illuminated minds

THE EXCLUSIVE

2011-12-21T10:20:00.001-08:00

In the winter of a sunny day
On a chariot i found my way
lost in my puzzling memory
couldn't found a word to say

While we crossed many mile
I found myself in an exile
With the chariot running fast
hence, the broken feeling pile

I asked myself that question
I use to ask again and again
what is this love? For which
dies the lover without single gain

Thus I found the bright sky
blooming with the sunlight
then asked my irking mind
what make this sky bright?

While the chariot passed
the flock of people, and
the bustling day bazaar
leaving just the helpless hand

I found the flowing river
fresh in vision,serene in flow
while the soft waves over
the river make it really grow

Then strike the question again
what make this river glow?
what mystery all they hold
while we move, the enigma flow

In the feeling of intense dejection
I watched the world in abnegation
I conquered the fever of chilling wind
but continues this journey of separation

All what is in the sky and in this earth
teaches us the eternal lesson of love
while the nature sings in musical tune
In exclusiveness lies the virtue of love

What makes love a beauty, an
endless tale; an exclusive feeling
in each others hail; till we express
shines the love without dieing

I got the meaning in this midnight
at the corner of a dead shop
left the chariot and i walked, in the
exclusive darkness without being stop

The relentless shadow

2011-10-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

You, the only source of pain today

the fountain of endless melancholy

You,the treasurer of deep sorrow

the sailor in river of colorless blood

You,O my shadow have killed the desire

to live without the shadow under no sky

You, the shadow of my own self

can I run away from you today?

Blockade

2011-08-26T14:22:00.001-07:00

And the mind is blocked

the emotions are choked

i am lost, lost where

in the senseless questions

and insensible answers

i have nothing to give

nor i am capable to receive

am a cloud without destiny

a wind without destination

reason has the answer

but wisdom has no meaning

the self is in crisis

the beingness in vain

the spark of hope

is the fire of death

Mere Dil Mere Musafir …

2011-06-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

… only something that has no history can be defined - Nietzsche

The alchemy of mixed emotion is driving me back to home. The route is intensely packed with the viruses of temptations which distract me from the very destination which I am seeking since the birth of my conscience. The word ‘Home’ always make me cynical about my sense of belonging. The perplexed question for me is the question of belonging. Where do I belong? I don’t know what deserves to be known or claimed as home. Will ‘ I’ be considered as homeless till I discover ‘The Home’ for my ‘self’ – the self which always seek home for eternal serenity. In this unknown journey towards the eternity the self of mine remains an object of anxiety and melancholy whose subject is skeptically clouded with optimism. Amidst the time of travel, home of mine is the heart of the beloved – the source of distant yet closest affection, which is powerful enough to make me insanely conscious

wired in the same old question

which is rooted in history

history which is rooted in us

we come out of history

and history comes out of us

life is simple or complex

its history and historic

but simplicity of life

is in the complexity

and complexity is simple

if 'we' create history

a simple story will be written

in most complex fashion

the story of our love is

simplest of emotion

and complex in reaction

... and hence continues my travel towards the destiny of simplistically complex love ...

The Destiny

2011-06-15T09:09:00.001-07:00

Walking down the street in the cloudy atmosphere, with rain dropping down in intervals reminding that future is not as clear as the summer sky. That street opposite to his office never leads to nostalgia but today with black sleepers in fair legs, that muddy street jammed with RTC buses and rough riders took him to that tea store in the corner. The cigarette in his left hand was silent as the smoke never found the way to get out. He never tried cigarette, this was his first time. As all beginners he was nervous and shy too, he bought it from the small tea shop that usually sells cigarette and gutkha and earns more from it than tea. He never hurried to ignite it rather choose to walk with cigarette in his hand and his mind was furnace of thought burning at the highest point though his body was not only calm but appears to be freezing. The cold wind blowing in the monsoon was delivering more anxiety than serenity to him. He walked further on the same street questioning himself with cigarette on his red lips. Isn’t serenity a form of anxiety? He asked himself. The cigarette didn’t met its destiny yet as he failed to find any match box or a lighter. Holding cigarette itself is relaxing, he said to himself. Thus he never bothered to find a match stick.

The sudden honking reminded him that he is off the footpath now and was walking right in the middle of the muddy street. He repositioned himself. What was it that derailed me without making me feel that? He once again intrigued. The traffic, the flow, the haste of drivers, the restless honking, overtaking from all side in the narrow road is what a road can witness as its fate. He suddenly kept the cigarette back in his shirt pocket, the blue striped shirt which he loves the most. That eatery came in his way, he entered inside without giving a second thought, and the reason was simple it started drizzling and he left his rain jacket at home while leaving in hurry though he felt that he is missing it he never bothered to pick it up.

