IN THE SOLITUDE OF SILENCE….

I am alone, all alone, right now.The silence is intriguing and instills and impels me to the moods of irrepressible, inspiring solitude.Whatever I have written hitherto,if readable, is so exclusively thanks to the ambiance wherein the raw material was put to the ordeal of recollection. The emotions of yonder days are beaten upon the anvil of the silent solitude. The seed, therefore, is the emotions, experiences ; terrain the sensitive, receptive mind excited, stimulated by the mood created by the solitude of silence. The seed or the terrain, which one is more indispensable in creativity is an enigma. Any creation is possible only through the mating of opposites. Here the seed is mating with the terrain to realize the painful birth of …of what? Of the creative output, the oeuvre.The question of importance is immaterial since the mating partners are opposites and unique. Once the mating takes place the creation is bound to come out at an appointed time.
The routine habit of writing has dwindled owing to the lesser experiments of the mind with the solitude of silence.Of late Life has been busy with other preoccupations. Little time has been there for me to enjoy the freshness of homely silence. While saying so I earnestly think that it is a matter of priorities rather than a case of hopelessness arising from want of time. Writing is a process which once stopped, is thorny to resume. The pen stops and starts…Papers torn off…words deleted.Only to learn later that the torn off pages, deleted words would have been better than the refreshed substitutes. The lesson learned is that whatever first is uncontaminated and chaste virgin, more life-like and imaginative. The latter refreshments, embellishments mere painted prostitutes.The bloody smell of life is there in the original one recreated in the solitude of silence….The artificial smell of rouge will be there on the latter.
Solitude is apparently/innately associated with silence.The air of loneliness incites a human mind to imagine, do things which he might not think or do in public and in the company of others. As for me the solitude is a blessing in the sense that I can open the eyes of my mind, masticate emotions and past experiences.Yes I can recreate fro these raw materials harnessing the silence. Now I can hear only the chirps of birds or the rhythmic music of raindrops.Even the drop of a pin may have volumes to speak.It is like pebbles thrown on still waters.The ripples on still waters will be far-reaching. Similarly the sound of a pin-drop….

The silence of solitude can be harnessed positively or negatively depending on the nature of the person. What is positive or negative is a matter of opinion and not certitude. In other words, it is a relative moral question.It is true to say one man’s morality may be another man’s immorality.It is said morality originates from lack of opportunity. If I criticise my friend for committing incest it may sometimes be due to my envy to him for not getting the same opportunity. When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman!
Hence Silence of Loneliness can lead you to two paths;Nay,three Paths…You are on the cross-roads. The right one to the puritan ways;the left one the wayward, unruly ways and the straight one to the destination where right and wrong are irrelevant and indistinguishable. Where one need not be frightened about consequences. nonconformity, incongruities, noncompliance, qualms and scruples.Where you are your master. Silence of loneliness is the real litmus test on your moral courage… ( for the chicken-hearted it is a test of physical courage too). The courage which is in you in cold blood is called moral courage. The courage of the physique irrespective of scruples is physical courage.The silence of loneliness is inviting to fall into the pitfalls…Your physical courage beckoning you to the glitter, glamour of sensuousness….on the contrary the moral courage holding you back…..

The privacy of solitude, its silence is all the more conducive to immorality if it is dark, pitch dark…Yap, darkness adds more fire to the boiling oil of emotions…The safety of the darkness,the silence, the solitude are all subjective and slippery…. Keep aloof….There are hidden cameras all around. Beware ! You are not in a real world…you are in a virtual online world..The experiences here are virtual and not really real…You are watched, you are shot and you may even be booked.Hence I am a man who has taken the decision not to fall victim to the online internet traps. What I am, therefore, doing is that I am retelling my own experiences,and the experiences of others in my posts, with a pinch of lie and a punch of imagination by making the most of the rare silence of solitude.

THE INEVITABLE SEPARATIONS …..

