Hindu way of thought

I have been meaning to write this article for quite some time now... I wonder how i forgot to post it...

Before i start let me begin by saying i prefer to put my position as someone who is an aetheist, has not read the Bhagwad Gita or any other religious scripture of any religion in its true text, but has only read an enormous amount of history & prehistory.

I also do not believe in scientology or the perfection that science professes.

I am talking here about the Hindu culture, which is very different from the current interpretation of Hindu religion, and though they meet at quite a few places, they stand apart. And for the same reason, I still take pride in writing that i am born a Hindu, and that i will stay that way forever.

A friend recently sent me an email of a conversation between an NRI and a yankee. The yankee was surprised to hear that Hinduism does not profess weekly prayers, or reading the scriptures or any such things that bring about order. It also says that even an aetheist (like me) can be called a Hindu if he or she follows the way of thought. Moreover, no one can be converted to Hinduism by any ritual (& im not taking into consideration fickle superstitions or ceremonies) but can only be either born into it, or follow it as one pleases.

I am attaching that email here for your reference so that i can deconstruct it later:

Am I a Hindu?

Four years ago, I was flying from JFK NY Airport to SFO to attend a meeting at Monterey, CA.
An American girl was sitting on the right side, near window seat.
It indeed was a long journey - it would take nearly seven hours!

I was surprised to see the young girl reading a Bible - unusual of young Americans! (Later I came to know that September 11 has changed mind-set of lot of US citizens. They suddenly turned religious, it seemed.)
After some time she smiled and we had few acquaintances talk. I told her that I am from India.

Then suddenly the girl asked: "What's your faith?"
"What?" I didn't understand the question.
"I mean, what's your religion? Are you a Christian? Or a Muslim?"
"No!" I replied, "I am neither Christian nor Muslim".
Apparently she appeared shocked to listen to that.
"Then who are you…?"
"I am a Hindu", I said.
She looked at me as if she is seeing a caged animal.
She could not understand what I was talking about.

A common man in Europe or US know about Christianity and Islam, as they are the leading religions of the world today.

But a Hindu, what?
I explained to her - I am born to a Hindu father and Hindu mother. Therefore, I am a Hindu by birth.

"Who is your prophet?" she asked.
"We don't have a prophet," I replied.
"What's your Holy Book?"
"We don't have a single Holy Book, but we have hundreds and thousands of philosophical and sacred scriptures," I replied.
"Oh, come on…at least tell me who is your God?"
"What do you mean by that?"

"Like we have Yahweh and Muslims have Allah - don't you have a God?"
I thought for a moment. Muslims and Christians believe one God (Male God) who created the world and takes an interest in the humans who inhabit it. Her mind is conditioned with that kind of belief.

According to her (or anybody who doesn't know about Hinduism), a religion need to have one Prophet, one Holy book and one God. The mind is so conditioned and rigidly narrowed down to such a notion that anything else is not acceptable. I understood her perception and concept about faith. You can't compare Hinduism with any of the present leading religions where you have to believe in one concept of god.

I tried to explain to her: "You can believe in one god and he can be a Hindu. You may believe in multiple deities and still you can be a Hindu. What's more - you may not believe in god at all, still you can be a Hindu. An atheist can also be a Hindu."
This sounded very crazy to her.

She couldn't imagine a religion so unorganized, still surviving for thousands of years, even after onslaught from foreign forces.

"I don't understand…but it seems very interesting. Are you religious?"
What can I tell to this American girl?

I said: "I do not go to temple regularly. I do not make any regular rituals. I have learned some of the rituals in my younger days. I still enjoy doing it sometimes."
"Enjoy? Are you not afraid of God?"

"God is a friend. No- I am not afraid of God. Nobody has made any compulsions on me to perform these rituals regularly."

She thought for a while and then asked: "Have you ever thought of converting to any other religion?"

"Why should I? Even if I challenge some of the rituals and faith in Hinduism, nobody can convert me from Hinduism. Because, being a Hindu allows me to think independently and objectively, without conditioning… I remain as a Hindu never by force, but choice." I told her that Hinduism is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices. It is not a religion like Christianity or Islam because it is not founded by any one person or does not have an organized controlling body like the Church or the Order, I added. There is no institution or authority.
"So, you don't believe in God?" she wanted everything in black and white.

"I didn't say that. I do not discard the divine reality. Our scripture, or Sruthis or Smrithis - Vedas and Upanishads or the Gita - say God might be there or he might not be there. But we pray to that supreme abstract authority (Para Brahma) that is the creator of this universe."

"Why can't you believe in one personal God?"

