After all India was formed out an idea. An idea of freedom from the British. India now needs a new idea. Having been formed, what could keep it going ? Democracy was a great idea, but after over 60 years of independence 80% of India’s population does not have any of the basic fundamental rights that our constitutions promised them. Democracy on its own is obviously not working.
India needs social change. A non violent revolution. It stands on the brink of greatness, but is completely brought down by its political system. So do not expect change to be brought our by these elections. India need a leader that can lead the people from outside the political system. For that it needs a new idea. An idea that does not destroy the basic ideas of democracy, but creates a front which ensures that democracy works within our culture, where the promises made in our constitution to the citizens of India are kept.
I had this discussion with my friend Shashi Tharoor, who almost became the Secy Gen of the United Nations. But thankfully he did not, for instead of that he is back in India about to contest elections from Kerala. Hope he wins, for he is a brilliant thinker/writer/administrator and would be a great addition to our Parliament. But will he be more effective outside the Parliament ?
We need a new leader. Like Gandhi, this new leader should be able to motivate our people to change their own lives. Where the motivation comes for the good of the collective, combining all castes and religions.
But what could that singular new idea be ?
Our freedom struggle was based on people’s power. Unfortunately it did not graduate into a democracy. It turned into “mobocracy” instead.
That is the reality. Means are as important as the end. This is an academic debate, but i summed it up in Para 1 (3 sentences) above.
Democracy is definitely a game of numbers, but must be tempered by some sense of idealism. Otherwise it becomes a “us” v/s. “them” (real or manufactured)., and then it naturally becomes an ugly fight. The one who has the largest shouting (and armed) power, carries the day. All else becomes secondary.
Even Hitler had won elections, but was Nazi Germany democratic ?
There are many ideas but they will show with time.
For the time being, let some well-meaning people like you or Shashi Tharoor combine to form a virtual government to act as a guide as well as a watch dog on the actual elected government.
This virtual government will be elected by netizens.
India may go Nepal way.
That is a new Idea.
The new idea will be…
“law”
So many Indias.
Is there a uniting idea?
Is this even possible?
The yacht owner and the slum dweller- different lives, different worlds?
Sir,
The new idea for India in my opinion can be – GLOBAL WORK FORCE. Outsourcing of human resource will be the biggest idea for Indian youth. What Windows did to IT, Indian work force will rule the world.
I don’t mean here for jobs like what the friends from Kerala did all these years in Saudi Arabia, or what the chinese are doing with cheap labour.
Indians are known for their tolerance, Teaching and good hospitality. All service sector jobs both front office and back office will and must come to Indian shores.
We don’t intend to invade the US or the UK or small European countries and aspire citizenship, yet we can supplement the missing young and working generation in most of the imp countries.
It’s time we create a platform and launch this service and create Free Service Zones to keep away with red tapism and political interference.
EXPORTS of SERVICES from our Indian shores is the only big Idea which can take India to be a Global player. This is an area where we can get ahead of China easily.
Vinod Agarwal – recommends service of Preaching by himself which comes easily to us Argumentative Indians.
Totally agree witn Vinod Agrawal , its already happenning and will continue to happen despite of Shashi Tharoor or any leader who thinks can change India . India will change from grassroots because of its nonviolent , peaceful and educated middleclass . With the burgeoning population in our metors unless more and more Indians move out to all parts of globe and spread the message of love , peace and hope nothing can happen to India . Also Indians should become more compassionate and should take pride in lifting the conidtion of villagers and farmers .
Yes, we need to do what we can to improve ourselves. There has to be a parallel movement by individuals at self-empowerment. By this I mean getting acquainted with and living in our spiritual roots. Once we succeed in living consciously ourselves, we can then go out and voluteer our effort at spiritual and social upliftment. We do not need labels, least of all religion. It is a true service that may take full-time effort. A challenge to this may be to have a certain minimum financial security and for this something like Vinod suggested is also a good idea.
When everything was going right for Americans Bush father and Son duo runied the country by their headless war policies .
Leaders or specialists have a habit of creating a problem rather than solving it , its the common or middleclass people who can actually see the truth of things and they solve it on their own in the best possible way . Leaders just try to take away the credit and go one step further to contoversialise the situation and ruin it to maintain their leader position .
NRI India is growing and will grow from garsroots (educated indian youngsters and taking risks , facing challenges each day ) , they never got any help from any leader .
SO the last thing India needs a big headed leader , India is on the right track and let it be .
Search me!
Better men (think Gandhi, Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, etc.) have tried and failed.
Sixty years since independence and Indian society is more polarised than ever. The education system has failed to instill egalitarian values, in general, and secular values, in particular, to the most highly educated of Indians.
An idea might unite people, but for how long? What happens when the mission is fulfilled? Indians go back to hating each other and wishing each other dead? For instance, Indians could unite for fighting against the British, but kill each other in the name of religion in free India or rather have political parties arrange the killings and then reward them with votes for the good…er…dirty work done.
Our politicians, unfortunately, have picked up from where the British left, in terms of following a ‘Divide and Rule’ policy. Their hard work has paid rich dividends and we are more divided now than ever before. As to why we are happy to carry out their wishes and hate each other to death, please don’t ask, for I do not have an answer.
