How we are  rated in the world is a cause both for thought and worry

 I have a  word or two on this, this week, read it at leisure and without hurry

And by the way what was so bad or unwanted about Padmavat, I simply wonder

The Karni sena did no good:  for the country or for Rajputs by its needless thunder

             Is India a 'flawed democracy'?

                               

The  other day, The Tribune news item made me sad. The heading was: ‘India slips 10 ranks to 42 on democracy index’. The shocking thing is that this slide  on the global democracy index has happened in just a year. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) we are a ‘flawed democracy’ with an overall score of 7.23 points. We are good on electoral process with a score of 9.17 but have slipped on: political culture, government functioning, political participation and civil liberties. On the freedom of press also India’s score is dismal. Norway, like before, tops the list and countries like New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Canada, Finland, Switzerland sit and shine among the top 10. Luckily, we are better off than Bangladesh (92), our pesky neighbour Pakistan (110) and worrisome China ((139).
 EIU is a credible UK- based body of 70 years’ standing which makes these evaluations on certain well-known and universally accepted criteria which define democracy. These ratings come handy to foreign investors in deciding which countries would be safe and risk-free for investments.

Days later I read Ramchandra Guha’s thought-provoking essay in the Republic Day Special issue of Outlook magazine dated 5 February 2018 only to feel sadder still. Ramchandra Guha is our well-known historian and an intellectual. He minces no words in expressing his anguish over rapid erosion of India’s democratic values in his piece carried by the magazine. Not just Mr Guha. Increasingly strident and louder voices of dissent and anguish over India’s steady shift from patriotism towards jingoism are emanating from several other quarters as well. And are becoming increasingly audible too.

According to Guha, a distinct line has to be drawn between 'constitutional patriotism' and ‘jingoism’. These are “…two distinct, different, opposed varieties of nationalism. Patriotism is suffused with love and understanding. Jingoism is motivated by hate and revenge.”  The founding features of patriotism, Guha argues, are:

1.      An appreciation of individual and cultural diversity

2.      A readiness to enact one’s citizenship at different levels

3.      The recognition that no religion, nation, or leader is flawless

4.      The ability to feel shame at the crimes of one’s religion, state,                     society or nation

5.      The willingness to learn from other countries

What about jingoism? Its founding features, as Guha points out, are:

1.      The belief that one’s religion, culture, nation and leader are            perfect and infallible

2.      The demonising of critics as anti-nationals and deshdrohis

3.      Violence and lumpenisation, not just abusing your critics                but harassing and intimidating them, through the force              of the state’s investigative agencies and through vigilante             armies if required.

In this lucid essay, Mr Guha also lambasts the Congress party for having let the country down, having promoted and perpetuated dynastic Nehru-Gandhi culture and having “turned its back on its own founders".

Friends, I don’t know how you feel about this diagnosis of our country’s ailing or “flawed democracy”. But when EIS says so and a man of Guha’s standing strikes a similar note, I think we need to sit up and take notice. Well, not just take notice.  Those of us who deem themselves to be patriots and not jingoists must fight to rescue and safeguard our values. Values like “pluralism”, “democracy”, “decency” and “non-violence”. For, these are the values that are enshrined in our constitution...that our great leaders like Gandhi, Tagore and Ambedkar blue-printed for us. And these are the values we all need to imbibe, preserve and foster among ourselves, and will take India forward  on the path to greatness. These are the values that will help India rise in global standing and empower it to rub shoulders with countries like Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark in all the parameters that define a country’s overall wellness.
                  
                                                      

                                                          *  
In passing

"What was all the fuss about?" I asked myself at once after watching Padmavat. It is a neat and clean movie. And quite a good one to watch compared to the trite, trashy stuff habitually served out by the Bollywood’s fan-pampered bigwigs. If anything, the movie just extols Rajputs…maybe a tad too much. What on earth was the ground or reason or justification for the rage, anger, hooliganism, rampage let loose by the Karni sena’s goons and hoodlums? Why did some governments let them run amuck and hold so many cities to ransom? And look, what a roaring success the film has been at the box office. I am sure each and every one who saw the movie had just the same very question in mind after coming out of the theatre: “What was all the fuss about?”

