Signs of a closed mind

"This is who I am." "This is how it has always been done." "Because that's our culture." These are just a few statements we hear people around us saying or saying ourselves, either casually or purposely. We use these statements to demonstrate that our prior experiences dictate our current and future decisions. However, in reality, we are expressly admitting that who we have been in the past will control our future, and we are not open to any challenges to our beliefs and values. In short, we accept that we are prisoners of our past. This is not a sign of self-growth, but one of the signs of a closed mind. The general perception is that people who do not have access to information or knowledge suffer from closed minds. However, this perception has been proven wrong as even with access to unlimited information people are becoming more guarded about their beliefs. That is, they chose to close their minds rather than being open to contrary information. 

Why do people do this? Well, there can be multiple reasons, but one of the major reasons is, fear of change and comfort of the status quo. Change is uncomfortable, especially, when we have to change or update our beliefs, or modify our behavior. We do not like to accept that we are wrong, especially, when it comes to our personal, religious, or political beliefs. We feel these beliefs are part of our identity and are reluctant to change them. We try our best to resist change, no matter how factual or accurate the evidence is to prove us wrong. This is when we show the symptoms of a closed mind. We take shelter from whatever lame reasons we can find to justify our stance. However, no matter how much we try, it is not possible to run away from facts. Truth doesn't disappear just because we close our eyes. A closed mind might offer temporary comfort, but sooner or later we are bound to face reality and if we remain truthful to ourselves realize our mistake. 

What's the solution? Check regularly if you have any symptoms of a closed mind. If yes, consciously try to update your knowledge and make sure that your sources of information are diverse and verified. We have access to resources that were not available to humans at any point in history so far, it will be shameful if we don't make proper use of these resources. Be informed and be open-minded. All the very best. 

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

© Vinay Thakur, All rights reserved, Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com 

My turbulent teenage years

Teenage years are not easy, even though they are one of the best and most interesting phases of our lives, the journey through these years can be rocky and bumpy. Those were turbulent times for me and the lack of access to information did not make it easy. People of my generation love to roast today's generation about internet addiction and social media dependence, but they fail to recognize that there is a huge positive side to this connectivity, it allows one to access useful information. I could not access the information that I needed as there were no resources available for me. Concepts like personal choice, passion, feminism, equality, justice, and privacy were neither part of my vocabulary nor did anyone around me care about these things. Also, I grew up in a sexually suppressed society, even a benign kiss or a hug on the screen was taboo. The interaction with the opposite sex was neither encouraged nor easily possible. Even in my college days, my interaction with girls was very awkward and I tried to avoid it as much as I could, not because I didn't want to interact, I just didn't know how to interact. I was confused from the inside but acted confident from the outside. Turbulent from the inside, but calm from the outside. Angry but did not know why and on whom. With many questions but with no way to find any answers.

As a teenager, I was also very confused about things happening around me. I did not understand why we struggled for money even after my parents really worked hard and did not have any conventional bad habits like drinking or gambling. I struggled to understand why females were treated differently than males. I and my brothers were expected to do good in school, but there was no such expectation from any of my sisters. It is not that these things started happening around me when I entered my teenage. They have been happening around me since I was born, but I started getting affected by them only during my teenage. As a male, I was conditioned to think and behave in a certain way, even in the poor neighborhood, I had many privileges just because of my gender. Females were looked at and treated in a certain way, almost like some object. There were strict boundaries for them that they were not supposed to cross, and if they crossed, there were serious consequences. Even their own families did not spare them if they dared to cross those boundaries. 

Education for me was only a key to coming out of poverty, nothing more than that. I was desperate to get out of poverty and education was the only option available to me. I did not go to school and college because I loved it or enjoyed it, but because I had to as it was my ticket to the outside world. The world that I saw around me but didn't belong to. I desperately wanted to be rich, rich enough so that I didn't have to think about how to get things that I needed. During my high school and college days, I started reading books outside my study books. Reading was not my hobby of choice, but it just happened that it was the only option available once my other friends went their own ways pursuing different options that economically underprivileged neighborhoods offered. It was sad to part ways, but it was also unavoidable. As I did not have much to do, I started reading newspapers beyond sports and film portions, and from there I got introduced to politics, religion, and other subjects. I wanted to know more and this is how I started borrowing books from libraries around me. This is when my life changed. 

