Demonetization – Not Quite the Demon

People who visit the temple-town of Sringeri, the famous seat of learning situated amidst the lush green hills of the Western Ghats, swear not only by Goddess Nature who has endowed so much to the place but also by a shop located in the vicinity of the temple. 

The shop is run by Sri.Vijayanarasimha along with his wife and son. It deals in the usual rich goodies that Malnad has to offer - various varieties of pickles and chutneys, chips, spices, oils and what not. While other shops can boast of the same quality of goods, what sets this shop apart is the savviness of the father-son duo. They develop an affectionate connection with the customers. I do not know how they do it, but they seem to remember customers and their choices in spite of having a large number of them. When net banking and online fund transfers were still in their infancy, they had a mail order system which enabled people to transfer money to their account online and get stuff delivered to their houses, all from the small town of Sringeri. Actually, make it the other way round. They would deliver stuff to your house, and you could then transfer money to their account. And yes, all from the small town of Sringeri. Their account was one of the first recipients I added for fund transfer from mine. 

As the various news outlets were publicizing and highlighting the difficulties undergone by the "aam aadmi" due to the demonetization of 500 and 1000 - rupee notes, I could not get this small store ( not so small now, bless them; they now have online sales also) out of my mind. Why is demonetization hurting us more than it ought to when transferring money is so easy? All it takes is honesty and trust!

We can't deny that the news channels and the English language newspapers had their own agenda in maligning the initiative of the government and this contributing to the confusion. The queues which were still manageable a day after demonetization grew longer and longer, owing to the panic willfully stoked by the media. False reports of people dying in ATM queues and of children dying because the older currency was not accepted were feverishly circulated by journalists themselves in the social media. One news channel shamelessly asked people to send videos of people suffering in queues. The situation truly started going downhill then.

It is a very Indian - nay, human mentality to stock up on or even hoard things when they promise to become scarce. It is programmed in our genes. And human history has been proving that the hoarders will, in a large number of cases, eventually be better off than the non-hoarders. After a couple of days, thus, our instincts got the better of our good sense and the queues outside banks became longer still.

The black money mafia also did their bit to make the situation more chaotic, by promising commission to people who would deposit money in banks on their behalf. There were many flavors of this scam. Paytm ads notwithstanding, a substantial percentage of the low-income group is gullible and this promise of easy money is too hard to pass by. The result was unprecedented chaos, with people standing multiple times in queues and fights reportedly breaking out in front of the banks, adding to the general disorder.

There were many things that could have been done to reduce inconvenience to the people. Obviously, the initiative has to come from the people first. There were people drawing money from three or four cards when it was their turn at the ATM, adding to the wait time for the others in the queue. Banks could have mandated that only one card could be used at a time. Also, people who could get by with plastic money could have done so for a longer time instead of standing in queues and complaining. Let us face it, waiting is not pleasant for anyone – for us and also the bank employees. The security guard at the HDFC bank near my house was so cheerful and helpful even after dealing with hundreds of people who only had questions and complaints. Yes, that is another thing that would have helped – a smile of acceptance on the faces of the people. Because however much we try to argue against it, we know that this move of demonetization of high-value notes is going to be eventually good for the country.

If shop-owners had accepted cards and cheques it would have made life a lot easier for everyone. The day after demonetization, I was out shopping for some lamps in a respectably-sized shop in the heart of Bangalore. The bill came up to a decent amount of around 400 rupees. I offered to pay by card, but the shop-owner did not accept cards. And no, cheques were not accepted either. I did not have cash on me. After a lot of haggling over the mode of payment, the shop finally accepted the five-hundred-rupee note that I offered. I later learned that the cash transactions are not logged properly, so as to avoid tax.

So that's the root of this evil. With the memory of 97% tax and no development etched in our minds, we cannot bring ourselves to pay even a reasonable 35% amount as tax. And when the government does what it has to do to recover taxes we whine and complain because it is inconvenient. God help us!

In contrast, some people rose to the occasion and started conducting more cashless transactions. I paid my kids’ music class fees via online transfer. By the way, the teacher happens to be a housewife.

Finally, I recall the infamous words of a departed politician, said at a different time in a different context but completely valid now. When a big tree falls, the earth shakes.

ಇಂದೇ ಸುದಿನ...

Years ago, when I was still a young girl participating in dance competitions, my mother had taught us - my sister and me and a few friends - a dance to a song. The song was about gopikas eager to meet Krishna on the banks of the Yamuna. We danced to it, dressed in langa-blouse and a veil on our heads. I think we had some painted pots also, to complete the effect of the gopikas. All I remember from that dance competition is how pretty my sister looked, with kohl in her eyes and a bright light-green duppatta covering her hair.

The song went something like this - "ಇಂದೇ ಸುದಿನ ಬನ್ನಿ ಸಖಿಯರೇ ಹೋಗುವ ಯಮುನಾ ತೀರದೆಡೆಗೆ ". I knew the song was penned by my grandfather. However, the music was distinctly not South-Indian. I was not too curious about it at that time but got to know the story about that song later, from my grandmother.

My aunt, herself a teacher, had taught a few neighboring children a dance to perform at a function in the layout. It was a Hindi song. The kids learned the dance with great enthusiasm and were looking forward to performing at the function. A couple of days before the performance, they got to know something shocking. A few miscreants - Kannada warriors got to know that there was going to be a dance performance set to a Hindi song, and they had decided to create trouble. The kids were crestfallen. After practising for so many days, getting ready with costumes and telling all their friends about the dance, their program was about to be canceled because it was simply not safe to dance to a Hindi song.

My grandfather had a brilliant idea then. He immediately composed a song in Kannada which could be sung to the same tune and matched the dance steps. The kids practised a few times with the changed lyrics in Kannada. The adaptation was beautiful and the presentation on stage was a huge success. After watching the dance performance, the miscreants went back home with greater wisdom in their heads and their pockets still bulging with the rotten tomatoes they had intended to throw at the dancing children.

The song is beautiful and set to the rāga Kāpi. It does not adhere completely to the metrical rules of Kannada poetry, but has great word-ly beauty - like "ಜುಳು ಜುಳು ಹರಿಯುವ ಯಮುನೆಯ ಕಲ ಕಲ ನಾದವ ಕೇಳುವ ಬನ್ನಿ ", "ಜಗದ ಜಂಜಡವ ಮರೆಯುವ ಬನ್ನಿ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನೆಡೆಗೆ".

I happen to be humming this song since morning and wanted to share the story here. 

To Enter or Not To Enter; That is the Question

There is a beautiful story about Meera Bai, whose devotional songs linger on a million tongues even to this day. She once visited a temple at Brindavan, which, at that time, was only open to men. When the priests prevented her from entering, she innocently told them "I thought Krishna was the only male in this universe". The priests were tongue-tied and let her in. 

I wonder if the women who are making a hue and cry about Sabarimala and Shani Shinganapur know about Meera bai. The noise that is being made over Sabarimala and Shani Shinganapur would have been funny (come on, airdrop?) if it were not so pathetic. It is evident that these ladies do not have any love for these Gods or for the religion that endorses these Gods. They are in it just to prove a political point and buy their two minutes of fame, and that is it. 

In a country as diverse as India, there are many, many unique temples and unique ways of worship. In Sandur, there is a Kumaraswamy temple that women of child-bearing age are denied entry to, much like Sabarimala. There is a short wall right in front of the main door, that prevents others from even snatching a glimpse at the icon inside. And there are some Maaramma temples, where traditionally there are priestesses but no priests. Some Gods and Goddesses are worshipped with flowers and fruits and sweets, whereas others need meat and liquor. Yet others are worshipped with song and dance. Flowers are not to be worn in Tirumala, because all the flowers that grow in the vicinity are meant for the Lord. There is room for the devotion of everyone and answers to the spiritual aspirations of everyone. This diversity is what makes sanAtana dharma so charming but yet so difficult to understand. 

