The Tea-Pot by the Sun

My friend, Mr. Nanawaty mentions in a comment on my post that just because Science cannot disprove the existence of God, one must not blindly believe in God. Having said this, can we not put it this way ... Because Science has not proved the existence of God, we should not blindly disbelieve in God? Logically, one argument is as sound as the other. There is also the Tea-Pot by the Sun ... Of course, if someone just comes up and says that theres a Tea-Pot floating by the Sun, Science cannot go out and try to prove or disprove its existence. Its simply not worth it. I totally agree with Mr. Nanawaty. However, the concept of God is no Tea-Cup. If there is a Tea-Cup which has been haunting humanity ever since we came into existence, one which we have been thinking about for quite some time now (how many centuries?), I would think this is one helluva Tea-Cup. Besides, doesnt all Science begin with the idea of a maverick? Isnt all new scientific thinking maverick in some form or the other?

Look at the Theory of Relativity ... or, the concept of the Space Twins that Albert Einstein talks about ... quite a fanciful concept, I am sure. And, wasnt something which was a pressing need at the time. On the other hand, I would think it was more like the proverbial Tea-Cup ... of not much significance. So was the idea of the automobile ... Nobody ever took them seriously ... Taking two examples, one from pure sciences, and one from engineering, to make the point. But, one never knows where a trail might lead us to. On the other hand, if we are to keep this hypothesis in hibernation till some concrete proof comes up, and if this whole concept is that of the tea-cup floating by the sun, then no concrete proof will ever come up. One way or the other. This, to my mind, is some kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Somewhat like we used to pull fun of our Economics friends ... Assume the can is open, hence the can is open!

The debate has been eternal ... Has been going on for some time, and will continue for quite some more time to come ...

Essential Unity

Sant Kabir had said ... and, it has been said in the Guru Granth Sahib ...

Awwal Allah Noor Upaya, Qudrat ke sab Bande
Ek Noor ke sab Jag Upjeya, Kon Bhale, Ko Mande!

The one, the All-Encompassing Allah, in His Light, from Hid Light, came forth the men of God, from Nature. And, from this very Light of Allah, all the worlds emerged, so who is Good, and who Bad?

Eternal Truth ... Though, do we even think about this? Do we even look at the very truth of this couplet? If we did ... would we not recognize all as part of a single Spirituality?

Whither Humanity?

An incident is being reported from Assam ... Somewhere around 3000 Adivasi students were marching in the capital, Guwahati. They were walking towards the Vidhan Sabha, when the Police stopped them. They got angry ... went on a rampage. Burnt quite a few vehicles, looted and tried to damage shops, when the local people retaliated ... and beat to death, with bare hands, around 60 of these youths. The point? Simple ... What makes people take out their frustration by burning vehicles, looting and pillaging? What kinds of political activists are these? Seems to be the dominant activity most such rallies end up doing ... no matter which part of the country. This was demonstrated in Kolkata, and this was demonstrated in Guwahati.

Another, more important point ... What makes a man so heartless? What makes a man heartless enough to beat another human being to death? Its not as though you are shooting someone ... this is beating someone on and on and on ... the victim could be bleeding all over, and still getting beaten. How can someone be so insensitive to a fellow human being? One part is the ethics, and the other sensitivity. The question is larger ... What is making us, as a society, so intolerant? Across the world, we have less and less time ... we talk more (cellphones, land lines, email, RSS feeds ...), but we communicate less. I had got a mail a few days ago, and it summed it up quite well ...

People are meant to be loved, and things to be used.
Today, we love things, and use people!

Shall this be the way humanity will evolve? Are we increasing the level of sophistication of our civilization, or reverting to barbarism?

Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Today is Guru Nanak Dev Ji Janma Tithi ... Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, one of those Eternally Free ... those who come to this world to teach us ... people like us, who are still either trying to find our way out, or not even trying.

Has been said ... The True Guru shall lead you to the path of Enlightenment. As Sri Yogananda Paramahansa was told, that His Guru was yet to come ... that, there is The Guru, who shall delight you with the Eternal Peace ... acquaint you with the Eternal. And, take you on your journey.

As Sri Ramakrishna said ... there are three types of people ... the ignorant, whome He equated with the fish who, when caught in the fisherman's net, burrow into the mud, and think they are safe, then there are the striving, whome He equated to those fish who, when caught in the net, try hard to come out and break free (some succeed, others dont ...), then there are the Eternally Free ... those who refuse to get trapped in the net. The True Guru shall be Eternally Free ... Those who come upon this world to guide us ... at the least, who who are seeking, who are striving ...

But shall we strive, shall we seek the Ultimate Answers on the foundation of violence? Shall we not find liberation in love? For, what we seek is Eternal Love. Or, shall we believe violence and intolerance will liberate us? The Teachings of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji tell us that the only way to liberation is Eternal Love ... and, attain that we must. Or, shall we have lived in vain?

Taslima in Kolkata

THere are parts of the city which suddenly seem to have gone up in arms ... while the rest of the city looks on ... in horror. Is this the Kolkata of yore? Is this the Kolkata that we love? I wouldnt like to believe that, but does one have an option except to believe? That maybe theres a method to the madness ... that somewhere, some kind of human expression will arise. But, we wait, and we wait ... in vain. Not for long, Hopefully?

Add to this the statement of Mr. Biman Bose ... simply put, he says ... if peace in the city is endangered, then Taslima Nasrin should leave. Does this mean the Left Front believes that anyone who is not liked by someone else should leave? Or, is this simply because there is a certain vote bank, and that vote bank needs to be pampered? Either way ... does this mean the Government shall abdicate its duty to maintain law and order? Or, shall the Government be dictated to by one section of society? Not to say that the section may not even be civil society.

Taslima and Nandigram

I was reading on the site of NDTV that the Army has been asked to come outin Kolkata. Sad enough state of affairs ... What is even more surprising is that the protestors, who were protesting against what happened at Nandigram, were demanding that the visa for Taslima Nasreen be revoked ...

Not sure what Taslima Nasreen has to do with Nandigram. Was she there? Nobody said so. Then, why are two things being confused? Some say she is un-Islamic ... Lets assume she is ... Is the issue here not Nandigram?

Nandigram ...

Sad state of affairs ... Why does it have to come to this? The dispute began with a simple disagreement ... Whether the Salim group should be allowed to set up operations at Nandigram. Why Nandigram? I dont know. But, whatever the reasons ... A simple question ... which an answer which ought to have been equally simple. But, it turns out, it wasnt so.

Today, it seems, the basic question of whether the Salim group should set up operations at Nandigram or not, has been forgotten. Today, Nandigram seems to have become a "war-zone" ... Or so they said on the media. Maybe the media is hyping it ... But then, maybe not. And, even if they are, does that mean the things that are happening at Nandigram should happen in any civilized society? It doesnt matter which political party is doing what ... does it? I dont think so ... What matters is the plight of the people. They have a life to live ... and, this life has been dispurted ... in a manner which does not befit any civilized society, much less India.

People being attacked with guns ... killed, maimed. Women being raped ... Are these things which we shall be proud of? I dont think any of us would be ... Never should have happened, and never should happen again. Can we sit down at a table, and talk things through? I am not here to blame any political party, and even if they are to blame, we must not lose sight of the issue ... People suffering. One way for people to display their angush ... Bandh! What purpose does a Bandh serve? Lots of people have written, and talked about the impact these have on people who make a living on a aily basis. Shall society not be answerable to each of us?

Simple question ... Can we talk about this?

Being Good ...

I am thinking about something. Something I am coming to realize ... It doesnt matter what others think about you ... Its what you think about yourself. I know ... this has been said by the wise for long, but it takes realization to find out the true meaning. That what we do, is what we choose, and this leads to us learning ... more at a Spiritual level, even if not at the physical level.

What this means ... Be Good! Two simple words ... But, to be honest, very difficult to understand. Being good is about doing to others as you would want them to do to you. Does this hold to the suicide bomber? No! So, what does being good mean? Maybe, each of us, depending on our Spiritual state, can define ourselves? Maybe ... I dont know! What I need to ask ... What if someone is being bad to you? Do you react in kind? There was a story I had read ...

There was once a snake. The people in the villages used to fear him, and used to try to kill him every time they saw him. One day, he met a Sage. The Sage told him that they fear his nature ... that, if he was nice to them, greeted them whenever he met them, they would lose their fear, and they wouldnt hurt him. The snake decided to follow the Sage's advice. The next time he came across people, he went to greet them, but they threw stones at him. He was hurt, both physically, and Spiritually. This continued. Time went by ... One day, the Sage was again passing through the jungle, and the snake met him. The Sage was surprised at his condition, all bruised ... The snake told him all that happened. The Sage told him ... Who asked you to not even show them your fangs? Show them your fangs, so they will run away, and you wont need to bite them.

