Forget IAS, here's IES

IES.  Yes, we have a new civil service establishment in the country - the Indian Evangelical Service.  It comes with the added benefit of civil servants doubling up as priests and proselytizers.

For those of you who are still in the dark, an IAS official, no less, has been proselytizing!  Not just advertising his religion, but, as reports suggest, openly denouncing other faiths in a communally sensitive area.  Apparently, this very same person had gone on record saying that it is "a sign of wrath of God on Hindu sinners" about the Uttarakhand floods.

There was a raging debate on the issue of the IAS official proselytizing last night on the News Hour on Times Now channel.  His defenders were suggesting that there is a constitutional right - Article 25 - that allows one to adhere to, believe in and propagate one's religion.  No doubt, evangelical organisations have taken full advantage of this clause to carry out their clandestine activities.

Further, another guest on the program suggested that if what the IAS official is doing is wrong, then the pooja offered to Hindu Gods in government offices is also wrong.  Two wrongs still do not make a right.  By all means ban religious activities in all public service institutions and organisations.

Then they will still cry foul, because that would mean the end of all Christian schools, colleges and hospitals, where faith is openly propagated and religious symbols and icons are prominently displayed. 

But then again, why wouldn't they propagate?  It is all part of the grand scheme of influencing gullible and vulnerable sections of populations, such as children and the sick people, so that the number of 'believers' increases manifold.

Actually, it already has increased; go to North Karnataka and East Godavari areas and see for yourself.  We are not even talking about Kerala and Tamil Nadu here, where Christianity is said to have had its origin, and, over the years, has established a firm base.

As the numbers increase, we should expect more and more of such proselytizers from prominent walks of life, brazenly advertising their religion and gaining new recruits.  Ghar wapsi, it can be argued, is a flawed response to evangelisation and conversion activities of all sorts.    

Actually, the proselytizers can't help it you see, because it is written.  The church 'rule book' has made it very clear that there is going to be a second coming of the Son of God, and when that happens, all the souls who are true believers would be saved and housed in the Kingdom of God.  Therefore it is incumbent upon every believer to propagate the faith and get more recruits.

On the other hand, if you haven't signed on to the program, well, then that's your grave error, and you will be rotting in hell for eternity.  Really?  Only because you did not believe in a notion?  I thought God was a lot more benevolent than that. 

It is this basic tenet that compels people such as the IAS officer to 'harvest' souls that can be saved from damnation.  Remember also, that merely signing on to the program is not enough.  You have to totally give up on your old practices and faith, and not just that, totally denounce them, abhor them and tear up your scriptures, which are an affront to the 'True God'.  Really?  I thought God was a lot more mature and tolerant than that.

So to fulfil something which has been decreed by the church, which of course, may never come true, proselytizers go out on their mission to create a nation of 'believers'.  

Now which of these tenets and notions are actually secular?  How can we, as citizens of a progressive, emerging, secular democracy, put up with a notion that says 'mine is the only true path, my God is the only real God, yours is demonic, therefore you should join me if you want to save yourself, otherwise you will rot in hell'?  Isn't this kind of thought process that can 'splinter' the country, Mr Obama?

We love Jesus - his life, his work, his example, is worth worshipping and emulating.  But he is not alone, as evangelists would have you believe.  India has been home to multitudes of seers of similar magnitude and spiritual aura.  Besides, Sanatana Dharma has always extolled the validity and equality of all faiths. 

The fundamentalist ideology propagated by evangelists goes against the very foundation of a secular democracy.  Worryingly, the Christian community has not so far denounced the IAS official's opinion or behaviour at all.  Therefore, the only secular alternative that we would be left with - if this continues unabated or spreads to other parts of the country - might just be banning advertising and propagation of all religions.  

In this context, there are three monumental works that clearly elucidate the issues at play, the reasons behind them, and possible solutions.  These are:

• Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dalit Faultlines by Rajiv Malhotra & Aravindan Neelakandan  
• Harvesting our Souls: Missionaries, Their Design, Their Claims by Arun Shourie
• Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan

Breaking India speaks about the funding sources of certain vested interests who are bent upon bifurcating the country.  Harvesting our Souls is a no-holds-barred attack on the lies, manipulations and ulterior motives behind all conversion activities undertaken by missionaries.  It also cleverly quotes from the Bible itself to highlight fundamental and intolerant ideas at play.  Zealot, on the other hand, tells the charming and touching story of the historical Jesus, which has been twisted, glorified and appropriated to suit the evangelical requirements of the early church.

To date, there hasn't been a convincing response to the above works from the defenders of evangelism.  All three, are highly recommended if you are interested in knowing the truth and preserving the secularism and unity of the country.


