I understand your difficulties Mr. Tharoor

The speech by Mr Shashi Tharoor which he gave during a debate at Oxford University went viral on the internet. In this speech, he rebuked the argument that India was in no way benefited by British rule rather he argued that it was Britain who was the beneficiary at the cost of India's development. As expected, this speech won praise from all quarters in India, even Indian Prime Minister Mr. Modi made a special mention of this speech. There is no doubt that Mr. Tharoor is a very good writer and excellent orator, especially in English. I love the way he presents his arguments and conducts himself during any debate or discussion. His mannerisms and grasp of various issues are very impressive. Even after being in Indian politics, he shows courage to view his opinions about sensitive issues like juvenile justice bill or capital punishment. Many political parties and their leaders stay away from saying anything contrary to the general public perception about these sensitive issues but so far Mr. Tharoor has shown the courage to express his views boldly on these matters. I hope he continues to do this even in the future. I personally may or may not agree with all of his views and ideas, but I really appreciate his willingness to express opinions on matters that most other political leaders try to avoid.

Unfortunately, his own party (Indian National Congress) is crippled by its own insecurities and therefore can not make use of this brilliant public speaker as their spokesperson. According to them, it seems he has a tendency to speak some of the things which are logical and most of the time correct but not fit for messy Indian politics. Many times, some of his statements put his own party in a difficult situation because they want spokespersons who speak only politically convenient language not logical or rational things. It seems no political party in India likes this type of free mind or independent thinker to speak on behalf of them. Mr. Tharoor landed in such trouble just a few days back when he said that he is not in favor of using the disruption of parliament as a tool to corner the government. Actually, there is nothing wrong with what he said, there is no use in disrupting the parliament and stalling the important work that parliament and its members are supposed to do. It is true that the current ruling coalition NDA (mainly BJP) did this in the past, but their wrong actions of the past can not justify the same actions performed in the present by any other party. So even though Mr. Tharoor was right he faced the wrath of some of his party members for objecting to the party's political tactics. I am glad that even after all this snubbing and scolding people like him or Nandan Nilekani are trying to stay in politics. I also understand why these people have to go with the Indian National Congress rather than any other political party, the secular ideas and values represented by this party match these people's thinking which is why even after all the problems and drawbacks associated with this party they have to go with this party as there is no other equally suitable alternative for them. This explains their political choice. I consider myself politically independent and I support any political party based on issues, that is why I also face the same problems when I have to choose any single political party to cast my vote during any election. I face the same dilemma and always have to settle for the lesser evil rather than the ideal choice. Unfortunately, there is no legal choice in politics, it doesn't have to be, we need to find a party that aligns well with our basic values. This is why I say that I understand the problems of people like Mr. Tharoor, I really appreciate their efforts to remain in this system and also be able to protect their identity. Many people after entering this very robust and old political system become part of it, the system changes them, rather than them changing in the system. There are many examples of this from past and present to prove this. It is very easy to criticize the system, get frustrated, and say nothing can be done to change it, but it takes a great amount of patience, determination, and stamina to enter into it and try to swim against the current. Very few dare to do it, most of the people enter to swim with the current and reap the benefit. So don't worry Mr. Tharoor, I understand your problems but don't get disheartened by temporary setbacks, please keep on expressing your opinions and initiating discussions on various topics. Let's keep the fire of independent and free-thinking minds burning, we owe at least this much to 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. Dr Shashi Tharoor- Britain Does Owe Reparations
2. Dr. Shashi Tharoor on the Juvenile Justice Bill, 2015
3. http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/hanging-yakub-memon-makes-us-murderers-too-1202042

Dr. Kalam - a symbol of hard work, honesty, and passion

Former president of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam died on July 27th. India lost a great visionary, a very dedicated scientist, and a great teacher. He died while doing what he loved most while sharing his ideas to inspire students. He always believed that students hold the key to the future of any country and it is very necessary to keep an open dialogue with them. He always tried to engage with students all over India, his lectures and seminars were mostly directed toward students and the young generation who were looking for some advice and a little bit of motivation. I personally heard some of his lectures during some conferences, and I found his enthusiasm very infectious, this man loved to talk about science, and he loved to project a very optimistic picture of our future. I even read his autobiography "Wings of Fire", this all happened when I was passing through a really tough phase of my PhD studies, his words and book were some of the things that inspired and encouraged me to continue my struggle. His honesty, simplicity, and enthusiasm always inspired me, and millions of others.

