Preparing the Home for Home-Coming

Religions spread by conversions. Christianity in Europe spread after emperor Constantine ordered his subjects to convert. Even in India, it is very well believed that the apostle St.Thomas came to convert settled Jews and inspired many others as well. Mass conversions as large as hundred thousand people at the same time started with the conversion of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar and his followers into Buddhism. It is not of much doubt that every religion has arisen solely due to conversions. Probably Hinduism spread due to conversions of various nature worshiping tribes because there are a lot many similarities!

There is nothing wrong with conversions. If that is how religions spread, how else will the religions be preached? In fact, the freedom to convert to a more convenient religion allows a person the benefit of development but of course there probably is no religion which is better than the other. All have their flaws. Big flaws. Maybe accepting no religion would be better than to convert to some other religion, but then there is fear of antagonism by all religions!
If conversion is fine, then so is re-conversion. But why should some one convert back? The true form of Ghar-Wapsi would be us all converting back to the nature worshiping tribal forms!

Mari Marcel Thekakara, a famous Dalit activist says that she too abhors "rice conversions" where poor people are lured by missionaries into their religion. She argues that theoretically and theologically too this is not conversion. She argues though that if people are not respected in their own religion, why would they not seek an other religion at least in the hope of equality even if they are offered or not. The only way they should be called back should be by preparing the house to make them feel that they are back "home!" As Bhagat Singh said, we should mercilessly criticise old beliefs. If after a lot of criticism too, if they still stand, fine, else certain old beliefs should be rejected and find place for rules which suit the present world and generation. After all, this is all to live and frame a way to live!

The Apex court of India, some years ago declared Hinduism as a way of life. But that does not mean it is flawless. Why else will there be such huge conversions from Hinduism if it was the perfect way of life!? In fact, the beauty of Hinduism as a way of life must be seen in the fact that it can be adjusted in accordance with the surrounding cultures just like physical life is adjusted with change in seasons. If the caste system was good millennia ago, it is not now. It is time the system is changed with the changing times. Nothing will fall upon Hinduism. The entire might of the British empire could not shake it even after trying so vehemently.

For all that to happen, mindset must be changed! Most importantly those of people like Sakshi Maharaj, Asaduddin Owaisi and Ambika Soni. It would be truly appreciated if the media stopped giving coverage on Sakshi Maharaj and Prachi Sadhvi. This 124th birth anniversary of Asaram Bapu, every political organisation is busy trying to hijack him, just because he appreciated ideologues at few occasions. The true tribute to him would be restructuring the "home" before calling back people who abandoned it. That would be a huge leap for mankind.   

Art of Asking

I started to write a series involving a common, thinking youth, Mahati. The second of such articles. This series is thanks to people who stood as an inspiration to me. I hope to make a difference, at least among one or two people in this small world.

A busy and a go-around Sunday was planned. Mahati and her friend decided to do a lot of things for the Sunday outing. No time wasted, they set out. Breakfast at a big hotel. The ambiance was great, the waiter hefty, serious and prompt, the food tasty and the bill...high. Mahati wondered how many home made Onion Masala Rawa Dosas one could possibly get for the amount spent on one at the place. The waiter came with the receipt and the change and looked expressionless at the payee. She gave him a fifty rupee note as Mahati looked on. The waiter gave her a refreshing smile and accompanied them to the door.

Next destination, Temple. Slippers were left on the ground though there was a counter to deposit slippers for a small fare. The temple was old, clean and well maintained. Free prasad was being distributed too. The deity looked simple though, ever smiling. Few priests were busy inside reading out hymns and mantras. A man with a pot belly stood at the entrance, pushing away people who stayed looking at the God for more than ten seconds. As their turn came to look at the God, the person blessed them on behalf of God with a serious face. Mahati's friend took out twenty rupees and offered him. The man gave a refreshing smile and allowed them to have a long look at the God.

