Prologue :
I had a challenge while working on this blog article. Because it is not technically an article or an essay in terms of conclusions, or way forward (at least to my satisfaction). It has a number of questions and open – loops that I have not been able to find answers. May be the readers in the right places, and institutions know it all..but not myself as a lay citizen. I sincerely hope to use social media to provoke interest, generate dialogue and if possible trigger search for authenticated & verifiable information, to fill in the various gaps. Hopefully that may pave way for creation of various think-tanks concerned with issues of national and social importance.
Main Article:
The sub-conscious elements of this article were around for sometime especially since the Mumbai terror attacks on November 26, 2008. I had watched the media blitzkrieg for more than 2 days, thinking, grimacing, angry and frustrated. Like any truly lazy Indian, the emotional energy generated during that tumultuous week fizzled out and some of it got internalized. It was a freak discovery of a Facebook comment regarding 'Pakistan Sea' a proposed new name for Arabian Sea – discussed in certain establishments of Pakistan – that led me to delve a bit deeper, into this whole renaming business, and other related matters which I would touch upon.
The deceptively innocuous term 'Pakistan Sea' cannot be jocularly dismissed as a figment of imagination, or a way of offsetting the negative publicity. This term emerging from within the senior power and thinking echelons in Pakistan, represents, that nation's valid aspirations to be a stronger naval power, be a maritime force to reckon with and to have an indelible stamp in the geo-politics of the Arabian Sea. And this desire has been further expressed by our neighbour's attempt to increase it's maritime influence, via a very legal way of extending the limits of it's Exclusive Economic Zone, and following a due process with United Nations. Pakistan was definitely within it's rights, and need to be praised for being able to extend it's maritime boundaries, for economic exploitation, and indirectly it's defence/ influence perimeter. As a good example, are their any lessons to be learned by India?
Territorial sea limit of 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) is claimed by both India and Pakistan. As a special case, based on unique geography, for India this 12-nautical-mile (22 km) limit includes Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep. Like many other nations India and Pakistan have further a contiguous zone claim that extends to 24 nautical miles (44.4 km). The exclusive economic zone (EEZ) which is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources is upto 200 nautical miles (370 km) for both countries.
The extra extension of a country's Exclusive Economic Zone to the full 320 miles (from the coast) to cover the continental shelf has so far been granted to only 32 countries in the world that possess a continental shelf. This is governed by multi-lateral treaties, and the law of the sea, under the stewardship of United Nations special body : United Nations Commission on the Limit of Continental Shelf (UNCLOS). Countries were supposed to lodge their submissions to extend their continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles within 10 years of UNCLOS coming into force in the country, or by 13 May 2009.
Our relatively smaller and, challenged on all fronts neighbor, Pakistan, filed a claim for extension in its continental shelf from 200 nautical miles to 350 nautical miles to UNCLOS on April 30, 2009.
‘No country has challenged our claim for an additional 150 nautical miles into the sea,’ said their then federal minister for Science and Technology, Azam Khan Swati, who had called a press briefing on 07 May 2009 to announce what he called an ‘historical conquest.’
The minister further said that “.. India has not filed claim for extension of its continental shelf so far..” Their entire procedure and documentation as per the UN guidelines was handled by their ministry of science and technology, together with their national institute of Oceanography. My research did not reveal any diplomatic response by India to this statement.
Pakistan's assertion at that time was however proved incorrect, because India also filed it's claim in 2009. However it would be interesting to look at the dates : India (11 May 2009) and this was the 4th last in the list of submissions, (Trinidad and Tobago (12 May 2009) Namibia (12 May 2009) Cuba (1 June 2009)) and just 2 days before the deadline. Obviously nations who considered their maritime benefits and potential, as strategic and critical, did this paper work much early. And in this activity of key national importance, we scored lower than most. Sad to see the last minute-ism and this reflection of the lack of urgency and seriousness of protection of Indian interests, in the eyes of the world. Would anyone help know who were the key politicos and administrators of Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Defence, our delegates/ diplomats to the UN and UNCLOS ? Who was in-charge of the UNCLOS representation for extending the EEZ at that time?
A rare news item in Indian media, before the submission deadline quoted an official saying "a full submission means that India cannot make additional claims later. Another thing is that no major disputes have been settled so far on existing claims. That means the important features will be defined technically in case of dispute." This indicates that a partial submission was a distinct possibility. And that leaves an open question whether the government filed in final claims, which closes the option of any revision, or submitted partial claims leaving space for additions or deletions at a later stage ?
Once the claims were submitted to the UN body, it should have taken another three to four months before India is called to defend its claims before a sub-group. So what is the status of our claim, and any disputes so far ?
The baseline against which this distance into the sea is measured has been established conventionally at the low waterline. But as is standard practice, where the coastline is rugged and there are islands, making it difficult to establish a low-tide mark, one may take a straight base line. Wonder what was the methodology adopted by India especially in the zones which coincide with our neighbors ?
Bangladesh has already notified its baseline, which is disputed by both India and Myanmar. It measured its baseline from a distance of 10 fathoms from the shore, arguing that its coastline is unstable.
With Sri Lanka, the short distance of less than 24 nautical miles means that a separate statement of understanding may have to be signed between the two countries. India had been talking to Sri Lanka on this, but does anyone know the status, or if any agreement had been reached ?
Except for Pakistan and Bangladesh, India has boundary agreements with all the other neighbours - but even these will have to be revised in light of the extension of the continental shelf limits. Then, there is the long-standing dispute with Pakistan over Sir Creek .
