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होली की पौराणिक पृष्ठभूमि एवं क्षेत्रीय परंपरायें

वैभव वर्मा
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होली की पौराणिक पृष्ठभूमि एवं क्षेत्रीय परंपरायें

हिंदू संस्कृति में समस्त उत्सवों का अपना एक विशेष महत्व है, जिसमें से ही एक महत्वपूर्ण पर्व है होली जिसे महापर्व के रूप में भी परिभाषित किया जाता है। इसका सर्वसामान्य स्वरूप केवल भारत के विभिन्न भागों में ही नहीं, अपितु विश्व के अन्य राष्ट्रों में भी किसी न किसी रूप में पाया जाता है। मूलतः यह उत्सव दो भागों में मनाया जाता है, एक है हमारी परंपरा व शास्त्रविधान को मानते हुए होलिका दहन और दूसरा उसके अगले दिन झूमर-बसंत आदि रागों को गा-बजाकर, रंगों के साथ उत्सव मनाना। इन सभी के साथ यह पर्व अपने आप में आनंद लिए होता है।

होली पर्व का मूल होलिका की कथा में है, जो कि हिरण्यकश्यपु की बहन थी। हिरणकश्यपु ने स्वयं को अजेय माना एवं भगवान के रूप में पूजे जाने का आदेश दिया किंतु भगवान विष्णु के परमभक्त, उसके अपने पुत्र प्रहलाद ने इस आदेश की अव्हेलना की जिसके दंडस्वरूप उसने भक्त प्रहलाद को मारने की विभिन्न चेष्टायें की किंतु वह असफल रहा, अंत में उसकी बहन होलिका, जिसे अग्नि में ना जलने का वरदान प्राप्त था वह भक्त प्रहलाद को गोद में लेकर अग्नि में प्रवेश कर गई किंतु ईश्वरीय महिमा से होलिका तो उस अग्नि में जल गई किंतु भक्त प्रहलाद सुरक्षित रहा। होलिका दहन की यह परंपरा इसी कारण आरंभ हुई इस उत्सवाग्नि को पुनीत माना जाता है।

इस जीवंत त्यौहार को भारत के विभिन्न विभिन्न क्षेत्रों में विभिन्न विभिन्न तरीकों से मनाया जाता है, होली उत्तरप्रदेश के सबसे लोकप्रिय और दिलचस्प त्योहारों में से एक है यहां मथुरा, वृंदावन की गलियों में होली को बहुत ही भव्य तरीके से मनाया जाता है एवं लठमार होली यहां की एक महत्वपूर्ण व प्रसिद्ध परंपरा है। पंजाब में कई स्थानों पर होली के अगले दिन होला मोहाला उत्सव मनाया जाता है जिसमें विभिन्न प्रकार की कलाओं का प्रदर्शन, कुश्ती, कविता वाचन एवं भोज होता है। बिहार राज्य में होली फगुवा नाम से प्रसिद्ध है, यहां इसमें नृत्य एवं लोकगीत शामिल होते हैं एवं रंगों का उपयोग प्रचुर मात्रा में होता है।

पश्चिम बंगाल में इसे कई क्षेत्रों में डोलयात्रा के रूप में मनाया जाता है एवं यह भी श्रीकृष्ण को समर्पित है। मणिपुर में यह पर्व यह यावोल शांग नाम से पांच दिवसीय महोत्सव के रूप में होता है वहीं केरल में इसे कुछ जगह मंजुल कुली कहा जाता है एवं दो दिवसीय पूजा-पाठ अर्चना के विभिन्न आयोजन किए जाते हैं। इस प्रकार हम देखते हैं भारत में अलग-अलग जगह अलग-अलग प्रकार की परंपराओं के साथ यह महापर्व मनाया जाता है। होली सर्वसाधारण का पर्व है इस दिन छोटे-बड़े, ऊंच-नीच, भेदभाव मिटाकर सभी समरसता के साथ पर्व को मनाते है। होली एक ऐसा पर्व है जो खुशियों, रंगो, उत्साह और सौहार्द्र का प्रतीक है यह सर्दियों को विदा करने के साथ ही बसंत ऋतु का भी स्वागत करता है।

इस बहुप्रतीक्षित महापर्व होली की आप सभी को हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं….. जय श्री राम

मनुस्मृति में नारी का स्थान: सनातन धर्मी का एक वामपंथी से शास्त्रार्थ

Nagendra Pratap Singh
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मनुस्मृति में नारी का स्थान: सनातन धर्मी का एक वामपंथी से शास्त्रार्थ

मित्रों जैसा कि आप अब तक हमारे वामपंथी मित्र को जान चुके होंगे, जो कि जन्म से तो सनातन धर्मी है, परन्तु कर्म से वामपंथी हैं। उन्हें एक बार पुन: सनातन धर्म में बुराई दिखाने कि महत्वकान्छा और उनकी प्रवृत्ति ने विवश कर दिया और वो बड़े हि वेग से मेरे पास आए और आते हि कुशलक्षेम पूछने और जानने की औपचारिकता को परे रखते हुए प्रश्न किया “तुम सनातन धर्मी नारियो का सम्मान नहीं करते और तुम्हारी जो मनुस्मृति है वो सच में जलाने लायक ही है।

मैंने पूछा मित्र नारियो के संबंध में तुमने ऐसा क्या मनुस्मृति में पढ़ लिया, जो तुम्हें इतना बुरा लगा। व्वामपंथी मित्र ने उत्तर देते हुए कहा कि मित्र तुम्हारी मनुस्मृति संस्कृत में है इसलिए मैं नहीं पढ़ पाया परन्तु जिन्होंने पढ़ा है, उन्होंने बताया है कि इसमें नारी को दोयम दर्जे का बताया गया है।

मैंने पुन: पूछा कि मित्र जिन्होंने तुम्हें बताया है, क्या वे भी “लाल सलाम” वाले हैं तो वामपंथी मित्र ने कहा हाँ। मैंने पुन: पूछा कि क्या वे संस्कृत जानते हैं तो मित्र ने तपाक से कहा कि नहीं वो भी संस्कृत नहीं जानते पर वो ब्रिटेन से पढ़ कर आए हैं और अंग्रेजी बहुत अच्छी प्रकार से जानते हैं। मै वामपंथी मित्र कि मूर्खता और अज्ञानता पर जोर से हँसा फिर उनकी प्रकृति को ध्यान में रख उन्हें मनुस्मृति में नारियो के संदर्भ में दिए गए ज्ञान में से कुछ ज्ञान से अवगत कराया जो निम्न प्रकार से है:

मनुस्मृति अध्याय ३ श्लोक ५५

पितृभिर्भ्रातृभिश्चैताः पतिभिर्देवरैस्तथा । पूज्या भूषयितव्याश्च बहुकल्याणं ईप्सुभिः।।

बहु कल्याण के इच्छुक पिता, भाई, पति और देवर भूपण (गहने) और वस्त्रों से स्त्री की पूजा करें अर्थात् स्त्री को सन्तुष्ट करें। इसे और खुले रूप में हम इस प्रकार समझ सकते हैं कि पिता, भ्राता, पति और देवर को योग्य है कि अपनी कन्या, बहन, स्त्री और भौजाई आदि स्त्रियों की सदा पूजा करें अर्थात् यथायोग्य मधुरभाषण, भोजन, वस्त्र, आभूषण आदि से प्रसन्न रक्खें जिन को कल्याण की इच्छा हो वे स्त्रियों को क्लेश कभी न देवें । इस प्रकार इस श्लोक से मनुस्मृति “स्त्री” अर्थात “नारी” के संतुष्टि या प्रसन्नता को सुरक्षित रखने का प्रयास करती है। वो पुरुष को सावधान करते हुए कहती है कि यदि बहुधा प्रकार के कल्याण कि कामना करते हो तो अपनी कन्या, बहन, स्त्री (पत्नी) और भौजाई (बड़े भाई की पत्नी) को यथायोग्य मधुरभाषण, भोजन, वस्त्र, आभूषण आदि से प्रसन्न रक्खें उनसे किसी प्रकार का क्लेश ना करें।

