Kiss of Love and Thoughts of Concern

               Have you ever experienced a kiss? No, I did not mean that affectionate kiss your mother would plant on your cheek. Not that one which your father would blessingly put on your forehead. What I mean is a real passionate thing,experienced on your lips,and that which only your true love could give you. It is the age-old and the most popular medium of showing affection between a couple. It finds its place even in great epics and ancient records and thus dates back its origin to times immemorial. Everywhere, it is seen as a means to express love and affection.

               Well, not so in Kerala. We Keralites always had this reputation of being an innovative kind of people. We devised dozens of types of usages for each part of our own 'Kalpakavriksham',the Coconut tree. Recently,some of our politicians even proved that solar energy can also be put into avenues other than making electricity. This rich legacy of innovation has not ignored the act of kiss either. We showed it to the world that how kiss can be a means of protest. We showed how effectively it can be used as a medium of proclaiming personal freedom. And without hesitation, the whole country followed suit. The protest;innovative thanks to its unprecedented method;has now grown in its scale,contrary to even the wildest dreams of the organisers.

               The 'Kiss of Love' campaign was a symbolic protest against the so called 'moral police' in the society, say the organisers. With the protest causing its ripples even at the national capital, it is time to ask some relevant questions. Has the movement achieved,or in any manner is in the process of achieving,its intended goal;that is,putting an end to 'moral policing'? Is 'Kiss of Love' still a crusade against 'moral policing'? Does this crusade has only one modus operandi,that is,kissing in public as a means to protest? Are there some plans for the organisers to do some fasting or 'dharna';which are proven democratic methods;to uproot this menace of moral policing?

               The 'Kiss of Love' program went terribly off the track,the moment when the media hijacked it. Irrespective of the format,all kinds of media-print,visual,social and web-celebrated the event. News channels aired special coverages. Newspapers issued special stories. Social media teemed with content related to 'Kiss of Love'. Unfortunately,all the attention went to the method of protest and not to the cause of the protests. Even the organisers seemed to have forgotten the real purpose. The whole thing appeared to be a show off. Protesters only cared about kissing in public and thus 'proving their balls';it did not give out a threatening message of any kind to the menace of 'moral policing'. In other parts of the country,events in solidarity to 'Kiss of Love' were conducted and I do not think that it is because people there are so much aggrieved with the state of affairs in Kerala that they participated in those events. If not so,why is not there a single solidarity campaign supporting the cause of adivasis conducting 'Nilppu Samaram' in the same Kerala? Subsistence is of course a nobler cause than the menace of moral policing.

               The 'Kiss of Love' protest was indeed a novel idea which had great potential to kickstart a societal renaissance of our age in our country. Its only and the fatal flaw was that its main objective got sidetracked giving way to wanton flamboyance. The ripples it has created has not yet been died and it still could impact the society in a positive manner;only if the organisers at the helm grows more focussed in their agenda and diversifies their course of  action.

               "If two kiss,the world changes", says Octavio Paz, a Mexican writer. Let the world change not by virtue of their kiss,but by virtue of their hearts' courage.

On Murdering The World's Most Beloved Teenager

Disgust. That was the first feeling rushed to my heart when I heard about Archie being killed. The desperate measures publishers take to improve their copy sales, whatever reason they may say on defense, has gone too far this time. Then it was like I lost a best friend. I have not been an ardent Archie fan like one would be in America, but from whatever stories I have read about this red-headed, freckle- faced teenager, I grew too fond of him and his gang, and all those simple and hilarious adventures they used to have, often ending with a pinch of morality.            

          It has been quite a while and I had lost touch with Archie and his Riverdale gang since I finished my schooling. And then there was this fatal news last day saying that Archie is going to be shot dead. What!? In Riverdale!? In that beautiful town where you believed the height of violence that could ever occur was Moose pulping Reggie for ogling Midge? Guns!? We never saw a more dangerous weapon with anybody in Riverdale than those baseball bats with which Archie and Reggie used to fight each other. Gays!? And who is this Kevin Keller guy Archie so 'heroically' dies for? Never heard of him before. World of Archie suddenly felt very strange and alien to me. It was not like how I had known it for a while, and believed would remain like, forever. I thought Archie and his gang would never graduate and leave Riverdale High; not even the nerdy Dilton Doiley. I thought Mr. Weatherbee and Miss Grundy could never get anymore older. I believed Pop Tate and his Chocklit Shoppe will be there in Riverdale forever.            

          Not anymore. We have been told by the publisher that Archie is as ordinary as any teenager would be, and that he is not a superhero to be immortal. And they say that he is dying a hero's death, trying to save his friend. They also say that it is a lesson against gun violence and would herald a new age for Archie comics.            

          Okay, but why Archie? Violence has never been the trademark of Archie comics. In that department, we have an overwhelming number of characters from both Marvel as well as DC universes. Kill Spiderman or Superman or any other larger-than life figure and I don't think I would be as sorry as I feel towards Archie's death. Maybe, this is exactly what the publishers want. More turning heads, more hype, more circulation and thus more money. It was mainly because of the fact that I could relate to Archie and his Riverdale, than Thor and his Asgard or Batman and his Gotham, that I loved him. That he was as ordinary as any other teenager would be, I always knew it long before the publisher announced it, because that exactly was why I grew much fond of him.          