My family thinks that I am a feminist or have liberal social values because I came to America, but this is not true. I was like this even when I was living in Pune but I did not talk about it much. I also never used to stay much at home and at home, I never used to talk much. For example, my daughter is named Sara, which is not a name considered for a girl in Hindu families, not because I visited America or knew anything about America, but because I wanted her to understand that people may judge you just based on your name and she should not the one doing this. It was this simple, I was not looking for anything else. I learned this from the book I read about Dr. Shriram Lagoo, a famous Marathi, and Hindi movie/stage actor. I read so many books that I don't even remember their names or authors. I just remember what I read not who wrote it or where I read it. I just read whatever came into my hands, even at the cost of my academic performance. The education system in which I studied never encouraged any outside reading, rather it was considered a waste of time. I am sure my academic performance would have been much better if I had not listened to Hindi movie songs or read as much as I did. I might have become an engineer, a doctor, or even a government officer that my parents desperately wanted me to become, but definitely would not have learned about feminism, casteism, gender discrimination, communalism, socialism, communism, capitalism, hate politics, secularism, and many other things. I do not regret wasting my time in reading at all, it provided some answers to the questions that I had but did not who to ask. Books saved me from being a narrow-minded, patriarchal, casteist, communal male, they made me a better person than I was. All the books I read and the Hindi film music made my teenage years less bumpy and turbulent than they could have been. It also saved me from various addictions that were common in my neighborhood. I was so addicted to reading books, watching movies, and buying audio cassettes that I had no money left for cigarettes, alcohol, or gutkha (a chewing tobacco product that was a craze during my college days).  

I hope at least some of the readers will relate to my teenage years. These years are years of internal and external changes. Along with our body and hormone levels, our understanding of our surroundings also evolves. It is good to find some channel or mechanism to cope with this change. I found that channel in movies, music, and books. Some may find it in performing arts or sports. Some may find it in writing or cooking. Find that channel that will make your ride less bumpy and turbulent. It will be still shaky, but not as much to knock you off the road or throw you off the cliff. You will be fine, just find the channel that works for you. These are our formative years, if my experience helps you to find some solace and guidance, I am happy. 

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

A tale of two bar exams

This year has been a crazy year for me not only because of Covid-19 but also because of the bar exams which I have to give. I gave two bar exams in a single month (October). First was the Connecticut State Bar exam, the first-ever online CT Bar exam, and the second one was the Patent Bar exam, the one which applicants have to pass to practice before the USPTO (the United States Patent and Trademark Office). Both exams are considered extremely complicated and tough. Normally they recommend 500-600 hours of study for the state bar exams and 150-200 hours of study for the Patent Bar, that too with very expensive bar prep courses. The point is they are not easy, and the applicant's professional career depends on passing those exams. 

The Patent Bar exam is a multiple-choice exam with 100 questions and the applicant needs to get 70 of them right to pass the exam. The exam is given at designated exam centers. The applicant has to book an appointment in advance within the USPTO's provided deadline (90 days from the day the application is accepted). Due to the pandemic, the USPTO was kind enough to make the deadline flexible as many exam centers were closed, and it was not known when they would open. When the centers finally opened, applicants were required to wear masks for the entire duration of the exam (6 hrs, two sessions of 3 hr each). The only issue some applicants face is the speed of a computer and the quality of MPEP (it's an open book exam, MPEP is the book on which the exam is based). When we are giving a high-pressure exam where time is critical, a delay of even a few seconds adds to the pressure. At some exam centers, the resolution of the pdf file of MPEP is not that great. Apart from this the exam is well designed and tests your ability to remember things from MPEP and search MPEP for required information quickly and accurately.

It was an altogether different story for the state bar exam. Normally, the state bar exams are conducted in person, and they are conducted over two days. However, this year due to the pandemic the state bar examination committees of various states including the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee decided to conduct a remote bar exam, the first remote bar exam in the history of the bar exam. By any standards, it was not an easy endeavor to take. In some states, thousands of applicants take the bar exam, and conducting a proctored exam using artificial intelligence proctoring was not an easy task. Plus there were other concerns like the security of question papers, internet connectivity, AI's bias in proctoring, computer availability with proper specifications to give the exam, and many more. There were multiple townhouse-type meetings conducted by the CT Bar Examining Committee members to listen to student grievances and to their credit they tried to answer each and every concern raised by the students. First, they eliminated the requirement of an internet connection during the exam, this was a big relief for applicants like me. My apartment does not have uninterrupted wireless connectivity and I am sure there are many who have the same problem as me. I was worried that if my internet connection gets interrupted I might be disqualified from the exam for no fault of mine. It was a big relief for me to know that an internet connection was not required during the exam. Applicants could download the exam up to 3 days before the exam and have time to submit their exam up to 3 days after the exam. They also waived the computer registration fee which is collected even during the in-person exam and also offered to pay for the hotel room accommodation for applicants who did not have a private space to take the exam. According to me, this was a great gesture by the Examining Committee as this was a genuine problem for many applicants as many live in apartments or houses where there is no secluded spot where they can take a lengthy exam without any interruption. The exam happened without many issues, it was a tremendous effort on many levels. Definitely, it was not easy for applicants as well as the examining committees to go through this process, but all of us did. I applaud the efforts of all candidates who passed and also those who didn't, they all put in their best efforts, some it worked, and for some, it will work next time, but we all were witnesses to a historical event.