As can be inferred above, the entire EEZ extension issue is not very clear to the nation, creates more confusion. And this is the reflection of the muddled state of India's maritime diplomacy. However, there are certain actions/ policy suggestions that may be useful.
1.Status update/ statement regarding the current position of our EEZ extension, and a relevant notification, to let the citizens know how far out to the sea we can venture safely, and assured of protection by the nation. It is worth reminding everyone about the high level of citizen confidence, and on it's part, governmental/ diplomatic sensitivity about their citizen safety globally, that has been so well demonstrated by US, UK etc. The drive of some of these nations regarding their foreign policies is worth emulating.
2.India should issue relevant maritime maps and also demarcate conflict/ ambiguous areas with an advisory to avoid them. This would save to an extent a lot of heartburn when fishermen and various sea faring vessels get caught in this politics on either side and have to languish in jail. The so called secrecy, and unavailability of such navigation data is a misnomer in this age, when GPS systems are available a plenty.
3.Once the EEZ extension is established, the wider maritime boundary would afford us a safety zone, and a hot-persuit zone to protect our borders, even before enemy/ enemy artefacts touch the shore. The Mumbai attacks have demonstrated the need to take the manning and monitoring of this protection zone much more carefully. The same investigation revealed the possibility of an exchange (of disruptive men and materials) between foreign vessels and local boats, on the high seas. Thus establishing a search and persuit zone would give us legal cover internationally and diplomatically.
4.To help protect the maritime border, government should make boat registration compulsory, along with a GPS system that's constantly ON when on sea, with a black-box kind of data protection mechanism. Boat registration will give data, monitoring and control. GPS systems will also serve the same purpose, along with location, search and rescue advantages in case of any accident, mishap, or storms. And if Indian government, together with ministries of defence and home cannot provide a decent GPS service, for the purpose then it is shameful. We can make use of our satellites, and technology exists to scale up the tracking and monitoring operations to cover many hundred's of thousands of such GPS devices mounted on sea faring vessels/boats.
5.Our maritime border security can be further enhanced by insisting on a temporary registration/ permission (similar to a VISA), an advance manifest of men and materials, and switching ON (or a redirection of, to Indian system) of the GPS on all foreign ships, which propose to enter Indian EEZ.
6.We have home grown technical expertise to remotely locate, monitor, eves-drop, jam/ disable unauthorized wireless, which should be deployed across the EEZ to enforce Indian GPS locking, in case defaulters (read mischief makers) switch off Indian and are ON a foreign GPS service. Such deployment, possibly expensive, should definitely be on during any crisis like the Mumbai attacks in 2008.
7.On the diplomatic front, we should try to engage with our neighbors in resolving EEZ issues, and extend the above described security umbrella. A good way to move ahead could be to share the common EEZ areas, and TOGETHER via bilateral ties extend the reach of EEZ out to high seas especially the South West, South, and Eastern maritime borders. Thus, we can have joint exploration of EEZ wealth and mutual agreement in any exploitation of common areas pending a dispute resolution, sharing the cost and benefits too – like mineral royalties. India with it's superior maritime and scientific manpower, can in this way develop some allies, remove the third party troublemakers, and help the neighbors and itself too. And IF the neighbors are willing, together one can develop a much more extended economic zone cover like covering the entire Bay of Bengal, with some concessions given to neighbor's in the form of unilateral hand of help of sharing the research data of the disputed area, bolstering common defences, scientific development and joint explorations, etc in return to help control the integrity and security of those waters from unwanted third party excursions into this territory. This would help develop scientific, business collaboration, and help develop a wider 'joint security zone' for all concerned. Thus rather than fighting each other, everyone would benefit by joint exploitation of an area much larger than envisaged individually as a single nation. Thus together high seas could also be monitored, and this would help widen the safety zone for the nation against any other powers. Such agreements would be easy to reach out with Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
I am sure the readers and experts would be able to come up with some good suggestions, and possibly open the eyes of the Indian establishment about strengthening the maritime diplomacy.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Independence Day Celebrations
Today morning, while carelessly opening the newspaper, in my as-usual uninterested manner that afflicts many of us, I happened to see a small insert printed on a cheap paper. Cursorily I picked it up, thinking of crumpling it into a ball, and perfecting my 'middle aged' aim at a dustbin located far away.
But when I looked at the writing, it woke me up much more than my daily dose of green tea.
It was a letter addressed to the general public by one of the numerous mushrooming kid-schools in the vicinity. The school management, in it's letter to the public, was announcing “unique independence day celebrations by toddlers”.
At the outset, for many readers this would NOT seem unique, especially those of my generation. Recalling my school days and later, we always looked forward to, and felt at least a primitive level of national pride, during those celebrations. These events were carried out with much greater gusto and enthusiasm than what I can observe at present. Just look around and you may be surprised at the miniscule, and a pathetic lip-service paid to celebrating our national festivals, in the social setting ( and not the media inspired nationalistic surge that happens for 2 days on either side).
And therefore my pleasant surprise, at this invitation to public, by that school, to join them on the occasion of Independence day. Yes, some of you may think it as a marketing trick. But, the fact remains, they are doing something different from the current crop of institutions, and what may not have been witnessed by the current generation.
Going back to this note, they started by talking about the issue of patriotism, and how young can one be, to begin to understand and have love for India & all things Indian. Because love is the foundation of patriotism, it is a good idea to instill patriotism at an early age (when love as an emotion is relatively un-adulterated). An interesting comparison of this was the current kids love, recognition, and 'brand loyalty' to Barbie dolls, cartoon characters, Kellogs etc.