                                                        ***

           

                Let's leave science alone, let the great Darwin's soul rest in peace

               Evolution is as true and right as the plural of goose is geese

              I write this week on our worthy minister getting it all so wrong

             I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or sing a baleful song

      When Charles Darwin turned in his grave                               

Friends, Charles Darwin turned in his grave. This happened two weeks ago because a minister in the central government suffering from foot-in-the-mouth syndrome waxed eloquent on man’s evolution. This he did, not in a casual, off-hand manner in some cocktail party sipping scotch but at a public function. Origin of species is scientifically wrong, he boomed before the mike. No one, not even our ancestors, have seen an ape turning into a man; humans appeared on earth as humans, he said. Going a step further, the worthy minister of state for Human Resource Development, Mr Satyapal Singh then asserted that since this was the case therefore necessary changes should be introduced in the school and college curricula. The cocky, over-zealous minster did not stop here. He repeated his misplaced notions at another public function soon after and justified them further by claiming that since he is himself a Chemistry postgraduate, he knows science.  Therefore what he says is a scientific fact. As was natural, the entire scientific community squirmed and uttered a collective sigh of shock and surprise at the minister trying to turn the well-established theory of origin of man on its head with just one sweeping statement. A body of 2000 scientists therefore had to issue a joint statement to contradict and reject what the ‘scientific-minded’ minister had tried to push down nation’s throat. And his own superior, the HRD minister Mr Javadekar, had to ask him to desist from trespassing into a field (of science) that he knows little about.

Like all, I too have been shocked and surprised at the brazenness and the gumption shown by the minister in making such a  stunning assertion on  a universally-accepted, time-tested scientific concept like human evolution. For,  to say something wrong is one thing. But to try to  justify a baseless and fanciful argument and peddle it as a fact of science merely  on the boast of your own scientific background - after you have dealt science a body blow – is ludicrous and hard to swallow. Needless to say, it needs hard scientific evidence to prove a theory wrong and not an irresponsible comment at a public function.

Charles Darwin didn’t enunciate his theory sitting in a cosy, cushioned chair in an AC-cooled, swanky ministerial chamber. He set sail  in a ship ‘HMS Beagle’ on 27 December 1831 on a rainy morning enduring all kinds of hardships on a long voyage to South America and the Galapagos Islands brimming with diversity of life. There he made thorough observations, collected samples, made elaborate notes. Back home he pondered over what he had seen, collected, observed and written. Then after years of meditative reflection, debate and scientific enquiry did the light of knowledge and discovery illuminate  his mind, leading him to pen down and spell out page by page the theory of evolution in his book:  ‘ On the Origin of species…’ which he published on 24 November 1859.  That was not the end. His trailblazing ideas came under severest scrutiny in the scientific world. He also faced stiff resistance from the orthodox Church which thought it blasphemous because it ran counter to the misplaced idea of all creation being an act of God.  But Darwin’s concept was scientifically robust. It stood the test of time. And is now an irrefutable fact of biology beyond doubt which only the superstitious, the dogmatic and the ignorant alone would dispute.

Now let’s answer the minister. He says that the theory of evolution is wrong because no one – not even our ancestors - have seen an ape turning into a man. Well, Mr Minister, this is because evolution is not an act of magic. It is not that by merely waving a magic wand an ape will transform itself into a man in the twinkling of an eye. It takes many thousands and millions of years for the process of Natural Selection to work its way. Under its slow, invisible ‘hand’, small little changes accumulate and then a species different from an original one takes shape. That’s why the ancestral man - the Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons - some 200,000 years ago, were so different from us. Any biology book of a plus two student will tell us that.

Therefore, may I please respectfully say this:

Let's please leave science alone, and with those who belong to it  and do their work. For, such utterances demoralize us, give a bad name to the country and make it a laughing stock. We have enough of superstition in our society already to get rid of and are still miles away from fostering scientific tamper in the country.

                                               

                                                                 

                                                ***

                  Let's hail the new HP government

                             

Let us applaud the BJP. The choice of Shri Jai Ram Thakur as the HP CM has a stamp of wisdom, political sagacity and foresight. Credit goes to the dramatis personae – the king-makers – who kept vested interests at bay, stayed above petty considerations and resisted all kinds of pulls and pressures in making this choice. It is in fact a master stroke.