BTW, perhaps it is Shri Shri 108 Michael Jackson ji Maharaj who has a solution. To quote from a pravachan…er…song of his:
“I am starting with the man in the mirror
I am asking him to change his ways”
People realization about their individual power will be the best idea.
Only those laboring under the misconception that India is a working democracy would conclude that democracy in India is not working. How can something, which is not even given a chance to exist in any real sense of the word could be working or not working?
I read a quote sometime back attributed to Mr. Mani Shankar Iyer, an ex IFS officer, MP and member of the Congress Party which goes as follows:
” Every five years, it is the masses who determine who will form the government. And in between those five years the classes determine what that government will do.”
I do not know if he is just describing the Indian system or that is his understanding of what democracy is, but seems to be that a billion plus Indian citizens – the ‘masses’ if you will are seen by the firmly entrenched powers that be – the ‘classes’, as body count to buy legitimacy for the members of the ‘classes’ to do what they will as the supposed leaders of the most populous supposed democracy.
This quote by Iyer burned my mind as it did, only because in later years of my life in having experienced life outside of India, I have come to better understand what a government by the people, for the people and of the people actually means and is translated into practice. I had learnt this definition of democracy by heart during schooling in India for the two points it was worth on the civics exam and that was what I understood democracy to be as an Indian – worth two points on the civics exams and about the elections, like some kind of ritual, when sometimes people would return from the voting booth without casting a vote because somebody already cast their vote for them or their name was not on the list despite being eligible and having registered. Even when they did cast their vote for some candidate selected by the ‘classes’ if he/she disappeared for the next five years to have a ball at taxpayer expense – that would be that – no real avenues for the ‘masses’ to have any real input, no real representation and no real understanding of what to expect and demand as a matter of right in a system, which is supposed to be about governance by the people.
So it really does not matter, whether the new leaders are inside the Parliament or outside. The question is whether they actually think and act democratically or are comfortable with this classes and the masses mentality in how they approach leadership.
That is simple. Any new idea has to appeal to the masses. 60 years ago it was the idea of freedom. Today its Roti, Kapda, makaan and security. Any leader who can convince the masses that he has the potential to deliver these will surely hit the chord. And believe me, its not that difficult. India can get rid of powerty in just 10 years. But in the present system of governance there is no chance even in another 50 years. That is the idea – come up with a completely different alternative and convince evrybody that it will work.
India needs someone of the caliber of Ashoka or Arjuna, not mediocre soft intellectuals like Shashi Tharoor, though his intentions are admirable.
Only a powerful remedy can awaken this giant to its ancient greatness. And the day it does, if it does, the world will be grateful.
Most people in the world do not have clarity in their personal lives..so one cannot expect them to know about collective good either.
@brahmastra- some would say you are being a realist but to me you smack of cynicism, since one tends to read comments from fellow commentators over many posts of SK – I say this with judiciousness, having seen your responses over time. I may be off the mark and I ask for forgiveness upfront if am way off the mark here.
You come across as being highly knowledgeable and well informed but you also project strong opinions which, if you channelize constructively might mean change for the collective us.
Sure we need a modern avataar of a Ashoka or a Great Emperor from the Mughal era to lead, however thr is a fine difference that was being brought to our attention in this post, if you look closely? That, that comes from the good of the collective? If we can be the change ourselves? We spend a lifetime debating change, and the what if and why’s..maybe we need to get down to small acts ourselves, each one of us, because only then can the force (us)be reckoned with. And only then can a Ashoka or a Brahmastra lead the nation! 🙂 Armchair critiquing is one thing, (and we all indulge in it from time to time) but getting up and leading change for ourselves, by ourselves, is absolutely another. Do you agree?:)
I am at Kerela now. Sashi Tharoor came to our office asking for support. He was dressed in traditional kerela outfit. He spoke just 2 lines and meant that politics needs change and its important that we the educated support the cause. He was accompanied by 4-5 congresmen. I dont know if Shashi realises the paradox in his campaign. He is talking about change in politics but is fielded by the oldest party in politics. You cannot change the system by changing a few people. You cannot change the system from within the system. That will take another 50 years. And in 50 years the society will change itself to suit the system anyway. We lack time. If we are not in a hurry we can just sit back and relax. Time will heal everything anyways. Just as we got freedom. We were not in a hurry then, but that didnt mean we never got freedom.
Bramhastra…yes…it would be great if Ashoka ( post kalinga) would arrive today…So?…and yes…those are the people who dont have clarity in their personal life…so?…the third note is missing…anything more to add?
Mee,
I am sure that’s short for Meenakshi? My name is Brahm K. Astra in case you’re curious. You are not at all way off the mark..it is true, i am highly knowledgeable and well informed which let me tell you, is an impediment en route to nothingess. I really don’t know what is good for anyone..just a victim of spontaneity. But i’m sure above ‘armchair critiquing’. My contributions are beyond traditionally defined ways 😛
I guess my angst in this forum is geared more towards the so-called secularists who are really quite confused and ill-informed, but put up a facade of do-goodership that does a lot more harm than good. These closeted fanatics are yet to show some decency by speaking out for Varun Gandhi, who at such a young age has been delivered a despicable blow by the real communal forces of the UPA and its anti-hindu allies. These guys also have no problem when hindu women and men are branded as terrorists and tortured in public eye..but say one word against any fanatic non-hindu ideologies which carry out biweekly blasts targeted towards Hindus, and it is the gravest sin. It is almost as if the age of darkness is accelerating. Hopefully the saying that the night is darkest before daylight is true.
