Dream Locally

‘Alchemist’ is a world-renowned story of a boy Santiago, who follows his dream. The dream transports him from Andalusia (Spain) to Egypt (Africa) and infuses him with the secret of natural forces. In the pursuit of his dream, along with the knowledge of ‘Personal Legend’ he actually achieves monetary wealth. It is his journey of life where he is not embarrassed to be a shepherd to realize his quest for traveling. It’s a bewitching story that makes you believe ‘when you desire something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’

However, I have my reservations if Santiago will get a chance to realize his dream in contemporaneous times. I doubt if his choice to be a shepherd will yield. Today, first he will have to design ways to reach Egypt from Spain. It will be arduous to convince the authorities to grant Visa based on the figment of his dream. In the book, he belongs to an era where globetrotting was habitual and required no authorization. But, today all the Santiago must realise that their dreams should be local; as for a shepherd to realize his global dream is impossible, owing to the hardships in managing finances and crossing the international borders .

We uphold that we are the most advanced civilisation that ever graced the Earth. A civilisation where the world has shrunk with no hidden secrets. Humans ascertained their paramountcy, yet the world is plagued by its own complications. There are restrictions imposed on the free movement of the people. The earth is assorted into countries and thus to its people. The resources been licenced gave birth to rights and their legitimacy. This is unscrupulous as the empowerment has lead to assortment and not unanimity. The lack of unanimity has delivered animosity that is engulfing people into its bloody claws.

We need to circumspect that ‘it is one earth one human species and evolution should inculcate the value of freedom and respect for life.’

Professional casteism

Human evolution is enticing, specially the development of societies. The tale of evolution manifests the convolutions of human psychology. The psychology that prods the hunters and gatherers to align themselves in a social hierarchy. The psychology that enchants the human desire to emerge as ruler and subjugate others. Most intriguing characteristic of evolution is the sternness to change that necessitates revolution as a prerequisite. Society gets adapted to this change, matures and succumbs to its inadequacies, yet never fails to show obstinacy for the change. This process accounts for progression and regression of several social norms.

The Indian caste system has survived progressions and regressions. The nature of this hierarchy has been challenged since its inception. However, in initial days it was perceived to be versatile. Owing to the flexibility, the caste determination was assessed by the person’s profession. This flexibility promulgated equitability in the society. The existence of several castes within the family would have earned equal respect for all the people and their professions. 

It is difficult to comprehend the obligation to renounce the flexibility, and the desire to replace it with the stringent birth-defined caste system. This must be a premeditated effort as it nipped the natural merits and confined people to pursue profession irrespective of their choices. It must be complicated for the people to give up their freedom, yet the society accepted the transformation. This trend has perpetuated over a millennium. At present, the society has regained its freedom of profession. However, it is yet trussed with the deep-rooted birth-defined caste system.

I believe if we desire to cling to ancient birth-defined caste system then we should revert to the caste-determined professions. But as we have evolved to professional liberalism, we must cast behind the existing moulds of caste definition. This will help to broadcast equitability, liberty and fraternity amongst the people. Thus, it will reduce the friction imparted by the redundant caste heirarchy, which is immoral and unethical as we don’t follow caste prescribed professions. 

Bharat Ratna, not for commoners

Government of India announced the Bharat Ratna to be conferred on the former Prime Minister Mr. AB Vajpayee and late educationist Pt. MM Malviya. Up till now India has conferred this prestigious award to 45 people of which 26 have been active politicians rest were renowned people who contributed to arts, science and social reforms. Six of our Prime Ministers and four of our Presidents have been honored with Bharat Ratna.

I have no reservations regarding the choice of recipients but for the criteria and process. First, why is it so easy for the politicians to qualify for the awards where they never seem to qualify for awards sponsored by any non-government or International committee? Whereas the Bharat Ratna awardees besides the politicians have many such acclaims to their names. Second, if this is the way to express our gratitude to our politicians who have toiled hard to make us a nation then the awards should be rechristened to Raajneetigya Ratna for them. Third, we are a nation of 1.2 billion and does no common man has the ability and contribution that can make him a Bharat Ratna.

Strategically the selection committee should also consider the people from amongst the common man who dedicate their lives to the social cause. Rather it prefers to select from amongst the recognised faces, with its reservation for politicians. People who work without garnering media attention have no or rather lean possibility to be a Bharat Ratna. If I may say, a person living in Patna who chooses 30 unprivileged students and coaches them to be a part of the prestigious IIT’s, is he, not a Bharat Ratna? International media appreciates his efforts, but here in his own country government makes no effort to recognize him. Or Bharat Ratna is not for the common man?

The award is presented in “recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order" or in "any field of human endeavour."  How many of our politicians fulfill this criterion? Owing to several reasons the dignity of the awards is challenged in the past. However, the award still holds an honor and an effort to encompass the common man into its fold will encourage the spirits of people who invest their lives for human upliftment. Let's not make it a feather that glorifies the cap that is already adorned with the Padma awards and several others.

Learning to unlearn

He rubbed his eyes yet could remember nothing or recognize the place. It seemed to be a huge hall with no walls, or rather he could not see them. The hall was illuminated naturally and a inexplicable soothing sensation was grappling him. He could not correlate his arrival or the place? His body was responding to the innate rhythm of the surroundings, he never felt so invigorated. His mind assessed the same way, he appeared to be drifted from the routine complexities. He assumed to be acquainted with the routine complexities but retrieved none. Now, he murmured, the alienness was getting on him.

