In my opinion, Indians are innately foreign-philic people, and in our own way we take it to an exciting new (low) level. Anything made outside India is hence of ultimate value to us. We take pride in associating ourselves to other cultures and becoming a part of it. No, am not saying that it is a bad thing. But havent you noticed in yourself (assuming you are an Indian), the urge to 'adjust' to others? I mean atleast I reduce the spice content when I call an alien (not to be mistaken with the fortnightly dinner I have with E.T.'s) friend over for dinner, but was never, ever, treated to ingredients like salt, pepper etc when I went over. Examples can be numerous but content must not be over-made, it tends to lose significance.
I think, it is this part of it - the innate urge to modify ourselves to suit others, that makes us both a hospitable host and a culpable resource. It also, per yours truly again, dictates our politics- a foreigner will hold significance to us over anyone among ourselves. Not that I am against it, but what happened after the previous elections (what with Mr Manishankar Aiyyar weeping, nay begging, Sonia to take over the Presidentship of the CWC) is vehemently condemnable in my opinion. I do not deem it necessary that only an Indian (by birth) must hold dignified positions in our system, but seriously, what qualifications did Madame Sonia (sans the propinquity to Gandhian legacy, her alien origin and her oft-negated neagtion of taking over the citizenship of India until recently) have to offer that we chose her over the talented (at) self-hating followers of the Red Book? On second thoughts, lets not open that door.
The point I wish to make here is about how this mentality has affected our foreign policies. India's stance on foreign countries has always been a mild one. Thus inspite of a victory over our arch-rival (and also our most favoured nation- thats ludicrous) and neighbor and inspite of the march to Lahore we decided to play the 'peace -lover' card and gave back what we took over (and also a part of our own so they didnt feel bad, I guess). No, we dont want Lahore or Islamabad but my question is inspite of the victory why did we lose out on a part of J&K? I think our image as a peace loving nation is of more import to us than India itself. (For menial gibber on 'free will' of Kashmiris, I must plead my ignorance at why this is applicable to non-Kashmiri-Pundits of the valley only).
This feature of our earnest desire to appear as a peaceful country is so evident in the bid towards a permanent membershipin the UN Security Council. We actually go out of our way to plead others to catapult us into one of them- why? I dont know. Admittedly there are gains by being a permanent member of the SC of UN that is beyond my imagination. But according to me, its an elusive peice of carrot and we are after it. What gains it holds for us, is not clear- (unless we veot everything, which will make otehrs kick us out again). In a bilateral meeting with any given country, the Indian diplomat is often the dormant one- atleast definitely not the dominant one. I certainly do not understand this attempt to present ourselves as a tolerant and a peaceloving nation, not at the cost of our land, people and resources. It is a fact that we are a tolerant and a peace-loving nation, and it is abstractly banal to go forth and try to prove it.
The faults of our foriegn policy is clearly visible in our attitude towards Bangladesh. Bangladesh, even according to the overtly-left Human Rights organizations, has one of the highest rates of violece against the minority (read Hindu, for a change). Our policy towards immigrants (mostly non-Hindus) is still that of a welcome one. It might be humane to provide for illegal immigration, but given the context I must excuse myslef for not smoking pot. Economic conditions do drive people from BD into India but that gives rise to social problems given the restlessness of the immigrants. Debatably, Indian economy is not strong enough to sustain this influx either. But that is beside the point I am trying to make. Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan until 1971 and (I am told) because of an apathetic, nay antipathetic, Government in Pakistan, Bangladesh got its freedom. India supported the BD Liberation war (and according to what I heard, the militant Mukti Bahini). One can expect India to be a dominant partner in the Indo-BD relations. Turns out no. Indian soldiers are massacred along the border trying to prevent illegal immigration by the BD army- which is apparently trying to provide cover for them. What adds salt to the wound is the fact that the Indian Govt sans the 'strong condmenation' doesnt bat more than an eyelid (or two).
