We are exploring very sensitive issues on our blog and I do not put any form of editorial control except for obscenity, or very personal and direct insulting behavior towards another member of our community. However we live in very sensitive times and I do not see why this blog should become the same mind set of the politicians media or extreme fundamentalists that we are against. This is a blog for intelligent discussion and exploration where all points of view are welcome and encouraged. We can be as passionate as we want about what we feel, as long as we respect the passion and arguments of other bloggers. But we must refrain from insulting each directly. I thank all of you for being so respectful of this new medium of discourse – but we must remember that the future of blogging, if it is to be a tool of social change, then we, the initiators bear the responsibility to nurture and shephard this new movement,
Shekhar
thank you, i appreciate your intervention.i will try my best never to cross that line
Thats true Shekhar what u said that we must be responsible and use medium for postive change in society..And I think we can use any medium or system in right manner when it is in early phase because in long run we as human being corrupt those system or medium..And I wonder why is that same human brain which create such wonderful creation at later stage why same human beings start destroying it..Is it human nature?Is it natural?Two steps postive and then two steps negative?Is it for balance or what?…
I dont know hope u enlighten me…
How uncanny is this post from you today, just this morning was caught in a debate on what is right and wrong for The Web – it is indeed re-inventing us
What makes the Web different from print?
We need to carefully answer this last question because otherwise we are in
danger of approaching the Web with our print-thinking and print-techniques. We are in danger of saying: ‘This is what quality
writing is,’ when really what we are saying is: ‘This is what quality print writing is.’
Here are some of the ways the Web is different from print: The Web is
about links The Web is about tasks
The Web is about finding
The Web is about permanence
The Web is a process
The Web is about the customer
The Web is not about the control of elites.
It is about the wisdom of crowds, the collective intelligence. At the center
of the Web is the customer, not the organization. It is about the things
the customer wants to do, not the things the organization wants to do to
the customer.
Please lets respect that
Shekhar,
I totally agree with you. There’s a lot of back biting going on in the blogosphere and we should keep our blogs free from any kind of rancour and bitterness.
I am one of India’s earliest bloggers and have been blogging for 5 years. Do take a look. http://johnpmathew.blogspot.com. I have put a link to your blog in it.
I have live blogged the events of 26/11 and the results have been heartening. I have had 300 hits a day during this period. Not big but significant.
best wishes,
John
Dear Shekhar,
I understand and appreciate your intention but the comments posted by some people, as response to your post, stand as a testimony of the manners of some people here.I need not and do not wish to mention the names here but i guess everyone and you also can see what is happening. Referring to fellow participants as ‘clowns’ etc and outright display of hatred towards certain people, community or philosophies etc and getting into derogatory mode to denounce them and utter disrespect or even abuse towards other participants here…these are the things which are now common on this blog.And to put it honestly,i, as a regular visitor, do not quite like it and infact wanted to write a personal mail to you, asking for a more strict moderation of comments.But i do not have your email Id and i am using this post/comments to request some editorial control.
Otherwise what will ensue are just verbal battles which become ugly, riding on the ego clashes while the main post of yours, its intent as well as content, could get completely relegated to the background.
Please do something about it.
Some of the pseudos on here are getting burnt by the fire of greater truths while they were cozy in their high-moral-ground-cocoons built on utterly incomplete knowledge and respect of history of the Indian sub-continent or general wisdom.
So they are being forced to expose their real nature – though under anonymous usernames – and we can see that they are hardly the messengers of peace and harmony they try to portray of themselves. Like this chap antibrahmastra..most of these secularists are extremely confused people..at the very mention of any references to Hindtuva or such, they raise the communal flag and get on their high horses..because they really have never experienced the depth of what Hindutva has to offer.
Thank you, it needed to be done. A few days back reading a person’s comments here I did not feel like writing for many days.
*******
Also,
Excuse me for pasting the following email which somebody sent to me. I thought it needs to be sent to or read by every Indian.
*******
The President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam ‘s Speech in Hyderabad:
Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.