"We have a concept - abstract - not a personal god. The concept or notion of a personal God, hiding behind the clouds of secrecy, telling us irrational stories through few men whom he sends as messengers, demanding us to worship him or punish us, does not make sense. I don't think that God is as silly as an autocratic emperor who wants others to respect him or fear him." I told her that such notions are just fancies of less educated human imagination and fallacies, adding that generally ethnic religious practitioners in Hinduism believe in personal gods. The entry level Hinduism has over-whelming superstitions too. The philosophical side of Hinduism negates all superstitions.

"Good that you agree God might exist. You told that you pray. What is your prayer then?"
"Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavantu. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti,"
"Funny," she laughed, "What does it mean?"

"May all the beings in all the worlds be happy. Om Peace, Peace, Peace."
"Hmm…very interesting. I want to learn more about this religion. It is so democratic, broad-minded and free…" she exclaimed.

"The fact is Hinduism is a religion of the individual, for the individual and by the individual with its roots in the Vedas and the Bhagavad-Gita. It is all about an individual approaching a personal God in an individual way according to his temperament and inner evolution - it is as simple as that."

"How does anybody convert to Hinduism?"

"Nobody can convert you to Hinduism, because it is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices. Everything is acceptable in Hinduism because there is no single authority or organization either to accept it or to reject it or to oppose it on behalf of Hinduism."
I told her - if you look for meaning in life, don't look for it in religions; don't go from one cult to another or from one guru to the next.

For a real seeker, I told her, Bible itself gives guidelines when it says "Kingdom of God is within you." I reminded her of Christ's teaching about the love that we have for each other. That is where you can find the meaning of life.

Loving each and every creation of the God is absolute and real. 'Isavasyam idam sarvam' Isam (the God) is present (inhabits) here everywhere - nothing exists separate from the God, because God is present everywhere. Respect every living being and non-living things as God. That's what Hinduism teaches you.

Hinduism is referred to as Sanathana Dharma, the eternal faith. It is based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life. The most important aspect of Hinduism is being truthful to oneself. Hinduism has no monopoly on ideas. It is open to all. Hindus believe in one God (not a personal one) expressed in different forms. For them, God is timeless and formless entity.
Ancestors of today's Hindus believe in eternal truths and cosmic laws and these truths are opened to anyone who seeks them. But there is a section of Hindus who are either superstitious or turned fanatic to make this an organized religion like others. The British coin the word "Hindu" and considered it as a religion.

I said: "Religions have become an MLM (multi-level- marketing) industry that has been trying to expand the market share by conversion. The biggest business in today's world is Spirituality. Hinduism is no exception…"

I am a Hindu primarily because it professes Non-violence - "Ahimsa Paramo Dharma" - Non violence is the highest duty. I am a Hindu because it doesn't conditions my mind with any faith system.


So what I am basically looking at is that the NRI is talking about the way of thought and not really about the religion. I once asked a professor of mine, who has worked as editor to our famous television series of Mahabharata about what Indian identity and culture is. She said simply, Hinduism. i was taken aback and asked her about her secular credentials. She replied: " I am secular, but the Hinduism you look at is a religion. The Hinduism i am talking about is the Indian culture."

From our subsequent conversation, and my reading into the interpretations by Irawati Karve, Romila Thapar, Tadgell's architectural exploits, British Indian gazetteers and the likes, it emerged that the Indian culture could truly be labelled as the Hindu culture. If one is to compare the way people of any religion marry in different parts of the world, there are bound to be local additions. But i found none to be so overbearing as that seen on the Indian subcontinent. I dont know if its the environment or the society, the ways and thoughts of a culture which has been continuously debating for and against itself has given rise to traditions unique to us, and also percolated into those of other religions.

So what is the Hindu way of thought, after so much ranting, u may ask?

I would say the Hindu way of thought is the true democratic thought. One may ask about the various binding ceremonies and the kinds that push us into an envelope of religion. But most of those are based on certain scientific explanations. To take a latest example, the Bengalis would not eat a particular fish in a given season since it was the breeding period of the fish. The latter reasoning was dropped as the times moved. But it still stands to day.

The hindu way of thought, I BELIEVE, is the one that allows us to explore ourselves, reflect on our actions, and also sometimes do actions that we believe strongly in, without actually worrying about the consequences. In short, it gives us the flexibility to be ourselves, while providing a plethora of literature & cultural idiom to support whatever our lifestyle may be, without binding us to any particular typology. That i believe, is very important. To respect our individuality is the highest honour to our self-esteem and being. And hinduism does that in the most subtle manner. One has to be really observant in order to see it.