           They say that other incarnations of Archie would continue in the series. Although it may be a big relief for fans, I am not sure to like this 'new age of Archie Comics’, as they put it, knowing that it is not the same old Riverdale where Archie and his gang used to fool around, but a dark and dangerous place where a stalker could point a gun at you and claim your life. Some things were better kept unchanged.

Where The Mind Is Without Fear

Rapes are becoming some kind of everyday chore in India now-a-days. Much has been talked and written about this national shame of our country and there is no point in beating the same bush again and again. Something drastic is to be done. And without delay.

The root of the problem lies in the attitude of a vast majority of men towards their opposite sex. Despite all our social advances,our society remains largely patriarchal. The concept of male dominance is so deeply embossed in our psyche that a good number of us frowns at a lady going above a speed of 40 kmph on her Activa. Nothing else is more in-tolerable than a woman on her scooter or car overtaking us men,despite that however slow we are going.While its a common practice now-a-days for parents to send their sons abroad for higher education, we dont hear much of them sending their daughters as well to a foreign university.

We should do something to do away with this chauvinistic approach towards women,if we are to find any permanent solution to the crisis that India faces now. The logic being that,if man begins to treat woman as his equal,naturally he would treat her with respect.Of course, that is not at all an easy feat, nor is it an immediate solution. But if made possible in some way, nothing else would prove to be a more permanent solution than this. So is there some way?

There are indeed some suggestions. As the key point lies in shaping the attitude,any effort towards it should be primarily made at school level,that too at lower primary level,where any instruction recieved leaves a marked impact on the rest of one's life. Imitating the model of instituting environmental education in the curriculum, moral instruction could be instituted in the curriculum as a compulsory subject,dealing with various moral issues that the society faces today and the stand one should take in those issues, in an age-appropriate manner. Eventhough there is moral instruction in place in many schools already,that is only a voluntary option for school managements and there lacks a uniform system in a pan-India fashion. Moral instruction should be legislated and made compulsory in schools,atleast upto 10th standard. Care must be taken in presenting the subject,both as interesting and with enough seriousness,should ever such a legislation occurs.

Another suggestion is to promote more mixed schools and colleges. Sense of equality and respect can only stem among the youth,only if they learn and work together.It also serves the purpose for  those children who doesn't have siblings from opposite sex or any siblings at all.

For the above suggestions to work out properly,there is a primary requirement that education be easily accessible to all sections of the society. With the Government making primary education a constitutional right,a major step has been taken in this direction. Yet,factors like attitude of parents-mostly of less developed areas,lack of infrastructure and lack of quality staff still holds the project from achieving its desired goals.

While punitive actions by the government and self defence measures may prove to be of temporary deterrance and safeguard,we shouldnt be so lax to ensure the safety of our women and the ethical quality of our society by such quick fixes. The authorities should be prudent enough to take steps to mould the coming generations as the advocates of a new India, where a woman's mind is without fear and her head is held high.

Selling Dreams and Winning Elections

After going on a hectic and eventful trip,the 2014 Lok Sabha Election roller coaster comes to a mighty halt today. And there emerges a 56" chested confident-looking man, bearing the hopes and aspirations of a third of world's population,all on his wide chest. The load of responsiblity on him is heavy,but so were the dreams that he sold to the people.

There is nothing unexpected in the results,save for the numbers and statistics. Everybody knew who was going to win and who was going to fall. When the Bharatiya Janata Party, riding on the blinding charisma of its leader raided the polls like a juggernaut, the 'Grand Old Party' of India turned out not to be even a worthy opponent to it. Reasons behind the emphatic victory of the saffron-party is largely attributed to the cult-like persona of Narendra Modi-or more popularily 'Modi Wave'-but it was the anti-Congress sentiment that made even the 'Modi Wave' relevant. The 'aam admi' wanted a relief from an always ascending price rise,an ever increasing rate of unemployment and a never ending rally of multi-billion dollar scams,and when somebody with a touted track record of good governance promised him this relief, he fell for it.

Narendra Modi now bears a heavy load of expectation:from his party,from the industrialists,from investors,from diplomats all around the world and of course,from the common Indian citizen. It will be his priorities from now on which will determine his place in the books of history,rather than the margin and magnitude of his election win. His immediate attention should fall on the country's economy and easing the burden on the common man's already-dented pocket. Along with achieving this on a war-time footing, he should pay attention to develop the country's infrastructure and boost the confidence of industrialists to invest more in India. Given the edge he has in the Lok Sabha, this can be easily done without going through the hassles of a coalition. At the same time, it should be among his top priorities to develop friendly diplomatic relations and continuing the healthy relations towards the global players, especially to our immediate neighbors. Modi's way of handling international relations and issues will determine India's role as a global super-power, which he has promised us. Article 370,Ram temple and Uniform Civil Code can wait.