Mahati thought deeply. Only if the plump waiter and the pot bellied guy at the temple had a smiling face throughout, they would have probably got more money. A smiling face always earns respect, which means more rewards. Just then, an old lady of about sixty years came to them with a bright, expecting face and told them that she had been guarding their unguarded slippers and asked for some money. Wow! thought Mahati. A smiling face and that too by a person who have done something without asking!! Such favours will be well rewarded.

Mahati's friend searched in her purse for some time and took out a rupee coin and dropped it in the hand of the old lady.
The old lady continued to smile. 

A Dream Come True!

Nothing to cheer about for three months. As a continuation to the loss of Viswanathan Anand to Carlsen, Nadal lost pretty badly to weak opponents at Qatar, Melbourne, Rio and Indian Wells. Alonso crashed at Barcelona, the Indian cricket team lost in the semi finals and Saina Nehwal fell at the last stage at the All England club. But wait, after 88 days of 2015, I, we have got a news to cheer about, one of the sweetest news for me in the last 5-6 years. SAINA NEHWAL's name would be on the top of the Badminton World Federation women's singles rankings which would be released next week.

It might have been a dream come true for Saina. But for me, it is still a dream. In 2010, I promised my friends a party if Saina ever became world number one. She came close back then, she rewrote history by becoming number 2. I hoped she would reach the top spot the itself, but she took her time. It is now 2015. Five years after she came second for the first time. Five years!! No body can continue this streak of form for five years. Not even in cricket! Not even in Integrated Masters programme. Not at all in India. But I knew she would do it one day. Like the PSLV-27!!

When Saina became the first Indian woman to reach quarter finals at Beijing olympics, that was when I first took her notice but then her feat was over shadowed by a gold in shooting for the first time. She soon followed it up with a win at the Indonesia Open, stunning many a people. I started following her. With a lot of victories in 2010, I became her fan and promised a nice treat if she came first. She would, eventually. So thought her coaches, be it Arif or Gopichand or Vimal, so thought her parents and so thought her fans, and I am among those. If doing something out of the box, stunning the world and creating history is one part, winning consistently, maintaining fitness with growing age is tougher. Probably this is why she had to part ways with her mentor Pullela Gopichand. She is a gem. She definitely deserves a bigger Padma award.

Criticism comes. The biggest one was, when she said that she knew she would win the Olympic Bronze at London, many criticised her because the opponent gave her a bye. She flew over to Copenhagen and won the Denmark super series. Cool way to shut mouths. When people criticised her for bad play in the all England club finals recently, here she is, at Delhi, into the finals again. Saina has conquered China long ago. She had also built a "Sainese" wall last year when she won the China open.
All Saina has left to conquer are the ever increasing expectations and her physical body. There is still a lot to win for Saina. All she has to remember is that, win or loss we are behind her. If her eyes are on the Olympic Gold, go for it!
Kudos to a great deserving player!!  

Match of the Tournament

Even as Virat Kohli is practicing to perfect those square drives, Rohit Sharma sleeping for probably the last ten hours at least and Mitchell Johnson practicing all the swear words he could just in case, to be handy on the ground tomorrow, I still haven't got out of the brilliance of the first semi final between South Africa and New Zealand.

 http://www.starsports.com/cricket/videos/vod/video=icc-cricket-world-cup-2015-new-zealand-south-africa-winning-run-heartbreak-for-joy-for/index.html

What a match! Easily the best match of the tournament so far. Made its mark in history books. Wow that was close. That was really close. It was not that one team was the better one. The cooler team won. That is it. There is definitely the effect of rain on the South African batting. But then it is in such circumstances that a captain like Ganguly is needed. There always was a fear of rain, so South Africa should have realised that they had to maintain a competitive run rate from the beginning. New Zealand was better prepared in that aspect and they got their calculations right, huge runs in the beginning. Result, even though their run rate dipped to around six in the middle overs, they kept their cool and the required run rate was kept in check!