Image source: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rJxSg4dejsM/0.jpg

Satire: this and that of politics of 2015

• Abhishek Manu Singhvi of the Congress has again managed to put foot in the mouth.  Apparently the BJP's chief ministerial candidate for the Delhi elections, Kiran Bedi is "overweeningly ambitious".  Apart from the patronising and condescending tone of this statement, it is also hypocritical.  The most 'overweeningly ambitious' person in politics these days happens to be in Congress itself: Rahul Gandhi.  What are his credentials to aspire to be the leader of a major political party, and, God forbid, the leader of the country?  Fact of the matter is that he is there only because he is somebody's son - very similar to the star-kid phenomenon you get to see in all the film industries - which makes him 'overweeningly ambitious'

• Obama is here!  The roads have been mopped clean, the stray dogs have been rounded up, and the cows cleared from the road leading to Agra.  Alas!  There has been a cancellation of the Taj trip by the Obamas.  After all that!  The corporation guys would be very miffed indeed: "we went through all that; things that we would never do otherwise, and then they cancel the trip!"  Oh well, you can now throw out the litter, and yes, let those dogs out.  If you happen to be Swachh Bharat-friendly, then hope and pray that Obama comes back again and again!  

• The US President has stated that Pakistan is offering a safe haven for terrorists.  Like we didn't know that for so many years!  Why do these statements come out just before an official visit to India?  Why not at other times, when border infiltrations occur repeatedly and bombs go off in market places frequently?  

• The US also warned Pakistan against any 'misdemeanour' during the three day visit of Obama to India.  How interesting!  And revealing.  It shows; a) that the US agrees that Pakistan indulges in terrorism and provides logistics, infrastructure and safe havens to terrorists of all hue and cry, and, b) that once Obama exits India, Pakistan can go back to its old ways of sneaking in, breaching ceasefire, and exploding bombs in our cities.  Convenient or what.

• Consider what has happened in the Sunanda Pushkar affair.  One year!  One year has passed since she died, and now we find out that she was murdered.  And during this one year, not once has Shashi Tharoor been questioned!  What are the reasons behind this?  That he was a Congress minister, and Congress was in power when the incident happened?  Do we have to wait till the regime change for any investigation to take place?  Even more alarmingly, if this could happen in a high-profile case such as this, imagine what the plight of the 'ordinary' cases is like!  Justice, truly, is a myth.

• Do you want instant celebrity status?  Indulge in a scam and make sure you go to jail.  Yes, if the reception accorded to prominent jailbirds upon their release, such as A Raja, Kanimozhi, and most recently Janardhana Reddy is anything to go by, then it must be one smart move indeed.  After all, why worry?  You can carry out 'business as usual' from the jail.  If you are bored, you can always come out on a furlough - whatever that is.  And when you are finally released, people will line the streets and cheer you, you can wave out to the cameras, and there will be band and baja all the way to home.  And yes, like Reddy, you can even select the auspicious time to be released from jail!  Needless to say, you can still participate in active politics.  In fact, the jail credentials will be highly beneficial for you in getting the coveted ticket during elections. 

Image source: http://images.theage.com.au/2009/03/27/438337/bangalore-420x0.jpg

Article on leprosy

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Visit to Kalady

When we visited Kerala by flight, I made it a point to stop en route to Munnar at Kalady, which is just a few kilometres away from Kochi airport.  

For those of you who don't know, Kalady is the birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya, the saint-philosopher of the eighth century.  He lived only for 32 years, and during that time, wrote several treatises and commentaries on major philosophical works, several hymns, founded matths across India, debated several scholars in esoteric and philosophical matters, and was instrumental in the revival of Vedic philosophical traditions across Bharatvarsha.  

His life history is full of touching anecdotes, magical interludes, and encounters with divine personages and gods.  His encounter with Veda Vyasa resulted in the increase in his life span from only 16 years that was set by Lord Shiva himself at his birth, to 32 years.  He went on to encounter Shiva Himself at Kashi in the garb of a Chandala who had come to test him on his spiritual knowledge.  

Finally he was faced with the goddess of knowledge Herself, Saraswathi who questioned him before he could attain the Sarvagnapeetha - throne of knowledge.  In the end he disappeared when he set out on foot towards the Himalayas in Kedarnath region, perhaps back to his heavenly abode in Kailash, as he was said to be the avatar of Lord Shiva.

