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Should Marriage age of girls be increased or not: Where is Hindu voice in it?

chaitanyahindu
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Should Marriage age of girls be increased or not: Where is Hindu voice in it?

In June this year, the Center had formed a 10 member task force under politician Jaya whether the legal age of marriage for women could be changed from 18 years. The premises of this argument “to push the marriage age of girls” is broadly based on imperatives of lowering the MMR, improvement of nutritional levels and increasing higher education opportunities. now let’s try to understand different perspectives point wise:

First: analyze the premises of the argument

1.) Maternal Mortality rate is 7.3% as per 2016-2018 special bulletin on MMR, this says as per one lakh pregnant women 7300 maternal deaths, out of which 

age group Maternal mortality %
15-195% or (365 out of 7300 maternal deaths )
20-2433% or (2409 out of 7300 maternal deaths )
25-2932% or (2336 out of 7300 maternal deaths )

As per 2011 census approx. 10% girls married at the age of 15-17 years, this clearly shows that risk of maternal mortality is higher at the age of 20-24 years in comparison to 15-19 years. Additionally point to note here is as per NHFS-4 The median age at first birth is already 21.0 years.

(as per NHFS -4)age group prenatal mortality %  ( still birth + early neonatal mortality)non live birth %   (still birth + miscarriage + abortion)
15-19   4.5%10%
20-243.3% 8.2 %

But due to lack of proper correlated data, we cannot say with confidence that the reason behind the slight increase of non live birth and perinatal mortality among teenage girls, is either unwanted pregnancy or health issues. It could be both. 

2.) Nutrition levels as per NHFS-4 

the age groupsevere anemia    severe thinheight below 145 cm
15-191.0%18.7%12.7%
20-240.9%10.1%10.3%

This clearly shows that girls at the age group of 15-19 years face nutrition and growth challenges more as compared to the age group of 20-24 years. But a strange and interesting point to note here is less prevalence of MMR in teenage girls as shown above, despite nutrition and growth challenges. Quite possible that this severely weak health section of girls (approx.15%) from the 15-19 years age group is the cause behind perinatal mortality. 

3.) Education opportunities, as per NHFS -4 data, girls of 6-17 years age group.

7.9%  left school due to marriage 
24.8% left school due to no interest in studies.
19.3% left school due to too much cost. 
8.3% left school due to far distance from home.

This also shows that a major issue is lack of interest in studies in comparison to marriage. as we all have witnessed the increased scale of awareness and availability of resources since 2011 to present 2020. The possibility of improvement is high in these ten years. hence first we need to get fresh statistics in order to identify the need properly.

Second: analyze the law factor

Now simultaneously we also cannot ignore the fact about how law and system works differently over different sections of citizens, despite the norm that “kanoon ke liye sab barbar hai” e.g. Hindu and Muslim marriage laws are different in nature. Muslims marriage law allows girls to marry before 18 years on the basis of puberty. Delhi high court had allowed a below 18 girls marriage by citing this reason of puberty.

this new policy to “increase girls marriage age”, will force girls to convert into islam for marriage. As we are already witnessing LOVE JIHAD cases against hindu girls, it will increase in future. In Hadiya’s love jihad case, the supreme court had examined this same reason of puberty as well.

Another issue will be the difference between age of consent and age of marriage in case of girls. Now many readers will question, what is the big deal, for boys also both are different. Apart from the fact that needs are quite different on natural basis in boys and girls, here we also need to understand that boys don’t have direct consequences of sex i.e. Pregnancy and child. 

We cannot ignore the changing social dynamics and behaviours, modern sexual grooming of girls through cinema, “LIVEIN” trends and a natural upsurge to explore sex during teens. This new policy, will increase the possibility of unwanted pregnancy and abortion cases in the absence of marriage. this will force girls to go through the additional physical challenges and future risks due to abortion, which will add on the burden on nutrition needs as well. It will also burden the legal frame work with increased abortion cases. 

Third: analyze population growth wrt religious trends

As per NHFS 4 , Total fertility rate in muslims is 2.62%, Hindus is 2.13%, and Christians is 1.99% . This shows that Hindus and Christians are almost equal in total fertility rate, whereas muslims have the highest TFR. The percentage of women having 4 plus kids is 21.3% in muslims, 12.1% in Hindus and 11.6% in Christians. Again Christan and hindus are almost similar but Muslims exceeds almost double. 

Now many will jump to say ohh, Christians and Muslims are just 2.3% and 16% respectively of the total population of Bharat as per 2011 census. But, is this the true picture? is this really such low in % as it seems? Many research claims that the estimated population of Muslims and Christians is way higher than presented. 

What about crypto converts? We have no data. Crypto converts are those Hindus, who have Hindu identity on documents but follow either Christianity or Islam. In recent times numerous exclusive breaking news has been seen on crypto converts. We still remember the Palghar sadhu mob lynching to death case. The expansionist nature of these two cults also target and conspire against Hindus, we are witnessing love jihad and rice bag conversion cases. We also need to take note that Hindus are a minority at world level. Hindus don’t have a single nation specifically for Hindus. Hindus should not be targeted and guilty of being the majority in Bhaarat. Hindus are actually victims of majoritarian theory. 

As religious beliefs also guide our social habits and behaviors specially for population growth, we cannot ignore these perspectives. Trends of religious societies are of huge concern, because presently hindu society is mainly settled on “hum do humare do” and rapidly shifting to single child as norm. Further increase in girl’s age for marriage will even worse this trend for hindus. 

Since the independence, in Bhaarat the percentage share in total population, hindus has shrinked by -5.7 percent points as compared to other cults e.g. +5.4 percent points in muslims. With respect to all points discussed for the survival purpose Hindu society needs a constant positive population growth.

Fourth: analyze the different medical perspectives

1. No data study available about experience, preferences, pros-cons etc. of those mothers, who had pregnancy at teens. We also need to listen to the other side of the story while making a nationwide policy. Having kids at 18 years of age for girls will be harmful, it could be a one sided perspective.

2. Birth Deformity risk of newborn with respect to maternal age. No clear data collection is available , though indication, through down syndrome study, high risk of birth deformity with higher maternal age. This indirectly hints in favor of lower maternal age for healthy newborn. 

3. Ayurveda and hindu traditional practices suggest, the marriage age for girls should be in third year after her first menstruation cycle, later pregnancy follows. Ayurveda also suggests that older age of mother links to high risk pregnancy. https://youtu.be/q0nFQH9aYBI. 

Fifth: analyze the panel of committee

Marriage is a subject derived from ethnic- religious social behavior. New Policy will be implemented across the nation, with 80% hindu population which believes in Ayurveda. Then Why NO TRADITIONAL Ayurveda expert is involved? why NO direct leadership from the communities or sub sections of society, which have prominent teen marriages are involved? Why only western lens occupied officers and members of government agencies are selected, to decide a solution on the issue of marriage age in Bhaaratiya society? Why is mainly allopathy driven thought process used to decide on factors for healthy pregnancy? These are a few questions from Hindu side.

Sixth : analyze the impact on family institution

Based on social observation, Presently we are witnessing the norm “humari ladki toh padai karti hai usse maggi aur chai hi banani aati hai” mostly mothers in urban settings proudly boast in social circle. A huge section of our present parent generation itself is deprived of proper “Rasoi Vigyan”. Our so-called  modern quick fix consumption habits are the reason behind our lifestyle health problems, for example use of aluminium vessels, fortified food, and junk food habits etc. 