This experience was unique. The preparation process even with the help of prep courses was very rigorous and demanding. It required a lot of commitment and discipline from my side. I could not have done this without the support of my family, friends, my law firm, and my mentors. They all played a crucial role in motivating me and encouraging me to take up this challenge. Of course, our age, stage of life, familial, and situations create their own challenges, these challenges are different for different people, and that's why our struggles, as well as our achievements, are unique. I am glad to be done with these exams and I hope anyone reading this will derive some inspiration that will help them to go through this rigorous and challenging process. 

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

Let's see if age old discriminatory traditions withstand the challenge posed by modern women.

Women empowerment is still a subject of debate in many societies. Many developed countries are still trying to work out many policy changes which can help women to be a part of work force and contribute equally in all sectors of country's development. Many developing or undeveloped countries are still battling with many issues where discrimination against women is still practiced without any remorse or guilt. Recent issues related with entry of women in some temples or mosques of India is ideal example of it. Actually struggle for rights of some oppressed class is not new for any civilization, many great people have fought for causes like these, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is one such example. This time it is good to see that the challenger to these age old traditions is the group of women, they themselves are fighting for their rights, there is not some political party or some charismatic leader leading their cause but it is a group of women who are leading this fight. I believe that this is really good thing, unless and until women themselves realize about discrimination against them and fight against it any number of laws or policies will have very limited effect. In reality there are already many rules, laws and constitutional rights which forbid any type of gender discrimination but in reality all those things just remain on paper and some age old traditions or beliefs take precedence over any law or rights. So it is good that women themselves decided to take on this task to challenge some of these discriminatory traditions. If they are really serious about this challenge then I am sure these traditions are facing the toughest threats they ever faced.

In reality, every religion has some discriminatory practice or tradition against women, it doesn't matter what their book or manual says one can easily notice that men and women are treated differently by every religion. For centuries most of these discriminatory practices were unchallenged but in last few decades things started to change. Many of these movements which challenge such traditions started on really small scale but they gained momentum as more and more women became aware of this discrimination. I guess they realized that just having an academic discussion about equality or conducting debates about feminism is not enough to change the things on ground. Many of these beliefs are centuries old, very strong opposition from section who is suffering because of them is required to change these things, just discussion and debates are not enough. I am glad that this is happening in India, I am sure things will change. Already many things have changed so this movement also will bring some desirable change. It might take some time but governments and courts can't ignore these protests for long, they definitely need to do something about this. I hope there will be some discussion about these issues with involvement of both parties and something positive will come out of all this. Actually it is not just about right to pray or enter the temple, this is a question about equality. One issue related with entry in temple is already in supreme court, this decision might act as a catalyst to change things across India, so a lot depends on what decision supreme court of India gives in this matter. Historically courts have always been more progressive compared to respective governments in such matters. On some occasions government reversed court orders on some sensitive matters for short term political gains, so it will be interesting to see what happens in this case. 

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

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

Mr. Modi, I wish it was only one party's fault

I heard the slogan "Congress mukta Bharat" (Congress-free India) during this year's (2014) general election campaign by BJP leader Mr. Narendra Modi. Many BJP supporters liked the idea, after all, who doesn't like to wipe out their political rival from the picture? Somehow every other problem that India is facing today is blamed upon the Congress party and its ideologies. This is because the Congress has ruled India for most of the time since independence (1947). Superficially, this claim looks very legit, but if we analyze it closely it doesn't look only one party's fault. BJP itself has been in national politics in some form or another for the last 40 years or so. They also got a chance to run the central government for ~ 9 years in between (six years on their own and three years as a part of the Janta Party govt). They have been a major opposition party for the last few years and also have their government in some states of India. So, part of the blame also goes to them, but they may not accept this as they want to put all the blame on Congress. No doubt Congress cannot escape the responsibility, they have to accept responsibility for their mistakes but there is more than one culprit who is responsible for all this mess.

