About: Iron Man & Iron Lady

It is amazing how history concocts and intertwines dates of epic proportions. 31 October has entries for two such persons. One a reputed Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of independent India Sardar Vallabhai Patel and the other being the third Prime Minister of India, Ms. Indira Gandhi. Today’s date marks the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel and death anniversary of Indira Gandhi. A lot of all that is  good in India  as we see it today can be attributed to Sardar Patel and the other can be attributed to Indira Gandhi. There couldn’t be two such diverse personalities who have such impact on India in particular and Indian sub-continent as a whole.

The Iron Man

Sardar Patel, Iron man of India, cometh the hour cometh the man. The self made man, been there done that, the master mind visionary and statesman, Indians equivalent of Benjamin Franklin and Bismarck. He provided the shoulders of a giant on which many a dwarves stood. He accepted Gandhian philosophy but not always accepted the Gandhi topi. His role in Indian freedom struggle is exemplarary. His vision of India, especially after winning the freedom balanced Nehru’s idealistic beliefs. If his words were paid heed to, Kashmir would never be in a state of fix. Pakistan gained upper hand of simply because of naive Nehru. The auspicious date of 15 August saw multiple challenges, horrific one at those, there were riots is many place of the country, Punjab remained tense for sometime, the merger of states, the largest of its kind in the world, the Pakistan attack on Kashmir with Pak regular army soldier in guise of tribals etc. These massive violence and horrific events raged across the sub-continent from Lahore to Dhaka. The British contributed handsomely to these problems.

Sardar Patel, the man with virtues and integrity of steel, resolved and guided the young nation through tough times, as though a grandfather guiding a pram. The merger and amalgamation of Indian states and princely domains itself is a case study for disciples of management, statecraft, diplomacy. I think there were more than 500 states dominions, princely states that were merged into what we now call as Union of Republic India. Operation Polo, in which, the then State of Hyderabad was merged into India, a unique Police action of its kind in the world.

It had to be a resolve of steel and Iron man of India often got it right too. His differences with Pandit Nehru were increasingly more apparent. India could have done more if Sardar Patel could see a few more years. It feels sad to dearth of such leadership and values in today’s time. I hope the next Indian prime minister has intellect of Patel, the dare devil Bose and the vision of Gandhi.

The Iron lady

Indira Gandhi was killed on this day. The Iron man was Sardar the Iron lady has to be Indira Gandhi. She divided Congress and formed Congress-I. That wasn’t her claim to fame. Indira tenure as Prime Minister has many things to be proud off – Atom Bomb, Bangladesh War, and Green revolution. Then there are not so good things, Emergency, Blue star, Nationalization of companies, poor, short sighted almost stymied economic and domestic policies. These are to be discussed with few that too in hush tones. She induced the culture of sycophancy in the Judiciary, government establishment, and Congress I. The effects are pretty visible till today.

She didn’t lead the government, she ruled with Iron fists. I think lot of what good that she did in her life was short lived. The bad, she left behind has a more ever lasting effect. Shimla Agreement fiasco, Emergency, split in the congress, almost an exalted sycophancy that was breed and meritocracy was sacrificed ensuring bad prevails in Cong, for eternity. There was reports of mal practice in her election, there was the court case, the Honourable High Court of Allahabad declared her election null and void. India saw her first and hopefully last emergency. The corruption that we see today, especially at higher level of so-called government can traces it's root back to Indira Gandhi.

India politics will take a long while to give up bad effects of Indira reign as Prime Minister of India. There was a few things which I like though, the Bangladesh War, where she outwitted Americans and Pakistani establishment. It was the best of the best from Indira Gandhi, the peak of her achievements. If only she would have thought of more prudent economic policies.

It is safe to say though that Indira Gandhi held her own among her contemporaries. I say this for reasons good and bad that there may not be another Indira Gandhi.

About: Lamp of Diwali

It is hard to know when human civilization exactly began. Its not hard to imagine,that it would have coincided with human mastering the ability to ignite and control fire. It is on a momentous, auspicious festival like Diwali, it would make sense to look back to take stock of things that happened, both good and bad and for the good and bad. A reality check if you want to say that.