Okay let’s discuss in detail with one example, in earlier times iron kadai was the norm but slowly German silver or aluminium took its place. Earlier we were habitual in traditional cooking in iron vessels. Everything has an important role in cooking, cleaning and storing iron kadai. it used to be done in a specific prescribed way.  But slowly iron vessels are reduced with ignorance of use instructions.  later when anemia prevails in society, then some guy innovated the iron fish concept. Basically the user has to keep the small piece of iron inside while cooking. We came back to the same concept of iron vessel use linked with reduction in anemia. Few more examples are like water filters with “copper” inside and “ayur shakti yukt” toothpaste.

A skilled girl in “rasoi vigyan ” is an essential part of family institution , as the health of every individual of the family is directly linked to the housewife. “rasoi vigyan ” is not the same thing as cooking classes from some chief. “Rasoi vigyan” includes a huge portion of ayurveda and traditional practices of locals and families. late marriages are more prone for divorce, due to ego and less adaptability. A lot can be discussed in this, as it is a multidisciplinary topic. A traditional and skilled housewife is an essential part of any society. so rest my case here. 

Well my purpose to write this article is not to be harsh on girls, as some will think. But I wanted to showcase those hidden ignored perspectives, which are essential in order to make an informed decision on the new policy related to girl’s marriage age. Because this proposal of new policy has huge potential to change the behavioural and cultural dynamics of this nation.

Before taking any decision the government needs a fresh data set from different perspectives. Then later identification of the right set of gaps and needs related to marriage, pregnancy and population. Low possibility that one generalized solution will work to multiple needs. Customized solutions are required in order to solve the problem. Solutions should be blended with culture, not to change the cultural practices in 180 degree and end up destroying the same. Government also has to consider the worries of Hindu society well in advance before making policy which will affect a population which has Hindu majority.

Rest my case. 

Does change is even required or present status is the better

Hindus Think thorough and deep 

Don’t dismiss reality due to preoccupied western morden lens

// chaitanya_hindu //

Har har mahadev

Sanatan advanced technology in temples (part-2)

rituraj01
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Sanatan advanced technology in temples (part-2)

A lot of thanks and credits to Praveen Mohan

Vitthal Temple: Ancient Sanatan Architectural Technology in the Vitthal Temple-

The previous article I have written was about the Hoysaleswar Temple. This is about another marvelous technology used in the temple I have mentioned above. This is the Vitthal Temple, which is situated in Hampi, in the state of Karnataka, India. It was built in the 15th century (according to historians and archaeologists), in the renowned Vijayanagar empire. Now, I start the topic.

The musical pillars-

The Vitthal temple of Hampi is a famous tourist attraction, not only because it is a historical temple, which has splendid architecture like the other temples, but it has also some of the wonders which are still a mystery to the world. Out of these, the musical pillars are very famous. First, have a look on the temple.

In this wonderful temple, there is a hall, which is sometimes also called ‘musical hall or chamber’. This is because the musical instruments and even the pillars of this hall, which are made of stones, produce music. Yes, that is true. This may seem surprising to the people who doesn’t know about it, but the people who has visited this temple are well aware of the fact.

Have a look on this picture which shows the idol of a person playing a musical instrument called Tabla. The amazing thing is that if you tap on the sides of table, with your hand, it will actually produce the sound of the table.

You can clearly see in the figure that the hands of the idol holds the table, which on tapping by hands produce the sound of the tabla. This is amazing, but there is even more. The hall.

 Look at the figure, which shows a man tapping on these pillars. The pillar can produce the sound of temple bell on tapping.

  • We can produce different sounds by tapping on different pillars.
  • Like the sound of a school bell. And by combining these two one can produce the sound of modern-day door-bells.
  • You cannot go inside this hall to tap these pillars, as the hall is shut down for the public, because people had damaged some of the pillars by tapping them with coins and other things.
  • But, you can listen to the sound produced on tapping these pillars on the You-tube video of Praveen Mohan on these musical pillars.
  • There are more pillars in the temple, as you can see in the next picture, which on tapping produces the sound of ‘Jal Tarang’, a music played using water; and ‘Tuddam’, produced by using terracotta pots.
  • Now, there is something more interesting in the temple, outside this musical hall.
  • The pillars outside this hall are even more amazing.
  • The pillars outside this hall can produce different types of music on tapping.
  • The pillars on tapping produce the sound of seven different musical notes.
  • You can see the pillars in the next picture, also the notes they produce on tapping.
  • You can listen to the voice also on the You-tube video of Praveen Mohan on this.

This is surprising. I mean that we can make stone pillars that can produce music, but how can stone pillars made of same material produce different type of music. This is possible only in three cases: either the pillars have holes, or the pillars are of different dimensions, or the sculptors have changed the intrinsic density of the pillars by adding some other materials to the pillar. We will look to all the possibilities.

First, do these pillars have holes which enable them to produce different types of music?

Well, the Britishers had the same question. One of the British officer to tried to reveal the secret of these pillars, and cut one of the column, but, surprisingly found nothing. You can see in the next picture that the column which was cut down, has no any hole.

Second, it can be possible that the pillars are of different dimensions, i.e., of different shapes and sizes. But, it is not the case. All these pillars are of same dimensions. All these pillars are same in height and diameter, as you can see in the next picture.

So, these two possibilities are not possible at all. Therefore, I move on to the third.

The sculptors might have changed the intrinsic density of the pillars to make them able to produce different sounds. But, the question is that whether it is possible or not. To change the intrinsic density of a material, we need to add some other materials to it. Now days, this is done to the metals. Metals are melted at an extremely high temperature, to make alloys which have desired properties.

But, can this be done to stones, especially 500 years ago? No, not possible. But historians and archaeologists will argue that there was no such ‘stone-melting technology’ in ancient times. But, these people are unable to answer the questions.

Ancient Sanatan Rock-Melting Technology-

Melting rock is very hard task even today. But did the ancient sculptors have rock-melting technology? Historians and archaeologists will simply say, no.

But, then how in the world did they manage to change the intrinsic density of a stone pillar, because there is no other way, as I have discussed above, that these pillars can produce different sounds. But, are there more evidences of rock melting technology in these temples? Have a look on the next picture.

The ceiling of this temple has hooks. The question arises that why these hooks are made here? The locals say that these hooks had stone chains hanging from them, which has now got destroyed by various means. This is baffling. How those chains were made, and how they were attached to these hooks?

Historians and archaeologists will again argue that these are just for decorative purpose, and stone chain were hanging from these hooks. But, do such stone chains exist in other temples? Yes. There are stone chains in a temple, away from this temple. Look at the next picture.

This temple is in Kanchipuram. This temple does have stone chains. Look at the next picture, which shows a stone chain hanging from the ceiling of this temple.

Many people at first will not believe, but it is true, it is a chain made of sandstone. It is very much hard to carve such a stone with hands, and therefore it is possible that this chain was made using rock-melting. But, if I will say like that, historians and archaeologists will say that it is possible to carve such a stone chain, although it will take a very long time.

Yes, it is true. It is possible with hands, but takes a very long time. Actually, this stone chain is not the surprising thing that I was to show you as a proof of stone-melting technology. Look at the next picture, you will understand.

The surprising thing is that, although the chain is made up of sandstone, the ceiling with which the chain is attached is made of granite. This is totally impossible without melting the rock. It is not possible to attach two different rocks without melting them. This clearly proves that the ancient sculptors did use the rock-melting technology.

Now, return to the hooks in the temple of Hampi. We can now say clearly that these hooks were used to hang stone chains. And also, that the stone structures which produce different music on tapping must had been made using the rock-melting technology.