मैंने पूछा वामपंथी से कि उक्त श्लोक तो किसी आसमानी किताब का नहीं अपितु मनुस्मृति का हि है फिर तुम्हारा आरोप तो मिथ्या अपवन्चना के अतिरिक्त कुछ भी नहीं। मेरे जनम से सनातन धर्मी पर कर्म से वामपंथी मित्र चिढते हुए ढिठाई से बोले तो क्या एक दो श्लोक से मनुस्मृति थोड़े अच्छी हो जाएगी।

मैंने पुन: पवित्र मनुस्मृति से एक तथ्य और उसके समक्ष रखा जो इस प्रकार है:- मनुस्मृति अध्याय ३ श्लोक ५६

“यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते तत्र देवताः। यत्रैतास्तु न पूज्यन्ते सर्वास्तत्राफलाः क्रियाः।।

हे वामपंथी सुनो:-जिस कुल में स्त्रियों की पूजा होती है उस कुल में देवता रमते (विहार करते) हैं। और जहाँ नारियों की पूजा नहीं होती वहाँ सब क्रियायें निष्फल होती हैं। अब इसे और  सरल शब्दों में जानो: जिस कुल में नारियों की पूजा अर्थात् सत्कार होता है उस कुल में दिव्य गुण – दिव्य भोग और उत्तम सन्तान होते हैं और जिस कुल में स्त्रियों की पूजा अर्थात उनके सुख और संतुष्टि पर ध्यान ना देकर उनके साथ क्लेश किया जाता हो, वहां जानो उनकी सब क्रिया निष्फल हैं।

मनुस्मृति अध्याय ३ श्लोक ५७

शोचन्ति जामयो यत्र विनश्यत्याशु तत्कुलम् । न शोचन्ति तु यत्रैता वर्धते तद्धि सर्वदा ।।

जिस कुल में स्त्रियों को कष्ट होता है वह कुल शीघ्र ही नाश हो जाता है। और जहाँ नारियों को सुख होता है वह कुल सदैव फलता फूलता है। दूसरे शब्दों में  जिस कुल में स्त्रियां अपने – अपने पुरूषों के अधार्मिक कार्यों अर्थात वेश्यागमन, अत्याचार वा व्यभिचार आदि दोषों से शोकातुर रहती हैं वह कुल शीघ्र नाश को प्राप्त हो जाता है और जिस कुल में स्त्रीजन पुरूषों के उत्तम आचरणों से प्रसन्न रहती हैं वह कुल सर्वदा बढ़ता रहता है।

मैंने अपने जन्म से सनातन धर्मी पर कर्म से वामपंथी मित्र को एक और श्लोक मनुस्मृति में दिखलाया और उसका अर्थ बताया जो कुछ इस प्रकार है:

मनुस्मृति अध्याय ३ श्लोक ५८

जामयो यानि गेहानि शपन्त्यप्रतिपूजिताः । तानि कृत्याहतानीव विनश्यन्ति समन्ततः ।।

मैंने अर्थ बताते हुए कहा हे मित्र “जिन कुल और घरों में अपूजित अर्थात् सत्कार को न प्राप्त होकर स्त्रीलोग  गृहस्थों को शाप देती हैं वे कुल तथा गृहस्थ जैसे विष देकर बहुतों को एक बार नाश कर देवें वैसे चारों ओर से नष्ट – भ्रष्ट हो जाते हैं। अर्थात मित्र जिस भी कुल में स्त्रियों को उचित सम्मान संतुष्टि और सुख प्राप्त नहीं होता तो उनके द्वारा दिए गए शाप् से उस कुल का सर्वनाश हो जाता है।

मनुस्मृति अध्याय ३ श्लोक ५९

तस्मादेताः सदा पूज्या भूषणाच्छादनाशनैः । भूतिकामैर्नरैर्नित्यं सत्करेषूत्सवेषु च ।।

इस हेतु धनेच्छुक मनुष्यों को चाहिये कि वह अपनी स्त्रियों को आवश्यकता से सन्तुष्ट रक्खें जिससे वे उत्तम सन्तान सुप्रसव करें।इस कारण ऐश्वर्य की इच्छा करने वाले पुरूषों को योग्य है कि इन स्त्रियों को सत्कार के अवसरों और उत्सवों में भूषण, वस्त्र, खान – पान आदि से सदा पूजा अर्थात् सत्कारयुक्त प्रसन्न रखें।

मनुस्मृति अध्याय ३ श्लोक ६२

स्त्रियां तु रोचमानायां सर्वं तद्रोचते कुलम्। तस्यां त्वरोचमानायां सर्वं एव न रोचते।।

स्त्री के प्रसन्न रहने से सब कुल प्रसन्न रहता है और स्त्री के अप्रसन्न रहने से सब कुल अप्रसन्न रहता है।

उपरोक्त श्लोको से मैंने अपने वामपंथी मित्र कि मिथ्या अवधारणा को चकनाचुर कर दिया और फिर पूछा कि हे वामपंथी मित्र मनुस्मृति के उपरोक्त श्लोक जिस प्रकार स्त्री अर्थात नारी को सम्मान देने कि प्रेरणा देते हैं, क्या कोई और किताब ऐसा कहती है, जिसे तुम मानते हो या तुम्हारे वो मित्र मानते हैं जो ब्रिटेन से अंग्रेजी सिख आये हैं। वामपंथी मित्र तो एक बार पुन: निरुत्तर हो चुके थे अत: मैंने सनातन धर्म में नारियो को दिए गए उच्चतम स्थान को दर्शाता एक और श्लोक सुनाकर उसका अर्थ समझाया जो इस प्रकार है:-

नास्ति मातृसमा छाया, नास्ति मातृसमा गतिः। नास्ति मातृसमं त्राण, नास्ति मातृसमा प्रिया।।

अर्थात माँ के समान कोई छाया नहीं, माँ के समान कोई सहारा नहीं। माँ के समान कोई रक्षक नहीं है और माँ के समान कोई प्रिय वस्तु नहीं है और हे वामपंथी मित्र माँ बनने का सौभाग्य तो परमेश्वर ने केवल नारी को हि दिया है।

मैंने पुन: कहा हे मित्र “नारी अस्य समाजस्य कुशलवास्तुकारा अस्ति।” अर्थात नारियां समाज की आदर्श शिल्पकार होती हैं और यही सोच, समझ और विश्वास तो मनुस्मृति मनुष्य समाज में उत्पन्न करती है, फिर आप लोग इसे अपमानित क्यों करते हैं। और हे वामपंथी तुम्हें ऐसा क्यों लगता है कि जो अंग्रेजी भाषा का जानकार है वहीं सब कुछ जानता है या वहीं विद्वान् है। मित्र ये तो हीन भावना का परिचायक है। अंग्रेजी तो ब्रिटेन के भिखारी और अनपढ़ भी बोलते हैं इसका अर्थ ये तो नहीं कि वे भिखारी और अनपढ़ होते हुए भी चुंकि अंग्रेजी जानते हैं तो श्रेष्ठ है और विद्वान है।

