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Canada -India

‪Even after days Justin Trudeau hasn’t revealed any evidence supporting his allegations against India. That shows his statement indeed was made without content and perhaps could have been reaction to supposed ill treatment he received during his recent visit to Delhi. As responsible leader he should not have let himself provoked by any superficial cold shouldering at Delhi, and dealt with it diplomatically through professional channels and professionally himself. At the same time India must relook at role of non-state people and even irresponsible media who were making public fun of a senior visiting dignitary during G20. When he was here social media particularly from handles supporting governing party were berserk on cracking jokes on him which escalated to frenzy when his return was held up due to technical reasons and he had to overstay. This is condemnable and against our traditions of respecting a guests and diplomats particularly. However obviously he is not expected to lower himself under this provocation and should have responded with maturity rather than forwarding publicly such baseless accusations against India. It’s time for deescalation now for both sides and to sit on table. We all understand who would be more at loss here as the world watches.

Temples were symbols of King's power

Temple building boom during medieval times particularly in south,  predominantly and popularly symbolised power and authority of the Kings. When Chalukyas raided Pallavas or Rashtrakutas sacked Chalukya cities or Cholas went all the way Orissa and Bengal they took down temples as show of their power and to humiliate the losers. World during those times was like that all over. Kings were using religion almost as it is being used by rulers of today. Mughals, Turks or Abbasids or our own locals Kings were doing nothing against their moral standards. They all were ruthless politicians at heart. Their standards of morality were not as developed as we have today. Sacking places of worship, taking away women of defeated armies and destroying their intellectual properties, and viharas, temples and palaces was casually done as legitimate actions by every ruler and that had nothing to do with their religious faiths though they might have used that to rationalise their actions as some muslim rulers did. They were all the same. Hun, Turk, Mughal, Kushan, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas,  Cholas all did it. They were all politicians like of our times masquerading  as religious faithfuls with purpose to subjugate public. 


मध्यकाल के दौरान मंदिर निर्माण में तेजी आई, विशेष रूप से दक्षिण में, जहां यह मुख्य रूप से राजाओं की शक्ति और अधिकार का प्रतीक था। जब चालुक्यों ने पल्लवों पर आक्रमण किया या राष्ट्रकूटों ने चालुक्य नगरों को लूटा या चोल उड़ीसा और बंगाल तक गए तो उन्होंने अपनी शक्ति दिखाने और हारे हुए लोगों को अपमानित करने के लिए मंदिरों को ध्वस्त कर दिया। उस समय दुनिया हर जगह ऐसी ही थी। राजा धर्म का प्रयोग लगभग वैसे ही करते थे जैसे आज के शासक कर रहे हैं। मुगल, तुर्क या अब्बासी या हमारे अपने स्थानीय राजा अपने उस काल के नैतिक मानकों के विरुद्ध कुछ भी नहीं कर रहे थे। वे सभी दिल से क्रूर राजनेता थे। नैतिकता के उनके मानक उतने विकसित नहीं थे जितने आज हैं। पूजा स्थलों को नष्ट करना, पराजित सेनाओं की महिलाओं को ले जाना और उनकी बौद्धिक संपदा, विहारों, मंदिरों और महलों को नष्ट करना सभी के लिए वैध माना गया।वह सभी समान थे। हूण, तुर्क, मुग़ल, कुषाण, चालुक्य, राष्ट्रकुट्, चोला, सभी यही कर रहे थे। सभी राजनीतिज्ञ थे जैसे आज के नेता हैं, घोर धार्मिक दिखने का मुखौटा ओढ़े सिर्फ़ जनता  को दास रखने के ध्येय से सिर्फ़। 

Vaccine War

Against Corona was a global war, no one nation fought alone. That’s why we all, in every nation of the world, defeated it without as much of damage as it was perhaps being feared for initially. All the vaccines were collective efforts of scientists and pharma companies at diverse places all round the world. And were result of already undertaken efforts of decades even before corona impacted us. 

Years of legacy researches resulted in quick roll out of covid vaccine. In India primarily it was Oxford Astra Zenca vaccine ( not an Indian one) which was foundry manufactured as Covishield by smart local pharma company appreciatively. Our vaccine dispensation for rural and urban infrastructure which had always been known as gold standard since decades came handy for fight against corona as platform for vaccines dispensation. 

It’s also important to note that over 85 percent people in India were vaccinated with this originally Oxford researched AstraZeneca vaccine called Covishield. Other locally acclaimed vaccine Covaxin had only 12-15 percent usage in India. This vaccine also did not get universal approval as many countries refused to accept its claims on tests. It would also be almost blasphemous rather just only cheap allegations to speak ill about mRNA vaccines, which most of the western world used successfully to contain spread of covid. Being expansive to deliver at remote places it was not popular in developing nations who skipped it. However mRNA research has been one of the most innovative in recent medical development and not just for Corona it has reported potential to save humanity from many such virus afflictions, disease and malignancies in future.

