Random thoughts 2

I was just going through a post on 'What successful people do to kick-start their day'.Visualizing the day's main tasks and problems seems to be a common thread- and as I do that there is only one thought in my head- commuting to work via Mumbai local trains😜. 
But then like an old lady mentioned to me, it's a great equalizer. Rich, poor, caste, religion, region and all other differences are forgotten, as the voice of the people echoes as one chorus- Andar jana, beech me jagah hai dekh (Get to the center, there's space). The eternal optimists that us Mumbaikars become! wink emoticon

Joy of buying books

Installment no 3. Probably the first time, I am going to agree that shopping does bring joy wink emoticon.
Kind of feels good to know that I am on track on my pledge for 25 this year.smile emoticon ‪#‎becomebettereveryday‬

On regressive affirmative action- Reservations on the basis of caste in India & a truly class less society.

And amidst all the good things that I come across, I see this. No where else in the world, would anyone celebrate to be considered downtrodden. And the wanton loot and destruction that we saw earlier will spread across other states now? If any reservation is needed for them, it is in the prisons of this country for the amount of destruction done. Reservations were initially proposed for a ten year period from independence to uplift the poor and weak and I wholeheartedly support that decision. Much pain was caused to those of scheduled castes in the past four hundred years due to wrong socio-political environment and affirmative action is needed to equalise that but unfortunately our legacy of wrong policies only continue and history is repeating itself in the opposite direction. Spineless politics has let the reservation system endure this long, while what is actually needed is to bring up the education level and infrastructure to such a level that all sections of the society have free access to the same standards. That is true equality.

Beyond education, there are so many other things that affect the upbringing of a child. A decent standard of living is of paramount importance too. We have seen great entrepreneurs from normal households with bare minimum education. But if a child is afflicted with social evils and unhealthy livig quarters as violence as he/she grows up, they will be forever be scarred. There is so much that can be done. But clearly reservation is not the only answer, as it has not reduced caste distinction in any manner. People from higher castes have also got to go through a lot of reeducation, just having been born by luck at a higher caste household does not entitle them to riducle others. They as one of my friend puts it are just a lucky sperm amongst millions.

Reserving seats in the name of caste will only let this monster live longer, reminding people of the distinction within themselves, while robbing the meritorious of opportunities. And since when did Jats become backwards. They are most populous caste in Haryana and regions of southern Punjab too making them a dominant sect. And the amount of unabashed aggressiveness they show, clearly indicates, that they were never downtrodden. Reservation is an evil, as much as caste system. It is an excuse for our lack of efforts in providing equal training and treatment to all and it is time to weed it out if we are to go forth as a progressive nation. Caste names should be abolished and all records of it erased including in names as has been done over a period of time in Tamilnadu(but the state still has ways to remind people of their caste every time a new form is flouted around, showing half willed implementation). Without identification, discrimination is nigh impossible. And the government and the people must come all out in truly uplifting the poor and the oppressed.

Random thoughts

Starting a new religion would be the coolest of startups :). Plus if the VC ever asks for proof of concept, you can always brand them as blasphemous ;)

On happiness and reckless expenditure

Sometimes, one stumbles across a work of art that shakes one to their very core. In the fast paced live in the consumeristic society that has been created by powers that be and our own conditioning, we are forced to compete with others and our past self, in terms of our monetary expenditure.

We compete in the cars that we purchase, attire that we wear, the flats that we live, the pricier schools that we send our children to. While all that can be attributed to trying to find/improve one's self worth, we forget that which really makes us human, compassion.

All the self help books that I have read in the past couple of months are about improving only ourselves too, but seeing life as is "from the eyes of the other is the truest way to become a complete human being. We waste a Rupee or two here there. After graduation a couple of hundreds/ thousands spent on every weekend for two, three hours worth of entertainment doesnt bother us, as we feel entitled to it & the society expects us to spend to maintain a sense of social standing. But I know this now, all that money spent has never really bought me happiness. Instead its the time we spend in the company of other people, trying to bring smiles on other faces that bring us real and lasting happiness when you sit to ponder on a solitary evening.

I feel ashamed at, all the happiness I had the potential to create for myself and others, having let go of many of those in my narrow mindedness and inborn laze to act. The mistakes I have made are countless, but the silver lining is that our mistakes are what make us realize that we can be better.