मैंने पुन: कहा हे वामपंथी तनिक सोचो क्या  साहित्य विषय से स्नातक उपाधि अर्जित करने वाला व्यक्ति विज्ञान के अंतर्गत किसी संज्ञा जैसे Gravity को समझा सकता है नहीं ना क्योंकि साहित्य में Gravity का अर्थ कुछ और है और विज्ञान में कुछ और। इसी प्रकार क्या साईकिल चलाने वाला व्यक्ति विमान उडा सकता है, नहीं ना, उसे विमान उडाने के लिए प्रशिक्षण लेकर प्रशिक्षित पायलट तो बनना पड़ेगा ना। मेरे मित्र ठीक उसी प्रकार अंग्रेजो के देश से अंग्रेजी सीखकर आया कोई व्यक्ति भला संस्कृत कैसे जान सकता है, उसे संस्कृत में लिखी गई पुस्तकों को समझने के लिए “संस्कृत” भाषा तो सीखनी पड़ेगी।

मेरे दिए गए उदाहरण से संतुष्ट होकर भी असंतुष्ट होने का भाव प्रकट करते हुए मेरे जन्म से सनातन धर्मी पर कर्म से वामपंथी मित्र अपने शीश को झटका देते हुए पराजित भावभंगिमा के साथ वंहा से चलें गए। और मैं वामपन्थियों की कुटिलता और सनातन धर्म से वैमनस्यता को इसी प्रकार उत्तर देने का संकल्प लेकर अपने कार्यों में व्यस्त हो गया।

Is Amritpal Singh the next Bhindranwale? The dramatic rise of a separatist leader in Punjab

anuj61
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Is Amritpal Singh the next Bhindranwale? The dramatic rise of a separatist leader in Punjab

The current situation in Punjab is deeply concerning and has instilled a sense of fear among the public. The rise of Amritpal Singh and his demands for a separate state in Punjab have reignited concerns about the Khalistan movement and its potential to disrupt peace and stability in the region. Amritpal Singh has emerged as a prominent figure in the separatist movement, with a hidden agenda to revive the Khalistan movement.

He successfully took control of “Waris Punjab De,” an organization that claims to work for Punjabis and the Punjab cause, after the controversial death of its previous leader, Deep Sidhu, in a car accident.Singh’s activism began with his anti-drug yatra before openly calling for a separate state.

In recent months, he has become more aggressive in his demands, culminating in his high-spirited mob storming the Ajnala police station, located just 15 km away from the Indo-Pak border, on February 23, 2023.

Singh’s group demanded the release of one of his men named Lovepreet Toofan, claiming that the FIR against Toofan was fake and had been registered under political pressure. He gave a four-day ultimatum to the state before storming the station on Friday.

Within a couple of hours, the Punjab AAP government capitulated and announced the release of Toofan within 24 hours. This incident has drawn nationwide criticism from the public and across the political spectrum. Many are questioning the government’s ability to maintain law and order in the region and prevent such violent incidents from occurring in the future.

Experts are split on whether Amritpal Singh should be viewed as Bhindranwale 2.0, a reference to the cult figure who led the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Some believe that Singh does not currently enjoy the same level of cult support as Bhindranwale once did, but others argue that his recent actions are a cause for concern.The recent incident at the Ajnala police station is just one example of the growing threat posed by separatist groups in the region.

It is crucial for authorities to remain vigilant and take appropriate measures to address this rising threat before it escalates into a larger conflict. The public is fearful of the potential consequences of this rising separatist movement. There are concerns about the impact on the economy and the safety of citizens in the region. Many worry that the situation could escalate quickly, leading to further violence and instability in the area.

West Bengal and 21 February- UNESCO International Mother Language Day

Dr Jadabeswar Bhattacharjee
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West Bengal and 21 February- UNESCO International Mother Language Day

Each year, 21 February is celebrated world-wide as “UNESCO International Mother Language Day” (IMLD). It is observed to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. Celebration of the Day was started in 1999. IMLD has its roots in the imposition of Urdu in the then East Pakistan, as National Language, by the Pakistan Government. Bengali speaking people of the then East Pakistan refused to accept Urdu Language, which was foreign to them.

On 21 February, 1952 there was a massive public protest in Dhaka, violating curfew order, demanding Bengali Language to be the National Language of East Pakistan. In Police firing on the protest march, five student protesters had died. After independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971, a group of Bangladeshi started giving efforts in a sustained manner to commemorate 21 February internationally and they succeeded in 1999, when UNESCO agreed to observe IMLD each year.

Bengali speaking people of West Bengal want to enjoy the reflected glory from Bangladesh on 21 February on a wrong premise. Since Bengali language is common in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, the Bongs try to derive glory from the sacrifices made in Dhaka in upholding the honour of Bengali language.

Very surprisingly, these Bongs are oblivious of the fact that on 19 May 1961, eleven Bengali youths (Kamala, Sachin, Hitesh, Sukamal, Kumud, Sunil, Biren, Satyen, Tarani, Chandi and Kanai) gave their lives in Police firing in Silchar town of Bark valley, Assam, for protecting Bengali language against the imposition of Assamese as state language in the valley. The Bongs are so stupid that instead of feeling pride about their own 11 language martyrs, they get hyper on 21 February each year. In the process Bongs look comical like “Begani Shaadi Mey Abdullah Dewana”.

Despite the commonality, the Bengali language of Bangladesh and West Bengal is not identical. There is a wide difference in the usage of vocabulary. While in West Bengal, Bengali language mostly uses the words derived from Sanskrit, in Bangladesh it uses a big proportion of words of foreign Arabic, Turkic and Farsi origin. In West Bengal only those foreign words are used which have no Sanskrit-derived equivalents. But in Bangladesh, use of foreign origin words is very liberal and connects to Islamic identity of the people.

In Bengali language of West Bengal, foreign Turkic words like Toshok (mattress), Daroga (Police officer), Top (cannon) and Chakar (servant) etc. are used as these have no Bengali equivalents. Similarly, some Arabic and Farsi words are also used. But in the case of the Bengali language of Bangladesh, many additional foreign words like Paani (water-Jal), Ammi (mother-Maa), Gasol (bath-Snan), Gost (meat-Mangsho) and Dawat (invitation-Nimontran) etc. are used which have commonly used Bengali equivalents from Sanskrit, as shown in Italics in the parentheses.

Many Bengali Muslim intellectuals of East Pakistan also gave a determined effort to use Arabic alphabets for writing Bengali during 1947-48. The mode then changed in favour of Roman alphabets and continued as late as 1957-58. Their main intention was to dissociate Bengali language from Hindu influence in Islamic East Pakistan. So, from the beginning of East Pakistan days, Bengali Muslims there had the intention to de-Hinduise Bengali language in East Pakistan. Bongs should not forget this part of history too.

Over the years and decades Bengali language of East Pakistan and Bangladesh incorporated more and more Arabic, Turkic and Farsi words as it enhanced their Muslim identity and differentiate their Bengali language from the Bengali language used by the Hindus of West Bengal. Incidentally, under cultural influence, a large section of Muslims of West Bengal follow their Hindu brothers and speak Bengali language of the state.

Languages are ever changing. Languages keep on changing with passage of time and as per the needs of the society. There is no harm if the Bengali language of West Bengal and Bangladesh takes different courses and progress in their own ways. It had started so long back too. But unnecessary attachment of Bongs with Bangladesh in general, and 21 February in particular, is only confusing the situation in West Bengal.

Hyper-excitement of Bongs with Bangladesh and 21 February is beyond all sane comprehension. This romanticization of Bangladesh and 21 February by the Bongs, particularly the refugee descendants, is highly deceptive and self-defeating. Bongs create the tower of ‘love Bangladesh’ obsession on the basis of some anecdotal incidences and selective inter-actions. In earlier days, their grandparents used to lament “Aamaago Ekda Deysh Aachhilo” (we had an ancestral land).

