Coffin.

I live in this oblong room, and this room is my prison. I have heard of many seas, never seen many; I have heard of snow-capped mountains, never climbed any; I have heard of dark, perilous forests, never been to any. I sit in this middle-class household’s urban and well-furnished room. My tasks have been laid out, my escape blocked, and the lock though not on the latch, the spirit suffers in the emotional blockade of society.

I live in this oblong room, where there are pink walls and a dilapidated bed, where the only wilderness is few remnants of cobwebs, and the bed bugs on my sheet. I am a captive of my birth, searching to find all that is heard of, and praised. I have heard lark’s sweet song, but only on Television, and I have travelled to lush green tea estates only a few miles away from my home, but on Television.

I live in this oblong room, with its maze of furniture, torn papers, all thoughts in earnest yet lacking experience of life. I yearn to tell a story, talk of journeys and adventures, aye, I want to live, but am a victim of survival.
My health is sound, and energy yearning, my love for creation intact to admire the marvels, but alas, I live in this oblong room with pink walls and pink curtains and a dying canvas bed. Even this oblong room seems to be dying, it is always cold as a chilly carcass and it is always numbing, and the slumbers troubled.

I live in this oblong room, and my doors are different. I like it alone, as it is my respite from a long forgotten past, and now the way of my life.

I look at this room people call as mine, I look at those pink walls, the oblique windows, pink curtains, furniture and dried coconut shells. And then I look at all those torn papers scribbled away under the pressure of my lost ink and lost thoughts, crumbling to dust. Sometimes the light reflects the darkness outside. Perhaps it is my room that is darker, coffin like. I see no lock, yet I feel bound.
Locked myself inside, I have thoughts of outside world, and often I ponder of mountains and monasteries.

I try to plan, to set out for the journey to find those places only known to me to exist in Television.

Perhaps I am waiting for the time to come, perhaps I am looking for the key to an unlocked door. Perhaps walls are supposed to be pink, perhaps I am waiting for my bed to sink.

Perhaps it is something else.

I live in this oblong room.

© Karthik Adithya Singaraju

Do it The Japanese Way...

When faced by a problem, it is often observed that the psyche of people makes them look for the source of the problem in a person rather than a cause.I was once told this anecdote in one of my classes, and since then the anecdote has left a huge effect on how I used to perceive things, and how I have gradually begun to understand them.

The anecdote goes like this:



'Not long ago, a team of Japanese corporate magnets visited an Indian firm from the same sector on a visit. The Manager of the firm wanted to show them the best picture of themselves and so prepared a splendid tour through the corporation. After a day long tour, they all met in the evening in a posh plastic hotel for a lavish dinner. By the time the desserts were served, Manager decided that before Japanese leave he should gain something in return from them too. So he ventured to ask a question to the Japanese CEO of an International Giant. He asked,"We Indians and you have almost similar machinery, skilled labour, capital and working methods, then how is it that you always manage to stay ahead of us?"

The Japanese took sometime to think and then solemnly answered in an unwavering deep tone,"My friend our facilities, money and skill might be similar but I have observed something today. I must tell you, when faced by a crisis or problem, we tend to try and think in terms of 'what' and you tend to think in terms of 'who'. That my friend, might be the difference." '


Well this anecdote gives the simple reason for all the problems we as citizens or mere human beings face. More often than not in the sense of injustice that we feel, we end up blaming someone else for the problems we mutually might be suffering.To this day nations fight to overthrow a dictator, calling him a tyrant... Only to replace such a dictator with another individual, who on the longer run more or less becomes another tyrant. I do not think it is the individual to blame, it is the power.


Corruption and loss of integrity is something which can be called a weakness in human nature surfacing due to undesirable vested powers on an individual. We must suffer the subjugation of our own conscience when it is over-ridden by the undeniable temptations that power brings with it. Whoever denies that can either be a impractical hypocrite or an extraordinary moralist, with the latter being a rarity.


'Power corrupts' is a concept which can be applied to almost all the individuals, except a few. Most mortals don't come with the necessary moral package to defy the temptations!


Now the question I would like to ask here is, What are we as citizens and individual human beings doing here, with a "LOKPAL BILL" or probably with slogans of "SAARE NETA CHOR HAIN"?

Aren't we being plain hypocrites?



I don't blame the politicians for going corrupt, because had it been me or you or anyone of us in their position, 9 out of 10 people might be lured too. Such is the nature of material lust.



What I ask is, is it not enough to have pointed fingers at individuals for more than 100 years now? Is it not time to think beyond the two points we have always restricted upon, which are:


first - The moralistic Utopia that we believe in, where every individual is morally, ethically and spiritually impossible to corrupt; and


second - In case some people go corrupt, it is their own inherent lack of moral fibre punishable by law but not the flaw in the system.These are the only two things we have always observed!


I believe that we need to learn some great deal from the Problem-solving and Decision-making techniques of huge corporations. Problem-solving is not putting the "guilty" to the guillotine, but rather making a system with minimal susceptibility for producing guilty stock.


We, as public, on the other hand, are obsessively over-ridden by the vicious cycle of giving power and then ostracizing the tempted, which will always be the case.Now Lokpal shall come, and on a longer run, I perceive it to produce the most obscenely perverse scams of corruption ever, as POWER CORRUPTS!

It is high time, the word "Reform" took an objective outlook, rather than a subjective outlook.We must reform the system, not add to its rumble list, another rotten egg! The mistake is not of the individuals, but the system, and as long as system is not reformed, it is bound to produce a never-ending livestock of corrupt individuals.


So, I would like to conclude with the lesson I learnt from the that Japanese guy's perception:

"Analyse WHAT the problem is and direct your energies to solve it, rather than analysing WHO the problem is and directing energies to blaming and ostracizing him/her."



Sometimes, it is good to learn from others....


- Karthik Adithya Singaraju

On the Wishes of Independence...

In these 64 years into what all perceive to be 'independence', we have only travelled from being ruled by white babus to now our own native babus. And the stupid system called democracy/socialism which designs our lives has over the years gone from bad to worse, lately. It would be far more sensible to spend this day discussing, talking and analysing the "progress" rather than just a gloat about a make-belief utopia that surrounds this day. True independence day to me would be when the system breaks down, to protect the people, and do nothing more or nothing less.