Thing is, in real life, it becomes very difficult to find out when the fangs turn into bite. Being Good, you wouldnt want to bite ... but, when someone is not being nice to you, you have to protect yourself ... How to make sure you are only showing fangs, and not biting? This is the question ...

What to write about

I am in a scenario where I am trying to think ... what should I write about on this blog? Writer's block, you could say, but then, who said I am a writer. But then, this is how the new web is changing things. But no, the confusion is not there. The confusions tems from somewhere else ... I am trying to explore the world spiritually. Seems to be a calling ... Something which is attracting me. Something I want to do. Something I feel I need to do. At the same time, the state of affairs in Pakistan is disturbing. For two reasons ... one, its happening to common people ... they are the ones who will suffer. And two, in India, we cannot afford to overlook these developments, as everyone knows.

About Spirituality ... I guess this is about the part of life which probably everyone goes through sometime in life, asking questions ... these questions are nothing new ... where did I come from, and where am I going? What awaits me on the other side .... the other side of removing this garb? I am not the first guy to have asked these questions, and wont definitely be the last. And yet, something tells me that the answers are at hand ... Shall we have the courage to reach out, and touch them? To feel the answers, and understand ... and learn? Courage ... an interesting word ... it implies there is something to be feared there. No, I dont think there is anything to fear there, but the truth. And, the reason why we would fear the truth is not because it would hurt, but because we might not like what we see.

About Pakistan ... the Constitution has been revoked. And, the people are not sure where they are headed. Or so the media would tell us. And, it would be understandable, too. But, the fact is, stability is something that is crucial for the world, considering the way the stakes are laid out. What role must India play in this? Surely not the usual ... This may just be the opportunity the sub-continent may have been looking for ... To create a new pattern for the relationship between India and Pakistan, and take it into a direction which brings enduring peace, and trust.

Jehad ... Good for Whome?

Recently, Pakistan has declared Emergency. The reasons have been compelling ... And, the opinions have been predictable. Political parties in Pakistan have condemned it, the leadership in India is treading carefully, and the people in India think this should have happened considering the upsurge in Jehadi activities in Pakistan.

There has been a report in the newspapers, which tells that in this year, Pakistan has lost more lives in Jehadi activities, than India has. What kind of Jehadis are these? They dont even spare the people for whome they are supposedly fighting? And, are Jehadis actually fighting? And, what are they fighting? Are they fighting India, or Pakistan, Israel, or the USA? I dont think any of the lot. What they are fighting ... Humanity. Nobody is the gainer here, and I am repeating myself, and a lot of people who have said this before me, but isnt this repitition required?

What shall ever man gain by killing another human being? Who has given us the right to end a life? Life ... precious as it is, shall we not cherish it? Can we not learn that at the core, we are all the same? Human feelings, human emotions transcend all such barriers. Why can we not understand this? Why can we not go back to the Primal Source ... to learn ... learn a simple lesson ... that we have the essence of Spirit. That we are made to travel a road, which is taking us to perfection, to a state where we shall have learnt the difference between us as human beings, and us as spirit, to begin with. Can we not achieve this, simply ... Simply by looking insides? It has been said in The Holy Koran ... that there are two types of Jehad ... that the more important one is the one we shall fight within our hearts ... to conquer our own hearts, and bring ourselves onto a path which God cherishes for His children. What would it take to ask the Jehadis ... What would it take for them to realize this simple truth?

Rizwan, Mr. Todi, and Baangaalees.

The Rizwan murder eipsode is progressing, and Ashok Todi, and Snehashish Ganguly have been summoned by the CBI. While this may be as it ought to be, I am not writing about this aspect, but about an aspect which not many are even looking at, and even fewer would like to acknowledge. Actually, not one (the not many are looking at), but two (the not many would like to acknowledge).

Bachi Karkaria wrote this article ... and I know many people would have read it. Which is why I am surprised ... There has not been a single bandh call from West Bengal about this article.

Ms. Karkaria has raised two valid points. First, and most important point, I thought, was the sentiments of the girl. Priyanka would be torn, I would think ... between father and husband. She has told anyone who would care to listen that she loves Rizwan. But, what might the future hold for her? Should she take a stand against her Father, or should she stand by the memory of her late Husband? I dont think this is a simple issue to resolve for anyone.

Another thing, would the intelligentsia of Kolkata have been so indignant if Mr. Todi was a Baangaalee "Bhodrolok"? Would they have been so vehement in denouncing Ashok Todi if he was a respectable Baangaalee, instead of being a Marwari, a set of people, which even the Baangaalees admit, they detest. Though, I think, if that was the scene, the whole incident would have taken a communal angle.

What this shos is just one thing ... The issue is not the people involved in the episode, and least of all their feelings.

Another Blast

There has been another blast in Pakistan ... Rawalpindi! And, right next door to the Army HQ. This, to my mind, has serious implications. Not just for Pakistan, but for India, too. Not that this is politically as sensitive as the Karachi blasts, but this brings out the point that the Jihadis are becoming more and more open about their activities ... trying to hit at the heart of the establishment (read the Army), in Pakistan. How much more would it take for them to replicate this in India? How much is the figurative distance for these people from Rawalpindi to Rajkot?

The Pakistan Army is hitting out at militant hideouts in Swat. Maybe, one day, they ill realize that a terrorist is a terrorist. That, a terrorist has no ideology, no affiliations ... And, has no problems bombing Pakistan, just as he has no problems bombing places in India. And, in the end, it is people, common people, who would die. Who have to die, unnecessarily, in a conflict which they probably dont even understand, much less, care for.

Maybe its time the Army and the ISI consider terrorists for what they are ... fomenting terror! Tackling them with an iron fist ... Thats the solution? Not many people who would think so. But, having said that, thats probably the solution that works best. Because, thats the language they would understand ... As we have seen in the lesson India has learnt from Punjab. Can India Pakistan collaborate? Can we break the barrier that we have built between ourselves, and build a better world for people on both sides of the border?

Rationalism ... Contd.

There was a very interesting comment which Mr. Nanavaty posted on my post the other day. Just thought I would blog a little on that.

First of all, let me say that I agree with Mr. Nanavaty's observations. But, what I am trying to say is that while there are certain things that Science knows (or shall I say, the current state of scientific knowledge is aware of), there are yet others which we may not be aware of. As you rightly said, there are things for which we dont yet have scientific proof, one way or the other. All I am asking here, is that till such a time as we have proof, let us not debunk theories. God, to me, shall always remain about personal Faith. But, other phenomenon, while eluding proof at the moment, may not be so, in the future. So, let us not negate them just because we cannot affirm them.

To add to this, let us also understand that all that we see may or may not be. There was an article in the Guradian, about how scientists have been able to induce out of body experience in a laboratory setting. What this points to is, that what we see may not always be, and what is, we may not always be able to see. Or, take the instance of research on the bionic eye. People without sight being able to see. What this points to is that there are, at times, things which are beyond the scope of our reasoning. There was an article (I cant seem to find the link to that), about the Universe expanding from the Big Bang singularity at speed greater than the speed of light. THis, and other experiments have brought out facts which show that the constant c is not unbreakable.

Which is why, all i ask for is an open mind, both ways! Nothing more is what I request. If, by this, we can take our understanding of the world around us to the next level (to me, whether we do it using rationalistic tools, or philosophical, is not as important as developing an understanding, though I do believe that at any point, we shall never have arrived, which means that we shall probably never reach a point of knowing all, somewhat like limit x --> 0), that would be something which would be very nice.

Pop Rationalism

There is a magazine called Savvy ... Its supposed to be a women's magazine. No, the audience doesnt matter, nor am I trying to say that its a girlie mag or anything of the kind. The only reason I am writing about this is an article ... Its an interview with rationalist Prabhakar Nanawaty, who is talking about Regression Therapy.

Mr. Nanawaty has a quaint, and old fashioned way of debunking things ... To quote the gentleman ...

The experts in the hypnotic 'regression' are of the opinion that hypnosis may implant erroneous memories.

Point taken, Mr. Nanawaty. But, the question I would have is ... Why is it that the so-called 'scientific' method relies so much on presence rather than absence? For example, the scientific method insists on the presence of proof for existence rather than presence of proof for non-existence. Why is this? If you have not been able to prove the existence of ghosts, nor have you been able to dis-prove it. So, why should we take the scientific method, one way or the other? To take the scientific method ... This does not have a positive for the absolute zero temperature. This is defined as the temperature where all atomic motion comes to a halt. In other words, cold is the absence of heat, not a stte by itself.

Given this kind of a scenario, it might be nice if the scientific minded people in the world were to consider their viewpoint, rather than trying to rubbish anything which they cant prove. It might be a commentary on their proving capabilities rather than on the existence of the phenomenon. And, they may do the wise thing, and remember Albert Einstein ...

Every generation commits the mistake of assuming the finality of their knowledge.

Pujo Celebrations

This is the time of year ... and, this is the day of year. Mixed emotions ... There is the joy of Pujo, and the sadness ...