Unlike India and Pakistan, Bangladeshi Muslims do not use the word ‘Kafir’ for Hindu Bengalis. They use the word ‘Malaun’ for them, meaning accursed. Bangladesh, which got independence from Pakistan on the basis of race and language has been undergoing fast Islamization to be another Pakistan. Burqa, beard, skull-cap, Pajama above-ankle and long shirt below-knee are commonplace in Bangladesh now, which were rare fifty years back. The Islamization of Bangladesh has not only influenced the dress-code, but Bengali language also.

This article is written for the fact that on 16 February 2023, that is, five days before IMLD on 21 February, the statue of Rabindranath Tagore was destroyed in the campus of Dhaka University. Rabindranath Tagore has been the tallest figure in Bengali literature. But his Hindu religious identity could cause extreme hatred among Bangladeshi Muslims.

Bangladeshi Muslims are Muslims first. This was the reason why their grandfathers created Islamic East Pakistan in 1947. They have been aggressively Muslims always. Islam is their state religion. But the stupid Bongs refuse to understand these facts and love to remain in the delusion of “Bengali-ness” of Bangladeshi Muslims.

A large section of Bangladeshi youth now aligns more with Pakistan, for commonality of religion, than with Hindu-majority India. Religion plays the most dominant role in the identity of Bangladeshi. Language and race are all secondary to them and can be shaped by Islam alone. So, Bongs need to grow-up.

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About the author: Jadabeswar Bhattacharjee served in the Government of India and retired as Higher Administrative Grade Officer after 35 years of service. After retirement from the service, he developed interest in writing on contentious issues and topics. His published books are (1) Politically incorrect Point of View, (2) Politics, Bong and Faith, (3) The Alternative Narrative, (4) The West Bengal Saga and (5) Political Islam and India.

Artificial Intelligence: The potential job killer

aryanjakhar
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Artificial Intelligence: The potential job killer

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought about significant changes to the workforce, creating both opportunities and challenges for businesses and employees. While AI can improve efficiency, productivity, and accuracy, it also has the potential to displace jobs that were once considered secure.

AI-powered automation can perform routine and repetitive tasks more quickly and accurately than humans, reducing the need for manual labor. In manufacturing, for example, robots can assemble products faster and with fewer errors than humans, leading to increased production and reduced labor costs. In the transportation industry, self-driving vehicles are poised to replace human drivers in the near future, potentially causing job losses for millions of drivers.

However, the impact of AI on jobs is not limited to blue-collar workers. White-collar jobs such as accounting, legal work, and customer service are also at risk of being automated. AI-powered chatbots can provide customer service around the clock without the need for human interaction, while AI algorithms can analyze legal documents and contracts with greater speed and accuracy than human lawyers.

According to a report by McKinsey Global Institute, up to 800 million jobs worldwide could be lost to automation by 2030. The report predicts that the jobs most at risk are those that involve predictable physical tasks, data processing, and data collection. However, the report also notes that new jobs will be created as a result of AI, such as those related to the development and maintenance of AI systems.

The challenge for governments and businesses is to ensure that workers are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to adapt to the changing labor market. This may involve investing in education and training programs that focus on developing skills that are complementary to AI, such as creativity, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence.

In conclusion, while AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we work, it also has the potential to displace jobs and create significant social and economic challenges. To mitigate the negative effects of AI on the labor market, policymakers and business leaders must take a proactive approach to re-skilling and upskilling workers, so that they can thrive in the AI-powered economy of the future.

The essence of test cricket is missing

Rituraj Baruah
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The essence of test cricket is missing

If we want results in three days by preparing wickets that turn from the word play of the test match, then we are contributing to the death of test cricket. If we prepare wickets where spinners have to open bowling with new balls, then we are spoiling the very essence of test cricket. We are deprived of seeing beautiful run-ups by fast bowlers, the battle with short pitched balls, the art of deceiving batters with masterly swing bowling, and many more.

All of this is taken away from us, depriving us of a beautiful part of the game to fully enjoy it. Thus, the current test series between Australia and India lacks the flavour of test cricket. Hence, people won’t be interested in watching test matches on TV as intently or come to the stadium to watch them.

By the same token, what will happen to the telecast rights? If the investors are deprived of advertisement opportunities for more than two days of a test match and that too for three consecutive matches, how will they get a good price for selling slots and why will they invest at a high rate? So this way, test cricket will not be able to contribute much to the coffers. We will be solely dependent on IPL, which is not a healthy sign.

What Ian Chappell said was correct. India have forgotten that they have won many test matches in Australia in recent times. India won the last two test series in Australia, in 2018–19 and again in 2020–21. India failed to assess its own strengths. Indian batters are no longer afraid of facing fast bowlers on bouncy wickets; rather, they have mastered it. On the other hand, India have produced world-class fast bowlers who can intimidate any batter on bouncy wickets.

In the series 2020–21, Siraj, a bowler from the bench, showed what he can do on bouncy wickets. Currently on these turning tracks, Shami and Umesh showed how good they are, even though they got only a few overs to bowl. So, why does India need to be defensive? India need to come out of these mental shackles.

Furthermore, overseas players are no longer shy about playing good spin bowling. They are now equipped with the right techniques to play high class spin bowling. Batters such as Steve Smith, Khawaja, Labuschagne, Williamson, Root and Stokes play spinners better than many Indian batters.

Indian front line batters seldom play domestic cricket, so they do not get sufficient match practice against spin bowlers, which makes them uncomfortable while facing quality spinners in test matches. That is getting exposed and has become an area of concern for the team management. So we cannot claim that we play well on spinning wickets and success is guaranteed. If that is the scenario, why should we make turning wickets?

We have to also see that other nations that play test matches have produced quality spinners who can trouble any batter on any wicket. We have seen bowlers like Muralitharan, Shane Warne, and Vettori in the recent past, and bowlers like Lyon, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid going great guns with upcoming bowlers like Murphy and Kuhnemann making the spin arena quite formidable, which cannot be underestimated. We are asking for trouble if we give them a tailor made track.

Spin bowling is a unique art, and it has to be part and parcel of test cricket. It brings in variety. Stealth formation from the spinners, luring the batsmen into mistakes is another art form in Test cricket that no cricket lover would want to miss. But as a team, we should not be overly dependent on it. There has to be a balance, otherwise, results like Indore is inevitable.

Winning test matches on manipulated pitches gives no satisfaction. We want to see India making fast wickets and winning test matches against teams like Australia, England, and South Africa, who have powerful fast bowling attacks. Then only we can claim we are world beaters.

Is the ideologically leftist media ruling our brains?

anahita
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Is the ideologically leftist media ruling our brains?

I received an infographic showing the political alignment of leading media and publishing houses in the USA and the UK. You can see the infographic here.

It is remarkable to see the dominance of leftist publications to the extent that anything on the centre of the right is considered the source of fake news and detrimental to society. CNN, BBC, TIME, and The New York Times, all well-known news sources, align with political-left views. What confounds me is that in a capitalist society like the US, left-leaning media thrives and overwhelmingly shapes opinions. Politically right-aligned media like FoxNews get discredited and even ridiculed for their news and point of view.

The situation in other democratic societies is not different, where the popular media espouses political-left opinions. For example, in India, major newspapers and TV channels, The Hindu, Outlook, Frontline, and NDTV all have heavy left leanings.

Here it is essential to understand the difference between free media and unbiased media. In most democratic societies, free media exists but it does not mean that it is unbiased. Journalistic ethics allow media to have bias to support a point of view. But it is easy to breach a thin line between having a point of view and resorting to outright activism, which the websites like The Wire do in India. When the readers get balanced information then they can make the right decisions.