You have an empathic and colourful flow. But you say you don’t mind a ‘great emperor from the mughal era’ to lead India presently. Who would you prefer: Mohd. Gazni, Bakhtiyar Khilji, Aurangzeb, Babar..? You can take your pick..chances are almost everyone of them, even the most secular, has razed thousands of Hindu temples, destroyed ancient culture, forcibly converted masses, and committed the worst attrocities on the Hindus.
Brahm K Astra:)
Many thanks for your response. See:) your cynicism pushes you to go into a combative mode when you bait me into a mohd gazni or a babar… And let me tell you, I rise to bait rather easily too. But, maybe, because I see you being more reactionary than me, I tend to go quieter and more thoughtful before I say much (read “react”:))
For every wrong done by one community, does it make it right if the same is repeated by the other faction? Yes sure some will say one slap deserves another, and some will say turn the other cheek rather than slap back. Think both deserve existence right? Of course because we belong to today’s world, many of us believe right is might, the richer we are the more muscle flexing we can do, the more stronger we are the more we can indulge in, sometimes its about safety in numbers if we are a majority
Am sure you have many friends who are from diverse communities and you don’t hold that against them, else you wouldn’t be friends with them. So if in real life we as individuals can learn to coexist with diversity and make that our natural strength why is it different for a nation to do the same? Do we always have to be divided in the middle? Does it always have to be abt hindu vs muslims? Or some other differentiator that will make factions of us? The battle ground has shifted long ago> To my mind the battle shld be about our existence. Our future existence. Will our future generations have enough after our plundering of climate n natural resources like water and air? Will life perish? What will happen to the generations after us? Aren’t these bigger questions that need addressal? Or shld the geo political scenario always precede much larger existential questions? Over to you:)
M
Mr. Brahm K. Astra:
It is interesting how you pick and choose to Gazni, Khilji, Aurangzeb and Babar out of the entire line, the former two not even being from the Moghul era to assert your distrust and suspicion of Muslims in general. Why not Akbar or Jehangir? Essentially it the the same kind of selective reasoning you charge the so-called secularists with.
Also as an evidence of your highly knowledgeable and well informed status, you say.. CHANCES are ALMOST everyone of them, even the most secular has razed thousands of Hindu temples etc. (saying etc. only in the interset of brevity) What is that supposed to mean? Why would your knowledgeable self leave such an important conclusion to ‘chances’ as opposed to honest exploration of historical facts, uncolored by biases. Also what does ‘Almost everyone of them, even the most secular of them’ supposed to mean. If even the most secular were destructive who is spared by the ‘almost’?
The fact of the matter is that ‘buddhijeevis’ of all ilk in our society have been weaving myths and facts together to conclude whatever suits their political idealogy and biases for the longest time.
And let us accept for arguement sake that all those muslim rulers got up to nefarius deeds, the Moghuls and those before – all of them – and the so-called secularists are beholden to Islamicists creating trouble today, what can a muslim rickshaw puller, craftsman, weaver, shopkeeper, household help – the kind of people who were harmed and killed in the slums of Mumbai in 1993, and small town Gujarat in 2002 do about it.
How is picking on easy targets to be overwhelmed who had nothing to do with past wrongs or have any control over what the rich and powerful in their community do, a fight for justice? The problem is that all those on the other side of the so-called secularists, revel in the same kind of psychopathic approach when it comes from a Thackeray and a Modi in the name of Hindus and the 20th century invention ‘Hindutva’ that they decry in Muslim rulers and the Islamicists, and call it Nationalism – how psuedo is that.
brahmastra –
Who is aware of the arising of this thought -‘knowledgeable and well informed which let me tell you, is an impediment en route to nothingess’.
In whose awareness does one witness the idea that there is a journey to made, from this state to another of nothingness?
Are you not invested in the idea that there needs to be some effort and journey to be made before the ultimate is achieved?What happens if you drop this idea? And accept what is – the way it is. Attention to the ‘idea’ that you are not already there will only feed it and sustain it, isnt it?
brahmastra bhai ,
you are wasting your time on this forum.people are spiritual pigmies who cannot see truth beyond their ego-fields.
follow my example and leave this mehfil of fools.
you wont have any luck arguing with minds infected with McAulean bastardism .
Deepak,
If you are talking about the destruction of ego, one could only wish it was that easy. Only highly advanced souls such as Rama can instantaneously merge into paramatma upon hearing mere words from a guru. But for most, tremendous effort – through atma vichara – is required to pierce the koshas to be estabished in the deepest Self. Whether you like it or not, these root ideas cannot be merely ignored by normal aspirants, just like you cannot jump of a building while thinking that gravity does not exist.