Some facts from Bangladesh Liberation War of '71, well documented
Killings and destruction in J&K is common news for Indians. What is more trite is the response we deliver- the message that is going out- to the trouble makers. The 'strong condemnations' and the 'final warnings' have had no effect whatsoever on the terrorist outlook, as evinced in the current state of affairs along the LOC with Pakistan. It surprises me more than it saddens that the response of an average Indian to this is a casual shrug-of-shoulders. It depicts the loss of faith in the system- and it is a very dangerous thing. Former US President Kennedy once said "If you dont like something, voice it out. If you dont do something, get to like it". Resignation to condemnation is like commiting suicide when confronted (not quite, but something as drastic).
What more can point to the shortcomings of our foreign policy than our attitude towards China? Right from the age when 'Pundit' Nehru decided that since no blade of grass grows in Siachen, it is useless to India, to the recent fumbles during the Chinese premiere's visit, our policy towards China has been weak, aquiscent and one of servitude. It is evident in the war of '62 where, while chanting slogans of "Hindi Chini bhai-bhai", we were brutally stabbed in the back and the Indian Army on bare foot in extreme weather conditions, basically sacrificed itself to moot the inefficacies of a certain 'Pundit'. (For people finding it difficult to shed tears, "Himalayan Blunder", if you can get a copy, is a definite recourse- yeah oh yeah, I wept too). What is shocking, is that we dont learn from our past mistakes!
During the recent Hu Jintao visit, We were busy preparing to sell our soul and spirit to the Chinese, while China was busy proclaiming its dominance (inspite of its claim of 'peaceful rise') in the media claiming Arunachal as its own. China has a strategic hold over India now, thanks to our 'yes saar' attitude towards foreign nations. Nepal which did see a Maoist takeover (despite the predictable Indian commie sulk that they must have killed Gyanendra and made a total anarchy possible) traces its roots to the Mao Tse Tung's Ministry of Foriegn Liason. China is more than happy to provide material support to Pakistan to fulfill its duties as a good neighbor and hence keep India in check. The story of Tibet is better not re-narrated. While paving way for mutual development is not a bad thing, it certainly must not come at the cost of self. Commies are free to disagree- atleast I did not prevent your right to free speech! Whats more, the Chinese President had the b@!!$ to ask India to not recognize Taiwan. Dare they!!
For more info on Indo-China relations, please refer to Claude Arpi .
India has a bright future, no doubt, but our limitations will arise from within- our approach to aliens. It is high time we start taking control of our future. Our future must atleast lie in our hands. In conclusion, I wish to quote, inspite of all my pessimistic views, this from the MEA, India site: "Satyam Eva Jayate".
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Fatwas
"It can be issued only by Ayatollah Sistani. Only his representatives in India can interpret them," he said. Nobody in India has the right to issue a fatwa for Shias, he added. ##
Are we progressing or going back to the dark ages? Why is this one religion so troubled? IF yo uthink I am poking my nose too much, and that I gotta act secular, I say open your eyes and look around you.
Are we progressing or going back to the dark ages? Why is this one religion so troubled? IF yo uthink I am poking my nose too much, and that I gotta act secular, I say open your eyes and look around you.
Prasthutha- Relevant thoughts for responsible people
(Disclaimer: These are my thoughts on Prasthutha. Anyone is free to correct me if I am wrong on facts/causes behind effects. In here, I am only trying to justify my association with Prasthutha and why I consider that as a turning point in my life).
Prasthutha is a student organization of The Indian Institue of Science, which, I have proudly been associated with, during those two golden years back in IISc. Our catch line was "Relevant thoughts for responsible people". How relevant the thoughts were, and how responsible the people were, shouldnt be judged by how procrastinating I am. The aim of this organization when Rama and Nagesh came up with it, I am told, was to educate the young budding engineers about the current affairs and the Indian culture- minus the media-reinforced spin. Of course, you might argue researchers do not have time for all this... but seriously I only quit drinking tea for the umpteenth time- spent at most 20 mins/ day on average (and if you cant spare that much time from your research and still havent won a nobel prize, I say go find another job).
(In picture: a happy Prasthutha core group)
Prasthutha strived to bring in the experts on a particular subject to the researchers in IISc and present them with a chance and perspective to interact with the experts in the field. Praharshini is a cultural sister organization, which brings out programs on arts, yoga et al. Prasthutha also engages itself in organizing educational programmes/ quiz etc for the children of the employees of IISc and in Bangalore in general.