True independence is when one gets the free will to choose his trade, his love, his property and his identity. True independence would be when all could see at each other and not stimulate any emotion, any feeling of hatred, of dislike, of disgust.

True independence would be when the prejudice could be weeded out, not from our books, not from our laws, but from our thoughts, our minds and hearts.

True independence for me would be when one sees other for what they are, but not what their colour, their caste or their religion is.

True independence is where we need no leaders, where we need not rely on any big brothers to represent us and lead us (which now they do as 'ruling').

Independence from the helplessness that we experience while paying our petty bribes. Independence from the helplessness when we see apathy all around, and the mad rat race to make it big with the money, and the ruthlessness with which people trample over others, just to climb another insignificant and meaningless step of what is perceived to be 'success'.

The many independence days we celebrate would be meaningless when we know that few who are there to feed children with our money are letting the children starve.

The celebrations would be gross insensitive acts of apathy clear in its cruelty when we know there are amongst us who can't seem to be able to afford a three-course meal and we would feast on a supposed victory back in 1940s.

Life is unjust, but the means of this group of people living as Indians is not small. If independence be truly achieved, the means ought meet the ends, or it is a failed purpose.

I do not see Gandhiji smiling from his after-life. His soul, I believe, lives in India, and amongst Indians. And I am very sure it is weeping. It must be in anguish, though I think Gandhiji had made this prophecy. One of the few true leaders, who unlike many other pretending 'freedom-fighters', who were merely trying to get the power, did try to make this nation a 'Ramrajya' had known all along what was going to become of this nation. A mere shadow of what he had envisaged.

So, to me it would just be a ridiculous hypocrisy if someone came and wished me, or if I were to wish someone a 'Happy Independence Day'.

People do not comprehend the paradox, the irony, and the hypocrisy entailing that greeting. Hence this August 15th, I would say, time would be better spent trying to answer a few of the complicated questions, the whole of which are so gargantuan in volume that it would be imprudent for me to even attempt encasing them in a single article.

On the Art of Extrapolation...

Taking stock of the situation with the use of an art learnt while studying Physics seems to serve me pretty well, which being the art of extrapolation... I want to dedicate this piece to the art that I hold very dear to me and prize.
Back in the days when I studied quantum mechanics, particle science, atomic chemistry and modern physics in high school, I realised two fundamental things -
1) Every phenomenon in the world is based on a firm ground called "the ideal case"; and
2) The various phenomenon based on the same 'ideal case' are the "real" variants affected by the circumstantial parameters.

The next thing I observed was the fact that most of the theories that were explained in Physics and Chemistry were designed on two basic ingredients - Assumptions and Extrapolations, which were of course later tested and verified scientifically. Then again, there were many theories which remained what they were, mere "theories", but still considered with great weightage, like the whole Wave-Particle ambiguity over the nature of matter. No one seems to know for sure what exactly matter is, but yet, the assumptions and conjectures seem to be revered and appreciated as intellectual wealth.

An intriguing factor in determining, visualizing and making REAL progress in the field of science seemed to lie in the ability to assume the unthinkable and extrapolate on it, apply blind assumption and materialize results realtime. And this very brave act re-enacted countless number of times seemed to have led to the gargantuan progress of science.

Naturally my thoughts drifted to the possibility of applying the same to various other thinking processes, for science is but another stream of thinking based on a lot of numbers and of course, imagination.

Thereby applying the same art of assumption and extrapolation in other fields would in fact, I thought, help an individual find an accelerated way of understanding the intricacies of many fields and arts, sciences and subjects, ideologies and specializations.

I realized the potential of the ability to extrapolate and tried using it in various situations. Some would call it thinking too much, but I think this is REAL thinking. Wherein you do not need to spend years researching, studying, and learning the intricacies of a single expertise but rather try to listen to the gists, listen to the synopsis of the abstract sciences, philosophies, arts and trade, make a few assumptions and extrapolate your thought on the little pattern that you catch from the experts.

Though through this technique, I haven't been able to get the hang of any single subject in great depth or minutest of details, I certainly have managed to broaden the perspective, the base of the various fields I have touched upon. Though I might not specialize in anything else, I can prize the fact of my ability to extrapolate.

And in the German way of Gestalt Psychology, as an Extrapolator, I think, by knowing various pieces of the jigsaw, ever so minutely, as you can, you can at least gain the ability to complete the puzzle and win the game...

As in the game of life, the world, the mankind, "The Picture is the sum total of all the Individual Pieces".

© Karthik Adithya Singaraju

Economics to a Layman's eyes...

I write this piece with an outset declaration that I vehemently oppose the ideas, theories and policies that have been borne out of Keynesian Economic Model.
As everyone knows, he custom-designed US Economic Model, and is applied majorly in world economics. But sad yet Simple fact to state would be that, John Maynard Keynes entirely runs on the assumption that his Socialist ideas would be able to tackle the risks of temporary Withdrawal of investments. He assumes that if Govt is given the power, it will deal with crisis where investments are withdrawn by private players, and once the Supply/demand chain is back and running smooth, Govt. will withdraw its measures like Bail-outs, pumping currency into the economy etc. But he fails to realise, with such power, no Govt. would keep its control on regulation of money as a temporary measure, as Govt. is made of human beings, and they tend to get corrupt with such kind of power!

And economics in India is hardcore driven by such ideas. You can not expect Govt to create a Free Market scenario while it states it is a Welfare State, and on the longer run degenerates like a Communist/Klpetocratic State. Economics professor at my college said without Govt., innocents will be exploited, and noone will take care of the needy as private corporations only look at profit. What I couldn't understand is that, if profit is not the aim of an investment, then where lies the possibility of growth, development and progress?
I mean, only if you have a surplus capital, you would consider expanding, and only through expanding your technology, market, productivity can you realise any sort of progress/development of society. But if you don't even invest your capital well, and spend your profits, (if at all, you generate any) in spreading it as subsidies and welfare funds, then how can you even expect to grow?