In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.. Why are we so NEGATIVE?
Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.
Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don’t work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name – ‘YOURS’. Give him a face – ‘YOURS’. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don’t throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity In Singapore you don’t say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn’t dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, ‘see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.’YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, ‘Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so’s son.. Take your two bucks and get lost.’ YOU wouldn’t chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand
Why don’t YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don’t YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?
Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay , Mr. Tinaikar, had a point to make. ‘Rich people’s dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,’ he said. ‘And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan .
Will the Indian citizen do that here?’ He’s right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.
When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? ‘It’s the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons’ rights to a dowry.’ So who’s going to change the system?
What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one’s conscience too.
I am echoing J. F. Kennedy’s words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians..
‘ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY’
Lets do what India needs from us.
Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or junk mails.
Thank you,
Dr. Abdul Kalam
Hi Mr. Kapur
Hope you are well. I am a bit off topic here but just wanted to share this link with you and if possible on your website and briefly some information.
http://awakeningthedreamer.org/
http://pachamama.org/
This initiative was started by an organization called Panchamama Alliance. They are doing some interesting work with an aim to provide- Environmentally Sustainable, Spiritually Fulfilling, Equitable Presence for all on this planet.
I attended their symposium here in Hkg and it was an eye opener in their intelligent presentation style even though most of us who attended were already relatively better informed about the worsening condition of our planet.
They even trained some of us to be able to deliver symposiums and share this message with our friends, colleagues, net works.
Since they have an in-depth research and support system backing one up, it allows anyone to easily share their message through social- work networks etc. Anyone can join and hold a symposium in as informal setting -as an afternoon tea with friends. There are a lot of people who care about environment and better lifestyle ethics but dont know how to share this concern with others without turning into an activist and with some relevant information to back them up. This could be an answer.
The point is just to bring the message of environmental sustainability and human interconnectivity to as many people as possible. And what better way to start than your family and friends.
I thought I’ll also briefly share about it with you on your website, since you are so passionate about the subject. In the wake of current Mumbai Attacks, which already seem to be relegated to distant memory, the theme of interconnectivity and urgency to act, has sharply hit home.
We can’t afford any longer to retire to our smug lifestyles but need to start approaching certain issues with a keen urgency and self-introspection. Perhaps then we could come up with some sustainable, intelligent, answers/solutions
Anyways, I’ll stop here as this is a long discussion.
Thanks a lot for your attention and for posting this on your website.
Best Regards
Mani
Agree totally, Shekhar. But then what about ‘truth’ ? We gotta respect truth , without being abusive , surely ?
For instance , when we hear educated ( english educated , mostly) Indians say ‘ Terrorism has no religion’ , they are surely kidding themselves or are so smug in their acquired English accent that they actually think they are smarter than a ‘ country Indian ‘ ?
This is the first truth : Terrorism HAS a religion , its name is Islam – its former name was Christianity. But then , in our part of the world , it is Islam more than Christianity. One is violence by body , the other specialises in violence by mind before it indulges in inquisitions .
This is the second truth : India is secular because India is 80% Hindu( probably it is 70% now). Can you imagine India being secular if it is 80% Muslim or 80% Christian???
Let us recognise the gravity of the tird truth and work on it – Quoting Gandhiji “An average Hindu is a coward and an average Muslim is a Bully “.
Let us( i.e. english educated Indians) not fudge issues . Let us be Manly enough to see truth and recognise it , meditate on it and then find solutions.
True.
As responsible bloggers, it is okay to strongly disagree if you do, and attack ideas, but please do not attack individuals.
Shekhar jee, I know exactly what prompted this post of yours. Let me apologize for being carried away by the nonsense of “we all know who”
I agree that in a free world, eevrybody needs to have the opportunity to make an argument, but with a mutual respect for other person’s choices and point of view. Unfortunately, few people take undue advantage of free expression by propogating complete crap. I think responsbility is with each of us to be cautious of such lunatics.