He saw another man walking up to him. His excitement waned as the figure draw closer; how would he communicate, he did not know his language? The stranger gestured at him and asked him who was he? He got perplexed as he could not decipher a word of what the stranger said, yet, he responded. The stranger too looked bewildered but appeared contented with the answer. It was unfathomable for him to converse with this complete stranger at an absolute unknown place in an incomprehensible language, yet they were understanding each other.

Their conversation got interrupted by the two beings who looked well acquainted with the milieu. They smiled and asked him and the stranger to accompany them. He asked them,"who am I, where are we, who are you?" The escorts giggled and replied,“this happens every time you come here. You forget everything, who are you, where are you, what is this place? But, no sooner than you go back to the earth you remember everything. You remember all the differences with your fellow human beings. You vent your lives in retaining and exploiting these differences. How you do it when no other creature coming from the earth does this?“

One of the escorts bored his eyes on to him and said, “both of you are being killed on earth in your own homes called ‘countries’ by the people of each other’s ‘nationality’. Tell me, can both of you distinguish yourself from the other? Before we arrived, you were conversing in an ancient incomprehensible language that binds all the souls. But, on the earth you learn the new languages and get separated on the lingual basis. Here you are elated to see a stranger and there you get suspicious.” Then he turned to his mate and said,"they rob us off our wits. The way they are differentiating it seems something is round the corner. You remember the holocaust time? Earth is such a beautiful place, their activities have made it difficult for us to visit it.”

Mortals protecting the Immortals

‘I sense it’s time for us to leave this world’ said Krishna with his ever enigmatic smile.

‘Why?’ retorted Amirani.

‘Because this is not the world we desired, our children are pitching each other in mortal peril,’ said Krishna.

‘Good lord! that’s only because they love us, and fighting is a signature of struggle for existence since ages. Since when has war become a sin? I do not expect this of you,’ asserted Amirani.

‘Yes, you are right fighting manifests the spirit of life, but consider what are they fighting for?’ said a forlorn Krishna. ‘They are belittling life, abrading the elixir out of it. Fighting for subsistence is commendable, but fighting for us is not vindicated, whom they interpret as per their perception. They are superfluously drowning us in this blood and gore. I inspired them to cherish life, live it and leave it. The morons are wasting their lives in protecting us. They are trying to protect us from humans, the mortals. They can’t bear nature’s wrath but claim to protect God, the immortal.’

‘They are ignorant, but amid all they love us,’ squeaked Amirani.

‘No, they don’t. If they loved they would have loved all my creations. They are scared of the doomsday inferno and these imbeciles believe by eulogizing me they will dodge it,’ squirmed Krishna.

‘Oh! but where is the hell and what inferno?’ said Amirani.

‘That’s the disparity between human and God, they punish we do not. They allied us with sacraments and ethnicities. Sometimes I ponder if they learn that Gods do not wage war with each other, they will make us resign. Will fashion another God who acclimatizes to their convictions,’ said Krishna with his notorious gleam back in his lotus eyes.

‘You have decided something ain’t you? What is it?’ questioned Amirani.

‘Nothing, only that we are leaving. Yes, we are no more entailed. Humans have vested all their energies, compassion and love in protecting the effigies. Let them live with them. If their beliefs are true they will endure, prosper and raise themselves to be the new Gods. However, if their path is iniquitous they will pay for their deeds, we still can’t save them, it’s the law of karma,’ said the rising Krishna.

When ostracized norms are accepted

My mother often tells me about the abundances and scarcities of her childhood and the transformations over decades. She also educates me about the arrogance of social hierarchies and the cohesive society configuration of those times. I scorn those traditions of untouchability and ignorance, but what bewitches me is the practise of ostracising families owing to misconducts. The people ostracised the family and condemned anyone maintaining associations with them. This instilled fear and responsibility in people to practise righteousness.

Today we do not witness such customs of ostracising families due to misconduct. If this had been prevalent I wonder what would be the structure of today’s society? I don’t know when exactly this tectonic shift in ideology took place? But, we evolved into a benevolent society that embraces fraudulent, slayer, rapist and adulterous without a frown. People retain their respect and dominance in spite of being known for stashing money by dishonest means. Such dominance can be experienced in families where such rich relatives gain respect and influence over pertinent issues. A ridiculous example is the pursuit of a groom. A low salary is accepted only because ‘ooperi aamdani to hai hi’.

Incidents of atrocities against women are mounting and have become part of our lives. Women are unsafe within the fortifications of our homes and situation is doomed outdoors. Their silence is expected to uphold the family’s dignity and perpetrators take liberty. Affluent fraudulently usurp common people’s hard earned money yet, continue to enjoy the privileges of society. Society has also accepted the adultery though under wraps. It might be audacious, but we granted these laxities in the social structure owing to our lust for monetary advancements. Had we been the same old ‘primitive’ people who preferred banishing than befriending the immoral, we might have not evolved materialistically.

Accepting the ostracised has not unleashed the pandemonium. But an incorporation of such predispositions into the social fabric has certainly accomplished the task. We chose to accept the unlawful and look what mayhem we have entered?