“It just means that they can love and relate to what ever they are exposed to over a period of time.”
The point made by the school was that they celebrate Independence day RIGHT ON 15th August, and not on a convenient non-weekend like 13, 14, or 16 Aug. This discipline, and willingness to create a minimal stretch is worth appreciation.
To instill this patriotism when young, this note talked about the kind of heroes kids see in the media, and emulate. It is the choice of 'heroes' that often affects the kind of behaviours that may be copied by kids, and then it becomes a habit. To change the situation, the school decided on a theme for this year's independence day : National Heroes, and some of them are :
Our National Heroes – Tilak, Shivaji, Rani of Jhansi, Gandhi, Bose etc.
Our Armed Forces – The army, navy and airforce are on a constant vigil, and are doing their duty in extreme conditions to preserve our nation, and the children must know about the bravery and valour of our soldiers.
Our Farmers – who toil day and night, to produce food for our sustenance, and who themselves may often be at the receiving end of exploitation and misery.
This reminded me of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan..remember this slogan ?
The school is aptly calling these celebrations as grandparents day, a reminder of the ongoing neglect and apathy of those people who selflessly contributed to our growth and development, and the breakup of certain critical elements of our culture, in our penchant for the nuclear family.
The note goes on to say “ .. and how 'pester power' can make parents forget about running away on a holiday on independence day and force the parents to pick a tri-colour and join in while their kids show them the true meaning of patriotism and all the heroes that they love.”
This stray circular in the paper made me think and question the state of 'nationhood' in this country, and how most of the institutions have lost the interest, and enthusiasm to think of, and focus on this 'nation' at least during these national festivals.
My basic question is why should we have a full national holiday on these days like Independence Day/ Republic Day ? Since these days are celebratory of fundamentals of India as a nation, aren't we promoting national level laziness, and giving these festivals a 'personal take-off excuse'. What's the grand logic for making these days as 'gazzetted' holidays, and to the extent of forcing organizations to adhere to this sarkaari laziness, by punishing / admonishing/ putting strictures on organizations if people come to work on these days even of their own accord? Cases have been documented that this forced 'akarmanyata' has been so strictly enforced, that an employee may have to seek permission and/or give undertaking in writing, to get special security clearance to enter their office premises, IF they are working on these days.
A better policy could be that ALL offices to work half a day, after the recital of national anthem, affirming the national pledge, in front of the tri-color. Later it is to the discretion of the officer in charge to have any other celebratory and social activities on the theme of the national holiday, preferably with the family. Any absences should be noted, and posted on a public notice board. The trick of combining national holiday with others and going on a vacation, should be discouraged, by converting any holiday stretch that contains such a national festival into 2 times Leave Without Pay days. Obviously reasonable exceptions could be serious illness leading to hospitalization of self/ close family. This policy should apply to all Govt, Public, and Private sector organizations. Ideally speaking, following the dictum of 'be the change', this should first start with all government and public sector organizations, while the stricture of 'compulsory' holiday be removed for all other organizations. A case in point is the once archaic rule against personal hoisting/ usage of national flag, on days other than national festivals, by a private person.
Now come to schools/ institutions of learning. What stops them for instituting on themselves the discipline of having such celebration of 2 key national festivals. Or the education institutions just pay lip service and empty talk of nationalism and idealism? The schools should be tracked regarding the activities and attendance on these days, by the district administration/school boards/relevant regulatory bodies.
My overall concern in all this is an attempt to ideate, as to how can we slowly bring about a resurgence of national spirit which seems to be on it's death bed. Obviously national resurgence will not happen just by doing these things only, but these are a few of the many ideas that could bring about a revival in the way an Indian thinks about India.
But when I looked at the writing, it woke me up much more than my daily dose of green tea.
It was a letter addressed to the general public by one of the numerous mushrooming kid-schools in the vicinity. The school management, in it's letter to the public, was announcing “unique independence day celebrations by toddlers”.
At the outset, for many readers this would NOT seem unique, especially those of my generation. Recalling my school days and later, we always looked forward to, and felt at least a primitive level of national pride, during those celebrations. These events were carried out with much greater gusto and enthusiasm than what I can observe at present. Just look around and you may be surprised at the miniscule, and a pathetic lip-service paid to celebrating our national festivals, in the social setting ( and not the media inspired nationalistic surge that happens for 2 days on either side).
And therefore my pleasant surprise, at this invitation to public, by that school, to join them on the occasion of Independence day. Yes, some of you may think it as a marketing trick. But, the fact remains, they are doing something different from the current crop of institutions, and what may not have been witnessed by the current generation.
Going back to this note, they started by talking about the issue of patriotism, and how young can one be, to begin to understand and have love for India & all things Indian. Because love is the foundation of patriotism, it is a good idea to instill patriotism at an early age (when love as an emotion is relatively un-adulterated). An interesting comparison of this was the current kids love, recognition, and 'brand loyalty' to Barbie dolls, cartoon characters, Kellogs etc.
“It just means that they can love and relate to what ever they are exposed to over a period of time.”
The point made by the school was that they celebrate Independence day RIGHT ON 15th August, and not on a convenient non-weekend like 13, 14, or 16 Aug. This discipline, and willingness to create a minimal stretch is worth appreciation.
To instill this patriotism when young, this note talked about the kind of heroes kids see in the media, and emulate. It is the choice of 'heroes' that often affects the kind of behaviours that may be copied by kids, and then it becomes a habit. To change the situation, the school decided on a theme for this year's independence day : National Heroes, and some of them are :
Our National Heroes – Tilak, Shivaji, Rani of Jhansi, Gandhi, Bose etc.