Last night it was raining cats and dogs.The power went out,instantly as the first drops of lashing rain had touched the arid earth. The thunder, the lightning, the heavily noisy rain all gave a shiver in my spine. I was soon there groping in the pitch darkness of the small hours.Despite being a sensible, reasonable,mature person of early fifties, I feverishly began to gasp, fret, panic. The whole wisdom of age had no say to hold my mind on restraint.I could hardly find where I was groping and to what direction should I turn to get the inverter.In the attempt to put the power alternative my head had collided heavily against the wall…I did not scream so that there shall not be disturbance to others who were fast asleep. I forsake my attempt to get to the inverter.
I went upstairs. I opened the doors of the room where my two daughters lay. I got nearer to the cot. My shaky hands hastily reached for the hands of the little cherubs.There were no hands to meet mine.I murmured in a hushed up, husky voice, trying to wake them up. There were none to respond to… I was sweating and I feared I would faint.I tried to lie there on the cot.The lights were on abruptly and I found myself totally upset, annoyed without exactly knowing what had really happened.Where had gone my life’s blood, the price of my life, my two daughters, for a while I was confounded and nonplussed.
By the time, I was interfered with the sleepy voice of my spouse,’where have you gone during this midnight hour?’Shuddered and almost unconsciously I enquired,’where had gone our Arya and Surya? They are not there in their rooms !’ She retorted with impatience. discontent, ‘please come back. What had happened to you…Arya is in Bangalore and Surya has gone to Ernakulam for GATE coaching’.
Yes, everything had come back to my mind.Slowly,painfully I went back to my bed.A sea of emotions was waving through my mind. The fear of separation, the fear of safety of my offspring when they are away, all these have been eating into my frail mind during most of my rest time, especially as I am there in bed trying hard for the embrace of a sound sleep.( Sometimes the ‘sound sleep’ of my spouse use to really upset my peaceful sleep.) But I know mind does not like effort.Mind likes effortlessness. It is hard truth that at hard times mind cannot be effortless.
The night’s lesson taught me the inevitability of separation.Separations can be short-lived or eternal.Either way separations are inevitable in life…Let us come to terms with the reality of separations….Try to live in the present moment. Nay ! I can’t…It is easy to exhort and advise others to be practical…but when it comes to our own issues we cannot just write off things as easily as we use to advise others.
Living dangerously under the bad clutches of separations will certainly make life dull and blunt…All our ambitions will wither away, vanish at the very thought of separations in life. Time shall be allowed to take its toll from life as Time itself would heal all the wound, repair all the loss. All I can hope and pray is that where ever my daughters are they should be living happily as my happiness is correlated to their happiness.

I Wish Modi the Very Best !

Is there any uncorrupted Indian political leader in today’s Indian politics ? Is there any leader who has wedded himself with the exclusive well-being of the little man. Is there any other state which is more developed than Gujrat? Yes, who can claim a cleaner image than Mr. Modi ?
What wrong has he done? One can say that he had connived at the Hindu atrocities over the Muslims in Gujrat. But one also has to concede the Godhra tragedy wherein Hindus were charred to death by Muslims. The reaction was instantaneous and spontaneous. The administration had tried to contain the mobocracy. The indignation of the people was beyond the intervention of the police… And lo ! Mr.Modi was new to the job. He might have faltered a bit due to the pressure of the context.
Is it just to ask him to make apology for something he had not done. An apology amounts to accepting or admitting the false allegation. One has to mind the peaceful times in Gujrat from 2002 onwards. It is not the peace of the grave, It is the peace of development, growth, prosperity, affluence and harmony. Can you see such an ambiance conducive to investment anywhere in India? The support of Muslims and Christians to Modi in Gujrat is testimony to his good governance.The Congress and the U.P.A are frightened to see the growth of Mr. Modi. They are trying to flare up communalism yet again by falsely implicating Mr. Modi in the riots of 2002… The Congress is conveniently hiding its involvement in the communal riots in which hundreds of innocent Sikh people had lost their lives, soon after the Murder of Mrs.Indira Gandhi.
The Godhra carnage may be an aftermath of Ayodhya demolition.One should not forget that there would not have been the demolition without the Congress Government’s nonintervention and inaction.

I hold my support to his prime-ministerial candidature since only he and B.J.P. can see people as people.. The Congress can see people only as minority and majority.Indian exchequer is emptied due to minority protection schemes.That is why India is impoverished. In return what do the minorities do for their country. A few of them make money, by hook or crook…through the education industry, black money, fake currency, terrorism, missionary charity. Only a determined leader can make the home tidy, free from crimes and injustice.
Modi is a pragmatist and not an armchair philosopher. He is capable of converting his dreams into reality.He draws inspiration from people. His fearlessness has drawn sustenance from Sanatana Dharma of ancient Indian moorings.