Moreover, I do not understand the wisdom in bringing an exaggerated sense of morality in commerce.

If you feel incapable of competing, you can always join ranks with the winning lot, or far better try harder and come up with a better show. But why should false unbacked stacks of money be pumped for the sack of policies by a Govt. which does nothing efficiently and, just say, 'we are welfare state'.
You dilute your own economy's worth, you don't cash in on your profits and expand, you do not save any money, you deplete your capital, and on top of all that, take loans at 300% interest from IMF and make your country a virtual slave. What wisdom exists in being socialist/communist with such extravagantly moral, yet impractical ideas, which sound good on paper, but only result in a negative spiral in reality?

And next point of contention was that Free Market only works in the absence of information assymetry wherein private players can not take advantage of innocent people in informal sectors. What I fail to comprehend here is that, is information assymetry non-existent in Govt run show. Our own primary and secondary sectors have a huge populace which does not know what its rights are, and how exercise them to the fullest for maximum benefit.

There are many a questions that this Government supporting Keynes' brand economics offers, and only a minimal of zero solutions. To layman like me, it comes across as a booby-trap, where A will snatch my wealth away from me saying that B needs it, while even B never gets the needful, that he 'supposedly' required. And A will wrongfully enjoy the wealth that was hard earned by me. And there might be a C who will pretend to be like B, and claim rights on MY money, saying he 'NEEDS' it, and A will give him a little chunk and keep a little for himself, while neither A nor C honestly work for it.

All I can see here, courtesy Keynes, is an unjust and unfair system, which need be weeded out from the facet of humanity!

An Afternoon with Anjaan at J.C.Road...

Jain University arranged a guest lecture with Mr Anjaan, Programming Head of RadioOne,on the 27th of June,2011. The lecture was in regard with the systematic orientation program of the first year BA students and exposing them to the trends and experiences in the media.

He began by explaining various aspects of the Media and its Business Circle which has various components, information providers (Advertisers, Officials, and every other newsmakers), Media (news promulgators) and Target Group (News receivers). He also remarked that first year students have just transited from the T.G to the next classification of Media, wherein the thought process should shift from perceiving media and its information to analysing and understanding it.

The key message of his interactive session was to have a TIP in the life and career with Media. The tip being not to narrow down, but to be open to the huge platform called the Media Industry with its umpteen tentacles reaching down to the narrowest of the crevices hitherto unknown to those who have refrained from exploring.

He explained the journey by itself can not be complete unless one possesses the necessary utilities, which being, Passion, Idea and Time.

The session was an elaborate, yet interesting explanation of the way to aspire and try to achieve everything in life. To do it all, is his motto, says Anjaan.
And he went on to explain that to do it all, one needs to be open. To call themselves as a Media Professional, not just a particular specialist, like a Writer or an RJ.

First word of considerable consequence is Passion, which he says is the most essential vital organ of the organism called success. He observed that in his experience, Passion has many a times superseded Expertise, which he considers secondary in the ingredients for the recipe of accomplishment. When someone asked about whether Passion is inherent, he answered saying it never is so. Rather one acquires it through experience and by actually falling in love with the subject.

Next came Ideas, which are a mark of a competitive brain. He emphasised on the taste for ideas that Industry had,alluding to the example of the journalism faculty Mr.Sachin’s very own professional experience. He also emphasised the significance of not having any good or bad idea, but actually ideas are just fit or not for the particular business idea of the media management.
And when some student asked whether Idea is nothing but Imagination,he answered that idea need not just be imagined but many times it is also logical and scientific etc. And having ideas is what counts, and it need be honed through practice.

The third apex of the success pyramid,he said was time. Time which all have equally,but use unequally was the most important aspect,which he said defined whether the person will succeed or not.

The final frontier or integrating the three into a single harmonizing machine was quintessential for a successful and also fulfilling professional life in media.

The orientation was quite summarising and energetic way wherein Anjaan skilfully described not the path but the approach and attitude.

The energy remained within the event right ab initio till the curtains,where it ended with a bang, not with a whimper,with him posing for many photographs with the emerging journalists and their vibrant teachers.

- Karthik Adithya S

The Boss, The Band and The Unthinking Herd - A Review on Media Control by Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky belongs to an era of journalistic scholars who have been the witness to much of the changes in the world order that was conceived by the USA ever since the inception of Federal Reserve and the Capitalistic control of the US economy, which has in turn resulted in the Political and Public control of the whole of the American system by a few concentrated hands. They over a period of time, with shrewd planning and vision, have become the power centres of the world’s most powerful nation.
In his book, Media Control : The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda, Chomsky describes the power that Media can have, and its pioneering application by the US administrators since the regime of Woodrow Wilson, till date, wherein they have systematically used Manipulative propaganda to achieve their ends.
In the world, where these days the way of life emphasizes only the goals or the ends, and the means are no longer relevant or anything to be bothered about as long as you meet your deadlines and accomplish your objectives, he shows how the Government of the United States has influenced the psyche of the public by various methods of propaganda.
His austere style, critical and incisive, yet lacking luster clearly seems to be born out of emphasis on the content rather than the style. One never gets a sense of reading a most accomplished writer in his work, but the bounty lies in the content.
Amongst many of the examples which can be considered, he talks of the Federal US Government as being the most lethal organization which has used many styles and trends of propaganda to its advantage in the past century. The example of Nicaragua and Vietnam as depicted by Chomsky serve as most effective references of how US has manipulated the truth to achieve their strategic gains.
The case-studies as provided in the book like the Creel Commission, suggest the authenticity of the name of the age that we live in, Information Age; but the irony here lies in the fact that, the Information is the weapon, and one who holds and controls it seems to be at the top of the Darwin Pyramid, and thus seems to be have succeeded in systematically rising to the most powerful and thereby most monstrous level of evolution.
We see the news like Osama’s planned assassination in the covert operation carried out by Special Forces, we see the speech given by Obama and rejoice with the whole CNN or ABC driven world. But it is quintessential for the media students to understand the finer aspects hidden away in the multitudes propagated through the media, and to achieve that analytical ability, reading Chomsky is but the first and a very vital step, as reading his book on how Media controls the dynamics of public psyche enables any student of journalism or history to get the idea of a perspective wherein, the fourth pillar of democracy might actually be being used as the first weapon of its class to subdue the public and make them the ‘unthinking herd’.
This case-study of the control of public through the control of media definitely gives food-for-thought for all those who grew up believing whatever they heard on CNN or ABC.
And for a media analyzer, this is a compulsory source to figure into the bibliography of their thesis. No media theorist or critique of the US foreign policy can fail to miss the weight this book bears in the world of US politics and the world driven and guided by the US media.