Our Armed Forces – The army, navy and airforce are on a constant vigil, and are doing their duty in extreme conditions to preserve our nation, and the children must know about the bravery and valour of our soldiers.
Our Farmers – who toil day and night, to produce food for our sustenance, and who themselves may often be at the receiving end of exploitation and misery.
This reminded me of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan..remember this slogan ?
The school is aptly calling these celebrations as grandparents day, a reminder of the ongoing neglect and apathy of those people who selflessly contributed to our growth and development, and the breakup of certain critical elements of our culture, in our penchant for the nuclear family.
The note goes on to say “ .. and how 'pester power' can make parents forget about running away on a holiday on independence day and force the parents to pick a tri-colour and join in while their kids show them the true meaning of patriotism and all the heroes that they love.”
This stray circular in the paper made me think and question the state of 'nationhood' in this country, and how most of the institutions have lost the interest, and enthusiasm to think of, and focus on this 'nation' at least during these national festivals.
My basic question is why should we have a full national holiday on these days like Independence Day/ Republic Day ? Since these days are celebratory of fundamentals of India as a nation, aren't we promoting national level laziness, and giving these festivals a 'personal take-off excuse'. What's the grand logic for making these days as 'gazzetted' holidays, and to the extent of forcing organizations to adhere to this sarkaari laziness, by punishing / admonishing/ putting strictures on organizations if people come to work on these days even of their own accord? Cases have been documented that this forced 'akarmanyata' has been so strictly enforced, that an employee may have to seek permission and/or give undertaking in writing, to get special security clearance to enter their office premises, IF they are working on these days.
A better policy could be that ALL offices to work half a day, after the recital of national anthem, affirming the national pledge, in front of the tri-color. Later it is to the discretion of the officer in charge to have any other celebratory and social activities on the theme of the national holiday, preferably with the family. Any absences should be noted, and posted on a public notice board. The trick of combining national holiday with others and going on a vacation, should be discouraged, by converting any holiday stretch that contains such a national festival into 2 times Leave Without Pay days. Obviously reasonable exceptions could be serious illness leading to hospitalization of self/ close family. This policy should apply to all Govt, Public, and Private sector organizations. Ideally speaking, following the dictum of 'be the change', this should first start with all government and public sector organizations, while the stricture of 'compulsory' holiday be removed for all other organizations. A case in point is the once archaic rule against personal hoisting/ usage of national flag, on days other than national festivals, by a private person.
Now come to schools/ institutions of learning. What stops them for instituting on themselves the discipline of having such celebration of 2 key national festivals. Or the education institutions just pay lip service and empty talk of nationalism and idealism? The schools should be tracked regarding the activities and attendance on these days, by the district administration/school boards/relevant regulatory bodies.
My overall concern in all this is an attempt to ideate, as to how can we slowly bring about a resurgence of national spirit which seems to be on it's death bed. Obviously national resurgence will not happen just by doing these things only, but these are a few of the many ideas that could bring about a revival in the way an Indian thinks about India.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Apologism of the Religious Kind
Like my earlier blog, this also has it’s trigger in the blog of a friend of mine, describing a religious charity event he witnessed sometime back in the chilly winters of Toronto.
The person observed and participated in a charity food distribution event organized by the local ISKON chapter, accompanied by devotional singing, dancing and the chants of “Hare Krishnaa “ and getting a bit disturbed by what he saw. He accepted that he is a Hindu by belief, and devotee of Sri Krishna and recently been reading the relevant literature of ISKON’s Krishna consciousness.
He may have started his ‘intellectual’ journey, but probably it was too early for him to get seeped into the ‘experiential’ and ritualistic aspects of what he was trying to fathom. Hence his doubts, discomfort and non-acceptance. The deeper bhakti-state of giving over to Krishna would not have allowed for any of the above intellectual/ emotional reaction, because the “me” is gone and only “Krishna” remains anywhere, everywhere.
However, kudo’s to his ability in fathoming his own thoughts and feelings, as a result of this innocuous event. This gave insight to a larger issue afflicting the modern, secular, educated mindset of today’s world.
For lack of better words I would like to call it a rejection, incomprehensibility and fear of the spiritual and related traditions of the culture. What finally emerges out of the material mindset absorbed in rational mathematical logic, is an active shunning of all that’s spiritual, religious and traditional. Finally it manifests itself as an apologetic barrier to anything spiritual. But my view is that the same mathematical logic, and rationality be taken to the extreme, and extended further even to the so called spiritual realm, and it may happen that the spirituality may turn out to be a logical manifestation of the same reality we live in.
Obviously some of the latest historical events and increasing polarization of the world politics around religion are major contributory factors to this mindset of denial. However I would like to speak against this denial, which may create a barrier to getting the most out of our history and traditions for a better today and future. Such denial often stops a free spirit of enquiry, which is detrimental to real knowledge.
Denying religion and a certain cultural ‘fact’ is as good/bad as denying your own roots, or history, but in spite, it remains an unassailable fact. We often see a twisting of historical narrative to further the contemporary gains or the ruling mindset; again a form of denial and inability/ fear of facing the stark reality. Active denial may lead us to a blind spot regarding what had been handed down to us via the evolution of the civilizations, including any good points they may have. Further denial is also a form of ‘extremism’ that many of us abhor. The needed position is not of denial/ apologism but of enquiry, analysis, tolerance and acceptance of what is the contemporary or current state of religiosity. Only when we approach religiosity in an open hearted manner, we may be able to open the bridges across various proponents and pave way for change from the present situation. Some of the best examples of this positive acceptance of spirituality is found in Buddhism as followed by Ashoka, Din-e-Ilahi as initiated by Akbar.