Once again Iam sorry for losing my cool on this intelligent forum.
responsibility and blogging can sometimes be two mutually exclusive events. when practicing the fifth amendment, difference of opinion does arise. a provocation does induce one to comment, being an argumentative or an agreed augmentation. a common thought process is where i feel the respectfulness is required.
i’m currently sharing a hotel room with a good friend, and we speak what comes to mind. playfully or seriously, verbal blogs should be understood and communicated within a common field. as we start agreeing and transcending, the proper maturity of exchange increases. bloggers (as the word sounds, similar to ‘hackers’) should be ‘aloud’….thank you shekhar for the awareness of this topic, especially as it relates to our communities and the status of the world today…. v
Aakarsh,
I had left you a response on that Mumbai mourning topic. I know your post is directed towards me..so let me tell you that Indians who have been bastardized by glamour, lost touch with their roots and fail to see the real value of the great land are 100% ‘clowns’. I am very well aquainted with this lot..i was one of them until i saw the light..LOL Don’t take India for granted mate..you’re a smart chap..get with the program. Without Hindutva, India will plunge into darkness.
Harb,
‘ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY’
Be careful what you wish for!!
Interesting …
Twelve steps to shock-and-awe Pakistan’s economy
Economic destabilisation of the Terror Central is imperative for rooting out terror.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1212468&pageid=0
dear Brahmastra,
your comments are truly the spice out here. but extremity of anything in life is 🙁 whether spicy or sweety. not all that you say is bullish. and not what APJ is suggesting here is bullish either. the concern that u want to reflect vis-a-vis where america/westerners are today is understandable. But not with branding of all that is deserving as Hindutva. All religions have deviated from their spiritual ORIGIN – Hindutva of today being no different. And the world of today is moving towards understanding IT. The demarkation of Yin/Yang, This/That, Western/Eastern seems to be in it merging state or is moving from Here to just There and There to just Here. Any reflection of extremism is drifting from the wholesome vision of IT. So all that is done/and needs to be done so, needs not leave residues of any extremism behind.
** And on disturbing or bringing out the egos/pseudoness of others as you claim to have done to churn out some wisdom is no wisdom which i am sure You know. Maybe you are in your last lapse of getting out of it as it seems.
Thank you for prompting me to just share what was there: )
Send to me by one of my fighter piolet friend ! teach all of us a lot:)
1/2 boy 1/2 man
While the average age of the army man is around 30 years, at the time
of enrolling / commissioning he is around 19 years. He is a short
haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is
considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the
ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his
country.
He’s a recent school/college graduate; he was probably an average
student from one of the Kendriya Vidyalayas, pursued some form of
sport activities, rides an old mo’bike / scooter, and has a steady
girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be
waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to
bollywood music or ghazals or rock & roll or hip-hop or country or
swing . . and a 155mm howitzer.
He is 5 or 7 kilos lighter now than when he was at home because he is
working or fighting insurgents or standing guard on the icy Himalayas
or the jungles of the North East from before dawn to well after dusk
or he is in Mumbai engaging the terrorists. He has trouble spelling,
thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle
in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can
recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher
and use either one effectively if he must.
He digs trenches and weapon-pits and can apply first aid like a professional.
He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march.
He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not
without spirit or individual dignity. His pride and self-respect, he
does not lack.
He is self-sufficient.
He has two sets of combat dress: he washes one and wears the other.
He keeps his water bottle full and his feet dry… He sometimes
forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook
his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.
If you’re thirsty, he’ll share his water with you; if you are hungry,
his food. He’ll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of
battle when you run low.
He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they
were his hands.
He can save your life – or take it, because that is his job.
He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and
still find ironic humour in it all.
He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short
lifetime. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have
fallen in combat and is unashamed.
He feels every note of the Jana Gana Mana vibrate through his body
while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to
‘square-away’ those around him who haven’t bothered to stand, remove
their hands from their pockets, or even stop talking.
In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their
right to be disrespectful. Just as did his father, grandfather, and
great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless
or not, he is not a boy.
