Do we still need feminism?

Feminism is the term used a lot nowadays. We can find it in many places, and like many other terms, this term is also slowly getting stereotyped. For some people, feminists are men haters, anti-fashion, people who like to blame all miseries of women on men, and who want to make this world a female-dominant place to take revenge for years of male dominance. For some, feminism is an anti-men movement. Some are utterly confused as to why feminism is even needed. One can find many groups supporting feminism at the same time opposing it, some even hate feminists because of their demand for gender equality in society. I consider myself a feminist and I don't fit into any of these stereotyped definitions. For me, feminism is a very simple thing, it's advocacy for equal rights for women, a movement for gender equality. Feminism expects gender equality, nothing more, nothing less, equal opportunities for all genders in all fields, and encouraging their participation at all levels in society. That's all, anyone who believes in this or in gender equality is a feminist according to me.

Actually, the basic question is why do we need feminism? Isn't our society already progressive, technically advanced, and civilized? Isn't the situation of women in most cultures and societies much better than it was just a decade ago? Then why do we still need feminism? Yes, we have indeed made tremendous progress in science and technology in the last few decades, we have also improved our social structure in most parts of the world compared to what it was just a few decades ago, but still, some people want women to play only certain role in society and family (mostly wife and mother). They are against her freedom to make her own choices about various aspects of her life. These people, even want to dictate choices about very personal things like her sexuality, health, and fertility. They take shelter from some religious book or some age-old beliefs to justify this encroachment on women's personal rights. These groups are still very powerful and active and to deal with them we need feminism and we need it very badly even today. So there is no doubt that we still need feminism.

Anyone who thinks that women should get equal rights and opportunities in our society is a feminist. Anyone who thinks women are no less or more than men is a feminist. One does not have to work with some NGO, part of some political party, or member of some society to be a feminist. The belief in gender equality is enough to become a feminist. Feminists are not men haters. I don't know where and why this misconception originated. Feminists don't want to bring a women-dominated culture or society, they just want equal rights for all genders. Most societies are still men dominated that's why sometimes during the fight for gender equality it seems that this fight is against men, but that's not true, it's not a fight against men, but it's a fight against everyone (including women, religion, traditions, etc.) who think that women are inferior to men and should not be given equal status in society. The real fight is against this mentality (also called patriarchy or misogyny). It doesn't matter who is the flag bearer of patriarchy or misogyny, mostly they are men that's why I think this wrong impression is created. Wherever we see gender discrimination, we should voice our concern, discrimination of any type should be challenged. There should not be a place for any kind of discrimination in any progressive, tolerant, and inclusive society.

I am proud to be a feminist and I hope more and more people will understand the real meaning of feminism and feel proud to call themselves feminists. Whether you call yourself a feminist or not, I hope you will stand with me in the fight for gender equality. The label is not important but the mission is. We still need feminism as we have a long way to go.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Khurshid Anwar - Guilty or victim of media trial

I read news about the suicide of Mr. Khurshid Anwar, a social worker and director of an NGO called the Institute for Social Democracy on my Facebook wall. I didn't know about him before reading the news about his death. The reason why this news caught my attention was because of the cause of his suicide, which was the depression caused because of sexual assault charges leveled against him by a 23-year-old girl who worked for some other NGO. Another reason was, that many women who knew Mr. Anwar personally were really surprised and shocked by this allegation and believed that there might be something fishy going on in this case. They think these charges might be false and someone was trying to implicate him in a crime he did not commit. If this is true, then, this may not be a suicide but a sort of murder. Maybe after a detailed investigation, the real truth will come out, but life is already lost. The role played by some news channels who accused Mr. Anwar of rape is also questioned. Can the media pass on the verdict of guilty or nonguilty without any trial? Such media trials can put a lot of stress on concerned people and results can be devastating as in this case. Media has the right to report the news but do they have the right to take sides and deliver verdicts without any substantial evidence?

Any victim of sexual assault should get all the possible support and help, and the guilty should not be spared in such cases no matter who they are. But at the same time, we should also need to make sure that such laws are not misused for personal or professional gains. Nowadays many cases of misuse of anti-dowry and anti-casteism laws are reported, and there are also cases of false sexual harassment or rape charges, because of the nature of these crimes victim immediately gets all the sympathy, and the accused is immediately painted as evil or declared guilty. No doubt that the victim should get all the required support but at the same time accused should also get the chance to defend and prove his/her innocence. The process should be fair for both of them. The rights of both the accused and the victim should be respected and honored. Media, social networks, and other electronic mediums also should deal with these types of cases sensibly and responsibly. Media plays a very important role in any civilized and progressive society. They are responsible for communicating correct and nonbiased information to people but nowadays we hardly see them doing this. Most of them are becoming like any other entertainment channels that cater to whatever their audience likes to watch, this is really pathetic.

Social and news media also played a very important role in some cases like the Jessica Lal murder case to get justice for the victim. However, tough competition between various news channels to grab the sensational news and report it first has created a situation where there is hardly any time to authenticate the information. Many times the channels broadcast the news as received before validating it or even checking the source and sometimes this creates a lot of damage to concerned parties. Recent sting operation tapes against AAP which were broadcasted on many news channels is another such example. I am against censoring media by any government organization, they should be independent, then only they can do their job without any fear of adverse government actions, but at the same time, they need to be responsible, with complete freedom also comes a lot of responsibility. They need to be really careful with the authenticity of the contents of their reporting when a large section of society depends on them as a source of authentic information. I hope this sense of responsibility prevails in current media houses that are controlled by some of the big corporations. I hope this doesn't become just another business but remains an independent pillar of democracy. If not, then we might see more victims like Khurshid Anwar who were declared guilty before any fair trial.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. What Khurshid Anwar's suicide should tell the media
2. NGO director jumps to death as rape charges are levelled against him by 23-year-old woman

Verdict 377: Progressive or regressive step?

The recent judgement by the Supreme Court of India related to section 377 of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) has created a lot of controversy as well as very emotional responses from the LGBT community across the world. Supreme Court set aside the lower court ruling (historic 2009 judgement by Delhi High Court about the same issue) and ruled that Section 377 (which criminalises sexual activities "against the order of nature", including homosexual acts) is constitutional and also said that it's not the job of the court to repeal or amend this section but only parliament can do this. According to me, this is such a regressive step. After the 2009 historic judgement (which was hailed by most of the world) slowly people were becoming more open about their sexuality (especially people from the LGBT community) in India, they were coming out of closets and feeling more comfortable sharing views about their sexual orientation. People were slowly getting over the social stigma and fear of the law attached to these things. The said law can be used to torture or trouble them but it rarely happens, it seems less than 10 cases have been reported so far under this section. But this judgement can derail all that development and do more harm than good.

Homosexuality is not new to India. There are sculptures in the Khajuraho temple that display homosexual acts. Still, many people call it unnatural. Unnatural things normally don't survive for long, they perish over time just because they are unnatural. One can debate whether homosexuality is ethical, moral, legal, or whatever because all these concepts change from time to time. Generally, in any progressive society, these concepts evolve with time, they get modified as society evolves, so, it was a bold step by the judiciary when the Delhi High Court in 2009 decided to recognize the existence of such a community (homosexuals) and took first step to welcome them in our society. Before that judgement, these people were a cornered group, always trying to hide their identity, and lived like second-class citizens just because of their sexual orientation. Even today many in our society look down on transgenders, eunuchs, as well as homosexuals, they don't feel welcomed in most social settings once their identity is disclosed. They are also citizens of the country like any of us, just because they follow a few things which don't match our line of thinking doesn't mean they are abnormal, unnatural, or evil. Many societies that claim to be tolerant and inclusive (which India also claims) discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation, race, or caste. I wonder on what basis they call themselves tolerant or inclusive when they cannot accommodate people with sexual orientation which is different than so-called normal sexual orientation. Can't we modify a 150-year-old law which can eliminate this type of discrimination? It seems they are interested in playing the game of passing the buck (from judiciary to parliament and from parliament to judiciary). How long these people have to wait for their rights as citizens of a country which they love and respect? Why their countries don't rise to the occasion, acknowledge their existence and honour their presence? Are these people going to get right to live in our country as equal citizens or not? If yes, then what steps are we going to take to make sure that they get their right? If not then do we deserve to be called a tolerant, inclusive and progressive society with a rich culture?