One most important factor why New Zealand won the match is definitely "the grand old man of New Zealand," Daniel Luca Vettori being at the crease in the last over. Years of experience will certainly inspire one himself and the partner too. Even in the final over, Vettori was rotating strike! New Zealand would want to give one of the most favourite all rounders of all time a grand farewell! Well done Elliot, you deserve the man of the match.
No body choked. New Zealand too dropped a lot of catches. Just because the word chokers is long used for South Africans, it is improper to say that they have choked at the right time. The match would have belonged to either side. What if the blind swing of Grant Elliot's missed the ball? Would South Africa have worn off their chokers name? Most of the stops on field by the South Africans were just brilliant, including Hashim Amla's!!

I once said that I have been looking forward for a New Zealand-South Africa final though deep in my heart I always support India. This was a feast, a final in itself. Such was the match. Just gripping. We were all in the laboratory, doing our experiments or rather all watching the match on phones. The five minute delay was too much for me and I ran to the research scholars room and follow live commentary on ESPN cricinfo and Yahoo cricket! None of the New Zealand supporters (all the Indian supporters would definitely have supported!!) jumped after the gripping match. We could not!! Not after we saw ABD, Faf, Morne and Steyn cry. Cry loud for the world cup. You will do it one day!! #Proteafire

All those who want to #GoGold today also will #BleedBlue because, #wewontgiveitback

 

Circle has no Ends

This is the first of the series of articles involving a young, passive, educated Indian who only does anything but think of bettering the country. This series is a tribute to the "common man" of one of the most imaginative and not silent cartoonist, Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Iyer Lakshman. You said it sir!
The name's Rajnikanth! Naam tho sunaa hoga! But then it would be routine, so I will use my favourite name, Mahati

Mahati like every other day, stood on the platform waiting for her never-on-time local train from Vidyanagar to Lingampally. After a long wait which included watching the same advertisement on the television on the platform for 23 times, she got into the train and obviously had to wait till two stations before the destination to get a seat. As Mahati sat down looking at the passing buildings and dump yards, about to drift into thoughts about the fate of the country, the train stopped at a station and passengers poured in.

Mahati's attention was caught by a beggar who entered the train along with the crowd with her 3 year old child singing famous songs hijacked by beggars in the local train. After successfully reproducing the songs in a most repugnant way, she sat down on the floor in front of her, counting the hour's earnings, bundling certain things and carefully tucking them below her elbow, staring out of the door. Mahatis attention turned to the child.

It was obvious that the kid though is quite well fed, was growing up in poor conditions. There was no proper clothing and it did not seem that the child would be ever sent to school, forget getting quality education. Mahati's thoughts drifted again. What if the kid was given proper clothing and sent to school? The biggest problem is at the grassroot level. Primary education. If that is achieved, the country reaches heights unknown before. Just then, the child started spitting on the train floor and making designs. The mother was still in her thoughts, looking out of the door. Only if children are well directed and properly taken care of, Mahati thought, he/she could be anything hem wanted to become. Who knows, the discipline lacking child could become like the trim bodied, neatly dressed policeman standing in one corner of the train compartment, only if educated. Every body in the country should go to primary school, high school and later get atleast a degree for the country to prosper, concluded Mahati.

The train stopped at her destination - the final stop of the journey. Mahati was walking towards the exit as the policeman from the compartment crossed her, walking briskly. Mahati felt proud as she saw an elegant public servant and hoped one day the kid would be like this and would not grow into a person who spit at the wrong places.
The policeman turned his face left and smoothly spit on the platform.

The Last Generation!

Living with, interacting with and being a youth is really irritating. I guess that might as well be the reason for a lot of crazy results. At this age we either screw it or do it. Naturally, it feels funny yet special to interact with people who we had just been. I went to meet my friend's younger sister who is just about to finish her senior secondary school.