Being an aetheist i have had many experiences with different kinds of people from various cultures. I have found that the least questioning people are Indians of any religion. They accept my moral struggle for & against, even if they may not understand it. Neither do they laugh at it, nor do they try to discourage me. I believe this is the respect i obtain, to choose my own path. & for that I would be happy to be called a Hindu at birth, while i still do not believe in any religion.

Postscript: I do not wish to put any religious colours to this article. I have friends from all differing religions and i have found all of them equally great people. I am talking about a culture and not about religion, since i do not understand or wish to profess it. One could read this topic as the Indian way of thought, but then the word Hindu is not a copyright of the religion too. It comes from Indu or Indus (currently in Pakistan) and I am after all from that culture.

Teacher's Day

A quote adapted from Superman befitting the occasion:

"You'll be different. Sometimes you'll feel like an outcast but you'll never be alone. You will make my strength your own. You will see my work through your own as your work will be seen through mine. The student becomes the teacher and the teacher becomes the student."

Review: NONZERO by Robert Wright

A belated review of Non-zero

I have earlier criticized non-zero while reading it for its cumbersome treatment of a seminal topic towards the end. i still stand by my critique, but i wish to add a complete review, so that one may forgo the deviations and focus on the uniqueness of the subject at hand.

The author tries to show us that the world moves forward because it wants to propogate itself & exist, and for the same reason it forms positive sum relationships within and around itself. While i am still musing on the relationships that we have built with nature in the last couple of centuries, and i still stand unconvinced of the conclusions of the book as yet, i believe that it provides us with important insights on the history and development of the world. This development, charted earlier in human terms and later in pure biological terms, provides us insight into the complex social processes and the psyche behind them with logical explanations which are based on painstaking research.

I would read this book like a compilation rather than an authorative work, somewhat like reading a novel by Michael Crichton where one is introduced to a fairly new topic and taken through it in form of a story. While the research that goes into such a compilation is worthy of admiration, the result may not necessarily be what the truth is, or what may sound like a convincing theme. But it should be read as a new way of looking at the world and understanding it.

Moving on, the book does jump from one section to another while losing touch, but for an experienced reader, who can support it with his or her own research, done either on the internet or reading another similar work along with it, the book opens new vistas.

I had the unique opportunity (since it dragged on towards the end) of reading it with Yuganta (a commentary on the social life during Mahabharata), with Cat o' nine tales (crime stories by Jeffery Archer), with Guns, Germs & Steel (a Pulitzer winning document about the history of humans in last 10,000 years), with Emotional Intelligence (which explores the social traits as compared to raw intelligence).

I found that the book had much to support for and argue against all these works. It told me about the psychology behind them, the logic for the history, culture & social customs, and also about the human mind and body.

So while i wouldnt ask you to read this book by itself, i would ask you to read it with a companion book and then use it to reflect on the happenings. Like my experiment, you may even use a novel to do the same and arrive with results that actually overwhelm you about the relationships of characters and the environment or context of the novel.

I wish you happy reading, and feel free to throw it away towards the end when it starts to drag.... it will not serve much purpose anyway...

Google Chrome!!! Awesome!!

I read about google chrome yesterday on techtree (www.techtree.com) & today in the morning's newspaper. Both had highly critical reviews, but that was only because Google the great is supposed to do mindblowing things & chrome they said wasn't so mindblowing.

But ask what an average user needs, & the answer is speed. While we have started enjoying broadband for an odd coupla years in India, browser technology is over the world is hardly broadband friendly. Internet explorer, the demon of all browsers, is prone to hanging the system before you can even hit Crtl+Alt+Del. I have been a Mozilla fan for over a year. The speed it gives me is really fancy. Opera, I have no comments on , coz i use it only on my phone & that version is really great (apart from tearing off my prepaid bills), but the desktop browser is cumbersome.

& here comes google with its brand new chrome plated CHROME.
So...getting back to the point, "Is mein aisa kya he jo dusro me nahi?"
Well just download it & find out!! "Are magar woh karna hota to yeh blog kyo padhte?"
Exactly my point people, if you just type the name of this blog, it will have appeared before you blink (provided your broadband provider is equally good).
Heavy sites like Gmail, Orkut, Facebook & even Youtube open at blazing speeds.

& the best part!!! It doesn't hang the entire system. Chrome has tabbed browsing which is currently the fad. But the older browsers were better coz if one hung, the other program was largely unaffected. Google has read its history well (im a history freak, so i got it reasoned ;) )& brought what seems like a tabbed browser, but actually every tab opens like an individual program!

For all you laypeople, today's sites (including gmail, yahoo new mail, etc) use heavy javascript in order to bring those flashy effects & speeds to your desktop. But while java loads in a normal tabbed browser, the whole program is hung, even if for a few seconds (im not talking of your celerons, they will take ages). What Chrome has is separate programs, so only the tab that is loading javascript hangs for a moment.