Every society and culture needs to evolve with time, things which evolve survive long and which don't evolve perish over time no matter how strong they seem now, we have many examples from history to prove this hypothesis. Also as a society, we need to be considerate and sensitive to the needs of all sections of our society. We shouldn't only think about the majority, the minority also deserves equal consideration and respect and this is true regarding any religion, race, caste, sexual orientation, or anything else. Giving equal status and opportunity to all sections of society is a sign of a civilized and evolving culture. I believe everyone wants to stay in such an atmosphere. This judgement is not going to help to create this environment in India and that's why I feel as a society we need to protest against this and should ask for equal rights for all citizens. Whether someone is a homo, bi, or heterosexual doesn't matter for their fundamental rights. People may belong to a different faith, race or gender but when we see injustice done to people, then it's our duty to stand for them irrespective of their gender, race, beliefs, and sexual orientation. I feel this judgement is a regressive step and the sooner we correct it better it is for our society.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_377_of_the_Indian_Penal_Code
2. Verdict 377: Betrayed by my own country!
3. समलैंगिकता अपराध है?

How logical is the concept of hell?

Almost in every book associated with any religion one can find a description of Hell. In some scriptures this imaginary place is described in very graphic details, many people literally believe these descriptions and really think that hell exists somewhere. They also describe what may or may not happen if someone lands in hell. I call it imaginary because there is no direct or indirect evidence of the existence of this place. Every religion and its scriptures describe it somewhat differently but they all agree on one thing it is a really bad place to be there and no one should land there even by mistake. Some religions or scriptures go beyond just describing the place, they also list several punishments one might get if one lands there. Actually, as per their logic, no one just accidentally lands there, they are forced to go there as a punishment after death for their bad deeds during their life on earth. This punishment which sounds so inhuman and cruel is awarded after judgment by the highest authority (God) of that particular religion. At least this is what the scriptures say. Some of the punishments described are very cruel and inhuman, like frying in oil or burning in fire. This is all without any due process and just for not following some rules written in those scriptures, and that too these rules are so different from one scripture to another, whatever is considered sacred in one can be totally blasphemous in another. I think if any government or any authority tries to award some of these punishments they can be tried in court for human rights violations, only some radical extremist organizations like Al-Queda can justify such barbaric acts, and for this, they get criticized by all quarters of the world, but no one seems to mind when these things are mentioned in scriptures. People's attitude suddenly changes when there is involvement of their religion or god in these types of issues.

I often wonder if people at all think how logical is all this description of hell and those punishments described in any book? The descriptions of these things are so cruel and inhuman that no one with normal sense and logic can agree to such punishments delivered to hardcore criminals and forget about common people. I agree that these books are really really old but I feel that today's authors do a somewhat better job in writing fiction stories. I must also say that today's authors also have the advantage of time and better technique. Still, believers don't feel that their scriptures are fiction books, they fear this imaginary hell, and they all have a strong desire to go into a similarly imaginary place called heaven that promises a bunch of rewards. Many who care about going to hell or heaven don't care about their cowardice acts like terrorism or heinous crimes like rape or murder or many other mistakes in their day-to-day lives like corruption, domestic violence, sexual abuse, etc. So, clearly, these threats about hell and lures about heaven are not working in the way they were supposed to work, rather, they create an illusion in people's minds that no matter what they do in their personal lives if they ask for forgiveness with their God everything will be fine and they will be pardoned and rewarded. This very generous offer is advertised heavily by almost all religions and sects. This fear and attraction to the illusionary world of heaven and hell have created a unique mindset in people's minds. Many care and worry about these imaginary things rather than their own conduct in day-to-day life. Many times they don't even care about the law of the land but care whether they will land in heaven or hell. Many religions and sects make use of these fears to attract followers, they make tall claims that are difficult to prove or disprove and lure people into their trap, and people fall for this trick.

Do we really need the promise of heaven to do good deeds or fear of hell to deter us from doing bad things in our lives? Why our own conscious mind can not guide us to follow the righteous path in our lives? Why fear of the law of the land is not enough to deter people from committing crimes? We need to ask these questions and try to find honest answers. Maybe this will help us to introspect and realign our beliefs. Maybe this will help us to follow a righteous path without worrying whether it will land us in some imaginary place like heaven or hell. Kindness, love, compassion, and truthfulness are all wonderful qualities to have, and everyone should aspire to have them, I don't think anyone should require the lure of heaven or fear of hell to lead a life full of love and kindness. Let's focus on all the good work we all can do without worrying about these imaginary threats or rewards.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

AAP should not remain just a political party but should become a phenomena

The recent success of AAP (Aam Aadami Party) in the Delhi elections has created a lot of buzz all over India. Many political parties poked fun when AAP was created almost one year back and even dismissed their presence. They termed it as a temporary phenomenon, a bubble that will eventually disappear without creating any significant impact. But destiny had something else in its mind. The spectacular performance by the AAP in the Delhi elections left everyone shocked and surprised. They won 28 out of 70 seats, no one expected this to happen. They not only fought the election but fought really hard. During the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, the current political brigade challenged a few common people not to just protest on the street and create a nuisance but to enter the political system and try to clean it if they are not happy with the current system. They never imagined that some people would really take this challenge seriously and take a plunge into the muddy water of politics. They tried everything from sting operations to government investigation about their funding, but nothing worked against AAP. So far they came out of all troubles successfully and managed to maintain their clean image.

I am not excited about AAP only as a new political entity, there are so many political parties in India, local as well as national, they all were launched with a lot of good intentions and some of them became very successful. However, they all became part of the same system and played the game with the same set of rules which included the use of money power, corruption, and many other illegal ways about which most people are aware. Skepticism about AAP was quite understandable because people saw many new parties emerging and becoming part of the same system many times before. Leaders like Laloo Yadav, Mulayam Singh, and Mayavati, came from very humble backgrounds and entered politics with a lot of good intentions but today they are big players in the same system, playing by the same rules. They couldn't change the system but the system changed them completely. But so far AAP seems to be different. They have a totally different approach and transparency is the most important aspect of their approach which impressed me a lot. Whatever they do including the collection of money to run the party is in the public domain. No other political party has done this before. Everyone thought that no one could survive in Indian politics with honesty and complete transparency but so far AAP has done it. This is what scared other parties, they are scared to disclose their sources of funding, and they are worried about losing the election if they don't field popular or winnable candidates. They all used to field such candidates and never used to care even if some of these candidates have criminal backgrounds, but now they may not be able to do it anymore. At least they were forced to field honest candidates with clean images during the Delhi elections just because of the presence of AAP. This is what makes me excited about AAP. Not only they are playing the game honestly but they are also forcing their opponents to follow the same path. This is what I want to happen, reformation of all parties and the entire system. One candidate or leader with good intentions is not a big deal. They are there in every party but when every party and candidate is forced to stay clean and work honestly then only desired reform will happen. First, there has to be some external pressure (which AAP has created) and then slowly it may become a norm and then we may not even need to mention specifically AAP's name because all parties will be like them. This sounds like a crazy dream today but I am optimistic.