He is your nation’s Fighting Man that has kept this country free and
defended your right to Freedom. He has experienced deprivation and
adversity, and has seen his buddies falling to bullets and maimed and
blown.
But, he has asked nothing in return, except our acknowledgement of his
existence and understanding of his human needs.
Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration
with his blood.
And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in
this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.
As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot. . ….
A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.
Prayer wheel for our military… Please send this on after a short prayer.
‘Lord, hold our Indian Armed Forces in your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for
us in our time of need.
Amen.’
When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for
our soldiers, sailors and airmen, on all frontiers and wherever else
they are needed. Pray for the Indian Soldier. Unlike your ‘Babus’ or
‘Netas’ He will always do you proud.
Your blog is good and so are your thoughts
I really cannot say about other bloggers…in democracy they have right to speak their mind…
this is new thing , a starting point and not many bloggers are opinion makers and everyone cannot read everyone’s blogs so bloggers who have specific things to say attract such kind of readers, followers ect
your blog has its own style 🙂
True Shekhar, these indeed are sensitive times. It is time to be humane and not intellectual for a change. Time to get off our high-horse and try to see things from all angles. And more than anything else it is time for action. My greatest fear is that all this angst will wither away all too soon and we will be back to our oblivious head-in-the-sand lives.
My assignment here in NYC gets over and I am taking a break traveling to India. I will be irregular with my posts for a while. Wish everyone on this community all the best for the New Year and for the folks in the west, hope you have great holidays.
Do keep the fire burning!
Warm Regards,
Ritu
justbe,
I am in alignment with all you have said. The only distant hope that I have for convenience in this world is the rise of ancient Vedic ways in India. It has proven to be a very efficient social model in the past (10000BC+). I also feel that many of its contents are immutable and have not been manipulated (relatively) as the other religions because of their complex nature and benevolent guardians.
This is not about judgemental morality as much as it is about social modelling with the simple premise of having sophisticated evolved leaders running the show coupled with environmentally and health friendly lifestyles which are implicit in Hindu ways..imagine if people like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and such yogis played an active role in social reconstruction and replaced the current strata of low-level buffoons. I feel India is a fertile ground for the rise of such authentic Hindutva for obvious reasons. But this Hindutva needs proper expression.
And you have to understand that it is also a matter of survival for Hinduism at this point because it is under attack by fanatic and communist forces from several fronts..but many Indians as some here fail to realize the gravity of this, and keep beating their secularism drum which is based on the false premise that all religions are equal in ignorance of the fact that Islamic fanaticism against Hindus has been going on non-stop for over a millenium and there has also been a rise in Chrisitan fundamentalism in the background as well. There are continuous attempts to alter the demographics of India. Muslims are allowed to have 4 wives, and are even encouraged by their leaders to reproduce more to grow in number, Bangladeshi muslims are migrating illegally in hordes, Pakistan is openly encouraging separatism and terrorism against India, and Indian muslim groups such as SIMI have an open mission statement to turn India into an Islamic state..
So forgive me if i’m a little passionate about this..LOL
All religions are NOT equal and all men are NOT born equal. The only equal is the UNBORN.
Tropic Thunder, movie of the year …
Tom Cruise (Les Grossman) speaks it loud and clear …
You can see the impact on the otherside …
“Les Grossman: We don’t negotiate with terrorists.”
“First, take a big step back … ”
Powerful quotes are at http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0100777/quotes
Tropic Thunder …
Pay attention to big “Aum” at the end of movie when Tom Cruise is dancing …
Something significant
or
Thoughtful
Dear Shekhar:
There are many wonderful contributions on your blog and it is always inspiring to read some of the highly intelligent and insightful comments. There are, however, a few among our community that have introduced a harsh tone with insulting language that greatly diminishes our dialogue that is meant to present well argued opinions to celebrate our differences rather than force our own passionate convictions upon others at the cost of losing our civility and comity. An argument can only rise to the level of respectability if it is presented without rancor and anger, directed at those who do not agree with it. I cannot find pleasure in trying to win an argument by denigrating my perceived antagonist with an onslaught of verbal insults. When people have to resort to the language of the street their argument has lost all its legitimacy, no matter how much I may have agreed with the underlying premise of their thoughts. I much more enjoy a well argued point of view that I do not agree with than one that reflects my own convictions but is marred by a harsh and imperious diction.