Rudra…
who ever had luck winning the ARGUMENT…lol…Argument is meant for self realization…we lost the true meaning of it long time back…
the order was – CHARCHA- general discussion..which would take natural course of VAAD VIVAD- ARGUMENT…which would take natural course of SAMVAAD…
no one today has an ability to reach to a level of SAMVAAD…generally CHARCHA is considered to be SAMVAAD…
so why to blame any particular blog or person…its just the way today’s time is!…only one can change, transform and reach…!…if u think u can or u have, good for u…
after all no one can share knowledge…one can only share information!… 🙂
tc…kedar
Mr. Kapoor,
Do you mean, we need a new idea or a new leader?
By the way the post looks ‘un-edited’ with some minor hitches….
One more observation, the ‘Recent Entries’ section does not always shows latest entries, but has a mind of it’s own… may be someone can correct it.
Brahm K. Astra, for some reason my reply comment has not been reproduced here by Shekhar!:( 🙠ðŸ™
I assure you thr was nothing unpleasant thr:)- so maybe thr is a technical glitch – that has swallowed my last comment, which was for you!
Can’t remember word for word what I wrote last, but the essence was ‘tolerance’. for eg. in my entire comment of many words, you “picked on” ‘great emperor… mughal era’ and then expanded to establish your pov. Fair – you can. But what casts you as as a rigid opinionated person is your insistence on others agreeing to your strong pov.
Everybody’s past and present experiences of life, our upbringing, our exposure levels and degrees of how impressionable we are makes us who we are in current time. And we keep adapting and changing emotions with more experiences as we live life. You believe in hindutva and all things concerning hindus and that is your right and your perogative. You tend to at times get combative about your pov and I think thats why everyone in this forum singles you out and pounces on you and trys to force you down. Am glad you don’t allow any of us to get to you. Very proud of that:)
But because you believe in your pov/hindutva so emphatically shld the rest of the folks here too? Maybe some dont, may be some have an opposing pov. Maybe some simply dont want to be aligned..why cant all exist?:)yes? no?:)
Meenakshi
PS: Shekhar, WOTR showd the films in Istanbul to delegations from germany, italy, japan, dubai- and a lot of praise has come your/their way. They will be writing to you on this:)
Brahmastra ..Varun Gandhi is a kid did you see video when he was showing his hysteria …even the bystanding poor people were laughing at him .. Hindus fight Muslims and who gains ?? Ameicans/UK …
Dear Mystery Man !
( Shekhar!!, That’s what I used to perceive you as a kid.. 20 years ago! Why? Will tell sometime soon. )
YES there is a new idea for India. I very much have it. And it is not some sort of intellectual solution but a product of common sense or rather COMM’ON sense as I prefer to call it.
As a kid I remember seeing you on television…in ads.. in serials.. in films…then came your cinema…! I used to feel ..this man dabbles with a lot… and all with due grace and individualism.
Sometimes.. rather most of the times.. people bound themselves in one profession… one stream.. without realizing that there is much more to them.But all remains unexplored because crossing the boundaries would mean insecurities and criticism…and a lot more not desirable conventionally.
We(most) all are born artists…! As a kid when we pick up our crayons and start scribbling on the walls.. our hands are stopped…but when these hands write A..B..C.. they are encouraged…because we believe in affiliations more than individuality…and it continues…! Art for most of us survives on last few pages of school notebooks or the wooden benches of classroom. Then comes the times of making the professional choice…! Choose art and see your elder’s eyebrows raised..! For there is no security in arts.. they feel.And the artist again is suppressed.
Ruined artists… they become. Deep burning desire to express through art.. but unexpressed through most of their lives.
Same is with Social scene India. People see undesirable things happening around them .. but most end up escaping by saying ” Kuch nahin ho sakta India ka…SYSTEM hee kharaab hai ..” , forgetting that they too are a part of that very system ..if not by their action then by their inaction!
For as your thoughts and feelings have an impact on your karma.. your karma has an impact on your feelings and thoughts.So all this is making the youth frustrated more than anytime ,NOW!
Change ofcourse is required..! Whose change? Society or individual? What change shall one bring in the society if one is living already a compromised life of incomplete self expression?
Individuality has to be respected and affiliations be shunned.
Will voting change india ? Specially when choosing between a dishonest and more dishonest man? Will awareness about global issues change india, when people are not aware of their local problems. Will present education system change India? The education system that murders Individuality and makes us a storage box of same set of information for everyone. NO!
Religion that is no more Dharma but everything else ..will change India?
Change ofcourse will come from something more proactive.. karmic.. ! Activism yes ? Transformational activism to be more precise. Working on inner self would be as important as working on the society. A new wave of patriotism .. which defines patriotism beyond singing National Anthem and being in armed forces. Kind of neo-patriotism.
The young India is living without a Role Model. And then we are told.. ‘ your generation is not focused… blah blah..’ .But did the previous generation do its due..? Did it churned out any role models.. ? other than alcohol endorsing cricket celebrities and ‘ i shall help orphans..’ echoing beauty queens?
Today young India is more restless than any other times. The energy needs to be channelized in a very productive way…creative way.
