Half Year Review...

Mumbai was attacked by 10 mongrels in the name of religion and invisible lines we call boundaries, everyone was apprehensive about safety. Stock markets crashed and people lost funds by the buckets, inflation pinched us even more. Then came the looming uncertainty of the Nuclear deal, a no confidence and then elections itself. Then the turnover happened, the government went stable, the markets revived and we think we all are again on a growth path. Monsoons were delayed and only with 50% predictability. The year 2009 seems to be a lot of ifs and buts.

Not to mention the International news, end of the tyrannical Bush and emergence of over-hyped Obama. China doing funny things as always. North Korea launching a few missiles. A few Pakistani launching grenades at a cricket team. Srilanka flaunting Prabhakarans body. Newspapers and magazines shutting down in the US. Racial violence in Australia.

Is it me who is this negative or is it the media that thrives on negativity all the time... I wonder.

As they say, " the darkest hour is just before the dawn".

Cute Childhood

The eruption of consciousness and awareness of this dangerous and merciless world is cushioned by nature in the form of two responsible experienced adults. Who smooth a child's way to adulthood. The rules of the mad world are taught to you for free,unconsciously your path is shown to you. Your words and actions are molded in their images. We are effectively a mixed bust of our parents and mentors.

And yet we want to be individuals, not affected and not cast in their shadows. A nightmarish statement for a teenage girl is "you look like your mom", guys may dread the fact that the father is balding. And yet in search of ones own identity we see them as old fashioned and old school we seldom realize they see us as that toddler who needed their hands to learn to balance his/her first steps.

The Problem of Plenty

Historically, we as Indians had everything we need to exist, rivers, rains, we formed the greatest way of society and life... we were called the "Aryavansh", "Bharathvansh", and many proud and famous names. The country practically flowed with milk and honey. Natural protection of the Himalayas kept the cold winds of the north away. We remained isolated for centuries forming a thought process that is way ahead of even today's society we live in. We had place for everyone in our hearts. We were by far the most " Developed" society ever.

Then came the looting invaders from the north and diluted us, and came the religious crusaders and converted us, and those of them who stayed converted us even more. The people following the original way of life were branded as Hindu's and the younger religious groups converted us with the promise of redemption. Once an holy man said "There are only two religions in India, Hindus and converted Hindus." We were ruled we were changed,and today we are looking ahead at a different world.

We are redeveloping in the cast of an acceptable society by the people who ruled us. We are remaking ourselves in the identity of others. Many I speak to here are distressed, not too happy with the unnecessary competition we are forced into. The laid back way of life which we practiced is preferable to many. Worship of nature and the practice of self perfection so ingrained in our culture is forgotten in the daily traffic jams and salary raises.

My boss recently pointed out one small fact to me, he said "we are sitting in a cafe like an Englishman, drinking Earls Grey tea and talking in English wearing a shirt and a pant and we are comfortable about it. This is cultural invasion." I wonder what would be to redevelop in our own cultural way, to rethink and customize old traditions in the modern era... I wish I had the power to influence and walk back to the mature society my super ancestors actually enjoyed.

In this context please see this video of Nandan Nilenkeni very thought provoking...

http://www.ted.com/talks/nandan_nilekani_s_ideas_for_india_s_future.html

SAMASTHA LOKA SUKIHNAW BHAVANTHU!!!