All nations came together against corona. It was WHO mandated Covax programme which ensured that most people world over get vaccines. They imposed compulsions on vaccine patent holders and manufacturers to ensured equitable distribution to all and percentages were fixed. No nation which itself manufactured vaccines under license from other countries can take undue credit for distributing vaccine to other poor nations. 

It was war we all fought despite many politicians taking credit. In fact many businesses under protection of politicians took advantage of usurping health infrastructure like hoarding medicines, supplying low quality oxygen machines and some politicians even used public rallies to spread the crises. It is despite them we humans succeeded. Don’t give any credit to them. They would have liked worsening of this.

हमारे मंदिर, कब की विरासत

जैन और तद्दपश्चात बौद्ध धर्म ही विशेष रूप से संगठित एवं नियम बद्ध मूल धर्म रहे हैं सदियों तक भारत के। अन्य समुदाय अलग अलग देवताओं को मनाने वाले विभिन्न संस्कार, कर्म कांड करने वाले पंथ भर रहे है। तथाकथित वैदिक लोग भी शायद इन्हीं में कुछ थे जो बौद्ध धर्म के उत्थान के साथ और नगण्य हो गये या कालांतर में बौद्ध धर्म में समाहित हो गये ( और जैन-बौद्ध धर्म से ही निकल, नये देवताओं और कथाओं के साथ पुनः भी पनपे और सशक्त भी हुए कुछ सदियों बाद)। बौद्ध धर्म ने चौथी शताब्दी ईसा पूर्व से लेकर लगभग ११०० साल हिमालय से दक्षिण समुद्र तक एक छत्र अपना प्रभाव रखा।

वैदिक देवी देवता और कर्म कांड नये विभिन्न रूपों में चौथी पाँचवीं ईसवी से कुछ राजाओं जैसे गुप्त सम्राट, द्वारा संरक्षण पा पुनः जीवन दान पाने लगे। पूर्व मध्य युग में मुख्यतः आक्रामक हुनों के अत्याचारों और दक्षिणी राजाओं द्वारा शिव विष्णु के उपासकों को दिये संरक्षण के चलते ही बौद्ध धर्म अगली कुछ सदियों में विलुप्त सा हुआ । हिंदू देवताओं के लिए मंदिर निर्माण भी तभी लगभग ५-६ शताब्दी में आरंभ हुआ। 

बलशाली सम्राटों द्वारा मंदिर या तो बौद्ध विहारों को परिवर्तित कर बनाये गये या नये। चौथी पाँचवीं शताब्दी से पूर्व शायद ही वैदिक मंदिर निर्माण का प्रमाण हो। यदि है तो वह बौद्ध जैन विहारों को परिवर्तित कर के बने मंदिर रहे होंगे कदाचित्।उन दिनों ‬मंदिर पूजा अर्चना के लिए कम चालुक्य, पल्लव, राष्ट्रकूटा, चोला सम्राटों के बल एवं शक्ति के चिह्न अधिक थे और वही राजा इनका निर्माण करवाते थे। राजाओं की शक्ति की प्रदर्शनी रहते थे मंदिर। इसी लिए युद्ध में जीत के पश्चात मंदिरों को विजयी राजाओं द्वारा तोड़ा जाना उतना ही उत्साहवर्धक रहता था जितना पराजित राजा के क़िले और महल ध्वंस करना। सदियों बाद भी यही परंपरा रही चाहे राजा मुग़ल मुस्लिम हो या हिंदू। उनके लिए मंदिर शक्ति का चिन्ह या प्रतीक भर रहे हैं जिसका तोड़ना किसी पराजित राजा का गर्व तोड़ना होता था मुख्यतः।उस काल के नैतिक आचरण के सिद्धांत आज के युग से नीचे और  भिन्न थे बस। 

बाक़ी सब राजनीति रहती थी और है।

Indian local products: a myth

Nothing is Indian, Chinese or American these days. We are global village. No country barring  one or two can go self reliant and manufacture even a missile without using significant hardware procured from outside (though it feels pleasurable when a politician tingles your patriotic soft nerve saying we are self reliant). 

Go maufecture a satellite without Korean or US made miniature components or write its code in sanskrit inspired shlokas, you can’t.  Humara nuclear reactor, humara missile , humari vaccine, humari local cars all are to please your that nerve. Yes quality of manufacturing differs. In India it’s difficult to get SUSTAINED quality from most brands. Most of Indian cars brands have USP of best roadside assistance and wide street side repair  workshops, precisely because these are cars we find mostly stranded on road. Yes I am talking about Tata cars, Mahindra and Maruti. This all is because we are not bothered  about quality of service at human level. 

A bolt or bearing   in my car can be of best quality but its fitment will be done casually by a stressed bidi smoking man at shop floor who has been recently harassed by his boss.  All this we accept because of the same ‘who cares?’ attitude. This goes for most of the thing we manufecture. Finally  a middle class person saving earnings to buy a phone  or car must have option to same quality of product as any consumer any where globally. Middle class Indians have been long blackmailed to go for substandard products in name of patriotism. While same people who preach this, buy expansive imported cars, phones, suits, watches, teleprompters and even planes.