India needs a Role model. A booster. Can a film be an answer ?
Don’t films influence us more than many things?? Then, can we look forward to a role model based on scientific /spiritual/socialist planes?
One Renaissance man… who everyone connects with,all the Ruined artists.. all the wasted soul.. all the commoners..and then derive their energy from him. Is it a possibility to portray such a Role model in a fiction film which can then be replicated and emulated by the masses on the lines of ‘Social learning Theory’?
YES answer is somewhere around ! I have the answer , for which you have the question.
Last two years I have invested myself in re(search)ing on this topic..and living it.. for this is the theme of story Im working on for my feature length film , I intend to do a year or two down the line.
Some how I wish , I could write this to you personally ..but most of the times reaching a celebrity is not possible for the Common man.
But thanks for putting up this blog and above all taking up such an issue.
For you were the mystery man, unconventional, unpredictable but on his own path!
Peace n joy,
Dr Gaurav Chhabra,
Founder, Humlog, Chandigarh,
India
Ph: +91-9888 340 250
e: medimedia@gmail.com
w: http://www.humlog.org
How about a no-party system?
Today’s netajis are galloping the fruits of trees planted by yesteryear greats. Politicians get our votes simply by belonging to a party which once upon a time had a great leader. And it is our failing not to recognise the fact. So let us have this idea —- EVERY MAN ON HIS OWN.
Mee,
Things are quite simple. Esoteric Hinduism is the most superior ‘religion’ – if you want to call it that.
At this point in time, all other so-called religions have become a virus, and are shallow, inefficient, corrupted and divisive. Hinduism, at its heart, still preaches unity consciousness and emphasizes that God/Self is within every being and that the search is ultimately internal..whereas most other religions copyright some external Gods and force the direction of the mind outward..and history has ample proof of the violent propagation of such religions. So make no doubt about it, these religions are dwarfed in comparison to Hinduism. So the so-called secularism and equality of religions itself is a faulty philosophy, no matter how much goody fluff you cover it up with, and hence i keep using the word ‘pseudo’. The propagation of authentic Hinduism is the REAL SECULARISM..please absorb this important fact.
And like it or not, religion is the primary grass root factor for the development and union of any country, especially so in the case of India. So you need to set this core aspect in perspective – by implementing the benevolent, secular values of authentic Hinduism in Indian society – for everything else to fall in place. And to this, we do need the Hindutva philosophy of parties like the BJP..it is the first step. There are no other parties that come close to such an ideology….there is a class/caste war going on in India as well, and if you allow the likes of Laloo and Mayawati to take over, you can imagine the consequences. Vote for BJP, save India!
Brahm K Astra
Sure! You are entitled to your strong point of view.
A free India doesn’t have to be fanatical. We must stand united for well identified collective causes in the interest of India. ‘Collective’ is where the ‘force’ and power will come from. Not from fanatsicm!
Best
Mee
An article :
Itihaas | Akhilesh Mithal
The Nexus between RSS and the British
Varun Gandhi and his RSS mentors continue to spew the “divide and rule” poison brewed by the British to rule India. They are not aware of the damage they cause by falling victim to an alien power’s divide and rule policy.
The nexus between the British rulers and the RSS was first revealed in1947 when Rajeshwar Dayal, ICS, as the first Indian home secretary of UP suddenly became privy to most confidential information.
In his A Life of Our Times [Orient Longman 1998, Page 77] he states:
“I must record an episode of a very grave nature…
“When communal tension was still at fever pitch, the Deputy Inspector General of Police Western Range a very seasoned and capable officer, B.B.L. Jaitley, I.P. arrived at my house in great secrecy.
“He was accompanied by two of his officers who brought with them two large steel trunks securely locked. When the trunks were opened, they revealed incontrovertible evidence of a dastardly conspiracy to create a communal holocaust throughout the western districts of the province.
“The trunks were crammed with blueprints of great accuracy and professionalism of every town and village of that vast area prominently marking out the Muslim localities and habitations.
“There were also detailed instructions regarding access to the various locations, and other matters which amply revealed their sinister purport.”
Dayal took the incriminating evidence to Chief Minister Pandit Gobind Ballabh Pant.
“There, in a closed room, Jaitley gave a full report of his discovery backed by all the evidence contained in the steel trunks. Timely raids conducted on the premises of the RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] had brought the massive conspiracy to light. The whole plot had been concerted under the direction and supervision of the Supremo of the organisation himself.
“Both Jaitley and myself pressed for the immediate arrest of the prime accused Shri Golwalkar, who was still in the area.”
Pandit Gobind Ballabh Pant postponed action by deciding to put the matter before his Cabinet. The presiding officer of the Legislative Council, Atma Govind Kher was a sympathiser and his sons were known to be members of the RSS.
No arrest warrant was issued. A letter asking Golwalkar for an explanation as to why the RSS had collected blueprints marking Muslim majority localities with details of entry and exit points, was sent. As could be expected, Golwalkar slipped away and the couriers could not deliver the letter to him.
The next paragraph, on page 94, speaks for itself: “Came 30th January 1948 when the Mahatma, the supreme apostle of peace fell to a bullet.”