When he became president of India, it was the first time there was a person who didn't belong to any particular political party. Traditionally, the president has a very nominal role to play in the Indian democratic system, the post is more of a ceremonial, but even there also he made his presence felt and performed his duties to the best of his capabilities. Teaching was his first love, he loved to teach, and give seminars and lectures. There are many of his speeches available on the internet where he talks about his vision of India and his optimism about future generations achieving the impossible. But it is ironic that even though there are many inspirational speeches delivered by him, there is not a single speech matching those other speeches delivered by him in the Indian parliament. This shows how a president is made just a mouthpiece of the ruling government, they are supposed to read the speech provided to them by the current government in parliament. I have not seen any president including Dr. Kalam delivering their own speech with their own thoughts in parliament, this is why I really feel sad that our political class failed to take full advantage of the presence of such an inspirational personality in Rashtrapati Bhawan. Whereas the whole nation drew a lot of inspiration from Dr. Kalam and revered his work, dedication, and honesty, our politicians didn't even bother to learn anything from him. His simplicity, honesty towards his job, and dedication to solving the problems of his country are something that they could learn from him.

There is no doubt that Dr. Kalam will be missed in India, that too in an era where religious fanaticism is growing and people are more interested in playing the blame game than solving the problems. I wish people, especially politicians in India, would listen to his speeches or read his books and learn some lessons. I wish tribute to him doesn't only come from words but also from actions. I personally felt really bad when he didn't get a second term as president, that was a terrible move by the UPA government. But that is history now, Dr. Kalam is no more but his legacy should live. For me, he is a symbol of honesty, hard work, and never-ending passion for his country and its people. He loved what he did and that's the one lesson I learned from him. I hope he inspires many people to work hard in whatever field they choose and deliver their best. Not everyone gets to work in a field that we want, many times that is not in our hands, but we all can work hard in whatever field we get the opportunity, this is in our hand. Goodbye, Kalam sir, thank you for all your hard work and inspiration, you will be remembered as a great teacher. 

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

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

Untouchability - how a precautionary practice turned into a horrible custom?

Untouchability is one of the horrible practices which is still practiced in some parts of India. This evil practice was so common and ingrained in people's minds that it not only became an integral part of Hinduism but also got imported into other religions that are practiced in India. These religions like Christianity or Islam don't have a system of upper caste or lower caste in other parts of the world, but in India, they inherited this local practice as they found it very difficult to break this ancient custom so they just adapted it. I saw this being practiced on many occasions as a child and always wondered why some people are treated like this? This practice raised many questions in my mind, why it is not proper to touch people belonging to a particular caste? What will happen if we drink or eat with the same utensils? I asked many people about why some people are treated in such an inhuman way, but very few offered me any rational explanation apart from giving the standard answer that these people belong to some lower caste that's why they are treated like this or it is their bad karma or it's their fate. These pathetic explanations never satisfied my curiosity, I continued to do my research on this and discussed it with many people who had anything to share related to this subject. My guess is that originally it was some precautionary practice that was started during the pre-sanitation era to avoid the spreading of germs and infections from people who do work where there is a high chance of spreading germs, for example, jobs like cleaning and animal slaughtering. This made sense to control the spread of germs when there was no other way to sanitize things, but only till these people cleaned themselves after finishing their jobs. However, some people in power decided to abuse this by making these people untouchables so that they could force these sections of society into the same professions for generations.