The Congress is trying every venomous weapon in the armory to smother the Modi wave. The projection of the Opinion polls favours the NDA. The Congress is mad. It is spitting communal poison to stop Modi in vain. All the other leaders and Parties fear Modi because once he assumes the power he will wield it for more than one term. He has got the knack and resourcefulness to do so as he has shown it in Gujrat. He is feared by state parties because he is not a puppet or weakling like Manmohan. He will not tolerate corruption. There will be equality and equitable distribution of resources among the states and the people. Hence I exhort people to leave communal bigotry to vote for NDA as there is no other choice which can treat people as people. Only it can control price rise, uproot corruption. The Congress, like a mad stray dog, is barking in sheer helplessness.Never lend your ear to its cries of secularism since its secularism is but a fake….it is a trump card for them to win votes. From the recent dirt-slinging and character assassination by the Congress it has become clear that the Congress is shuddering to think of a time sans power. The fear of its disintegration in the absence of power has sent shivers to the minds of the Congress leaders who have been smeared with the blemish of corruption.Power for them is but resumption of its corrupt governance…and sans power the leaders of the Congress will be facing investigations! If we give one more term to Congress we will be in utter poverty due to price-hike and corruption.Remember! once we vote Congress to power we cannot remove them from power for the next five years.Try to remember the days of their misrule. Just go through the newspapers of the last three years. If you do so you will not vote for Congress.
We have given ten long years to Congress… It has only aggravated the problems and tribulations.What it has not achieved by ten years cannot be achieved by it in the next five years. Let us now give one term to NDA.The Samaj Party leaders have insulted womanhood and the Indian Army. They are affecting as champions for the cause of Muslim protection. Actually Muslims are only vote-bank for them… Let the Muslims of Uttar Pradesh be vary of this hidden agenda of the S.P. as U.P holds the key to open the corridors of Power.By voting NDA to power all the corruption, price-hike will be alleviated to some extent.

120th ANNIVERSARY OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDAN’s CHICAGO SPEECH.

I view Swami Vivekanandan as Champion of universal humanism. He was a philosopher-visionary who could foretell the threats impending on humanity. His denouncing pronouncements against the world war, imperialism are classical examples of universal humanism. He never appeared as a mere spokesperson of his religion. He was the spokesperson of the exploited who stormed against the exploiters with vehemence unforeseen in an ascetic Sanyaasi. They were never outburst of religious expressions. They were revolutionary speeches always inspiring the youth. This is the reason why he is acceptable equally to R.S.S. and the Marxists.

While remembering him I am like anyone is curious to begin with his historical, epoch-making Chickago Speech. The caravan of episodes from the 15th century unveiled the story of the beginning f western imperialistic invasions led by the British. This process was inaugurated by Columbus and Vasco de Gama. The rest is history. The centuries old British rule in India had made India the ghost of her early glorious self. She was impoverished, weakened by the British atrocities.
India’s pride was at its nadir. The British equated India with the African tribalism and held that India was not mature for self-rule. The missionaries for conversion began to swarm to India, causing division and diffidence in people. Narendranath became concerned about the Indian predicament. He was restless to see the Christian missionaries with shallow spirituality and no philosophy claiming superior to Hinduism. The British rulers and the Christian Missionaries propaganded that they were here to remove darkness and to bring floodlight into Indian firmament.
With this setting and mood the young Indian Sanyasi set foot on the cradle of democracy, the United State of America. He was there representing Hinduism to make a speech in the world religious meet on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the Columbus discovery. He was an invisible nonentity there. The unknown, invincible Indian turned an invincible entity with his magic oration. On 11/09/1893 at 10 am, he began with, ‘ My dear American brothers and sisters”. The salutation got responses of thunderous applause. Such a warm and nonreligious salutation was unfamiliar to the audience. They seemed craving for some universal brotherhood. The words which followed the salutation were invoking hair-raising emotions in the listeners. The dark India shedding light in the skies of Chicago. That was a strong and brave dissertation on India and Hinduism. His voice was as musical as Beethovan’s. He compared the partisan tall claims of religions about their supremacy over other religions with the foolish frog in the well which endeared the thought that there was no world outside the well. This comparison proved effective and striking in the light of the treacherous moves of Christian Missionaries for conversion. They know only Christianity, they do not know Hinduism. If they had known Hinduism by coming out of the well of Christianity they would not have made compulsive conversions.
To put in a nutshell, his speech gave the humiliated Indians a new life of National pride. It gave them a new direction. His speech had given a clarion call to rise from the lumber of slavery to rise against foreign domination.
Swami Vivekanandan had the thought of the need to participate in the world religious forum while he was taking meditation on the rock off the seas where the three oceans confluenced. The Vivekananda rock at Kanyakumari is monumental now standing testimony to the indomitable youth. It is all the more worthwhile to note that Swami Vivekananda had reached the rock by swimming. He is not only a swami but a braveheart.
Born on 12/01/1863 in Bengal died on 4 July 1902 he had a lifespan of only 39 years. That was enough for a man like him to make an indelible mark in history. It may be a pertinent question here for everyone to ask oneself,” what have I done to my nation hitherto?” I am ashamed of living 51 years without contributing meaningfully to make the life of my people less cumbersome. I console myself with the determination that i will do hereonwards …. I also satisfy my hurt conscience by thinking that doing no harm is also a service to humanity in these days of social contamination.
I am disappointed that mahatma Gandhi could not meet this Mahatma. I am happy that Bal Gangadhara Tilak could meet him on his dying days. The Malayalees go on repeating the refrain of Swami Vivekananda who had called Kerala as Bhraanthaalayam referring to the casteism of Kerala. The reference was made by him on his visit to Kerala at the instance of Dr.Palpu. From Trivandrum he went to visit Kanyakumari.
His neovedanta was founded on anti-colonialism and imperialism. He was initially influenced by Brahmo Somaj and Rajaram Mohan Roy.
The other significant influence was that of Sree Rama krishna Parama Hamsar. Their meeting was accidental. Narendranath was reading Wordswrth poetry. He wanted clarification on mysticism therein.His professor sent him to the right person for instilling more acumen to the curious mind of Narendranath. The two met. The one was full of knowledge searching for a deserving disciple, and the other seeking a Guru who could quench his thirst for knowledge. The Guru taught the sishya that philosophy had no appeal before a hungry person. He learned fro the Guru that saving people was not different from praying God.
He unfailinglystood for the amelioration of the downtrodden. He criticised the rulers for proscribing poor Indians as soldiers to wage war on foreign soil. I f the war was won it would only benefit the rulers… the soldier would perish to poverty. He thought the parliamentary democracies of the imperialists were just institutions of time-pass. If these democracies had a bit of democratic spirit they would not have invaded into the freedom of other nations and other peoples.
Friends, if you have not relished the punch of patriotism you have to peruse the book ‘ From Colombo to Almora Speeches”. The same book was found in many numbers during the British Police searches in the Bengali exreme terrorist camps.
In short he was a visionary, not a dreamer, who was practical to the core. His spirituality was not divorced from humanism.
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P.S:
1. The Daily Newyork Herald wrote just after his Speech in Chicago: ” It is foolish and shameful for us we Christians to send Christian Missionaries to teach religion in India where there are more qualified people like Swami Vivekananda to train people in lessons of spirituality.”
2. The King of Khetri, Ajit Singh honoured Narendranath with the lasting name: Swami Vivekananda.
3. His vision of vasudhaiva kutumbaka included all the flora and fauna. This is illustrated in the incident where he did not hurt a cobra which had encroache into the place of his meditation.
4. In his house there kept many types of smoking pipes each one assigned to guests of particular castes. He tried with every pipe still found no difference… Thereby he was stating that there were no needs of discrimination between castes.
5. On his BharatYatra he was asked to prove the worth of idol worship by the Rajputana King. Swami asked Diwan to spit on the Picture of the King. The Diwan recoiled and shuddered back. He explained why the Diwan hesitated. Apicture though, it is a representation of a reality.
6. His own words which deeply attract me: ” Take up one idea; make that one idea your life; think of it, dream of it; live on that idea; let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea; and just leave every idea alone; this is the way to SUCCESS !