Timely action may have averted this calamity.
This evidence clearly shows the nexus between the British and the RSS. Maps of such accuracy, quality and detail could have originated only in a professional institution such as the Surveyor General’s office in the Government of India. This was an age when there were no satellites in the sky. Administrations all over the world guarded maps with passion and dedication. The British rulers of India were paranoid in this matter. That these maps were made available to the RSS is evidence of the link between the British and this anti-Congress, anti-freedom organisation.
The RSS is a product of the British divide and rule policy. As natural allies of the British they concentrated all their energies and hatred in fighting Indian Muslims.
The British came to power by defeating the Muslim rulers of India beginning with the Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Sirajudaullah, at Plassey in 1757. This victory gave them access to the richest state in the world and funded their conquest of the rest of India and most of the world. By defeating Tipu Sultan in 1799 the British gained access to some of the richest areas of South India. The Marathas were next disposed of, and when the Punjab fell in 1849 British domination of India was complete.
Although both the Christians as well as the Muslims profess a religion originating in the Prophet Abraham they have always been and continue to be at loggerheads. The Crusades of the 10th century had arisen from anti-Muslim prejudice and reinforced it. The Arabs and their African allies had conquered Spain in the 8th century and Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453. The British could not understand how the Hindus who were in a majority and had been rulers before the advent of Turkic and Pathan tribes in the 10th-12th centuries, could co-exist with Muslims peacefully.
Sir Henry Elliot wrote his The History of India as Told by its own Historians with the professed objective of making Hindus aware of the atrocities committed by Muslim rulers throughout their period of rule. Hindus had to realise that the British [against whose rule they had already started complaining] were “the best rulers they ever had”.
Around the same time the British suffered a major disaster in Afghanistan and came back defeated, but carrying with them the doors of the mausoleum of Sultan Mahmoud of Ghazni as a trophy under the mistaken impression that they were the doors of the temple of Somnath. These doors — mounted on a platform and covered with a colourful marquee — were paraded around the length and breadth of North India. After sounding trumpets and beating drums to ensure the collection of a crowd, the gates were exposed to view. The formal announcement was then made that the doors which had been looted from the temple of Somnath by Mahmoud in order to insult Hindu sentiment, were brought back by the British to show their devoted friendship for Hindus.
As the Indian education system was largely intact, these attempts did not succeed in dividing the Hindus from the Muslims.
When the Bengal Army [31% Brahmin and 34% Rajput] revolted against the British East India Company in 1857, its Meerut Regiment marched all the way to Delhi and forced the 82-year-old Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar — without power, treasure, soldiers, or experience of war — to be their supremo, despite the fact that he was a Muslim.
The defeat of 1857 saw the country ravaged and over ten million Indians killed. Terror of the white man became a conditioned reflex. The education system installed by the British was designed to produce clerks, unlike the earlier system which nurtured leaders.
Hindus and Muslims learnt to accept the British view of their own history. The Muslim League and the RSS basked in this moonshine and flourished. The Varun Gandhis continue to dance to the divide and rule tunes, although the piper departed 61 years ago. Alas! [¼]
(Akhilesh Mithal is a Dilliwala)
Mee,
You fail to see that your beliefs are just as fanatic. Such vague words really have no meaning. I am presenting a potent formula that will work..so, ‘clarity’ would be a better-suited word for such wisdom being offered. There is too much importance given to crappy religions. It is time that the world starts seeing religions for the virus that they are. Hinduism is not a religion. This fact is realized when one rises above the average level of conditioning.
Brahmastra
We finally agree! I so totally agree with your last comment!Religions are virus’s! Divisive!
A way of life for you is Hinduism – a ‘belief’ that works for you. Am not anti Hinduism, I like to believe that many ‘beliefs’ can co-exist peacefully. Can I not adopt things that work for me from Hinduism, something else that works for me from some other belief? Surely I can exist with an amalgamation of beliefs becos it works for me!? ? Do I have to stringently follow one belief? Thats where the word Fanatsicm takes root in my last comment
Mee,
Now we are getting objective 🙂 Is there anything that some other religion offers that Hinduism does not? The whole point is that Hinduism is all inclusive, all exclusive and everything in between.
Personally, my curiosity of other religions only got me deeper into vedic stuff which has led me to the ultimate prize..which is myself 🙂 but whatever floats your boat or lets you walk on water 🙂
P.S Mee
Whatever your beliefs, they seem to be working for you 😉
Brahmastra
We ‘puesdos’ like to live life on our own terms:) I can speak for myself and say honestly I do not like it if things are enforced on me. In the name of religion many misguided people do indeed get waylaid by politicians and motivated communities to blindly follow! And that is what makes people like me run away from sticking to any one belief.Yep u r rightwhatever ones belief’s as long as it works for individuals:) let’s hope our nation can indeed overcome all divisive forces and rise in a meaningful way, despite politics n the politicians. Happy Easter!:)
Mee,
Things are enforced on everyone sooner or later for their greater good. The individual mind is quite limited in varying degrees to decide the collective good. That is why Brahmins and Kshatriyas were in charge of deciding the fate of nations in earlier days. The downfall of democracy lies in its pseudo-secular and pseudo-equality philosophies.