It is possible that many years ago people doing certain types of jobs like waste removal, dead body and animal disposal, haircutting and shaving, butchery, and meat selling, were quarantined because of the nature of their jobs. Basically, people doing all such types of work were at a very high risk of infection or high chances of contamination of some really bad smell or germs and they were treated with special precaution while doing that job so that others around them don't get affected by these things. This was supposed to be a precautionary method to avoid a health risk. Even today we still practice these things in medical science, people use gloves, masks, or special protective clothing to avoid infections or contamination, they don't shake hands while working, and only interact with others outside their professional group after using proper methods of sanitization and cleaning. People with serious infectious diseases like tuberculosis, SARS, or Ebola are quarantined so that infection doesn't spread and becomes a public health crisis. Whenever we go to see a newborn baby we take all precautions so that we don't infect it with germs. But this all is part of a precautionary hygienic lifestyle to avoid health risks. We don't treat a doctor like an untouchable outside the operation theater, we shake hands with janitors or meat factory workers when they are not working and are not required to wear gloves and other protective equipment. In a way, Hinduism is a very tolerant religion so it is strange that such a horrible practice became part of it. One of the biggest failures of Hinduism is its inability to stop such traditions. Discriminatory systems such as the caste system and untouchability are integral parts of Hinduism and even after knowing this, such systems still exist. Things like casteism and untouchability have no place in modern society but still, some people try to keep them alive for their own selfish gains.

We as a society collectively need to fight against such discriminatory practices, no matter what the original intention behind these practices or traditions was, these are social evils and we need to eliminate them. The way these things were practiced in the past and are practiced today is shameful and I hope people stop practicing these things.

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

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

Religion is like a personal medication, don't brag about it

During one of my discussions on Facebook, someone said that "religion is also good when taken like medicine." This statement might sound strange to some people but in a way it is true. I always believed that religion and religious beliefs are very personal matters of any individual much like their personal medication. Many people need some type of medication for some health issues, these issues can be physical or mental. Every patient who visits any doctor for some problems gets their personal prescription to improve their health. Apart from prescription medications, people can buy over-the-counter medicines on their own for a variety of conditions that are not that serious. Many people have to take these medications daily, some medicines suit them which they continue to take and some do not which they discontinue or find a substitute medication. But very few discuss these things openly in public, we don't go on telling people around us what medication we take and how good we feel because of that medicine. We don't start recommending those medicines to everyone without knowing their health condition. We don't do this specifically because we feel that it is not appropriate to share a very personal matter in public and also because we know whatever medicine is good or suitable for us may or may not suit another person. There are also very strict laws in many countries to protect the personal medical history of patients. People do share these things with their close ones which is a normal thing to do, but most refrain from boasting about their list of medications in public. Religion is also a very personal thing, many people need it for their personal well-being. This need is very genuine for them, and it is quite reasonable that such people try to satisfy this need by following one or more religions. There are many options available in the market of religion, we all get one option by default, the one in which we are born, but we can shop around and change to whatever other religion we like. One can compare religion with personal medication, people use religion for their personal well-being as they use medicines to improve their health. Many of them get some benefits and enjoy the many good things that come along with it. As long as they keep it personal and use it for their own benefit, things are fine and no one should have any issue with this practice.

Things start getting complicated when people start to force their religion on others, that too without bothering to know if other people need it or not. When a deeply personal thing like religion is forced to homogenize society, it creates a lot of problems. People who don't like it start resisting it, and some launch their own products which creates competition and a lot of competition in the market of religion. This competition creates a lot of rivalries, like rivalries between various pharmaceutical companies. The only difference is pharma company rivalries ultimately help patients as it results in more medicines and cheaper prices, but religions hate rivalries, they either try to destroy other religions or make every effort to convert people to their own religion. Religious rivalries did create more religions, but it also resulted in violent communal conflicts. So far, millions of people died in such conflicts all over the world. Even after all this people fail to understand that religion is a very personal matter, there is no need for a public display of it. 

