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

A tale of two Mundans in my family

The incidents about which I am writing actually happened a long time ago, almost nine to ten years ago in my life. It is the story of mundan of my both kids. Mundan ceremony is very common and is known by different names in different parts of India. Note that it's not only common in India, but also performed in various other cultures and societies under various names. It seems the first haircut has some unique significance in every culture. According to the tradition followed in my family a boy or a girl should get their mundan (first haircut) done either before their 1st birthday if not then in 3rd year. I don't understand the logic behind these age assignments but this is what they believe, no one explained to me why? Because of this belief, many parents don't give haircuts to their kids for the first 9-10 months and then one fine fine day whole family goes to some temple, and the child's head is shaved or the first haircut is offered along with some rituals and prayers Normally, this haircut costs way more than a normal haircut, many times the family has to travel to distant temples or to some rich and famous venue (like Tirupati Balaji which is very famous for this ritual). So, there are many other things involved in this elaborate affair, it's not just a simple haircut.

The reason I remembered all these incidents after so many years was the discussion about mundan of my friend's son on Facebook. He was debating whether to go for it or not. Back then, I didn't face any dilemma about this issue as I was totally against it. According to me, to perform such an elaborate ceremony at a temple or to travel miles to some temple just to give a haircut to a child is really a wasteful idea. I don't understand the logic behind it, maybe there was some good reason to do this thing this way 100s of years ago but I don't see any reason to do this now. Why spend so much money and effort on a thing that can be performed with professional help at any saloon?

So for both kids before their first birthday, this issue came up for discussion. My daughter had very thick and beautiful hair at that time, she looked adorable. I registered my protest against shaving her head because I thought it was totally unnecessary. People give all kinds of reasons to perform mundan, starting from the original hair (womb hair) is not good in quality, they are thin, and if you need to shave the head to get nice and thick new hair, there is no scientific backing to any of these reasons but may be in some cases it works. There are some other reasons like womb hair is associated with undesirable traits from past lives, etc. But the major question was, why go to some temple just for a simple haircut and waste so much time and money? Why can't we do it in some saloon? But the hold of some traditions or rituals on people's minds is so strong that they are scared even to think about an alternative or more logical way. But the problem was that my wife wanted to do mundan for her, and as a parent, she has an equal say in what decisions we make about our kids. I can express my opinion, register my protest in the strongest possible way, argue over it, and stand my ground but I cannot force my views on my wife or on anyone. If I start forcing my opinion on others then there won't be any difference between me and many others who force these so-called traditions and rituals in the name of culture, religion, or God. There was a debate and heated discussion about this issue and everyone came to know my opposition to this ritual. I don't think it was a surprise to anyone in my family but I guess they were thinking that it's easy to talk about reform and change, many people do that but when it comes to their own kid or own family people compromise because of so many reasons the major one is to avoid unpleasant scenes or not to hurt anyone in their own family. I find this reason really strange because people don't hesitate to use the strongest possible words to criticize or question many things when others do them, like excessive spending on marriage, following some superstitions like this one, or the role of women in the family, but when their own family does these things then somehow they find some reason to defend or justify these actions. My family was somewhat surprised that I was putting on such a resistance to spoil such an important ceremony for my own daughter. To cut a long story short, even after all this mundan happened, I lost to the majority who wanted the mundan to happen. I didn't attend the ceremony. I don't regret at all missing the ceremony but I do regret somewhat that I failed to convince my own family not to perform this stupid ritual, but failures like these are part of the struggle to bring reforms.

The second time similar thing happened in my son's case, but this time I was not in India, everyone knew my opposition to this ritual, but it was easy for everyone this time to ignore me as I was not physically present there. In my son's case, it was done twice within a month (again without any logic and reason), one in Mumbai and one at Balaji - the famous Tirupati temple where every day thousands of people go to shave their head and offer their hair to God. I don't know why God needs so much hair from so many people but I know many people who go there every year and shave their heads. My kids asked the question why this thing was done to them to all who were involved in this ritual but they didn't get any satisfactory answers to date. The only answer they got is that as this is part of our tradition and everyone does it so we also did, it was even done to your father, but this explanation is far from satisfactory. So, this was the story of two mundans in my family.

According to me, this ritual is one of many traditions and rituals that people follow blindly (just like a superstition). They don't even think whether there is any reason or logic behind this, just follow it blindly. I can't do this, ignorance might be bliss for many but for me, it's not an option. I don't believe in forcing my opinion but that doesn't mean I don't express them. I express my disagreement whenever I face these issues in my family or somewhere else, and try not to attend these ceremonies. Many people (even those who can't afford them) spend a lot of time and money on these things but the same people don't have time or money for community service or charity. This is particularly sad in a country like India where there is a strong feeling for following culture and traditions but not that much for doing charity and community service. The mundans still happen but I hope this tradition will end soon, this will also save a lot of time and money for many. I hope more and more people will choose to follow a more sensible path rather than the usual path.

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/First_haircut