The first step towards an all embracing humanism and true secularity is not denial of faith, especially your own, but a free spirit of enquiry, and acceptance of the historical hand down of traditions. Only then one can begin the journey to multi-faith spirituality, because in essence all are very similar/ close to each other in their fundamentals.
As Mahatma Gandhi said “ I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.”
Let us begin the first step not by denial, but by acceptance, and in the same way reach out to others.
Tathaastu!
The person observed and participated in a charity food distribution event organized by the local ISKON chapter, accompanied by devotional singing, dancing and the chants of “Hare Krishnaa “ and getting a bit disturbed by what he saw. He accepted that he is a Hindu by belief, and devotee of Sri Krishna and recently been reading the relevant literature of ISKON’s Krishna consciousness.
He may have started his ‘intellectual’ journey, but probably it was too early for him to get seeped into the ‘experiential’ and ritualistic aspects of what he was trying to fathom. Hence his doubts, discomfort and non-acceptance. The deeper bhakti-state of giving over to Krishna would not have allowed for any of the above intellectual/ emotional reaction, because the “me” is gone and only “Krishna” remains anywhere, everywhere.
However, kudo’s to his ability in fathoming his own thoughts and feelings, as a result of this innocuous event. This gave insight to a larger issue afflicting the modern, secular, educated mindset of today’s world.
For lack of better words I would like to call it a rejection, incomprehensibility and fear of the spiritual and related traditions of the culture. What finally emerges out of the material mindset absorbed in rational mathematical logic, is an active shunning of all that’s spiritual, religious and traditional. Finally it manifests itself as an apologetic barrier to anything spiritual. But my view is that the same mathematical logic, and rationality be taken to the extreme, and extended further even to the so called spiritual realm, and it may happen that the spirituality may turn out to be a logical manifestation of the same reality we live in.
Obviously some of the latest historical events and increasing polarization of the world politics around religion are major contributory factors to this mindset of denial. However I would like to speak against this denial, which may create a barrier to getting the most out of our history and traditions for a better today and future. Such denial often stops a free spirit of enquiry, which is detrimental to real knowledge.
Denying religion and a certain cultural ‘fact’ is as good/bad as denying your own roots, or history, but in spite, it remains an unassailable fact. We often see a twisting of historical narrative to further the contemporary gains or the ruling mindset; again a form of denial and inability/ fear of facing the stark reality. Active denial may lead us to a blind spot regarding what had been handed down to us via the evolution of the civilizations, including any good points they may have. Further denial is also a form of ‘extremism’ that many of us abhor. The needed position is not of denial/ apologism but of enquiry, analysis, tolerance and acceptance of what is the contemporary or current state of religiosity. Only when we approach religiosity in an open hearted manner, we may be able to open the bridges across various proponents and pave way for change from the present situation. Some of the best examples of this positive acceptance of spirituality is found in Buddhism as followed by Ashoka, Din-e-Ilahi as initiated by Akbar.
The first step towards an all embracing humanism and true secularity is not denial of faith, especially your own, but a free spirit of enquiry, and acceptance of the historical hand down of traditions. Only then one can begin the journey to multi-faith spirituality, because in essence all are very similar/ close to each other in their fundamentals.
As Mahatma Gandhi said “ I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.”
Let us begin the first step not by denial, but by acceptance, and in the same way reach out to others.
Tathaastu!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Synopsis of the Year Past.
Friends, the trigger for this blog has been the readers, as well as my continuously growing sense of self mortification on seeing the date of my previous blog getting older by the minute. Many of you had been prompting me to write something again. Alarmed that my interest in blogging that was displayed before the end of 2008 is seemingly gone, I realized that it is high time to keep the blog updated if only once in a year. Also 2009 got over and we have already moved into 2010.
“I was busy in work and it’s challenges” may turn out to be a lame excuse after all.
After giving it much thought (and my bloody and bruised fight with procrastination) I decided to get back to writing, now when I am back to the ending winter season south of England.
To provide a sense of continuity would try to fill the gap of the last 1 year or so, and go for a synopsis from a ‘personal’ perspective. Hope this would be a catharsis of sorts, and may pave the way/ point to further writings on topics that interest me (and you).
So let me go back in time to the end of 2008.It was a strange time in the world affairs. The economic crash was at it’s worst and, the biggest (in terms of wide reach) recession was at still on nose dive. There were no immediate speculations possible of what the future would hold ; gross uncertainty everywhere. The biggest institutions were falling (ex Lehman), the governments were floundering and the predictors had failed miserably. The already low job security was at it’s worst with cost cutting making us realize that the ‘human resource’ so much touted in management high-circles was nothing but an expendable, insignificant, disposable and powerless entity in the ‘grander economic scheme’ of things that matter to people ‘who matter’.
From a different perspective, it was an era of global realization that we, the underdogs significantly outnumber the uber-dogs of the world, but still at the farthest point of the receiving end.
We all were nothing but “.. just another brick in the wall ..”
The receiving end of this ‘eco-taser’ was very much evident all around, colleagues, friends, relatives and everyone else. It was a sad realization that the democratic contract of the society of giving/handing power over to representatives and institutions, had made most of the population quiet powerless and the institutions becoming uncontrollable juggernauts. The bottom of the pyramid was crying under crushing pressure from the top. A change was needed, but from where?
It was in such tumultuous times I wrote the last blog, trying to gather some dregs of positivity, an elevating focus and hoping for a better era. And that was the beginning of Tathaastu – A Journal of Possibilities. And what better way to beat the feeling of gloom and doom ?