But, this is not the only thing. To make such structures, you not only need stone-melting technology, but also a great sort of knowledge about sounds and vibrations. So, the question arises that did those so-called primitive ancient sculptors have this level of knowledge of sound and vibrations.

Yes, it is clear from the above mentioned stuffs. But, I will give something more and unbelievable examples of this.

Ancient Sanatan knowledge of Sound and Vibration-

When we struck anything, vibrations are produced which further produces sound. Different sounds have different types of vibrations. These vibrations can produce geometrical patterns, which is called Cymatics, which is shown in the next figure

Different types of sounds produce different types of vibrations, which makes different cymatical patterns. The next picture shows different patterns made by different sounds.

Recently, we have become able to view these cymatical patterns in 3-dimensional. Look at the next picture which shows different 3-d patterns made by different types of sounds.

But, the question is that did those ancient sculptors have such great knowledge of sounds and vibrations. To find the answer, I will take you back to the musical hall. The answer lies on the ceiling of this hall. Have a look on the picture below.

The ceiling of this hall has very complex geometrical patterns. Well again, historians and archaeologists will argue that these were made for mere decorative purpose. So, look at some more pictures of the ceiling. All the pictures below show very complex geometrical patterns, and all of them are perfect symmetry. And, as you can see sculptors did not create these patterns in 2-d. All of these patterns are in 3-d with immense detail.

Now, the question arises that if all these were made for only decorative purposes, why the sculptors took so much pain, time and effort to create such detailed and complex geometrical patterns. Even the dark areas of the temple have such patterns, which you can see below. No one actually bothers to look at the ceiling in such a dark room, where nothing is visible without light. If these are for mere decoration, why then did the sculptors created such patterns in a place, where apparently no one is going to see?

Were those sculptors stupid? We know they were not. They were marvelous architecture and also had a great knowledge of geometry, sounds and vibrations. So, there is no other reason the sculptors had made such patterns, other than that these are the Cymatic patterns. It will be more clear by the picture shown below.

The picture shows another such pattern. But also, there are carvings around the pattern. What are those carvings? To see the carvings more clearly, we need to look at the picture more closely.

Below is the zoomed image of this pattern.

Now, you can see that that the pattern by is surrounded by the carvings of women who are shown with sticks in their hand. In ancient times, people came to this temple, and used to sang, dance and played musical instrument. This carving is also depicting such thing.The carving shows some women playing a musical instrument, and the sound produced by it is shown in the 3-d pattern.

Now, I am not going to say anything more. Anyone who is reading this; I advise him/her to use his his/her conscience and think carefully. Please think on whatever you have read and try to figure out that, whatever the historians and archaeologists have told us about our history and our ancestors, is that true?

Thank you to all who have read this. And, once again a lot of thanks to Praveen Mohan.

Fake TRP case: State vs Republic

Vijay Sundar
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Fake TRP case: State vs Republic

Mumbai Police is probably going through one of its most difficult times. Not because it was not able to solve a terror plot or any issue of national concern. It has tied itself into knots it cannot come out, by trying to ‘fix’ Republic without any credible evidence so far.  The malicious investigation is fast turning into dirty, directionless investigation.

When an FIR was filed regarding alleged TRP scam, it appears the Mumbai Police Commissioner found an ‘opportunity’ to go against Republic, called for a press conference, named Republic, and went into an interview spree with rival channels maligning Republic TV. It did not take much time for the original FIR and the Hansa Report to surface, which formed the basis of the complaint . These documents mentioned India Today, not Republic TV. Notwithstanding these facts, the entire Police force and the Government machinery appears to be geared towards finding ‘some’ evidence against Republic. All officers seem to be having difficult task ahead of them. How can they find something which does not exist?

Now there is even more urgency for the Police, as they are required to submit the status report on the investigation to the court before the next hearing on 5th November 2020. On 25th October 2020, Republic TV made a press release saying it had filed a defamation suit against Mumbai Police Commissioner seeking Seeking ₹200 Cr Damages. CBI has taken over the case in Uttar Pradesh, and it is only a matter of time the scope of investigation is extended to other states, including Maharashtra. Although Maharashtra government has withdrawn the general consent to CBI investigation to prevent immediate takeover of the case, it would be hard to defend in the court as this is truly a pan-India issue.

Frustrated that they could not find any concrete evidence against Republic so far, it appears details like cost of toilet and tissue papers are being sought, and an FIR has been filed against the entire editorial team of Republic TV consisting of over 1000 staff! Probably the original TRP case appears falling flat and now the investigation is going in multiple directions. The reputation of the Police is at the lowest now because of this motivated, malicious investigation.

Supreme Court, on 26th October 2020, has ordered Maharashtra government to file an affidavit within two weeks listing all FIRs seeking to prosecute Arnab Goswami and his channel during the time period. The court also asked Republic to file an affidavit on the picture of course of things to come. Republic’s counsel Harish Salve submitted that he would file a detailed affidavit on all the cases filed against the channel.

As usual, the Lutyens media, in their reports, carefully suppressed all the observations of the Supreme Court against the Maharashtra government. Clearly, the Supreme Court has taken note of the unfair means used in the name of ‘investigation’ and is watching the motivated, malicious ‘investigation’ happening in Maharashtra.

For Maharashtra government, there are few options to control the damage:

  • Considering TRP rating is not just matter for only one state, hand over the probe to CBI.
  • Go after the real culprits named in the original FIR and in the Hansa report.
  • Drop all the cases against Republic.
  • Remove Param Bir Singh from the case, and allow the case to die a gradual, natural death.

The above options are bitter to swallow but would at least control the huge damage that has been caused to the reputation of the Police. They may be having the power of the state machinery and full support of the Lutyens media, but TRUTH is a bigger force to contend with. Sooner the Police come out this mess, which is their own making, better for them and for the state. There are other important matters the state should be focussing on, such as Covid pandemic. Now, the Police and those who control them seem to be having misplaced priorities.

Recommender systems and their great baggage

Uttaran Tribedi
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Recommender systems and their great baggage

Recommender systems are present in almost all social media applications today — the biggest of them being the giants like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. Whatever we see on our social media feed evokes a certain feeling in us — happiness, envy, anger, depression, most often the negative ones without ourselves even being conscious of them. It affects our emotions while we are on it, and algorithmically generates more and more addictive content for us based on a multitude of acquired data. This makes us all the more hooked on to our devices. While we are on it, we do not realise that this happens because of the secretion of dopamine in our brain, which is also called the “feel good” hormone. It makes us want more of it, and that’s why it is so difficult for us to get back to doing our everyday work.

Our other tasks then seem mundane, boring to our brain. The person starts doing his usual work for a short period and then again gets back to his social media. This, when it happens multiple times, leads him losing on a lot of his productive work hours. Less work done means less satisfaction, more frustration which leads the person search for more ways to relax his mind — the best and most easily accessible of them again being social media(apart from smoking and drinking, both of which are bad for health). Now, this is like an endless loop which unless the person consciously thinks, wouldn’t realise anything wrong that is causing this long term situation. This is because the more we are addicted to social media, the more we pick up our devices and start looking at them. The conscious part involved in this activity slowly and steadily decreases because our brain is being used to it. So it becomes more like a muscle memory which will be involuntary.

The event of grabbing our phones and scroll or look up to notifications will be paired to another stimulus or trigger event that will most likely be boredom (technically speaking when dopamine levels in the brain are low). This entire task becomes an involuntary action so that the conscious part of the brain can devote itself to more critical tasks. Recall the times when we reach out to our phones automatically after working for some time even without consciously choosing so. Or for that matter whenever we wake up in the morning, we check out our phones and read all the notifications, messages, news even without thinking. This accounts for a reason why if we do not plan our schedule, we get lost, not feeling to start back with our actual work. This is because the initial dopamine boost that the brain receives by us checking our social media is much greater than what we would have gained from doing our work.