Maybe like medicines we need a regulated market for all religions. Now one can ask why something like religion needs rules and regulations like pharma products. This is specifically because like every medication, religion also has many side effects and some of them are really serious. The tendency of many religious groups to indulge in communal violence is one of the fatal side effects. Gender discrimination, suppression of certain classes, and superstitions are a few other noticeable and serious side effects. People who practice religion should be aware of these things as they directly affect them. It would be a really good idea for every religion to publish a list of side effects that it may cause. It will be a good idea to make such a list mandatory as it is for every approved medicine. It can help people to choose a religion that suits their needs and minimize its side effects on them. Various religions can list these side effects based on their history. Most of them have very well-documented history which can easily give them such a list of various issues and problems. The point I am trying to make here is, in today's world religion is a very personal matter, please don't try to make it into some sort of social movement. In the past, it was used as a social tool as nothing else was available, but that need doesn't exist anymore, so the time has come for religion to become a private matter, just like our medications.  

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

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

Let go of the need to be right

We all like to be right all the time, in every situation, in every discussion, and during every argument. We all assume that we are right while pursuing any argument, and I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Most of us feel that it is not only important for our reputation, but it is our duty to be right, and most of us hate when someone proves us wrong. Some of us are so convinced by our beliefs and thoughts that we feel that whatever we say is always right and people opposing us are always wrong, this belief is especially very predominant and strong among fanatics. It is all so good and nice if everything goes according to our expectations, we feel happy if we manage to win arguments, and score points over our opponents during discussions and debates. This feeling of being right drives us to participate in many debates and discussions passionately. We expect ourselves to be on the right side all the time and many of us take the easier route we start believing that whatever side we support is the right side. This makes us defend our religion, political party, ideology, and political or religious leader, no matter what they do or what they say, we use all our talent and intellect to defend them. This need to be right all the time has created rigid walls within our society. People are not willing to find any common ground to solve many important problems that we are facing today. People are more interested in proving themselves right and others wrong rather than finding solutions. I think that no single ideology, religion, political party, or any other discipline has the answer to all the questions and problems that we face today, we need to take the best from each field and try our best collectively to solve the issues in front of us. But the need to be right all the time is one of the major hurdles in bringing all interested parties on board to create some amicable solution for many solvable problems.

As a person who has both political and social views, I participate in a variety of discussions, some of them very fruitful and rewarding where I learn some new things, and some of them total waste of time leading to useless arguments. I try to enjoy both types of discussions and participate in them as long as I have some fun and get some knowledge. I always say that I like it when people prove me wrong, especially when they do it by producing reliable and verifiable evidence against the points which I am arguing for. I like it not because I love being proven wrong, but because when it happens, I learn something new, I learn something that I ignored or failed to notice, it teaches me something, and allows me to grow and improve my knowledge. I would be lying if I said that I don't feel bad or disappointed when this happens, but in the end, I feel good to learn something new, after all, I don't know everything and I don't have answers to all the questions. Because of my desire to learn something new, I don't feel the need to be right all the time, rather I am always looking for updated data to update my views and opinions. My aim in participating in any discussion or watching any debate is to know more about various facts associated with that topic. As humans we all are bound to make some mistakes, we all are bound to mess up or say something which is not right. The best way is not to deny it or sulk over it if someone proves us wrong, but to look at the evidence and accept the mistake, learn from it, and move on.

I have to be prepared to accept that I might be wrong. This is one of the basic understandings one should have while participating in any discussion. Thinking that we are always right puts a lot of pressure on us as well as makes us lose our ability to learn any new things from our opponents. Once we let go of the desire to be right or stop thinking that we are always right, then we become more tolerant of new ideas and views. Once we get rid of this desire to be always right, we become more receptive and open to alternate views. It is very difficult to get rid of our bias of being right all the time, but at least we should try. Please broaden your horizons and let go of the need to be right. Don't be afraid to commit mistakes or accept that you were wrong, but also don't forget to learn a lesson from them and move on.

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

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

Why I don't participate in campaigns like #Selfiewithdaughter

Why I don't participate in campaigns like #Selfiewithdaughter?