Aashchhe borchhor, aabaar hobe ...

This is the magic of Durga Puja. This is the time of year, which is considered auspicious. The month of Shraadh (the month of paying respects to departed ancestors) has come to a close, and Autumn is whispering in the breeze. The whisper tells of the coming song of winter. And, all across the country, Dassahra is celebrated with great gusto. Of course, the celebrations take on different forms in different parts. Whether it is the Navratte for Punjab, or the Navratri for Gujarat, or the Dassahra celebrated with the pomp and splendour of the palace of Mysore, or Durga Puja.

Like any other part of the world where Bengalis are to be found, there was Durga Puja at DLF, Gurgaon, too. There is a very nice Pujo celebrated in our part of town. This is the occassion, too, for meeting a lot of friends, and of course, ensuring each other that we must meet up soon (which usually doesnt happen, because the next time we would meet is next Pujo).

There is the Shondhi Pujo which, to my mind, is the high point of the celebrations. This is the moment when Ma Durga killed Chanda and Munda. This is the moment when the energy of creation is said to be present at her peak in the form of the Goddess. At the risk of being called crazy, I think this might actually be so. There is a strange, subtle difference to be seen. Last year, it was Energy ... the energy of creation, and this year ... Peace ... the peace of tranquility.

Last night, we had the famous Bangla band Chandrabindu playing here. I am sure there are better sites with far more information about the band there, but then, hey ... why not wikipedia! The show was quite nice ... though, i must say ... they lack stage presence. For some reason, the show was a let down after having heard to their music on CDs for more than 3 years. The sound was not exactly totally there, and the presence on screen, unlike on CD, is not captivating. And, Anindya, for some reason, reminds of Rituparna. Sorry, Anindya ...

Another Common Problem

I had once met a guy from Faisalabad (erstwhile Lyallpur ... or so I knew it as, growing up, and for some reason, it took me a long time to fathom that the two are the same city ... or, almost so!). This was at Changi Airport. At Changi, the smoking room is an eclectic mix of people ... people from probably all faiths, and more than a handful of nationalities. There were Japanese (or maybe they were Koreans ... as you know, i couldnt make out one from the other). And of course, the Chineses ... Australians, and Indians ... um, Pakistanis! Phew ... I almost mistook one for the other there. But then, isnt that quite a natural mistake to make? And, is the mistake even an important one?

Well, coming back to the point ... You know how it is (or maybe you dont, so let me explain ...). As individuals, we love each other. As nations, we hate each other. And, its almost the norm for an Indian and a Pakistani, meeting each other, to extoll the shared heritage. It invariably boils down to that ... at least on the surface. Well, we were not going to be any different. And, there was an interesting thing he said to me ...

Gurbat twaadde paasse vi aa, te saadde paasse vi!

Poverty (actually, I dont think I can think of a word which is a literal translation of gurbat), is there on your side, as well as on ours. So true. But, looks like poverty is not the only problem the two neighbours, the estranged neighbours are facing, as shown by the bomb blasts which shook Karachi (I would sy, the entire Pakistan, and a lot of India, too). May they shake up the entire world ... at least the two embittered neighbours ... into realizing that bombs, guns, terror are not the solution to anything. That Pakistan has not learnt from ancient wisdom ... That the Snake will bite the hands that feeds it. Be it the Lal Masjid episode at Islamabad, or the Hyderabad blasts, or Ajmer, Srinagar, or Karachi ... Wheres the difference? How are the Kashmir blasts different from the Karachi blasts? Not at all. So, why should we treat them as being different? And maybe we should just stop and think ... maybe, just maybe ... its not us versus them. Its just humanity versus terror?

The Devi

I came across a very nice site ... This tells the story of The Devi ... The Divine Mother. This is a very nice read. Can be read from two perspectives ... Could be read as a story, as mythology, or could be read as the description of the power of The Divine Mother.

This is the time of Durga Puja! And, there are different stories which are told for the Puja. One is that The Mother leaves Her divine abode, and comes visiting Her parents with Her children. Which is why Lord Shiva, the Father is not to be found on the dias. Another story, which not many know about. That this is not the original time for the worship of Goddess Durga. Though, its there on the wikipedia page for Durga Puja.

The worship of Ma Durga is supposed to happen in the month of Chaitra, Spring. During the Autumn, Sharad, Lord Rama had invoked The Goddess for Her blessings to defeat Ravana at battle. Which is why this is called Okaal Bodhun.

Money and then some ...

There was an advertisement .. by a woman, to find a rich husband, in New York. She is looking for a husband who earns more than $500000. Thats a lot of money, but apparently not so in New York. ToI brought out an article about this.

It would be very easy for anyone to condemn the woman ... Question is, isnt everyone looking for more money? The woman here seems to have just put it plainly. Nothing right, nothing wrong ... Just that different strokes for different folks.

Lets look at it this way ... there are a lot of people who are earning a lot of money ... not exactly honestly. The question I would like to raise here ... which is worse?

Comments welcome ...

A Case for the Corner Grocery Store

We have heard the thought that global retailers would be so great for our economy. Maybe they will be. I am not an Economist, so not in the best position to comment on this. However, I am a customer, and I find that this may not be necessarily true. How did I find that out, you may ask!

This happened today ... Actually, happened earlier, too, but I wasnt blogging then, so ... Had to take my Father in Law to the Hospital ... High BP ... Doctor says nothing to worry about, Thankfully. Of course, he prescribed some Medicines, which we promptly went to buy. As you know, there are two large pharmacy chains in India ... Theres 98.4 and theres Guardian ... These are large chains of pharmacies, and if we apply the logic of the large retailers, then I dont think the experience with them is something which validates the thought process.

The usual scenario here is that if you go there with, say, a prescription for 4 Medicines, they wouldnt, in all probability, have 2 out of the 4. This is interesting ... Durex is always available, in all possible SKUs, but Medicines are a different thing altogether. Whats more interesting thing is, that whenever I have had a scenario where these chains are not carrying a Medicine, the neighbourhood pharmacist usually carries these Medicines in stock.

So, does this mean that the big guys dont know how to plan for restocking of stock? Maybe, they dont. Though, I doubt it. Such large chains would have invested in their Supply Chains, and hence, this shouldnt be the logical explanation. Then, what is the reason? The only reason I can come up with ... The large chains are not customer friendly.

How so? They are not looking at what their customers want. Instead, they are interested more in the vendors who give them the heftiest discounts, and most advantageous terms, and then try to push these things down the customer's throats. Whether customers want it or not, doesnt matter. This is something on the lines of the fact that all news channels will show advertisements at the same time ... Which means that even if you switch channels to avoid the commercials, you would still need to see them.

Of Government Undertakings, Missed Flight, and Biryani

A short trip to Hyderabad ... If you ask me, any trip to Hyderabad seems short. Hyderabad is not one of my favourite cities for nothing, after all. There is something about the city ... The charm, the warmth, the welcome the city extends you the moment you reach her. Much like, Kolkat, if you ask me. Though, different, charming in her own way. Also, a city in transformation ... a la flyovers (although some of them fall down under their own weight from time to time). To cut a long story short, we got stuck in a traffic jam for more than an hour, and this meant I missed my flight.

And, that is the point I am writing about. I was told to go and talk with the Station Manager. I had a word with her, and she was more than happy to reschedule the ticket to the next day morning flight. Not batting an eyelid, she solved my problem. And, apologized for the traffic ... She didnt have to, after all! A lady as charming as the city?

Compare this incident with another airline ... My wife and son were flying from Delhi to Kuala Lumpur via Chennai, both sectors by the same airline. With more than two hours between the two flights, it was supposed to be a comfortable journey. Except that they delayed the Delhi-Chennai flight by more than two hours waiting for soe "VIPs". These VIPs happened to be firangs who got delayed on another flight of the same airline. The airline crew maintained that they would wait like this for anyone ... Even if he or she was an Indian. Interesting ... Only thing, they didnt live up to their claim. When my wife figured out that she would definitely miss her Chennai-KL connection, they were very non-chalant, and simply sid we cant do anything about it, we will put you on the same flight tomorrow. It didnt seem to matter to them that the lady was to meet up with her husband in a foreign nation, and she was travelling alone with her 4 year old child. It was not until a gentleman physically prevented them from closing the gates of the aircraft till the lady's ticket was confirmed for the Chennai-KL sector, did they agree to book her on another airline the same night.

The players ... the first example, of the charming Station Manager ... Indian Airlines aka Indian aka Air India, and the second example, India's largest private airline ... yes, thats Jet Airways! I just had to write this, because I think Government enterprises get a lot of brickbats, and out current state of thinking that all private enterprise would lead to greater efficiencies and customer-friendliness. Not so! Neither are the former deserved, nor is the latter.