A lot of water has flown under the bridge since then..there seem to be some ‘green shoots’, and hope seems to be returning in some quarters. There may be more blood letting on the financial streets in the short term.. but then the situation should be in control. That is the hope (eternal).
Being jolted from the events around I decided to test the turbulent waters myself; crises may be the best time to try things rather than brooding on the shore. And what better way to learn swimming than jumping finally into the water (with an exit strategy – a life jacket of course).
Soon I had ventured far from my comfort zones, on an exciting and new kind of work, a different culture and faced with (exponentially steep) challenges with potential pitfalls on the way. It seemed I was starting afresh. And it was fun. Slowly and surprisingly it all fell into place and in no time one year was over.
And this move out of my comfort zone served another interesting purpose. A rare opportunity to have ample time with my-own-self. Apart from hectic work life, this was an year of immense learnings, explorations and insights. Some interesting bullet points of the year past were :
• Enjoying the British weather..whatever it may be (and being thankful when the Sun shines; one forgets such gratefulness to nature when in India). Indirectly one more step towards equanimity.
• Space to do a deep dive into the Self, with the help of a few thick tomes on psychology, as a guide. A dormant interest in the subject was hence revived ..and the explorations still continue.
• Contemplations on the nature of life, mortality, death and beyond, God (if there is) plus other things that are non-scientific and in the realm of belief.
• Enjoying my Sunday Subway Italian Toasted BMT with Red wine (and sleeping thereafter)
• Finding some great people to work with (and off work too), who combined ethics, professional soundness with a lot of human sensitivity.
• Getting back into the habit of writing a daily journal (yes I know there were gaps, but I still would like to call it ‘daily’) after my teenage years in IIT
• Having some very interesting conversations regarding life, technology, science, reality and it’s mis-perceptions
• Learning the complexity of Forex business, and gaining some more clarity about the economic mumbo jumbo behind it.
• Continuing the struggle with GTD (Getting Things done), and it’s concepts, ever growing lists, next actions and softwares that promise ALL can be done. I have still not given up and have evolved it into a “GTD by CTD” (* Getting Things Done by Cutting Through Distractions). Watch out David Allen when I come with my own edition with what you missed.
• Laying my hands on ‘The Secret’ and having a kerb side discussion about it with the cab driver who was dropping me back home at 4.00 AM in the cold morning
• Making friends with a ‘book-warehouse’ owner and spending hours and pounds to increase my already heavy collection of books of all hues
• Revisiting after 25 years the excitement of the Star Trek, becoming an addict to SF yet once again, and trying to buy the entire collection/ all the series.
• Introduction to the world of social networking and still figuring my way in that web2.0 world
• Developing a long wish list and still wishing..
So the quest continues, but to provide a fitting end, here are some of my key learnings of the year past:
• We control not the events but the interpretation and reaction to those events
• There are all kinds of people that make the world, learn to accept them and keep working on building bridges
• Openness, friendliness, sincerity, care and sensitivity follow the law of reflection
• Giving may be the best way to get.
• Being in a comfort zone may not be the best way to evolve; butterfly comes out when the pupa goes through the pain of fighting out of it’s shell
• You need to keep your spirits above the water before trying to keep your head above the water.
• One CAN ACTUALLY remain alive and sane (saner) without any television/ cable
• To err is human but to forgive is a ‘better human’.
• Try to give others the benefit of doubt, because you may need that benefit many times in your life.
Wishing you all better times ahead, and may you get what you ‘really’ want. Tathaastu!
“I was busy in work and it’s challenges” may turn out to be a lame excuse after all.
After giving it much thought (and my bloody and bruised fight with procrastination) I decided to get back to writing, now when I am back to the ending winter season south of England.
To provide a sense of continuity would try to fill the gap of the last 1 year or so, and go for a synopsis from a ‘personal’ perspective. Hope this would be a catharsis of sorts, and may pave the way/ point to further writings on topics that interest me (and you).
So let me go back in time to the end of 2008.It was a strange time in the world affairs. The economic crash was at it’s worst and, the biggest (in terms of wide reach) recession was at still on nose dive. There were no immediate speculations possible of what the future would hold ; gross uncertainty everywhere. The biggest institutions were falling (ex Lehman), the governments were floundering and the predictors had failed miserably. The already low job security was at it’s worst with cost cutting making us realize that the ‘human resource’ so much touted in management high-circles was nothing but an expendable, insignificant, disposable and powerless entity in the ‘grander economic scheme’ of things that matter to people ‘who matter’.
From a different perspective, it was an era of global realization that we, the underdogs significantly outnumber the uber-dogs of the world, but still at the farthest point of the receiving end.
We all were nothing but “.. just another brick in the wall ..”
The receiving end of this ‘eco-taser’ was very much evident all around, colleagues, friends, relatives and everyone else. It was a sad realization that the democratic contract of the society of giving/handing power over to representatives and institutions, had made most of the population quiet powerless and the institutions becoming uncontrollable juggernauts. The bottom of the pyramid was crying under crushing pressure from the top. A change was needed, but from where?
It was in such tumultuous times I wrote the last blog, trying to gather some dregs of positivity, an elevating focus and hoping for a better era. And that was the beginning of Tathaastu – A Journal of Possibilities. And what better way to beat the feeling of gloom and doom ?
A lot of water has flown under the bridge since then..there seem to be some ‘green shoots’, and hope seems to be returning in some quarters. There may be more blood letting on the financial streets in the short term.. but then the situation should be in control. That is the hope (eternal).