The devotees of Ayyappa undergo penance for forty days before visiting Sabarimala. They dress differently. They abstain from meat, alcohol and sex. Can they do these without the consent and help of their wives? The day before the men leave for Sabarimala yatra is a big festival for the entire family. All the people (women included) worship and sing bhajans in praise of the lord. At least, this was what I had seen a few years ago, when I was invited to the celebration before the departure of the yaatris. The women send their husbands and brothers and fathers happily for the yaatra. Women participate in the celebrations with great fervor, even if they don't enter the temple.

And then there is Shani Shinganapur, unique in its own way. The temple does not have doors, like any other house in the village (even the bathrooms do not have doors, believe me!). Contrary to what some of the loud voices of today would have us believe, women do enter the temple for darshan. However, going up on the platform to pour oil on the icon is done by males who have undergone purificatory bath just before entering the temple. My mind simply fails to understand how this is an affront to women.

The vrata men perform before visiting Sabarimala is arduous. Also, it emphasizes self-denial and detachment. The daily duties of women need some level of attachment to the family and worldliness. Taking care of children, for instance. Whatever the feminists say, mothers' duties towards children are more those of the father. This affects other aspects of their lives also. They dress in different ways. They prefer different timings at work. They worship in different ways. sandhyāvandane is for men, whereas Hūvīḻya and kuṅkumārcane are for women. The Kathasaritsagara talks about a weird vrata that was performed by women to ward off diseases that are common in the rainy season. 

The argument that feminists put forth is that the patriarchal society of the day kept women out of places of worship because they menstruate. They try to falsely imagine the shortcomings of Islam in Hinduism too. However, except in places like Sabarimala, women of menstruating age are allowed to enter the temples and offer our worship. Yes, there is a restriction on women visiting temples when they are actually menstruating. But frankly, half the women I know would rather spend those days curled up in a bed and reading, than visiting overcrowded temples (please don't go by the feminine hygiene ads where women are jumping and playing during their periods). Whatever prompted these rules to be dictated, they are a blessing, even if in disguise. This is especially true in India where public sanitation leaves much to be desired.

Finally, the ultimate truth is that Biology is Destiny*. Until technology can make men with uteruses and make them produce babies, there is going to be this difference. But I hope we never get such technology, because we should accept and cherish these differences. A painting with many colors looks far prettier than one that has been smeared with red ink all over. 

*Not my quote, but I love it.

The Eternal Battle

The other day, my six-year-old Sunshine told me about the eating habits of his friend. This other child was a non-vegetarian, and apparently, he described his food with a lot of enthusiasm. I saw that my son's eyes were shining, and asked him if he would like to eat that too. He replied with a nod and a bright smile.
At that moment, you could have felled me with a fork. Raised in a family of strict vegetarians and married into one, it has never occurred to me to eat anything other than vegetarian. When we were young, the "Eww" factor kept us from eating NV. During college days, I used to try to convert non-vegetarians to vegetarianism. But later, with more reading, I learned to be tolerant of, and accept others eating that kind of food.

Actually, non-vegetarianism is not new to sanātana dharma, and from old texts, it does not look like it was forbidden for Brahmins, either. In the famous story of sage Agastya getting rid of vātāpi, it is evident that he ate vAtApi, in the form of a goat. In the kathāsaritsāgara, there is the story of a Brahmin, a servant in a merchant's house, who desired to eat meat -aamisha, and it is just one such example in our literature (On an aside, people who constantly complain that the learned brahmins sitting on high horses kept others away from knowledge should spare a look at classics like kathāsaritsāgara to get a more real and complete picture - but that should be a topic for a separate post). In fact, a story from the same classic explicitly mentions that sanātana dharma endorsed violence and therefore bauddha-dharma was better because it preached peace and non-violence. If one wants examples from sacred texts themselves, it is very clear that animals were used in various yajñas (horse during aśvamedha and goat during somayāga), until religious leaders like Madhvācārya advocated the use of images of animals made of flour (piṣṭa-paśu).In fact, the manusmṛti says the following about eating animals for food -
'pravṛttireṣa bhūtānāṃ nivṛttistu mahāphalā' |, meaning that this was the tendency of living beings, but abstinence would be greatly beneficial.

Having said all this, this is my view of vegetarianism. Even if all the śāstras of the universe espoused non-vegetarianism, I would not eat non-vegetarian food. For the simple fact that I would be taking the life of another animal to satisfy not just my hunger but also my palate. Our ancestors had a simple reason to resort to eating animals - that of non-availability of food. When people did not know how to grow their own food, it made sense to eat the animals they got by hunting. This reason does not hold during the present time and age. As R says, you can eat an animal if you can kill it. If you can stomach the killing, you can stomach the kill.

Secondly, the animals in the feedlot are treated in a very inhuman way. Not just in crowded ranches abroad, but even in our non-violent country. Chickens, still alive, are often seen packed in metal boxes, with no space to stretch their wings. It is not a rare sight to see live chickens dangling from the handlebars of bicycles. I am sure the situation is no better for other animals in feedlots. Cows in dairy farms are probably treated better, but apparently, they are also fed hormones so that more milk is produced. Also, there was this news about artificial insemination for cows. The question is, for how long can we get away with this kind of cruelty to animals?

The third issue is that of resources. Non-vegetarian food consumes a lot of resources. It makes collective economic sense to become vegetarian, or at least, reduce the consumption of non-vegetarian food. Not to mention the health benefits. Other factors being equal, a vegetarian is less likely to develop heart disease than his/her non-vegetarian counterpart. If this is not reason enough for continuing to being a vegetarian, I do not know what else is.

To come back to my Sunshine, I told him that non-vegetarian food was not really healthy and that we did not make it at home. Luckily, that evening, there was this program on Discovery, about catching sharks for their fins (shark-fin soup is apparently a delicacy). It was a bloody (sorry!) gruesome sight - the way the shark was caught, its fins were cut off, and it was thrown back into the water to die (if it was not dead already). My son was watching this too - and R asked him if he would like to do that to any animal. The shocked child replied "No", while I turned away, grinning. For a few more years, we parents can still influence him, at least in the matter of food.

Sringeri - God's own abode

grahEShu dhAriNI ramyA tatra ramyA dharAdharAH |
abhibhUtAsmi tatrApi pashchimAdrErvishEShataH ||

ग्रहेषु धारिणी रम्या तत्र रम्या धराधरा: ।
अभिभूतास्मि तत्रापि पश्चिमाद्रेर्विशेषतः ॥

I have professed my love for the hills and valleys of Malnad in an earlier post. No place in the world I have visited hitherto, has moved me as much as malenaaDu has. I read Kuvempu's 'malenADina chitragaLu' and similar works with greed. The reason is not just that the place is beautiful, it is something much more than that, something that I cannot put my finger upon. Though my trips there have been short, they influence me in undescribable ways. I always get the feeling that I am visiting home, during my travels to that area.

It was, therefore, with great enthusiasm (tempered with a little apprehension because my little son was to accompany us) that I prepared for our weekend trip to Sringeri. As Mother Sharada willed it, we did not get tickets for the Rajahamsa bus, and we had to take the ordinary bus which was euphemistically called an express. After a slightly uncomfortable journey, we alighted near the Sharada temple, the cold breeze biting into our hands and faces.

Sringeri is a place made famous by Shri ShankarAchArya. Legend says that the Acharya, during his travels, saw a cobra sheltering a pregnant frog from the heat of the Sun, on the banks of the Tunga river. He established the dakShiNAmnAya peetham, and made SureshwarAchArya, one of his chief disciples, the head of the peetham. Shri Bharatitirtha, an eminent scholar, is the present pontiff, and comes from an unbroken line of highly accomplished aacharyas.