First and foremost, Mr Jai Ram Thakur is ‘Mr Clean’. He comes from a humble background and therefore has his feet rooted to the ground. A man of action rather than words, he is also known for being upright, suave, decent, humane and not bogged down by the trappings of power. 

Look, how he has already given a decent burial to the unwholesome ‘topi politics’ that was being practiced for so long by both the Congress and the  BJP top guns to symbolize and foster the divide between the state’s ‘old’ and the ‘new’ areas. (Imagine, one top leader even refused to wear a cap at a public function which had a band of a different colour than the one epitomized by him!) Further, Mr Thakur has asked people to desist from touching his feet. ‘Respect comes from the heart,’ he said. I personally feel that when it comes to politics, feet-touching is demeaning and is the crudest form of chamchagiri. But our politicians love their followers and favour-seekers to pay them obeisance by touching their feet and even prostrating before them: it gives their false  egos a big high. Then, the new CM has also expressed himself against fresh flower garlands being used for welcome.

Well, small little steps these but enough to suggest how he is some notches above and different from the common breed of power-drunk, self-serving politicians in our land.

Second, his anointment heralds the long awaited beginning of a new era. Era of generational shift.  Era of investing in youth and vesting political leadership in the hands of the young. Himachal politics direly needed this switch-over to rid it free of the stranglehold of the old and the ‘tired and retired’  clutching the seats of political power and perpetuating dynastic hegemony. It is like a breath of fresh air which will infuse new vigour in the state’s political landscape.

Third, it fills a big void by giving much deserved and long awaited representation to the district of Mandi, denied for so long. Kangra is equally, if not more, deserving of a CM’s position but you all know as well as I do who to blame for this!

Mr Thakur’s elevation to the high chair is also a slap across the face of the Congress which has been obdurate and impervious to change and has kept beating its same old drum. The bold but sane voices in its cadres have either been silenced, and such people marginalised or simply chucked out. It has not let the old order yield place to the new. Instead of grooming young new dynamic leadership imbued with vision and idealism, it has let the old dynastic culture to proliferate and fester. Even the high command let itself be arm-twisted and let itself dance to the tune of those who wanted their own ends served at any cost.

Perhaps Rahul Gandhi will take a leaf out of Himachal BJP’s book, take bold initiatives and use a strong purgative to impart new energy and vitality to the state Congress without much delay.

Be that as it may, we, the people of the state, have reasons to rejoice at this welcome change. And it is now for the new CM and his team to deliver and make Himachal Pradesh a model state with its unique and new agenda of holistic, handsome, environment-friendly and sustainable  ‘development’.

                                                             ***

Good luck Ashish  Butail; now let’s together nurture and groom  Palampur                            

 The sojourn is over. And it feels wonderful to be back to my blogging ways. Back to be amidst you and be a part of you. To share my thoughts, joys, sorrows, anger and agony over all that impacts lives: mine and yours. And trust me I missed you all so much.

 Much water has flown down the Neugal khud since my last blog post of 17 November ’17. Elections have been won and lost and a fresh, young and new BJP government has come in place. For Palampur, we have a young leader Ashish Butail as our MLA. In  many ways, Palampur’s care and development is now in his hands. He is aware of its most pressing needs: a state-of-the-art, non-polluting waste disposal plant, parking lots, traffic management, assured potable water supply… to name a few. But he will need to marry development with environmental preservation and ensure that the natural assets of Palampur are no longer sacrificed on the altar of ‘development’. He has the necessary wherewithal (except for the handicap of being in the opposition) to deliver and steer the ‘chai nagri’ along the right course.  I hope he will not stand on prestige, would rise above party politics and even  seek Shantaji's active help and support in  executing the agenda for Palampur's development. That would only enhance his stature in the eyes of the public. 