Being jolted from the events around I decided to test the turbulent waters myself; crises may be the best time to try things rather than brooding on the shore. And what better way to learn swimming than jumping finally into the water (with an exit strategy – a life jacket of course).
Soon I had ventured far from my comfort zones, on an exciting and new kind of work, a different culture and faced with (exponentially steep) challenges with potential pitfalls on the way. It seemed I was starting afresh. And it was fun. Slowly and surprisingly it all fell into place and in no time one year was over.
And this move out of my comfort zone served another interesting purpose. A rare opportunity to have ample time with my-own-self. Apart from hectic work life, this was an year of immense learnings, explorations and insights. Some interesting bullet points of the year past were :
• Enjoying the British weather..whatever it may be (and being thankful when the Sun shines; one forgets such gratefulness to nature when in India). Indirectly one more step towards equanimity.
• Space to do a deep dive into the Self, with the help of a few thick tomes on psychology, as a guide. A dormant interest in the subject was hence revived ..and the explorations still continue.
• Contemplations on the nature of life, mortality, death and beyond, God (if there is) plus other things that are non-scientific and in the realm of belief.
• Enjoying my Sunday Subway Italian Toasted BMT with Red wine (and sleeping thereafter)
• Finding some great people to work with (and off work too), who combined ethics, professional soundness with a lot of human sensitivity.
• Getting back into the habit of writing a daily journal (yes I know there were gaps, but I still would like to call it ‘daily’) after my teenage years in IIT
• Having some very interesting conversations regarding life, technology, science, reality and it’s mis-perceptions
• Learning the complexity of Forex business, and gaining some more clarity about the economic mumbo jumbo behind it.
• Continuing the struggle with GTD (Getting Things done), and it’s concepts, ever growing lists, next actions and softwares that promise ALL can be done. I have still not given up and have evolved it into a “GTD by CTD” (* Getting Things Done by Cutting Through Distractions). Watch out David Allen when I come with my own edition with what you missed.
• Laying my hands on ‘The Secret’ and having a kerb side discussion about it with the cab driver who was dropping me back home at 4.00 AM in the cold morning
• Making friends with a ‘book-warehouse’ owner and spending hours and pounds to increase my already heavy collection of books of all hues
• Revisiting after 25 years the excitement of the Star Trek, becoming an addict to SF yet once again, and trying to buy the entire collection/ all the series.
• Introduction to the world of social networking and still figuring my way in that web2.0 world
• Developing a long wish list and still wishing..
So the quest continues, but to provide a fitting end, here are some of my key learnings of the year past:
• We control not the events but the interpretation and reaction to those events
• There are all kinds of people that make the world, learn to accept them and keep working on building bridges
• Openness, friendliness, sincerity, care and sensitivity follow the law of reflection
• Giving may be the best way to get.
• Being in a comfort zone may not be the best way to evolve; butterfly comes out when the pupa goes through the pain of fighting out of it’s shell
• You need to keep your spirits above the water before trying to keep your head above the water.
• One CAN ACTUALLY remain alive and sane (saner) without any television/ cable
• To err is human but to forgive is a ‘better human’.
• Try to give others the benefit of doubt, because you may need that benefit many times in your life.
Wishing you all better times ahead, and may you get what you ‘really’ want. Tathaastu!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Greetings for 2009 and Beyond.
The Christmas season is on us, and the new year is just around the corner.
Some time back during a casual conversation among a group of friends, I asked the gathering what are they planning for the coming holiday season ? And what about any new year resolutions ? Without getting into the details, suffice it to say, that many of the answers reflected the bleakness that’s pervading our mental, political and economic landscape. Interestingly, during this year end, I have observed much less number of greeting mails so far, as compared to the previous years. (Hope that everyone is busy and waiting till the last moment.) Also there have been many reports in various publications regarding the increase in incidence of depression, suicidal tendencies, stress related symptoms and other psychological problems, many being triggered by the recent socio-politico-economic trends.
It is indeed a natural reaction to succumb to the sense of despair, hopelessness, gloom, impending doom and the negativity that’s being dished out in media and in our conversations. Therefore there is all the more need to get out of this state of mind, to correct the perspective, and to help spread some cheerful and uplifting thoughts. With this as a motivation I decided to pen this greeting-blog-post.
Apart from the regular partying, celebrations and travels which many would be enjoying this time of the year, here are some additional thought pointers for improving the general state of being. You may like to brainstorm or research further, and who knows, you may find a new year resolution here too. Here they are :1. Forgive others and forgive yourself, and be at peace with yourself
2. Develop a list of things, events, people, ancestors to be thankful for. Find reasons to be thankful about.
3. ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’, and that holds true for these troubled times as well. This too will pass and the world will be different again.
4. This has happened before. Both in our personal lives and outside, there (may) have been tumultuous times and severe economic depressions. But people were able to come out of all that stronger and enlightened.
5. All in all, it is just a ‘chemical’ state of mind, YOUR mind. Be an observer outside of yourself, and see that it is all the chemicals that are playing havoc, coupled with your conditioning ? Be aware, and break free to be happy.
6. You may not control external events, but your REACTIONS you can. As humans we have ‘free choice’. Exercise it wisely to manage your reactions.
7. Use your reminiscences and memories of good times in the past to keep you going NOW. Derive some positive energies, motivation and enthusiasm from the recesses of your mind and use it to fight the challenges of TODAY.
8. ACT positive, successful, happy and enthusiastic; you will actually start feeling all that.
9. Bond with your family, by sharing/ telling a story. Tell about your personal anecdotes, a moving story of faith & survival and you will find the collective sense of enthusiasm and peace going up.