I read the news that #selfiewithdaughter is trending on Twitter since India's PM Mr. Modi asked people to share selfies with their daughters along with the line 'beti bachao, beti padhao' (which means, save daughters, educate daughters). I understand that the intention behind this is to spread awareness about decreasing male to female ratio in Indian society. The tagline "save daughters" is directed towards female feticide, where gender-selective abortions are very common. But I see a problem with this, many people who are concerned with dropping male to female ratio or female feticide issue try to project females or girls as something special, something precious which needs extra protection or attention or care. They all forget that this is the same attitude that resulted in gender discrimination and the perception that females are the weaker sex or a liability to the family. Such campaigns, no matter how well intended, fail to produce any desired results. They do create some media coverage, the issue gets discussed in some debates but hardly anything changes on the ground. There are enough government programs and laws in India like the anti-dowry law, there is even a law that gives daughters an equal share in ancestral property, but still, dowry is a very common practice and very few people bother to give girls their legal share in ancestral property. They all consider their daughters very special, treat them very nicely, and all love them, but they are not considered as EQUALS. Always or in most cases son is considered as heir of property or leader of the family, and there is a different set of rules for sons compared to daughters. I agree that the situation is changing slowly but not at the speed with which it should. It is also true that the situation of women in many Western countries is comparatively much better than in countries like India, India has a lot of ground to cover and this campaign is not going to help in that direction. Problems on the ground are very different, the situation and status of women in society needs a major revamp. Unless women are made equal partners in each and every decision-making process, their situation is not going to improve. One doesn't need to respect only their mothers, sisters, or daughters but also their wives, neighbors, and colleagues. We should stop looking at women only through the prism of some personal relationships, and treat them as equal individuals. 

So, why do I think that such campaigns are not useful, or why I don't participate in such campaigns especially when I claim to be a feminist and someone who believes in gender equality? Actually, I am against any special treatment offered to women or men just because of their gender, this is against the basic concept of equality. My daughter is just one of my kids, she is not any more special than my son. She is like any other member of my family with EQUAL rights; no more, no less. She gets all the privileges and rights that my son or I get in my family. She is allowed to party the same way my son is allowed, she is allowed to hang out with her friends (male or female doesn't matter) the same way my son is allowed to do it, she is allowed to watch the movies or TV programs which are suitable to her age (based on ratings), she is allowed to use words which I am allowed to use while speaking in home or in public, she is expected to do chores like everyone else, she or my son are not treated any different based on their gender. We don't offer any concession or privilege to her just because she is a girl. The same is true for my son, he doesn't get anything extra just because he is a boy. My daughter is not assigned any chores just because this is what girls are supposed to learn or do; it is her choice if she wants to learn cooking or not, she has to decide whether she wants to learn driving or not and the same is true for my son also. Equality doesn't come with any special privileges, rather equality means that there should not be any special privileges for anyone. If we want to teach our daughters the meaning of equality first and basic thing we need to do is to treat them as equals. If we don't practice equality in real life then just talking about it will not make any difference. Equality means giving equal respect, freedom, opportunity, and responsibility.

Whether it is positive or negative both types of discrimination are bad. Daughters are not special, they are equal and responsible members of any family. They deserve equal status, not some special treatment. Such special treatment offered to them for centuries is the very reason that they are discriminated against. Many societies worship female gods, they treat them as special and show extra protectiveness and concern. What is the result of all this? Women are not treated as equals, many restrictions are forced upon them just because of their gender, and they are considered as weak or less capable. Now the time has come not to give any special treatment, but to give them equal resources, opportunities, freedom, and responsibilities which they deserve. Any society or country is not doing any favor by giving women equal rights, rather societies should be ashamed that still women have to demand equal rights for them. These types of campaigns might create some media buzz, but we need a change in the mentality of people, let parents take oath that they will give equal share to their daughters in their property, they will let her choose her career and life partner, and they will not restrict her from doing something just because of her gender. Let them promise that they will make sure that daughters will have all the freedom that any other male member of her age from their family enjoys. Parents can post selfies with their daughters on the internet, it is a very easy thing to do but I hope they go many steps further and treat her as an equal human being, not something fragile, weak, and inferior. Gender inequality is a very big problem across the world, and it is even bigger in countries like India. Even though I don't think that any such campaign has any capacity to bring any real change, I will be happy if this initiative helps to create awareness about gender equality. I also hope this doesn't send the wrong message that daughters are in any way special because they are not, they are equals, and please treat them as equals.