In our times, the left-biased media dominance is the fact of the day that constantly bombards us with the news and opinions from the ‘reputed sources’. They effectively control our brains to judge what is right or wrong by providing us with their ideological compass of morality and ethical conduct.

The desire to get a balanced view has made alternative media sources popular, which often take a political-right stand and provide commentary from perspectives that do not suit the left-aligned media. Donald Trump called mainstream media lame-stream media and refused to speak with the mainstream journalists for their biased opinions often against Trump.

PM Modi prefers direct dialogue with all sections of society. In India, Opindia, Swarajya, and The Jaipur Dialogues provide the news and views about the events, which the ‘reputed media’ blacks out or underreports.

Alternate channels enjoy huge viewership but still they come under attack for spreading the hate and fake news from the left biased media. In our world, where the left biased media has claimed the crown of respectability and authenticity, the democracies can be best served with balanced views. This makes alternative media the sixth column of democracy that we learn to follow and respect.

Anahita is based in Europe and runs an organization called The Culture Club.

Lessons for cash-strapped Pakistan from India’s 1991 economic crisis

si747
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Lessons for cash-strapped Pakistan from India’s 1991 economic crisis

Pakistan’s economy has severely taken a turn for the worst in the past year. The Russia-Ukraine crisis, the recent devastating floods in Pakistan, and uncontrolled external debt has caused a steep rise in prices of commodities. Industries have scaled down or terminated operations entirely causing the unemployment of hundreds of thousands. Inflation might reach 33% by the end of the current fiscal year. The rupee has depreciated by around 44% since April 2022.

Fitch, Moody, and S&P have all downgraded Pakistan’s rating 7 times in the last 10 months – unprecedented for the country. The external debt stands at around $126.3 billion. The forex reserves stand at a feeble $3 billion which means the country is severely close to defaulting. The IMF is forcing the government to adopt tougher taxation policies for a bailout, which will irk the populace further. The situation is so dire that around 800,000 Pakistani professionals exited the country in 2022 primarily due to a lack of jobs and the stifling prices of everyday commodities.

However, what is transpiring in Pakistan is not a unique phenomenon. In fact, its arch-nemesis and neighbor India went through a similar and in many ways worse, ordeal in 1991.

India in 1991

In 1991, India was suffering a twin deficit where its fiscal deficit was around 8.4% of its GDP and its current account deficit was around 3% of the GDP. India’s forex reserves were stagnating between $1.3 to $1.5 billion, and at the time, this meant that it would be unable to meet its import requirements for even three weeks. The low reserves led to a sharp depreciation of the Indian rupee as well.

During this time, the total external debt had risen to over $70 billion (one of the highest in the world then). Akin to Pakistan’s current crisis, India too was downgraded by Moody. The situation became so catastrophic that the Chandra Shekhar government could not even pass the budget in February 1991. The downgrading by Moody also meant that borrowing from international creditors had become more costly. Inflation hovered high around 14% followed by low growth and rising unemployment. 

To stay afloat, the country needed an emergency IMF bailout. It did this by desperately pledging its gold reserves – initially 20 tonnes of gold was sent abroad to raise $234 million. Later, India’s RBI surreptitiously airlifted 47 tonnes of gold to the Bank of England to secure $400 million. When the public discovered this, there was massive outrage and the Chandra Shekhar government crumbled soon after.

Indian Recovery: A Few Good Men

After Chandra Shekhar’s government fell, a minority government of Narasimha Rao entered. Manmohan Singh was made finance minister on June 24, 1991 and was pivotal in changing the course of Indian history. One of the major moves the new government made was depreciating the Indian rupee in two phases – first by 9% and later by 11%. There was significant opposition to this move but it was needed.

Singh took tough decisions, and initiated economic liberalization with structural reforms, which laid the foundations of a modern India. One way this happened was via a complete revamp of India’s existing trade policy framework – the goal was to produce an export-oriented economy. India augmented trade relations with its neighbors, including China, as well as other South Asian countries.

Even during these reforms, India had to pledge gold 3 times so it did not default. The PM gave the finance ministry the autonomy it needed to make decisions that might have been unpopular politically but essential economically.  

Taxes were decreased while the country’s economy was opened up for foreign direct investments, by:

1) Dismantling the chronic license Raj.

2) Abolition of monopolies & restrictive trade laws.

3) Privatization of state-owned entities. 

These liberalization policies helped the country bolster its forex reserves – the result was that before the year’s end, India had paid off its loans for which the gold had been pledged. These reforms eventually shaped the juggernaut that became the Indian IT sector and the Indian economy in general.

Lessons for Pakistan

The main takeaway for Pakistan is that it is possible to come out of this economic crisis. Although there is no one-size-fits all solution for Pakistan, there are important lessons from India’s 1991 economic crisis:

1) Bringing in patriotic and competent people so that tough decisions can be made.

2) Desperate times call for desperate measures. Pakistan needs a bailout, whether from China and/or the IMF so the country does not default and hence has space to improve its economy. This is a double-edged sword however.

3) Essential economic reforms must be undertaken to reshape Pakistan’s economy. This includes removing red tape (to attract FDI and local startups), digitalization, and utilizing natural resources such as gas, gold, cooper, and oil so a valuable export-oriented economy is created.

4) This crisis will take its time to placate especially in the midst of such political and public outrage, therefore, equanimity is required. A great example of this is Manmohan Singh shrugging off all pressures from the Indian bureaucracy when they opposed his reforms.

हिन्दू जातिवाद: संविधान बनाम मनुस्मृति- भाग-२

Nagendra Pratap Singh
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हिन्दू जातिवाद: संविधान बनाम मनुस्मृति- भाग-२

हे मित्रों पिछले अंक में आपने देखा कि किस प्रकार भारतीय सरकार अधिनियम १९३५ को आधार बनाकर संविधान की रचना की गयी और हिन्दू समाज को संवैधानिक रूप से अगड़ा (Forward), पिछड़ा (Backward) अनुसूचित जाती (Schedule Caste) और अनुसूचित जनजाति (Schedule Tribes) में सदैव के लिए बाँट दिया। इस अंक में देखेंगे कि किस प्रकार मनुस्मृति द्वारा प्रदान की गयी वर्ण व्यवस्था इस संवैधानिक जातिगत व्यवस्था से न केवल श्रेष्ठ है अपितु समाज को जोड़ने वाली है, थी और हमेशा रहेगी:

अनुच्छेद १५ (४) के अंतर्गत राज्य को सामाजिक और आर्थिक दृष्टि से पिछड़े वर्गों के लिए प्रावधान बनाने की शक्ति प्राप्त है। 

अनुच्छेद १६ (४) के अंतर्गत राज्य को इन वर्गों के लिए सरकारी नौकरियों में स्थान पर आरक्षित करने की शक्ति प्राप्त है। संविधान में पिछड़े वर्ग की कोई परिभाषा नहीं दी गई है। सरकार को श्रेणी में आने वाले लोगों को लिखित करने की शक्ति प्राप्त है। रामकृष्ण बनाम मैसूर राज्य के मामले में सरकार ने एक आदेश द्वारा राज्य की जनसंख्या के २५ % भाग को पिछड़ा वर्ग घोषित कर दिया। यह वर्गीकरण आर्थिक सामाजिक पिछड़ेपन के आधार पर नहीं बल्कि जातिगत आधार पर किया गया था।

मैसूर उच्च न्यायालय ने उक्त आदेश को अवैध घोषित कर दिया। न्यायालय ने कहा कि पिछड़े वर्गों को उल्लेखित करने वाला सरकारी आदेश न्यायिक जांच के अधीन है। इस विषय में सरकार का निर्णय अंतिम नहीं है। न्यायालय इस बात की मांग कर सकते हैं कि सरकार का निर्णय किसी युक्तियुक्त सिद्धांत पर आधारित है या नहीं। न्यायालय इस बात की भी जांच कर सकते हैं कि किसी पद के लिए आरक्षित स्थानों नियुक्त है या नहीं। 