With best regards.
Horst
dear shekhar
i am glad you posted this, in fact i would wonder sometimes why you ignore some of the really childish and ego-driven stuff that would get posted here. the edge of disdain and disagreement in some of the posts was pungent.
but there was no obscenity, so i thought you must filter those and leave things which are ‘spicy’
but yes, we must respect others and we must grow up (i remember posting this myself on one of the blogs as there was a rather juvenile argument going on)
come one guys, we should not force shekhar to withdraw from sharing all this with us and we should leave our egoes behind when we come here. no need to get personal.
there is nothing stronger in this world than gentleness.
love, shivani
rudra, i like what you say. i agree. i like the quote as well. although find it difficult to believe the mahatma would have said somthing so incendiary. shivani
hummm
what if I say…
luv dearest Shekhar creations…
ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
beloved Elisabeth…
timeless…
just like its director…
hee hee hee
oh well…
a hit!!!!
high voltage…
who knows????????
all in the flow…
as GOd laughs!!!!!!!!!!!!
when will we learn?????
and so it is…
this being human…
Shekhar, as much as I have enjoyed following and contributing to your blog over time, I have also enjoyed observing the microcosm of people and thoughts you attract here.
How you moderate this blog is at some level a reflection of your view of the world. People who agree to debate within its confines which include both the content and the manner will find expression.Those who are discouraged for either reasons are also a voice, discordant maybe.They are what make the microcosm representative enough especially if you view this blog to carry a social relevance.Though I completely respect your prerogative to moderate your own blog, I wonder if there is a more democratic approach to sidelining unwanted behavior.I am thinking more in the lines of ‘flag abuse’ option open to us visitors.
Shivani,
You show your quality in seeing truth. Let me actually reproduce the full quote of Gandhiji:
” There is no doubt in my mind that in the majority of quarrels the Hindus come out second best. But my own experience confirms the opinion that the Mussalman as a rule is a bully, and the Hindu as a rule is a coward. I have noticed this in railway trains, on public roads, and in the quarrels which I had the privilege of settling. Need the Hindu blame the Mussalman for his cowardice? Where there are cowards, there will always be bullies.They say that in Saharanpur the Mussalmans looted houses, broke open safes and, in one case, a Hindu woman’s modesty was outraged.Whose fault was this? Mussalmans can offer no defence for the execrable conduct, it is true.But I, as a Hindu, am more ashamed of Hindu cowardice than I am angry at the Mussalman bullying.Why did not the owners of the houses looted die in the attempt to defend their possessions?Where were the relatives of the outraged sister at the time of the outrage?Have they no account to render of themselves?My non-violence does not admit of running away from danger and leaving dear ones unprotected.Between violence and cowardly flight, I can only prefer violence to cowardice”.
That was Gandhiji after the horrendous communal riots instigated by the Muslim League in 1923.
love and prayers to all of us, exercising our kindness and caring in posting comments that we may keep this beautiful meeting place alive
In general I’ve been looking at reactions on blogs, and a lot of it is understandable knee-jerk reaction to a tragedy and hopefully just passing anger. What amazes me is how such events cloud judgment, even very mature and wise people can turn into something else, something unrecognizable. This is the power of terror, unfortunately. Note that some are willing to give up democracy already, and have revolutions without giving a second thought to what that might result in. Then there are all these quotes taken out of context, and fake quotes, and spam emails that have fake speeches and fake messages that are spurring on this anger. On the other hand, I have some faith in the resiliency of India and sanity will be restored.
Kishore, that was the best comment I read in recent times. I hope people could understand this.
The sanity you look for arises from within in times of war as well as peace. So many of the great sages and enlightened fathers of India have engaged in war when absolutely necessary.