The NDA leadership should emboss in their minds the lesson from Congress. The people have given them a chance to prove themselves worthy of their promises. I wish them all success and at the same time reminds them that it is the same people that they are to face 5 years from now. Make sure that the 'Modi Wave' has enough wavelength to last until then.

A Prejudice Proved Right

I always disapproved scions. I viewed every son of a famed father or a member of a famous family with a prejudicial eye. When news about Dulquer Salman's debut in Malayalam cinema was the talk of the town, I told myself:'All this hype is only because he is the son of Mammooty. He may be just another mediocre actor,which Malayalam cinema has in plentitude.' Similar was my line of thought when Fahad Fazil,whose father is the legendary director Fazil,started his second innings in the industry. But I was wrong. With movies such as 'Ustaad Hotel' and 'ABCD' ,Dulquer was soon one of my favourites. So was Fahad, who just bagged the Best Actor award in Kerala State Filmfare Awards.

Howsoever different may politics be from movies, I held the same prejudice towards Rahul Gandhi also. Years back, when he made his first parliamentary speech, when everyone praised his matured style and body language,I didn't find it so much enthralling,for nothing exceptionally good or novel was put forward by him. Afterwards, I don't remember hearing much about him for a long time. When India started feeling the heat of General Elections by the end of 2013, news about Mr.Gandhi also started appearing in media and I started watching him more closely. And the more I watched, I started feeling for the first time that my prejudices for Mr.Gandhi are right.

It was his occassional utterances about poverty and 'state of mind' and 'escape velocity of Jupiter' among others, that made me seriously doubt about Congress' choice of its leader. Who could say to a hungry and poverty-stricken lot of people that all you have to do to do away with poverty is to change your state of mind, and just walk away? Who would have the insanity to tell an ignorant group of villagers, who may not even know what Jupiter is,about its 'escape velocity'!

Then it was his 'rhetoric' about the Representation of People Ordinance. Although I was disapproved of the Ordinance for its leniency towards convicted politicians, I was wonderstruck upon Mr.Gandhi when he said that the Ordinance should be torn down. He simply disregarded the laborious work done by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet with a simple excercise of his tongue. The Congress had no other option but to repeal the Ordinance,as Mr.Gandhi was to be projected as the face of the party in the approaching General Elections. He just made the Prime Minister of this country look like a fool. My conclusion was that this was either a grand(at the same time,dumb) plan by Congress to showcase its leader's influence and power in policy-making, or that Mr.Gandhi was ignorant about the tedious efforts that went behind putting forth the Ordinance and the repercussions of his deed. Owing to my prejudice,I believed in my latter conclusion.

If I had any doubt regarding the ablity of Mr.Gandhi as a leader,all was cleared when I watched his first ever interview to a news channel. I was convinced that Congress is doomed with Mr.Gandhi at the helm and so would be India, if he ever becomes the Prime Minister. The disastrous interview must have surely costed Congress a couple of Parliamentary seats. And when Ram Jethmalani said that Mr.Gandhi doesnt have the intellectual capacity to hold the top post, I said 'Amen'.

I was outraged on hearing that Mr.Gandhi skipped the farewell dinner for Dr.Manmohan Singh. It was an outright dis-respect to the only  honourable man in Congress,who,in-spite of all the accusations against him, held his personal integrity,honesty and noblity uncompromised. Through his action,Mr.Gandhi once again proved his ignorance and hot-headedness. Through this single act,he proved his lack of respect towards elders and that all his hyped visits and stay in poor villages and show of affection was just a mockery.

In a country where thousands of highly qualified graduates and hardworking people find it difficult to get a job and make both ends meet, here is a man,whose even educational qualifications are questioned by many, offered the top job of governing the country. A man,who was born in the lap of plentitude,brought up like a prince and who hasn't ever known the grey shades of life, now potected even from the blames of failure of the party,about which he is also as responsible as any party member is;and should have been responsible,like a true and courageous leader should be.

I pity you Mr.Rahul Gandhi! The whole youth of this country pity you. When will you grow up and be a responsible man? For the sake of this country, I hope not soon.

In Search of Truth

What am I? An atheist? An agnost? I find it difficult to place myself somewhere in these belief regimes.  But afterall why should I place myself somewhere? Obviously that would make me an agnost, but I want to live in this world with surety. A confusion-free,certain world. Thats where I want to live. Because I hate uncertainity. I dont know how it was for you, but I have spent a quarter of my life in an insecure world. Filled with doubts, tension and truths which never convinced me, but to which I was told to adjust with. Yes. I want to know the truth in its most crudest,basic and un-adultered form. Nothing less than that.

I have lost my faith in religion long back. The question now is about God.Does an entity called God exist? I wish with all my heart that He exists. I dont want to be an atheist. It is a pitiable condition, to be an atheist. It would be an extremely painful realisation that you dont really have someone to watch your back,or to make some of your seemingly impossible tasks or goals possible. There is always a limitation to human capabilities and to his belief in himself,whatever someone would say. It is a belief that someone all-powerful is up there that actually puts many of us to action. An atheist is a person who has lost one of his most valuable treasures-hope. I dont want to be that person.