aaaa

DISTURBING TURNAROUNDS.

TWO BAFFLING SHOWDOWNS.

1. SUFFERING THE AVOIDABLE LOSS.

I set off to my workplace early today with the intention to meet the agent who would process the documents/requirements to re-register my bike at the Pala R.T.O. The agent three weeks back told me to come with a fine of 2000 rupees for failing to register one month prior to the last date of valid registration. Actually then I was stunned to hear that I had to pay 2000 as fine even though I had turned up promptly to re-register within the period of valid registration.

When I reached the agency I could not withhold the misgivings choking my mind… ‘How it comes that I need to pay the fine although I had come up to re-register in time?’ His reply was appalling.. ‘I did not say so. I should not say so as re-registration is possible from one month counting down from the expiry date of the registration. But no registration is allowed without fine of Rs.2000 after the expiry of registration.’ I was a baffled man to realize that I had lost Rs.2000 for no fault of mine. Everything had triggered from communication gap. Normally I am used to ascertain everything in case of confusion. Nonetheless this time I too faltered and wisdom has gone out through the door when emotion had come in through the keyhole. The slight fear of unnecessary loss of money might have bewildered my mind a bit and I, as a result, might have misunderstood the agent’s statement. Had I understood the purport of his words correctly I would not have ridiculously lost Rs.2000.
Now I hold that the agent is an expert in the business and I am but a layman customer seeking his expertise… I think that it is unlikely that there was a slip on his part and that there may be the likelihood of a misconception on my part. Still I cannot convince myself of the unforced error of judgment I had committed, though unawares, in appropriately understanding the statement made by the agent.