मित्रों इसी संविधान के दायरे रहकर मंडल कमीशन की नियुक्ति की गयी। जी हाँ वर्ष १९७९ ई में सामाजिक और शैक्षिक रूप से पिछड़े वर्ग  की स्थिति का मूल्यांकन करने के लिए मंडल आयोग को स्थापित किया गया। आयोग के पास उपजाति, जो अन्य पिछड़े वर्ग (ओबीसी (OBC)) कहलाती है, का कोई सटीक आँकड़ा था और ओबीसी की ५२% आबादी का मूल्यांकन करने के लिए १९३० की जनगणना के आँकड़े का इस्तेमाल करते हुए पिछड़े वर्ग के रूप में १,२५७ समुदायों का वर्गीकरण किया। वर्ष १९८० ई में आयोग ने एक रिपोर्ट पेश की और मौजूदा कोटा में बदलाव करते हुए २२ % से ४९.५ % वृद्धि करने की सिफारिश की। वर्ष २००६ ई जनसंख्या विवरण के अनुसार  पिछड़ी जातियों की सूची में जातियों की संख्या ३७४३  तक पहुँच गयी, जो मण्डल आयोग द्वारा तैयार समुदाय सूची में ६०% की वृद्धि है। वर्ष १९९० ई में मण्डल आयोग की सिफारिशें विश्वनाथ प्रताप सिंह द्वारा सरकारी नौकरियों में लागू किया गया। छात्र संगठनों ने राष्ट्रव्यापी प्रदर्शन शुरू किया। दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय के छात्र राजीव गोस्वामी ने आत्मदाह की कोशिश की। कई छात्रों ने इसका अनुसरण किया।

तो मित्रों इस प्रकार हम देखे तो संविधान के द्वारा निम्न तथ्यों को निर्धारित कर दिया गया:-

१:- व्यक्ति जन्म से जाती समूहों में बँटा होता है, अर्थात कोई यादव कुल में पैदा हुआ है तो वो यादव ही रहेगा और संविधान के अनुसार भले ही वो उत्तर प्रदेश का मुख्यमंत्री बन जाये पर वो पिछड़े में ही गिना जायेगा। इसी प्रकार यदि अनुसूचित जनजाति या जाती का मनुष्य देश का राष्ट्रपति ही क्यों ना बन जाये वो और उसके परिवार के लोग अनुसूचित जनजाति या जाती के ही रहेंगे; 

२:- संविधान ने भारत के कर्म प्रधान वर्ण व्यवस्था को नकार दिया;

३:- जातिगत दुर्व्यवस्था को संवैधानिक ढांचा और आरक्षण का आवरण प्राप्त हो जाने के पश्चात ये और भी मजबूत हो गयी ;

४:- अनुसूचित जनजाति या अनुसूचित जाती आयोग तथा पिछड़ा आयोग बनाकर सनातन समाज को पूर्णतया विभक्त कर दिया गया;

५:- संविधान की आड़ में जातिगत जनगड़ना की बात भी बड़ी ही बेशर्मी से उठायी जा रही है, ताकि संख्या के आधार पर पहले से विभक्त सनातन समाज को और बाँट दिया जाये;

अत: जिस सनातन समाज के वेद, सम्पूर्ण रामायण, भगवत गीता, उपनिषद, ब्राह्मण, पुराण तथा महाभारत जातिगत व्यवस्था का निषेध करते है और कर्म के आधार पर दी गयी वर्ण व्यवस्था को अपनाने का संदेश देते है, वंही हमारा संविधान जन्म पर आधारित जातिगत व्यवस्था को हो आधार मान कर अपनी सम्पूर्ण रूप रेखा तैयार करता है। 

अब आइये जरा मनुस्मृति के द्वारा दिए गए प्रावधानों को देखते हैं:-

मनुस्मृति मानव समाज को व्यवस्थित और सदाचारी बनाने का एक दर्पण है। वो असभ्य दो पैर वाले जीवो को सभ्यता की ओर अग्रसित करने वाला एक महत्वपूर्ण ग्रंथ है।

मनुस्मृति अध्याय १ श्लोक ८७

सर्वस्यास्य तु सर्गस्य गुप्त्यर्थं स महाद्युतिः।

मुखबाहूरुपज्जानां पृथक्कर्माण्यकल्पयत्।।1/87

इस सारे संसार का कार्य चलाने के हेतु ब्राह्मण, क्षत्रिय, वैश्य और शूद्र चारों वर्ण शरीर के चार भाग मुख, वाहु, उरु और पाँव के अनुसार बनाये। और चारों वर्णों के काम पृथक्-पृथक् निर्धारित किये।इस श्लोक के द्वारा मनुस्मृति स्पष्ट करती है की ब्रह्मा के शरीर को समाज मानकर “मानव समाज” की सम्पूर्ण व्यवस्था को चार वर्ण में विभाजित किया गया, जो शरीर के अंगों के कर्म से जुड़े थे, जो निम्न प्रकार है:-

मुख:- से ब्राह्मण के उत्पत्ति का अर्थ:- शरीर में मुख हि वो अंग है जो बोलने या वार्तालाप में भाग लेने के लिए उपयोग में लाया जाता है। 

मनुस्मृति अध्याय १ श्लोक ८८

अध्यापनं अध्ययनं यजनं याजनं तथा।

दानं प्रतिग्रहं चैव ब्राह्मणानां अकल्पयत्।।1/88

अत: मुख को केंद्र बनाकर मानव समाज के जो मनुष्य

वेद पढ़ना, वेद पढ़ाना, यज्ञ करना, यज्ञ कराना, दान देना और दान लेना, इन छह कर्मो में युक्त थे उन्हें  ब्राह्मण वर्ण में रखा गया।

वाहु: – से क्षत्रिय की उत्पत्ति का अर्थ:- मानव समाज में जो मनुष्य अपने अपने समाज कि रक्षा करने और दुष्टो तथा शत्रुओ  से युद्ध करने के लिए तैयार रहते थे, उन्हें क्षत्रिय वर्ण में रखा गया। यंहा हमारे शरीर में जो “वाहु” नामक २अङ् हैं वो शरीर की रक्षा करने और शारीरिक व्यवस्था को बनाये रखने के लिए अन्य सभी प्रकार के कार्य करते हैं जिससे शरीर के सभी अंगों की बराबर देखभाल कर सके अत: क्षत्रिय को वाहु से जोड़ा गया।

मनुस्मृति अध्याय १ श्लोक ८९

प्रजानां रक्षणं दानं इज्याध्ययनं एव च।

विषयेष्वप्रसक्तिश्च क्षत्रियस्य समासतः।।1/89

दुसरे और आसान शब्दों में ” न्याय से प्रजा की रक्षा अर्थात् पक्षपात छोड़के श्रेष्ठों का सत्कार और दुष्टों का तिरस्कार करना, विद्या-धर्म के प्रवर्तन और सुपात्रों की सेवा में धनादि पदार्थों का व्यय करना, अग्निहोत्रादि यज्ञ करना, वेदादि शास्त्रों का पढ़ना, और विषयों में न फंसकर जितेन्द्रिय रह के सदा शरीर और आत्मा से बलवान् रहना, ये संक्षेप से क्षत्रिय के कर्म आदिष्ट किये” अर्थात समाज के जो भी नर या मादा उस प्रकार के गुणों से युक्त होते हैँ, उन्हें क्षत्रिय कहा गया।