I rather hate the word ‘development’. It has come to mean jungles of concrete, encroachments, illegal and unsafe buildings, congestion, traffic chaos and pollution- all at the cost of environment. Therefore we expect our new MLA to nurture and groom Palampur with tender care and a loving touch. Palampur has to stay clean, green and beautiful. And not just the MLA, but we all have to be proactive to make it happen. Hark what Gandhiji  said: "Let us be the change that we wish to see in the world." Therefore, let us be the Palampur that we wish to see and leave behind; for, Palampur belongs to us and we belong to Palampur. Do we want it to be a grey, barren, noisy, ugly, choked town disfigured by unplanned concrete structures everywhere? Do we want it to be a town where passing through the bazaar is so scary and hazardous- both for the pedestrian and the carwalla? Do you want it to be a town bereft of its majestic deodars, pines and tea gardens? ... A town with its Neugal khud mined to death and turned almost dry? ; its cool gurgling waters – which attract tourists in hordes - turned dirty and brown with silt and mud; its banks soiled and spoiled by garbage dumps?

Friends, the stakes are high. And the choice is yours: whether you want to remain indifferent and unconcerned or step out and have your say; whether to not  look beyond the four walls of your home or ready to stick your necks out.

I am  being 'teachy-preachy' but let’s remember:

Who lives if Palampur dies?







                             

                                                     *

Being personal with Ashish Butail

On a personal level too I  wish Ashish Butail success in his new innings. I am sure he will take the NGOs, the environmentalists, and enlightened citizenry along as he starts on  ‘agenda of (green, holistic) development’ of Palampur with a fresh, new vision. In turn, it is for us to strengthen his hands. I am sure being suave and sober, he shall be receptive and open to constructive suggestions and new ideas, and gracious enough to view in right perspective should any of us point out any lapses on his part in the 5-year-long debut innings of his. We all have to work as a well-knit team above personal biases and prejudices and petty differences to take Palampur forward. 

Good luck Ashish. Palampur looks at you with hope and expectations.

                                                         



                                                                    

                                         *

Last word

Development must

But environment first

So

Let's all forget all greed and lust 

And welcome what is fair and just

                                                             ***

Donating body is noble but...?

    And:

 palampurbeats's  Ist Anniversary:  musings 

There was a death in our neighbourhood on 3rd of November. Well, what is so unusual about it, you might ask.  Sad, but this is an inescapable fact of worldly existence, you would add. But there is one thing noteworthy in the present case.  This neighbour of ours (who served the postal department with distinction), Shri Surinder Bhardwaj - a gentle, amiable, soft-spoken, kind-hearted but clear-headed soul – standing up and above our customs, conventions and रीति-रिवाज़  which at times stifle our rational approach to life and world, had opted to donate his body to a hospital (Medical College, Tanda) for medical research. To ensure that his family members suffer no hassles in the execution of his wish, he had painstakingly and meticulously completed all the tiresome formalities and the necessary paper-work well in time. But after his death, when it came to actually handing over the body, his son Sandeep and  other kin had a shock awaiting them. The doctor-in-charge at Tanda hospital came up with a new pre-condition to be fulfilled before the body could be accepted: a certificate of death from no other than an MBBS doctor. Taken aback, Sandeep argued with the doctor that all the necessary formalities have already been carefully taken care of and no such pre-condition exists. Still, if indeed it is so, they could procure a certificate from any RMP. But no. The good doctor was adamant and unrelenting. Flabbergasted, Sandeep then talked to a senior doctor-friend at the local Government hospital and told him about the impasse, seeking his help and advice. He agreed and opined that there was no such pre-condition and that the body should be gratefully accepted by the hospital in question. But the stalemate continued. Then, out of sheer exasperation, the grieving son lost his cool. He told the stubborn, insensitive doctor: “Look here. It was my father’s dear wish that we are dutifully trying to carry out. And you are unnecessarily creating difficulties instead of being helpful…without the slightest care or empathy for the shocked state of mind we are in. If you can be so callous and unwilling then I will have  no option but to arrange for the funeral instead. But before that I will call the press and expose your insensitive and non-cooperative attitude in the matter…” and so on. That said, the wheel turned the other way at once. Realising that this kind of adamant attitude by the hospital against a noble act by someone when exposed, would at once go viral and show the hospital and the doctor in poor light, the doctor’s stiffness and obstinacy all melted at once. All due help was then extended to the family and the body was at last accepted.