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

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

Is teenage parenthood very different than child marriage?

This question came up in my mind during one of my discussions with my daughter. We were discussing the merits and demerits of high school kids dating each other. Teenage dating, especially in high schools is a part of the modern-day culture in many developed countries, even in developing countries like India it is becoming very common. In countries like the US, dating starts during high school or middle school, and in countries like India, it used to start during college. The main reason for this time difference is that in India high schools still have a very restricted environment with a requirement of uniforms, a lot of rules and regulations about appearance and many of them are not even co-ed schools whereas in the US there are relatively unrestricted and free environment in schools. Teenage is a very important phase of any individual's life, many physical and psychological changes take place in us. We get transformed physically and well as mentally during these years. This can be called the transition phase of our transformation from child to adult. Many of us become aware of our own sexuality, this is also the time when we start getting attracted to other people sexually. I guess dating is a result of all these changes and in many Western countries, it is a socially accepted phenomenon. Most TV shows or movies propagate this culture, and because of all this aggressive marketing dating has become a necessary activity during high school days for most kids. There is tremendous peer pressure on kids to fit into this culture, and many kids desperately seek a partner as their boyfriend or girlfriend. Relationships are formed and destroyed, and this eventually leads to things like breakups and frustrations associated with it. Kids have to deal with all these things along with their studies, homework, college preparations, and expectations of their parents. Some of them manage these things very well, some just can't handle this all and suffer from depression, anxiety, panic, and many other problems. This has also created a very serious problem of teenage pregnancies. This issue of underage (less than 18 years) girls becoming pregnant and eventually teenage moms is a very important issue. This is important for the future of those newborn infants as well as their underage parents. School kids becoming parents has to be a serious matter for any society. How can a kid bear the complete responsibility of another kid? Many people might say that teenage pregnancy and dating are totally separate issues but according to me they are very closely related.

Fortunately, child marriage is illegal in most parts of the world today, it used to be a very common thing not very long ago. But today many countries have strong laws against child marriage and it has reduced significantly. In this case, kids are coerced to enter into a romantic relationship without even knowing what that relationship actually means. This coercion is not overt, but subtle through movies and other social channels. In the case of child marriage, everything was done under the family's guidance as kids used to be very young and there was no age limit to get married. This was a socially accepted phenomenon in many societies (India was one of them), but we all agree that it was a terrible practice. This ridiculous practice stopped because it created many social problems like the issue of child widows. These young girls used to become widows before even knowing that they were married and then they were forced to live very restricted lives for no fault of theirs. Many old men used to marry girls much younger than them by misusing this system, this all resulted in social uproar against this system, and slowly it was abolished socially and legally.

Friendship is a very beautiful thing and an essential part of our lives. Many of our serious and long-lasting friendships are formed during school and college days. But it seems someone felt that for high school kids, just friendship is not enough they also need to have more serious relationships, and teenage dating was invented. During the teenage years there are a lot of hormonal and physical changes in the human body, and physical attraction to others normally starts at that age. Therefore, no wonder that social acceptance of unmonitored teenage dating was an instant hit among teenagers. There are merits and demerits associated with this approach, especially when there is a possibility of sexual encounters in these types of relationships. As kids, many times they don't understand the consequences of their acts, sexual intercourse is a physical act but it can have many biological, social, and emotional consequences. Emotional and social consequences might differ from person to person but biological consequences are the same for all. Biology doesn't care whether you are a teenager or an adult, whether it is consensual sex or rape, any careless or unprotected sexual act can result in a pregnancy that can ultimately result in parenthood, and being a parent is a huge personal and social responsibility. The teenage pregnancy issue is a byproduct of this uncontrolled dating culture which starts too early in kids' lives, so early that many of them don't even know what a relationship means and what are the consequences of some of their actions. Proper sex education and spreading awareness about these issues is the only way to handle this problem of teenage parenthood. There needs to be a sense among today's youth about what is proper and what is improper sexual behavior. School years are a very important part of anyone's life, this is the time to learn new things, get ready to face new challenges of the future, and form long-lasting friendships, school is not a place to look for a life partner or indulge in unsafe sexual acts.