Cheers to all those who work selflessly for and create value on this earth others for they they know they are the happiest. There are many that I can look upto, including you! Everybody has greatness in them. 

Of gods and us

Vignesh Kannan

October 11, 2015 · 

Was just reading a few posts where people were fighting over religions quoting their sacred books and mocking weirdness in each others practices..---- Hahaha .If there was a god, he/she it would have created us just for the entertainment we provide........

Ya lets go ahead and quote random texts written by men as proof of how correct we are about our convictions... Millenia down the line mankind will venerate how a webswinger saved an entire city from green goblins and Dr. Octavious. " And I quote line:16 page 32 Spider man edition no. 134....." 

On Jallikattu and indegenous cattle rearing

Jallikattu as a sport has come to associated with bravery and other traits amongst the young in tamilnadu. But the farmers who raise these bulls know it as an event to help raise their much beloved cattle. The Kangeyam Bulls are one of the strongest bidigit-Hoover animals next only to the wild bisons. Tearing this strong bull takes a lot of resources, sometimes the cost of which goes much above the food cost incurred by the farmer's family. These indegenous breed are to be cared for as they have helped plough our lands for eons much before the advent of mechanisation. The cows produce up to 11 litres of milk which might be much lesser than many of the foreign breeds that were brought in during the tainted milk revolution period, but the have lower fa content. Incidentally the incidence of diabetes has increased manifold in India after ewe started consuming more of these artificial hormone induced milk from these foreign breeds. The sport was a means to tame and bring back the Bulls home after they were released for play and exercise after the harvest season. The same tradition goes on today in fixed enclosures and the enormous prize money allows the farmers to care for their cattle. Unlike Spanish bullfighting, no knives are involved. The jostled merely have to hold onto the animal's hump for a duration of two minutes to prove his valour. For a bull that can easily pull a 500 kilo cart that isn't really a burden at all.

If the general populace is guided by foreign NGOs and not facts & sensible principle, then it might as well forbid halal slaughter since this religious practice says the animal should not be stunned before slaughter. Stunning reduces the pain when the animal is being killed, and thus can be made compulsory under the Prevention of Cruelty Act too

By the Supreme Court’s apparent reasoning, one should proscribe horse-racing, for it often involves putting down an animal that breaks a leg or cannot race anymore. One should also be discouraging horse-riding for pleasure, or keeping dogs as pets and putting them on a leash, for human domestication works against the dog’s larger canine instincts, including its normal approach to mating. There is no earthly reason why domestic dogs can only participate in “arranged” mating.  ‪#‎Jallikattu‬

Evolution of religions show the human thought process through the ages

This relates to something I have always observed and believed. Hinduism is a complex religion wherein the regional gods got assimilated over the years as the confluence of various regional influences became inevitable over time. Our gods evolved over several millenia as stories were added in in later ages and modified to suit popularity. It is great that our people had such democratisation at that age that they worked out a common amicable belief system over a period of time. Also it is especially true if you observe how Muruga/ karthikeyan, a god who rarely finds any mention in the ancient vedas and puranas finds more references in texts as the influence of the Brahman religion spread more southward. This amalgamated a local south Indian warlord legend into the pantheon of other gods to take in a large section of devotees into the manifold. 

Truly showcases the extent to which Indian religions went to be all inclusive. One feature of any Indian origin religion Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism or Jainism is that they never put down any other god or claim that theirs is the only way or that other worshippers would face God's wrath. This really gives us an insight into the democratic and broadminded nature of the Indians of the bygone era.

‪#‎religion‬  ‪#‎proudindian‬ ‪#‎india‬

Open up to diversity

Here at the Indore airport, three girls on foriegn exchange sit behind me talking about the beauty of the various places they had seen in Bhopal while backpacking. A trio of old Indian ladies draped in sarees sit towards them and are trying to strike up a conversation out of curiosity. One of them a 50 something old lady goes on to ask If they know Hindi. One of them nods slightly to indicate not much. This lady takes a slightly sterner tone and says M.P me aaye HO toh Hindi toh aani ...." I turn back suddenly hearing that and the old lady smiles at me expecting me to nod in agreement. I did smile, more at the lady than with her. The backpacking girls just start conversing amongst themselves again. 

While it is totally right to be proud of one's language, one must not under any condition try to impose it on others, they will learn if they feel the need for it or like it. Little did the old lady realise how simple notions such as hers might make people vary of interaction and contribute to a drop in her state's tourism revenue.