We all know there is a crying need of dead bodies in all hospitals. Most of the bodies that the hospitals are able to procure with difficulty are unclaimed ones and not in a very good physical state for medical practicals and research. Any good hospital should therefore feel immensely grateful and lucky and in fact go out of the way to have a body being willingly offered at its doorstep, and facilitate the whole process instead of creating hurdles. Further, the maze of procedural formalities which deter potential do-gooders from such kind acts should be simplified and the hospital administration should play a pro-active role in smoothening the process. In the present case even the refrigeration facility which was locally available wasn’t extended and the kin of the deceased were asked to arrange ice themselves in order to keep the body in the right state for its proper use.

 How many of us, trapped in our orthodoxy, rituals and customs, have the nobility, greatness and generosity of mind to rise above the self, above the sentiments of the family, above rigid, insular mindsets and volunteer to donate the body for the cause of science? Very, very few. Therefore the rare few in our midst whose hearts throb with idealism and social spirit need to be saluted and worshipped. Shri Surinder Bhardwaj was one such exalted soul deserving of all praise and applause.

And in contrast, the attitude and behaviour of the doctor in question is a matter of shame. It also speaks of the sickening bureaucratic tangles, convoluted procedures and tedious paperwork that kill initiative, prevent people from doing some social good, promote mediocrity/incompetency, fuel corruption and hinder our path to progress and prosperity.

                                                                  *

Musings on palampurbeats's Ist Anniversary    

* When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, joy: Rumi

* I would like to live/ Like a river flows. Carried by the surprise/ Of its own unfolding: John O' Donohue   

     

Dear friends,

Well, this is the 52^nd post; in other words, palampurbeats’s first-anniversary post. This year-long journey has been quite an exciting one; very satisfying too. It gave me a window of opportunity to vent out my steam and write without fear and inhibitions on any topic under the sky that seized my fancy: politics;  social issues; Palampur’s woes and worries, it’s steady loss of ‘green’ and pristine beauty; translations of some poems that I loved; nature and its wonders that make life worth living…birds in particular; a leaf or two from my own personal life and some inland travels; tears and sorrow on the deaths of some beloved and respected ones; and not the least, on the never-to-die theme of LOVE which makes our hearts tick...and at times stop! I also took the liberty to dip my pen in my ‘poetic inkwell’ so to say, and dish out some verses both in English and Hindi...not without some trepidation whether it would agree with the refined taste-buds of my reader-friends or not. Well,  I don't know for sure whether you liked it or not: the stuff I churned out week after week, every Saturday, except one miss and (on a Sunday, on one occasion). But for me posting these weekly blogs - as well as the introductory lines (on Facebook and WhatsApp) in verse - I have enjoyed and loved every bit...especially taking pot shots at this tribe of power-hungry, unscrupulous politicians masquerading as “public servants” (noble exceptions notwithstanding) who have made such a terrible mess of our great country, as also our charming hill state.

My readership hasn’t been huge but steady and growing, and, believe me, incredibly global. After my own country, my posts have had readers in the USA, Canada, several countries in Europe, South East Asia, the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, Japan, Taiwan and  South Korea. What more can one expect as a response to a very modest and humble endeavour? Further, there are friends who have been commenting regularly on my posts, some on the blog site, most others on WhatsApp and Facebook. I have been profoundly overwhelmed and am beholden to them for their abiding support. That has been the most essential fuel, the tonic I required to keep the little flame of writing, burning bright. I have been fully conscious of my limited writing abilities, though. Neither I wrote, nor envisaged penning anything great or earth-shaking. But it is true that what I wrote has been straight from my heart and without prejudice or bias. Still, if willy-nilly, I have hurt anybody’s feelings in any way, my unqualified apologies!

Now, at this juncture, I am in a dilemma: Should I carry on? Or should I now navigate some fresh new waters?..Why not sit all alone beside some gurgling Himalayan stream wrapped in my own thoughts and string  garlands  using words as beads?...Should I reappear now in some new avatar, or call it quits? 
I hate monotony and stagnation, and adore change. Life, for me, is a river. It must flow on, taking the rough and smooth, the rise and fall, the soft sands of happiness or the rough boulders and rocks of sorrow and sadness  in its stride. I don’t know what course my life’s river will take next: through some sun-lit beach of bliss, or a turbulent, choppy run! Be that as it may, I am, for now, taking a  break. Till then keep your fingers crossed and once again thanks for having been with me!