Coming now to the Biryani ... Well, thats a non-existent topic ... Most of the noteworthy establishments being closed for Lunch, this being the Holy month of Ramazan. So, it was a Hyderabadi Biryani, in a Punjabi Dhaba ... Quite good, if you ask me, carrying quite a bit of the signature taste, aroma, and the tender Chicken of the Hyderabadi Biryani, where the flavours of the meat can be throughout the Rice. Something which is left to the imagination when having a Biryani at Kolkata (for all the culinary attractions of the city, something left to be desired from the Kolkata Biryani, though I do like the Boiled Potato they put in!).

The Mahatma and the Nobel, or Bharat Ratna for Netaji

There was a news piece today on CNN-IBN, about the Nobel committee's regret at never having selected Mahatma Gandhi for the Nobel Prize. Interesting ... There is a school of thought that racism was the reason ... I dont think so! If it was, then Rabindranath, Dr. J. C. Bose, Dr. Chandradrashekhar, wouldnt have received the Nobel Prize.

Of course, this raises an important question ... Does the Nobel Prize matter? More often than not, Nobel has been a prize for Europeans, and Americans ... with a relative minority of Asians, for example, receiving the Nobel Prize. One could say that the Nobel is a benchmark. But, the question I have is, whether the benchmark is something we should look at as an absolute?

On a similar note ... It took the Government of India more than 40 years to award the Bharat Ratna to Netaji Shubhas Chandra Bose. One wonders why. Either Netaji was a great leader of the country, or he wasnt. If he was, what took Government of India so long, and if he wasnt, why was the Bharat Ratna awarded to Netaji posthumously? For some reason, Government of India has always been cool to the idea of Netaji. Whether it be the treatment meted out to the Shahnawaz Committee, or whether it be the rejection of the Mukherjee Committee report, seems like there is something there which doesnt meet the eye. One could argue that even if Netaji didnt die in the Taiwan plane crash, he would be 95 in 1992, when Government of India decided to confer on him the Bharat Ratna. Which means, that by then, he might have gone to a natural death. Which means, that it would be a nice idea to not entertain thoughts that Netaji ould be alive today. But, there are still a lot of questions, which are very important to history, and which are not answered.

Though, this brings out another, related question ... If awards are going to be given based on the whims and fancies of a selection committee, or based on some convenient policy, or something similar, do these awards make any sense? What should be the value that is attached to these awards? Rather than awards, one can see the actions of people, and they speak for themselves.

Your Friendly Red Neighbour

What do Bangladesh and India have in common? Both have a red neighbour ... OK, so I tried to pre-empt your guesses, because Bangladesh and India do have a lot in common, including the famed, self-professed Bengali intelligentsia! But I wanted to guide your answer to one particular avenue, that is to the red neighbour Bangladesh has ... aka West Bengal, or Poshchim Bongo ... Who see red in just about anything anybody does.

Take the example of the 123 agreement. I know a lot of the blogosphere has been talking about this ... there was an article in the ToI today, titled Bengal urgently needs industry which is based on a dialogue with Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The CM talks about a pro-Soviet lobby (as in the past, it would seem), and there were those who followed the China line during the 1962 war (a border dispute). While every citizen of the country to hold whatever opinion they feel like, one must ask ... What does one say of people who toe the enemy line during hostilities?

Sadly, this is not just relegated to the past. The blogosphere is abuzz with thoughts that the Left is toeing the Beijing line. Read this for an example. What does the Congress do? I think the Congress would do well to go it alone ... There is plenty of support in the country for the deal, and the country shouldnt let one element of a coalition hold the entire country to ransom.


This should be taken in the light of the fact that China is doing far more with respect to their energy security than India is. Neither is China per se opposed to nuclear power, nor are they allergic to working out a similar deal with Pakistan (its been reported in the press, but I cant seem to find the link). For one, India is hampered by the relationship with Pakistan. We dont seem to be having a strategic outlook with the Indo-China region, nor do we seem to be having an integrated policy towards the Central Asian Republics. There is huge scope for India to work very closely with them, but somewhere, we seem to be losing the race. While we might well say that "slow and steady wins the race", but the fact remains, we are not doing anything close to running. Add to this the fact that we dont even seem to have a policy towards exploitation of renewable resources, be it solar, or wind energy (we have plenty of them, as I am sure anybody student of Geography would agree!). Why cant we, for example, take a leaf out of the Dutch book, in the form of windmills? Surely, this is not a Quixotic idea?

Chinese Toys ...

There was this one doing the rounds ...

Chinese officials have recalled one ton of lead ... It was suspected to contain toys.

While this might be funny, the controversy isnt. Imagine what our children are playing with. And, it ceases to be funny at all. The ToI ran an article about Chinese toys, jewellery being recalled due to excessive amounts of lead. Sure, this is a reflection of the industry. But, more than that, is it the way large organizations are besotted with China. Be it Leo Mattel, or be it Boeing. One would shudder to think if Being's parts were recalled! Not a pleasant thought at all.

Though, this is art of the larger picture which is being missed out. Sure, China is the emerging superpower. They are the largest market in the world. But, they are authoritarian (or so we are told). Does any of this matter? Looks like in the pursuit of "globalization", there is nothing but the profit motive which matters. Though, taken from the larger picture's view, India should be alarmed. That the Chinese are expanding aggresively into Indo-China is public knowledge. And, one is not sure whether Government of India even has a policy to counter the Chinese expansion. Belatedly, there was an article about deployment of a Sukhoi squadron at Tezpur. One squadron to manage the Chinese threat?

More than the military threat (one would Hope it doesnt come to The Dragon Fire scenario), its the diplomatic piece which needs to be considered. The Indian Government doesnt seem to have any coherent policy to engage neighbours. If anything, we seem to be disengaged, if Bangladesh is anything to go by. More than Bangladesh, I would think there has to be a policy of positive, aggressive engagement with Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. These are the no-man's land in international geopolitics, but not for long, and it is in our interest to make sure they are not.

Forecasting

Kolkata has faced quite heavy rains over the last few days. But, this one is not about the rains, but the forecaasting with them. The met department at Alipore forecast a clear day Monday, based on the prediction that the atmospheric depression woul move towards Orissa. This, actually, was borne out by folks at a shipping compan who said that the weather pattern had actually moved away from West Bengal. But somehow, Kolkata received more massive rains on Monday, than it did on Sunday.
Not content with that, the met office predicted "Terrible Tuesday", with heavy rains, and guess what ... bright and sunny Tuesday. By then, though, Kolkatans were in s frame of mind that if someone switched on the fan, they got scared because they thought that it had begun raining again.
A beautiful phenomenon ... the Monsoons ... the harbinger of joy, of fertifility to a culture parched by the Summer ... when children love to get wet in the rain, when "Saawan ke jhoole lag gaye ...", has been converted into a scene where people have to wade through waist high water, and instead of sitting on the balcony, and enjoying garam-garam Chai, with Pakodas, they are wondering about how they will make it to the Office tomorrow. And all this, when we are celebrating the Incredible !ndia @ 60 campaign in New York ...

Global Warming and ... Calcutta!

There is a video presented by Al Gore ... Inconvenient Truth ... Which talks about Global Warming! This talks about global warming, and climate change.

The video talks about land masses changing shape, and large parts of land masses getting submerged in water. This is a real concern. One of the areas which could get submerged in this is Calcutta. My thought ... Do we need Global Warming to do that? Monsoons are enough to achieve this.

Every time it rains in Calcutta, half the city is submerged ... People trying to figure out whether they will be able to reach Office, and if they reach, then trying to figure out whether they will be able to get back home!

Religion ... Fragile?

Where does this come from? And, why does this tend to make sense to people? Series of incidents over a period of time ... Makes a sham of secularism, and degrades religion, I must say.

First, there is the priestof the Guruvayoor Temple, in Kerala ... Who believes that the Lord is polluted by the presence of a woman in His vicinity. For, the aspect of the Lord worshipped there is the Brahmachari. Question ... Is the woman not the Mother, the Sister? Even the Brahmachari would defer to the Mother! Polluted? How?

Then, there is the incident of the Salman Fatwa ... By an organization based in Bareilley (dont ask me the name, I dont remember) ... They dont like Salman Khan ... have issued a Fatwa against him ... his fault? Attending the Ganapati prayers! Not participating, too, but being in the same room where the Prayers were happening, and clapping with the chanting.

Makes me wonder ... is religion so fragile? Is our God so fragile? Or our faith in Him so fragile? I dont think either of the two ... The first ... cannot be! The second ... should not be. Which is why I look at the M. F. Hussain controversy, and the pseudo-secularism prevalent in the country, not as a religious issue, but as a socio-political issue, as does most of the population in the country.

What I find unnervind, is that such trivial issues tend to inflame passions. There are lots of people who believe that such a trifle can upset their religious or spiritual balance with God. Who believe that something like this is, God forbid, worth killing for. Reminds me of a sher (ok ... I dont remember the poet):

Aaj agar khaamosh rahe, to kal sannata chhaayega,
Har basti mein aag lagegi, har basti jal jaayegi,
Sannaate ke peechhe se bas ek sada phir aayegi,
Koi nahin hai, koi nahin hai, koi nahin hai, koi nahin!