Now all this is okay but why am I concerned about recommender systems? Recommender system is the backbone of most of our applications. It is responsible for showing us or suggesting us content that we will most likely be interested in. But the problem lies in the fact that these algorithms are optimised for increasing our watch time on these platforms. This can lead to grave implications. Solely “watch time” increase over every other parameter leads the algorithm to suggest more and more of certain types of contents. Now, what if this content relates to violent radicalisation, or fake news or some misinformation drive. The applications, for example, Facebook and Twitter, allow anyone or any organisation to create a piece of content and post them publicly.

Being in a democratic society, every citizen should have the right to voice themselves, but the point is not that. It is related to being in control of what content we want to see. People naively scrolling through their Facebook feed will come across videos that support say a specific ideology, will watch it and keep their phones down. But the next time they open the app, they will get more and more recommended videos related to that. Facebook does not care whether that content is true or morally sound, what are its implications on people, the society, etc. unless a huge number of people report it. The idea of Facebook verifying millions of such local content is also ridiculous when many times when people related to the event themselves aren’t sure of what exactly happened. This leads to a huge unchecked void which is filled up by conspiracy theorists for every possible topic on social media.

While those belonging to the flat earth society and those not believing the moon landings are not cause of much concern but the ones who maliciously incite violence, riots and cause unrest in society for their own cause are. Countries having authoritarian governments like Russia and China aren’t at risk because of their government’s total control over their media, but free-flowing democracies like India and the US, have to reflect. We have all witnessed in the past how Russia has tried to influence the stability of governments in countries like Ukraine, the US, etc. through the injection of false propagandas through these platforms by creating dissent amongst the citizens of the country.

Protesters clash with police in central Kyiv, Ukraine. (AP Photo / Efrem Lukatsky, file)

But this is just one extreme scenario. The bigger distress is what is happening at, the lower levels. People are more and more prone to enclosing themselves in a sort of an information bubble without them being consciously in control over what appears the next moment on their screens.

From recommender systems being used to reflect our personal preferences to them actually shaping our preferences. How does it feel to think that important choices that you make in your life can be controlled and decided by a bunch of say ten nerds all of age 25 to 30 years sitting in some office in San Francisco? All of whom are constantly researching and optimising just to attract more and more of your attention. None of them gives any thought about the humane side of things like, what can be the psychological and social impact on the person. The trend of paying for using a licensed application is also incidentally on the decline. So why are utilities like Facebook etc. apparently free for everyone to use? Have we ever put thought into this? We have come a long way from paying for products to ourselves only (more specifically our attention) becoming the product.

But what can be done about all this? Should we quit these platforms permanently? Or can there be a better solution? Well, I’m not in favour of just abandoning these applications because as bad as their effects might be, they have also brought about many positive substantial changes in our world- which were unthinkable even just a decade back. The ideal practical solution would be to democratize the process more instead of just putting it at the mercy of some selective individuals. Each person should be able to have full control over how he or she wants the recommendation system to work for them.

Let’s see an example of a possible solution. Suppose the user opens the app and can choose their session outcome from a list of certain predefined goals — like some user can select, say a learning track from the options as their desired objective from their time on the platform, and the recommender system will recommend videos optimising the learning of the user and nothing else. The user will always have complete freedom to change their outcome or end-goal at any point of time as they wish. This may be one solution amongst some others. But as long as people are not sufficiently aware and do not voice their concerns regarding this issue, recommender systems will continue to pose a threat and remain a risky ball game.

Gandhiji – the Islamic ‘Caliphate’ and Bhagat Singh

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Gandhiji – the Islamic ‘Caliphate’ and Bhagat Singh

It has been a century since Mahatma Gandhi rose into prominence in Indian Political movement for freedom. It was his opposition of Rowlatt Act – 1919, by using Satyagraha and the promise of winning Swaraj within six months if Hindu-Muslim unity is achieved and some other conditions were fulfilled. Gandhiji always said that there is no Swaraj without Hindu-Muslim unity.

The infamous ‘Butcher of Amritsar’ Brigadier General Reginald Dyer, in a murderous rage killed thousands of peaceful Indians protesting against Rowlatt Act at Jalliawala Bagh on 13th April 1919. He had told his son before he rushed to Amritsar to militarily control the civil disobedience movement of Satyagraha, “Mussulman and Hindus have united. I have been expecting this, there is a big show coming.”

Jallianwala Bagh massacre resulted in violence in Punjab, Gujarat and Bengal that deeply hurt Gandhiji who called off the campaign of Satyagraha against Rowlatt Act on 18th April 1919. However, Gandhiji’s appeal for Satyagraha and Hartals had begun to unite and connect the Indian masses towards freedom movement and made him a very popular leader of mass populace across India.

Under guidance of Gandhiji, Indian National Congress held joint conferences with leaders of Khilafat and accepted the Khilafat Committee’s call of non-cooperation against the british. Dr. B R Ambedkar in his Book, Pakistan or the Partition of India wrote that “Swaraj was not its primary object, It was Khilafat and that Swaraj was added as a secondary object, to induce the Hindus to join.”

In 1919, the supporters of ‘Khilafat’ or ‘Caliphate’ or the ‘Islamic State’ movement went to the length of inviting the Amir of Afghanistan to invade India.

On 05th September, 1920 non-cooperation movement against the British Raj with demand of full independence and self-governance was launched by Gandhiji. He was able to successfully unite Hindu and Muslim communities in civil disobedience against the British by supporting the Khilafat movement of Indian Muslims.

On the other hand, the objective of Islamic movement of ‘Caliphate’ was two-fold: to preserve the ‘Caliphate’ / Khilafat and to maintain the integrity of the Turkish Empire. During those years, the word ‘Islamic extremism’ was yet to be mainstreamed, it still existed, though.

The Brotherhood between Khilafat ‘Caliphate and Non-Cooperation & the Cost of ‘Coming Together with Extremists.’
Gandhiji visited Calicut, Malabar on 18th August 1920 to gather support for non-cooperation and shore up the Khilafat base through meetings and fundraising.

A secret abstract of the Bombay Presidency police mentions about Gandhiji’s meeting in Calicut as, “There was little sympathy with the non-cooperation movement at Calicut barring for a few fanatical Mappilla youths.” Gandhiji has said in his speech at Calicut, “If the Mussalmans of India offer non-cooperation to Government in order to secure justice on the Khilafat, it is the duty of every Hindu to co-operate with their Moslem brethren.”

A 12 year old young Sikh boy, namely ‘Sardar Bhagat Singh’ who was witness to the british’s macabre acts of Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the martial law atrocities, saw a messiah in Gandhiji and joined the non-cooperation movement.

However, the Mopla youths whom Gandhiji visited in August 1920 had some other plans. They responded to the clarion call for non-cooperation; as their leaders Variyankunnath Kuhuharned Haji and Karat Moideen Kutty Haji, spearheaded the Malabar Hindu genocide of 1921 that led to mass execution of thousands of Hindus, forcible conversions, rapes of Hindu women and children and destruction of Hindu properties and places of worship.

In his Article in Young India on 20th October 1921 Gandhiji said, “I claim that with us both the Khilafat is the central fact, with Maulana Mahomed Ali because it is his religion, with me because in laying down my life for the Khilafat, I ensure safely of the cow, that is my religion, from the Musalman knife.”