It is often said that God works in curious ways and that his works are so unpredictable. It may not be His style to make himself revealed to me in a fashion that I prefer. And I hope I would meet Him soon in my journey, bumping onto me at the next turn. Then I will have my answers........ :-)

ക്യാംപസിൽ മുഴങ്ങണോ മുദ്രാവാക്യം?

മാതാപിതാക്കളുടെ തീരുമാനങ്ങളെ ഒരുമാതിരിപ്പെട്ട മക്കളെല്ലാം എതിർക്കുക സാധാരണമാണ്.മക്കളുടെ നന്മ മാത്രമാണ് അവരുടെ ലക്ഷ്യമെന്കിലും മക്കൾക്ക് അത് പലപ്പോഴും അംഗീകരിക്കാൻ സാധിക്കാതെ വരുന്നു.ക്യാംപസ് രാഷ്ട്രീയം നിരോധിക്കാനുള്ള സർക്കാർ നീക്കവും തുടർന്നുള്ള പ്രതിഷേധങ്ങളും ഇങ്ങനെയൊരു Parent-Child conflict തന്നെയാണ്.

 ക്യാംപസിൽ മുഴങ്ങണോ മുദ്രാവാക്യങ്ങൾ?ചെറിയൊരു ചർച്ചയാവാം.

ഒന്നാമതായി,ക്യാംപസ് രാഷ്ട്രീംയം
കൊണ്ട് വിദ്യാർത്ഥികൾക്ക് പറയത്തക്ക
മെച്ചമൊന്നും ഉണ്ടാവുന്നില്ല.ചില
കുട്ടിനേതാക്കൾക്ക് നേതാവു
ചമയാമെന്നും നിസ്സാര കാര്യങ്ങളുടെ പേരിൽ
പഠിപ്പു മുടക്കാമെന്നും മുതിർന്ന
നേതാക്കൻമാർക്ക് ചുളുവിൽ എന്തിനും പോന്ന
കിന്കരൻമാരെ ലഭ്യമാക്കാമെന്നും മാത്രമാണ്
ക്യാംപസ് രാഷ്ട്രീയത്തിന്റ്റെ
ഉപയോഗം.രണ്ടാമതായി ക്യാംപസ്
രാഷ്ട്രീംയം പഠനത്തിലുള്ള വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളുടെ
ശ്രദ്ധ കുറയ്ക്കുന്നു.ചിലരെങ്കിലും ക്യാംപസ്
രാഷ്ട്രീംയം വഴി ഭാവിയിൽ
വലിയ നേതാക്കൻമാർ
ആയിത്തീരുന്നുണ്ടെങ്കിലും ഭൂരിഭാഗവും പഠനവും
ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച്
യുവത്വത്തിന്റ്റെ ചോരത്തിളപ്പിൽ
സ്വന്തം ഭാവി
തുലയ്ക്കുകയാണ്.മൂന്നാമതായി,അമിതമായ political
activism കേരളത്തിൽ
വളരാനും,ക്രിയാത്മകമായ പല
മേഖലകളിലേക്കും ഉപയോഗപ്പെടുത്താമായിരുന്ന
യുവാക്കളുടെ ഊർജ്ജം,
വിലകുറഞ്ഞ,ഒട്ടുമേ ഉപകാരപ്രദവുമല്ലാത്ത
പ്രതിഷേധപ്രകടനങ്ങൾക്കും പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങൾക്കുംവേണ്ടി പാഴാക്കപ്പെടാനും
പ്രധാന കാരണം ക്യാംപസ്
രാഷ്ട്രീംയം തന്നെയാണ്.

സർക്കാർ നീക്കം രാഷ്ട്രീയബോധമില്ലാത്ത ഒരു
തലമുറയെ ഇവിടെ സൃഷ്ടിക്കുമെന്ന
ആരോപണം അടിസ്ഥാനരഹിതമാണ്. ക്യാംപസ്
രാഷ്ട്രീംയം രാഷ്ട്രീയബോധമുള്ള ഒരു
തലമുറയെ അല്ല, രാഷ്ട്രീയപക്ഷപാതമുള്ള
(politically biased) ഒരു
തലമുറയെയാണ്
സൃഷ്ടിക്കുന്നത്.രാഷ്ട്രീയാവബോധം ഉണ്ടാവേണ്ടത്
സ്വതന്ത്രമായ
ചിന്തയിലൂടെയും വിശകലനത്തിലൂടെയുമാണ്.ചെറുപ്പത്തിലേതന്നെ ഏതെങ്കിലും
പാർട്ടിയുടെ സ്വാധീനവലയത്തിൽ അകപ്പെടുന്ന
വ്യക്തി,സ്വതന്ത്രമായി
ചിന്തിക്കാനുള്ള തൻറ്റെ കഴിവിനെ അടിയറവു
വയ്ക്കുന്നു. ക്യാംപസ്
രാഷ്ട്രീംയം നിരോധിച്ചാലും രാഷ്ട്രീയവും സാമൂഹികവുമായ
വിഷയങ്ങളെ
സംബന്ധിച്ചുള്ള
ആരോഗ്യപരമായ,നിഷ്പക്ഷമായ
വിശകലനവും ചർച്ചയും ക്യാംപസിൽ
തുടരാവുന്നതാണ്.അതുവഴി മെച്ചപ്പെട്ട
രാഷ്ട്രീയാവബോധവും സാമൂഹിക
പ്രതിബദ്ധതയുമുള്ള ഒരു തലമുറ
ഇവിടെയുണ്ടാവും.