The shop was silent though not empty. Every table was occupied either by some couple or men waiting for someone, may be for becoming a couple. Do you have Pav Bhaji? He asked at the counter. Yes, we have replied the man in his middle ages. I want one and also a tea, he said. Ok! Reply the cashier. He gave the token to the man standing still near the tava. Make one pav bhaji he said in a very cold voice and find a place to stand and wait. Few guys in their twenties were sitting in the table next to the tava. As their laughter’s echoed in the hotel, he again went back to his imaginative question bank. What make them so happy? He said to himself discretely. They all look poor from their dressing, I guess I have more expensive shirt, he said to himself

Is laughter a sign of happiness? Not always he replied to himself. Sir, your pav bhaji is ready said the man. He gave him a smile and thanks with no emotion. He took his plate and went to last table. He ate alone with no one to share neither his plate nor his questions. The traffic signal adjacent to the hotel witnessed its own end as the traffic became restless with the pacing rain. Everyone was rushing towards their destiny without minding the color of signal – red, green or yellow.

Shall I try the cigarette now? He thought as the cigarette in his shirt pocket was asking for justice. But there was no shop around and the rain was heavy to cross the road and find a matchstick. He suddenly jumped to the counter and asked for the tea token. Those boys were still there, they were in best of mood. He thought to sit with them and find his answer at least share his time, not the sorrow. But he was reluctant, the reluctance to share – share not only feelings but time was his defining feature. The enigma was his expression of feeling itself. He took the tea and sat just near the shade from where the rain water was rolling down to the ground. He felt close to this, his memory sent him some signal from past. He smiled and then closed his eyes. He sensed someone close to him, someone very close. In his deep brown eyes the dreams were unending. He opened his eyes very slowly with a feeling that someone is waiting for his open wide eyes. He took his time, the sound of splash and the continuous honking was meaningless for him. He took the first sip with a style, took a pause and pulled his cigarette out again – did a rehearsal of smoking and again kept it back in the pocket. He felt an attachment with the cigarette, the cigarette which conceals untold secrets and choose to become smoke but never reveals what it contains. Does the array of smoke wants to tell us something? He questioned again.

The cigarette with white filter was becoming a part of his self; he felt an intimacy with it, a sense of holiness for that cigarette ignited within him. The cigarette romanticizes with smoke why not to romanticize with cigarette itself, he said to himself and smiled.

What makes an evening complete? A cigarette, tea, rain and beloved this time he questioned himself and replied without giving himself a time. He suddenly thought to walk back to his office – the bigger reality of physical existence. He took the same route as he passed the half way, a girl in her teen age with her hair witnessing her play with rain and her dirty clothes were expressing her romance with fate. I am hungry she said with a pain. Her voice break his deep silence embedded with the train of question. He searched his wallet but he found nothing in it. Impulsively he took that holier cigarette from his pocket, gave to that girl and walked further ….

time doesnt fly

2011-05-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

time doesnt fly

when nothing works

you find yourself in dock

you find yourslef lonely in dark night

you find yourself lost in desert

you find yourslef gearless in limitless sky

time doesnt fly

when nothing works

ambiguity gulps the beingness

the way lost in complexity

the darkness exist as process

the end is wait and the beginning is desire

time doesnt fly

when nothing works

from the hole of dream

we emerge as super being

the dream is not in time

and no time is for those dreams

time doesnt fly

when nothing works

Speechless

2011-04-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

The mysteries shrouded

Over the frozen river

The wind concealed

Essence of direction

And finally superseding

The natural oeuvre

Of ‘musical equity’

He Killed him

And asked

Why are you killed?

The speechlessness replied

Haven't you existed?

The Lost beingness

2011-02-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

She was infront of me

As my own mirror

The reflection of self

Was invariably deceiving

I tried to transcend time,

Travel across borders

But mirror can’t be reached

By transcendence

The reflective calmness

On her face

Entrenched the power

To win the storm hit ship

Save the muddy hut

From the thunder of mountain

Once lost in her eyes

I feel the beingness

I am not a writer

2011-02-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

I am not a poet

I am not a writer

I dont know

what is poetry

I dont know

what is writing

I know only

You exist

and hence exists

beauty of relation

I express this beauty

I express this relation

I expres 'you' as 'me'

I am not a writer

The dawn at tehrir

2011-02-04T21:44:00.000-08:00

Till the last corner of belief
Determined to get beheaded…..
To the epitome of fidelity oh Friend!….
Let the blood be presented…..
There be no thugs left, be sure…
Obliterate it from each country ,you headed
No traitor of land be respected..
Cut the head of every serpent.
Why there’s bloodshed of weak…
Cut the hands of murderer instead
Let the monarchs be pulled out their throne..
On the platform of’ Freedom’ they be crushed…
The Valley of Nilel be reverberated with enchantment of truth O God!..
For that glory,O Friend sail against the stream…
One day ,I m sure, the land be filled with truth and justice
Oh the followers of hope!walk ahead
The warriors of land of desires ….
Lets walk!oh stars of hope