Thus the life which began in the South in an obscure little town, ended in the lofty regions of the Himalayas, leaving in its wake extraordinary tales, achievements, and body of work.  Shankara was the founder of the Advaita philosophy, which is one of the three philosophical pillars of Sanatana Dharma (the other two being Dwaita propounded by Madhwacharya and Vishishtadvaita propounded by Ramanujacharya).  Among the many philosophical works, the hymns, Bhaja Govindam and Kanakadhara Stotra remain the most popular even today.  

With such a background, how could one resist stopping at Kalady?  We arrived in the afternoon and immediately went to the Kanchi Kamakoti Matth area, where we were greeted by the conspicuous Keerthi Sthambha Mantapam - a tall tower-like structure with a spiral staircase inside that runs all the way to the top.  Inside one can seen murals and idols depicting the important events from Shankara's illustrious life. 

The friendly man at the ticket counter even called up the main temple a little bit away to find out if it was still open for us.  I only realised the significance of this gesture a little bit later when we reached the temple, which is run by the Sringeri Sharada Peetha Matth.  From the interactions with priests I had there, I gathered that there was a bit of difference between the traditions and beliefs of the two Matths, which is a bit unfortunate as they were both dedicated to the cause of the same saint.  

We arrived at the main temple complex, which houses the Sharadamba temple, the samadhi of Aryamba - Shankara's Mother, Shankara's temple and a Krishna temple.  As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by this sign:

There is a path at the back of the temple which leads to the Poorna (Periyar) river.  It was here that Shankara was held by a crocodile who would not let him go until Shankara's Mother acquiesced to his request of becoming a sanyasi.  It was exciting to see this board that marked the spot where this momentous event took place.

Poorna river, it is said, also bent its usual course when the child Shankara requested it to, as his Mother was finding it difficult to reach the river for her daily ablutions.  It reached the edge of Shankara's feet when it changed course, giving Kalady its name (kal = feet, ady = edge).  A mural depicting this episode is painted on the outer wall of the Krishna temple  

The priests inside the temple were very friendly and spoke in Kannada, having arrived some time ago from the Sringeri Matth in Karnataka.  It was an awe inducing moment when we stood facing the samadhi stone of Aryamba.  An aged and severely bent sage walked in as we went about the temple, and somehow managed to pray and prostrate at each shrine before he slowly made his way towards the stone steps that make up the ghat leading to Poorna river.  We were inspired by his dedication and bhakti.  

Full credit goes to the temple management for maintaining a clean ghat near the Poorna river, a feat that is unmatched at other pilgrimage sites where the neighbouring holy rivers are usually highly polluted and dirty.  The atmosphere of the entire place was so serene and relaxing, that we realised with some consternation that it was time to leave as the temple was being closed for the afternoon.  

Great personage, great story, and a great place.  Truly blessed to have set foot in Kalady.

For a short video slideshow of the trip, please visit: https://youtu.be/thcdsyNMPWs

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2014 belonged to ISRO for Mars Orbiter Mission

To my mind, there was no other greater moment, no other occasion during the entire year when we felt good about being Indian, than when the Mangalyaan was successfully launched.  The true 'Make in India' phenomenon if ever there was one.

Just when we thought that Chandrayaan was our crowning glory as far as space programs are concerned, the team at ISRO have pleasantly surprised us with the 'MOM' of all Indian space programs.  What next?  Suryayaan?! 

Consider what has been achieved by about 500 scientists who worked tirelessly to make this mission a success: 

• India had never before ventured towards Mars
• Only four other missions to Mars had been successfully carried out before - all by western countries
• The cost for putting together the mission was actually less than making the Hollywood film, Gravity, or, as Prime Minister Modi put it, cost less than an auto ride.  

This is just the kind of achievement that reaffirms the faith in our institutions, our ability and ourselves.  

This is just he kind of thing that makes every NRI think, 'why did I leave my country?'  

This is the kind of thing that reassures the scientific community that cutting edge research and innovation can be achieved in our very own land.  

This is just the kind of thing that could put our country in the big league of nations - not just because of military and nuclear might, but because of its scientific achievement. 

In the true spirit of Vasudhaiva kutumbakam, one hopes that the findings from the mission would be used to benefit the whole of humanity, and not just Indians.  

Kudos to the MOM team!   

News/image sources:

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/rs-10-a-km-for-auto-ride-rs-7-a-km-for-india-s-mars-mission-pm-narendra-modi-599185
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/newsmakers-2014-mangalyaan-becomes-the-cheapest-mission-ever-to-the-red-planet/1/408733.html
http://st1.bgr.in/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/narendra-modi-mangalyaan-mars-inseartion.jpg
https://www.isro.gov.in/sites/default/files/Untitled-1.jpg