Cheers for us multi-tasking freaks!! This is the best development after Mozilla which I still salute for bringing the competition to their senses!! But after all, Google is the GREAT!

So what about other features?
I always love their overtly simple interface, no cluttering, just the plain look. Also, being open source, you can keep adding many plugins as developers & amateurs churn them out.

I love the way loading happens in left bottom corner. It just comes out of the blue, and does not waste even those 5mm of screen space when not necessary. Thats simplicity & efficient space usage!!

They have done a lot of technical stuff which i dont want to bore you people with. You would definitely love to read their comic book about development. Its nice & informative.

So go ahead, download & experience the difference!!
Do comment here if you think otherwise...
I'll be happy to hear.

Darwin vs love

A small attempt to put love in poetry:
(ps: the last paragraph "I say:" is written off-hand)


When I am down,
with no one to look (after me) around:
I realize I am
Darwin's unfit loser,
Wright's sociable unsocial animal,
who can only:
crawl his way if crutches are offered...

I put on music deafening:
Hoping to drown my heart's wailing;
But still I can't catch the notes-
Lost in my sorrow,
That chills my marrow-
Tearing my mind apart,
Till I fall asleep,
Tired of the same thought.

They say:
It is better to have loved and lost:
I loved, I lost
And each time I hoped..
for a better start.

That illusive feeling,
Love, with its infamous healing...
Evades me..
& leaves me reeling..
Darwin's unfit loser.

Some (Darwinians) say-
Love not anyone, more than thyself.
For loving is the sure road..
To heart's disgress.
And they love themselves, live by themselves,
oblivious to the warmth
That is offered by love's hearth.
The world is their enemy,
Survival at other's cost their never ending ceremony.

You say:
I speak against love,
I speak against non-love-
What's on my mind?
Am I the insane kind?

And at this point my friend,
I ask of you to recognize the trend..
A troubled heart's lament,
A broken mind's predicament.

Love shall not set me free,
Until I have truly,
Understood its decree.

Love says:
Dearest worried soul-
I am not about getting,
about achieving,
about conquering...

I AM about caring
about giving
about sharing
about sacrificing
about letting go & still
keeping oneself on the show.

(My dearest worried soul)
If you cannot
gather your happiness
from what I am-
Then you,
have never loved at all!

I say:
I know not love yet,
I know not survival yet,
I am starting my life,
Understanding my mind's strife:
But I shall go on,
As Tennyson's brook:
Living life on the hook;
I cannot relate to Darwin's agression,
I believe I have the loving passion:
With some patience
& some digression
Learning & unlearning the world's fashion,
I will arrive at love's bastion!

Barrack Obama vs Rahul Gandhi

Today morning i got a chance to hear Obama live @ the Democratic convention. I found a striking similarity between his speech and Rahul Gandhi's speech during the vote of confidence.

To start with, both were above the petty talk, giving directions to larger issues & hopes in life. While R Gandhi was definitely much less confident & not as artful a speaker as Obama, both were conveying the same message.

I guess its due to the reason that both are young politicians, bent on looking @ the issues of the changing world, as Obama rightly said " We cant solve 21st century issues with 20th century politics" (something to that effect).

So what is the point im trying to make? WHile R Gandhi is still stuck in the archaic party administration where hopes of getting top post come late in life, Obama has surged ahead to stand for post of president.

The difference definitely lies in our cultures. The American culture, while giving token respect to the elderly does not hold them sacrosanct, and even the young are considered talented enough to run for top posts. Compare that to India, where age is the prime criteria for heirarchy in politics. Some like R Gandhi are lucky enough (im using these words very carefully, lucky is the right-most word) to reach near the top very easily, although not attain the topmost post, others definitely languish at the lower ends till they become old'er'.

While i respect the fact that we pay much respect to our elders, our culture also teaches us to fight for righteousness (Krishna's sermon to Arjun to shoot arrows at Bhisma pita). Hence, we cannot take a narrow minded view of our own culture, and should fight for our rights, even if it means taking a cross view of the elders.

I also give the difference of opinion to the fact that U S of A is a 300 year old democracy compared to our 60 years young one. Im not saying that just because im an Indian. Ever watched an old western movie? It was the same lawlessness as Bihar, in fact maybe worse, that is shown in a much civilized manner. Do not forget that US has gone through many wars on its home ground, slavery, a civil war & much more. We haven't got an experience of any of that. And while we are young to learn from US'es experience, we choose not to do so. So maybe the only thing that will save us here is to get our own experiences. And hence, the present generation must bear the trouble and go through the experience. That my friends, is the only way out to be young & challenge the elderly.
"expeirence teacheth...."