The culture of child marriage was abolished because many people started misusing it, this rampant misuse made some people protest against it, and slowly that protest created a big social movement that abolished that practice from many societies. I always feel sorry for kids who are busy thinking about their partner's likes and dislikes, how to get over breakups, or whether someone is sexually attracted to them or not. They all do these things at the age when they should be enjoying their school life without thinking about such complicated things. We all get ample time in our lives starting from our college days to worry about these things but school days are not the time to worry about these things. School life has its own style of romance but depression, breakups, and anxiety are not supposed to be part of that romance. I know that teenage parenthood and child marriage are totally different subjects but somehow I see some parallels in both of them, maybe I am wrong that is why I would like to know what others feel about this issue.

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

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

Yoga is beyond any religion

International Yoga Day was celebrated on 21st June, and whereas the whole world participated enthusiastically in this event in India some people and politicians managed to create controversy over this event also. Actually, there is a section of the political and social class who have the habit of looking at everything through the prism of religion. Somehow they try to link each and every issue with their own or some other religion and start debating over it from a religious angle. Because of this, they are often successful in converting even a simple and benign event like International Yoga Day into a controversial subject. There is a section of society that is very eager to link whatever originated in the Indian subcontinent to Hinduism. This is the same section of society that starts saying that Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life when someone objects they can't force Hinduism practices on people from other religions. I personally believe that Hinduism is a combination of many different faiths practiced in Indus Valley civilizations. It was not like Abrahamic religions which have some sort of written manuals in the form of holy books with clear instructions about what to do and what not to do, but eventually, it has become indistinguishable from all other religions as far as practiced Hinduism is concerned. Therefore, in today's world, the term Hindu or Hinduism represents a particular faith or religion not just a way of life. As far as the way of life argument is concerned all religions in one way or another are supposed to be a way of life. Some people like to link Yoga with Hinduism, I don't know what is the logic behind it except that this is also a very ancient practice like Hinduism. I also don't understand what they get out of it apart from some false sense of ownership. Then, there are people from other religions in India (especially Islam and Christianity) who buy this argument and try to oppose these things without understanding the intentions of people who try to claim appropriate Yoga. This creates communal tension or religious conflict, this is how some people managed to turn an international Yoga Day into a communal controversy. 

According to me, it is completely wrong to associate Yoga or for that matter any form of exercise with any particular religion. Any physical exercise like Yoga, martial arts, gym, or any other activity is performed to remain healthy, the aim is to have physical and mental workouts. The main aim is to achieve good health, there is no need to mix any religion with any of these physical activities. The main controversy associated with Yoga is because of the use of some chants like "OM" during some pranayanamas, as many Hindu shlokas also contain this word, some people try to create an impression that the word Om is something special and as it is exclusively associated with Hinduism, and if you practice Yoga you might be indirectly practicing Hinduism. This is such a silly argument. Actually, if anyone feels that by chanting Om they jeopardize their religious identity then they are free not to do it, they can choose any other word they are comfortable with. The main aim of pranayama is to focus and calm the chaotic mind, one can use any word which helps to do that. There is absolutely no need to put special emphasis on one word Om, insisting its use is as ridiculous as opposing its use. People perform Yoga for their own benefit, if they think it is not suitable for them then definitely they can choose any other form of physical activity that suits them more. Yoga is not just chanting Om or a few aasanas, it is a whole body and mind workout, and it can be very beneficial if performed properly and regularly. The same is true for any other form of exercise. Another very important thing to keep in mind is that these things can be extremely harmful if not performed properly they can result in serious physical injuries. Yoga is not for everyone, also, it is as good or bad as any other form of exercise.