The world is changing rapidly as we seek, as it changes, more distance seeps in between me and myself. The world seems to spin that much faster and everything seems to get fuzzy as I loose touch with my being and soul. Everything around me seems to be a distraction to the actions I am destined to do. Yet, I tread on the same path everyday. I don’t know if Karma is a bitch but Maya can certainly make u fell like a dumb mule. All this comes from elaborate stories that I have been told or I have heard, all coming from grandparents and parents, other elders in the family and society as whole. There is one steadfast belief though, there is no heaven or hell, you pay for your deeds in this life itself. The situations get nastier as you more on in life, the consequences to seem to impact harder and vice versa.

I just thought it would be good to take a step back, take 10 deep breaths and dare to look how the past have been. The keys to future lies in making peace with the past. It could be something that we may have not realized at that point in time, or something we regret now, but one has to set some way to repent and make peace with both the bad and not so bad simply in order to move ahead.

The festival of Diwali is the festival of lights. It is light that dispels ignorance and illuminates the truth. The lamp of made of conscience of mind and soul, wick of vices, so that we give up bad in exchange of good, negativity if thought and action in exchange of positivity of action, oiled by courage and determination to strive hard that flames hope happiness & humility all roud,seeking blessing from Divine.

असतोमा सद्गमय। तमसोमा ज्योतिर् गमया।
मृत्योर्मामृतं गमय॥

read as follow

Asato mā sad gamaya
Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya
Mṛtyormā amṛtam gamaya
Aum śānti śānti śānti

which means

From ignorance, lead me to truth;
From darkness, lead me to light;
From death, lead me to immortality
Aum peace, peace, peace

Let us all strive to let the Divine light keeps burning within. I take this opportunity, time and space and urge you to find the light within and share it with the world. Happy Diwali to everyone.

About: Review Immortals of Meluhas

I read the book written by Amish Tripathi - Immortals of Meluhas. I had seen is interview first and then later chose to read the book, it wasn’t that I did hear of the book earlier. A lazy weekend and a lazy Sunday after noon was an additional reason to tilt the balance in favour of buying the book. A good 40 minutes were spent reading it at Crosswords and then the book was bought, to be read in the confines of the bed.

I wonder of all bloggers aspire to be writers someday. At least I do. I have persisting doubts though, as to what I should write. Amish present the story of the One. When I read books, I am amazed by the effort goes in research about the contents, as well as the research of ones mind and soul, coz writing what ones think is just the start. The imagination the grey cells and the aspiration of the writer soon start to take toll on the creative abilities. The focus can waver and the creative fuel tank can go dry for no apparent reason. The pain staking research comes out as this very thought provoking book the Immortals of Meluha.

The book is as subtle and direct. The book is a courageous attempt to strike balance between creativity, mythic folklore, Holy Scriptures, and the present. Then plot itself at times present enough opportunity to extended and elaborate the narrative. The book is about a tribal leader Shiva dwelling near the Mansarovar Lake. He is invited to this fabled land, an empire and a society of Suryavanshi rigidly following rules and laws. The society is happy and prosperous but has its undercurrents. Lord Ram founded the fable land. Then there is this jealous and evil kingdom of the Chandravanshis. The Protagonist starts as someone and treads the path of self-discovery to becoming the destined one.

The protagonist, character is finely sketch so are the other characters. There fallibility is for all to read and experience. As someone who has read this book and writing the review of the book, one felt as is some character’s portrayal could have been more lucid. The Chandravanshi are thought to be evil and jealous but besides that, the empire of Chandravanshi is with perspective of Suryanvanshis and the characters of Suryavanshi. The narrative does not throw enough light of illustrates the Chandravanshis enough. I wonder if it had to be, the plot of subsequent books that Chandravanshis may be discussed in detail by the characters but not the writer. The same if for the protagpnist. There is not much narrative about his past. A lot in the book is about his development, and come to being so to speak. There is not much about the origins. I wonder if it is for the next book.