There are two main temples in the complex. One is the temple dedicated to Mother Sharada, and the other one is the Vidyashankara temple. Vidyashankara temple was got constructed by Vidyaranya, the preceptor of Harihara and Bukka. The temple architecture is a beautiful icon of Shaiva-Vaishnava harmony, with imposing sculptures of the dashaavataaras along one half of the temple walls, and sculptures of Shiva on the other half. The inside of the temple is extremely soothing and peaceful. Biyadiya liked this temple the best, probably because he got to test his climbing skills (the steps are a little steep for a kid).

Of course, this is only the religious face of the Shankara matha (I hate calling it mutt). Borrowing words from Jane Austen, I can say that I have never seen a place for which Nature has done more, or where natural beauty has been so little counteracted by an awkward taste. The lamps in the Narasimhavana (the grove next to the temple), are all solar. Right next to it flows the beautiful but dangerous Tunga river. The fish in the river are taken care of by the matha. Needless to say, this was the little one's favorite part of the trip! There is a deer park nearby, also maintained by the matha. And the biggest attraction for me in all the temples of Udupi and South Canara, is the food. Hot and fresh and yummy. Before you know it, the plate is empty and you are left waiting for the next item, in spite of the serving being superfast and the helpings large. Even my son, the slowest and most picky eater I have seen till now, liked the food. An added aspect at the Shringeri Matha is that the food is cooked mainly using solar energy. It behooves us to take this leaf out of the Shrimatha's book!

After a brief rest in the afternoon, we left for a place called Hariharapura, a short distance away from Sringeri. Hariharapura houses another famous matha and a temple, whose main deity is Narasimha.

But the best attraction of Hariharapura has to be the Prabodhini gurukula . We crossed a small suspension bridge with a breathtaking view, to reach the gurukula. It is a gurukula in every sense of the word, with affectionate teachers (as far as we saw them) and lively children. Though I have my own reservations about residential schools, I really liked this gurukula. The students of the gurukula are taught organic farming and yoga along with Physics and Chemistry and the Vedas and fine arts. Not to mention discipline. There is an icon of Lord Krishna, sculpted by the students and worshipped by the students. The names of the classes are also interesting - ShraddhA, mEdhA, prajnA, etc., all very desirable qualities. Many of the gurukula's students have gone on to study various branches of Sciences and Arts. A few continue their studies at the Veda Vijnaana Gurukula near Bangalore, and join Prabodhini Gurukula as Acharyas. This school also conducts summer camps for children aged 13-14 years.

From Hariharapura we went to Kigga. Kigga is a very small town, recently in the news for Naxal activity. The Sun was already setting by then. The orange rays of the Sun played with the green leaves to create a heavenly effect. The temperature had fallen by this time, and it was very pleasant. How anybody can dare to disturb the peace of these small hamlets, is more than I can comprehend. Kigga has the temple of Rishyashringeshwara, the form of Shiva worshipped by the deer-horned sage, Rishyashringa. A rare and unexpected treat awaited us by the time we exited the temple. It was already dark by then, and power went off. We just happened to look up, and the night-sky was revealed to us in all its glory. For us city slickers, this kind of a view is as exciting as sighting a UFO.

Much can be said about the beauty of the Sringeri and the nearby hills. We did not pass by the Charmudi ghats this time. We could have possibly included Horanaadu or Agumbe, but after a terribly hectic one-day trip to Madurai last month(I was dreaming of Saravana Bhavan, but all of us had to settle for a banana and a couple of kODubaLes each, because we did not have time to dine!), we played it safe and stuck to Sringeri and a couple of the places that were very near, and enjoyed every minute of it.

R says that I love the place so much because of the novelty (I was brought up in Bellary, and live in Bangalore), but I refuse to believe that. Maharashtra did not inspire me with the same kind of devotion and awe and love, even though the beautiful Bhimashankar situated amidst the Sahyadri range is worth more than just a visit.

Our return journey was a day-journey. Biyadiya and some of the others fell asleep as soon as we got into the bus. I picked up my book to read, but shut it within two minutes. I could read the book any other time, but these hills and valleys would elude me for at least another year or two. The diversity of the flora struck me as I looked out of the window. Sometime I have to trek in these parts, just to observe the plants. I am sure that such a thing is not going to happen soon, but till then, I have memories of this trip to keep replaying in my mind.

Bhai-Bhai

The other day, we went to a nearby park with little Biyadiya. This one, near my house, is frequented by all nearby kids, including kids from nearby construction sites who do not know any language other than Tamil. It is a great experience to watch all these kids treating one another as just playmates, no strings attached.

That evening, there were two kids, who were evidently Muslims. The boy was young, five or six years old, with a skullcap on. The girl was slightly older, and wearing a worked-on red churidar. Both of them were conversing in Urdu. Now there are three slides in the park, one for big kids and two that are more toddler-friendly. While my little one is not scared of slides, he is usually reluctant to actually slide. This girl held him while he slid down, like the protective elder sister. The boy then tried to climb up the slide, but his big toe got stuck in a hole on the slide (did I mention that this park is maintained by the BDA?). He started crying. R tried to take his toe out, but it was stuck tight. The girl then cried "arey, Allah ka naam le ke nikaalo, aa jayega!". After some struggle, the toe came out, and everybody was happy.

I was amazed at the girl's maturity. She was helping kids onto swings and merry-go-rounds, held on to little Biyadiya because he was not comfortable sliding down the slide. She was but only slightly older than the boy, but had already taken on the role of a nurturer, a person who was capable of comforting others. One may say that girls are wired that way, but this one was extraordinary. She was far too intelligent, nay, mature for her age. What would she grow up to be? Would she grow up to be a Benazir Bhutto or a Taslima Nasreen? I wondered about the boy, too. Would he look up to his sister as he did now? And the other kids - would they (including my son) treat these two kids as somehow different when they grew up? I, an adult with reasonable sensitivity and intelligence, was thinking so much about the girl just because she was a muslim. This, in spite of knowing about cases of women-abuse in my own community!

Now, before people start accusing me of looking at people with colored glasses, let me make it clear that I have had, and still have muslim friends. And I think that it was much easier for us to befriend people from other religions, than it is for today's kids. Some boundaries are vanishing, but other, more unsurpassable boundaries are rising.

The truth hit me hard when we listened to some older children (probably 10-12 years old) talking in another park. One was asking another "Hey, what caste is yours?". When we were young, we were taught that asking about another's caste was wrong. I am definitely going to teach my children the same thing, but with so many divisive forces around us, is it possible?

Our journey northward and back - Part I

I am not a great traveler. Though I have my share of devotion towards God and my country and love for other countries, I prefer to sit on my armchair and read about them, rather than taking the trouble of actually visiting them. Shirdi, Nasik , the jyotirlingas, Shivneri fort - I had read about all of these places, but if not for my parents' coaxing, I do not think I would have budged from Bangalore. Finally, after two full months of planning, our trip to Maharashtra happened last week. R, Biyadiya and I, my parents, my brother and grandmother, and my sister's family formed the group of travelers (=pilgrims).

The first leg of our journey was by train. I love traveling by trains. For one and a half years, when I was working in Madras, I travelled by train almost every weekend. However, one big difference from those journeys to this one, was the length. Journey from Bangalore to Chennai takes about 7 hours. This journey took nearly twenty hours. While the Bangalore-Chennai journey does not interfere with one's bath and breakfast timings, this one definitely did. R and I did not want to eat before taking bath, but were forced to eat some food to sustain ourselves.

The closest little Biyadiya had ever been to a train other than Thomas, was when he had once waved at it from a distance of more than one hundred meters. The second we got into our seats, he stated wailing pitifully, asking to get off. I knew that there would be some resistance, as he had shown earlier that he disliked bus-travel also. But half an hour after the train started moving, R, my father and a policeman ("rona nahin!"), were successful in calming him down. He gradually took to the train so much, that he actually did not want to get off the train, when we reached Kopargaon!