Mumbai meri jaan

The movie moves ahead as promised & as the critics have said about it.. I'm hardly going to describe the movie so please switch to another site if you are interested in the story..

The theme of the movie is not about the blasts (thankfully).. and it is not even about people (Aaamir was good but slow & painful)...
its a movie about mindsets & more importantly a commentry on the current state of affairs...

i love the way the narrative can compare with ease india & the usa...despite obvious differences of lifestyle. As is rightly said, fear is completely unbiased of race, creed, colour or wealth.

The movie talks about how fear and social psychosis affects a layman, and how a common person becomes the fearful one, the tormentor, the victim and the attacker at the same time. I dont know if the director had visualized all this, but i think i found much to learn from the movie.

Most of all what i like is its portrayal of different communities, and Paresh Rawal's utmost sensitively given sermon on the state of affairs and clashes between community, the ways of seeing the world and the urge to make a difference.
The movie ends with a beautiful touch of hope, which i don't think could have been portrayed in a more artistic manner. I still havent got the chance to see who the director was, but its a very good job!!!

So do make a point to watch it while its playing in the theatres. I promise you better & more sensible entertainment than mindless masala....

Power Walking

Iv been power walking very irregularly since few months. I can walk comfortably 4km every alternate day & 6km every 3rd day. Both to be completed within the hour, and ending by climbing 9 floors upto my house. The last part is most heart-wrenching (literally). Although I end up dead tired, the feeling is actually that of freshness and almost as if I’m high!!! I know exercise can do wonders, and what I’m describing is nothing new, but done at the end of the day, it gives a good night’s sleep and enough vigour next morning (inspite of aching feet and thighs) to lead an energetic day. Iv also increasingly found that since on most days I have a desk job, the days when im in office all day & don’t walk in the evenings, I, infact feel tired and almost depressed. After the walk I’m ready to do 10 more things, while the days when I don’t, I just want to fall asleep. What a difference. I’v had a more or less healthy physical exercise most of my life: be it cricket or cycling 20 km to & fro for school, or jogging a couple kilometres everyday during college. Also, trekking is the thing I look most forward to, though I get very few chances. Iv found myself ready to walk kilometres when travelling in any new area. It really invigorates me from daily work pressure & activities. So, all in all, to anybody who cares to catch some inspiration for daily exercise, I completely support you! Go ahead and get that daily dose! What’s more, its completely free and also keeps your waist under control!!!!

An ode to a power walker

A stray dog in the dark alley looks at me ferociously, waiting
For some stranger like me, not to bite
But scare and assert its right over territory, & yet
I walk on…

A car honks behind me
Almost scraping past me, furious that
Someone actually wants to walk
When one can just ride an automobile, and yet
I walk on…

Few chattering loafers sneer at me, commenting that
Why waste time walking, when
One can just burn it on a game of cricket, and yet
I walk on…

Little girls look at me in amusement, thinking that
One actually goes for walks in the night, sweating it out all the way
For some unknown reason, and yet
I walk on…

A neighbour lesiuring away his time on a streetside bench looks at me, so that
He may start a conversation to pass his time,
And is surprised that I hardly stop while returning his greeting, and yet
I walk on…

Some PYTs pass by and taunt me, feeling that
How uncool it is to walk alone on the street when
One can do it with some interesting company in a gym, and yet
I walk on…

For all those who feel walking outside is no fun…
With all due respect, have you ever:

Felt the sun on your face…
Been ahead in a dog-chase…

Seen the leaves closing for the night…
And birds on their returning flight…

An occasional owl in a dark corner…
A labourer’s family having their supper…

Leisure to observe passing people…
Quietude to hear the water ripple...

When you discover these smaller joys…
I will not have to explain the whys…
That your mind asks of me.

Yuganta (Irawati Karve)

A very unique commentary on the Mahabharata. It speaks of the PEOPLE, SOCIETY and the lifestyle during the age of the Mahabharata. Since, it is the end of an era just before the Kalayuga, its aptly titled Yuganta. As I read through the book, I started to realize, true or not, it did seem to be like the end of an age. The society than was so dissimilar to ours and yet so similar. However, the Kalayuga brought in blind beliefs that are so not original, that are so not ours. It reflects the true COMING OF THE ARYANS and their society before the onset of the CASTE SYSTEM. The varna system did exist, but it was more flexibile and free of corruptions found today.

Cat O’ Nine Tales (Jeffery Archer)

A truly remarkable collection, especially for buffs like me who like crime (fiction or otherwise) short stories. The stories weave a web and bring us to the ending in no time at all. I finished the entire collection in a day. But I was left longing for more such stories. Maybe I’ll pick up his prison diaries if they are any good.