Over the years India has developed a very corrupt, unaccountable political and bureaucratic system. Our politicians hardly tried to modify the structure of the police or the bureaucratic setup that the British designed for the rulers. India got the new constitution which promises so many great things but they didn't support it with system reforms which was required to deliver those promises to every citizen. This system is still running but it failed to deliver the expected results. Lack of transparency and accountability are major salient features of this system. This system also heavily depends on the people who are running it, if they are honest and sincere system might produce some desired results but if not then there is ample scope for corruption, and if they are caught there are many loopholes to escape. So, the failure of Congress or even the BJP to deliver great results is in part because of the nature of this system. As this system is very beneficial for rulers, it allows them to have complete control over the judiciary, investigating agencies, and police (after all British designed it to control India), so these parties are very reluctant to change it. Whenever they got the opportunity Congress or BJP both never showed any intent to introduce desired reforms to make this system more transparent and accountable. They both made many promises which were not fulfilled mostly because of widespread corruption in the entire system. 

This so-called Congress-free India promised by the BJP is not going to be any different with this same system. I wish a solution was so simple to all the problems that India is facing today. Actually, no matter which party comes into power, with the same system in place, and with the same loopholes, not many things are going to change for the common people of India. India needs independent agencies that can implement existing laws impartially and effectively to protect people's interests. India lacks truly independent government branches, almost everything is under the control of the government. There are many laws and rules that protect the interests of political parties and their leaders, they all fight for it and these rules are effectively implemented but similar treatment is not offered to common people. They are at the mercy of these leaders or parties to get anything from the government. In a true democracy, it's the government of the people, by the people, for the people but we don't see that picture in India. That's why people are frustrated with the current system. This is the main reason why new and inexperienced parties like AAP are getting so much support and attention. It's easy to blame one single party and it's easy to put all the blame on them, but actually, it's the fault of the whole system which involves all political parties and voters. We need some reforms in every sector, it doesn't matter who brings them but we need them for sure. I think all political parties are aware of this demand but somehow they are not willing to take any action as the current system suits them. After all, who wants to dilute their share in power, who wants to lose their control over each agency including the judiciary. Congress-free India is not an appealing idea Mr. Modi, I don't even want it because I know it is not going to change anything, but yes, corruption-free India is desirable. A transparent and accountable system is very appealing and if you want to talk about that then I am listening. Another request to you and all leaders from other parties is it would be great if you all could support your promises with some concrete actions because, for the last many decades, we have only listened to false promises, especially about dealing with corruption. So far it is just talk but no walk from all political parties and I expect to see some change this time.

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

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

When I felt like a foreigner in my own country

This week I came back to New Haven from my India visit. I try to visit India at least once in two years. Every visit is special and full of many, many good memories. I have a very strong attachment with my friends, relatives, parents and this place itself that I can't stay away for very long, this country pulls me back from wherever I am. 

No doubt that India is changing, and it's changing fast. The effect of globalization is seen everywhere. Cities are expanding like anything, villages are shrinking, greenery is disappearing from cities and is being replaced by huge buildings, vehicles on roads are increasing, all major fast food chains have their shops at every corner in all major cities, any brand in fashion or automobile you can get very easily now, spotting Mercedes or BMW on the road is no more a surprise. This all in just the last 9 years since I left the country, all this was bound to happen, and change was bound to come, and I welcome this change but I have somewhat mixed feelings about this rapid change for various reasons. I think the problem is the change is mostly superficial. I see that India is changing physically very fast but most other things are still as it is or may be going from bad to worse (just my personal analysis). No doubt that money inflow and circulation have increased in India, the mentality to save money for the future is long gone and consumerism is at its peak. I like it when I see that people are living comfortable lifestyles and can afford many comforts and luxuries that were out of their reach just a few years ago.

Many people are trying to ape Western countries blindly, fast food chains and global soft drink brands have replaced local brands. Even many Indians now prefer to drink mineral water outside their homes, that's a huge surprise for me. But still, there is no concern for the environment or a philanthropic mindset. Any festival season or long weekend results in huge cash collections in many famous temples across the country. People go out of their way to donate money to these religious organizations without being bothered about what these organizations do with all this money. Mostly this money or donations are offered to get something from God, many people who indulge in corruption donate heavily to these organizations and think that they washed their dirty hands and are free to carry on their loot. This is the sick mentality and it should change, donations should be for good causes not for selfish reasons.