സർക്കാർ നീക്കം സ്വാശ്രയ
കോളജുകളെ പ്രീതിപ്പെടുത്താൻ എന്നുള്ള
ആരോപണത്തിലും കഴമ്പില്ല.നിരോധനം
മൂലം മറ്റുള്ള കോളജ് മാനേജ്മെന്റ്റുകൾക്ക്
നേട്ടമാണ് ഉണ്ടാവുക. മറ്റുള്ള
കോളജുകൾക്കു നേട്ടമുണ്ടാക്കിക്കൊടുത്തിട്ട്
സ്വാശ്രയ
കോളജുകൾക്കെന്തുകാര്യം?

''ശക്തനും ധീരനുമായിരിക്കുക''

തനിക്കു താനോളം പോന്നൊരു തുണ
നിനച്ചിടാ മർത്യനു ലോകേ

പോയിടാം ദൈവം പോലുമകലെ,തനി-
ച്ചായിടാം അലറും ഭാവിക്കു മുന്നിൽ

പരിഹസിച്ചിടാം,പലരടക്കം പറഞ്ഞിടാം
പരിതപിച്ചിടും ചിലരയ്യോ ഭാഗ്യക്കേടെന്നും

പതറരുത്,ഭയമരുതാശന്കയരുത്
ശക്തനാവുക,ധീരനാവുക പോരാളിയാവുക

ഉണ്ടൊരു പുലരിയേതുകൊടും രാത്രിക്കും
അകലെയല്ലതുവെറും നിമിഷങ്ങൾക്കപ്പുറം............

Waiting for a Good Shepherd

What do we lack?

Not new resources, not new industries, not new roads or buildings. Not some election-time gimmick of a price fall or receding inflation or rise in LPG cylinder numbers. Not a party which will go to any extremes,only at the eve of elections,to appease its voters. Not a party who wont let the country to win a neighbour's friendship due to the fear of losing vote banks. Not a party who is to be led by a kid who doesnt know what he is speaking and still needs his mothers directions. Not a butcher who burned hundreads alive. Not someone who cant see beyond local politics. Not an activist who failed his believers.

We need someone who is unanimously respected. Someone who doesnt believe in dirt-hurling on an adversary and criticizing everything he says. Someone who is noble enough to applaud the good his rival did. Someone who believes in working together. Someone who prefers to work than to speak. Someone who puts people above all in his mind. Someone in whose presence no legislator would ever dare to think of pepper spray.

We need a Leader.

The Trinity Within You

Of the many abilities uniquely wielded by Man, his spiritual faculty is unparallelled. I dont believe I am the right person to talk authoritatively about spirituality, but still, I would like to share some thoughts regarding Spirituality;just only my own concepts,beliefs and ideas. I am not at all going to claim that these are the true facts or ideas, all to be swallowed without a pinch of salt. Afterall, I believe, Spirituality is purely a personal matter.

Man posesses three distinct identities: Physical Identity, Mental or Emotional Identity and Spiritual Identity. Your Physical Identity is, quiet simply put, your body; or rather, the appearance you make before other people. When you think of a friend of yours, a mental image of him/her occurs in your mind. That is his/her Physical Identity. It is the most tangible of the three identities.

Next is Mental or Emotional Identity. It is the pattern in which you think, or the style in which you react to your surroundings. It can be quiet conveniently called one's 'personality',but personality is also shaped significantly by the most important identities of all: Spiritual Identity.

Let me make one thing clear: Spirituality is not a religious concept. It is something beyond the boundaries of religion,though it can be sought through the channel of religion.It is the most innate characteristict of every human being. Well experienced and highly spiritual people will define it as the answer to the most fundamental questions of human life,the process of finding its answers or the meaning of human life.

I would like to call Spiritual Identity as the manner in which you steer your life,based on certain principles which you believe are the most fundamental. Which means, you dont want to do something which is not right according to those principles,and you will feel good if you do something in confirmation with those principles. A person with a healthy Spiritual Identity knows how to effectively control his Physical as well as Emotional Identities and manipulate them effectively. Such persons are found to be many times efficient in every respect,than others. Great personalities of human history are always those who owned an exceptional Spiritual Identity. Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha,to name a few.