NON-ZERO (Robert Wright)

I almost goofed up the book in one session, mind you it’s 400 pages of mind boggling stuff.. but towards the last 100 pages the book started losing its focus. It impressively covered the rise of human society from a primitive species to the modern society, but in the end it goes back to even more historical views, the formation of life & genes and all that. I hardly believe the arrangement seems right. I have still not been able to complete the rest of it. I’m no fan of neat ordering and arrangement, as long as its logical I can digest it. But this book seems to go into details that could have been saved to the reader. Plus, it goes into narratives of other books and authors, and completely loses itself in them. I would have liked it to just continue the commentary. We all know that authors draw from various sources, but to write a commentary on the sources themselves, and set up into a detailed argument into why a particular source was chosen over the other; frankly that should be pushed to the appendices and not into the main book, especially not into the closing chapters. I am keeping myself from throwing it away for good. Next I plan to read Jared Diamond’s Germs, War and Steel and for that I think this book serves a good read. Hence, I’m bent on continuing it.

sunday blues

today was my first sunday in coupla years...
metaphorically speaking..
so what i did?
well i definitely dint have a bath
& i definitely slept most of the day...
& i very much spent the evening chitter-chattering with friends...

so much i longed for such a day...

Oily world....

apropos my dear friend's thoughts on the oily world...
Badshah Khan
i couldnt agree more..
its not about the oil, its not about the Gulf or OPEC or Central asia...
its about us...
the elephant & the dragon...
recently read an article where the great dragon is hosting olympics yet cannot find a way out of extreme pollution in its capital hurting the athletes..
thank god our dear motherland never bids for olympics...or rather never succeeds...
it will be pollution..not just of air, water or the same..
pollution of the mind..pollution of poverty...of corruption...
of life...
the CHALTA HAI attitude has brought us down to our knees..
where shalt we go from here?

I too am a completely humble Indian, looking elsewhere when pollution happens & saying CHALTA HAI...
but how long i do not know..
our forefathers did the same...but they knew...
they wouldnt have to suffer the Repercussions of that in their lifetime..
but we are seeing it happen..

our greed for energy and yet our unwillingness to organize ourselves & shelve wastage...
we say: look there at the west, they too use a lot of energy, so why cant we?
well my friends, be thankful you havent had to live in British slums during the early industrial age.. it would make Dharavi proud....

so while they have suffered & become enlightened enough to take care of it..
we still suffer our ignorance & arrogance both...

there is no more energy...none..
except for the sun...
so being pragmatic & proactive will be the only way forward...
we cannot afford to close our eyes..
LEST WE SLIP ON THE OIL.........

the truth about "THE TRUTH"

i read this article in the times few days back...
about how the media is used to manipulate the truth with a good amount of understanding of how the human brain works..
if a human is bombarded with an apparent lie over a long period of time, even though he or she knows its a lie, he / she starts subconsciously attaching truth value to it...

the media & especially politicians use it to exploit the public at large...

& iv seen quite a few applications in my own life...without giving specific examples...
this is something new for me to learn...& the more i try to understand it, the more i view it as a human self-deception, and a very huge drawback..
if we start believing in something which we know is not entirely true...
& then we keep telling ourselves this is really true..
after a given period of time...we lose the 'Not true' label attached to it...
& then the whole thing becomes a truth for our life....

although i dont want to go into the science of this...i think i need to explain roughly how this works..
each repeated incident is stored as a series of highlights in the human brain...
but since the entire incident is not stored, the highlights vary..
& when the scene is recreated in memory, not one highlight is used..
any combination from the many repeats are used..
& since some information is lost...
the human brain starts perceiving the incident in a very different manner....
this perception of course depends on a variety of factors like:
our fears, our current state of mind, our lifestyle & beliefs..
all in all the perception is a projection of our own understanding and the truth is lost somewhere inside..only what we want to believe is shown back to us..
DANGEROUS ISNT IT!!!!!

with a series of self-deceptive values that can be attached to this drawback..
it just scares me..
our understanding of our friends & why they are our friends.
our foes & why we hold grudge against them or what they did for us to hold the grudge, & did they really do it..
our life & what we believe in..
being an atheist myself, i dont even want to go into the religion part... i do respect others' beliefs
& i dont think i need to clarify mine regarding religion...so leave it there..

but the implications of such a quality of the human brain are outstanding..
& we are no better than the wild animals...

so this might lead us to the part where culture comes in...
& the values culture attaches to things...
& how the written text is better than the said word...
which is why the rich Indian tradition has suffered so much ...
the caste system changed from being an administrative one to a hereditary hierarchy..
all because we didn't note it down.