(this poem was originally written in urdu and later translated by Syed Tarique Ali,I am thankful to him)

The Last Stage

2011-02-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

You again raised the finger towards the fate

And I was again searching ‘me’ in your destiny

The traveler of love always live in travel

The destiny remains the same

We walked across the bridge of anxiety

and reached the garden of serenity

At the beginning of love

I was restless to hold her hand

And hence we reached the final stage

where she was desperate to hold mine

On ‘Grammatology’ [The ‘meaningless’ poetic narrative]

2011-02-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

The text in cynicism

Asked the ‘other’

Why as text you supersede me

You as my binary always

Exploited me

Always censored me

Always tried to fix my meaning

You crippled me

You made me meaningless

You made me textually impotent

The coherence was incoherence

The paradox was the meaning

The discourse of my ‘self’

Was hijacked by ‘other’

Now I want my meaning back

Now I want my ‘self’ back

Now I want to rule my own discourse

The ‘other’ replied

With more endurance

With more sublimity

But with equal textual energy

You are my ‘other’

And I am yours

Nor do I supersede you

Nor do you

Instead of giving your ‘self’

The meaning

Give me the meaning

And find your ‘self’

You are free for infusing the meaning

Your freedom is above the ‘mythologies’ of discourse

When we fell from text to meaning

The paradox is the only discourse

The essence of binary

Is the essence of suppression

The essence of helplessness

Do deconstruct what you have

The ‘meaningless’ production

Will be your meaning

We are the most powerful

Potential text

Ever born

Ever used

Ever expressed

Ever deconstructed

We are born in era of

Derrida, Foucault, Barthes

Lets not forget

The ‘meaninglessness’ of our text

Gave the meaning to their ‘existence’.

The last will

2010-12-30T23:12:00.000-08:00

The dusk approached

And darkness gripped slowly

The nerves were dipping

And the sight was blurred

The traveler of love was approaching

the last mile stone

Rehearsing within was one question

Will you remember me as martyr?

No you will not

My love is meaningless

Meaningless as I am

The heart bled for you

Till I was alive

The color of that blood

Was not red nor black

It was white

And thus ended this life

Worth lived in pain

The pain that was

The greatest treasure of love

Worth admiring, worth remembering

Now I am dead

But the pain remained

Remained as the powerful emotion

But more powerful is its narrative

The narrative is my last will

For all who will fail to be martyred

THE NIGHTINGALE’S ASSASSIN

2010-08-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

It was raining heavily. Thunder and wild rain seemed frightening for everyone; for everything. The view was hazy from the glass window but the sound of splash as the rain lashed on to the glass window was imperturbable. The atmosphere within was rather languid than the climate outside; the compartment was relaxing in peace. She was resting her head at the window with eyes closed. Her face calm but some lines of thought were perceptibly etched on her forehead. The Train was whistling, bustling and speeding towards the last resort. The forward journey of train was pulling her backward. A nostalgic drive rehearsed within her. The rest was a rest in past.

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Everyone was on the street just perpendicular to the primary school of the village. Men, women, children – all were whistling, dancing and were setting off fire-works. They were drunk in their celebration. Most of the children, whose ribs one could count were naked and all men in their lungis were looking half naked. The thatched huts of mud, famine stricken paddy fields and stinking water bodies added to the ambience – ambience of a rare gala.

Sara was garlanded and everyone was offering sweets to her; after all she was the reason for this festivity. Sara was the first to pass matriculation exam in her village. It was history not only because
someone has passed it for the first time but she made history because of her gender too. She was a source of pride, a symbol of excellence and an icon worth inspiring in her village and in villages nearby. She was the admirable Crichton for all the tribal girls. Her performance was as different as her appearance. She was an unlikely tribal girl. Her eyes were illuminant and spoke for her intelligence. She had deep brown eyes, striking, worth dying for, the symbols of her calmness and self containment. Sara was fair and tall. She had been studious ever since books and teachers entered her small world.

Boys were singing and dancing in the front row of the small caravan, the men following them in row were beating drum; the sound of drum beating was loud and constant. This happy caravan approached every home of the village and every villager contributed in the noble cause of educating Sara as if their daughter was going to study. Enough funds were raised to admit Sara in a college for her further studies. Sara turned cheerless when she had to leave the village. The orphan Sara looked at her empty hut with hope and hopelessness for one last time. She loaded her luggage in the rickshaw and boarded the bus – the villagers had booked a bus ticket for her. She was sad on leaving her village and nervous about joining a college in city.