And, the sad part ... Intolerance breeds intolerance! And, an eye for an eye leads to a nation of blind people.

Romance of Punjab

This is going to be a short post ... though heavy on emotions ... This was a sher my Grandfather used to tell me ... A sher which captures the romance of Punjab ... And believe you me, it is an amazing reportoire. After all, the legends of Laila-Majnu, Heer-Ranjha, Shirhi-Farhad ... The romance of Punjab!

Wagg wagg ve Chenaa deya paaniya,
Tere kandeyaan te aashkaan ne maujaan maariyaan!

Translated ...

Flow on, water of the Chenab,
On your banks, lovers have had pleasant times!

This shows a number of things ... the charm, the romance ... and, the simplicity of Punjabi poetry!

The Guru ... Another Post

Yesterday, I had written my thoughts about the importance of the Guru. And today, ToI middle page, which carries a column ... The Speaking Tree ... came out with a column about A Guru to Provide Safe Harbour which talks about the importance of the Guru.

The article contains a beautiful story (one among many that you ould read in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna ...), about the Master's initial interactions with Swami Vivekananda! About how, the Guru can lead you down the road which leads to spiritual upliftment (Salvation would be too heavy a word, when I am a beginner).

It also goes to mention that the Gods themselves sought out Gurus ... So, Lord Krishna's Guru was Sandipani Rishi, and Lord Rama, and Laxman, ha their Guru ... Guru Vasishtha. The Guru, we are told, is to take responsibility of the spiritual life of the disciple, but wait ... First, the disciple must give complete surrender ... Otherwise, this doesnt go any further.

The Guru ...

Because our mind can fathom only a particular dimension of an entity that is beyond dimensions ... God ... we tend to believe that there is no dimension save ours! and, if you look at it closely, over the ages, this has been a sore point. whether it be the Crusades, or the persecution of the Jews, or the modern scourge ... Terrorism!

I shudder to think there are people who believe that God has ordered them to kill others. God ... beyond dimenstions, and beyond characteristics ... and yet, of them ... how shall we fathom Him in the shallowness of our minds? Is it at all possible? No, there has to be another level of understanding to begin to understand ... and, this level is where we need to go ... How? If only I knew ... But, I believe that this is where the Guru, the Master, who is Himself at an exalted state can work miracles (though this is not necessarily the only place!).

But first, we must prepare ourselves for the acceptance ... somewhat like the ritual bath? Only, this preparation is not of the body, maybe not even of the mind, but of the spirit ... And, it is an acceptance which is both way ... First of all, we need to accept God without condition! Cynics ask ... If there is God, why is there so much misery? A story comes to mind ... one of those innumerable email forwards ...

There was once a barber. While shaving a customer, they got into a discussion over God. The barber summarily dismissed God, using the same argument. That if there is God, why is there such misery? (This is the argument of the humanist. Extremely laudable, but looking in the wrong direction, I believe ...). The man didnt say anything. He went out after getting the shave ... And came back in a few minutes, declaring to the barber ... You dont exist. What nonsense ... I am standing right in front of you, the barber retorted ... To which the man said ... Then why are there so many people out there with beards? Because they dont come to me, the barber said.

Precisely!

Noor Jahan

The Light of the World ... So Jahangir named her. But, I am not writing about this. I was just reminded of a sher my Grandfather used to tell me about ... This is the epitaph on Noor Jahan's Maqbara ...

Bar mazar-i-ma ghareeban, nay chiraage nay gule,
Nay par-e-parvana sozad, nay sada-e-bulbule

Translated:

On the grave of the poor woman, do not light any lamps, nor shower flowers ...
No moths to burn themselves in the fir of the lamp, and no nightingale shall announce her Death!

There ... But I think a lot of the meaning is lost in the translation. But, of course, the beauty remains ...

Saints

Sri Ramakrishna said that a place where God is Worshipped, becomes a holy place. That where the name of God is chanted in true earnest, the vibrations of the Holy Name persist. Thing is, how many of us take His name in true earnest.

This is the feeling I got when I went to Dakshineswar. You can feel the vibrations, the presence of the Holy in the atmosphere. Atmosphere sanctified by the presence of the Master.

Another interesting thing He said ... The Mother would make different dishes for Her children depending on their tastes and constitution. For one child, She would make a Pulao, for another, Curry, and for yet another, a Soup (obviously this was before instant food came in) ... Similarly, God, in all His Divinity, would prepare the dish of Religion based on the tastes of His children. Surely, someone who prefers the road of Bhakti shall not be denied it, one who prefers the road of Gnan wont be denied it, and one who prefers the road of Prayer shall not be denied. End of the day, like all the dishes the Mother makes, these are all Food ... for the Soul.

Why, then, do we fight over trivia? Whose God is better than whose? Is that even a question worth asking? We do find a scenario where we all have beliefs, and at times these beliefs contradict each other. But, surely, in an Infinite Universe, there is place for all beliefs to co-exist?

Can we not follow the path of God? For, thats the only path that shall lead us anywhere!

The Next Innovation ...

Now that we have seen how T20 can be so similar to gali cricket, and is evidently the latest thing to happen in the world of instant Karma, where a 50-over one-day match is suddenly becoming too long. Where the game has moved from 5 days to 60 overs a side, to 50 overs a side, and now, to 20 overs a side.

Of course, there is so much more innovations that the ICC should come out with:

1. Ball hitting the sight screen ... Out! Considering that any batsman hitting a window-pane was immediately given out. Quite gleefully, that too!

2. One tip-one hand ... Out! This is our equivalent to underarm bowling, and a very nice thing, because this guarantees that everyone will be out before you can spell Ratatouille.

3. Cutting Chai ... The quintessential Mumbai beverage (the rest of the country believes in glass-fulls of Tea!). This is the quintessential companion for the brand of cricket that is changing the face of the game!

Cricket@Gully

Not that I would confuse anything with spellings, but what I mean here is the staple of cricket played in the street where we grew up. I think that is something which is unique to our part of the world. Not just is this unique, it is also a staple fare for boys, and on occasion, girls.

You might be wondering what makes me dust the cobwebs of memory, and write about gali cricket. Simple ... its the T20! Much of the format reminds me of the gali cricket scenario that we have grown up with. For beginners, its cheeky. The bowl-out is something which I personally liked, considering its similarity to football, and hockey, and also the cheekiness that this brings to the game.

But even more so ... the players sitting on the bench just outside the boundary, instead of in a pavillion. This reminds me so of gali cricket. While the two batsmen were out there, the rest of the batting side would be perched not on benches, but on the seats of scooters or motorcycles, which happen to be parked in the street, due to their owners being busy with their work while we were playing. Though, this is where the similarity ends. From here on, dismissals were an exciting affair, especially those clean bowled. Because there was nothing clean about it. Considering we didnt have stumps, there were just two pieces of stone which represented the leg, an the off stumps, As a result, nobody was really sure whether the batsman would have been bowled out, or whether the ball was anywhere close to the stone-stumps. Of course, what you thought depended on which side you were playing for.

Oh, and another similrity ... The way our team fields reminds me of a bitter-sweet term we had for guys who couldnt get their hands to meet the ball ... Gaddha!

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa ...

This was an episode of the very popular Sa Re Ga Ma Pa ... Today, they are down to the last 5. Why am I blogging about this? Well, thats simple ... Two of my favourite singers on the show were among the doubtfuls ... Raja Hassan (a la Bikaner), and Mussarat Abbas (the Lahoria).

More than this ... the man who got eliminated ... He sang Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, almost as enchanting as the legend hmself ... At times, improvising upon the original to render an effect which was sheer brilliance ...

Rafta rafta, jo tha begana tera hua,
Rafta rafta, mera afsana tera hua ...

Though, I am sure Mussarat will be remembered long after the show is over. Or was it just Lahore?

Ram Setu, and Tsunami Warning

Its heartening to read that the ASI has conducted a survey of the Ram Setu, and found that the structure is a natural formation. At the same time, the wording ... that "characters in the Ramayana" didnt exist ... leaves a lot to be desired. From what the ToI says, they are rectifying this.

While there may not be historical proof, the fact remains ...

Kan kan mein base hain Ram!

For, Religion is one of the cornerstones of life, the way we see it ... There is the opinion that man made God, and not the other way round ... While I am not going to argue with the opinion (dont you think that after all, an opinion is an opinion, and there is noting inherently right or wrong with them), I dont agree with that opinion. The problem, I think, comes when people try to impose their opinions on others, because of a belief that their opinion is better than the other person's opinion.

I am trying to figure out, though ... Why is it that there is so much of increased tectonic activity of late? Day before yesterday, there was a massive Earthquke off Sumatra ... India was on Tsunami alert, too. Either the fury of Nature has increased, or public memory has increased. I know not which. But, something we need to look into?