AAP has still a long way to go. They just started and hit a home run in their first attempt, but that doesn't mean they will remain like this or will have the same success in every election they contest, but it seems they are not worried about that and I like this attitude. They seem to be more interested in overall political reform rather than short-term gains. That's why I think it's not just another political party but a phenomenon that made common people believe that they also can enter politics and win, they also can dream of challenging this corrupt system if they want and this is what excites me and makes me optimistic. Many say that nothing can be done with our current political and bureaucratic machinery, it's damaged beyond any repair, but AAP's success and approach are a ray of hope. They showed us not everything is lost and it's we who can repair it and change it, it's our responsibility to fight for the change we want. So now the ball is in our court, we need to make sure that AAP just doesn't remain another political party but becomes a phenomenon, an experiment that can be repeated everywhere and at every level. If not, then we will be stuck with the current rotten system for many more years to come and I don't think any of us want this to happen. I am happy for AAP's success, more than that I am happy for myself, I am happy for the common people of India who desperately needed some ray of hope and now they have it.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Why always look in the past, we should also sing glories of our own generation

I often see many people glorifying distant past achievements of their ancestors, singing their praise, telling everyone how in the past their culture or civilization was rich, dominant, or superior to the rest of the world. Nothing wrong with feeling proud of our ancestors and taking inspiration from their achievements but this does not mean not giving any credit to recent achievements and breakthroughs. I hear in India all the time people singing glories from the past but are not willing to appreciate the present situation. I feel proud of many achievements of my ancestors in India, no doubt it was remarkable that they achieved so much with such limited resources and techniques, but at the same time, I am equally proud of the achievements of the present generation. Spectacular achievements in the field of science and technology, a revolution in the area of communication and medical care, progress in the area of gender equality, abolishment of slavery, all are recent phenomena. Most of these things happened within the last 100 years or so and I am really proud of all these achievements. They are equally important and great in every respect compared to any past achievements.

Actually, our generation has achieved tremendous progress in many areas. Revolution in the area of communication technology is just phenomenal, the world was never better connected than now. The amazing phenomenon called the internet has completely changed our lives is a recent invention Many path-breaking discoveries in the area of drug discovery have increased average life expectancy across the world. Recent progress in the area of gender equality is also impressive. Our ancestors didn't think about many of these problems for so many different reasons but we not only diagnosed these problems but are working hard towards resolving them. Let me also say that I am not trying here to claim that recent generations have solved all existing problems. No, that's not the case. Still, many problems need solutions, and work is still in progress. I am also not trying here to compare our ancestors with us, it would be very unfair to do this but whenever someone says that our ancestors were much better than us or they were much more developed, or superior I feel surprised by their attitude and ignorance. I fail to understand the logic or rationale behind this statement. I wonder on what basis people say this? If people say this because of the perceived moral degradation of society then also it doesn't make any sense. The current world is much better as far as morality is concerned compared to any ers of the past. In the past, there used to be wars, people used to discriminate, slavery was very common, people used to kill each other just because they belonged to different tribes or faiths, polygamy, and polyandry were common in many societies, there used to be barbaric punishment for crimes like stealing or lying or adultery, and the situation of women was not better than what it is today. So, I don't know on what basis people claim that our society was much better in the past compared to today. Rather, as a society we are much better today. At least there is democracy in most of the countries, democracies didn't exist in most parts of the wold just a few centuries ago.

The point I am trying to make is that there is no point in comparing two different eras against each other. Both have their own success stories and failures, and we can draw inspiration from them whenever we want. The discovery of gravity is as important as the discovery of zero and traditional medicine was as important for our ancestors as modern medicine is to us. There is no point in comparison, it's useless and a waste of time. We also don't have to always look back at our ancestors to draw inspiration we have enough examples from our own generation which can inspire us to do good work and achieve new heights in every field.  

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. Were Our Ancient Ancestors Scientifically Advanced?
2. Signs in the Sky: The Irrationality of Astrology
3. Fraudulent Use of Obsolete Vaastushastra

This is complete misinterpretation of Live-in relationship

Recent news about a judgment by Madhya Pradesh Lok Adalat left me surprised and shocked. As per the court order the wife and live-in partner of a man should live together under the same roof, sharing the space and time with their man, this arrangement was made after a mutual agreement between them. I am still trying to understand how come court concluded that an extramarital affair qualifies as a live-in relationship. This is a case of adultery where an already married man without giving divorce to his first wife engages in a sexual relationship with another woman. I also wonder what would have been the court's reaction if this had been a reverse scenario, that is, a married woman engaging in an extramarital relationship with another man outside her marriage. Would this court have given a similar verdict? Would people have accepted such a verdict as easily as they accepted this one? This decision might have been taken after considering the fate of the other woman who is dependent on this man, even if he cheated both these women they don't have any other option but to compromise and stay with the same man who cheated them both. This is a very sad state of affairs. After this verdict, one of my cousins told me that now in India even Hindus can marry twice legally! Such is the effect of such judgments.

The topic of live-in relationships is very intensely debated on many discussion forums in India. This is a very controversial and sensitive subject, many people and institutions are against it because they think it is against their traditions and culture. They also feel that this might put the institution of marriage in danger. There are many misconceptions about live-in relationships in India. First, a one-night stand or extramarital affair is not a live-in relationship.  Live-in relationships are almost like a marriage but without any legal obligations for separation (like filing for divorce) but they also come with all other requirements like commitment (as long as the relationship is in place), offering financial support to the partner, and children. But often people misinterpret it as an easy way to have sexual relations without marriage and ignore all obligations. Now it seems even courts started making this mistake. Protecting the rights of a partner in any relationship is very important. The institution of marriage allows that protection but there should be an alternative for people who don't believe in this institution and a live-in relationship has emerged as the closest possible alternative. Society needs to discuss and debate it before accepting or rejecting it. Accepting or rejecting anything without proper consideration would be a huge mistake, and this judgment is a good example of it. I also agree that the court didn't have many options in this particular case but this case should not make people believe that now polygamy is legal or there is some way to practice polygamy legally.

I am questioning this particular judgment because there is a common impression among people that in this case man got rewarded instead of getting punished for his infidelity. This perception is dangerous, and this is why such judgments should come with proper explanations, warnings, and disclaimers. This judgment is a total misinterpretation of the concept of a live-in relationship. I hope they clarify this before many more commit this mistake again or start thinking that this is not at all a mistake. I am also not saying that because of this judgment, these things will now start happening, they are already happening but this judgment should not confuse people more about the already confusing concept of live-in relationship. These issues require some understanding and mature response from society as a whole, these things should not be used to exploit people and create unnecessary disturbance in society. I hope people understand this and act accordingly.

Thanks for reading and please share your opinion about this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. Lok Adalat orders man to spend equal time with wife and live-in partner
2. Court Asks Man, Live-in Partner to Stay with Wife in Same House

Why do people need these fake Gurus?

Recently when I shared the news about one incident which happened in India where some people wanted to spread flowers in the path of rape convict Narayan Sai when police planned to take him to a hospital for a medical check-up and to a court for the demand of legal custody on my Facebook wall, one of my friends asked why people need these dhongi (fake, pretentious or cheat) gurus or babas? The answer is not that easy and straightforward. Why the heck these people want to glorify a rape convict or a criminal? This criminal was arrested after a manhunt for almost two months, he was trying his best to escape the law like any other criminal and he should be treated like that but I know that his devotees won't accept it, and we need to understand why they do this.

I think everyone needs some sort of counseling at different stages of their lives for various issues or problems they face. Parents, teachers, and other close relatives play this role in the early part of our lives, when we grow up our education is supposed to empower us to deal with most of these things on our own and if we can't then various books, movies, friends, and other resources can perform the role of counselor whenever needed. All these resources help us to deal with various issues and problems in our life. But not everyone has access to such resources for their mental health-related needs, and even if they have it's quite possible that sometimes even all these things combined can not answer all their questions, then they need someone to comfort them, someone to say to them that everything will be okay. Many times, these fake gurus fill this void in people's lives. People get attracted to these babas or gurus because they do mass counseling, initially for free to trap all their customers. These self-proclaimed gurus entirely depend on their personal charm, charisma, and fan following. Many of them have good oratory skills, good knowledge about many scriptures, great memory, and charming personality, but they are not professionally trained to offer any professional advice or consultation about any personal issues. But that's what most of them do and that's the main reason for their popularity. Hardly do people go to them just to listen to their speech, many visit them for consultation. Once they are popular they become powerful, their devotees become their strength, and many of them have so strong influence locally that it's very difficult even for law enforcement agencies to take any action against them even if any charges are pressed against them. The influence and clout of some of these people are so great that even people who suffer abuses from their hands don't dare to file any complaint against them. Many cases of financial irregularities, sexual abuse, or exploitation don't even get reported. All these benefits and immunity that come with this profession of babagiri have attracted many people with good memory and oratory skills into this profession. The case of Nirmal Baba who offers very absurd and stupid solutions to people's problems is one such example of popular baba.