Development... (A Note on showers of 11-12 April 2010 in Bangalore)

Its really a matter of sanity... Who would want to have a world,where there are greater roads,and better rails,but basic necessities to live,pure air,cool breeze and calm atmosphere is lost?? Who would want to watch those plastic trees kept in front of hotels n offices and inside the buildings and look at the artificial colours,when I am sure,NOONE loves them better than the real ones... I really wonder sometimes how they define development and is it really as positive and as pleasureable as it sounds!!!
I am sure noone posted happiness over having wider roads or better metro rails... but i am sure everyone posted,if not posted,at least felt happy over the welcome rains these past couple of days...
At least by this,we must realise,what is beauty?? at least,now we should be able to see where development truly holds a meaning...

A Few Observations...

Expressions are best formed in the most profoundly penetrating silences. Its a remarkable irony that the communication of one's thoughts,ideas and dreams come in most marvellously in solitude.
It greatly interests me,the judgements one comes across,even about himself as well as others. The way,a seemingly close-to-heart friend may even turn hostile the moment,the other person walks away.
Paradoxical nature,hypocrisy in thoughts and incongruency in actions. It is an amazingly incredible amalgam of contradictions that we come across in the midst of our wrongly accredited,or rather self-styled order of "civilization".
All humanly reactions and behavioural activities are perceived unnatural to such an extent,that people may even be blamed to suffer issues,but what one fails to notice is that,once placed in such situation,which may drive extremities in reactions,every nine and half individuals out of ten may react more or less,in a similar fashion,if not worse.
The very concept of empathising is lost in oblivion due to stark and non-uniform judgementalism that prevails over and more than often,over-rules human conscience.
Tolerance for a person's flaws is over-ruled by magnified dosage of negative sense of ego.
All things said and done,and existent;but still such an exemplary sense of self-worth prevails amongst the ignominiously deviant people,which though to an extent admirable,but beyond a certain limit,becomes an undesirable persistant drawback.
It is but alarming as well as intriguing that we humans are such a bundle of contradictions.
All that I could infer is that,we really have a long way to go before our superficiality is shed and we become a tolerant,mature and meaningful "civilization".

A Monologue on Poetry and Experience...

There is always certain small things which inspire a great deal of thought processes,and one such incident occured recently in our interactive classes of Literature when one of my friends posed an interesting stand on judging one of my recent poems... With all due respect and regard to my friend's intelligent observation I write this piece,as a reply to his question...The question that I was posed with was about the authenticity of one of my poems,when I had not experienced the content I had written about,here the theme being "war"..My friend argued that I had never been in a war,so how can I write about it in a first person perspective...



Before I venture into answering the questions posed by my friend,I shall first discuss what experience and poetry, or rather Art in general mean in my perspective...





What is Art and Poetry?



Art in its highest sense is something which forms a voice for the human soul,unshrouded,unmuffled..One of its most accomplished diaspora,the Poetry,is the voice of the soul... Sweet as it may sound,the depth and the nature of poetry goes way beneath the mere overt vanity of its structure and symbols and figures and rhythm...Poetry gives an individual the scope of delving into oneself,exploring those unearthed chapters of human thoughts,which lay hidden beneath the burdens of social and psychological idiosyncracies... Poetry has been more than those few lines,which we recite in groups when we are 10,read aloud when we are 15, read silently when we are 25, and quote when we are 50...Poetry in its essence carries the answers for everything in life... Because,the questions created in our life,have answers, more than often, in our hearts,and this art,is a key to unlock those answers...



Now,an interesting question arises,as to what are the elements that go into it?



By elements,I don't envisage the vocabulary and linguistics, as the answer; but by elements I look into much more humane concepts,which go into it,and come out bursting in colours flowing from our heart,to our mind,into our ink and onto our paper as a poetic piece...Elements unique to man... Elements like opinions,judgements,morals,emotions and most importantly,summing up all,ideas...Language is construction of Poetry,these elements are conception of Poetry...





What is Experience?



Seeing is believing... When you go through, is when you feel and empathise... And those two 'injustices' done upon you,altering your persona every second of your life are always grossly grouped under the tag of Experience....Experience,is what brings out expression... An authentic expression...Expression which can stir the hearts and touch the minds of those thinking few... Experience is what keeps the elements of our identity together,the thought,the word and the action... And it often creates memories,which last and guide us further... Experience has become synonymous with empathy in this world,where the latter has become a depleted and a rather endangered phenomenon,remaining in existence mostly only coupled with experience...Experience is the meaningful group all the words that are typed,backspaced,ad-libbed,emboldened,italicised,deleted,and constantly rewritten into a Text document on a white paper called your Identity...





The Answer



I opine of the perspective that experience is a tool,which we can utilise,when it is available... But depending solely on it for gaining our understanding and comprehension; for our judgements,for our perceptions, about the sea of knowledge and topics which cover them is plainly impossible and more importantly incomplete and is naive indeed... Experience in itself,is an excellent,and universally,acknowledged teacher,often acclaimed to be the finest in the profession; but waiting for this experience is what I find to be the most imprudent thing to do when it comes to creativity... For often in the wait,you lose the waited...Experience,can not always be available,and sometimes asking for it serves to negate the very purpose and cause you might be willing to address...As in the aforementioned case of war,for example,waiting for experience is one of the most foolish things to do,which as I said will negate the purpose...Experience,when it comes by circumstance and accident,is welcome... But it is not advised to go looking for it,when you deal with the themes like war...Well,I must allude to one more elemental ingredient of poetry,for answering his question... The element being sensitivity...If a soldier suffers,but can't or doesn't write about his suffering,and I can empathize with his feelings,and I can voice them for him,then I feel it to be my duty,my responsibility,to voice it... And sensitizing with the soldier may not have brought out the exact emotions of the soldier in my poetry,but,if not achieve such duplication,I would at least try to align my poem and its emotional appeal in congruency with his perception...I wrote the poem in a first person perspective,not because I was the soldier there,and not even because I was impersonating the soldier who opened his heart unto me,but rather because,I saw a movie,wherein through that movie,I thought I heard a soldier describing his horrors, most explicitly...One doesn't need to have a first hand experience,to describe others suffering,as long as one has the heart to listen to it,and the empathy to understand his brother's suffering...This again brings me back to the idea,I intend to emphasise through this piece...Someone who does, need not write,and likewise someone who writes, need not necessarily have done it...It is imperative that a reader know this...