The Six month long genocide came to an end in January 1922 as british captured the last of the Mopla terrorists. The Congress working committee downplayed murders, dacoities, forced conversions and outrages on Hindu women by labeling the Mopla’s extremist ideology as ‘instances of so-called forcible conversion by some fanatics among Moplas”

Mrs. Anni Besent, Theosophist, and founder Home Rule League wrote in her book, ‘The Future of Indian Politics’ (Theosophical Publishing House, 1922, pg. 252) : “The fourfold programme was begun formally on August 1, 1920; Swaraj was to be attained in a year, and on August 1, 1921, the first step was taken in the Malabar Rebellion; the Musalmans (Moplas) of that district after three weeks of preparing weapons, rose over a definite area in revolt, believing, as they had been told, that British Rule had ceased, and they were free.”

“The musalmans (Moplas) of that district after three weeks of preparing weapons rose over a definite area in revolt. They established the Khilafat Raj, crowned a King, murdered and plundered abundantly, and killed or drove away all Hindus who would not apostatise. Somewhere about a lakh (100,000) of people were driven from their homes with nothing but the clothes they had on, stripped of everything,” she added further.

Annie Besant’s scathing remarks about the Islamic character of Mopla outrage are worth evoke; “Malabar has taught us what Islamic rule still means, and we do not want to see another specimen of the Khilafat Raj in India. How sympathy with the Moplas is felt by the Muslims outside Malabar has been proved by the defence raised by them for.”

She further added that “Malabar has taught us what Islamic rule still means, and we do not want to see another specimen of the Khilafat Raj in India.”

The severity of Mopla genocide was spine chilling still, Gandhiji did not call off the non-cooperation movement nor did he withdraw support to the Khilafat.

Instead in his appeal to the liberals on 07th November 1920 Gandhiji said, “Forcible conversions are terrible but Moplah bravery must command admiration. These Malabaris are not fighting for the love of it. They are fighting for what they consider as religion and in a manner they consider themselves religious.”
Chauri Chaura Incident: 04-02-1922
It was February 1922, roused by Gandhiji and the Khilafat movement; countless volunteers had joined in Chauri Chaura protests, as the non-cooperation movement had reached its pinnacle.
On 04th February 1922, Police fired on to a large group of Chauri Chaura protesters killing three and injuring several others. The mob got furious and burnt down the police station, with 23 policemen trapped inside. Gandhiji withdrew the Non-Cooperation movement in the wake of the Chauri Chaura incident on 12th February 1922.
Even the Chauri Chaura incident had a extremist angle as according to one version as given in book ‘Event, Metaphor, Memory: Chauri Chaura’, by Shahid Amin, “The real agents (asli log) involved in the riot are, again, other people altogether in the narrative from Madanpur, a Pathan-trader dominated market village twenty miles south-east of Chauri Chaura.”
Like the young, teenage Sardar Bhagat Singh, thousands of youth across India suddenly felt disillusioned from Satyagraha and other Gandhian philosophies due to his abrupt cancellation of the Non-Cooperation movement.

And, I quote Dr. B R Ambedkar, “Mr. Gandhi was anxious to preserve Hindu-Moslem unity and did not mind the murders of a few Hindus, if it could be achieved by sacrificing their lives. This attitude to excuse the Muslims any wrong, lest it should injure the cause of unity, is well illustrated by what Mr. Gandhi had to say in the matter of the Mopla riots.”
Mrs. Annie Besant and Dr. Ambedkar’s apprehensions about the Khilafat being the extremist version of Islam were not misplaced. As we stand in the twenty first century, a hundred years after the ‘Caliphate’ and non-cooperation movement, we are able to witness some of the most catastrophic the events of the previous century through the hourglass, which have proven beyond doubt that corroboration with Islamic extremists has time and again proven to be detrimental.
Gandhiji is long gone, his ideology has been revered world over but in his motherland, his Satyagraha and Khadi have turned into political symbols as Khadi has lost its relevance.

On the other hand, the extremist ideology of Islamic State ‘Caliphate’ is here to stay. A cleric wants to turn Kerala into an Islamic State within the next 10 years. The Islamic State had found one of its initial Indian recruits from Kerala. A recent UN report has stated that there are “significant numbers of ISIL operatives in Kerala and Karnataka states.”

The Malabar massacre will remain a black day in Indian history. There can be no end to Islamic extremism as long we keep mum and remain politically correct. The only way to end the extremism is to fight against it. One has to be really honest and call spade a spade. This not just extremism, it is radical Islamic terrorism.

References:
Amritsar 1919 An Empire Of Fear & The Making Of A Massacre – Kim A Wagner, pg 132, pp-1
ibid, pg. 137-139
ibid
Pakistan or the Partition of India, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar pg.47
Bombay Presidency Police Secret Abstract of Intelligence, Vols, from 1920 to 1943 (Home Department, Government of Bombay, 1920 to 1943). – https://cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/VOL-III-PART-I/1920_PAGE_309_359.pdf
ibid
https://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070318/spectrum/main1.htm
Gandhi’s Approach To Hindu-Muslim Problem And Pan-Islamism (1890-1930) – PHD Thesis By Shiv Narain – https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/144512768.pdf
Pakistan or the Partition of India, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar pg.78
The Future of Indian Politics (Theosophical Publishing House,1922, pg. 304).
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Speeches_And_Writings_MKGandhi.djvu/730
Event, Metaphor, Memory: Chauri Chaura, 1922-1992, Shahid Amin, (Oxford University Press, 1995, pg.34, 132). http://historydepartmentphilos.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/6/1/26612531/event_metaphor_memorychauri_chaura_1922_-_1992_.shahid_amin_oxford_university_press1996.pdf
https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/235182/7/07_chapter2.pdf
Pakistan or the Partition of India, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar pg.77
https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=389900&u=will-turn-kerala-into-islamic-caliphate-within-10-years-preacher-mujahid-balussery-comes-up-with-controversial-statement
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kerala-man-trained-by-isis-in-iraq-found-guilty-by-special-nia-court-2300985
https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/s_2020_717.pdf pg-16 -p – 68

Amritsar 1919 An Empire Of Fear & The Making Of A Massacre – Kim A Wagner, pg 132, pp-1
ibid, pg. 137-139
ibid
Pakistan or the Partition of India, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar pg.47
Bombay Presidency Police Secret Abstract of Intelligence, Vols, from 1920 to 1943 (Home Department, Government of Bombay, 1920 to 1943). – https://cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/VOL-III-PART-I/1920_PAGE_309_359.pdf
ibid
https://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070318/spectrum/main1.htm
Gandhi’s Approach To Hindu-Muslim Problem And Pan-Islamism (1890-1930) – PHD Thesis By Shiv Narain – https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/144512768.pdf
Pakistan or the Partition of India, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar pg.78
The Future of Indian Politics (Theosophical Publishing House,1922, pg. 304).
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Speeches_And_Writings_MKGandhi.djvu/730
Event, Metaphor, Memory: Chauri Chaura, 1922-1992, Shahid Amin, (Oxford University Press, 1995, pg.34, 132). http://historydepartmentphilos.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/6/1/26612531/event_metaphor_memorychauri_chaura_1922_-_1992_.shahid_amin_oxford_university_press1996.pdf
https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/235182/7/07_chapter2.pdf
Pakistan or the Partition of India, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar pg.77
https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=389900&u=will-turn-kerala-into-islamic-caliphate-within-10-years-preacher-mujahid-balussery-comes-up-with-controversial-statement
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kerala-man-trained-by-isis-in-iraq-found-guilty-by-special-nia-court-2300985
https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/s_2020_717.pdf pg-16 -p – 68

Balkanization of a failed state: Pakistan

Sanat Bhardwaj
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Balkanization of a failed state: Pakistan

Nowhere in the world, religion alone could unite a country which is governed by an incapable politician, abysmal economy, poisonous rhetoric and forgotten civilization.