Quite similar to the other identities, your Spiritual Identity can also be made better. To strengthen your Physical Identity, you go to gymnasiums or play some games. Your Emotional Identity gets tuned by the influence of your friends or peer groups,books,movies and ideas you come across. Similarly, Spiritual Identity can also be honed by a variety of ways. If you are religious,prayers and religious meditation are a good option. Meditation need not be religious. Anything under the sun could be made the subject of meditation. Just make sure that the subject of your choice is invariably positive in nature. Then you can engage in creative and healthy conversations and in association with people of your choice;people whom you feel the most happy to be with. For some people,just sitting alone at a particular spot could recharge them spiritually.

Quiet simply put,Spiritual Identity is the measure of one's ability to be happy from the depth of his heart,all the time. It is the extent of the ability to be at peace with oneself. Isnt it the ultimate goal of Human Life?

Oedipuses of Our Era.

Greek mythology speaks of an unfortunate king, Oedipus the King of Thebes. He was 'unfortunate' as it turned out that he married his own mother unknowingly. When the ultimate realisation dawned upon him, the poor guy ended up plucking out both his eyes by himself,overwhelmed by guilt and remorse.

Time has flown.We no longer live in those mythical era of Oedipus.But it seems that the legacy of the Greek king still linger amongst us;though not quiet in the conservative sense. Nature is often conferred a Mother figure and this unfortunate mother has given birth to a multitude of Oedipuses who compete among themselves to violate Her. They shaved off her beautiful green locks, pierced deep her delicate body and still they continue their deeds,perhaps until her last breath.

Eminent ecologist and botanist Madhav Gadgil,aggrieved by this unchecked violence against nature,made an attempt to mitigate the impact of human interventions on nature,in one of world's most ecologically sensitive area. Given an opportunity as the head of Western Ghats Ecology Experts Panel(WGEEP),Prof. Gadgil made a comprehensive study on the ecology of Western Ghats and in the report that he submitted,he recommended that the entire Western Ghats should be declared as Ecologically Sensitive Area; banning any kind of industrial activities there and any kind of proposed development projects should be given consent in consultation with the local self governments.Surely, these suggestions might have hurt the Oedipal sentiments of someone who had seen an endless supply of resources in the Ghats, to quench his thirst for more profit. All of a sudden, a new committee is formed under a space scientist to evaluate the report authored by the distinguished botanist.He catches a plane,goes for a trip over the Ghats,uses Google Maps,identifies rubber and other plantations as dense forests,returns and submits another 'High Level' report to MoEF. In the new report,the scene completely changes.

The Kasturirangan report divided the entire Western Ghats area into two different areas or 'landscapes'-'Natural Landscapes';which cover about 40% of the total Ghat region and 'Cultural Landscapes';the remaining 60%. Former includes those areas identified as ecologically fragile by the committee and the latter contains the human settlements. No further development or industrial activities could be set up in Natural Landscapes and those activities were thrown open in Cultural Landscapes. The discretion of local self governments was taken off.
Protests were kicked off when the farmlands of many farmers were included in the Natural Landscape in-spite of absence of any ecological issues,and they were asked to stay put their agricultural practices in these farmlands. This suggestion obviously led to the dismay of the poor farmers. The protests and cries which subsequently emerged,demanding the repeal of Kasturirangan report,largely attained a political color,rather than its ecological shades which should have been the prime focus. Although the Environment Minister Mr.Veerappa Moily assured that the implementation of the report will follow only after a consultation with the Chief Ministers concerned,his most recent stances show that the crisis is nowhere near a solution.

Nobody requires even a guesswork to speculate what might have happened. Industrialists and big-shot corporates who dream of making astronomical profits by ripping apart Western Ghats-declared as the second most ecologically sensitive area after Amazon by UNESCO-finds Gadgil report a threat to their plans as it recommends a blanket-ban on industrial activities in the area, and also because the Gadgil report conferred the power to local self governments to take decisions in the Ghats regarding industrial and construction projects:a move in which the industrialists undoubtedly know their plans would be rejected before the local bodies. With some connivance with MoEF,they bring about the Kasturirangan report,where sites of their interests are purposefully included in the so called ‘cultural landscapes’, where they can continue their rape on ecology. Then they continue to snatch the poorest-of-the poor farmer off his only means of livelihood-his land for cultivation-by including it under the fancy name ‘natural landscape’. And they takes away the crucial right of the local self government to decide on their life-and-death issue.

The Greek Oedipus,even taking into account his biggest mistake,fares a lot better than his modern day counterparts. The Greek showed,even though belated,a certain amount of remorse. It is doubtful whether,even if those softer feelings strike the modern Man,anything of his race be left to express his sorry.

നാലുവരി

മതമെന്ന ചട്ടക്കൂടെന്തിനു മർത്യനു നേർ-
ഗതിയിൽ പോമൊരു മനമുണ്ടെന്കിൽ
കനമേറെക്കുറഞ്ഞേനെൻ മനസ്സിനു-
മെൻ ജീവിതവും മറ്റൊന്നായേനേ....