but iv seen even the written word change its meaning..
in the day of information overload, even science is not able to come up with undisputed facts
& there are always those who can dispute a certain fact..
for eg whether a cell-phone causes cancer or not..
its being disputed & argued over the world..
for me.. i just think, worse come: it does cause cancer, but can i live without it?
No...then shut up & use it...& think those years i lose will be payment for use of the phone..
one could say its a sarcastic view, but then...the truth is not coming out... atleast i dont think until iv used the phone till my retirement!!!!

coming back to media...
if a newspaper prints articles regarding cell phones causing cancer for 10-20 days on & off...
even though the reader is given a warning that the article is disputed..
one starts handling the phone in different ways..not keeping it near the heart or head or things like that...
so there you have it...classic example of self-deceptive manipulation...

all i can conclude is..
BEST OF LUCK TO UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD,
MAY WE CONTROL THIS WILD SIDE OF US!!

Mobloggin'

Im tryin 2 moblog here.xplanz d language. If i get intrstd,may jst b willng 2 moblog my upcmg drive thru rajasthan.wil b drivng most of d tim,so duno when il blog..but lets hope fr d best.. Since iv pland quite a few trips in upcmg months, moblog should b intrstg.. Watsay? I only wish orkut would show blogs on homepg.
So if der r ne suggestns reg wat u lik 2c here..kp em cmg.. Wont hav many fotos tho.. Gprs costs a fortune.. Wid cal prices cmg dn, i guz dis is a potent source of revenue.. Hope dese opratrs intro data plans soon..il b d 1st 2 get it..

Diesel Vs Petrol

So why do we subsidize diesel?
because it is the fuel used for freight..
increase in price of diesel means a direct increase in price of all goods & raw materials..
but the big question is :
SHOULD WE SUBSIDIZE DIESEL?

im not talking of an economist's point of view..
im talking about EXTERNALITIES..
that would give most economists shivers...
maybe a fever to some..

diesel is more polluting than Petrol..
coz it has more sulphur content...and loads of other reasons i wont bore you with..
the point is...
petrol maybe expensive to refine..
but it has less emissions than diesel..
which translates into lesser load on the environment...

the prices of diesel & petrol (unsubsidized) are hardly different...
i agree a few rupees here & there over the whole network is
zillions of rupees
but one look at the dead birds along the highway,
dieseased animals & villagers..
& all the money they spend on health..
considering our poor & highly subsidized health care..
the money is just going into the drain one way or other..
& we are not any more better off..
one day the system will fall apart..

either the healthcare system or the subsidy system..
rather we kill it ourselves than wait for DOOM...
dont subsidize diesel..
convert all freight to petrol or better GAS..
now GAS ..(not american gas but CNG) is more liable to explsion
& considering our accident rates,
we ll have bollywood movie explosions all around..
but its just a matter of technological development..
fire proof stronger fuel tanks....better valve control cut off systems

& maybe i shall live to 80 to revisit this blog & say ...hey i had made a point..
with current conditions..i hardly hope to make it to 50....
talk about quality of life...

Delhi's electric wonder

Talking of our electric cars...
they would be great in a smaller city than Delhi..
travelling distances about 40 km daily max...
& a gas based power plant...less polluting..

if you guys dont know what im hinting at..
AHMEDABAD...

yes, we do have two coal powerhouses..
but i believe some part does come from VATVA GAS based plant

yes, we too have the famed BRTS coming up
& maybe a metro
& also regional rail system
(PHEW............)
but for those who still prefer
PRT (personalized rapid transport)
an electric car is great to drive in ahmedabad
id say the size would make one very happy to zip through unruly traffic
ofcourse, acceleration would be wanting..
but then...traffic really doesnt move that fast here...

what say AMC?
would you cut taxes & give sops for electric cars?
how do you subsidize that?
hey tax those diesel private cars..
our country subsidizes diesel for the only fact that it is used for freight...
those private diesel car users just eat our tax money...
so tax their vehicles more..
& force them to use electric vehicles..