The way I see it, you cant be ONLY good at science, you have a social responsibility and that is precisely what struck me when "Leadru" (a friend, philosopher and guide.... ah, also my senior lab mate) introduced me to the gang (ue? ;) . I met a lot of people in Prasthutha- Ravi, Suresh (Leadru), Kow-boy, P J, and a host of others. We would invite dignitaries to speak on a wide range of topics and share the duties for accomplishing this among us. That in itself was fun. I remeber having been associated with the talks from Elst, Rajeev Srinivasan, Michel Danino et al.
Prathutha members were primarily PhD/ ME students and hence the link is critical. ME students leave in 2 years (of which the 1st year is ultra-grilling) and hence you effectively get just one year to be involved. Of late I have been informed that the membership in Prasthutha is on a slow decline. This indloent attitude of which I am no stranger to, is not healthy for us. For all you know it is more important to be aware of your Government, your Country and your Culture than most research work you can carry out in your lietime. This is my view and any clarifications will be meted out at request. {sarcastic} I agree people need not be aware of their culture to be truly patriotic. That, they can burn the flag of their country and still be patriotic. That, they can align with the enemies of their country and still be patriotic. or even worse, call siachen glacier a barren land unworthy of protection and still be a PM of our country and get to "Discover(y of) India"{sarcastic}
I have always been of the opinion that it is your duty to be a good citizen, that one must strive beyond his normal obligations towards one's society- of course to which most have been opposed to- with this argument that beyond your fixing the 4 bolts and nuts as an engineer and casti(gati)ng a vote to the local candidate and paying (or avoiding) taxes, you are not expected to be overtly a part of society to be a good citizen. I say, if this is so, you stand no right to be hypercritical of the lack of economic growth/ corruption or any of your other cribs in life. Criticizm, when delivered from an arm-chair has that much less worth than when associated with some responsibility/awareness. Speaking for India, our strength is our human resource. Awareness and aggressive involvement in our society is our backbone to development. And that is the "responsible" and its need in: "Relevant thoughts for responsible people". (I will elaborate on "relevant" sometime later). (Kindly also refer to another incomplete set: here)
Coming back to Prasthutha, when I left IISc, many of the ME students graduated with me and most PhD students were going out too. We feared for the fate of our organization. But with so many new and enthusiastic people coming over to the mainstage, our fears were allayed. My communications with the people back in IISc and in Prasthutha, enforces my view that good engineers/researchers can be responsible people of a society too. I was pretty tentative how much we could do to Prasthutha after we left IISc. But definitely dedication to a cause knows no boundaries of space and to an extent, time limitations. The aluminus constantly interact through email/groups. A few of us who can contribute financially do it to the best of our abilities and a few of us back in India also do the groundwork, the GIVE2 stage I mentioned in one of my previous post. In picture is Ravi and Shetty with a happy crowd of students/ teachers in a remote village in Chickmagalur in Karnataka.
(In Picture: Pradeep Shetty and Ravi in their GIVE2 stage)
For me, this one picture marks the culmination* of my association with Prasthutha, something that gives me confidence and motivation in the relevance of being responsible itself in the first place, and a result to your thoughts, (which for me mostly gets confined to my mind itself). It indicates two things-
1. No matter who you are, you can be responsible and have the right attitude/ dedication to your society
2. There is more joy and pride in being involved in something practical than all the noble ideas you came up with that never saw a world out of paper/ mind.
My life has definitely changed by my association with Prasthutha- for the better.
PS: Prasthutha programmes have listings/ transcripts/ audio/ video of programmes on its website. Kindly do go through them and if you are interested in joining us or even arguing with us please let me know.
*Culmination, as in fruit-bearing. I am in no way parting ways- in fact, am looking for more such ventures which will ultimately materialize into something good.
Prasthutha is a student organization of The Indian Institue of Science, which, I have proudly been associated with, during those two golden years back in IISc. Our catch line was "Relevant thoughts for responsible people". How relevant the thoughts were, and how responsible the people were, shouldnt be judged by how procrastinating I am. The aim of this organization when Rama and Nagesh came up with it, I am told, was to educate the young budding engineers about the current affairs and the Indian culture- minus the media-reinforced spin. Of course, you might argue researchers do not have time for all this... but seriously I only quit drinking tea for the umpteenth time- spent at most 20 mins/ day on average (and if you cant spare that much time from your research and still havent won a nobel prize, I say go find another job).