Purpose of Literature



In literature of any form,it is always the expression of idea and the purpose it intends to meet with,that matters in the end,more than the form given to it or the character you as an writer adorn...The very purpose of writing about war is to bring out its horrors,heroics,deaths and destruction,by which,the writer intends to warn and impede the reader from asking for it...Literature can't rely solely upon experience,for when it does that,it becomes reduced to being merely an instrument for depiction and description; quite departing from its purpose in its highest forms,which is,expression...Expression goes beyond mere depiction...



Now,movies,songs and so many other forms of literature talk of war and war-related themes... And every person who might have been involved in those forms of story telling might not have been involved in the story itself,if and when it happened,but it is hoped and expected that the viewer,the listener,the reader,or in general,the appreciator,appreciate the theme,the story,the message... The message should serve the purpose,the purpose of acquainting the audience with the subject... Acquanting and gaining the sympathy,if not,empathy from the audience...





In a manner of conclusion all I can say is that Poetry,in its didactic essence is for senstizing to issues... And how you do it is immaterial. If it is that Chance provides you with experience,so be it... Or if you find yourself capable enough to sensitize,find your aggreeability,thus... As in the end,thoughts remain,voices are what make history,and let not your voices be constrained by an improbable wait for an accidental benefactor called experience...Give your thoughts,the voice they deserve...

On Hope...

Its a part of life that one tends to ignore the difficult concept of acceptance of inevitability...The frail human soul tries its best to ignore due to sad unacceptability,the inevitable truths.It yearns to believe in that prospect,that Utopian euphoria that only hope can dare to explain...Sometimes,not so rarely,have I witnessed situations,circumstances where the weak human is faced with that deep feeling inside,which keeps nagging at the back of our head telling us the impossibility of what we hope,but still we,the dreamers keep ignoring that warning till it hits us across our face. And when it hits us,we say nothing,there is just a single tear across our pallor,which but says one thing,"see? I told you."Yes,that tear is the language of the truest and most sensible being that resides in the deepest realms of our heart,that tear is the hand of that being,which writes on the walls of our hearts,the warning,the message,the instruction,the inevitable truth,which we choose to ignore till the last.It may not be logical,as someone rightly suggests,to ignore the writing on the wall,but yes, still we do it...People say its our weakness,which makes us do it,people say it is the reason for our doom,the reason for all that went wrong in case of humanity.But I just feel happy,feel innately calm,peaceful,when I see that whatever happened,had a just reason.If it were not for our weakness,I perceive,where would we have found our strengths,where would we have learnt about our mistakes,where would that lesson have come in our textbooks. If it were not for our weaknesses,where would education exist;for what is education,but an analysis of our mistakes...It is best visible in our study of our fathers,which we call as History... I see the ultimate aim of history in its relevance to us,to you,to me,to your brothers,to your sisters,to every human... History is but a study of past glories,and the mistakes and lessons that lay embedded in that past glories of our fathers...What knowledge would one have of the pain of war,the worth of faith,the worth of sacrifice,the beauty inherent in love,what knowledge of joy,what knowledge of happiness would one possess,if he had never known the past...How could one understand the romantic beauty of happiness,joy,calm serenity,had he not known pain...Somewhere we try to avoid the pain,somewhere we like to run away from it...I see no harm in doing so,after all,it hurts...But it is also true that ultimately you have to face it,and it is also self-implied that it is for your own good...The hope that keeps us alive,the hope that keeps us moving on in our sycophantic life,the hope that guides us to do mistakes,the hope that guides us to accept them,and it is again hope that makes us learn from those mistakes and keep moving,I must say,as long as we have faith in that hope,it is again the hope itself that will give us strength to endure and experience,whatever life has to offer to us,beautiful or else,beautiful... Yes,the other aspect is also beautiful,for I perceive that pain has a beauty so inherent in its worth,that even everything happy may not possess,and a true student of humanity must see beauty so vibrantly emanating from even pain,as he/she sees in joy and happiness,and only then,can one learn the true worth of life...It is impossible indeed to imagine life without hope,for what meaning would life hold in the absence of hope,and the faith that hope generates to keep us rolling,while the wheels on the bus go round and round...:)



© Karthik Adithya Singaraju 

08/05/2010

God's own Kamasutra...

(A STATUTORY NOTICE :- Apart from reading and commenting your opinion,please tell me if you notice any mistakes grammatical etc...:) )



(DISCLAIMER :- Characters are real,and have solely been used to disseminate my views and not with an intention to harm any person's feelings or self-image,and if I have unintentionally hurt anyone through this piece,I beg your pardon from the deepest of my heart,most sincerely at the very outset..)







One





Few more minutes,and I finally reach KBS. God!! Today I am going to get late...



Ahh,finally...

Ohkay,lets better get moving fast and grab the nearest bus to college...



He waits behind two guys,wearing kurta and carrying bags. They have the cap on and grown their beards. Both seem to be strong,lean and fit. Probably in their 20s...



It can be this moment,with whatever is inside those loose vests. It could happen to me this moment,and all thoughts, all plans would go with me,into the dust... Shit! Do not think like that... It is not right...



Now he remembers those classes where he studied "The telephone Conversation"...



What was it that Soyinka had termed it as... Forced Good Breeding...



He shuts out further thoughts feeling guilty to think in such a way at all...