ഇതു വായിച്ചപ്പോൾ എന്നെക്കുറിച്ചു നിങ്ങളുടെ മനസ്സിൽ ഒരു കൊടും നിരീശ്വരവാദിയുടെയോ അല്ലെന്കിൽ ഒരു സ്യൂഡോ സ്വതന്ത്രചിന്തകന്റ്റെയോ ചിത്രമായിരിക്കാം രൂപപ്പെട്ടത്.ആ ചിത്രം തത്കാലം അങ്ങനെതന്നെ നില്ക്കട്ടെ.മനസ്സിൽ പലപ്പോഴും തോന്നിയ പല സംശയങ്ങൾക്കും ഉത്തരമായി ഞാൻ വിശ്വസിക്കുന്ന ചില ചിന്തകൾ പന്കുവയ്ക്കാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു.ബോറടിച്ചാൽ പ്രിയ വായനക്കാരാ/വായനക്കാരീ,ക്ഷമിക്കുക. വരും പോസ്ടുകളിൽ നിങ്ങളെ കൂടുതൽ എന്ടർടെയ്ൻ ചെയ്യാൻ ഞാൻ ശ്രമിക്കാം.


മതം,വിശ്വാസം,ഈശ്വരൻ എന്നീ വിഷയങ്ങൾ എക്കാലവും തീവ്രമായ ചർച്ചകൾക്കും സംവാദങ്ങൾക്കും പാത്രങ്ങളാണ്.എന്നെയും പല ചോദ്യങ്ങളും അലട്ടിയിരുന്നു.ദൈവം ഉണ്ടോ?പ്രാർത്ഥനകൾ എന്തിന്?അവ ഫലപ്രദങ്ങളാണോ?മതത്തിന്റ്റെ പ്രസക്തി എന്ത്? തെറ്റുചെയ്താൽ നാം ശിക്‌ഷിക്കപ്പെടുമോ?എന്തൊക്കെയാണ് തെറ്റുകൾ?എന്തൊക്കെ തെറ്റല്ല?എന്തുകൊണ്ട്  നാം തെറ്റെന്നു  വിചാരിക്കുന്നവ ചെയ്യുന്നവർക്ക് ഉയർച്ചയും അവയൊന്നും ചെയ്യാത്ത നമുക്ക് ഉയർച്ച ഇല്ലായ്മയും പലപ്പോഴും താഴ്ചയും സംഭവിക്കുന്നു?
ദൈവം ഉണ്ട്.അല്ലെന്കിൽ ദൈവം എന്ന സന്കൽപം മനുഷ്യന് ആവശ്യമുണ്ട്.കാരണം?കാരണം,മനുഷ്യൻ ഒരിക്കലും ഒരു സൂപ്പർമാൻ അല്ല.അവന്റ്റെ കഴിവുകൾക്ക് ഒരു പരിധിയുണ്ട്.പക്ഷേ ദൈനംദിന ജീവിതത്തിൽ നാം നേരിടേണ്ടതായി വരുന്ന വെല്ലുവിളികൾ പലപ്പോഴും ഈ പരിധിക്കപ്പുറം കഴിവുകൾ ആവശ്യപ്പെടുന്നു.ഈ അവസരത്തിൽ,സർവശക്തനും എല്ലാറ്റിന്റ്റെയും നിയന്താവുമായ ഒരാളുണ്ട് എന്ന വിശ്വാസം നമുക്ക് ആശ്വാസവും പ്രത്യാശയും നൽകുന്നു.ഈ പ്രത്യാശ,പ്രതിസന്ധികളെ മറികടക്കാൻ നമ്മെ പ്രാപ്തരാക്കുന്നു.നമ്മുടെ ഇടയിൽ ആൾദൈവങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ടാവാൻ കാരണം അവർ മനുഷ്യർക്ക് ഈ പ്രത്യാശ പകരുന്നു എന്നതിനാലാണ്.


മതം ഒരു മാർഗ്ഗദർശി എന്ന നിലയിൽ ആവശ്യമാണ്.ദൈവവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെടാൻ അംഗീകൃതമായ മീഡിയം മതമാണ്.ദൈവവുമായുള്ള ആശയവിനിമയത്തിന് ഈ മീഡിയത്തിന്റ്റെ ആവശ്യമില്ലാത്തവർക്ക് (അവർക്കുമാത്രം) മതമെന്ന അനാവശ്യഭാരം ഒഴിവാക്കാവുന്നതാണ്.


എൻടെ പല സംശയങ്ങളും ഇപ്പോഴും സംശയങ്ങളായിത്തന്നെ അവശേഷിക്കുന്നു.പക്ഷേ കിട്ടിയ ഉത്തരങ്ങളിൽ ഞാൻ സംതൃപ്തനാണ്.ബാക്കിയുള്ളവ സമയത്തു പരിഹരിക്കപ്പെട്ടുകൊള്ളും.