I hail from Bellary, as I have said elsewhere. The vegetation in those parts of Karnataka is mainly the 'jaalimuLLu' plants. The fields are usually sown with chili and jowar. Now, I have not visited North Karnataka in quite a while, and it was really nice to see those same things again. My eyes feasted again on the stony hills and the black soil. Shirdi and the surrounding places are also what we can call 'bayaluseeme', unlike Pune and its surroundings, which is more like malenaaDu.

At Shirdi, The cleanliness of the premises and the discipline at the temple and at Bhaktanivas, which is the travelers' lodge, were very impressive. There are a few colorful fountains at the entrance to the temple. Both of us (my little one and I) were quite taken by them and spent a long time in front of them. Since elderly people are let in without adherence to the queue, with an escort, my Mother who was worried about Biyadiya, bade me go with my grandma and finish my darshan. It was a very rewarding experience.

For two full months, we had debated on whether we could take little Biyadiya for the trip. Finally, the Great Man at Shirdi made us take him. And we never regretted it once. The only problem for him was food. He is as picky an eater as I am, and sourcing food for us was R's biggest worry throughout. I did not find the idlis and dosas of Maharashtra palatable. Biyadiya agreed with me and went on a hunger strike. I had to then buy Cerelac for him, to keep his energy levels (and mine) up. However, Maharashtrians make Vada pav and Batata vada, which are tasty even when eaten at roadside stalls. I succumbed to those, and hunger pangs did not bother me a lot, afterwards. An interesting thing about the hotels there, was the 'upvaas' menu. I did not try it out at all, but was impressed to see that there was somebody paying enough attention to their upvaas, even while traveling.

This trip was the longest one we have undertaken in at least five years. Since I wish to do it justice, I will continue the travelogue in the next one or two installments.

Cobwebs, Cobras and Luck

The other day, the main door of our house happened to be closed for an unusually long time in the evening. I happened to be the first one to open the door, and walked straight into a cobweb. I "Ewww!"ed and went hastily inside, wiping my face and neck. My Mother-in-law saw this and said "You know, walking into cobwebs is supposed to be very lucky". I felt a little better. (No, cobwebs are not common in our house :D)

But that got me thinking. I am not aware if this happens in other cultures also, but some very unpleasant things are regarded as lucky in India. Take, for example, the sighting of a cobra with its hood raised. That is supposed to be a very good thing to happen to somebody. Of course, I assume that this works only if the person keeps his/her head and walks away from it and not towards it, in reach of its fangs! There are loads of other such superstitions(?) about not-so-pleasant things, like squint-eyes and wisdom teeth growing at awkward angles.

I wonder what the reason is, behind this. I can think of one explanation. It is probably just a way to make a person feel better about an unpleasant experience. Imagine what it would do to the morale of the squint-eyed person if someone referred to him as, you know, the lucky one! Suppose somebody is shaken because of his encounter with a cobra, what is a better way to console him than to say "You know, you're really lucky!"?

That said, what is luck? We wish others luck before exams and before weddings. We carry lucky pens that hardly write and wear lucky dresses that are ragged. And at home, I am not allowed to watch any cricket match when India is playing, because that's supposed to be bad luck for the Indian team. I really wonder how much more presumptuous we can get, thinking that one person watching or not watching India play can influence their victory or defeat.

Is it a good idea to make Team India visit the Snake Park before their upcoming match against Australia? :))

Sacrifice vs. Righteousness

Concern for fellow-beings sets apart sajjanas from others. As a Sanskrit proverb goes,
मृदुलं नवनीतमीरितं नवनीतादपि सज्जनस्य हृत् ।
यदिदं द्रवते स्वतापनात् परतापात् सतां पुनः ॥
"Butter is said to be soft, but the sajjana's heart is softer. Butter melts only when it is heated, but the heart of the sajjana melts (even) when others are in
difficulty".

Years ago, there was a very short story in the Kannada magazine, Mayura (I think). The protagonist was a poet, very poor but large-hearted man, like the sajjana in the above shloka. His child was ill, and the whole family was clothed in rags. Our poet was at the end of his wits. At this juncture, he received an unexpected sum of money as a fee (as far as I remember). Then there was a knock on his door. A poor man had come to ask him for help; he wanted to get his daughter married and did not have the money. Our poet gave him all the money he had, and he walked away happily. The poet then told his wife, "What could I do? I have a poet's heart!" ("ನಾನೇನು ಮಾಡಲಿ? ನನ್ನದು ಕವಿಹೃದಯ"). The wife accepted his decision.

Even back then, I had a question. How could the heart that melted at the plight of the poor man, not melt at the sight of his own sick child?

A few days ago, December Stud said in a comment, that all of us are selfish, or should at least be selfish to a certain degree. That struck me as being true, and I got thinking about the various stories of self-sacrifice that appear so often in our mythology and literature. I then realized that I have never liked the extreme self-sacrifice that is, as a rule, praised to the Heavens.

What Jimutavaahana did, was against dharma, in my opinion. As the king, his duty was to protect all his subjects, but he chose to protect Shankhachuda alone, because he was there at the right time and place. His sacrifice had a good result, in that Garuda stopped harming naagas any further, but suppose it had gone unnoticed? True, Jimutavahana was a vidyaadhara and a bodhisattva. But I think I would have had far more respect for him if he had fought and subdued Garuda like a true Kshatriya. (I did not like naagaanandam, the play written by Harsha, either... Well, that's the topic for a separate post).

We have a more realistic view of sacrifice and kshatriyadharma in the Mahabharata. When Kunti offered to send Bhima with the food for Bakasura, even Yudhishthira, the epitome of righteousness, did not approve of the act (as far as I remember). However, this had a good result too; Bhima killed Baka. What appealed to me here was the "down-to-earth-ness" of Yudhishthira.

Sometimes, the idea that self-sacrifice always brings about good results, is comforting. At other times it is disturbing. Finally, it all comes down to doing the right thing, and not just sacrificing. But just how can we decide if what we are doing is right?

ಋಜುವಾದ ಮಾತು

ಈಚೆಗೆ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ವಿಷಯ 'ಆವರಣ'ದ ಮತ್ತು ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಯು. ಆರ್. ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರು ಮಾಡಿದ ಟೀಕೆ. ಯು.ಆರ್‍.ಏ ಅವರು ಮೊದಲು ಮಾಡಿದ ಟೀಕೆಗೆ ಸ್ಪಂದಿಸಿದ ಅನೇಕಜನ ವಿವಿಧಾಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಗಳನ್ನು ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ವಿಜಯಕರ್ಣಾಟಕವನ್ನೂ, ಕೆಲವು ಸುಹೃದರ ಬ್ಲಾಗ್ ಗಳನ್ನೂ ಓದುವ ನನಗೆ ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ಪರವಾಗಿಯೇ ಇಲ್ಲಿನ ಸ್ಪಂದನಗಳು ಇದ್ದದ್ದು ಅಚ್ಚರಿ ತರಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ. ನನ್ನ ನಿಲುವೂ ಕೂಡ ಸುಮಾರು ಹಾಗೇ ಇದೆ.

ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರ ಭಾಷೆಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನನಗೆ ಮೊದಲಿನಿಂದಲೂ ಮೆಚ್ಚುಗೆ-ಗೌರವಗಳಿವೆ. ಬಹಳ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಬರೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆದರೆ ಒಳಹೊಕ್ಕು ನೋಡಿದರೆ ಅವರದು ಸತ್ತ್ವವೇ ಇಲ್ಲದ ಬರವಣಿಗೆ. ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾರಣ ಅವರ ಪೂರ್ವಗ್ರಹಗಳು. ಅವರ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನೈಜತೆ ಕಾಣಸಿಗದು. ಒಂದು ಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಹೇಳುವಾಗ, ಅದು ಪಾತ್ರಗಳ ಕಥೆಯಾಗಿರಬೇಕು. ಪಾತ್ರಗಳು ಲೇಖಕನ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದರೂ ಅವರ ಕ್ರಿಯೆ-ಭಾವ-ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಗಳು ಲೇಖಕನವಲ್ಲದೆ ಅವುಗಳದೇ ಆದರೆ ಅಂಥ ಕಥೆ ನೈಜ ಎನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರ ಬರೆಹಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಗುಣ ನನಗೆ ಕಾಣಲಿಲ್ಲ. ತಮಾಷೆಯೆಂದರೆ ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರು ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರನ್ನು ಈ ವಿಷಯವಾಗಿ ಟೀಕಿಸಿರುವುದು!

ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕವಿತ್ವದ ಆರ್ದ್ರತೆ ಇಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರು ಹೇಳುವುದನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಅವರ ಭಾಷೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಗ್ರಾಮ್ಯ. ಆದರೆ ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ಬರೆಹಗಳು (ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರೂ ಒಪ್ಪುವಂತೆ) ಅದು ಹೇಗೆ ಅಷ್ಟು ಜನಪ್ರಿಯವಾದವು? ಒಂದಂತೂ ನಿಜ. ಸತ್ತ್ವಹೀನಕೃತಿಗಳು ಒಮ್ಮೊಮ್ಮೆ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧವಾಗಬಹುದಾದರೂ ಸರ್ವಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಒಂದು ಕೃತಿ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧವಾಗಬೇಕಾದರೆ ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂತಃಸತ್ತ್ವ, ವಿಚಾರಶೀಲತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರಾಮಾಣಿಕತೆಗಳು ಇರಬೇಕು. ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ಕೃತಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಗುಣಗಳಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ಅವರ ಕೃತಿಗಳು ಅಷ್ಟು ಜನಪ್ರೀತಿಯನ್ನು ಗಳಿಸಿವೆ. ಕೆಲವರು ಆರೋಪಿಸಿರುವಂತೆ ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರು ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠತೆಯನ್ನು ಪ್ರತಿಪಾದಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಹಾಗೆ ನೋಡಲು ಹೋದರೆ ಅವರು ಯಾವ ವಿಷಯವನ್ನೂ ಪ್ರತಿಪಾದಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ನಮ್ಮ ಮುಂದಿಟ್ಟು ಉತ್ತರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನಾವೇ ಯೋಚನೆ ಮಾಡುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಇದು ಉತ್ತಮಲೇಖಕನ ಗುರುತು. ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗೆ, 'ದಾಟು' ವಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂತರ್ಜಾತೀಯ ವಿವಾಹಗಳ ಬೇರೆಬೇರೆ ವಿಧಗಳನ್ನು, ಬೇರೆಬೇರೆ ಜಾತಿಯವರಿಗೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಜಾತಿಯ ಮತ್ತು ಅನ್ಯಜಾತಿಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇರುವ ಭಾವನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕಥೆಯ ಹಂದರದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಣೆದು, ಈ ವಿಷಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರಚೋದಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಉತ್ತರಗಳನ್ನು ಕಂಡುಹಿಡಿಯುವುದು ಅವರವರಿಗೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದು!

ಹಾಗೆ ನೋಡಿದರೆ ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ನಿಲುವು ಹೀಗೆಯೇ ಎಂದು ನಿಖರವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳಬಲ್ಲ ಪುಸ್ತಕ 'ಆವರಣ'. ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದೃಷ್ಟ್ಯಾ ಇದು ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ಉತ್ತಮಕೃತಿಯೆಂದು ಖಂಡಿತ ಹೇಳಲಾಗದು. ಆದರೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ವಿವರಿಸಿರುವ ವಿಚಾರಗಳು ನಮ್ಮ ಇಂದಿನ "ಸೆಕ್ಯುಲರ್" ಜನತೆಗೆ ಅಗತ್ಯವಾಗಿ ತಿಳಿಹೇಳಬೇಕಾದವು. ಸತ್ಯದ ಸಮಾಧಿಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಸುಳ್ಳಿನ ಗೋಪುರವನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಲು ಹೊರಟಿರುವವರು ನಮ್ಮ ಇಂದಿನ ವಾಮಪಂಥೀಯರು. ಆಗಿರುವ ದುರಂತಗಳನ್ನು, ಹತ್ಯಾಕಾಂಡಗಳನ್ನು "ಆಗಲಿಲ್ಲ" ಎಂದೂ, ಆಗದ ಆಕ್ರಮಣಗಳನ್ನು "ಆಗಿದೆ" ಎಂದೂ ಸಾರುತ್ತಿರುವ, ಅದನ್ನೇ ನಂಬಿರುವ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಗಳು. ಒಂದು ಕೋಮಿನವರ ಮನಸ್ಸಂತೋಷಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಕೋಮಿನವರನ್ನು ತುಳಿಯುವ ಮನಸ್ಸುಳ್ಳವರು. ಹಿಂದೂ-ಮುಸ್ಲಿಮರ ಸ್ನೇಹ ಭಾರತೀಯರಾದ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಬೇಕಾದುದು. ಈ ಸ್ನೇಹ ಸತ್ಯದ ಬುನಾದಿಯ ಮೇಲೆ ನಿಲ್ಲಬೇಕೆಂಬುದು ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ಮತ. ಹೌದು, ಇಸ್ಲಾಂ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿರುವಷ್ಟು ಬೇರೆಲ್ಲೂ ವರ್ಣರಂಜಿತವಾಗಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಇನ್ನೂ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಮರಲ್ಲಿ ಬಹುಪತ್ನೀತ್ವ, ಮೂರು ಬಾರಿ ಹೇಳುವ ತಲಾಕ್ ಜಾರಿಯಲ್ಲಿದೆ. Uniform Civil Code ನ ಕನಸು ಕನಸಾಗಿಯೇ ಉಳಿದಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ವಾಮಪಂಥೀಯರಿಗೋ ಇದು ಹೀಗೆಯೇ ಉಳಿಯಲಿ ಎಂದು. ಕಾಲಕ್ಕನುಗುಣವಾಗಿ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಮರೂ ಬದಲಾಗುವುದು ಬೇಡವೇ? ಹೌದು, ಕಬೀರ್, ಶಿರ್ಡಿಯ ಸಾಯಿಬಾಬಾ ಮುಂತಾದ ಕಾರಣಜನ್ಮರ ಜನ್ಮ ಮತ್ತು ವೃದ್ಧಿ ಇಂತಹುದೇ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಆಯಿತು. ಆದರೆ ಇದನ್ನೇ ಮುಂದಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡು "ಮೊಗಲರ ಆಳ್ವಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹಿಂದೂಗಳು ಎಂದಿಗಿಂತ ಸಂತೋಷವಾಗಿದ್ದರು" ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿದರೆ ಅದನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆಯೇ? ಔರಂಗಜೇಬ ಜೆಸಿಯಾ ವಿಧಿಸಿದ್ದು ಸುಳ್ಳಾಗುತ್ತದೆಯೇ?

ಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರು ತಮ್ಮೂರಿನ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಗಳನ್ನೆಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಜೀರ್ಣೋದ್ಧಾರ ಮಾಡಿಸಿದ್ದು ಮಿರ್ಜಾ ಇಸ್ಮಾಯಿಲ್ ಸಾಹೇಬರು ಎಂದು ಮಾತಿನ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ನಾನು ಇನ್ನೂ ಬಹಳಷ್ಟು ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕೊಡಬಲ್ಲೆ. ಬಿ ಆರ್ ಚೋಪ್ರಾ ರವರ "ಮಹಾಭಾರತ್" ಧಾರಾವಾಹಿಯ ಸ್ಕ್ರಿಪ್ಟ್ ಬರೆದದ್ದು ರಾಹಿ ಮಾಸೂಮ್ ರಾಜಾ. ಹಿಂದಿಯ "ಬೈಜು ಬಾವ್ರಾ" ಚಿತ್ರದ 'ಮನ್ ತರ್‌ಪತ್ ಹರಿ ದರ್‌ಶನ್ ಕೋ ಆಜ್' ಗೀತೆಯನ್ನು ಬರೆದಿದ್ದು ಶಕೀಲ್ ಬದಾಯುನಿ, ಸಂಗೀತ ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕ ನೌಷಾದ್ ಮತ್ತು ಹಾಡಿದ್ದು ಮೊಹಮ್ಮದ್ ರಫಿ. ಆದರೆ ಇವರೆಲ್ಲರನ್ನೂ ಔರಂಗಜೇಬನನ್ನೂ ಹೋಲಿಸುವುದು ridiculous. ಭಾರತೀಯಮುಸಲ್ಮಾನರನೇಕರನ್ನು ನಾವು ನಮ್ಮವರೆಂದು ಕಂಡುಕೊಂಡಿರುವಂತೆಯೇ, ಹಾಗಿಲ್ಲದವರ ವರ್ತನೆಯನ್ನು (ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಗಳನ್ನಲ್ಲ) ಖಂಡಿಸಬೇಕು. ಈ ದುಷ್ಕೃತ್ಯಗಳು ಹಿಂದೆ ಆಗಿವೆ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು. ಆಗಲೇ ಸುಭದ್ರಸಮಾಜದ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣ ಸಾಧ್ಯ. ಹೀಗೆ ಆಗಬಾರದು ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುವವರಿಗೆ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಜವಾಬ್ದಾರಿ ಇಲ್ಲವೆಂದೇ ಹೇಳಬೇಕಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರು ಮ್ಯಾಕ್‌ಬೆತ್ ಅನ್ನು ಷೇಕ್ಸ್‌ಪಿಯರ್ ನೋಡಿರುವ ರೀತಿಯನ್ನು ಉದಾಹರಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. (ತನ್ಮೂಲಕ ಔರಂಗಜೇಬನನ್ನೂ ಮನುಷ್ಯನನ್ನಾಗಿ ನೋಡುವ ತಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಆ ಮಹಾಕವಿಯ ಜೊತೆ ಹೋಲಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ!) ಷೇಕ್ಸ್‌ಪಿಯರ್ ಮ್ಯಾಕ್‌ಬೆತ್ ನನ್ನು ಮನುಷ್ಯನನ್ನಾಗಿ ನೋಡಿದರೂ ಅವನು ಮಾಡಿದ ಕೊಲೆಯನ್ನು ಮರೆಮಾಚಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಆವರಣದ ಬಹುತೇಕ ಟೀಕಾಕಾರರು ಔರಂಗಜೇಬ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಗಳನ್ನು ನಾಶ ಪಡಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲವೆಂಬುದನ್ನೇ ಒರಲುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅಥವಾ ನಾಶಪಡಿಸಿದುದನ್ನು ಈಗೇಕೆ ಹೇಳಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾರೆ. ತದ್ವಿರುದ್ಧವಾಗಿರುವ ಜರ್ಮನರ ವರ್ತನೆಯನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ. ನಾಜಿಗಳು ಯಹೂದ್ಯರ ಮೇಲೆ ನಡೆಸಿದ ಹತ್ಯಾಕಾಂಡವನ್ನು ಜರ್ಮನರುಎಂದೂ ಮರೆಮಾಚಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಅವರವರಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂದು ಶಾಂತಿಯಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಗೆ ಆಗಲಿಲ್ಲವಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ಹಿಂದೂ-ಮುಸ್ಲಿಮರ ನಡುವೆ ಇರಬೇಕಾದಷ್ಟು ಸೌಹಾರ್ದ ಇಲ್ಲವಾಗಿದೆ. ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾರಣ ಯಾರು?

ಗುಪ್ತರಾಗಲಿ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಕೂಟರಾಗಲಿ ರಜಪೂತರಾಗಲಿ ಮೊಗಲರಾಗಲಿ ಮರಾಠರಾಗಲಿ, ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಿ ಬೆಳೆಸಿದವರು. ಅವರೆಲ್ಲರಲ್ಲಿ ಗುಣಗಳಿದ್ದಂತೆ ಅವಗುಣಗಳೂ ಇದ್ದವು. ನಾವು ಗುಣಗಳನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಂಡಂತೆಯೇ ಅವಗುಣಗಳನ್ನೂ ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು. ಇಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೆ ಚರಿತ್ರೆಯ ಮೂಲ ಉದ್ದೇಶಕ್ಕೇ ಕೊಡಲಿಯೇಟು ಬೀಳುತ್ತದೆ. ಹೊಸ ಚಿಗುರು ಹಳೆಯ ಬೇರಿನಿಂದಲೇ ಬರುವುದು. ಬೇರು ಸುಳ್ಳಿನದಾದರೆ ಗಿಡವೂ ಸುಳ್ಳೇ ಅಲ್ಲವೆ?

Steinbeck ತರಿಸಿದ ಯೋಚನೆಗಳು

ಸುಮಾರು ದಿನಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆ ನಾನು ಓದಿದ ಒಂದು ಪುಸ್ತಕ John Steinbeck ಬರೆದಿರುವ To a God Unknown ಎಂಬುದು. ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಮನುಷ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಅವನ ಪರಿಸರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇರುವ ಅವಿನಾಭಾವಸಂಬಂಧವನ್ನು ಬಹಳ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಚಿತ್ರಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಮುಖ್ಯಪಾತ್ರ ಜೋಸೆಫ್ ಎಂಬುವವನು ತನ್ನ ತಂದೆಯನ್ನು ಒಂದು ಮರದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡುಕೊಂಡು ಅದನ್ನು ಪೂಜಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ವಿಗ್ರಹಾರಾಧನೆ ಮತ್ತು "ಪೇಗನ್" ನಂಬಿಕೆಗಳನ್ನು ವಿರೋಧಿಸುವ ಅವನ ಅಣ್ಣ ಆ ಮರವನ್ನು ಸಾಯಿಸಿದ ವರ್ಷವೇ ಅವರಿರುವ ಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಕ್ಷಾಮ ತಲೆದೋರುತ್ತದೆ. ಇನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಹೇಳಿದರೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕವನ್ನೋದುವ ಆಸಕ್ತಿ ಕಡಿಮೆಯಾಗಬಹುದೆಂಬ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ ಹೇಳುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಮುನ್ನುಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹಿರಣ್ಯಗರ್ಭಸೂಕ್ತದ ಕಾವ್ಯಾನುವಾದವನ್ನು ಬರೆಯಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಆ ಸೂಕ್ತದ "ಯಾವ ದೇವರಿಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಹವಿಸ್ಸು ಸಲ್ಲಲಿ?" ಎಂಬ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಯೇ ಇಡೀ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಬೆನ್ನೆಲುಬು. ಇಲ್ಲಿಯ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿವಿವರಣೆಯನ್ನು ಓದುತ್ತಿರುವಾಗಲಂತೂ ಒಂದು ಸುಂದರ ಪದ್ಯವನ್ನು ಮೆಲುಕು ಹಾಕುತ್ತಿರುವ ಅನುಭವವಾಯಿತು. ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದರೆ ಖಂಡಿತ ಓದಿ.

ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಗುಂಗಿನಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಾಗ, ನಮ್ಮ ಭಾರತೀಯರ ಹಬ್ಬಗಳು, ಮತ್ತು ಮಿಕ್ಕ ಆಚರಣೆಗಳು ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧವನ್ನು ಗಟ್ಟಿಗೊಳಿಸಲು ಅದೆಷ್ಟು ಸಹಾಯಕಾರಿ ಎಂಬುದು ಮನಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ಬಂದಿತು. ಪ್ರಾಯಃ ನಮ್ಮದು ಪುರಾತನಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಪೂಜೆ ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿದೆ. (ಮಿಕ್ಕ ಪುರಾತನಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಗಳು ಇಸ್ಲಾಂ ಮತ್ತು ಕ್ರೈಸ್ತಮತವೆಂಬ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಅಲೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕೊಚ್ಚಿಹೋಗಿವೆ.) ಹಿಮಾಲಯವಾಗಲಿ, ತಿರುಮಲವಾಗಲಿ ಅಥವಾ ಇಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಪಕ್ಕದ ರಾಮದೇವರ ಬೆಟ್ಟವಾಗಲಿ, ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ಪೂಜಾರ್ಹ. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ನದಿಗಳೂ ಮರಗಳೂ ಸಹ ದೈವತ್ವಕ್ಕೆ ಏರಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿವೆ. ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಗಿಡಮರಗಳ ಪೂಜೆಯಂತೂ ಸರ್ವೇಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ. ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಎಂಥ ಕಿಷ್ಕಿಂಧೆಯಂಥ ಮನೆಯಾದರೂ, ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಚಿಕ್ಕ ತುಳಸಿ ಗಿಡ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಶ್ವತ್ಥವೃಕ್ಷದ ಪೂಜೆಯಂತೂ ಕಾಂಪೌಂಡ್ ಇರುವ ಪ್ರತಿ ದೇವಾಲಯದಲ್ಲೂ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತದೆ.

ಆದರೆ ಈಗ ಒಂದು ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ. ಸೂರ್ಯ, ಮರ, ಬೆಟ್ಟ, ಗುಡ್ಡ, ನದಿ, ಸಮುದ್ರ ಮುಂತಾದುವನ್ನು ದೇವರೆಂದು ಪರಿಗಣಿಸುವ ನಮಗೆ ಪರಿಸರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕಾಳಜಿ ಒಂದಿನಿತೂ ಏಕಿಲ್ಲ? ಪರಿಸರಕ್ಕೆ ಹಾನಿಯುಂಟುಮಾಡದೆ ಬದುಕಲು ನಮಗೆ ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲವೇ? ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಗರಪಾಲಿಕೆಯು rain water harvesting ಅನ್ನು ಕಡ್ಡಾಯ ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ಇದರ ವಿಷಯವಾಗಿ ಒಬ್ಬರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಚರ್ಚಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಗ ಅವರು "ರೂಲ್ಸ್ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಇಂತಿಷ್ಟು ಆದರೆ ಸಾಕು, ನಿಜವಾಗಿಯೂ ಮಳೆನೀರಿನ ಕೊಯ್ಲು ಮಾಡುವವರು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಜನ ಇಲ್ಲ" ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿದರು. ನನಗೆ ಇದನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ಬಹಳ ಬೇಸರವಾಯಿತು. ಇನ್ನು ದಟ್ಟವಾದ ಹೊಗೆಯನ್ನು ಬಿಡುತ್ತಾ emission check certificate ಪಡೆಯಲು ಕೈಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹಣ ಹಿಡಿದು ಹಲ್ಲು ಗಿಂಜುವುದು - ಇಂಥ ಪ್ರಕರಣಗಳು ಭಾರತದಂತಹ ದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತ್ರ ಕಾಣಸಿಗುವುದನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದರೆ ವ್ಯಥೆಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

ನಾವೊಬ್ಬರು ಅಂಥ ತಪ್ಪನ್ನು ಮಾಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲವೆಂದು ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬರೂ ನಿಶ್ಚಯಿಸಿದರೆ ಸಾಕಲ್ಲವೇ?

Thoughts on Valentine's day

It is Valentine's day today and many millions of couples and wannabe couples are expressing their love for each other in many millions of creative ways. I, for one, do not believe in "celebrating" Valentine's day... I see its promotion by card-companies as a well-planned marketing strategy. I am not against it, either. If people want to express their love on a specific day, then so be it! If they want to celebrate their love all year-round, then let them!

Sepia Mutiny gives an interesting information. Apparently the perennial trouble-mongers, the Shiv Sainiks, want to marry off the couples that are seen together on V. day, if they are Hindu!. I could not contain my laughter for some time! When will they understand that Afghanistan should not be the model for our country? I am all for social health, but to have a healthy society, I think that it is necessary to have some minimum level of open-ness and personal freedom. (In the same article on Sepia Mutiny, there was another, more hilarious bit about some women's organizations working to thwart the sainiks in their attempts to disturb lovers, but let's not go there.)

Near my house, almost daily I see couples (I am sure they are not "just friends") standing and talking for hours together.. Once a policeman shooed a couple away, saying "ಏನು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಸು ಕೊಟ್ಟು ಕಾಲೇಜಿಗೆ ಕಳಿಸೋದು ಇದಕ್ಕೇನಾ?".. I had mixed feelings about this incident. On one hand, I felt that the kids did not need to be shooed away so rudely.. As long as they are not in the way of law and order, it is fine.. But, on the other hand, at 15-16 years of age, one usually does not find lasting loves. Gullible and insecure girls may become victims of malicious people, even if only emotionally. In that sense, it is good to have a sort of moral policing (how I hate the term!). At any rate, I am sure that the parents of the two kids would be grateful for the policeman, for giving them a good talking-to.

I think that a good way to solve this problem would be to accept dating as a fact of a teen's life (grrrr! To think that we returned from the US because we thought it was easier to bring up kids here!). Parents should keep track of who their children are talking to, and should set the limits for their kids, and most of all, believe in them. Yeah, yeah, I know this sounds too simple to be of any practical use, but we have to do something like this to keep our kids safe and our society healthy. Clandestine affairs have not done a lot of good to anyone.

I am worried about little biyadiya...

FrontPage magazine.com :: How the West Grew Rich by Dinesh D'Souza

FrontPage magazine.com :: How the West Grew Rich by Dinesh D'Souza
ಈ ಲೇಖನದ ಲೇಖಕ "oreo" ಅಥವಾ "coconut" ಎಂದು ಖ್ಯಾತನಾದವನು. ಇದರ ಅರ್ಥವೇನೆಂದರೆ ಮೇಲುಗಡೆ ಕಪ್ಪು ಚರ್ಮವಿದ್ದರೂ ಒಳಗಡೆಯ ಯೋಚನೆಗಳೆಲ್ಲಾ ಯೂರೋಪಿಯನ್ನರ ತೆರ, ತಾನು ಯೂರೋಪಿಯನ್ನರಂತೆ ಎನ್ನುವ ಹುಸಿ ಹಮ್ಮು. ಇವನನ್ನು ಹೀಗೇಕೆ ಕರೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆಂದು ಈ ಒಂದು ಲೇಖನವನ್ನು ಓದಿದರೆ ಸಾಕು, ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಅರ್ಥವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

ನನ್ನ ಹಿಂದಿನ ಒಂದು ಬ್ಲಾಗ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಜಪಾನ್ ಮತ್ತು ಭಾರತದ ಆತ್ಮವನ್ನೇ ಕೊಳ್ಳೆ ಹೊಡೆದದ್ದು ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಎಂದು ಬರೆದಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಈ ಮನುಷ್ಯನ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಆ ರೀತಿ ಕೊಳ್ಳೆ ಹೊಡೆದರೂ ಪರವಾಗಿಲ್ಲವಂತೆ, ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಅನಂತರದ ಪೀಳಿಗೆಗಳಿಗೆ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ, ಡೆಮಾಕ್ರಸಿ ಮುಂತಾದ ಸೌಲಭ್ಯಗಳು ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷರಿಂದಲೇ ಅಂತೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದ್ದು. ಈ ವಾದದಲ್ಲಿ ಹುರುಳೇ ಇಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿಯುವುದು ಕಷ್ಟವಲ್ಲ.