Yes nothing works in favor of Pakistan today? Pakistan never had and was never conceived to fulfill any objective idea of a Nation. It was a despicable display of narcissism of a handful of Hindu hating political leaders who had huge followers with filthy medieval mindset, moral perversion and bigotry.

Religion cannot unite you alone. And the realization came too early with creation of Bangladesh in 1971 after gruesome killing of over 3 million Bengali Muslim. It was carried out by Pakistani Muslim forces led by General A K Niyazi. The mass surrender of Pakistani army with around one lac armed soldiers was then recorded in history as the most cowardly and disgraceful moment for any nation`s pride.

Seems nothing changed thereafter. Zia Al Hague and Musharraf, two military heads who throttle democracy, conspired to kill political heads and also injected poison hatred among various ethnic groups. Among the five schisms of society, Punjabi, Sindhi, Baloch, and Pashtuns and Mohajir, no one is compatible with one another. The Baloch and Pashtuns had recorded their refusal   to be part of Pakistan way back in 1947. And thereafter the pitiless ethnic cleansing of the last seven decades have only alienated them apart. A full blown military war has already broken with daily countless casualty of human rights in these two provinces.

While the nation was drifting apart on ethnic lines, corruption and fanaticism was gradually creeping into society. In order to conceal the administrative failure and welfare inefficiency, regular doses of fratricidal hatred and sectarian poison was injected to the two generations of Pakistanis. The result today, the Sunni majority Muslim have declared all rest Muslim including Ahmadiyyas, Khojas, Bohra, Ismail and Shia as Kafirs. The social division of this fratricidal schism is actually a conspiracy by the devious ruling elite dispensation.  

In recent decades, the emergence of Maulavis as a new generation of political leaders has brought the biggest challenge to the military head. Pakistan military which appropriates nearly 50% of the state resource and over 60% nation`s assets is den of corruption. It has usurped the power, wealth and is running on the plundered resource of the nation. Its interference in running in civilian government has made the democracy a symbol of mockery and ridicule.  Now Confrontation is imminent.

Do not forget, the USSR was not defeated by the USA in military warfare, but it dissolved into 15 nations out of failed economy, poverty and pitiable life conditions.

And in Pakistan, No one noticed the declining state of economy all this while. With over 57% of the illiterate population, no development, no infrastructure spending, soaring inflation and deficient energy security, Pakistan is a ticking time bomb.

The balkanization is approaching fast and imminent.

Is caste system an integral part of Hinduism?

vagishasoni
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Is caste system an integral part of Hinduism?

Have you come across those people who say caste system is an integral part of Hinduism? You must have come across various articles in the newspapers where they intentionally want to highlight the caste of the victim even if the crime had nothing to do with the caste. Looking at this continuous propaganda, people have started feeling that there is something intrinsically wrong with Hinduism.

It is necessary to demolish the myth that caste system is an intrinsic part of Hinduism. Moreover, this myth has harmed relations between the so-called upper castes and lower castes. Even today, despite living in metropolitan cities if we are still talking about caste then there is some serious issue which has to be discussed. In the post truth era where its comparatively easier to push a narrative and make people believe in things which never existed, its our responsility to remind people about the truth of our heritage.

So what is Caste System?

Caste system is not just a division of labour, each ‘varna’ is associated with a type of occupation, but also a division of labour determined by birth permitting no occupational/social mobility.It is a rigid system, separating caste from caste, with restrictions on inter-dining and inter-marriage, due to a morbid fear of ‘varnasankara’ (mixture of varnas). It is a hierarchical system, one below the other in ritual (or purity) status, with several disabilities imposed on the fourth varna of shudras and even more on the untouchables known as ‘antyajas’. The whole system along with its taboos and restrictions is authenticated by religion or canon, giving it a religious sanctity. At the foundation of the whole system there is a production system, which is subsistence-oriented and locally based rather than oriented to larger market, and production relations being of patron-client type, based on mutual dependence.

Let’s argue why these features are NOT INTEGRAL PART OF HINDUISM

Gandhiji defined Hinduism as a search for truth, non-violence, compassion for all beings and tolerance. Consistent with its commitment to search for truth, it is also marked by liberalism. Hinduism is a dynamic religion, not fixed or revealed once for all, and hence cannot be identified exclusively with the religion of the Vedas and Upanishads, nor with the religion expounded by ‘Dharmashastras’, nor with the Hinduism of the three eminent Acharyas – Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhva, nor also exclusively with medieval Hinduism and modern Hinduism. All these phases represent Hinduism and have contributed to its development each deriving its inspiration from the previous ones. There is both change and continuity in Hinduism. Coming to the caste system, it is accepted by all as beyond controversy that medieval Bhakti movement was a protest against caste system and the modern philosophers like Swami Vivekananda, Aurobindo and others have rejected the caste system as well.

Starting from the beginning, The first reference to the four varnas comes in the tenth mandala of Rig Veda, in two verses of Purusha Sukta . The tenth mandala was chronologically the last to be composed and there was no varna system in vedic society before it and this has been acknowledged by many scholars. Actual occupations have since centuries deviated from the varna theoretical model. Dharmashastras themselves allowed exceptions under ‘apaddharma’, whereby persons who could not make their livelihood under the occupations of their own varna, could take to other occupations.

Brahmins by birth have taken not only to priesthood, which is their varna based occupation, but also to several others, including manual labour. Havyaka brahmins in Karnataka have not only owned garden lands but also have been doing manual labour in them. Shudras, apart from doing manual labour and artisan jobs, which is their varna based occupation, have traditionally served as soldiers too, making the distinction between kshatriyas and shudras quite blurred.Even as late as 12th century, Vijnaneshwara in his commentary on Yajnavalkya Smriti said ‘nrin pati iti nripah, na tu kshatriyah iti nemah’ (whosoever protects people is fit to be a king; he need not as a rule be a kshatriya’).

The Bhakti movement, both in the south and north of India, saw many saint poets coming from the so-called lower castes. They were more prominent than brahmin and upper castes in the movement. Even marriages between different varnas were not rare. It must have been because of their significant occurrence, that there is a mention of different types of marriages in Hindu texts based on which jatis were evolved. When the husband is from a higher caste than that of the wife, the marriage was called as ‘anuloma’; when reverse was the case, it was called as ‘pratiloma’. There was another type of classification also; according to it, a love marriage was called as ‘gandharva’, and a marriage where the woman was forced into marriage was called as ‘rakshasa’.

It is only in the dharmashastras (dharma sutras and smritis) that we find support to the caste system, and not in another canon. However, dharmashastras never had the same status as other canon known as shruti (Vedas and Upanishads) and it is laid down that whenever there is a conflict between the shruti and smriti literature, it is the former that prevails.

It is Manusmriti, which is particularly supportive of caste system but where it conflicts with Vedas and Upanishads, the latter would prevail.Manusmriti itself shows the way to demolish its own support to the caste system based on birth. In chapter 4,verse 176 clearly states: ‘Discard wealth and desire if they are contrary to dharma, and even dharma itself if it leads to unhappiness or arouses peoples’ indignation’. Dharma here does not mean religion in the western sense, but rules of conduct. If varna dharma, or rules of conduct governing varnas, and caste for that matter, lead to unhappiness or to people indignation, as they certainly do, Manusmriti itself says that such dharma can be discarded.