ഈ ലോകത്തിൽ മനുഷ്യന് ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കേണ്ട അത്യാവശ്യഗുണം സ്നേഹവും കരുണയുമുള്ള ഒരു മനസ്സുണ്ടാവുക എന്നതാണ്.ഈ ഭൂമിയിൽ ജീവിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്രയും കാലം ചുറ്റുമുള്ള മനുഷ്യരെ ആത്മാർത്ഥമായി സ്നേഹിക്കുകയുംഅവർക്കു സാധിക്കുന്ന സഹായങ്ങൾ സന്തോഷത്തോടെ ചെയ്തുകൊടുക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുക.ഏതെന്കിലുമൊരു മതവിശ്വാസി എന്നതിലുപരി ഒരു നല്ല മനുഷ്യനാവുക..... :-)

ഒരു ചെറിയ ഡിബേറ്റ് കഥ (Story of a Debate)

തത്വചിന്ത നിർലോഭം വിളമ്പുന്ന എണ്ണമറ്റ ബ്ളോഗന്മാർ ഈ ലോകവ്യാപകവലയിൽ ഉണ്ടെന്ന് അറിയാഞ്ഞിട്ടല്ല.കന്നി പോസ്ട് കുറെക്കൂടി നർമരസപ്രധാനമാവണം എന്നാഗ്രഹിച്ചതുമാണ്.പക്ഷേ, പ്രിയസുഹൃത്ത് സെബിയുമായി ഇന്നുണ്ടായ,വളരെ രസകരമായ ഒരു സംവാദം,ഇവിടെ ഇതൊക്കെ കുത്തിക്കുറിക്കാൻ പ്രേരകമായി.ഇതൊന്നും എനിക്കു മുൻപു ശീലമില്ലാത്ത ശീലങ്ങളാകയാൽ,സ്വാഭാവികമായി വന്നുപോയേക്കാവുന്ന ഭാഷാപിശകുകൾ('ഭാഷാപിശക്' എന്ന പ്രയോഗം തന്നെ ഒരു പിശകാണോ എന്നു ഞാൻ സംശയിക്കുന്നു) പ്രിയ വായനക്കാരാ/വായനക്കാരീ,താന്കൾ കണ്ടില്ല എന്നു നടിക്കും എന്നു ഞാൻ വിശ്വസിക്കുന്നു.

യൂഷ്വൽ കത്തിക്കും അശ്ലീലത്തിനുമിടക്ക് 'ടെക്നോളജിയുടെ ഇനിയുമുള്ള വളർച്ച അനാവശ്യമാണ്' എന്ന എൻറ്റെ 'വിവാദപരമായ' പ്രസ്താവനയാണ് സെബിയെ ചൊടിപ്പിച്ചത്.എൻറ്റെ ഈ കമ്മ്യൂണിസ്ട് പ്രസ്താവന ഒരുപക്ഷേ നിങ്ങൾക്കും ദഹിക്കുന്നുണ്ടാവില്ല.'ടെക്നോളജി വളർന്നില്ലായിരുന്നുവെൻകിൽ ഇവനീ ബ്ളോഗുപോലും എഴുതില്ലായിരുന്നു' എന്ന് എന്നെ നിങ്ങൾ ഉള്ളിൽ കളിയാക്കുകയും ചെയ്തിട്ടുണ്ടാവും.ശരിതന്നെ.സമ്മതിക്കുന്നു.പക്ഷേ സുഹൃത്തെ,ഒന്നാലോചിച്ചുനോക്കൂ.ഇപ്പോഴുള്ള സാൻകേതികവിദ്യക്കു  പരിഹരിക്കാവുന്നതല്ലേയുള്ളു ഒരു സാധാരണക്കാരൻറ്റെ ആവശ്യങ്ങൾ? അതിവേഗം ആശയവിനിമയം നടത്താൻ ഫോൺ,സഞ്ചരിക്കാൻ വാഹനങ്ങൾ,വിനോദോപാധികളായി ടെലിവിഷൻ,കംപ്യൂട്ടർ മുതലായവ...ആരോഗ്യ മേഖലയിൽ,പുതുരോഗങ്ങളുടെ കടന്നുവരവ് ആ മേഖലയിൽ പുതുസൻകേതങ്ങളുടെ ആവിർഭാവം അത്യന്താപേക്ഷിതമാക്കുന്നുണ്ടെൻകിലും ഈ പുതുരോഗങ്ങളൊക്കെയും,സാൻകേതികവിദ്യാകേന്ദ്രീകൃതമായ,വ്യായാമരഹിതമായനമ്മുടെ പുതുജീവിതരീതിയുടെ സംഭാവനകളല്ലേ?

എൻറ്റെ വാദമുഖങ്ങൾ ഇങ്ങനെയൊക്കെ വളരെ വിദഗ്ദ്ധമായി ഞാൻ അവതരിപ്പിച്ചെൻകിലും,ഡിബേറ്റിൽ ഇൻക്രീഡിബിൾ ഹൾക്കിൻറ്റെ അവതാരമായ സെബി എന്നെ പിച്ചിച്ചീന്തിക്കളഞ്ഞു.എൻകിലും,അത്യാഗ്രഹവും അസംതൃപ്തിയുമാണ് മനുഷ്യൻറ്റെ പ്രശ്നങ്ങൾക്ക് ഒരു പരിധിവരെ കാരണം എന്ന സ്വകാര്യപാഠം ഞാൻ പഠിച്ചു.അതിൽ ഞാൻ സംതൃപ്തനാണ്... :-)

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