My thousand million hugs and kisses to you all!  Oh, boy!  I loved you all so much...

And (though preachy, but) my last word:
 'Be like  a river. Be open. Flow.' (Julie Connor).
 Embrace the whole world. It is  beautiful and...all yours. Only, you should have eyes without blinkers, a warm loving heart, a spirit with wings and without knots, and wide open arms!
Adieu! नमस्कार। ख़ुदा हाफिज़। 

   

                       

                                                                   ***

"We mean happiness for you":Myna

                         

Hi! 
I am Myna, speaking from the courtyard of this rather silly, unworldly, but your friendly blogger-cum-lover of a man: Subhash.
Yes, chirpy, garrulous Myna. सारिका (ever-flowing), पीतनेत्रा (yellow-eyed), पीतपादा (yellow-footed) and कलह-प्रिया (feud-loving) are my other Hindi/Sanskrit names. To be honest, I can't figure out the logic of naming me सारिका. And as regards my other name कलह-प्रिया, well I simply detest it  even though some of you may find in it an apt description of me!

Slim and trim, I am dressed in soft, smooth, brown plumage. A small bare yellow patch around each of my eyes is my beauty spot. Besides, to flaunt, I have a white mirror, one on each wing, which I show best when I fly.  My shapely golden beak and toes are my pride, and proud peacock’s envy. The story (with a moral) goes that I stole them from the peacock in a dancing match! Be that as it may, don’t I look a sexy damsel?

 Like my puny, timid friend sparrow, I love man’s company, his courtyard and his surroundings. I often get into a running feud with a sparrow or my own kind over a grain or a morsel but still we all get on well together.  A farmer ploughing the field exerts a magic pull on me. Whether I am alone or in a group, it is such fun prancing around, dancing and hopping about to catch a little worm. Wow! How much we mynas adore those succulent tidbits being dug up by the moving plough! So yummy! The grazing cattle too attract us. We love this little sport with them: side-walking, or simply hanging around waiting and watching, and then making a short ground-to-air sortie to catch mid-air, a disturbed  green grasshopper leapfrogging from grass.

Like sparrows we are wary of that big brother: crow. In fact we are hardly friends with him. Boy, so meddlesome and such a nasty thief is he. Always on the lookout, perched high above on a roof or a tree branch to steal our bread crumb, rice or whatever, we resent his presence and his bossy, arm-twisting ways.

Yes, I chirp and twitter too much. And when we mynas are in assembly our collective chatter may even split the heavens above… A feminine trait we perhaps share with the squabbling middle-aged ladies in your neighbourhood. Well that’s what and how we are. Just can’t help chattering. But leaving that aside, we are your friends getting you rid of pest, paper and rubbish… as much as we can. In fact, you may not believe, our fame as pest-eaters and farmer’s friends transcends the Asian shores.

Know you about my cousin the Hill Myna ( see the pic below)? Isn’t, of all mynas, this one the cutest of all with those lovely orange patches and wattles? And the way these beauties imitate the words you teach, even dear parrot is no match when it comes to tongue-twisting. But I pity this cousin of mine… the poor thing.  You cage so many of them as pets for your pleasure. To hear them speak your pet words like ‘राम’ and ‘गंगाराम’. You sell them in the market indiscriminately. It has been going on for so long that now their numbers have declined. We mynas are therefore now a protected species.

Your folklore and mythology is replete with legends and stories about us. We symbolise true love. Let the world turn more prurient and adulterous with changing values, and by the invasion of internet. But we have and will remain devoutly monogamous always. Parrot is my mythological lover. Hence the popular Hindi song “तोता मैना की कहानी...", and so many others. And I feel so delighted when I hear young lovers petting their sweethearts and swearing their love with endearments like “तू मेरी मैना”, “मैं तोता और तू मैना” … and so on. (But truly speaking, and true to biological laws, it is my own kind I do always make love with.) 