Seeking the help of a counselor for any personal or professional problem is not a culture in India rather it's a taboo. Most people still hesitate to visit a psychiatrist or counselor. They always worry about what other people will think if they come to know that there are some mental health-related or personal issues in their lives. However, visiting any baba or anyone like him is not at all considered as something unusual, rather it's something that everyone loves to talk about. People like to discuss about greatness of their guru, the various powers he/she possesses, and also about miracles they can do. Even people visit these fake gurus to seek advice related to many medical issues this can be very dangerous but still they do it. The presence of such culture for centuries has created a very fertile environment for many such gurus and their cult movements. Some declare themselves an incarnation of some deity and exploit people's weaknesses and emotions. Actually, these fake counselors in the name of various babas and gurus fill the vacuum created by the absence of professional counselors in people's lives. This all needs to stop, but all these babas or gurus are not going to close their shops on their own. As long as there are customers and favorable market conditions they are going to sell their product. Also, we can not put the entire blame on these cheaters, people who buy their products, and government and law enforcement who don't take any actions to stop these practices are equally responsible for this. Actually, we need to make their product out of date if we want to remove their influence. We need to expose their fraud and wrongdoings systematically to stop their business. Some of these self-styled gurus are still worshiped by many even if they are facing serious charges like rape or sexual misconduct, and many of them fool people by making unverified claims and selling non-tested treatments for many diseases. People are blinded by their faith and problems and follow these people without any logic or thinking.

A tireless campaign against all these fake gurus is required. People with a rational mind and the capacity to think logically need to come together and work towards this goal. It won't be easy to challenge these fake gurus. Many devotees of all these gurus are like suicide squads they are willing to do anything for their guru or God. A very determined and systematic effort is required to free our society from the clutches of these evil-minded people who take advantage of the ignorance and weakness of people. People should take the help of some professional counselors rather than these types of babas for their medical, personal, and family problems. Professional help is always better as it's more reliable. NGOs also can play a crucial role in solving this need for professional counseling for people and with the help of everyone we can eradicate the need for these fake gurus from our society.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:

1. Narayan Sai held for rape after 58 days

2. नारायण साईं गिरफ्तार, समर्थकों ने कोर्ट के बाहर बिछाए फूल

Why daughters hesitate to claim their share in ancestral property in India?

This issue is somewhat sensitive in many families and people don't want to discuss it because of the possibility of tension it might create and also the possibility of spoiling relations, but I have been always curious about this issue. I am discussing this subject exclusively in the Indian context because I have seen this problem there, maybe it is also present in many other cultures but I am personally aware of this problem in India. Fight for equal rights for women is going on all over the world and India is no exception to this. Like everywhere else property rights of Indian women are unequal and unfair. A lot of improvements have been made on paper, some laws are also introduced to protect their rights but they are hardly followed. So, even on paper, the situation looks better but in reality, nothing has changed much. In India now at least by law daughters are legally eligible for an equal share in the ancestral property. However, many of them don't want to exercise this legal right, they worry about their family's reaction, society's reaction, and also about spoiling relationships, all these things make them very reluctant even to think about this important right given to them by law. Implementation of this law on the ground is still a very far-fetched dream.

Why daughters don't want their share? Why do they hesitate to claim it? What is stopping them? As far as sons are concerned they all think that it's their birthright to inherit ancestral property and they fight for it if they feel any injustice has been done to them but daughters hardly react if their share is not offered to them. Daughters don't bother to ask for it even if they are in financial difficulty and really need that share, they just think it's not their right, and even if this right is offered to them by the law it's not appropriate to exercise it. This is the effect of years of female suppression and brainwashing. No matter what rights the law is offering to them they are still hesitant to use most of those rights. To make things more complicated, there is a lot of confusion about women's property rights law and many people don't even know where to look for details. As Shruti Pandey (see link 3) said in her article there is no single body of property rights of Indian women, they get determined by which religion she follows, is she is married or unmarried, which part of the country she comes from, whether she is tribal or non-tribal, etc. All these factors along with a lack of awareness and desire result in many daughters not getting their share in ancestral property. This issue may sound very trivial but as far as women's independence and equality are concerned I think this is a very important matter.

I think the dowry system must have started to tackle the problem of offering shares to daughters in ancestral property, but this system itself became a big problem rather than solving the problem of equitable property distribution. The problem of dowry became so big that the government has to introduce a separate law to stop it, it's another issue that it's still practiced in some form all over India. Any girl asking for her share in the ancestral property is considered greedy and often faces the wrath of other family members (like brother and sister-in-law) who feel that she is unfairly trying to grab their share of the property. The feeling of guilt is also very strong in many girls' minds, most of them believe that the true heir to property has to be a male and hence it's not fair for daughters to ask for any share in ancestral property. The dowry system is not an answer to this problem, this system itself has created many troubles for women. The current system of dowry creates a lot of trouble for brides whenever their in-laws feel that they didn't get enough dowry and then demand more and torture the girl. Offering legal and proportional shares to daughters in ancestral property might be a better solution as this practice might help to remove the ambiguity associated with how much share a daughter can get. Often the dowry is demanded out of greed, so there is no limit on how much the other party (the groom's side) can demand, whereas a share in property is calculated as per law so there are fewer chances of unreasonable demands. This law would not stop all atrocities against brides but at least it would eliminate the social evil of dowry from their lives. But this needs a lot of courage and determination from daughters who normally hesitate to ask for their rights, and their families who don't bother to make sure that daughters get their share. Daughters need to prepare themselves for all the criticism and badmouthing, they need to believe that their rights are as important as their brother's rights. This will be a test of their patience, diplomatic skills, and courage, but in the end, this is their choice. After all, this is a question of their rights and no one can force them to do this if they don't want to, and the choice is entirely theirs. 

Thanks for reading and please share your views about this topic. 

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing] 

Links:
1. Daughter's rights in new amendment
2. Daughter’s rights in ancestral property in India
3. Property rights of Indian women By Shruti Pandey

Did Mahabharat really happen?

Many times I see people arguing about whether some events from some epic books really happened or not, especially from scriptures like Mahabharat, Ramayan, Bible, etc. Normally these arguments are really passionate and heated because many people are really emotional about these things, with both sides trying to make their points furiously very often without any reliable evidence. I find this a totally unnecessary ordeal, a total waste of time unless its whole purpose is to do a time pass. I often wonder why people waste their time arguing about whether stories or incidents mentioned in these books really happened or not? Why does it matter to them? What will they gain or achieve if they prove or disprove that these incidents really happened? I read many of the stories mentioned in these books but I read them like any other book. It's not at all important whether these stories or incidents are real or not. If they teach me something useful they are relevant to me, I am totally fine even if it's a work of fiction. If they don't teach me anything useful or relevant then I just read them for the sake of entertainment, whether they really happened or not is not at all relevant to me. 

History is documented for many reasons, one of them is to have it stored for future generations so that they can get some clue from past incidents and learn relevant lessons which will help them not to repeat the same mistakes again. But many of these scriptures are not history but they are classified under mythology or theology and that's why I think it's a waste of time to discuss whether they are fiction or non-fiction, whether they really happened or not. I like many characters from these epics. I relate to many of them, for me it's really insignificant whether they really lived in flesh and blood on this planet or not, even if they didn't then also it doesn't reduce my attachment or affection for them even a little bit. The message that the authors of these books wanted to deliver is the most important thing for me. I take whatever is relevant for me and leave the rest, I don't get into unnecessary technical details like how humans flew without airplanes, how the bird or snake spoke, and how a person became alive again after being killed. These all are semi-fiction stories written long back over a long period, the main purpose was to educate and entertain people at the same time. Some of them are so old that it's very difficult even to find out who wrote them, but they all have something useful in them that's why people still read them. But when people try to enforce these books as a rule book for everyone, there is a problem, there is a conflict and unnecessary tension. I am against this practice. Many of these books no matter how good, were written thousands of years ago and many things mentioned in them are no longer relevant, some of the things are outdated. Even many scientific papers published in journals many years back are no longer relevant anymore, some of them are even proven to be wrong. These books are the same, they can be used as literature but they are not rule books or science journals so to follow them or to expect others to follow them blindly is absurd, wrong, and unreasonable.