I hope that when the whole world gladly accepts Yoga as one of the useful physical activities to maintain a healthy lifestyle, people from India will also accept it as a form of exercise not as some religious ritual. Whether they practice it or not is their personal choice and they have complete freedom to choose whatever form of physical activity they feel is more suitable for them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If Yoga can unite the rest of the world, then I am sure all Indians also can unite or at least not fight with each other over this simple issue. Yoga or something else, remain physically active, stay healthy and stay happy.

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

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

Conflict of interest

Indian external affairs minister Mrs. Sushma Swaraj issued a no-objection statement to clear the travel documents of Mr. Lalit Modi, who is considered a fugitive in a financial irregularities case. This has created a lot of controversy and political turmoil. Now the name of the current chief minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje Scindia also surfaced in this controversy as it seems that she wrote a confidential letter in support of the immigration application of Lalit Modi. Both these people occupied some constitutional posts, Mrs. Swaraj wrote that note as an external affairs minister and Mrs. Scindia was the leader of the opposition of the Rajasthan state assembly when she wrote that letter. This whole controversy is because of the legal troubles of Mr. Lalit Modi in India, he is supposed to face an inquiry about some money laundering scam related to the cash-rich cricket tournament IPL, but instead of that, he escaped from the country and now living in London. Both Mrs. Swaraj and Scindia have very close ties with Mr. Lalit Modi, they both personally know him, and some of their close family members are directly or indirectly associated with him in a professional capacity. Mrs. Swaraj is claiming that she helped him on humanitarian grounds. It seems that Lalit needed those travel documents so that he could be with his wife who was undergoing some treatment related to cancer in Portugal. Whereas Mrs. Scindia still has not clarified whether she issued any such letter or not. Both these cases are ideal examples of conflict of interest. Conflict of interest is a big deal in all developed countries where one has to disclose any conflict of interest as part of a compliance requirement. Even in research, I remember that we need to sign a conflict of interest form declaring that we don't have any interests which can create any conflict in our research work, if there is any such thing, then we have to declare it so that concerned authorities know about it in advance, failure to do so can have some serious professional and legal consequences. 

So, what is this conflict of interest that is given so much importance? Actually, it is a very simple thing to understand, if there is anything (especially any financial or personal interest) that can affect your professional behavior, then it should be properly disclosed before engaging in that professional activity. I can cite some examples based on my personal experience; for example, if I am acting as a judge in my city's school science fair and there are projects from the same school or same grade in which my kids study or projects by kids who I know personally (like my friend's or neighbor's kids), then I have to disclose this, so the organizers know about it. Most probably, they might want me not to judge those projects as there is a conflict of interest from my side. But even after this disclosure, if they want me to judge those projects then I must impartially judge them, but I need to disclose the conflict first. If I don't do that, then no matter how much I claim to be impartial, people will question my intentions as I didn't disclose my conflict before proceeding with my actions. If I fail to disclose the conflict for whatever reason and it gets discovered after I finish my duty as science fair judge, then I give others the opportunity to question the impartiality of my actions, that is why it is better to disclose it beforehand. It is not only required because I might show some favoritism but because it can have a negative effect also, I might be extra strict with those students just because I might have unreasonably high expectations from students I know personally. This is why disclosure of conflict of interest becomes a very important matter.

When you put tobacco business people on a committee that is supposed to decide tobacco's impact on human health, how can you expect an impartial and unbiased opinion from them? At the same time, you cannot put an openly anti-tobacco activist for the same reason, both cannot be impartial due to their conflicts with the issue under discussion. These types of things will keep on happening in India unless people understand and follow the policy of declaring conflicts of interest. If these two political figures had followed some simple steps of declaring their relationship with Lalit Modi and stayed away from issues related to him, then there would not have been question marks on their intentions. Hope that people learn from these incidents and take care not to engage in similar activities in the future.

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

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