It could be this moment... This could be the last,and I wouldn't even know... It would be so easy for someone here to do such a thing... Barely any security,and crowds in hundreds,if not thousands... SHIT! Shut the fuck up,you're not supposed to think like that!



But...



They get down,and he follows suit. Swiftly crossing through the multitudes of crowd and incoming buses,he makes his way through the platforms to the other end to catch his next bus. Completely forgetting the incident...



*A FEW DAYS EARLIER*



"A great many forms of prejudices exist, for one in America it might be of colour and there it wouldn't be much of consequence if you are a hindu or muslim, but it would be a big deal if you are coloured, or so has been the case," Mr.N tells the half interested crowd which stays inside the class for basically the want of attendance.

"This poem is about the poet,who is black,as is apparent and is seeking an apartment for rent from a white lady,and the course of their conversation is described in the poem. Poem contains ironical references to racism."



I think most of us here,either do not understand or might not appreciate fully what racism is... It might be only understandable once you know it,or experience it... But I can imagine...



"Mark the words,forced good breeding," says his friend, "interesting usage,isn't it?"



He nods and smiles... So many out there who still believe in stuff like KKK and Nazi wasn't a one man army either,was it...? Prejudices work on the strength of people who believe in them... But how can I blame them? Thats what they see and know... It is not like most of them are educated Ph.D holders... And policies invariably piss off one section or the other... And even most educated people love to pass the blame for their incompetence and shortcomings across the table...



------------------------------------------------



Two



Oh..!! Thank God! Direct bus to college,guess I will reach in time after all...



There is a really old lady,small and probably shrunken through her time,sitting right in front. She looks up,is it apprehension in her eyes...? as though this urban boy is going to snatch away her seat where she is resting her long toiled body. Her face might have as many creases as the months she has been here,with us...



*A Few minutes pass*



Great! A seat! This is a good start to the day...!



He sits across her,mildly interested,but takes out his earphones and plugs himself into the music. Then he notices,she keeps turning back...



Oh...the old guy is her husband,I suppose...



There is an old guy sitting a couple of rows behind the woman,he is at the edge of the seat,and amidst the sea of legs of the standing morning crowd,in the bus, he notices an earnest face,which keeps watching the woman anxiously... He seems to be pretty toughened,one can notice that from his face. Beard and hair on the slightly balding head have a ghostly whiteness to them,but he also looks as shrunken through the years as does his wife. Her saree,her face,her starved look,her anxious face, all telling a story of long, harassed and miserable life which no words can describe.



I better look away...



In sometime I'll meet people who think the world is as rosy as it can get...

The irony of it all...

I'm glad I come by bus...





There is a slightly obese middle-aged person who sits right next to this lady. With his saffron mark on the forehead to his gold-plated watch,dressed in a dull white checked shirt and a brown cotton pant with sandals. A thick moustache. A phone diary and a single jet pen in his breast pocket. Probably some notes and few papers added to the bulk in his breast pocket...



Another one of those dull working middle-class... How can one forever exist and bear the monotony of such dull existence? What purpose does he have? What happens when it is time for him to go? Will he regret what he is...? But then again,there are more people like him,too many than what I might like... Just well oiled outdated machines with as much elements of life as sheep...

"Hmmm"....



Well but then,he might have already done what he wants,wouldn't he have? A house, a family, few kids and a wife... Attend occasional family get-togethers on special occassions and just thus,get on with life...





*A couple of days before*



(In the Mother tongue)



"A few words in English,and people act as though they know the world. They don't realise,our basic necessity is to bring our family up. If we do that much,it is enough. If life gets settled and shows a positive improvement,that is enough. But youngsters these days think that we who have seen the whole life are fools,we don't know what life is. They think they,and their fancied examples are only right. They don't understand the reality. Immature lot,few years and everyone will come to their positions,trust me."



Seen life? Yeah right!



Practicality? Thinking one is a loser or should be a conformist for societal norms based on class divide is being practical?! Then practicality,my arse...



God! When am I getting out of here?!



---------------------------------------------------------------



Three





He has such an intellectual feel to his face. Pity he seems uneducated. Or are they covert operatives? It is not entirely impossible that such people can be amongst us,now can they? And am I observing well? Well,maybe, maybe not... *Dude! You're watching and reading too much of this shit...*



He looks out of the bus window and smiles.



They noticed me looking at them... They are talking now,what is it that they are talking? And the blind guy,is he really blind? Why does it feel that he is looking at me?

CREEPY!



His kurta is so dirty... A good observer can note all the details remember? Spots near the right waist area, a black protrusion midway on his staff,bag torn near base on the right side... Wonder whats inside?



This could be my last moment... Shit! Not again! Stop thinking that way!

Well,I guess this is all terrorism is about,lesser explosions but more fear of explosions... Am I really to blame myself for thinking this way?

Or is it how things are being conditioned from various channels of information?



And if I think this way,can I really blame a religiously prejudiced person of being prejudiced?



Shit,What exactly is right anyway?!



Should I give my seat to this person who apparently is blind and is quite old?

What the hell is stopping me from doing so?!







*A Few minutes later*



The person sitting beside him leaves,as his stop comes,and he helps the old fakir to sit down beside him and smiles.



Maybe a small size retribution for my initial unkind behaviour...



Now,they are smiling while looking at me. Thank God!



There is something wrong... Guess I am giving in to the stereotyping going around...

But I never feel this way with my other friends who belong to the same group of people...

Probably its got something to do with what they wear... But it is wrong,I know it...



I should stop getting worked up whenever I see such people...



But honestly,those two standing there,they look so intellectual,why aren't they educated? So many like them,I suppose,intellectual by birth,but deprived by circumstances. Pity,as things could've been so much more different...



--------------------------------------------------------------



Four





*An Year Earlier*



(In their most commonly used language)



"This Govt is a bunch of liars,they have stirpped us off our lands. They persecute from amongst us,and they don't allow us homes,don't allow us peace and don't allow us our tongue to sing praise for our Lord. They are all from that Saffron land,they only like people who believe in Saffron colour and worship what they worship. We are the deprived,we are hunted as though we are thieves and treated like vermin," and an old religious man goes on like this...



He is sitting beside the old man...