2. THE ANGUISH OF AN AFFRONT.

I have never minced words when it requires me to take appropriate action relating to disposing office files. Every officer in the University is in a hurry to pass the baton of responsibility to the next level of hierarchy (lower or upper). Those who do not take responsibility can quite safely blame others; the official who takes prompt responsibility may be living dangerously as he or she could be menaced by the sword of punishment hanging above him/her. In the event of an unintentional error every step will be verified to fix liability to find a scapegoat, though in practice no such meticulous compliance with procedure is insisted. Everyone is trying to stop the hole with darkness, with a kind of adhocism. A case which, as a rule, if required one week to dispose, it will take one month in my office, especially in matters which demanded responsible decision making… the baton of responsibility is unfailingly passed over to the next one without a suggestion or decision. There are too many instances to advertise the above point. Here are two capital illustrations.

One of the colleges had provisionally admitted two students for examinations without the permission of the University. The university had denied them admission due to the candidates’ failure in meeting the requirements prescribed by the university respecting to the minimum percentage of attendance. The shortage was certainly within condonable (by the university) limits. The application for condonation was submitted by the students in time. The university officials did not issue relevant orders of condonation at the right time. The sections of the university have not worked in tandem with collective responsibility. One section has delayed the order and the other section did not issue hallticket to the students for want of condonation orders.

I put up the matter in order to solve the issue amicably and immediately since the answer papers were handed over by the college to the university for favour of further action. But our boss ordered that the matter had to be placed before the apex body. A note was put up accordingly. The resolution of the apex body was received by the section after one month.T o my utter despair I found that the apex body had resolved only one outstanding issue. I had to go through the same procedure to render justice to the other candidate. I tried my level best to settle the matter at some intermediate level, but without avail. The matter is still pending and justice is unduly delayed. This is just one instance from too many.

Another sour experience I had had also requires your attention. The other day the parent of a candidate approached me with the earnest appeal to urgently process the official transcript so that his son could get an employment in the U.K. I knew that it would be trouble-free to edit the mistakes myself in the CD given by him, rather than pass the CD to the DTP section for correction and copying. I, therefore, corrected the mistakes in the CD. I transited it to the DTP section for taking fair in the official letter pad as the section was the customary custodian of letter pads. The copies received were erroneous. I was called for to check and take copy. When I tried to open the file it did not budge and I took out the CD and went out.

A week or so later I was asked by the DTP section to come over. When I turned up the officer in charge angrily blamed me for the malfunctioning of the computer. The officer impatiently, foolishly blamed me by shouting, ‘the system is abnormal ever since you have inserted the CD’. I had no words. I was anguished at the affront I received due to my commitment to work even by crossing over portfolio. The typist who was totally incompetent openly remarked, ‘sir, I have not even seen a computer before I had come to this office’. Her words tell the story. I had no reply to helpless ignorance. Fools hop, yell where angels fear to tread in. I pardoned ignorance. It is the university which is responsible for every such bizarre occurrence.

Owing to the above scenario the staff in my section have to compare time and time again the DTP transcripts with the original data. This is so because the correction of one mistake often leads to another deletion/ omission. As for the typist the computer is just a type-writer. She does not know how to save data and copy-paste. The university shall stop appointing typists as typewriters are outdated. The convolution and loss of time can be averted by appointing qualified data entry operators. To put in a nutshell the computerization of examination work has not yet brought relief to the staff. It has but convoluted the work of examination in the university.

REMEMBERING MY DAD ON 17th FEBRUARY, THE DAY OF HIS DEMISE.

Now it is 8.18 a.m 17th February 2013. What was I doing this time FOUR years back? I might have been carrying him(my father) to the hospital.I reached there at the Caritas Hospital at 9.30 a.m.There he was taken on the carrier to the O.P. There we waited for our turn. He asked for lime soda. I gave him some plain water. He looked tired. Still I had to take leave from him for some time since the Staff of the other union in my office was on strike. I went to my nearby office and put my initials on the roll and took permission to leave the office immediately.I reached the hospital in no time. My father was still lying on the carrier, with my wife standing by him. My mom was waiting there in the waiting room. The doctor called his name. We entered and the doctor had a thorough check-up.He told us about the necessity to insert nasal tube as it was too difficult for him to take food in the normal way. That was shocking to us. He insisted and we obliged. He proposed in a business like way to have an M.R.I. scan of him. He said there was no sign of another interim haemerrage.

We tried to get a separate room for us but to no avail. We had to satisfy with a bed in the general male ward. The M.R.I Scan was taken. I could fetch tender coconut juice for him as he always had a liking for it.He took it it to the full in great alacrity.The nursing staff came to insert the nasal tube….all of us were shocked with sheer agony to see him taking food in that manner for he was a person who had always attached great importance to the flavor and taste of the dishes. My wife prior to putting the tube gave him some sweet milk porridge and he was happy to take that. He even in a faint but happy tone asked my mom to taste the porridge which according to him had the taste of paalpaayasam. He looked at me with love and a sense of fulfilment ; his hand came up towards me and took hold of my pen in the pockets. I stood there allowing him to do whatever he felt like… There was a teenaged girl who was a by-stander of the neighbouring patient.. My father was gazing at her closely as if he knew her.. Then he called out, “Aryaaa…. Mole… ” mistaking that it was my elder daughter Arya .Of course the girl looked like my Arya.