Lion and Elephant

Lion is ferocious beast which neither possesses discernment of just or unjust actions nor has humility to submit to rules of any social order. It never made itself useful to human. Its glory remained only in fables, myths and fantasies. For all that, it always remained confined to jungles or recently to zoos and circuses. There should be no pride in being a lion. 

The powerful Elephant on other hand has intelligence to socialise and form colonies and be extremely useful to human. Elephants once domesticated and taught to follow rules had been most utilitarian animal for the human and his worldly conquests since ancient times. They formed main armament during their wars Indian Kings fought with Huns, Greeks, Kushan, Saka, Turks, Persians and other invaders and could scare them and their cavalry. Elephants helped build massive temples and colossal forts and palaces we revere and feel awed. There was never a lion around to arm the forces of either side.

Yes, this metaphor for lion applied to any human to represent his supposed bravery would best be construed reference to someones’ beastly trait only.

India and Indian represent our global importance

Even if they prove that some old books have some reference to Bharat for part or whole of  the peninsula, that can’t challenge that ‘India’, ‘Indian’, or its variant have been popular word referring to this land in most global and Indian languages for past two and half millennia. Greeks, Achaemenids, Kushan, Saka all knew it as India for 3000 years. Poor British came just 300 years back. 

Forget India, globally ‘Indian’ or its variant have been most popular and refer to soul of something inherently belonging or resembling to this land. Even places or people who resembled circumstantially to this land have Indian or Indo as primary prefix for their identity. So vital India had been to the world. Indo China, native Indians of America, Indian ocean, Indonesia, West Indies. India is not just name of a nation it also represents our stature and importance we should be proud of. 

Fruits of perpetual ethnic conflicts and false pride

Not just respecting and but assimilating good from other faiths is what makes ours distinctively superior to every other. Amusingly majority of the pseudo activists from right, sleeper cells and kartpushers of dark brigade infesting every WhatsApp group, reels, and X these days, appear to know more about Islam and muslims than any Mufti, Maulvi or Maulana in Cairo, Deoband, Barreilly or Lucknow would ever know ! And surprisingly charlatans know little about flexibility, vastness, universality of their own all encompassing faith as also its stark imperfections which they ignorantly celebrate over rather prioritising to reform.

Over 55 percent of world population can’t just be considered ill informed because some outsider considers himself to know more about their faith and trash their opinions comparing it to what you think should be rightfully right. Even basic statistical principal should not permit you to categorise such a large majority as illusionists and ill informed about how they perceive and follow god with rituals over which actually there are no rules of science which can apply (neither of course to your faith and nor to theirs as the fact is in reality).

Science and liberal thinking only would make the world survive and progress. Those who indulge in petty fights would remain unfit and the fittest only would survive. That’s fundamental of all the principles. Unless of course some cult followers, like we have few here and else where among other faiths too, want to sacrifice their existence committing self-extinction at the altars of their dogmas to permanently get lost in prehistoric illusions.

Science and technology has really done wonders for comfort of modern world like our phone which make us share every crap on social media (and indulge in arguments and quarrel) and the aeroplanes rabidly indoctrinated NRIs could zip in and out away from their abandoned mothers and motherland so easily. Important is that all these scientific achievements are almost 100 percent innovations out of liberal minds from progressive, open democratic and inclusive societies not from people with bottled minds residing in closed places of self assumed utopias shining in some supposed past glory.

A nation in perpetual ethnic conflicts and false pride borne out of knowledge cocktail of distortions from two hundred years of freehand offset printing, assorted pseudo-babas, TV and now whatsapp university, has hardly done anything fundamentally creative and technologically original. And mind you, it won’t ever, if it continues to make its gods indulge in fake violent street fights.

Religions could have selective value only

Every religion which claims true connection to God  is fake and based on ancient and ever evolving imaginary stories created, modified and redeveloped to entertain, control or brain wash masses into stark unquestioning subjugation of the Masters of Interpretations, Rituals and Ceremonies, who claim to know more and better and are prime movers of traditional religions as we know. These masters are to religion as much religion is to them. 

For centuries every next transaction of these stories has been altering and adding new content to the original which keeps blurring in meaning or in its lesson to ultimately unrecognisable irrational and illogical form while masses still kept hypnotised to believe them as what happened. Though these never happened as told. 

Understanding of existence or even absence of God  has nothing to do with these stories or rituals based on mythical imaginary tales. 

However following religious  practices and even rituals, nevertheless based on imaginations and being no mean to reach associated God,  have though selectively, potential to show value in creating order in society and bringing integrity of moral conduct conducive to harmonious existence and growth of overall humanity and every other life on the planet. To this extent religions can meaningfully be worthy to make human life better and more eligible to attain nirvana by understanding existence of God or even realising God’s absence on a good laugh. 

If one still finds it necessary to follow, every mythical, religious story and ritual which provides universal moral preaching and imparts respect for every life, idea and belief,  may not be valued on its genuineness for practical consideration but as mean to achieve better human progress, peace,  happiness and societal integrity.