Reality is that people and religions are not equal at the manifested level. The newer religions are a lot more shallow, divisive and fanatical than Hinduism. The cycle will continue and things will get reorganized at some point.
Brahmastra
Psuedo secularism or psuedo equality if a problem, then let me paraphrase – one would like to be influenced and influence those who can absorb tolerance, co existence, attain higher levels of knowledge, wisdom and solutiions- Which can happen ( you are right here) by discovery of self. The individual mind is capable of much, only if we allow it, to breathe freely, absorb , shed and adopt.
Mee,
“The individual mind is capable of much, only if we allow it, to breathe freely, absorb , shed and adopt.”
An authentic, benevolent rebirth of Hindutva is the most fertile ground to complement that. To paraphrase all i said earlier:
Take away all the religions of the world and what you are left with is Hinduism.
Brahmastra
In your mind this is unilateral. Hinduism is THE only one, the answer to everything. It ain’t so for me. I don’t like rigidity. Nor can I box myself into any one belief.
I am happy visiting churches and connecting with myself, as am happy lighting the diya in my own home as it allows me more peace than any temple in India can! With equal ease I can attend a muslim ceremony and with similar elan I can complement all my friendships despite religions because human values know no religion!
For me, when you take away all religions of the world, and what is left is Human Values that give meaning to Life. It is these human values that I treasure most. It helps me with self discovery.
Mee,
People do not really understand the depth of the various schools of thought that are collectively known as Hinduism, and hence they try to box it into their own rigid definitions of what it is while weighing it in the same box as other shallow religions. Dvaita, advaita, sahaguna, nirguna, tantra, sanatana, hatha yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga, one could go on and on about Hinduism. You can believe in God with forms or not believe in anything at all, you can be a hedonist or an ascetic..anything at all, and you will still be a Hindu.
You are opining from your own perspective which is quite noble, but the same does not apply for the majority. Religions – mostly the newer ones – have spread like a virus for them, and are often tools of division and egotistic propagation rather than of unity consciousness, spiritual growth and self discovery. Again, this is plain objective fact that scripture after scripture of Hinduism emphaizes the truth that God is within, not without. Whereas other religions will torture, convert and damn you for not believing in their copyrighted Gods.
And you fail to see the irony in the fact that your secular fabric is because you are genetically a Hindu. No other country in the world has such an acceptance level..where do you think that came from? It is because of the benevolent remnants from the Vedic ages.
People are too sensitive about religion because they have invested a lot of ego into it.
Precisely my point, given the heightened sensitivity about religion today, I’d equally resent someone shoving Islam at me or Hinduism at me. I think we all need to respect people sense and sensibilities, without being judgmental. From there will emmante a collective force.
india is a flawed democracy, not a failed one.we need an apolitical, proactive intelligentsia who will organise themselves into a powerful body of opinion makers. Alphonse kannanthanam IAS tried it once. tried to create an organisation of the youth to work towards reclaiming public morality and weeding out corruption from the system, needless to say, the valiant effort failed, ‘cos it was a one man army.
the new idea should be CLEAN INDIA. people who have a sway over public opinion should get together and work on this project.
Mee,
My point is quite simple, that a unified, efficient pseudo-religion that focuses on self-realization and unity consciousness – based on an amalgam of Vedic and other esoteric wisdom – needs to be established in India. The darkness of extroverted, fanatic religions will go away automatically.
The pseudo-secularists really do not understand the depth of all this because their perspectives are based on half-truths, and insufficient understanding of Hinduism.
You said: ‘I think we all need to respect people sense and sensibilities, without being judgmental.’
All that is fine until you come under Sharia law.
Brahmastra
We live in India. This post is about a unique Idea for India for its collective good. Our democracy maybe flawed but is working for the larger masses. We have a fair sense of the good and bad? So why do we bring the Sharia law into this discussion? All I am saying is allow people to exercise their choices, we don’t have to thrust stuff at nobody, people will (with conscious wisdom or unwittingly) find the right path for themselves that will have their complete acceptance, simply becos, it was their choice and discovery and not thrust upon them.
And before you lose your patience any further maybe we shld close this discussion and agree to disagree. Tho my sense is we don’t disagree completely.
Mee,
Yes, argumentative aren’t we 🙂 Let me say that we are all instruments of change in varying degrees..that is all it comes down to. Even Gandhiji fought in his own way to bring about the change he thought was right, and thrust his stuff onto the British, though there may have been many Britishers and brown sahibs alike who thought that British rule was right for India.
Heck, i actually pray to Axl Rose as a God, so its a good idea to stop this thread.
Brahmastra:
A fan of Guns and Roses I say! Watch it dude. You maybe letting on more than you’d like to:) (kidding).
One final comment – promise you not being argumentative. Do you know anyone who thot the brits ruling India was good?! Point them to me, will keep the double barrel loaded!!:)
‘ a unified, efficient pseudo-religion that @ brahmastra
focuses on self-realization and unity consciousness etc etc’ writes brahmastra.