I asked him whether he had any problem with inserting the tube. He was as amiable as ever, always willing to cooperate. He really had no malice to any.The nurses came and put the nasal tube. I could not control my grief though somehow succeeded in hiding it from others as I always chose to give vent to my grief in private and to express the happiness in public. Then there was a poignat heartbreaking cry from my father ..”Aneee…Edaaa…Aneeee” I knew that my younger brother had a special close to heart place in the life of my father. I often felt jealous to see him arguing for him. And in whatever ways my father tried to celebrate his home-comings! Certainly I felt unhappy because my father could not have a glimpse of him.

At six in the evening somebody came there and announced that the room was ready. I was preparing to shift. I brought cofee in the meantime in a flask. I stroked his hands and I could feel some cold on him. There was sweat too; still I did not feel anything serious.There was some visitor and I had to turn my attention towards them. It was about 8 p.m then. He called out ,”Mohanaaa… Edaaaa Mohana”I turned to him and enquired whether he was feeling comfortable. To that he nodded his head. Slowly he slipped into a kind of sleep in which he seemed not to have any kind of pain. That kind of a sleep at that time was rather unseen in him, especially after the Stroke. I did not feel any thing unusual at that juncture. My sister also was there at that time. She had come to stay with him that night. I thought there was no need for me to stay there that night as my sister was there. I went out with my wife casting a look at my sleeping father; but I never thought that my father would die at 9.45 pm that night itself. My fahter did not awaken from that sleep. The last thing he might have seen might be my face… so I hope.

With the death of my father I have realised that it is better not to love anyone so much, with all one’s heart because , because… at the time of parting and thereafter it would leave such a deep wound in the mind of the loved survivors… which cannot be healed even with the medication or panacea of time itself.

Reading Swami Vivekanandan as Champion of Universal Humanism on the Occasion of his 150th Birth Anniversary

I view Swami Vivekanandan as Champion of universal humanism. He was a philosopher-visionary who could foretell the threats impending on humanity. His denouncing pronouncements against the world war, imperialism are classical examples of universal humanism. He never appeared as a mere spokesperson of his religion. He was the spokesperson of the exploited who stormed against the exploiters with vehemence unforeseen in an ascetic Sanyaasi. They were never outbursts of religious expressions. They were revolutionary speeches always inspiring the youth. This is the reason why he is acceptable equally to R.S.S. and the Marxists.

India’s pride was at its nadir. The British equated India with the African tribalism and held that India was not mature for self-rule. The missionaries for conversion began to swarm to India, causing division and diffidence in people. Narendranath became concerned about the Indian predicament. He was restless to see the Christian missionaries with shallow spirituality and no philosophy claiming superior to Hinduism. The British rulers and the Christian Missionaries propaganded that they were here to remove darkness and to bring floodlight into Indian firmament.

With this setting and mood the young Indian Sanyasi set foot on the cradle of democracy, the United State of America. He was there representing Hinduism to make a speech in the world religious meet on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the Columbus discovery. He was an invisible nonentity there. The unknown, invisible Indian turned an invincible entity with his magic oration. On 11/09/1893 at 10 am, he began with, ‘ My dear American brothers and sisters”. The salutation got responses of thunderous applause. Such a warm and nonreligious salutation was unfamiliar to the audience. They seemed craving for some universal brotherhood. The words which followed the salutation were invoking hair-raising emotions in the listeners. The dark India shedding light in the skies of Chicago. That was a strong and brave dissertation on India and Hinduism. His voice was as musical as Beethovan’s. He compared the partisan tall claims of religions about their supremacy over other religions with the foolish frog in the well which endeared the thought that there was no world outside the well. This comparison proved effective and striking in the light of the treacherous moves of Christian Missionaries for conversion. They know only Christianity, they do not know Hinduism. If they had known Hinduism by coming out of the well of Christianity they would not have made compulsive conversions.

To put in a nutshell, his speech gave the humiliated Indians a new life of National pride. It gave them a new direction. His speech had given a clarion call to rise from the lumber of slavery to rise against foreign domination.

Swami Vivekanandan had the thought of the need to participate in the world religious forum while he was taking meditation on the rock off the seas where the three oceans confluenced. The Vivekananda rock at Kanyakumari is monumental now standing testimony to the indomitable youth. It is all the more worthwhile to note that Swami Vivekananda had reached the rock by swimming. He is not only a swami but a braveheart.