Delhi's electric PRT

i just saw in the news that the Delhi govt. is going to subsidize electric cars..
commendable...
but really? is it worth it?
i mean...come on...
the travelling distances for a normal delhiite would be just about 50-70km daily...
& while our electric cars promise 70-80km drive on charge...
they dont talk about traffic conditions...
70-80km is strictly "CRUISE" conditions..
so why would someone buy these cars?
i think (hilariously) these would end up like the famed Delhi BRTS..
creating more traffic jams (since they run out of battery mid way) than solving them..

so do i have a solution?
or am i just a govt. cursing perfect Indian?
few days back..Honda introduced the Civic Hybrid..
it costs 12 lacs (with normal taxes)
but being a CBU (completely built unit - imported)
it is taxed customs & etc at 105%
so it leaves the consumer poor by 25 lacs almost

but hey it promises 50% more fuel efficiency...
& also wont ever run out on you in traffic..
oh you know what...it DOES NOT need a charger..
yes.. hybrid cars are recharged by regenerative braking...
not that our electric wonders arent..
but then..
one look at our famed REVA for 4 lacs
& another look at CIVIC for 12 lacs
if Honda would get that technology in a small car...
you know what i mean..
(unless ur not a car buff)

so lets not jump the wagon here..
start small..

& what the DELHI govt is doing..with all due respects to them..
is subsidizing a lot of crap..
literally..
coz electric cars just transfer pollution to power stations..
& to talk of electric cars in delhi!!!
poor layman there has to face so many power cuts...
how does one charge the poor car when you dont have power bang when you need it...

also those batteries in electric cars last a coupla years...only..
they may be recycled later..
but our car producers dont have a good recycling policy
and that just adds up lots of lead & mercury into our waste bins...

so think about it...
i dont say carbon fuels are good
but electric cars running on powerhouses burning coal (since petrol is expensive)
id rather run my car on petrol..

Chinese folk-tale..

setting: the Himalayan ranges, summer...

There was once a litte girl...
She was a bright student...
Used to cross two hills to walk to her school daily...
An inspector was to come to visit her school and all the children were going to get gifts for him..
as happens in all stories, this little girl was very poor and had no gift to give..
so...
there she was, on the day of the inspection, walking school..
her eyes were moist because she couldnt afford any gift...
On the top of a hill, she met a fairy...
The fairy asked her: " Why are you crying my child?"
"I have an inspection at school today, and i cannot afford a gift for the inspector. All the students are getting gifts for the inspector."
With a swish of her wand, the fairy created a bowl out of the thin air...
The girl said:" This is an old wooden bowl. I cannot gift this."
The fairy said:" My child, when you go to the next hill, put some snow in the bowl. Give it to the inspector."
The girl had no other options, so she thought of doing that.
At school, the inspector came. He was a smart man wearing a bright smile and a sharp suit.
All the children gave their gifts to him. At last, it was the girl's turn to give her gift.
She looked at the bowl:
The ice had turned into water.
The girl did not know what to do, she was almost in tears.
Trembling, she approached the inspector with the bowl.
The inspector looked at her and the bowl, took the bowl in his hands, and drank the ice-cool water.
His smile turned brighter, and he said: " All you children brought me gifts, but this little girl knew what i needed most. It is not the price of the gift that gives it importance, it is the feeling behind it."
And he patted the girl..

Now, dont get hasty with your thoughts....
We in India, offer water the moment a visitor enters our house... but this is a Chinese story.
And i dont quite know why the children got gifts for the inspector. We just had to memorize lessons when such inspection happened.

And yet...
the story has a pretty strong moral:
Gifting is an important thing, and in this capitalist world nowadays..
you can buy the most expensive things with money...
the daily tabloid comes with tons of news about who's who of the world, who gifted the most expensive IN things to their someones...
just sit back and think...

I once gave my best friend a brinjal...
3 brinjals to be exact..
and i drew faces of people on them... him & his future family
he remembers it to date....
coz i took pains to draw things on brinjals and create a story for him...

My best friends once gifted me a simple white t-shirt..
although they had written so many things on it with felt-pens, and stuck so many things to it..
i still have it with me...
although i could never wear it, coz with one wash it would have all gone away..
but i still like to read the things they have written on it..

i wouldnt have asked for a better gift...

Greed!!!!!

For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever...

words from Lord Tennyson that have had a lasting impact on me..
and as i now complete my masters in landscape architecture..
or rather landscape planning.... landscape appreciation.... call it either...
the words have larger than life impact...
where are we going as humans...
the above poem seems almost reversed...
not by the power of human brain, logic or engineering...
but by the sheer power of human greed, to ask for more than one needs
and more than one can ever require...
call it American consumerism, or the hidden capitalist agenda
i am no socialist..
however, the trend has to have a balance..
we will either feel the need to evaluate each step carefully in the future..
more so since we have already caused destruction approaching the limits of peril..
or be ready to just PERISH...
and the day is not far..
its not wars that will annihilate us..
it is us..our greed.. our so called needs..
and our insensitive outlook to nature...

unless...
we use our so called SUPER BRAINS
and find a way to sustain ourselves indefinitely without using any external resources
i would rather laugh at this one & rubbish it to the bin...
we are going to perish & soon.........................