(In picture: a happy Prasthutha core group)Prasthutha strived to bring in the experts on a particular subject to the researchers in IISc and present them with a chance and perspective to interact with the experts in the field. Praharshini is a cultural sister organization, which brings out programs on arts, yoga et al. Prasthutha also engages itself in organizing educational programmes/ quiz etc for the children of the employees of IISc and in Bangalore in general.
The way I see it, you cant be ONLY good at science, you have a social responsibility and that is precisely what struck me when "Leadru" (a friend, philosopher and guide.... ah, also my senior lab mate) introduced me to the gang (ue? ;) . I met a lot of people in Prasthutha- Ravi, Suresh (Leadru), Kow-boy, P J, and a host of others. We would invite dignitaries to speak on a wide range of topics and share the duties for accomplishing this among us. That in itself was fun. I remeber having been associated with the talks from Elst, Rajeev Srinivasan, Michel Danino et al.
Prathutha members were primarily PhD/ ME students and hence the link is critical. ME students leave in 2 years (of which the 1st year is ultra-grilling) and hence you effectively get just one year to be involved. Of late I have been informed that the membership in Prasthutha is on a slow decline. This indloent attitude of which I am no stranger to, is not healthy for us. For all you know it is more important to be aware of your Government, your Country and your Culture than most research work you can carry out in your lietime. This is my view and any clarifications will be meted out at request. {sarcastic} I agree people need not be aware of their culture to be truly patriotic. That, they can burn the flag of their country and still be patriotic. That, they can align with the enemies of their country and still be patriotic. or even worse, call siachen glacier a barren land unworthy of protection and still be a PM of our country and get to "Discover(y of) India"{sarcastic}
I have always been of the opinion that it is your duty to be a good citizen, that one must strive beyond his normal obligations towards one's society- of course to which most have been opposed to- with this argument that beyond your fixing the 4 bolts and nuts as an engineer and casti(gati)ng a vote to the local candidate and paying (or avoiding) taxes, you are not expected to be overtly a part of society to be a good citizen. I say, if this is so, you stand no right to be hypercritical of the lack of economic growth/ corruption or any of your other cribs in life. Criticizm, when delivered from an arm-chair has that much less worth than when associated with some responsibility/awareness. Speaking for India, our strength is our human resource. Awareness and aggressive involvement in our society is our backbone to development. And that is the "responsible" and its need in: "Relevant thoughts for responsible people". (I will elaborate on "relevant" sometime later). (Kindly also refer to another incomplete set: here)
Coming back to Prasthutha, when I left IISc, many of the ME students graduated with me and most PhD students were going out too. We feared for the fate of our organization. But with so many new and enthusiastic people coming over to the mainstage, our fears were allayed. My communications with the people back in IISc and in Prasthutha, enforces my view that good engineers/researchers can be responsible people of a society too. I was pretty tentative how much we could do to Prasthutha after we left IISc. But definitely dedication to a cause knows no boundaries of space and to an extent, time limitations. The aluminus constantly interact through email/groups. A few of us who can contribute financially do it to the best of our abilities and a few of us back in India also do the groundwork, the GIVE2 stage I mentioned in one of my previous post. In picture is Ravi and Shetty with a happy crowd of students/ teachers in a remote village in Chickmagalur in Karnataka.
(In Picture: Pradeep Shetty and Ravi in their GIVE2 stage)For me, this one picture marks the culmination* of my association with Prasthutha, something that gives me confidence and motivation in the relevance of being responsible itself in the first place, and a result to your thoughts, (which for me mostly gets confined to my mind itself). It indicates two things-
1. No matter who you are, you can be responsible and have the right attitude/ dedication to your society
2. There is more joy and pride in being involved in something practical than all the noble ideas you came up with that never saw a world out of paper/ mind.
My life has definitely changed by my association with Prasthutha- for the better.
PS: Prasthutha programmes have listings/ transcripts/ audio/ video of programmes on its website. Kindly do go through them and if you are interested in joining us or even arguing with us please let me know.
*Culmination, as in fruit-bearing. I am in no way parting ways- in fact, am looking for more such ventures which will ultimately materialize into something good.
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