So let's not worry or argue about the technical details of these books. Read them as ancient literature. There might be many technical glitches in them but that should not be a deterrent for anyone to read them. These books are treasures from the past, they actually don't belong to any particular religion or sects but belong to all humanity. Linking them to any particular religion or sect limits their use and is a gross injustice to their potential. The story of Mahabharat is one of my all-time favorite stories, all the characters in this are so human that anyone can relate to them that's the reason I like it more than any other story. Stories and characters from these books have inspired me during various stages of my life and they still continue to do so. I love Mahabharat stories, some biblical stories, and some concepts from the Quran. Let's not worry about the technical details of these stories, let's try to catch the real essence of them, this will be a great tribute to all those authors and the real use of all these books.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. 5000 year old Viamana craft was found in Afghanistan
2. Were Our Ancient Ancestors Scientifically Advanced?

Casteism and ME

I have expressed many times my dislike for casteism. I started hating this system when I saw some people being discriminated against or treated as inferiors just because they were born into a particular caste. I couldn't understand the fact how a family in which a person is born, on which a person has no control can decide the social status of a person for the rest of his/her life? None of us can choose our biological parents or family. We are born randomly in some families by the act of reproduction, and based on that our caste and religion are decided. One can change that legally but for the most, they are branded based on which family or parents they are born to, and this tag sticks to them for the rest of their lives as per the current system. I was trying to remember the day when I came to know about my own caste (sometimes called Jati), what effect it had on me and what was my reaction to it.

I have to travel deep down in my memory lane to recollect that instance. As far as I can trace my memory I think I was in 3rd or 4th grade and one day I don't know why or for what reason some teacher in my school decided to ask everyone in our class their caste, most kids knew what caste they belong but I was among few who didn't and I was really embarrassed by this. So, I came home and asked my parents what is our caste, they told me it was Thakur, which is also my last name, but then I had doubts about why other people have different last names than their caste name, then my dad explained that this particular last name is also used as caste name in northern parts of India (from where my family originally belongs) and this comes under warrior section of varna system (Kshatriya). I was relieved to know that our caste was not at the bottom of that hierarchical system, it was a big relief for me at that time. Over time, I was also told by various people around me that I should be really proud of my caste as we have a long history of brave warriors and great rulers. Actually, all this information had some effect on me, suddenly I started looking at people around me from the angle to which caste they belong, whether they were from Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, or Shudra varna? This might sound very disgusting and racist but that's how it was when I became aware of my own caste and believed in that system. I started making fun of some friends who belonged to some other castes and were physically weaker than me (so I knew they could not beat me for teasing them). I even laughed at some because they could not fight a war and their ancestors were not brave enough just because they were not Kshatriya. When I look back to these incidents I feel really embarrassed and disgusted. I did all these things as an ignorant and naive kid, but such was the effect of knowing the caste and varna hierarchy on a young child who had no clue about this system just a few days back. Also, I was not the only one doing this, insulting people by mentioning their caste or abusing them using their caste name in a derogatory manner was very common around me, which is why I didn't feel I was doing anything seriously wrong. I think one day I took it too far and one of my friends started crying because of my taunting and he complained to his mom, after knowing why was he crying his mom gave me a big lecture. I don't remember what she said to me but that effectively ended my disgusting stint in casteism. I do not claim that her reprimand enlightened me about the evil of casteism but it had some positive effect. I think it took a few more years and a few more visits to my ancestral village where I saw more open practice of casteism which slowly infused utter dislike and disgust about this system in me. There was also an issue of reservations when I was in college (a kind of affirmative action for socially backward sections of society in India) which brought this issue back in my life where people from the so-called upper caste were at the receiving end. Like many, I also thought I was discriminated against because of my caste in a secular country like India (where everybody is supposed to be equal irrespective of their caste, religion, or gender), and realized whenever someone discriminates based on your caste or race it really hurts.

The post is not about the history of casteism (see the links section of this post for more information about this), but it's about my own personal experience with it and the reason why I dislike it and chose not to follow this system. Many are still ardent followers and defenders of this system, I am sure they must have their own reasons for doing this but I couldn't find any reason to support this system. For me, this is no less than racism and I am totally against it. The system that gives some individuals feelings of superiority just because they are born into a particular family is not acceptable to me. It doesn't matter what was the original intention and how it got corrupted, the current system which is practiced is outrageous, I think it's damaged beyond any repair and should be discarded totally. 

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste_system_in_India 
2. Casteism: Essay on Casteism in India
3. Vedic Friends Association Position on Casteism

Tarun Tejpal, Tehelka and sting operation against AAP

Two breaking news headlines grabbed my attention yesterday, one was a sting operation against the newly formed political party AAP by some website called Media Sarkar, and the other was sexual misconduct or rape charges against Tehlka's editor in chief Mr. Tarun Tejpal. In both cases, the integrity and actions of the entire organization or party were questioned because of the misconduct of a few individuals. No doubt the questions raised in both the cases are serious and they need to be addressed but that should not be the reason to target the entire organization and try to bring it down. 

No doubt that Tarun was an integral part of Tehelka (I understand that he resigned from his position so he is no more with Tehelka) but Tarun is not Tehelka and Tehelka is not Tarun. People should learn to differentiate the organization from the individual, the magazine has done a lot of good work in the past and all that work is the result of many creative and courageous journalists. Whatever Tarun did is wrong, it's his own responsibility and he should face the law and whatever punishment comes his way. It is also true that in a way this whole issue was handled by Shoma Choudhary, managing editor of Tehelka raised eyebrows, people expected somewhat better and strict action from them rather than something that looked like an attempt to downplay the incident. I hope they don't intend to intimidate the victim otherwise it will be sad to see the entire organization going down because of the actions of a few people. Sexual harassment in the workplace is a very serious issue. The Indian government as well as private organizations need to do a lot of work in this area so that these types of crimes are promptly reported and investigated to punish the culprits, no matter who they are. The victims of these crimes need all the support and encouragement they need. Tarun Tejpal's case looks pretty black and white as per media reports, it seems he accepted his mistake, and now law enforcement agencies need to take proper action and deliver justice. Many times such crimes go unreported for several reasons, there has to be a proper system and mechanism to detect and monitor such crimes.

Another news was about a sting operation against AAP, a newly formed party that is creating big waves in Delhi assembly elections. Both Congress and BJP (the two biggest national political parties in India, with huge backing and money power) are facing tough competition from AAP. actually, no one (including me) expected AAP to get so much popularity and to create such an impact in their first election. Sting operations are an integral part of investigative journalism, this technique is used to expose crimes that are difficult to prove otherwise. By definition, a sting operation is a deceptive operation used to catch a person committing a crime. This method has been used successfully to expose many bribery scandals, and corrupt practices in politics and bureaucracy. At the same time edited versions of video footage of these operations, by using the technique of selective editing or cut-paste technique, can be used to project a certain image of a person or party (positive or negative). Therefore, any inquiry panel investigating allegations based on these types of operations likes to see raw (or unedited) footage of any such sting operations, this is very common practice. AAP is demanding the same and I think they are within their rights with this demand. They also promised strict action against anyone who is found guilty after examination by their own panel or any independent constitutional agency (like the election commission). The timing of this sting operation is also questionable and looks very motivated to malign the image of AAP just before the election. I think their response was fairly positive and they are willing to accept that there might be something that needs immediate attention. This party entered the political arena not only with the intention to win but with an intention to change the rules of the game, to make it more transparent and fair for everyone. Today in India politics is considered a dirty game. Politicians are assumed to be corrupt and greedy by common people, maybe if more good people enter this profession they can change its image and this is what I want AAP to do. They should force other parties to field good, honest candidates with clean records, at least make them not give tickets to people with a serious criminal record, or people who are facing serious cases against them in court. If they can do this, this itself will be a huge improvement according to me.