10. Remember that in any adversity lie hidden, the seeds of improvement. Use this time to plan anew and learning from past mistakes.
11. Make new friends and let the old one’s know that you fondly remember them. Renew the old ties and create some new ones. They will go a long way in your life, both in good times and bad times.
12. Do some charity and feel good about yourself as a ‘human being’, especially in these very materialistic and greedy times.
13. Do some exercise outdoors (if the weather allows), it will reduce your stress. Just take a walk in your neighborhood.
14. Wear a SMILE
15. Indulge in some tasty food ( in moderation though). Good food followed by a small piece of chocolate will give you a ‘high’ within no time; and it is legal!
16. Realize : Today is the ‘first day’ of the rest of your ‘life’. Stay with this thought for some time.
17. Try to learn something new, a subject, a skill, a new language, a software, a game or anything you may fancy. This will keep you positively engaged and keep your mental juices flowing
18. Create a daily list of 'Positivity' items. These are the items that you have felt good about, happy, elated, enthused, energised or for that matter anything that had a positive appeal to you. Dont restrict or wait for the bigger things. Even small events like a baby in the supermarket smiling at you, or, you finally were able to clean up your attic, would be fit to be added to this list. Read this list often preferably at the end of the day, turning back some pages. It could be a useful tool for searching, identifying, recording and re-living your happy moments, anytime, everytime and ALL THE TIME.
In the end, I would like to share an excerpt from the poem 'In Memoriam' by Tennyson. I had often found it rather uplifting.
With this I wish for you all BETTER and BRIGHTER times ahead.
Tathaastu – (It IS indeed possible!)
Some time back during a casual conversation among a group of friends, I asked the gathering what are they planning for the coming holiday season ? And what about any new year resolutions ? Without getting into the details, suffice it to say, that many of the answers reflected the bleakness that’s pervading our mental, political and economic landscape. Interestingly, during this year end, I have observed much less number of greeting mails so far, as compared to the previous years. (Hope that everyone is busy and waiting till the last moment.) Also there have been many reports in various publications regarding the increase in incidence of depression, suicidal tendencies, stress related symptoms and other psychological problems, many being triggered by the recent socio-politico-economic trends.
It is indeed a natural reaction to succumb to the sense of despair, hopelessness, gloom, impending doom and the negativity that’s being dished out in media and in our conversations. Therefore there is all the more need to get out of this state of mind, to correct the perspective, and to help spread some cheerful and uplifting thoughts. With this as a motivation I decided to pen this greeting-blog-post.
Apart from the regular partying, celebrations and travels which many would be enjoying this time of the year, here are some additional thought pointers for improving the general state of being. You may like to brainstorm or research further, and who knows, you may find a new year resolution here too. Here they are :1. Forgive others and forgive yourself, and be at peace with yourself
2. Develop a list of things, events, people, ancestors to be thankful for. Find reasons to be thankful about.
3. ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’, and that holds true for these troubled times as well. This too will pass and the world will be different again.
4. This has happened before. Both in our personal lives and outside, there (may) have been tumultuous times and severe economic depressions. But people were able to come out of all that stronger and enlightened.
5. All in all, it is just a ‘chemical’ state of mind, YOUR mind. Be an observer outside of yourself, and see that it is all the chemicals that are playing havoc, coupled with your conditioning ? Be aware, and break free to be happy.
6. You may not control external events, but your REACTIONS you can. As humans we have ‘free choice’. Exercise it wisely to manage your reactions.
7. Use your reminiscences and memories of good times in the past to keep you going NOW. Derive some positive energies, motivation and enthusiasm from the recesses of your mind and use it to fight the challenges of TODAY.
8. ACT positive, successful, happy and enthusiastic; you will actually start feeling all that.
9. Bond with your family, by sharing/ telling a story. Tell about your personal anecdotes, a moving story of faith & survival and you will find the collective sense of enthusiasm and peace going up.
10. Remember that in any adversity lie hidden, the seeds of improvement. Use this time to plan anew and learning from past mistakes.
11. Make new friends and let the old one’s know that you fondly remember them. Renew the old ties and create some new ones. They will go a long way in your life, both in good times and bad times.
12. Do some charity and feel good about yourself as a ‘human being’, especially in these very materialistic and greedy times.
13. Do some exercise outdoors (if the weather allows), it will reduce your stress. Just take a walk in your neighborhood.
14. Wear a SMILE
15. Indulge in some tasty food ( in moderation though). Good food followed by a small piece of chocolate will give you a ‘high’ within no time; and it is legal!
16. Realize : Today is the ‘first day’ of the rest of your ‘life’. Stay with this thought for some time.
17. Try to learn something new, a subject, a skill, a new language, a software, a game or anything you may fancy. This will keep you positively engaged and keep your mental juices flowing
18. Create a daily list of 'Positivity' items. These are the items that you have felt good about, happy, elated, enthused, energised or for that matter anything that had a positive appeal to you. Dont restrict or wait for the bigger things. Even small events like a baby in the supermarket smiling at you, or, you finally were able to clean up your attic, would be fit to be added to this list. Read this list often preferably at the end of the day, turning back some pages. It could be a useful tool for searching, identifying, recording and re-living your happy moments, anytime, everytime and ALL THE TIME.
In the end, I would like to share an excerpt from the poem 'In Memoriam' by Tennyson. I had often found it rather uplifting.
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
With this I wish for you all BETTER and BRIGHTER times ahead.
Tathaastu – (It IS indeed possible!)
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