Theocracy, brahmastra?
he goes on to say ‘The pseudo-secularists really do not understand the depth of all this’.
agree with the second statement. if he does not mean theocracy, one has to have one’s head in the clouds to believe in and understand the unified etc.
Hi,
I am posting somthing that I came across about India being incomparable…I enjoyed it and hope you enjoy that too…
INCOMPARABLE INDIA
I am an Indian, I am different. Don’t compare me with the Chinese’.
I do not work only for my government, I toil for myself and for my nation and I am ‘free’;
I can speak for myself, I can protest, I can spend as I like, I can lay-off and relax at my will;
All my children are my own responsibility and not that of the government;
My government does not force upon me its design of my family; they only appeal to my conscience, to restrict and prosper.
Yes we are too many in my land, but we are the resource that attracts investment from the world;
Yet I do not have to produce a ‘quota’; I do as much as I can.
Yes I do have the ‘unscrupulous’ in my land, but I have the power of my ‘vote’ to make them come down.
Yes I have to face greedy administration; but the law gives me the power to expose and shame them.
In my land the ‘media’ is my mouth piece and can not be choked. It is free to tell me, to provoke me and to titillate me;
It rouses my conscience to weaknesses of my systems and exposes those who cause these.
Yes some times I do get bogged down with my caste divide, religious bigotry and regionalism;
But isn’t that a human frailty in all societies? Yet we have given to the world many a principled and intellectual Indians.
My uniqueness has survived centuries of exposure to many a different cultural onslaughts. Its adoptability and its resilience has enabled it to
Keep up with the times and in turn affect the thoughts of Invaders.
My ‘Mother land’ has enough resources to sustain us and even provide for those who come looking for refuge from their own troubled lands;
She accommodates them even if they bleed her while suckling from her breast.
We do not covet our neighbors’ inheritance; we do not pit neighbor against neighbor; but help them to strive and be happy.
We do not export violence and subversion; But we practice and export cooperation, coexistence, nonviolent ways of expression.
I am proud that I am an Indian and I am different.
—
I am an Indian, I am different. Don’t compare me with the ‘Americans’.
I am the son of this soil and not an immigrant; we preserve and nurture our diverse cultures and languages not subjugate them to extinction;
Our tribals are not dwindling; their ethnicity is being integrated into the nation’s cultural heritage;
Our land was not discovered as that of Red Indian’s; but has always been there as that of Indians fair, yellow, brown and black.
Theirs is a world’s society, ours is still Indian.
We are not eager to impose our brand of culture on any one; however if some do adopt our ways we feel honored;
After all ours is now the only living and thriving most ancient culture of this world.
We are not yet as affluent as them but we are catching up because we too are open to the world’s indulgence and respect the rights of individual;
We are not in competition with them but desire to be amongst the best.
Yes our labors are not as lucrative as in their land, but our simple living makes us feel contented with what we earn in our own;
Our youth too like to live in make believe drug addicted world, but our solid family ties keep them Indian.
We do need their maturity and their guidance but on our terms. Because they are the richest and we the largest;
Being alike in governance yet different in practice we can attract, convince and convert the world together.
We the snake charmers, they the snake breeders both must realize that this symbol of devil bites the hand that feeds it;
Adam and Eve were driven away but the snake remained and has influenced the Garden and beyond.
We with our flute and they with their Y (Yankee?) stick can together capture and contain it;
We with our zest and they with their guts can make the world an Eden again.
Accept our ‘Namah Asathey’ and do not make us say ‘Hai’;
Because ‘Hai’ is an expression of pain and anguish for us Indians.
And I am a proud Indian and I am different.
—
I am an Indian and I am not an ‘Infidel’.
I am a believer and I believe in the Divinity in a hundred thousand ways. For me God is not just one entity;
But is in every thing that Mother Nature provides for my survival;
I live according to the law of nature and do not deny myself what it has endowed me with;
I sing, I dance, I paint and I depict His glory because He has given me these gifts of expression.
I do not hate those who do not worship as I do. I appreciate their faith as they too are believers;
I do not hate even those who believe only in them selves; because they too then believe in the creator
Of the sperm and the ovum from which they evolved.
My faith teaches me to be humble. So humble that I even consider trees and animals superior to me;
Because they do not sin like me nor do they destroy needlessly as I do.
My God is not a potter who creates a pot and then lets some one else destroy it at their will;
He has given me intelligence not to play ‘God’ but to be a keeper for His world.
To destroy that which He created is ‘Blasphemy’; and blasphemy is a greater sin than being ‘Infidel’;
Only the weak in faith feel threatened and take to violent ways.
We tried to vanquish all our conquerors with a tooth for a tooth and failed;
But we vanquished them with the weapon of ‘non-violence’.
Consider the humble Ant; goad it with a blade of grass and it will attack it;
We are just human and we too react naturally to the provocations.
But we know that our culture, which is also our religion, prevents us from becoming barbarians;
Because it tells us to love every thing that Mother Nature provides for my survival; even people of other cultures.
I am not in competition but seek cooperation. Hate me and you will be miserable;
Love me and you will receive much more than you desire.
Because I am Indian and I am incomparable.
Written by Susheel Paul.