Born on 12/01/1863 in Bengal died on 04/07/1902 he had a lifespan of only 39 years. That was enough for a man like him to make an indelible mark in history. It may be a pertinent question here for everyone to ask oneself,” what have I done to my nation hitherto?” I am ashamed of living 51 years without contributing meaningfully to make the life of my people less cumbersome. I console myself with the determination that I will do hereonwards …. I also satisfy my hurt conscience by thinking that doing no harm is also a service to humanity in these days of social contamination.

I am disappointed that Mahatma Gandhi could not meet this Mahatma. I am happy that Bal Gangadhara Tilak could meet him on his dying days. The Malayalees go on repeating the refrain of Swami Vivekananda who had called Kerala as Bhraanthaalayam referring to the casteism of Kerala. The reference was made by him on his visit to Kerala at the instance of Dr.Palpu. From Trivandrum he went to visit Kanyakumari.

His neovedanta was founded on anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism. He was initially influenced by Brahmo Somaj and Rajaram Mohan Roy.

The other significant influence was that of Sree Rama krishna Parama Hamsar. Their meeting was accidental. Narendranath was reading Wordsworth poetry. He wanted clarification on mysticism therein.His professor sent him to the right person for instilling more acumen to the curious mind of Narendranath. The two met. The one was full of knowledge searching for a deserving disciple, and the other seeking a Guru who could quench his thirst for knowledge. The Guru taught the sishya that philosophy had no appeal before a hungry person. He learned from the Guru that serving people was not different from praying God.

He unfailingly stood for the amelioration of the downtrodden. He criticised the rulers for proscribing poor Indians as soldiers to wage war on foreign soil. I f the war was won it would only benefit the rulers… the soldier would perish to poverty. He thought the parliamentary democracies of the imperialists were just institutions of time-pass. If these democracies had a bit of democratic spirit they would not have invaded into the freedom of other nations and other peoples.

Friends, if you have not relished the punch of patriotism you have to peruse the book ‘ From Colombo to Almora Speeches”. The same book was found in many numbers during the British Police searches in the Bengali exreme terrorist camps.

In short he was a visionary, not a dreamer, who was practical to the core. His spirituality was not divorced from humanism.

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P.S:

1. The Daily Newyork Herald wrote just after his Speech in Chicago: ” It is foolish and shameful for us we Christians to send Christian Missionaries to teach religion in India where there are more qualified people like Swami Vivekananda to train people in lessons of spirituality.”

2. The King of Khetri, Ajit Singh honoured Narendranath with the lasting name: Swami Vivekananda.

3. His vision of vasudhaiva kutumbaka included all the flora and fauna. This is illustrated in the incident where he did not hurt a cobra which had encroached into the place of his meditation.

4. In his house there kept many types of smoking pipes each one assigned to guests of particular castes. He tried with every pipe still found no difference… Thereby he was stating that there were no needs of discrimination between castes.

5. On his BharatYatra he was asked to prove the worth of idol worship by the Rajputana King. Swami asked Diwan to spit on the Picture of the King. The Diwan recoiled and shuddered back. He explained why the Diwan hesitated. A picture though, it is a representation of a reality.

6. His own words which deeply attract me: ” Take up one idea; make that one idea your life; think of it, dream of it; live on that idea; let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea; and just leave every idea alone; this is the way to SUCCESS !

India getting bored by Price Hike !

THE POOR INDIANS HELPLESS AT SOARING PRICES !

Life is not a tale; it is harsh reality. Life is longer than life when it is miserable. I got moody and demoralised to read the newspapers of today. The headlines were one and the same in every newspaper that of the news of hike in train fares by 20%.

It is a hike too much by any standard. It is said to be hiked under the pretext of providing more amenities. The trains running in Kerala are deserving to be exhibited in archaic exhibitions. They all have a dilapidated look. It is moving filth, spreading diseases throughout the lengths and breadths of the country. The century old installations and fixings of windows, emergency exits, doors, latrines ….are capital illustrations of corruptive maintenance. The water supply is the worst thing to mention.

The hike is undemocratic too since it has been the practice hitherto to raise the fare at the time of Railway Budget. There is a deviation with respect to hike in train fare, this time. In all other regards the U.P.A. Government has been cheating people by bypassing parliament in taking momentous decisions. The Union Government is making fiscal reforms by hiking prices of essential commodities, petrol, cooking gas , etc. to meet the recession, thereby the poor of India becoming the scapegoats, day by.

We, Keralites have to bear the brunt of the hike more than any other people.They bring more income to Indian Railway and they are more taxed in return.