उरु:- उरु से वैश्य की उत्पति का अर्थ है कि जिस प्रकार मानव शरीर का उरु या पेट भोजन को संग्रहित कर उसे पकाता है पचाता है और उससे उतपन्न ऊर्जा को सम्पूर्ण शरीर में परीसन्चरित कर देता है, ठीक उसी प्रकार वैश्य वर्ण के अंतर्गत आने वाले मनुष्य भी अपने देश या राष्ट्र या समाज के लिए व्यवसाय करते हैं।

मनुस्मृति अध्याय १ श्लोक ९०

पशूनां रक्षणं दानं इज्याध्ययनं एव च।

वणिक्पथं कुसीदं च वैश्यस्य कृषिं एव च।।1/90

चौपायों की रक्षा करना, दान देना, यज्ञ करना, वेद पढ़ना, व्यापार करना, ब्याज लेना, खेती (कृषि) करना, ये सात कर्म वैश्यों के लिये नियत किये हैं।अर्थात समाज के जो भी नर या मादा उस प्रकार के गुणों से युक्त होते हैँ, उन्हें वैश्य कहा गया।

पैर: पैर से शूद्र की उत्पत्ति का अर्थ है कि जिस प्रकार पैर सम्पूर्ण मनुष्य शरीर को आधार प्रदान करता है, वैसे हि जो मनुष्य हर वर्ण को अपना सहयोग दे सकते हैं और उन्हें किसी ना किसी प्रकार अपना सहयोग प्रदान करते हैं, उन्हें शूद्र वर्ण में  रखा गया।

मनुस्मृति अध्याय १ श्लोक ९१

एकं एव तु शूद्रस्य प्रभुः कर्म समादिशत्।

एतेषां एव वर्णानां शुश्रूषां अनसूयया।।1/91

इस श्लोक के द्वारा उन सभी व्यक्तियों के बारे में बात कि जा रही है, जिनकी इच्छा ना तो वेदो को पढ़ाने में, ना युद्ध इत्यादि में भाग लेने में और ना व्यापार में होती है परन्तु यदि उन्हें आधार प्रदान किया जाए और कार्य सौपा जाए तो वो पढ़ाने, रक्षा करने और व्यापार करने में अपना अमूल्य सहयोग दे सकते हैं, ऐसे मनुष्यों को शूद्र वर्ण में रखा गया।

ये सभी वर्ण व्यवस्था कर्म पर आधारित है, किसी व्यक्ति के जन्म से संबंधित नहीं है।  संत रविदास  निम्न कुल में पैदा हुए थे परन्तु वो अपने कर्म से संत शिरोमणि बन गए और मीराबाई (जो कि एक क्षत्रिय कुल में जन्मी थी) उनकी शिष्या बनी और उन्हें अपना गुरु माना। इसी प्रकार वाल्मीकि समुदाय के वाल्मीकि अपने कर्म से भगवान् वाल्मीकि के पद को प्राप्त किये और महर्षि वशिष्ठ और महर्षि विश्वामित्र जैसे महान तपस्वीयों के रहते भी उन्हें प्रभु श्रीराम के जीवन चरित्र् को लेख बद्ध करने का शुभ कार्य प्राप्त हुआ।

इसी प्रकार महाराणा प्रताप ने भील प्रजाति की सहायता से युद्ध करके मुगलो के दांत खट्टे किये। इसी प्रकार भारत रत्न बाबासाहेब भीमराव रामजी अम्बेडकर भी अपने ज्ञान और कर्म से कानून मंत्री और फिर भारत रत्न बन गये, उन्होंने अपने कर्मो से ब्राह्मण तत्व को प्राप्त कर लिया। इसी प्रकार बिरसा मुंडा जी जो एक आदिवासी समुदाय से आते थे, उन्होंने अंग्रेजों से संघर्ष किया और तिर धनुष का प्रयोग करके युद्ध किया और अपने कर्म से वो भगवान बिरसा मुंडा कहलाने लगे।

निष्कर्ष:-

संविधान जंहा जातिगत व्यवस्था को अपनाने के कारण अनुसूचित जाति /जनजाति या पिछड़ा वर्ग को सामान्य वर्ग में आने से वर्जित करता है, वहीं मनुस्मृति कर्म प्रधान वर्ण व्यवस्था को अपनाती है, अत: यह शूद्र कुल में जन्में मनुष्य को उसके कर्मों के आधार ब्राह्मण, क्षत्रिय और वैश्य वर्ण में शामिल हो जाने का पूर्ण अवसर प्रदान करती है।

आज आधुनिक काल में कई मंदिरों में अनुसूचित जाती/जनजाति के मनुष्य मुख्य पुजारी का दायित्व संभालने लगे हैँ, अत: ये पुजारी संविधान की दृष्टि में तो आजीवन अनुसूचित जाति/जनजाति के हि बने रहेंगे परन्तु मनुस्मृति की दृष्टि से ये ब्राह्मण माने जाएंगे।

आज भारत के विभिन्न विश्व विद्यालयों में अनुसूचित जाति/जनजाति या पिछड़ा वर्ग के अनगिनत अध्यापक/प्रोफ़ेसर शिक्षा देने का कार्य कर रहे हैँ, अब ये सभी भले हि पढ़ने या पढ़ाने का कार्य कर रहे हैँ पर संविधान की दृष्टि से तो सदैव अनुसूचित जाति/जनजाति के हि बने रहेंगे, जबकी अपने कर्म के आधार पर ये सभी मनुस्मृति के अनुसार ब्राह्मण माने जाएंगे।

इसी प्रकार भारतीय सेना में जितने भी सैनिक अनुसूचित जाति/जनजाति या पिछड़ा वर्ग से आते हैँ, संविधान की दृष्टि में वो सदैव उसी जाति या जनजाति के माने जायँगे परन्तु मनुस्मृति की दृष्टि में ये सभी क्षत्रिय माने जायँगे।

खैर मित्रों मनुस्मृति को अत्यधिक अपमानित किया और बदनाम किया गया है और हम सनातनियों का यह कर्तव्य है कि हम इसको उचित सम्मान और समुचित स्थान दिलाये।

लेखन और संकलन:- नागेंद्र प्रताप सिंह (अधिवक्ता)

After 75 years of democracy

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After 75 years of democracy

“the individual has a soul, but as the State is a soulless machine, it can never be weaned from violence to which it owes its very existence. Hence I prefer the doctrine of trusteeship.”- Mahatma Gandhi

DEMOCRACY, when we hear this word we aren’t always sure what could be the correct meaning of it, even political scientists aren’t fully sure what even democracy should be. Many philosophers and thinkers have given their interpretations of this, and yet democracy still remains a very argumentative topic for us. At its core democracy means a way to form an accepted authority over you for governance, the word ‘accepted’ here implies that governments can change over time as the will of the masses changes and can do acceptable violence over you like taxation or punishment by the law.

Elections are very common in our minds when we think of giving the masses the ‘power’ to change authority or its roles and purpose by changing different demands and aspirations. This is the mechanism by which our democracy and other works. In retrospect, democracies are always at threat from majoritarianism, meritocratic elements in individual lives, and most importantly rising socio-economic inequalities which breed fierce competitiveness in democratic societies.

The constitution of our country declares India to be a welfare state, meaning taking care of everyone’s aspirations, but the machination of how ‘welfare’ should be done lies in conflict, especially in a democracy where many socio-economic groups can equally have their interpretations of what welfare is.

One may say that subsidies and affordable prices are welfare, and another may say industrialization will lead to more welfare for people. It’s simple to say that there are no right or wrong answers to the nature of what welfare means. Whatever the popular will is, that is how welfare is to be determined. It is the reason why democracy mostly remains a system of government that is just a hollow and soulless mechanism that does not have any essential elements or values for the society it works for.