It is the pseudo-secularists who have misinterpreted the non-violence principles of Hinduism into a shield for cowardice and passivity. This lot is singularly responsible for the shameful paralysis of Indian response to such grave and open attacks on its civilians.
Unless Pakistan is attacked either through surgical strikes or a large-scale operation, this slow bleeding of India is sure to continue, and a more fanatic newer generation will arise conditioned by suppressed aggression.
Lighting candles, holding hands, singing sad songs, crying, blaming, pretending, appeasing, hollow threats…….where are the Peshwas, the Marathas, the Rajputs, the Sikhs, the Gurkhas..the Indian guardians of yore..lost in this maze of self-indulgence and confusion..like the samurai.
Q. Sadhguru, as a nation how do we address the problem of the recent terrorist acts in Mumbai?
A. It is very clear that terrorists, the people who want to cause violence, death and destruction are motivated to a point where they are willing to lay down their lives for it; but people who want to create well-being are not motivated enough. This is our biggest problem, isnt it? If people who are doing such things are so motivated, should we not be at least equally motivated? But we, as a nation, have shown neither the vision nor the determination to solve any problem.
We dabble with everything and just leave it there. This has been a disease in this country. Wherever I go, some people think being a spiritual leader means I have come to teach them patience, peace. I keep telling them, this country is drowning in its patience. I want to see some impatience in people. Show me some impatience, that you are not willing to take this nonsense from people endlessly. How much more should happen to you? They walked all over you, they did all kinds of nonsense, they blast the whole country every city in the country has seen it in the last two years time. What more should happen? Im asking, what more should happen for us to act?
This is neither sudden nor is it unpredicted. These situations have been building up all over the nation and we dont handle anything with any sense of determination because of whatever politics or elections coming up. These elements are very much within our own population and generally, we know who they are but we dont deal with them because of political reasons.
We have gone through our partition, we have gone through three wars, thats more than enough for a nation like us. When we had to fight for our freedom, we did it without bloodshed, thats our pride; that we managed to do without a war. But now, after the freedom, just to manage the country, to keep it together, we are not able to do it peacefully. This is simply incompetence, theres no question about it.
For us, death in Delhi, death in Mumbai, bomb blast here and there is like cricket score: they must score a century, only then we read through the column. If only 12 people or 15 people are killed, a lot of people dont read through that news column. Your children or my children have not been killed today that is the problem, isnt it? We are not showing any kind of vision or determination in handling anything.
Dont think nothing worse can happen, but this is bad enough for all of us to sit up and say something, isnt it? I think all of you are in responsible positions. In whatever positions you are, I think you have to put pressure on your bosses and the political bosses. We have to put continuous pressure on them till they act. It looks like they’re sitting and twiddling their thumbs.
This is not something that you cannot prevent. This can be very easily prevented because everybody knows where the source of the problem is and how it is nurtured within the country. This can be dealt with. If you leave the security forces alone, without political interference, I will tell you, in six months time, they will control it. But the politicians wont leave them alone because we have not put enough pressure on them. Thats the problem.
Once you elect them, for five years they are dead sure of their prosperity. Not the nations prosperity their own prosperity. Even if they are not doing anything right, at least they must protect the lives of the people who live in this country, isnt it? At least that basic thing they can do. They are not able to provide food, they are not able to provide housing, they are not able to provide roads, they are not able to provide jobs; at least they must protect the lives, isnt it? If they cannot even do that, I dont see why we need a government; all of us can get our own guns and protect ourselves.
If you go to some parts of the country, this is what is happening. In some states in the north, every two-bit shopkeeper has a bodyguard with a gun. Not a big business man, not an industrialist, a little grocery shop owner whose turnover per day is something like 3,000 or 5,000 rupees, even that guy has a gun man. You see them riding on a Bajaj scooter with a gunman! So, it is better all of us get our own private armies, why have a government? Instead of paying taxes it is so much cheaper to get your own protection, isnt it?