Time will tell what will be the result of both investigations, but in both cases, the entire organization should not be blamed for the misconduct of a few people involved with that organization. I still don't think that it's correct to label all leaders from the BJP or Congress as corrupt because many of them are corrupt. There are many sincere and honest people in all these parties but as these parties are huge the percentage of corrupt people is also more, I am against gross generalization. But at the same time, I am not happy in general with the double standards used by these parties and also with their very complacent attitude towards corruption. They are directly or indirectly responsible for institutionalizing corruption. I hope this situation will change in the near future and people of India will get a more accountable and clean government which they desperately need. I hope parties like AAP act as a catalyst to initiate this reaction of cleaning the system on a larger scale. The question is not only about AAP or the dreams of Arvind Kejriwal, the question is about the expectations and hopes of millions of Indians who are waiting for the day when they get a clean and accountable government. Their hopes deserve a chance, and their dreams deserve consideration.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. Mission Lokpal by Media Sarkar
2. Tehelka's Tarun Tejpal: Sex scandal batters India's top investigative title
3. http://www.tehelka.com/statement/
4. Tehelka case: Tarun Tejpal had totally different version, says Shoma Chaudhury
5. Why Sting Operation on AAP came just before Assembly Elections?

Sachin Tendulkar and Bharat Ratna

Last week Sachin Tendulkar retired from all forms of cricket. This put an end to his amazing journey of 24 years on the cricket field which included making and breaking many records and achieving many milestones for India as a team member of one of the most successful Indian cricket teams. He played his last test match against West Indies and received a grand and emotional farewell. I like his batting and sportsmanship, I have witnessed his career since the beginning, and he is one of the most celebrated and admired cricketers to date. On the day after his retirement Indian government announced him Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. This announcement was bound to create some controversy and some uproar. Undoubtedly cricket is the most popular sport in India and because of this cricketers receive more admiration, media coverage, fame, and money but that doesn't mean they are the only achievers in the area of sports who make India proud. Therefore, many people will ask the question why Sachin, why not Dhyanchand or Abhinav Bindra or Anand? Is it just because he is famous or because he played cricket? There will be many questions like this. The government did try to play a balancing game to award celebrated scientist Prof. C. N. R. Rao along with Sachin but Sachin's award is going to create some controversy and people are going to push their candidate and ask why not him or her?

I believe the decision was emotional rather than logical. The entire country (at least those who follow cricket) was feeling sad that Sachin was retiring from cricket, the game that he dominated for the last 20 years or so. They all wanted to give him a memorable farewell and maybe the government thought this award would be like a cherry on his farewell cake. Did they get their act right? Definitely not. Many more deserving sports persons deserve this award before Sachin or at least along with him. By selecting Sachin's name government showed the inherent bias that exists in India against other sports compared to cricket. Field hockey is India's national game and the achievements of Major Dhyan Chand are unparalleled. I wonder why his name didn't pop up when the government decided to give this award to a sportsperson. According to me, Dhyan Chand was the most deserving person to get this award in the area of sports, but unfortunately, this didn't happen.

Actually, if anyone takes a look at the list of Bharat Ratna awardees one often wonders why some people even got that award and why it took so many years (even after their death) for some very deserving people to get this award. The award is very politicized. Depending on which government is ruling people get it. Almost every prime minister who ruled for more than a couple of years got this award. The list is heavily populated with undeserving politicians. This has become a pure political award, sometimes awarded to eminent artists and sportspersons. Sachin is the first sportsperson to receive this award and he is also the youngest to receive this award. I am happy for his success but at the same time feel that other more deserving people also should get the recognition and admiration that they deserve. I know that there is bound to be some controversy related to these types of awards, there is more than one deserving person at any given time but there is no restriction on the number of awards so they can give it to all deserving people. I hope our government will realize its mistake soon and take some corrective measures. If they don't then we have to satisfy ourselves by saying that some people are greater than this award, so they don't need it. I also noticed that even Mahatma Gandhi didn't receive this award, but I am glad that he didn't get this award (like the Nobel Peace Prize) because there are some undeserving names in both the lists (Bharat Ratna and Nobel Peace) so it's good that his name is not there along with them. Actually, people like Gandhi don't need any award but others might need it for the sake of that sport (like field Hockey) or recognition of their work, so at least those names should be considered before it's too late.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. Bahrat and Ratna (article from Marathi news paper Loksatta)
2. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/
3. तेंदुलकर, ध्यान चंद, राजनीति और भारत रत्न

Asaram Bapu devotee syndrome

The title of today's blog proposes a new syndrome. I named this syndrome to explain people's reactions during my discussions related to one recent incident in India, the arrest of self-styled Godman Asaram Bapu for rape and sexual harassment charges (he is one of many who are in this business of selling spirituality, religion, and God). Some of his devotees protested against his arrest and demanded his immediate release. I think they did this because they all sincerely believe that their guru or God (most of them consider him God or incarnation of God) is wrongly framed for this crime. They also believe he is actually innocent and that is why he should be released immediately. Some of them might even believe that as a God or incarnation of God, he is entitled to do whatever he wants and laws framed for common people don't apply to him. They also expect police and others should show some respect to their guru because of his godly nature. Many of my friends and family members criticized this attitude of these devotees, they were particularly surprised that even after knowing what type of crime Asaram did all these people are still supporting him. They also asked the question that how come these people are following him so blindly that they cannot see his obvious mistakes or crimes. 

I agree with them that whatever Asaram did was disgusting and criminal and he should be punished by law for his crimes. I also agree with them that many of Asaram's devotees are behaving like devotees and because of that they are not willing to listen to anything against their guru or even not willing to accept the reality that is right there in front of their eyes. Despite all the evidence and proof, they all chose to turn a blind eye to everything and continue their devotion and worship of their guru, this is why the name Asaram Bapu devotee syndrome (ABDS). Actually, one can put any famous controversial name with a huge fan following, I just use this name because of I thought about it after Asaram's arrest. But, when I discussed with many people that this syndrome is more or less present in everyone who is a devotee of any sect, religion, God cult movement, or person; as usual, they disagreed with me. They all think that their devotion has logic, it is rational and reasonable, but Asaram's devotees are morons. Now, we can call this an anti-ABDS, in this condition, people feel whatever they do is legitimate, thoughtful, and rational but if similar things are done by others then they are foolish, irrational, or thoughtless.

This type of behavior is very common everywhere in the world. Many people think that their beliefs, their God, their scriptures, their gurus, and their leaders are all great, pious, legitimate, authentic, and above any criticism, no one should criticize them or even question them. Whatever their God did was all need of that time and legitimate (ABDS) but at the same time they don't hesitate to question others' scriptures, criticize other's beliefs, make fun of them, object to similar actions of others' gods, gurus or leaders (anti-ABDS). Many times, both symptoms are displayed by the same person or group. Actually, we all become victims of these syndromes sometime in our lives. I try hard not to become a victim of both these syndromes, but you never know, it is not easy, so we need to be careful. When I offer criticism about anything (even if it's constructive criticism), I have to be ready to receive criticism directed toward me and my views, this is what I try to follow on my blog. Any counter-view or other side of the story is always welcomed as long as it's related to the topic. Blind faith in anything is dangerous, and we need to challenge it and question it, but we should also remember that when we question others, they have the right to question us, and we should be prepared to answer those questions if they are related to the subject of discussion. Only such healthy debates, discussions, and confrontations will induce any desirable change, there is no better option than this.