Another thing: "one for sorrow", "two for joy"…so goes your popular legend. But that’s not true. Whether you chance to see one myna or many, we always mean joy and happiness for you. But do you too feel the same for us?  I am not so sure. At least my cousin hill myna certainly doesn’t think so. As for us, populationwise, we are not so worse off unlike our friends, the sparrows. But with changing land use, senseless urbanisation and worsening ecology, we may be the next to come under your axe of development, who knows?

Here’s hoping all will be well and good sense will prevail and we will all live happily together…as has so wisely and beautifully been said in your Sanskrit hymn: “सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः..." 
Bye; take care.

                                                                       
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                  Are we misogynists?

           

Are we a nation of misogynists? Every time I read news of a woman assaulted, a woman raped, a woman abused, a poor, famished domestic help subjected to harrowing torture by the मालकिन of the house (a case of same gender violence), acid thrown on some, a wife abused and smacked by her husband and in-laws and so on…this question haunts me. (This is not to say though that cases exactly opposite in nature where poor, trusting husbands are taken for a ride and are at the receiving end do not exist!) Leave aside Haryana’s notorious khap panchayats and honour killings in some of our northern states. This malignant virus of misogyny has spread even in our prestigious institutes of higher learning: Our well-known and esteemed Banaras Hindu University (BHU), for example. What a sorry spectacle it presented in the recent past. While the country was gearing up for the Durga ( a female diety, you must note) puja festivities, the BHU had turned into an ugly battle ground. Unable to bear it any more, the girl students had come out in the open to protest against unceasing acts of harassment, eve-teasing, abuse and what not by the male students. Most shocking was the sickening response of the administration and provocative, insensitive statements by the person of the eminence of a Vice-Chancellor of BHU. The police were no help to the hapless women students either. With misogyny running full and fast in their veins, they, as reports suggest, beat up and thrashed the protesters thereby adding fuel to the fire. Not just the famous BHU, most universities in our conservative north are known for gender discrimination, moral policing and the male predatory behaviour in all its ugly manifestations. There are hostel curfews, dress codes, no 'Wifi' facility, no library access after certain hours and so on. Indian daughters can’t dream even and aspire for an exciting new careers suited to their talent and aspirations because it is the exclusive preserve of ‘man’. There are several constraints: it is the elderly male in the family who will decide what career to choose; or the brother suffering from the same syndrome will put his foot down. Then there are fears of harassment, discrimination and exploitation and many other prickly thorns all along the road to making it to the top in our male-obsessed, male-dominant centres of learning.

                                             

    

Having said all this I must however hurry to say that we in Himachal are comparatively lucky. No doubt, the infamous, blood-chilling ‘गुड़िया murder case’ has been a blot on our peaceful state. Incidents of rape, domestic violence, wife-bullying and beating, and other kinds of torture and discrimination do happen and make us hold our heads in shame. In fact I am a sad witness to such  a case right near my own neighbourhood. But by and large, careerwise, the women students do enjoy relative freedom in opting ones of their own choosing. Most of our colleges and universities have an air of equality, mutual camaraderie and bonhomie. They have the freedom to dress as they like, mingle freely, rub shoulders with male students and participate in all events and activities with equal gusto and zeal. At a private university where I lecture a few days a week mainly for my love for teaching (with the additional benefit of students' youthful exuberance that rubs on me!), my heart leaps with joy to find this very kind of a happy, healthy ambience prevailing at the campus. Perhaps that’s the reason that on the educational front  at least, our Himachal is way ahead of some of our neighbouring states writhing under the vice-like grasp of obscurantists, religious zealots, bigots and the illiterate, obstinate, hookah-smoking, turbaned khap men refusing to shed their supermale egos  wrapped in thick folds of medieval, stone-age mind sets.

                                                    

   

                                                               

Well, I don’t want to sound too preachy with a long boring lecture on ‘misogyny in India’.  I only deeply desire my country to let its daughters breathe the free air, move with pride and dignity, dream their dreams and become equal participants in our country’s march towards progress and prosperity. When women in our rich past – recall the bold, vibrant and free-spirited women characters in our great epic the Mahabharat – could bask in the sunshine of equality and freedom, why not our  21^st century भारतीय नारी ??

                                                     

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