If an old common roadside fakir can say so much,which can be so instigating for the uneducated, what about those hardcore propoganda experts from amongst the ranks of extremists. God! Scary thought by itself!



Only people with narrow minds can think this way! I feel sorry!





*A Few Months Earlier*



Why are these people so much against what their own people are doing? It is not like Govt wants to be bad,but it is compelled...



Suddenly he is quite taken aback when he finds out that his own friends have opined against the Govt.



Is the nation-state concept on its death row...?





*Now*



Guess,now I should feel sorry for myself for thinking that way... But I can also see the point of those who are prejudist now... But the sorry part is,it only adds to the confusion... Who is wrong,who is right? What is wrong,what is right?



--------------------------------------------------------



Five



*An Hour passes in the bus journey*



The old man comes and sits beside his wife,in the bus which is by now completely empty...



She takes out an handkerchief from her bosom and starts unfolding it beside him,as soon as he comes and sits beside her...

He is looking at her act as is the other guy sitting in front,facing the old couple...



Well,guess he gave her some money just in case they get separated... Wonder how much she is carrying in that handkerchief...



She opens and takes some money in her hands, hundred rupees on the outside,wonder how much inside that note,stacked...?

Well....



She opens the Hundred Rupee note and gives it to him... He asks her to keep it,but she insists,almost frenzied looking at the note,as though it is a scary voodoo artifact...



What... Just 100 rupees...?



He carefully folds the note and keeps it inside his pocket safely and looks at the guy who is intently watching the whole scene.



They don't look like they are urban folks;she just had hundred with her?!

And I get it for what...two days...!



Some inexplicable guilt and despondence gets to him...



*A Day Ago*



"Hey dude,nice haircut,where did you get it done?," he asks,looking at one of his friends who had just got a new hair-cut done. "And nice colour too!"



The other friend smiles,"I got it done from L and well the haircut was just 300 bucks,but together with the colour,the whole set came around to 1500.."



"300?! Thats it?! Not bad dude,thats quite reasonable! Nice man!"





*Now*



What is reasonable? What is right and what is not?

God,things just don't seem fair!



--------------------------------------------------



Six (Epilogue)





This world is really a fucked up place...



But wonder why can't God (or life) fuck us all in one single way,rather than coming up with so much variety...?



Then again I am reminded of Kamasutra...



And wasn't God supposed to be REALLY creative...?



(And I guess best way to watch it is in the bus...)



---------------xxxxxxxxxxxx--------------



© Karthik Adithya Singaraju

Beyond the drawbacks of Democracy...

The Democratic form of political system has been portrayed as the Utopian form of Governance that any civilized society can achieve. Yes, it in its real essence states the novelty of an informed society progressive and in tune with the need and call of the common man. India had its first taste of democracy,even while it was under the Colonial rule of Imperial British Crown, when the young intellectuals elite of India started to visit and experience the society existent in the supposedly Enlightened and Renaissance driven West,from the early 19th century.



The Parliamentarian systems of Europe, though nominally under monarchy were found to be blissfully pro-public. The first leaders of India, right from the formation of Indian National Congress in 1885 were of an unanimous mindset, to bring about such a pro-people and of the people governance in India.

The tested effectiveness of democracy in European progressive states was a living proof for the Indian leaders to rely upon. Major contributors to the effectiveness of this argument were the examples of French and American Revolutions of late 1700s. The people were inspired by the willful public might portrayed in those epic sacrifices for Right to Liberty and Freedom.



The Congress leaders, especially the Extremist wing, time and again believed and reasserted the fact that such revolution must happen in our country. There amidst the risen Nationalism of our country, we witnessed the rise of a Great leader. A 5 and a half foot man with the vein of the nation within his grasp. Shortly after arrival from South Africa,he travelled across the various territories of India,just to get the pulse of the nation. Even while marching alongside the Congress leaders, he never politically campaigned. I must say,that the little men this country produces have by far been singularly significant and their strength lies in their character. Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi,. called Mahatma Gandhi out of reverence, campaigned for the betterment of people, but history tells us that, during the Quit India Movement, he was pressurized to ask for Complete Independence. Mahatma Gandhi writes himself,in his memoirs, that he believed that our country was NOT ready to be an Independent Republic yet.



The democracy loosely forged along the 3000 odd kilometer length and breadth of this nation has been more of a gargantuan failing machine,exactly walking on the path Gandhi predicted us to walk.



I must here discuss the reasons for such a dismal regressive degeneration of our democracy. Firstly, the ideals and the examples taken were of the smaller European nations and the United States of America. First let me discuss the case of European states, the democratic machinery worked in Europe because of the limited geo-political influence of each nation state. Simply put, when a man or a group of chosen men control and govern other men, it is more efficiently done when the size of the volume being controlled and governed is limited. Every European state satisfies this aspect. One may here ask,what of America which is geographically and population wise pretty large. The answer for this remains that the USA that we know of was initially comprised of 13 European Colonies, which until the Declaration of Independence and formation of The United States of America were run on the basis of Anarcho-Capitalism and Individualistic Anarchism. The American colonies,thus, developed and gradually matured in a span of a century,being assisted by economic and such prosperity into a state capable enough to handle Democracy. And thus,by the time, American War of Independence took place, American colonies were a responsible people,capable of making informed decisions.



Now the key aspect of the efficiency of a democracy lies with the ability of people to make informed decisions and choices, irrespective of any external or internal influences or biases. That if properly understood remains to be a concept yet to be realised, and it is imperative to achieve that to optimal levels before one counts themselves ready to take the task of being responsible society. This is exactly the point where Indian leaders went wrong,and Gandhiji made a fairly informed prediction,of India not being ready to handle the democratic "independence". The reason for this was just widespread illiteracy, lack of information,lack of sense of purpose. They knew they wanted independence from British yoke,but not many had clue what to do with the gained independence. Economy was in shambles, population was rising as well as the issues to deal with. And the extensive bureaucratic machinery largely comprising of the first independent generation was walking the path of extreme degeneration with rise in Herculean levels of corruption.