Devotees of Asaram are wrong in supporting him even after knowing about his crime. Their demand to release him is irrational and illegal, but these devotees are the product of the same system which has created millions of other devotees who behave similarly. Devotees who are ready to kill their fellow citizens in communal riots to protect their religion and are ready to justify any action or statement of their beloved leader. The only difference is that some devotees believe in something that happened thousands of years ago and some place their faith in something current, but both don't see anything wrong with their idol because they all think their idol is divine. Asaram's followers also think that he is divine and can not do anything wrong or maybe even worse they might be thinking whatever he did was not wrong at all, as a divine person he is entitled to behave in whatever way he wants, after all, he is a god. This attitude is a result of the same system that makes people believe that our idols or leaders are above everything and can not be questioned. This system is equally at fault along with the devotees who follow anything blindly. Let's fight with this system and then these types of devotees with irrational demands and attitudes will automatically disappear. This behavior is similar to crazy fans of some celebrities who display a similar attitude. I also like many artists or writers, but none of them I worship or follow blindly. ABDS and anti-ABDS are not different they are different sides of the same coin, let's get rid of that coin itself. Praise or criticize someone or something based on merit, not based on who they are or what is their status in society. Be aware of both of these syndromes, because many who are suffering from these don't even know that they are affected by them.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:

1. Asaram Bapu raped teen, aides helped organise the crime, says police

2. Girl has disease that draws her to men: Asaram's lawyer

3. Asaram Bapu supporters want FIR quashed, attack media person

4. Asaram Bapu supporters block tracks

Pu La and Sunita Deshpande - two people who transformed me

Purushottam Lakshman Deshpande (fondly known as PuLa, पु ल in Maharashtra) and Sunita Deshpande, were a couple who had a huge influence on my thinking and some other aspects of my life. I don't have to introduce these two personalities to people who come from the state of Maharashtra in India, these two, or at least PuLa are household names in Maharashtra, especially in the city of Pune where I was born and raised.

My parents never used to speak Marathi in our home during my childhood. They immigrated to Pune from a small village in UP (Uttar Pradesh). I was born in Pune and spent my entire life there before moving to the US. I studied in a Marathi medium and lived in a Marathi-speaking neighborhood and this is why Marathi became my mother tongue. I used to think and talk mostly in Marathi for the first 30 years of my life. My school and our neighbors introduced me to the rich cultural side of Maharashtra and that's how I came to know these two amazing personalities. PuLa's books and his "katha kathan" (storytelling, in his case, he used to read some chapters from his books) are very popular among Marathi-speaking people. They are full of humor and at the same time comment about various aspects of life in a very subtle way. The characters that he portrayed in his stories, books, and plays are very relatable and leave a strong impact on readers. He was also a great actor, narrator, and musician. I think very few people have such a diverse talent. I still enjoy his books, listen to his audio and video clips, and enjoy them as much as I enjoyed them before. I think they are timeless and have the capacity to entertain and educate generations of Marathi-speaking people. He didn't believe in a conventional definition of religion or god but his personal beliefs were never ever reflected directly in any of his writings. Anyone can easily relate to characters from his books, they are so human and real that people feel he is talking about them and their lives when they listen to him or read his books. I guess this is the main reason for his huge popularity.

I read Sunita Deshpande's book "Aahe Manohar Tari" (आहे मनोहर तरी..) much later, after reading many books by PuLa. Initially, I read it because it was written by PuLa's wife, but when I read it I was totally surprised. It left me stunned. I was completely blown away. I must have read it multiple times. I don't think anyone expected such a book from PuLa's wife. It was totally different, something that I never read before. PuLa is known for humor, he had a knack for finding the humorous side of any situation in life, but this book was very serious, up to the point, and brutally honest. The book is about her memoirs. She is very clear and straightforward about her opinions not only about herself but also about other people in her life. She didn't try to hide that she is an atheist and is really proud of that, which many people hesitate to do just not to hurt people or in fear of losing fans. She also made very honest comments about her own personality and her behavior under different circumstances. She also discussed her own strengths and weaknesses honestly. I never read such an honest self-assessment before in my life, maybe Gandhi's My Experiments with Truth comes close. She also wrote some critical comments about her famous and adored husband. As expected, this book created some controversy and also received criticism from readers including many of PuLa's fans. They all thought she was wrong in criticizing him for being lazy or for being a typical husband who expects his wife to take care of him and his home. After all, he was such a popular and beloved author of Maharashtra, and as a gifted artist, a husband, and a talented person he deserved some special treatment. PuLa came forward as her biggest supporter against all this criticism when this book came out and defended her right to express her views. Not that she needed his support but it was nice to see such mutual understanding and respect between the couple. I was amazed to read about such a brave and bold woman who was much ahead of her time in thinking. Her approach towards life was also very unique and impressed me a lot. She managed to live her own life and pursue her own interests and hobbies without getting affected by the success and popularity of her celebrity husband. She narrated almost every major incident of her life with so much honesty without worrying about the reactions of her husband, his fans, or other readers. She discussed honestly variety of sensitive and controversial issues in the book. Whether it was about her thoughts about euthanasia when her mother was suffering in hospital, her first and only pregnancy and abortion, her thoughts about God, about some qualities of her husband which she didn't like, she discussed them all. The book also contains many other interesting incidents in her life, it will be very difficult for me to summarize the entire book in this post. I would like my readers to read the book if possible. When I finished the book I was not the same person I was before reading that book, such was the impact of that book on me. I don't claim that it will have the same impact on everyone who reads it, maybe there will be some who may not like that book, but it transformed me, and helped me in many ways. I hope everyone finds at least one such book in their life.

Actually, these two people helped me in many ways indirectly. These were the only people who were not related to me or my field of study and I didn't meet personally but I still acknowledged them in my PhD thesis. Such was their influence on me. They still remain a source of inspiration for me but I don't worship them or don't follow them blindly. I understand that there might be many people who don't care about them or may even dislike or hate them for whatever reason they have and I totally understand it. I have my own opinions about them and others can have their own and everyone's opinion doesn't need to match with mine. I am thankful to both of them for transforming me because in the kind of situation or neighborhood, I was living it was highly impossible for me to meet with people like them but I was lucky to know them through their books, that's also one of the reasons why I believe that books are such a powerful medium which have the power of transforming people. I get a lot of inspiration and strength from many books and articles that I read. They teach me and transform me in many ways. Thank you, sir, and thanks mam, love you both.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing] 

(Image: from Google images)

Links:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunita_Deshpande
2. http://www.indiainternational.com/pulabahurupi80/index1.html
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu_La_Deshpande

Is AAP anti-national?

Recently Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dr. Subramanian Swamy (Dr. SS) called the Aam Aadami Party (AAP) an anti-national party. Dr. SS is very well known for making controversial statements as well as sensational accusations, he has been doing this for a long time, but most of the time media used to ignore his statements. Nowadays he is again a popular figure in Indian politics because of the role played by him in the 2G spectrum scam case which resulted in the arrest of Mr. A. Raja (minister of communications and IT, 2007-2009) and a few others. The case created a lot of controversies and media hype, and because of all this nowadays his statements are getting a lot of media coverage and attention. This man always amazes me with his statements and articles. He is such a talented and intelligent person, with a good intention and some good ideas to make India a better country, but because of his sectarian views and personal hatred for some people (like Gandhis), he sometimes makes such horrendous statements that one is forced to wonder about his mental state. I think his recent statement related to AAP came because of somewhat different views of some AAP leaders on the Kashmir issue and the recent meeting of Mr. Arawind Kejriwal (AK) with controversial cleric Tauqueer Raza Khan, who allegedly issued a fatwa against Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.

Dr. SS didn't like that one of the members of AAP Mr. Prashant Bhushan said that a plebiscite could be one of the solutions which can help to reduce the alienation of people of Kashmir. AAP had distanced itself from Mr. Bhushan's views calling it his personal opinion and not the party's stand. However, in India, it's very rare to see a politician who can have totally opposite or different views on any sensitive topic than their party's view. Actually, I like this aspect of AAP where a person is not forced to accept the party's stand if they do not agree with it. People should not be penalized for expressing what they believe, this should be allowed and welcomed in a true democracy. People with different opinions can also team up and work together for the betterment of society and the country. I don't think there is anything wrong with it. 