The book is welcome. It is amazing how creativity was research help simplify and present a unique interpretation. A society improves if one can introspect and present their interpretation provided there is no intention of injuring or undermining faith of the land.

About: Tough time and straw men

Does history repeat itself? There are many philosophies that believes time (read history) is cyclic, I mean everything in nature is cyclic. But it keep moving forward, dynamic like a bi-cycle rather than static like treadmill. I wonder what kind of parallels would one find if we were to compare Bahadur Shah Zafar and Dr Manmohan Singh as head of the governments. Bahadur Shah Zafar and Dr Singh both ascended the throne of Delhi. They both were excellent in what they did, Zafar as a poet & Dr Singh as an able Economist. There is very little in merit even after much contemplation about the days when they were in power. They did nothing and could do very nothing then merely being vassals. I find always interesting to interpolate what if, It gives very gruesome and often symptomatic solutions.

Zafar’s reign extended to a couple of by lanes beyond the four walls of the imposing Red fort, Delhi. This is still in dispute though. The poet Emperor died far away in alien land pretty much incognito after the First War of Independence in 1857. Zafar was defeated by an English Officer, his Seal and Sword were gifted to the Queen. The frail and out dated Emperor was sent off to Rangoon, Burma. He claimed himself to be a Sufi and all the glory of the Mughal Dynasty was a feeble self by the time Zafar ascended throne. The servants doubled up as courtiers and subjects. Zafar mean while remains a mere bookmark in the pages of history, the end of his reign official marks the end of Mughal Empire. After 1857, the English crown overtook the reigns of ruling the then India Sub-continent, from the British East India Company. He died in exile wailing for wanting to buried in his land. He was one of the leading poets of his time along with his contemporary, Ghalib.

कितना है बदनसीब “ज़फ़र″ दफ़्न के लिए, दो गज़ ज़मीन भी न मिली कू-ए-यार में

roughly translated to -

How unfortunate is Zafar! For his burial, Not even two yards of land were to be had, in the land of his beloved.

Dr Manmohan Singh reign as ( the longest care taker ) Prime Minister of India has been marred by political indecision and blunders. The ministers are as good as courtiers of a king who has lost it all. There is no doubt about Dr Singh the mid-wife of India Liberalization, Narsimha Rao was the father and compulsion of fractured mandate and politically fickle environment was the mother of first and till date only set of reforms that Congress had to take, if they had to be in Power. Dr Manmohan ascended to the throne of Delhi and before him the Prime Minister from Congress before him were either too idealistic (Pandit Nehru), too morbid (Indira Gandhi), too naive (Rajiv Gandhi) or too good (Narsimha Rao). The Congress itself underwent changes, the nationalist party which fought for freedom, increasingly saw their core getting precipitate to left wing communists to right wing groups. Indira Gandhi's morbid hunger for power saw doing some truly bizarre moves signs of desperate autocracy. Congress was dead as Indira went on to mould the faction of Congress just around Emergency that she led. It is just like Zafar the post, Dr Singh’s qualities as a economist seem to inspire confidence while his inability to lead and claiming helplessness as an alibi only generates more angst and disbelief.

Dr Singh tenure as Finance Minister was good thing that happened, just like Zafars poetry. Zafar’s poetry or most of his has been lost. It seems amazing now that in what kinda of economic environment we had to bear with. Dr Singh greatest qualification for which he was chosen to be a worthy Prime Minister, his qualities of being a genteel, unambitious demeanor and obedient. He didnt have any political heir to leave behind his legacy for, a perfect political pawn.There is little proof if any if Dr Singh has a grip of politics of the nations or the politicians in his cabinet.I for one thought, Indian population was a very big number a Billion and counting. The scams in last couple of UPA government have dwarfed that population count. I mean how easy it is to get convinced that the Government simply didn't knew. The governments don't run that way.

Between Zafar and Dr Singh, Zafar had no one to answer too, Dr Singh is not allowed to answer. It would be be too gullible to believe worst is over. Today Indian democracy must summon the its last breath - the will of the people for a decisive mandate.