ನಾನು ಬಹಳ ಜನರ ಜೊತೆ ವಾದಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ, ಭಾರತೀಯ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ. ಬಹಳ ಜನರ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಧನೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದು ಪಾಶ್ಚಾತ್ಯರ ಸಂಪರ್ಕವಾದ ನಂತರವೇ ಎಂದು. ಈ ವಿಚಾರ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪವೂ ಸರಿಯಿಲ್ಲ. ಭಾರತ ಕೇವಲ "ಶೂನ್ಯ"ವನ್ನು ಕಂಡುಹಿಡಿಯಲಿಲ್ಲ. Linear indeterminate equations ಎನ್ನುವ ಒಂದು ಜಾತಿಯ ಸಮೀಕರಣಗಳನ್ನು ಬಿಡಿಸುವ ಪದ್ಧತಿ ಮೊದಲ ಬಾರಿಗೆ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ೧೨ ನೇ ಶತಮಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡು ಹಿಡಿಯಲಾಯಿತು. "ಕುಟ್ಟಕ" ಎಂದು ಈ ಪದ್ಧತಿಯ ಹೆಸರು. ಆದರೆ ಈಗ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ಪ್ರಪಂಚದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದನ್ನು ಏನೆಂದು ಕರೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ ಗೊತ್ತೆ? "Diophantine Equations" ಎಂದು! ಹಾಗೆಯೇ Quadratic indeterminate equations ಎನ್ನುವ ಸಮೀಕರಣಗಳನ್ನು "ವರ್ಗಪ್ರಕೃತಿ" ಎಂಬ ಪದ್ಧತಿಯನ್ನು ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸಿ ಬಿಡಿಸುವುದೂ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟು ಪಡೆಯಿತು. ಈ ಸಮೀಕರಣಗಳನ್ನು "Fermat Equations" ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ! ಹೋಗಲಿ ಎಂದರೆ Fermat ಈ ಸಮೀಕರಣಗಳನ್ನು ಬಿಡಿಸಲೂ ಇಲ್ಲ, ಕೇವಲ propose ಮಾಡಿದ ಅಷ್ಟೆ! ಬೌಧಾಯನ ಸೂತ್ರ ಅಥವಾ Pythagoras theorem ಅಂತೂ ಸರ್ವವಿದಿತ. ಇನ್ನು ವರಾಹಮಿಹಿರ (೯ ನೇ ಶತಮಾನ) ಗ್ರಹಣಗಳ ಸಮಯಗಳನ್ನು ನಿಖರವಾಗಿ ಕಂಡುಹಿಡಿಯುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಮಾರು ಮೊದಲಿಗ. ಇದನ್ನು ಯಾರಾದರೂ ನೆನೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆಯೇ? ಇಲ್ಲ! ಪ್ರಪಂಚದ ವಯಸ್ಸನ್ನು ೮.೪ ಬಿಲಿಯನ್ ವರ್ಷಗಳು ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಪ್ರಥಮವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರತಿಪಾದಿಸಿದ್ದು ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ. Trigonometry ಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೂಡ ನಮ್ಮ ಗಣಿತಜ್ಞರು ಸಾಧನೆಯನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿದ್ದರು. ಇವೆಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ತಿಳಿಯದಿದ್ದರೆ ಈ ಲೇಖಕನಂತೆ ignorant ಆಗಿರುತ್ತೇವೆ ಅಷ್ಟೆ.

ಇದೆಲ್ಲ ಸರಿ, ಆದರೆ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರತ ಬಹಳ ಹಿಂದುಳಿದಿತ್ತು, ಅದನ್ನು ಬ್ರಿಟಿಷರು ಉದ್ಧರಿಸಿದರು ಎಂದು ಬಹಳ ಜನರ ವಾದ. ಇದರಲ್ಲೂ ಹುರುಳಿಲ್ಲ. ೧೭ ನೇ ಶತಮಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಮುಂಚೆ ಬ್ರಿಟನ್ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಂದುವರೆದಿತ್ತೆ? ಖಂಡಿತ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಬ್ರಿಟನ್ನಿನ Industrial Revolution ಗೆ ಹಣ ಮತ್ತು ಮೂಲ ಸಾಮಗ್ರಿಗಳು ಬಂದಿದ್ದು ಭಾರತ, ಮುಂತಾದ ದೇಶಗಳಿಂದಲೇ. ಈ ಮೂಲ ಸಾಮಗ್ರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯಲು ಬ್ರಿಟನ್ ಅತಿನೀಚ ಕೃತ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಎಸಗಿತು. ಕೇವಲ cash crops ಅನ್ನು ಬೆಳೆಯುವಂತೆ ಆದೇಶಿಸಿ ಜನರಿಗೆ ಊಟವಿಲ್ಲದಂತೆ ಮಾಡಿತು. ಇನ್ನು ಹಣದ ಮಾತು: ರಾಬರ್ಟ್ ಕ್ಲೈವ್ ನ ಕೊಳ್ಳೆ ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗೆ ಮಿಲಿಯಗಟ್ಟಲೆ ಪೌಂಡುಗಳಿಗೆ ಮಾರಾಟವಾಯಿತು. ಈ ದುರಾಚಾರಗಳನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಮರೆತು DD ಯಂಥವರು ಅದು ಹೇಗೆ "ಪಾಶ್ಚಾತ್ಯರೇ ಪ್ರಪಂಚವೆಲ್ಲದರ ಒಳಿತಿಗೆ ಕಾರಣ" ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾರೋ ದೇವರೇ ಬಲ್ಲ.

ಇದು ಕೇವಲ ಭಾರತದ ಕಥೆಯಲ್ಲ. "White man's burden" ಎಂಬ ನೆಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲ ದೇಶಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಬ್ರಿಟನ್ ತನ್ನ ಸ್ವಾಮ್ಯವನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಿ ಸಂಪತ್ತನ್ನು ಕೊಳ್ಳೆ ಹೊಡೆದು, ಕ್ರೈಸ್ತ ಮತವನ್ನು ಬಲವಂತವಾಗಿ ಹೇರಿತು. ಈ ದೇಶಗಳಿಗೆ ಬ್ರಿಟನ್ನಿನಿಂದ ಸಹಾಯವಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂಬುದು ಸತ್ಯ. ಆದರೆ ಈ ಸಹಾಯದ ನೂರರಷ್ಟು ಈ ದೇಶಗಳಿಂದ ಬ್ರಿಟನ್ನಿಗೆ ಆಗಿದೆ ಎಂಬುದೂ ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಸತ್ಯ. ಬ್ರಿಟನ್ ಈಗ developed ದೇಶವಾಗಿರುವುದು ಭಾರತ ಮುಂತಾದ ದೇಶಗಳಿಂದ.

ಈಗ ನನ್ನ ಮುಂದೆ ಇರುವ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ - ಅಕಸ್ಮಾತ್ ಬ್ರಿಟನ್ ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶವನ್ನು ಆಳದಿದ್ದರೆ ನಾವು ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಂದುವರೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆವೇ? ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಹೌದು, ಖಂಡಿತ. ಆದರೆ ನಮಗೆ ಅವಕಾಶವೇ ಸಿಗಲಿಲ್ಲವೇ!