deciding what and how to wear the clothes..  I heard from a spiritual class that women have to wear decent dress other wise it can draw attention of  men towards us and that will create  a lot of trouble.    As a non resident Indian, here I am free to wear whatever I like and I feel more safe  than in my own country.  No one made a wrong gesture or nobody tried to do any wrong thing to me since.  Most of the days I came home by 10 pm after my class. In our country I really fear to enter and  crowded bus .  I was travelling to Tamilnadu by train in a general compartment.  I was sitting opposite to a short man.  His 4 year old daughter is sitting in his lap and  his wife was in an adjacent seat.  After some time he kept his  foot on my foot. At first I thought that it was an accident so I didn’t care.  Next two or three time he repeated that I gave him a sharp look then he removed his foot with flirty smile .I never expected a man who was his wife and daughter sitting nearby do something like this. . I know from one of my good friends during my college days that when a girl moves about in front of boys, they will discuss about her measures after she passes. Is this our culture?  Will girls ever do like this or even think like this?"

2. Gireesh says:"I would like to give a reply. First of all, I am not trying to justify rapists. Rape is a crime and rapists should never be pardoned on any grounds. But , I think the following points are worthwhile in this discussion.
@ 'Will girls ever do like this or even think like this' #lol are you kidding?!. Maybe the person who wrote this is 'very special' one of a kind girl. And all her female friends are 'special' too, or simply lying!  
Next, about culture. You asked why men ogle or target women. Because that is how men had evolved over generations. Let me ask: who uses cosmetics and beauty-enhancing creams more? Women. Who use ornaments generally? Women. Generally, women are more beauty conscious than men. Why? Women make themselves up to attract men. This motive may be almost an unconscious one, or just a part of their inherited tradition. This is the way women are evolved, whatever the reasons they say. Of course, the trend is changing.But the tradition is still present in our genes. More often we won't admit it. Human beings are more sexually evolved than any other animal. The evolution of breasts in women is an example in point. In all other animals, breasts serve the only purpose of feeding the young ones. But in humans, they have more sexual significance. Women use them to signal their sexual health; use them to attract males; and fondling them may arouse sexual stimulation in humans, unlike in other animals. Men have also evolved in accordance with these developments in women.
The next question is about men making undue sexual advances. This question comes along with the above point. In primitive societies, if males wouldn't willingly donate sperms, it was difficult for propagation of the species. Females could do nothing if the males weren't attracted.That may be the primary reason why nature made males sexually more aggressive. The differences in attitudes of both sexes that we see today(e.g. women forming the weaker sex, increased visual stimulation in men) owes its origin in primitive societies..
Next comes cultural and regional differences. You said you felt less vulnerable as a NRI. Let me tell you, a lot of factors influence the general attitude of public. In Trivandrum, if you are a female, it is unsafe to be out after 9'O clock. But in Bangalore, girls in tight T's and skin-fit trousers may be seen walking about in the city alone or in groups even at midnight."
3. Sabari says: "This kind of male chauvinistic attitude is the main cause for the growing rape culture in our country. Recently, in a survey conducted by 'Partners for Prevention', a regional joint programme of the UNDP, reveals that nearly one out of four Asian men admitted to having committed a rape. Many of them, as the person above, seem to believe in sexual entitlement- the belief that some men are entitled to sex regardless of consent. I have only one thing to say. Friend, primitive men ate raw meat. Does that imply that we eat raw meat too? Man, we are living in a civilized society. Here people have the right to live freely and peacefully. If you have impulses, find a way to gratify them in a socially approved manner, without hurting anybody. Many of your arguments are stupid. You say women adorn themselves to attract males. This is downright stupid. It is more a matter of making yourself presentable, agreeable and clean. I don't think sex has anything to do here. Attitudes like yours are borne by potential rapists."


 

liked this song when i used to watch WWE.

It's all about the game, and how you play it
All about control, and if you can take it
All about your debt, and if you can pay it
It's all about pain, and who's gonna make it...

I am the game, you don't wanna play me
I am control, no way you can change me
I am have heavy debts, no way you can pay me
I am the pain, and I know you can't take me

Look over your shoulder, ready to run
Like a good little bitch, from a smoking gun
I am the game, and I make the rules
So move on out, and you can die like a fool
Try and figure out what the move’s gonna be
Come on over sucker, why don't you ask me?
Don't you forget there's a price you can pay
'Cuz I am the game and I want to play

It's time to play the game...