Controversy ...

The ToI ran an article today about there being no historical proof of the Ram Setu being man made ... Also, that there is no proof that Ram ever existed. I would believe that this is something which is not a very nice thing to say. But, having said that, I think the Government is within its rights to say that ...

But, no matter ... Lets look at it this way ... The Government can decide on what position the policy wants to hold, and what position it doesnt want to hold. But, there is no way anyone can dictate Faith. And, it is on this edifice that I am looking at resting this issue.

Having said that, it would be extremely nice if the powers that be got a study done to determine whether there is any possibility that the structure is anything other than natural. I am not asking for study to determine whether the structure is man made, because in any circumstance, it is not man made.

Even if we keep the spiritual dimension aside (and that is a considerable dimension), the fact remains that Lord Ram has been more than God Incarnate for millions of Hindus ... Lord Ram has been the cornerstone of our civilization ... Or should I say society?

Food a la Bangalore

Bangalore is no longer the retired people's paradise. I would think there are very few retirees left in this erstwhile City of Gardens. There are still a few gardens around, but they primarily conspicuous by their absence (I know, I know, lots of people have written about this, but all I am trying to do is introduce the post).

What I would like to mention here ... Food! Bangalore is somewhere between Hyderabad, and Kerala. Mathematically, this makes Bangalore the ideal place to average out the two influences. And, that is what we did ...

Hyderabad Biryaani House ... on Palm Grove Road ... is every bit as enticing as the counterpart in the Biryaani Capital. The place comes with a legacy ... HBH conjures pictures of some of the best Biryaanis you can dig into ... Anywhere! And, thats a pretty stiff legacy. But the otlet at Palm Grove Road does full justice to the Biryaani of the Biryaani House, and hence, to the reputation the place carries. The Biryaani I had must have been some of the best Biryaani I have ever dug into ... A must-try!

Dinner was at a venerable Bangalore establishment ... Empire Hotel at the corner of Church Street and Museum Road ... The spices are enough to put the house on fire! But the Food is delectable. Though, I am still trying to figure out why the Kerala Parottas are round, while the Ceylon Parottas are square (theres no other difference, or so the waiter informed us). Mutton, and Prawns, with Kerala Parottas (we are talking about the neighbourhood here, remember?) ... Delectable ...

This averaging business reminds me ...

Mathematically, an average is about having your feet in the 0ven, and your head in the freezer, and feeling comfortable on the average!

Rum Therapy

When you catch a cold ... Especially when the weather is warm, is that time of the year when you feel miserable. I want to have a chilled Beer, but ... So, whats to be done? Simple ... Doctors prescribe Brandy ... Though, our friends in Garhwal prescribe Rum ... with warm Water. It tastes like something nasty ... But, it works wonders for a cold!

Of course, one needs to stick to only one drink ... Which anyway we have to do ... Considering being a married man! :-) What did you think? Reminds me of the opening from the movie, Ijazat ... Naseeruddin Shah and Rekha at the waiting room ... Naseeruddin Shah pulls out the bottle of Whiskey ...

Rekha: Tumne phir peenee shuru kar dee?
Naseeruddin: Bahut thand hai.
Rekha: To jacket pehen lo!
Naseeruddin: Ye bhi koi baat hui, Daaroo na pee, jacket pehen li!

Friends, we are not alone ...

Civilizational Differences

A couplet (sher) by Allama Iqbal (I think), which my Grandfather used to recite to me at times:

Yoonan, Misr, Roma, mit gaye jahaan se ...
Kuchh baat hai ke baaqi Hindostaan humaaraa!

There has to be something. Something which gets our civilization (and I am discounting the two-nation theory more as a political concept rather than something which reflects the ground realities and referring to the civilization of Hind, loosely to be defined as the sub-continent, primarily India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) to stand apart from those cvilizations which were about as ancient as the Indus Valley civilization, but havent persisted.

So, what is it? What is it that is inherently different in our civilization? The way I see it ... India has found her children bringing about a frequent renewal ... A renewal powered by intellectual, cultural, and spiritual resurgence. A renewal, which has, over the centuries, renewed the very soul of the civilization, and ensured that the basic tenets, the basic values of the civilization persist, though changing over time, to bring in outside influences. In other words, there has been a kind of continuity in disruption (this is even more believable if you see some of the buildings in Calcutta!). Or, maybe, disruption is too strong a word?

In this respect, Swami Yogananda has made a profound observation in Autobiography of a Yogi, where he mentions that this renewal of the spirit of India has been carried on the shoulders of spiritual Giants.

Any viewpoints?

Buddha Boy Ram Bomjon

Its been some time since the media picked up the story of Ram Bomjon ... He who sat in meditation, not eating for 10 months ... A hoax is what most of the people who follow this call it. And, the credulous ones really believe him to be an incarnation of the Buddha. So, what are the facts? I know not ...

Discovery Channel is running a program titled Looking for India (ya, ya, they need a star to come down from England to look for India ... never was there anyone in India who would be looking for her!). They were covering the Buddha Boy story. Interesting observation ... They observed the boy on camera for 48 hours. All they did was sit there, with their camera, and film the boy on camera ...

Incredible ... He didnt eat or drink for 48 hours. How did he survive ... I dont even claim to know. But, this would definitely be something worth delving into. This is not to say that this necessarily has to do with the Divine (though I would think it does), the point I am trying to make here is that there are always things which cannot be explained by the current state of knowledge. I dont not mention scientific knowledge, because I would much rather look at knowledge of the world in its larger sense.

I think there are large parts of the spiritual world which cannot be, by definition, observed or explained by the scientific method. This doesnt take anything away from the current state of the scientific method. Rather, all it does is acknowledge the fact that there are limitations ... As has been famously demonstrated by Werner Heisenberg in his famous Uncertainty Principle. That there are scenarios where the very act of observation disturbs whatever is being observed.

Past Life Regression ...

There was a front page article on the ToI. The article deals with PLRT. For the uninitiated, thats Past Life Regression Therapy. PLRT was pioneered by Dr. Brian Weiss, with his trailblazing book, Many Lives, Many Masters ... There are more books he has written illustrating the concept.

I think this is an excellent thing to happen. Though, my concern is ... This is more of a fad, just as a lot of others before this. And, somehow, this will fade away with time, as the next fad, the next "flavour of the month" coming along. Whats the problem what that, you might ask. No problem, at all. Except that this is an excellent opportunity for humanity to look at the concept of Reincarnation anew.

Most people in India, especially professing to Hinduism, would stutter the concept of reincarnation, of the soul casting off a body, and taking on a new one, just as we take off our clothes, and wear new ones, as though by rote. And, that, I believe is whats missing. This is something we seem to believe and repeat simply because our Grandparents told us about this, and so did our Parents, and to deny this seems to be a sort of a travesty ...

Today, the world is changing. And, believe you me, some of the changes are phenomenal. We can already do, leave alone imagine, things which were nothing more than a crazy fancy of a science-fiction writer, maybe a century ago. Whether it be the War of the Worlds, or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, or Around the World in 80 Days. Monsieur Phileas Fogg would be considered a leisure traveller in today's travel scenario. We have already made huge inroads into space, studied the origins of the universe as we know it today, made great movements towards understanding the concept of time, and to a certain extent, of changing the very concept of time, at least in relation to human existence.

Researchers have already been able to simulate the Out of Body Experience for people in a laboratory setting. This has gone to prove that the mind can believe that it can traverse the body. Question is ... Can this only be a belief of a mind tricked into believing this, or can this be something which can be made a real physical/mental phenomenon. Why I say mental phenomenon, is because while the physical phenomenon this might represent may be easier to achieve, from a spiritual perspective, I think the mental phenomenon of the "being" surviving without the body, is more important.

Why? I would think thats evident ... A "being" that can survive without the body, would be the being that is the being which moves from one body to another, since this "being" would then be the central phenomenon of existence, at least for those of us who are not inclined spiritually. And, for those who are, this would be the next step in understanding the relationship between the "being" and the world. And, in the light of this, the concept of the Past Life Regression gains far more importance that we are according it today. By no means is the concept devoid of critics, but the only argument I have for the critics is this ...

Every generation makes the mistake of assuming the finality of its knowledge ... Einstein!

OK ... So, I dont remember the exact quote. Anyone who could tell me the exact quote?

All I say here is, lets now assume that things which have no proof cannot exist. Gravitation did exist before there was Mathematics. So did Black Holes. Is it not possible that Reincarnation is a fact, even though there is no "scientific" proof? Does this not submit to a very narrow definition of Science?

Creation ...

I was wondering ... Actually, it all began with misreading a word. I misread the word "Creation", with the with "Cremation". Which raised a simple question ... Is this a coincidence? Why is it that creation and cremation are so close to each other? Is it because the two are so close to each other ... So close, that they go hand in hand? Is it because one must follow from the other? Or, that both are but two sides of the same coin?