Hinduism as a religion and philosophy was against caste system based on birth, and even in practice, it opposed the system, how but it survived for so long because the system performed certain functions that were valued by the society. And later, unfortunately, few sections of society and various left-leaning politicians for their own political gain have made this so rigid that even today this evil exists. A North Indian when asked to introduce himself/herself casually mostly talks about his/her caste. This is the major issue, here actually the problem lies – deriving one’s identity from his/her caste which has been structurally institutionalized by the caste-based politics and certain social groups. And then comes the role of media which keeps adding caste angle to every possible crime which it reports bringing us back to square one. India can only be a growth story at the economic front when we are united at the societal front.

P.S. Hinduism here refers to Sanatan Dharma.

References:
Nadkarni, M. (2003). Is Caste System Intrinsic to Hinduism? Demolishing a Myth. Economic and Political Weekly,38(45), 4783-4793. 
SHARMA, K. (2012). Is there Today Caste System or there is only Caste in India? Polish Sociological Review, (178), 245-263. 

Shakti: The hidden energy of Bharat

indicwriter
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Shakti: The hidden energy of Bharat

It often comes to my mind that the real picture of the Indian women is not portrayed by the so-called elite. As I explored this subject of women’s equality, I came to know how distorted things are fed to our current generation.

Young educated girls today have impressions in their minds that our traditional cultural society is discriminatory towards women, Most of them think that women are always subjugated in India, their freedom is curbed by the dharmic traditions of India. Thus, these modern women start criticizing their own roots, compromise with their value system, and ridicule their own dharmik belief system considering it to be derogatory towards the woman.

They feel that Indian women were harassed in this Bhartiya culture and their talents were suppressed by the male dominating society. Thus the question we need to ask ourselves is Does the treatment of women is true as it is being portrayed by these funded media and the so-called Bollywood actress. Or there are some different set of values system our daughters/sisters are growing which the world has yet not known and heard of. Is India all about Brahmanical patriarchy where the women were not given any importance or do there is an equal set of importance given to them in society?

How Indian women are different as compared to the women in the west in terms of their uniqueness and disposition towards the society by the multitudes in roles played by them?

Does India need to empower the women as shown by these western feminists or are they already empowered and we just need to channelize their energy by awakening their dharmic identity?

Many of the girls raised in traditional families and becoming a part of this modern elite find it very very difficult to retain their dharmic identity and cultural values and often consumed by this so-called false propaganda of these modern women.

It’s time that the world needs to listen to the narrative of a common Indian woman who has lived in these dharmic traditions. I request to all women to Come and be a part of this great @saga_stories which is soon going to start and witness a revolution in their consciousness by experiencing the dharmic narrative of Indian women, who have immensely contributed to this land and can be an asset to the future of this nation.

Right to mobility v. right to protest: SC verdict on Shaheen Bagh

Shelal Lodhi Rajput
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Right to mobility v. right to protest: SC verdict on Shaheen Bagh

By Shelal Lodhi Rajput and Anukriti Randev

In the recent time, no legislation has triggered so much unrest and apprehension among people as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of 2019 in Indian context. The reasons behind the same is multidimensional as even some people have not understood the law in the litmus sense and there is not an iota of doubt that there is lot of miscommunication on the issue also by some people. It has led to protests, which have spread like bush fire across the country, involving all sections of the society leading Bollywood personalities and women in particular. The epicenter and hub of one of the longest protest on the CAA, NRC is Shaheen Bagh, the protest of Shaheen Bagh has blocked roads and cause a lot of problem to general problem that can easily be termed as a clear violation of their fundamental rights.

In a most significant development, the Supreme Court pronounced its verdict on the issue, where right to protest versus the right to mobility has been the major topic of discussion that was tabled before the hon’ble court. The protest laid to blockade of the arterial road connecting two major cities, Delhi and Noida for more than 90 days. The Supreme Court has categorically said in the judgement that:

  • Public inconvenience cannot be caused.
  • A protest cannot be indefinite
  • A protest if needs to the place should take place in a designated area.

Further, the most important observation that was made by court and it categorically said that “Peaceful protest is a constitutional right of protestors, peaceful protest should be allowed. But it does not mean that there can be a blockage, people can be inconvenienced or a protest which disrupts the normal life”

The protestors argued that the protest is for the democracy, protest is to protect the integrity of flaws in the country. Something which was passed in our Parliament both in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, because the protest was against the Citizenship amendment Act. Subsequently, government said that they are right now not going ahead with it and the protest was supposed to protect the constitutional values. The court said that the protestors themselves did not adhere to the constitutional values i.e. that you cannot inconvenience others and in name of democracy you cannot create problems.

In whole of 1970’s and 1980’s the political party in city of Calcutta used to call “Bandh” (i.e. complete closure of whole city) and left party would ceased the cities it was either it is in the name of the interest of workers or in the name of some other excuse. But ultimately city was choked it deindustrialized West Bengal. So, protest in a way that empower people is useful but the same protest have been used by political parties and various other groups to not only stifle public life but protest can also used to deindustrialization, disturbance and issues which is not and cannot be a part and parcel of normal civic life in this country and the court says that the protest cannot be done in the way in which can people think they can do because India is a constitutional functioning democracy and protest cannot be create disturbance. It is clear from the recent development that people need to understand that people have a constitutional right to protest but protest also needs to respect right of others who do not want to get participate in the protest or want to get disturbed from protest.
The court while delivering its verdict on the balance between the right to protest and other rights in relation to the protests that took place at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh this year, the court held that “Public spaces cannot be occupied indefinitely” The Bench of Justice Snajay Kishan Kaul, Aniruddha Bose and Krishna Murari held that “Dissent and Democracy go hand in hand”  The court in its judgement clearly said

“We make it unequivocally clear that public ways and public spaces cannot be occupied in such a manner and that too indefinitely. Democracy and dissent go hand in hand, but then the demonstrations expressing dissent have to be in designated places alone”

This judgement of SC appears to create a blanket ban on protests in public spaces, now the question is how is this going to affect us forward? Is this going to curb our rights in those places? Not really, when we look at the law the court cannot really do what its doing, it cannot impose a blanket ban. It can be substantiated by the earlier precedent of this very court itself. In 1972, a constitutional bench of the SC held that such blanket bans on protests in public streets are not possible in case of Himmat Lal K Shah vs Police Commissioner Ahmedabad. While there are restrictions that you can’t have people protesting anywhere. Nevertheless, the state cannot by law abridge or take away the right of assembly by prohibiting protest in a street or public place. The state can only make regulations and only impose reasonable restrictions in the interest of the public order.  You cannot take away the right to protest in a blanket way. Further, its not just the Supreme Court’s verdict in the past but also under the International law a blanket ban would violate the India’s obligation towards its commitment for International law.

The recent verdict is only applying to a protest of such a large protest, as large as at Shaheen Bagh, which have lasted for so long time. The court’s verdict strengthens that right to protest is constitutional right but it can be restricted if it harms the rights of other people as it happened in Shaheen Bagh case as the protestors blocked a stretch of the road for several months which caused a lot of problem to commuters.

Will “Trump Raj” in the U.S. and “Jungle Raj” in Bihar return?

vijendra
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Will “Trump Raj” in the U.S. and “Jungle Raj” in Bihar return?