AAP has tried to maintain complete transparency in their financial dealings as well as candidate selection for election. No other party including Dr. SS's own party operates in such a transparent way. Many antisocial elements, people who are facing serious criminal charges get tickets to contest elections from these national parties in the name of political compulsion. They offer excuses like if we don't give the ticket someone else will give it to them, at least AAP is not playing this dirty game and should be applauded for that. As far as Mr. AK's meeting with Tauqueer Raza Khan is concerned, if AK did it only to gather Muslim votes then he and AAP will pay the price for it, but if he did this just to reach every section of society then there is nothing wrong in it. After all, Tauqueer Raza Khan is an Indian citizen, he and whatever community he represents is part of our country, and treating any person as untouchable is not a solution. This is the same BJP who is trying hard to make their prime ministerial candidate Mr. Narendra Modi acceptable to the whole of India (especially to Muslims). They claim he should not be branded as a communal just because of one riot that happened during his tenure in Gujarat, but Dr. SS is not willing to apply the same criteria when it comes to leaders of other communities, how hypocritical? And if Dr. SS is doing all this just to create some controversy and media attention then this is really pathetic and not expected from him. Maybe recent media exposure and popularity have created some sort of pressure or desire in him to remain in the constant limelight. If this is the case, then it's a sad end of an intellectual who had much more potential and capability than just to make some controversial and sensational statements.

I hope people like Dr. SS concentrate on the future of their own party and work towards building a strong India. If people like him are going to judge parties based on the personal opinions of some of their members then I hope they apply the same criteria to their own party also and they accept if someone calls them a party of criminals or rapists or porn watchers. If not, then they should just stop using such double standards, and if they want they can offer some constructive criticism. AAP with all its problems and drawbacks is at least trying to do something different, something which never happened in Indian politics before. I can understand the discomfort of all national parties, I see that they don't appreciate this and like the rise and popularity of AAP. Such wild accusations are not expected at least from a person like Dr. SS. Such accusations may ultimately help AAP and expose the double standards of other political parties. We all know that even AAP is not perfect but at least please don't stoop to such a low level to malign them, it looks pathetic.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

controversial cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, who had issued a fatwa against Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bjp-accuses-aap-of-attracting-antinational-elements-to-the-party/432473-80-258.html?utm_source=ref_article

controversial cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, who had issued a fatwa against Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bjp-accuses-aap-of-attracting-antinational-elements-to-the-party/432473-80-258.html?utm_source=ref_article

controversial cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, who had issued a fatwa against Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bjp-accuses-aap-of-attracting-antinational-elements-to-the-party/432473-80-258.html?utm_source=ref_article

controversial cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, who had issued a fatwa against Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bjp-accuses-aap-of-attracting-antinational-elements-to-the-party/432473-80-258.html?utm_source=ref_article

Links:

1. AAP is anti-national, Subramanian Swamy says
2. BJP accuses AAP of attracting anti-national elements to the party
3. Prashant Bhushan says Kashmir should not become another Afghanistan
4. Prashant Bhushan beaten up for his Kashmir comments

Communal riots happen all the time, what's so special about Godhra?

Communal riots happen all the time in India, so, what is so special about Godhra riots? Why does it get mentioned so many times in the media? Why does it get special treatment? Why can't people get over it, after all, it almost happened a decade ago (in 2002)? Hindus also die in these riots so what a big deal, why make such a big issue out of it? Nowadays one can hear a lot of questions and statements like this, especially because Mr. Narendra Modi is a prime ministerial candidate of the BJP for the upcoming national elections in India, and the Godhra riots are one of the major issues he is going to face during his fight for the top post. I remember hearing similar types of questions many times before, 1984 when the massacre in Delhi happened after the unfortunate assassination of Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi said these infamous lines, "When a big tree falls, earth shakes." These words seem to somehow try to justify the riots that happened after Mrs. Gandhi's assassination. Similar statements were made after the Babri demolition and the riots that followed it, after the Mumbai bomb blasts. The list is too long to mention. Almost after every riot, there is a lot of anger, emotional drama, and blame game. Justifications are offered, motives questioned, some parties get political mileage and others wait for the next riot to get their chance to score some points for their side. This is a tragic and vicious cycle going on for several years in Indian politics. Neither political parties are interested in breaking this cycle nor do people seem to be interested in understanding that they are being used like cards and are the ultimate sufferers. Literally, people are used just like cards which are used to kill each other, which can be sacrificed if necessary to save some important cards, anything can be done to these cards to win the game. The strange thing is not only players who play this game but even cards seem to be loving this cruel game. It seems the cards are not aware of their pathetic situation.

So what is wrong with all these questions? Why do I feel they are insensitive and somehow try to legitimize or justify these riots? First of all these statements seem to assume that if something is happening regularly then we should get used to it even if it's wrong, cruel, or inhuman. Just because it's a routine event, it doesn't deserve acceptance. Another assumption some people make is two wrongs can make one right. If Muslims along with some Hindus get killed in riots or vice versa then it's okay because both sides suffered the loss. Such a strange logic is offered to justify the tragic purposeful loss of a human life. Have we become so casual and insensitive about the plight of victims of mass violence? Every riot, every murder, and every death in this manure is wrong. They all are tragic and unfortunate doesn't matter which caste, race, or religion those people belong. Political parties and religious leaders both take advantage of this rift between people of different faiths. Many of them don't seem to be interested in narrowing this gap but they want to widen it more. They want to make it so wide that there should not be any scope for reconciliation. They want to do it by using either Mandir issues, Masjid issues, fatwas, or moral policing. Communal riots are part of this game. It is for investigating agencies to decide whether Mr. Modi was involved in the Godhra riots in any way or not. He should not be treated like a criminal without any strong evidence against him but at the same time, he is answerable to questions related to these riots because he was the head of that state when this thing happened. His silence on this issue or his refusal to apologize not only displays his compulsion to play for his vote bank but also displays the perception that even though whatever happened was sad, it was not completely wrong. Riots are projected as an act of revenge, but the question is how many times do we need to ignore such revengeful acts and move on. How many times more?

Whatever happened in 1984 was wrong, whatever happened with Kashmiri Pandits was wrong, and the Godhra riot was wrong. Any riot is wrong, period. It doesn't matter which religion or party the victims belong to, every incident should be investigated, and every culprit should be punished. If this doesn't happen these things will get institutionalized like corruption and will keep on happening regularly. That is why the Godhra riots are serious, so are the Muzaffarnagar riots, so are the 1984 riots, the Malegaon blasts, Mumbai blasts everything is serious. How can we even compare or say one is worse than others? Based on the number of deaths? Based on the reason why they happened? Based on which party was ruling during that time? What criteria do people use to categorize them? Why do they even try to do such categorization? Every such incident is a slap on our country and its secular constitution, a slap on our inclusive culture but no one seems to mind it.

How can people even justify punishing the entire community for some stupid acts of a few people from that community? Terrorists do this, rioters do this and surprisingly even after performing such gruesome and cowardly acts, they find sympathizers and supporters in their community. When is this madness going to stop? If I question Godhra these people ask why am I not questioning Mumbai blasts or anti-Sikh riots? If I raise a question about Kashmiri Pundits I am asked why I am not talking about the plight of Muslims killed in Kashmir? Whenever someone questions about some "X" incident he/she is asked why they are not questioning about some"Y" incident. In the end, neither the victims of the X incident get justice nor the victims of the Y incident. Riots keep on happening, leaders win or lose the election because of them, people keep on getting killed in riots, and no one knows when all this will end? I am sick and tired of all this. I don't know whom I should blame here? Politicians who make inflammatory speeches? Religion and religious leaders who spread fanaticism? People who follow these leaders blindly? Poor investigations and the inability of our legal system to punish culprits? No one? Gandhi had said once, "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." Are we going to do something to stop these riots or wait to turn the whole world blind? We have to start somewhere so what can't we start with this particular incident. If we ignore this one then there will be some other reason to ignore the next one also. If we want to put an end to all this we all must act, by we I mean everyone involved in this including our judiciary, politicians, people, everyone.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:

1. http://www.tehelka.com/when-a-big-tree-falls-the-earth-shakes/
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Muzaffarnagar_riots
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Gujarat_violence
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_anti-Sikh_riots