On the lighter side ... Marital and Martial are very similar, too!

Mother Tongue

There must be a reason ... They dont refer to it as the Father Tongue, even though we live in a patriarchial society, and we inherit the name from the father. The tongue is still the Mother tongue. Why?

Is it because the tongue is the vehicle of all thoughts? That the tongue is the interface between us and the outer world? That the tongue leads us to an understanding of the world, and to a description of our own understanding of the world? Whatever be the reason (and I dont think I have been able to touch upon too many of them here, simply because I dnt know of any more ... anyone like to add to these?), the fact of the matter is that the child does hve a natural affinity to the tongue of the Mother. And, why not!

After all, is not The Mother the one who gives us sustenance? Is not She who gives us our identity. She who has loved us through the ages, and She who would love us for all eternity!

September

As though you didnt already know ... September is here. Autumn is in the air. You can feel it in the breeze. The days are getting shorter ... Being dark by the time you leave office. The freshness of Autumn rings through the breeze.

Though, the most beautiful part about the season ... The Festivities! Durga Puja! The coming of The Mother. For She shall delight in Her children. And, we all look forward to Her ...

Chak De!

Yeah, another one of the army of blogs written about the movie. But, hey ... Why not. But hold on ... Its not exactly the movie I am writing about. The point is ... We went for the movie today (full house on a weeknight!). And that, on a day when the India girls trounced Thailand 16-0, and the boys made a place for themselves in the semi-finals of the men's version of the Asian Cup (played at Hong Kong, and Chennai, respectively!).

Though, of course Balbir Kaur (aka Tanya Abrol) is definitely my favourite in the movie! Favourite scene? When the girls beat up the boys (yay, McDonald's)! Cheers to that ...

Its been some Time, and Punjabi Music.

I know, I know ... thats a rather unimaginative title for a post, but I just wanted to write a couple of thoughts. Well ... Rather unrelated thoughts, if you ask me, but nevertheless ...

Today is 3rd. September, 2007. No, I am not targetting this post (Marketing Strategy classes showing up again?) at some time capsule kind of sci-fi scene. Its just that this day, 18 years ago, a boy from Delhi had landed up in the lovely city of Varanasi (ok, ok ... Fact is, I still prefer Banaras, and of course, Kashi ... She is Kashi Hindu Vishwavidyala, the City of Cities ... Kashi!). He went to this city, reached there on the 3rd. September, 1989, a boy in his teens, and left the city another four years down the line, a man! Such was the metamorphosis brought upon by the city.

Now, I know that the boy have grown into a man anywhere ... It had nothing to do with where he was. But, the kind of man he grew up into does have a relationship with where he grew up. Now, I am not blemishless. Nobody in this world is (Romans 3:23). But, I do believe, I turned out to be a person who is nice (I dont think comparisons have any meaning ... the question is the degree of goodness, I believe!).

The Punjabi Music part ... I am listening to an album of Rabbi Shergill as I write this post ... Apart from that the music grips you, and forces you to hink, apart from listening, there is another aspect of this ... This genre of music is not the good old B3 (Balle Balle Boys!), and this goes to mention a point ... There is much more to Punjabiyat (Punjabi culture, language, lifestyles, way of life ...), than only remixed Bhangra songs! A very nice point ... Tere Bin ... saannoo soneya koi hor naiyo labbana ... Beautiful song (not for nothing I had this as my caller tune when I was in Calcutta ... still trying to make it my caller tune!).

The Mind

What to say of a mind which can be tricked by another mind ... Basically, the human mind can be tricked into believing things that dont probably exist. Or, it may not believe things which do exist. Which means, that the mind, and the body controlled by the mind, may be living in an illusion.

Probably it is. How else could we explain that what you like one moment, you tend to dislike the next. Our favourites arent constant. Nothing is. What leads us to pin our hopes on something so transient?

Can we, for example, describe cause and effect without bringing in the construct of time? Hmmmmm ... Food for thought? More thoughts on this soon.

India's Real Heroes

I saw this extremely nice program on CNN-IBN today ... India's Real Heroes. An amazing show ... It was being anchored by one of my favourites (no, that has very little to do with the show being amazing ...). She is one of my favourite singers, and is extremely effervescent. Find her here ...

The program was all about the real heroes. Whether it was the gentleman fighting for the survival of the one-horned Indian Rhino, or the gentleman making sure the people who need medication get it. Or, two gentlemen from Patna who run a coaching institute for the IIT entrance for underprivileged children in Patna.

They are people who believe ... These gentlemen believe, for instance, that anyone can make it to the hallowed halls of learning, the IITs. You dont have to be rich, nor do you need to have access to vast resources ... You don't even need to claim the caste quota. Now, this, to my mind, is the real hero.

The program is an eye-opener. More in a positive way ... That all is not lost ... That we shall strive, that India as a nation, is not completely bereft of her heroes. Only thing, there's too few of them!

Freako-whatever

Bomb bloasts in Hyderabad ... Must be condemned ... Anyone in his right mind would condemn them! However, these bring out two points:

1. The Numbers.

2. What are we doing about it?

I am talking about 1. in this post. More will follow ...

The television channels are reporting that 40 people have been killed in the Hyderabad bomb blasts, and apart from this, the numbers of those injured are 100. Massive casualties. Loss of life ... There is a story that doesnt even get a mention (its just scrolling across the bottom of the tv screen). This is about 80 Cholera deaths in Orissa. I dont know why the media is reluctant to devote sound-bites to Cholera deaths? Are these not deaths? Or, maybe they are not macabre enough? Is this somewhat akin to the argument put forward in Freakonomics that more people die in swmming pool accidents than with guns, and yet, nobody ever thought about outlawing swimming pools. Maybe those deaths are not macabre enough?

This argument would simply mean that the issue is not people dying, but rather, people dying the sensational way! Should be continue walking this road? Food for thought ... If terrorist killings (which actually claim less lives than road accidents, from what statisticians tell us), stop getting media coverage, would they just die their own, natural death?

Confused Senses

The Guardian today reported about scientists having developed a technique to induce out of body experience. Interesting, dont you think? I surely think so.

One thing in the article caught my eye ... That two research groups have com to the conclusion that it was confusion in the senses (which are capturing data, and transmitting data to the brain to interpret), which would lead to this. Taking this argument a little further ... If people have been known to have Out of Body experiences under traumatic circumstances (accidents, surgery ...), in a scenario where the senses can be considered to be inoperational (the eyes are not seeing when you are unconscious, or under anaesthesia), then what is it that lets these people have an out-of-body experience.

Is this a sense which is not among the five senses which the brain and the body relies on? Is this consciousness? All thoughts more than welcome!

OOB ...

This is not a Kerala style exclamation. Simply an abbreviation (we seem to be having a lot of them, and for some inexplicable reason, they are all three letters ... I do have a theory ... Most of these emerge from Management Consultants, and if they were two letters, everyone would be able to understand them and Consultants wouldnt be able to make any Money, and if they were four letters, the Consultants wouldnt be able to understand them themselves). What does this stand for? Out of Body Experience ... Wondering why I am writing about this?

The Times of India today carried an article about induced out of body experiences. Hmmmmm ... Interesting! Whither absolut realities? At this point, I would refer you to this blog by Prithwis da (not just because he was my Boss, but simply because this is an amazing blog!). OK ... Enough of beating around the bush. But, the story by itself is quite interesting ... Thought provoking, to say the least.

Would leave you with a question ... Where does this leave us in terms of an absolute truth? I have to go now, but you can be sure I would write more about this. Why? This is a very important step towards understanding non-duality, isnt it? Of undertsnading The Ultimate Cause? The Ultimate Cause, that transcends all boundaries of space, time, somethingness, and nothingness ... The Cause which created boundaries (so, how could He be bound by them?).

This, along with another article, on the same page of the ToI which talks about scientists having discovered a hole in the Universe! Wow ... A hole in emptiness? Food for thought, definitely?

Oh, the Fish

Its been close on 14 years now. The last time was in Banaras (Varanasi for the uninitiated), the place is called Joyshree (now, dont even ask where it is, but its somewhere in the lovely city of Banaras). The Fish was Mourola ... After a long time today, had the same crisp-fried Mourola ... And its definitely a treat. It was a treat then (and I was uninitiated), and it is equally a treat now!

The K Word

We celebrated our 60th year if Independance, both Indian and Pakistan. And, the news channels were quick on the uptake ... Featuring opinion polls and debates covering both sides of the border. Nice thing (we probably should have more of these, as these would at least increase the scope of the dialogue), but the fact is, logically, if there are two parties, and one party says that he has a problem with a particular thing, the other party has to accept that the thing in question is a problem, even if he doesnt believe so.

Thats a lot of words. Lets just simplify. If Pakistan believes that Kashmir is a problem, then no matter what we in India believe, Kashmir is a problem. Stands to logic ... Absence of problem is when both parties agree on something. Presence of problem is simply the negative of absence. By this logic, Kashmir is the issue.