I do not know how justified it is to draw parallels between the U.S. Presidential election and the Assembly election in Bihar. I live in the U.S. but watch and read about Indian politics almost daily and thus the justification. Bihar’s population is about 145 million, about 40% that of the United States. Bihar was ruled by Lalu Yadav’s family for a long time, later known as “Jungle Raj,” because of Lalu’s chaotic style of governance, propensity for personal gains, and many scandals. This election contest is between the incumbent party, an alliance with Modi’s ruling party, and the heir apparent of Lalu dynasty with no prior political experience. However, no one should dare hold political inexperience against anyone since Trump won in 2016 who had neither the political experience nor a family history of being in politics unlike Bihar.

The election battle grounds are heating up and are in the final stretches in Bihar and the U.S. with Modi playing role in both. In Bihar, he has held rallies to protect and preserve his own political alliance where polling begins on October 28 in three phases and election results anticipated on November 10. A good friendship between Modi and Trump, at least politically speaking since Howdy Modi event in Houston, is influencing Indian American community to rally for Trump Raj. There is evidence that Modi government, directly or indirectly, has advocated for Trump Raj to return. I have raised the issue earlier if India is ready if Trump Raj did not return. I hope and believe that Modi has the knowhow and diplomatic skills to quickly build strong relations with the U.S. if there is no Trump Raj.

The election in the U.S. appears to be highly divisive, and perhaps toxic, more than ever before between the incumbent Trump and Biden who has been in politics for more than 4 decades. The U.S. goes to polls on November 3 although more than 50 million of 150 million voters, ( in fact it has gone to about 58 million on October 25) have already voted by mail (or early in person where permitted) partly due to the fear of COVID related infections because of overcrowding on November 3. Additionally, large number of people with leaning for Biden, have voted early to strongly counter the unsubstantiated conspiracy theory by Trump alleging fraud in mailed ballots. The unprecedented volume of ballots before November 3 must be counted only after the elections close which, in all probability, may delay the declaration of the winner by about a week to almost match that of Bihar on or about November 10. The election outcome being challenged in the courts cannot be ruled out particularly if Trump Raj does not return. President Trump has stated it more than once.

One major issue in the U.S. elections is the unprecedented challenges and over 224,000 deaths due to COVID 19. The number of people testing positive, rate of hospitalization, and deaths are surging daily what some call “October Surprise.” Biden has openly called out and challenged Trump about COVID 19. Trump continues to defy scientific facts about COVID although he, his wife, and the youngest son were corona victims themselves. As late as a couple days ago, Trump facing Biden in the Presidential candidate debate said that corona is turning the corner, a blatant distortion of the truth.

Biden has made the issue of Trump’s lack of leadership and poor handling of coronavirus calling it “Dark Winters” ahead under Trump Raj. It seems to be working in Biden’s favor. Even if we believe that death is inevitable on a predetermined date, the family emotions and mourning associated with death cannot and must not be minimized. Trump has shown no emotions, empathy or sympathy for the sacrifices people made, and never acknowledged. He continues to treat the “dead” merely as numbers and has been in denial that Trump Raj could manage it better.  When asked if he could do anything different/better, Trump simply refused to take the responsibility and emphatically said “no” for doing anything different. What a human tragedy of unprecedented scale in the most powerful democracy and richest country in the world under Trump Raj?

Bihar had Jungle Raj for a long time under Lalu and family which ended in the last Assembly election 5 years ago when Modi emerged on the scene. Under Trump’s Raj of about 4 years, at least about half of the population in the U.S. feel neglected, frustrated, and dissatisfied with his own style of governance. The human decency and dignity have disappeared in the White House. Trump has disparaged anyone and everyone who offered advice/comment against his own including his tantrums against White House press core and free press in general.  The American democracy, freedom, and Presidential decorum, which have stood the test of time for hundreds of years, became the things of the past in Trump Raj. It is uncertain that Trump’s political alliance with Modi will let Trump turn the tide among Indian Americans’ to vote for Trump Raj to continue. I personally don’t have a strong liking for either candidate, but I already voted and hopefully chose the “winner” and the better of the two.

Consider the impact of Trump’s latest statement in a public forum calling the” friendly” India filthy (“Look at India. It’s filthy. The air is filthy.”). I was totally stunned when Trump said it during the debate. In my view it was neither a smart act nor warranted to defend his own policy of withdrawing the U.S. from Paris Accord.  Let us not deny the truth of India’s pollution problems, but also not ignore that Trump as a leader or anyone else has no right to minimize another sovereign country. It may be a mere statement of fact but would the Americans like the U.S. labelled as “Murderous America” considering the rate of murders being one of the highest in the world. Trump should know better that Modi, his own friend, has been very proactive in enforcing better pollution standards and building a cleaner and greener India. I should not be too surprised knowing that Trump discredited the most respected scientist, Anthony Fauci, who served on his coronavirus team and many other Presidents with honor and dignity for public health issues. I hate to say but the truth is that Trump appears totally incapable of separating his persona (as a controller of Trump empire) from the role of the President of the United States. He neither thinks before writing and talking nor listens to the advice of his advisors what will serve him well as President. I wonder how much damage he has done himself to the possibility of his own dream of Trump Raj to be a reality.

The vaccine against COVID 19 has become another political football being kicked around whatever suits one’s political ideology. Trump has not failed in promising the vaccine being around the corner while the informed opinion of most experts, including those in his own administration, cautiously suggesting that vaccine may not be available until March/April 2021. Trump never talked about the importance of vaccine’s efficacy and safety to gain people’s trust and build confidence. If there was a miracle that the vaccine gets successfully launched as Trump keeps saying, fewer people may accept it as being safe. Biden, on the other hand, is following the advice of the experts about COVID 19 and the vaccine. However, he has pledged free COVID vaccine for everybody; who knows if it is just an election stunt or will become a reality in the end. The political leadership under Modi is also promising free COVID vaccine for all in Bihar elections to win favors from the voters at the ballot box.

Free and fair elections are the heart and soul of any thriving democracy which empower people to choose right over wrong and good over evil. Historically, India and the U.S. have done well on both counts except some “dark” periods now and then. In my humble view, India cannot afford Bihar to go back to the Jungle Raj of the past. We need Bihar development to continue for the greater good and not return to the anarchy, corruption, total failure of law and order and the family dynasty. In the U.S., it is my view that the Trump Raj has dumb downed our very foundation as a free society. President Trump has consistently shown the pathological behavior of not speaking the truth. According to one estimate, Trump has distorted the facts about the deadly COVID 38 times using phrases like it is going away; it will go away soon, it is turning corner etc. We must acknowledge that the U.S. under Trump Raj has done well in keeping the stock market up and thus helping the small investors keep their portfolios in good shape. However, it has made the rich richer and the tax concessions during Trump Raj have helped big corporations, like Trump’s own empire, get bigger.

I am not an Astrologer to predict the future nor want to second guess the winner in either Bihar or the U.S. because of the complex issues and an open and neck to neck contest. But both elections have the most serious issue and challenges associated with the deadly coronavirus pandemic which is not going away anytime soon. I am fearful that Trump Raj’s return will worsen things because of Trump’s total disregard for science and the experts and no long term public health policy.

Let the voters wisely make their choice in Bihar if they liked and want the yesteryear of Jungle Raj. Likewise, let the American voters, including those of us of Indian heritage, choose who would better protect the dignity of the White House and restore the U.S. image globally. Let us bet on the Best of America which it has been at home and globally and not just Making America Great Again. Let us hope that American democracy restores the DNA of decency and dignity and not disparagement no matter who moves in the White House for the next four years.

Finally, as responsible citizens of our respective countries with established democracies, we must honor and cherish the people’s will- whether it is the return of Jungle Raj, Trump Raj or xxx Raj.

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