Most democracies have emerged out of social revolutions in the change of people’s social and political values, it is indeed very rare for democracies to just go under political revolution or just change in forms of governments before any social revolution, and India was of those very rare nations to have democracy after a political revolution, movement and most importantly our national movement which was successful in gaining independence.

Yet, social changes in our democratic society are still a process and suffer setbacks or move forward to their dreams. Our Constitution makers indeed were very aware of the nature of how democracy has emerged in India, this is also the reason why our democratic state is federal in its essence but in reality, the central government is the most powerful organ in our democracy. Consider our border nations like Pakistan, which suffers from military coups and rule in its democratic history. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Myanmar also have gone through a democratic crisis in their history.

Most of them indeed have been part of Undivided India or British India at some point in their history, It could be attributed that they have merely gone through political revolutions, not social ones which were indeed necessary for a stable democracy. We can directly see that democracies suffer the most if their outcomes were merely out of political movements. The most unfortunate thing that happened from Colonialism was that it left its biggest demonic scar on former colonies, It never could have brought any social developments to make the masses inhibit democratic ethics and values for their independent future. Policies like education, schemes, or awareness and greater mass participation have indeed given citizens some understanding of what democracy is but they have a lack of knowledge in social sciences due to employment factors. As said earlier, elections have been the most popular image of democracy with lots of parties contesting it.

But is this really what democracy is? Having the means to choose an authority acceptable to everyone or those who vote is not the end of democracy but, unfortunately, most people consider democracy just to be that, nothing else or more. Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity are the common values associated with democracy, they indeed have helped understand the welfare, development, and progress of any nation.

Many ideologies somehow work in a democracy, even ideas that are anti-democratic work democratically. It seems that it is a hallmark and a major feature of our Indian democracy, everything assimilates and finds someplace to even be influential and flourishes in our democracy. Such a mixture has led to confusion among citizens on the very definition of our democracy. it is the largest democracy after all, and the most diverse in every aspect, and we cannot bank forever on this present system to work since the end of time.

The end-state principle of democracy largely goes unnoticed and is not discussed by many, and it is very essential to determine what is the end goal of democracy considering realities. Is it a system that is endless? Is there only military takeover or dictatorships to replace it? Is democracy a remedy to some illness in our society that once it is cured will wither away? The question lies in its heart, what is next?

What is ‘Indian’ in our democracy?

The Government Act of 1935 is often considered the root of our constitution; and indeed, our constitution has borrowed many provisions from other democracies of that time. This is not to say that this is necessarily bad or that we should just scrap our constitution because of this fact, in reality, ideas are universal, their origin does not matter. We have tried to fuse Indian elements in our democracy which tried to give its character to distinguish it from others, but they often are merely more added layers of decision-making, they do not hold significant powers. It is indeed centralization vs decentralization that is being talked about here. 

The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts of 1992 or the introduction of a formal panchayati raj system in our democracy highlights our society’s pluralistic side. Now, it is a matter of debate whether Indian elements represent a more centralized or pluralistic system. India often holds an argumentative tradition as told in Amartya Sen’s Argumentative Indian, it does not mean that we always fight with each other, but rather, our culture was always in thoughtful discussions of various things and politics.

Look at Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, and in Hindu schools of philosophy like Ajivikas, Carvarkas, and Vedanta, and modern history we see that Indian Renaissance started to purge the evils in our society which were thought to be legitimized.

This is all reflective of our society’s constant discussion with each other for a better future. Why is centralization often attributed with ‘stability’ and ‘dictatorship’  whenever we hold a conversation on it and decentralization is often with ‘instability’ and ‘collapse of the state’ due to many renegade elements present? Particularly in India’s case, we are unsure about each other and often fear those who are different from us and may have opposite views from ours. It is fear of the unknown and insecurity that we tilt towards centralization and in aspects where we have decentralization we see the sheer competitiveness of our society.

In both cases, we lack cooperation with each other whenever we face difficulties and differences. The meritocratic element is a growing cancer in our democracy which is constantly trying to make it a ‘meritocracy’. Although it has led to greater efficiency in public administration and the economy it has hardly removed inequality, rather inequality has been legitimized on that basis now. Values like cooperation, mutual aid, welfare, and schemes for the poor are being attributed to the primary function of our welfare state.

We should ask ourselves, where in our individual life where we constantly compete with each other primarily in jobs, materialistic gains, etc does our welfare state also remains unaffected by it? We teach our children to share things but in adulthood, we became very competitive because of talents, skills, and opportunities present for those who pass the merit. Families are becoming more nuclear and joint family systems which are often represented in our culture as the basic foundation of learning cooperation and thoughtful arguments have now become less prevalent in modern times.

Although we are 1.4 billion people in this nation, the top 1% of people hold about 40% of total income as of 2021. That 1% isn’t all those who climb up the ladder in illegal ways but have that much knowledge to have that much income. It’s what meritocracy has led to and is constantly shaping our human psyche where the state naturally cannot interfere. In our pursuit of being a developed superpower, we are using all those things that other industrialized nations have used to reach that peak, but we forget to look at the serious ill effects it has done to them like climate change, aging population, alienation, and rising mental health issues.

It is up to us whether we consider the negative sides as necessary evils of any industrialized or developed nation, but we can all agree that such elements do not represent Indian values. It was Mahatma Gandhi who told us about the path of truth and love which India could take so that it may not follow the paths of the industrialized and western nations, but rather forge its destiny and walk a path that reflected only the truth and nothing else.

The Kingdom of  God is within you

Call it Begumpura, Ram-Rajya, Kingdom Of God, etc, or all those states which are seen to be too utopian and unrealistic for present times. Nonetheless, they hold aspirations for all the people who have lived and struggled hard in their life for a better tomorrow and future. To all those known and unknown men and women who have contributed to building this society and dreamt of a better tomorrow for our children.

A question arises whether the state will stay relevant or become very rudimentary in the far-far future if mankind survives for so long, or will it become totalitarian and the state itself becomes a religion? For our democracy, our constantly changing human nature ultimately will decide where the future lies. In this case, we consider a more anarchist thought about democracy which is considered a real possibility. Unfortunately, anarchists have been tagged as ‘Anti-State’ but a closer study tells us that they are not against the state but rather challenge the legitimacy and justification of state institutions and powers, if they are not justified, they demand it to be dismantled and a better system be put forward.

Anarcho-syndicalism is rather a more realistic practice of anarchist philosophy and is attributed to have some features of direct democracy. Mahatma Gandhi was also an anarchist if you understand his quote which I mention, why was it so?

Local-level village industries, class-co-operation, self-sufficiency, and self-reliance especially both at every level were equally important for him so that India as a nation be very different from other nations. A man should be self-reliant so he would always have alternative means of livelihood and never be dependent on others or only a single occupation for which his entire life may depend. Villages were to have been developed enough so that they can work as an autonomous unit and be not dependent on the state for their very survival.

All of this is much hard to comprehend considering our present situation where we are so dependent on each other and do not have sufficient skills to pursue other alternatives and gain the same level of satisfaction do tell us that greater work still lies ahead if we wish to attain a development where the state is very rudimentary (Not to confuse the state with nation, both are used as complimentary words to each other but a state is often a body or entity for a nation. India is a nation, democracy is a type of state.) and perhaps we shall see Ram-Rajya, Begumpura or Kingdom of God emerging one day when we remove fear from ourselves and co-operate with each other so much to such a level that the existence of state hardly matters.

“Competition is the law of the jungle, but cooperation is the law of civilization”-Peter Kropotkin”

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