Though, the fact is, Kashmir is mired in legacy. There is plenty of water flowed under the bridge. The chronology of events as I see them:

• Pakistan believes Kashmir rightfully belongs to them (according to the two-nation theory), since princely states with Hindu majority populations acceded to India, even though they had Muslim rulers.
• Pakistan forces the hand of the Maharaja, who is forced by the "tribal" invasion to turn to India to save Kashmir, and India obliges once the Maharaja signs the Instrument of Accession, which makes Kashmir a part of India.
• UN resolution calling for international plebiscite in Kashmir. However, a pre-condition for this is that both Armies should move out of Kashmir, which hasnt happened, and I dont think would happen anytime soon.
• Shimla Agreement declares that Kashmir is a bilateral issue, and the international community has no reason to delve into it.
• Agra Summit is a much-anticipated turning point in relationships, but the turn of events from there on proves that this is basically a damp squib.

Bottomline? No solutiuon to a problem which is recognized as a critical issue. People are dying ... Their nationality or political affiliation doesnt matter. Where should we go? Forward! Can we let "bygones be bygones" and look forward to a shared future? Is that so difficult to do? Or, are we condemned to keep fighting, and debating and discussing things which wont lead us anywhere?

Funny or Intelligent?

I was watching an interview with Bollywood's funny man ... Sajid Khan. No matter he gets on people's nerves, he is funny. He says people dont take him seriously, they dont think he is intelligent, because he is funny.

Hmmmmm ... Thats a fact, isnt it? People believe that if you are funny, you are a clown, and a clown is not meant to be intelligent. Is that true? I wouldnt think you would say it is. Fact is, anyone who is funny has to give people a reason to laugh. To do that, he has to find the reason that would make people laugh, and that requires a keen understanding of human nature, and of the cultural and intellectual background of the audience. And all of this has to be done in a split second. I believe I have a good sense of humour, and I can make people laugh, but the audience has to be able to connect to my wavelength, not the other way round. From that perspective, I wouldnt say I am intelligent, though I Hope that I get to be.

Mumbai in Monsoon ...

Recently, I was travelling to Mumbai ... in the Monsoons! Yes, thats considered hazardous to the health. But, water-logging apart, Mumbai comes alive in the monsoons ... The air is fresh, and the sea-breeze is delightful, mixing with the monsoon breeze! Just the right weather for good Food ... though, Mumbai doesnt leave you with much time to enjoy the culinary specialities the city has to offer.

No can do

I had written about the places I wanted to eat at, while in Bangalore. I am sorry, folks, but you will have to wait (if at all you are reading, but if I still have your attention, I am sure you are reading) for that.

Blame IIM-C. And, my Operations Management exam this weekend. Sunday, to be precise. And, after the 41.67% in Corporate Strategy (I am sure I should have gotten more, except that the majority of the class was somewhere in the 20s and 30s!), I would like much rather hit the Book, and slog it out ... Which means no gallavanting around the place. Just being a good boy, staying put in the Guest House, and Studying! Cheers ...

Hospitality and Money

There are a few recent incidents which got me thinking. Hospitality ... a la South Asia. And, this prompted me to write on this subject.

Different societies and different cultures have different outlooks to guests. These could vary from the American way (do they really have to come??), to the South Asian way, of Atithi Devo Bhava (Guest be God) ...

What I feel, this cultural difference shows. Very clearly visible in the hospitality and hospitality related businesses (travel, tourism, aviation, customer service ...).

The overriding impression I get in the Occident (I think the word is still valid, Pax Americana and Thomas Friedman notwithstanding) that the hospitality sector is not into it for serving the customer. Rather, they are in it with both eyeballs on your Wallet.

While nobody is in it for charity, because of this cultural difference, the differences in behaviour become quite glaring, and the warmth you would find in a hotel, or an airline in India, or Sri Lanka (I am yet to travel to Pakistan, but from what I heard, they are far warmer), to my mind, remains unmatched.

And I would think this would have implications for the BPO sector. Barring the narrow mindset of "losing American/British jobs to the Indians", I think culturally, the Indian BPO industry is far better placed than their counterparts in other parts of the world to handle outsourced, customer-facing processes, especially for processes which are with handling irate customers.

Bangalore next week

Something I have been trying to figure out for a long time ... There are people who can eat, and then eat, and then eat some more, and are still thin as a reed, while me ... I can grow fat listening to someone in the next room talking about Food!

I am off to Bangalore next week, and I am looking forward to Dinner at Hotel Empire ... The Mutton Kurma, and the Parotta they make up is delicious ... So is the Fish Curry and Rice at Koshy's ... Though, I think their Fish 'n'Chips is avoidable. Which is crazy, because the place is called Koshy's Fish 'n' Chips ... So their signature Dish seems to have gone ...

Utilization versus Customer ...

Over the last two days, I have come across scenarios at some of the most revered eateris in Kolkata (Calcutta if you may), which are unsavoury, at least to me!

At Peter Cat ... They believe that if the size of the entourage doesnt fit with the size of their table, you are not allowed in. So, if theres 2 of you, and they have a table of 4 which is vacant, perish the thought of having the chance to dine there. They would much rather leave the table vacant (on the assumption that they will get 4 covers soon!) ... One could argue that if they took in the 2 diners, 4 people would be inconvenienced (did i get that right?). But I dont think they have such altruistic thoughts behind this.

Or, take Flury's for that matter ... For some reason, the establishment believes that people dont drink (or, maybe, that they shouldnt drink) Tea or Coffee along with their Lunch. Presumably, which is why, they refuse to serve Coffee if you go there at Lunchtime. I had gone there with a colleague, and ... I was going to have a Pastry, and she decided to have Coffee (presumably because of a Diet!). And, the bearer told us that he cannot serve Coffee! Of course, he still wanted me to have the Pastry!

This doesnt take anthing away from the Food. The Chello Kababs are every bit as they ought to be, and Flury's still makes up the best Muffins.

Strangely, this is something I havent come across anywhere except Kolkata, though, by no stretch of the imagination could I hold this against the City i love ...

Food in Calcutta

Over the last couple of days, I have seen a peculiar situation in Calcutta. Just about every eatery in town is packed throughout the day, practically. We decded to have Dinner at Jimmy's Kitchen (if you have known Calcutta for a longish period of time, you cannot give Jimmy's a go-by!) ... A venerable old institution of Chinese cooking in Calcutta, the land of Tangda. To the extent that my Mother in Law was telling me once, that the first time she ate at Jimmy's Kitchen was when she was in School. Now, thats one old place!

What was indeed surprising was that at 8:20 pm on a weeknight, the place was packed. No place to sit, and the guard says it would at least half an hour to get a table. As luck would have it, one of my friends who was supposed to meet us there had already reached there, and was already sitting inside. The alternative would have been wooing the Princes of Calcutta (the taxiwallahs ... that time of the day, none of them seem to want to go anywhere!).

Though, the Wontons and the Spring Rolls were every bit worth it ... Just the way they should be ... Delectable! In other words ... Vintage Jimmy's!

Kolkata Khaowa ...

A few days in Kolkata (or Calcutta if you may), are always welcome. There is something about the city. The fact that theres no such thing as professionalism here notwithstanding, the city has a heart. And, belly ... Sure knows a thing or two about Food!

Yesterday it was Ilish Maach (dont ask me what preparation, but it was Shorshe Baataa, and Paalonk Shaag ...), and it was among the best Ilish i have ever had. That at a time when Bangladesh has banned the export of Padma r Ilish! How could they!!!!! From a place called Kastoori. I am told this restaurant is on Sudder Street, opposite where Jamuna Cinema used to be.

And if the Ilish is anything to go by, a visit to this restaurant is required.

Photograph from Kolkata

I just got a bunch of pictures from a colleague of the havoc the deluge played in Kolkata ... People trudging through hip deep water ... Camac Street seems to have been the photographer's favourite.

In all of these, there was a picture of a rickshaw-wallah ... Just an ordinary photograph, but a smile very human ... A smile which welcomes the rains, even with the waterlogging, and all the man made problems that it brings ... A warm welcome ... One that shall never be taken away!

Monsoons ...

This is the first post I am making on this blog. And, needless to say, its about the Monsoons ...

I was supposed to be in Mumbai right now, and had it not been for the rains ... Actually, not the rains, but more the way our infrastructure can handle them ... And, why Mumbai alone ... Kolkata was floating, too!

Though, the fact of the matter is, too, that the Monsoons unleash their own Magic ... the Magic of Saawan ... Of a bountiful crop, which feeds the vitality of a civilization. Of bringing life out of the laboured slumber of the Summers ... No wonder, then, that the Monsoons are celebrated across the length and breadth of the country ... Even if that means that washed clothes remain soggy for days!

Here's to the Monsoons ...