We tried to imbibe far too much from the West and their culture. Though the perfect form of society is one where individuals are allowed their Right to exercise freedom, the achievement of our democracy so far has been largely stagnant,if not regressive. What our leaders failed to comprehend is while imbibing the values of West which propagate the freedom of man, we should have also considered our preparedness, our identity, our nativity to actually understand and work out things. Democracy as it is existent in India,where every other person can start a political party, the extensive legislative structure, unlimited terms in power, lack of proper eligibility criteria for being chosen as leaders, reservations based on the divisions which plague our society,patriarchal structure of political system - all this and more has resulted in our Governance System to fail dismally.



To quote rightly the effect of democracy, taken from a delightful essay by Hans-Hermann Hoppe, democracy shall only produce "congressmen, presidents, and Supreme Court judges who do not and cannot acquire their positions accidentally, reach their position because of their proficiency as morally uninhibited demagogues. Moreover, even outside the orbit of government, within civil society, individuals will increasingly rise to the top of economic and financial success, not on account of their productive or entrepreneurial talents or even their superior defensive political talents, but rather because of their superior skills as unscrupulous political entrepreneurs and lobbyists. Thus, the Constitution virtually assures that exclusively dangerous men will rise to the pinnacle of government power and that moral behavior and ethical standards will tend to decline and deteriorate over all."



And the way things are run in democracy by our leaders is beautifully explained as follows :- "Legislators cannot impose their will on their hapless subjects without the cooperation of the president as the head of the executive branch of government, and the president* in turn will use his position and the resources at his disposal to influence legislators and legislation. And although the Supreme Court may disagree with particular acts of Congress or the president, Supreme Court judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate and remain dependent on them for funding. As an integral part of the institution of government, they have no interest in limiting but every interest in expanding the government's, and hence their own, power."



And a statement is on the rounds these days, "blame the times,as these are bad times and well,if everyone does that,why not me?" And he further explains the reason why such a pitiful situation has arisen where being morally and ethically sound doesn't really help you. It is safe enough to blame the system, as system is flawed. In Hans-Hermann Hoppe's words,"in every society, more "have-nots" of everything worth having exist than "haves," and the politically talented who have little or no inhibition against taking property and lording it over others will have a clear advantage over those with such scruples. That is, open political competition favors aggressive, hence dangerous, rather than defensive, hence harmless, political talents and will thus lead to the cultivation and perfection of the peculiar skills of demagoguery, deception, lying, opportunism, corruption, and bribery. Therefore, entrance into and success within government will become increasingly impossible for anyone hampered by moral scruples against lying and stealing."



The academic article from which the excerpts have been borrowed speaks of the issues facing democracy and its proponents. And the quoted words of the article clearly reflect the present dismal shamble of our own country and its "Democratic" nature.



The question that is left behind here at the end of this piece is how are we going to go beyond the drawbacks of democracy and address the concerns raised?



© Karthik Adithya Singaraju



*The article by Hans-Hermann Hoppe was written in the American Context,and hence the reference to the President and the Senate. We must assume in Indian context,analogy can be extended to our Cabinet Ministers and the Members of Parliament and Legislative Assembly.

Khichdi of Indian System...

Indian democracy is majorly flawed due to its intermixing with socialist bureaucratic yoke... A multi-tiered bureaucracy in Socialist/Communist states were made with the precise intentions to make govt impervious and inaccessible to common man....

And when Indian Constitution Drafters drafted the constitution,they tried to mix everything and make a cocktail Governing body...

I believe that Ideal democracy is one in which citizen can easily reach out to the govt. Which is why,I believe, a democratic form of governance should have thinner bureaucratic strata... By developing such a heavy and complex network of bureaucracy, Indian Drafters made the democratic vision counter-productive... We have become stagnant because we are a potpourri of multiple systems,and do not really represent a single system as a whole,and each system seems to be working against another...



A simple example of this can be viewed by the fact that, a completely bankrupt economy was revived by removing the Socialist Protection Laws, and making India a freer market and economy...



Now I believe that is the same approach one must use to actually eradicate corruption too... The unnecessarily extensive bureaucracy must be clipped off its vestigial excesses and trimmed into a thin and far simpler system which just forms a single tier interface between government and the citizens...



As long as Indian system is ailed by this extensive bureaucracy, there is no way that one can hope to remove corruption...



Secondly, the next step would be to decentralize the authority as well as funds to deal with issues... State matters should be increased and Central matters minimised...



Decentralization helps in reducing the bureaucratic levels and hence the attenuation or melting of funds due to corruption at various levels... A completely federalised structure is very important to this context...



Here again, Indian drafters went wrong... They did not make India completely Federal, neither did they make it completely Centralised Govt.

It is just the same way the Panzer divisions were awarded by Hitler after D-Day... Half to Roemmel and half elsewhere... Neither could utilise them well, as neither had enough to use and hence the efficiency of beachhead defense and inland defence,both weakened...



Similarly, Center and State partially shared the power,making neither have a full executive control and hence effective decisions were not possible and instead the decision became a matter of mutual agreement (over self interest)...

Complete centralization can be dangerous so complete federal structure is what I think is better in this context,except for military control...



The Cabinet ministry is more or less again a mixture of any Communist Politburo and British styled Cabinet...

They must be removed and replaced with autonomous Departments which specialise in the particular field, and they should have a common Representative Committee with the more empowered President heading the Committee...



Total removal of Cabinet and replacement with American styled 'Secretaries',viz., Secretary of Treasury,Secretary of Defence etc, is a better option,according to me, as they will have technical know-how as well as be more informed and efficient... Though such 'Secretaries' exist even now, again a level of Cabinet Ministers seems a complete waste...



Biggest flaw of Indian Constitution is that while Bureaucracy, Judiciary and such positions require eligibility in terms of educational qualification, the executive has been stripped of its worth by allowing ANYONE irrespective of their track records to contest...



The third correction would be to make a procedural entrance system to enter into Ministerial service...



As a conclusion, all I would say is, the bane of Indian System is its complexity with its unnecessary twists and turns which make it convenient for the vile foxes to get the lambs to stray and in darkness pounce and prey upon them...



A democracy can only work in a more decentralized, federal structure which is fairly simpler in its built-up...