This is not just about 200 people killed today, they have just destroyed the basic economic fabric of the nation and already it is on a down trend. It will take months or years to recover from this. Why are we sitting and taking this lightly? Everybody who is in some responsible position, who has a voice, has to speak and put their foot down, really, wherever you are, you have to do it!
Im sorry if you find me too abrasive, but I dont think light and gentle words wake up this nation.
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudeva
rudra, thanks for that. that was great.
jai hind. jai hindutva.
shivani
Hello sir ,
Can’t resist , as I am a very regular visitor of your blog and I love reading sane and meaningful thoughts at the same time today I am I think in my half consciousness writing something about that I expirenced which was unexpected to the power infinity to happen to me .
Today she along with her mother came to my home asking for some sort of help for which no one would ask me . I don’t know but she came into my room , sat on by bed …….I am very , I don’t know what but that was certainly extreme than having marijuana on an hand glider flying over 5000 ft above the ground …
I have been watching this girl ever since I kept my first step in Delhi . I promised my MOM while leaving my home that I’ll avoid girls and would concentrate on my studies , but I didn’t know my first interaction which was actually one sided and
where I was not even noticed , would keep me away from getting close to any such evil which I promised to my MOM ,ever was not even an ounce in my mind . Its been over two and a half years now and to be very honest ,even after all this I am in no frame of mind to go and speak of me to her .
I actually want to share more but what I think is that it would probably change entire motive and graveness of this forum and I might me criticized , Sorry if i have broken any parameter .
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PORTION QUOTED BY RUDRA FOR THE BENEFIT OF Shivani,
You show your quality in seeing truth. Let me actually reproduce the full quote of Gandhiji:
” There is no doubt in my mind that in the majority of quarrels the Hindus come out second best. But my own experience confirms the opinion that the Mussalman as a rule is a bully, and the Hindu as a rule is a coward. I have noticed this in railway trains, on public roads, and in the quarrels which I had the privilege of settling. Need the Hindu blame the Mussalman for his cowardice? Where there are cowards, there will always be bullies.They say that in Saharanpur the Mussalmans looted houses, broke open safes and, in one case, a Hindu woman’s modesty was outraged.Whose fault was this? Mussalmans can offer no defence for the execrable conduct, it is true.But I, as a Hindu, am more ashamed of Hindu cowardice than I am angry at the Mussalman bullying.Why did not the owners of the houses looted die in the attempt to defend their possessions?Where were the relatives of the outraged sister at the time of the outrage?Have they no account to render of themselves?My non-violence does not admit of running away from danger and leaving dear ones unprotected.Between violence and cowardly flight, I can only prefer violence to cowardice”.
That was Gandhiji after the horrendous communal riots instigated by the Muslim League in 1923.
PORTION QUOTED BY RUDRA FOR THE BENEFIT OF CONTEXT
“I can no more preach nonviolence to a coward than I can tempt a blind man to enjoy healthy scenes. Non-violence is the summit of bravery. And in my own experience, I have had no difficulty in demonstrating to men trained in the school of violence the superiority of non-violence. As a coward, which I was for years, I harboured violence. I began to prize non-violence only when I began to shed cowardice. Those Hindus who ranaway from the post of duty when it was attended with danger did so not because they were non-violent, or because they were afraid to strike, but because they were unwilling to die or even suffer any injury. A rabbit that runs away from the bull-terrier is not particularly non-violent. The poor thing trembles at the sight of the terrier and runs for very life. Those Hindus who ran away to save their lives would have been truly non-violent and would have covered themselves with glory and added lustre to their faith and won the friendship oftheir Mussalman assailants, if they had stood bare breast with smiles on their lips, and died at their post. They would have done less well, though still well, if they had stood at their post and returned blow for blow. If the Hindus wish to convert the Mussalman bully into a respecting friend, they have to learn to die in the face of the heaviest odds.” – Gandhiji
I Personally prefer the Trust & Verify approach. We need to take risks to reach someplace.
Howdy
I am new here and I just wanted to say hi!
Adios