The newspaper of today is not an exception, everyday we are getting news of price hike. Today’s daily is laden with more burden to ordinary poor people of India. There is declaration of price hike of diesel at the rate of one rupee every month. See how considerate is the Governmnt to its people.It is smothering , killing the people without giving sudden and serious, grave hurts. On the other hand it is killing its poor people inch by inch. The government is trying to annihilate poverty by killing poor people. Hiking diesel price will lead to hike in all other essential commodities. The cooking gas price for one cylinder is to be enhanced by Rs. 130/- Simultaneously the Government is professing to increase the number of subsidised number of cylinders from 6 to 9. See the treachery and crookedness behind this sop. Actually the government is getting an additional amount of Rs. 1170 per year from the hike. This amount is used to supply the additional three cylinders.

When the Congress led central government is trying to eliminate poverty from India by virtually killing the poor people of India, the Congress led Kerala U.D.F. Government too is doing what little it can. The Kerala Government has exorbitantly enhanced the fee for Higher Secondary Education. The Electricity tariff to be enhanced immediately. All the Congress men are living in fool’s paradise far away from the poor people, sans knowing their sensations, sensibilities and sensitivities. India is not its 1000 odd immensely rich people; it is not either the emerging middle class of about 20 crore strong… India is abjectly poor.. comprising the 100 crore poor people. You need their vote.. you cannot always cheat them with your communal endearments.. Now they have recognised you out and out, through and through!

THE POOR INDIANS HELPLESS AT SOARING PRICES !

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SOME STRIKING THOUGHTS !

Today the 8th of January 2013, a Tuesday. The date is significant since the Government Employees of Leftist bent have kicked off an indefinite strike. The Kerala Government is going to implement contributory Pension Scheme with prospective effect. The employees who will join service hereafter have to remit 10% of their salary if they want to have a job with pension during retirement. In this sense most of the employees who are striking today are doing so with a selfless motive. In these days of self-centred life habits nobody can view such a stance without some devious misgivings. Mostly people are likely to judge the strike as politically motivated.

As for me I am averse to the collective bargaining power of trade unions for getting unfair demands fulfilled. But is it unjust to strike in protest of a government order by which one of the hard-won benefit is taken away sans notice or sans dialogue? Wapitalists. Forhy only the U.D.F. Government is adamant to make inroads into the employees’ benefits? I think that the present government is anti-labour and anti-poor. Anti-labour because in whatever strike which had shaken the state, the government seemed to have sided with the Capitalists. For instance,in the Nurses’ strike the government tried to help the exploiters by letting down the exploited.

In every step, every order there had a foul corruptive odour. We have seen it in Cochi Metro that the government played the foulest game to avoid Sreedharan. Only because of the vigilant public reaction spearheaded by the Left parties the Government had at last to yield. We see the same rampant corruption in Nelliyampathy.

We also have clear and capital illustrations of Governmental miscalculations and foolish inefficiencies. This is evident from the present power cut we experiencing today. There was no power cut in the five year tenure of the L.D.F. There was no fiscal emergency either to shutter government exchequer. The civil supplies enjoyed the best part of its working then. Why all on a sudden we have such a grave situation to take away one of the great welfare benefits from the future employees.

The Government harping on the amount spent for the salary of the employees. It is angry that the amount is about 80% of its annual budgetary expenses. The significant difference between the UDF and the LDF is that the former stands for the rich and the latter for the poor. The UDF is making cuts for the rich by pick-pocketting the poor and the ordinary. The revenue is not collected because compromise is made with the rich. That is why the government is getting a lower revenue. When the revenue is lesser the the percentage of money required to pay salary will be higher, it is simple and pure arithmetic.

The Government will not leave no stone unturned to corner and crucify its own employees. It is maneuvering and colluding with any one to sabotage the strike. The policy is that of divide and rule. It is employed in each and every strike, exploiting the Malayali jealousy.

In spite of all the above justifications it has to be noted that the mood is not in favour of the strike. The dais non has been discouraging everyone. Each one has got his own axe to grind. Every one is burdened with recoveries from salary. There are loans and chits and they cannot go unpaid. Besides the expenses for the education of the children is too huge to bear. Mostly the employees are limited in financial resources, barring the remuneration.They mostly have no savings either. There is no scope of getting back the lost salary even in the future LDF tenure. Past experience has shown that the employees will have to accept the Contributory Pension scheme if the future LDF government will implement on a later day. Then why should they strike, wasting their money for no cause.

The strike will see a fiasco unless there is some threat of losing majority on the floor of the Kerala State Assembly on this issue, which will show the exit of UDF from power. Otherwise K.M. Mani and Kunhalikkutty will fight to defeat the strike. The end will see either a change of government or the failure of the strike. The present government will sacrifice anything and everything to keep on sticking to power.