It was special. I know the luck that comes with having an elder sister but it is only today that I got to see through her eyes; to see the younger generation. I saw, standing in a corner, my friend and his sister discussing things. He trying hard to present himself as a gentleman to his sister so she gets 'inspired.' It was fun. More fun since she is in her 12th grade in a corporate college and stays in a hostel. It is not like I was reminded of my childhood days or something, I am still fresh from them. But some feeling. Probably because that generation is the last one of its kind that might be.

A 12 year old kid now studying in the same school I studied once owns a smart phone as huge as my face. Today, we met the hostel girls and offered our 4 inch 'smart phones' to them so they can talk to their parents and siblings. It was a treat to watch those 17 year olds see in awe these dabba phones. When one girl could swipe the screen to answer a call, the others were stunned. "Wow, you know a lot!!" was their response. And in the evening as I returned to my room, I got a message from my cousin in the same class on whatsapp.

It was a beautiful evening, seeing innocent aspiring-to-be doctors. No smart phones, no whatsapp, no "the country has become smart. did you's!!" Sadly, this might be the last of such generations!

Most Discussed Apart From...!!

In one end of the world, there is the most friendly war going on, the cricket world cup: I don't know why football has so many fans!! People seriously do not understand the beauty of cricket. They just don't. Well, Indians have always been ultra smart and they understood the fineness of cricket and struck to it! In an other part of the world, in a small region called Haryana, there are stupid attempts of worsening an already worse education system and also to raise a dead river. Well, I guess Haryana is quite well irrigated. Maybe they want to help other states too. They better think about the unification of rivers.

Anyway, amidst all the excitement due to cricket and anger due to stupidity by few Sanghs, there is one event which everybody is talking about. Probably for the first time in my life, I am seeing the Annual Budget which the finance minister proposes get this much attention. Be it the land acquisition bill, the increasing growth rate or the markets, this budget probably is the most talked one in recent times. It got so much talking about it that I read people wanting it to be like the budget of 1991 which changed the fate of the country. So much attention. That is why, fingers crossed!

There obviously is a lot of decentralisation by the central government and it is evident in the 14th Finance commission. Few things I like very much in this commission is that there was discussion about increase in forest cover and the economic benefits of it. Also, the breakage of funds to Panchayats, Municipalities and corporations. Especially, separate fund for disaster management. Now, states need not beg the center for money when there is disaster. It is good that states like Karnataka and Arunachal Pradesh are receiving more. There is a lot of poverty there. The northern Karnataka is horrible and Arunachal Pradesh is vulnerable. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are rich.

Cinematic!!!

No body wants to give away land. We are no Vinobha Bhave. Boeing had to abandon a project which might employ a lot of people just because people sat for a dharna about a small strip of land. Then there are these NGOs. Moreover, the compensation still remains the same and consent of owners is not taken only when it is a defense or nuclear or rural project. Apart from this, almost everything else remains the same. The only thing that is worrisome about the new act is the "social infrastructure" part. It would be pretty scary if this means real estate! That is a demon. The new ordinance is pretty much similar to the old one. I don't know why Anna had to hold such a huge rally!! Maybe there is some fault with the act, else why would he stage a dharna?

The railway budget was designed in a light way, though the markets went down. But just announcing new trains will not do. This is a wise and more importantly, non controversial rail budget. This makes the financial budget even more interesting. As Jim O'Neill says, if the expectations are met, markets would rally! The entire nation is looking forward to how the budget satisfies the share markets and the vegetable markets!!

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/interviews/markets-can-rally-20-30-if-budget-2015-meets-partial-expectations-jim-oneill/articleshow/46362167.cms

In the prime minister's words, "Khela aamir ka phal nahi hai, khela garibon ka phal hain" It would be fascinating to see how the finance ministry balances the equation. The economic survey shows good work and its continuance. But then, it is done by the finance ministry. Personally, I have only one wish, economy boost should not be at the cost of ecology. It would be nice if the good work is truly continued.

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/interview/interview-with-robert-c-orr-modi-government-has-shifted-gears-on-climate-change/article6926480.ece?homepage=true



Looking forward for comments on the budget to the experts and the critics tomorrow!