When I saw all these things, for a moment I felt like a foreigner in my own country because I couldn't relate to all these things. I was wondering if is this the same place where I was born and brought up. No doubt the place has changed drastically but this change is not from within, it's just an external makeover. Still, there are undercurrents of casteism wherever you go, even elite universities and institutions are not free from these things. If educational institutes are polluted like this then how one can expect students coming out from these institutes to have unbiased views? I saw even small kids have very negative opinions about other communities and people from other religions. I was wondering from where they learn all these things? Why their parents don't take special care so that their kids don't get trapped in a negative mindset about people around them? Don't we have to develop our thinking along with material developments?

India is a country of diverse cultures and languages but this diversity itself has created many problems. We failed to take advantage of this diversity, rather we are stuck with the mindset of protecting our own identity (in terms of cast, religion, region, or language). These challenges are unique for India and I strongly believe that Indians are capable of handling them. Anti-corruption movement started by Anna Hazare and his group is a good initiative in this direction. At least someone is trying to change the system rather than just complaining and blaming it.

But please don't get a pessimistic view about India. It is much more than the problems that I stated above, it's the largest democracy in the world and it's not easy to manage so many people with different cultures, languages, and religions. It's a unique example where people can live happily despite so many problems and hurdles in their lives. 

Sometimes I do feel like a stranger in my own country but the very next moment I realize that I belong there, among all the chaos, noise, dust, and crowds resides a country that I love and care about. I know as a nation we face many problems and some tough challenges but I am also confident that we can handle it and this trip made my belief even stronger. I didn't come disappointed but I came full of optimism and hope.


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

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)  

How 'Satyamev Jayate' affected me

Today (July 29th, 2012) was the last episode of Amir's show 'Satyamev Jayate.' For the last thirteen weeks every Sunday morning, I waited eagerly to watch this show, I can only compare this excitement I had with only two TV shows from the past 'Ramayan' and 'Mahabharat'. I am sure many people liked this show as much as I did and there must be few (or many) who didn't like it and must have their own reasons for it. I watched this show with my family, especially with kids, I wanted them to watch it to understand what problems Indians and Indian society face even today, what are the burning issues in Indian society, and also I was interested in their reactions to it.

Frankly, Amir's show didn't tell us anything new. All who spend their life in India know that these problems exist in Indian society (some of them are worldwide issues like child sex abuse, alcoholism or drug addiction, domestic violence, excessive use of pesticides, etc.). So, if it didn't say anything new then what was so special about this show? For me, the special thing was their presentation. The way Satyamev Jayate's team did the research for each topic, their selection of topics was very interesting and the way they presented the issues on the show was unique. This was not done on Indian television before. Mnay of the issues were really sensitive like female foeticide, malpractices in medical profession or manual scavenging and can generate quite angry and passionate reactions in India but they all were handled in very balanced way. Amir is not the first Hindi movie star who came on TV, many big stars debuted on TV and were very successful in whatever shows they did, but his show was totally different than all other shows from the past. It was a very rewarding experience, sometimes it took me back to the chawl where I grew up, sometimes it took me to my village in Uttar Pradesh (UP), sometimes it showed me the problems I faced in my own family, it was a very unique experience for me. I have seen or experienced most of the issues or problems discussed in the show that's why I can relate to them and maybe that's the major reason I liked this show. Many times I cried while watching the show, and many times I got angry after listening to victims' stories, but this show also gave me a lot of hope. The show also showed me that people want to change and many people are working to bring that change. 

In the last episode, they showed many examples where people or organizations working selflessly to bring that change. The main message it gave was that we can bring change, it's easy to blame the system, politicians, or fate for the problems we face. It's easy to expect that someone will stand up and raise their voice against these issues or that future generations might be able to solve these problems as they are better equipped and well informed, but it doesn't have to be someone else, we can fight and try to solve all these problems. We all can fight against these things together and win, and we can only win if we fight together. The change or fight has to start with a single person and that is me. If I am not prepared to raise my hand to fight then I don't have any right to complain and don't have any right to expect that others might solve these problems for me so that my kids won't face these issues when they grow up. This is the major difference between this show and other shows, it not only raised the question but also offered the solution and told me that 'I can be the solution'.

Thanks a lot, Amir for making this show, and thanks a lot to your team for its efforts and research. I know that shows like this can't bring change or revolution in society but they can definitely catalyze it, they can initiate the discussion and create awareness that can lead to revolution and it can bring that change. This show has done its job and now we have to do ours. Only greed, lust, and desires can not dictate our behavior we need to think beyond all these things. Humans are a result of millions of years of evolution and we need to behave like an evolved species. 

Thanks for reading and please share your opinion.

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)