Sara made herself comfortable in City College very quickly. Her love for books and hunger for knowledge quadrupled in the new learning environment. One day while studying in the library, he came closer to her and asked, “Do we know each other” and he laughed, laughed as abderian. She gazed at him very keenly and said, “No. No I guess not”. The boy reacted suddenly as if he was ready for it, “then we must know each other, mustn’t we?” “Yes. We can.” Sara nodded her head with both acknowledgment and suspicion. “Do you know we are in same class?” the boy interrupted Sara’s reading again. “Oh really, then we are friends from now.” “I’m Sara” she said. “I know” He replied, “I am Raj”. She laughed for the first time after this friendship deal.

Sara visited her village after a year. It was more pathetic now. Sara noticed while coming to the village from the city that the neighbouring was empty and silent. Sara was worried about the village conditions. In the moon light she walked to the sarpanch's home, who was relaxing on his bed outside the hut with a beedi in one hand. “Oh Sara,” he got up from his bed and greeted Sara. “Come. Sit Here”. Sara gave him a half
hearted smile and asked him, “Why is the nearby village deadly calm, and why does our village look more pathetic now?” It was more pathetic for Sara after coming from the city, earlier she had never noticed that ‘patheticness’. The sarpanch felt uncomfortable and muttered indistinctly. Then after taking a deep breath he said, “Daughter, the situation here is worsening. Some big company has acquired that village, and they are asking for our land too.” The tension and distress was visible on his face. Sara
felt the anxiety. Sarpanch, after making himself little relaxed said, “You don’t worry my daughter. We are fighting against it. You just focus on your studies”

During her journey back to the city she felt the pain for her village entrenched in her mind. She tried, in vain, to get rid of her village memory but it was not possible. Sitting in the college canteen alone she was brooding. The weather outside was pleasant and suddenly Raj came in. “You are here. I was looking for you in library”. Sara smiled. Looking into the deep eyes of Sara, Raj started expressing his self in poetic strains. “Do you know Sara, your eyes are magnetic?” Sara felt little uncomfortable and just smiled. Encouraged, Raj uttered a couplet for Sara

Although your fine, young body gave rise to sighs

I was held captive by your tribal eyes

Sara laughed. “Tribal eyes??” she said and continued laughing. “Raj. You are amazing.” Poetic Raj was all ready to impress Sara. “Sara,” he said and took a deep breath. “Sara. I like you.” Sara was not shattered, nor was it exactly unexpected for her. Raj conjured up his literary tools and started singing

I know we're apart but not for long

I hope that day won’t be too long

As I am here waiting for you

To show and share my life with you

So hold my hand and

Hear my Heart this is for YOU .....

Sara smiled and her deep brown eyes started spilling the warmth which Raj wanted to see in her eyes for a long time. Raj keeps on continuing “Sara you are my nightingale”. “Marry me” said Raj finally. Sara promised to marry him but after graduating next year and after seeking permission with her Uncle.
This was the day of Raj’s excitement. All students were in festive mood. The graduation party was at its full swing. Raj asked Sara, “When you are going to the village?” Sara replied, “Tomorrow”. “And when you are coming back?” asked Raj. Wondering Sara asked Raj “When do you want me to come?” “On 1st of September,” Sara thought for a moment in her typical way of rolling her eyes left and right, and said, “Ok. We will meet on the 1^st.” Raj handed the rose to Sara with a great hope.

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It was the Ticket Checker who broke the silence of the compartment. “Ticket please,” he shouted. “Madam, please, can I see your ticket?” She opened her eyes for the first time, rolled it left and right. “Yes. One minute please”. Some more passengers had boarded the train. It was no more the place for nostalgic journey. But she tried it again, resting her head on the window once her ticket was checked. She realized a moment later that someone was staring at her, trying to read those lines on forehead and waiting for her to open her eyes. She opened her eyes; a man was sitting just opposite to her.

“Do we know each other?” the stranger asked her and laughed. This was the same abderian which she had heard long ago in her life. Then both of them laughed, laughed in their own way, at their own meaning. “Sara!” exclaimed the man. “Raj,” said Sara. Sara felt that tingling calmness again, as a deadly silence descended between them. Everything seemed still. Raj looked into those hazel pools of her eyes and tried to read them again. “Don’t! Don't look at me like that again! It’s no more the same. It’s not yours anymore,” blinked those brown eyes in return for the searing and searching glance that Raj gave.

A hawker entered the train and startled every passenger. “Chae, sir, chae.” “Do you want some tea?” asked the gentleman to Sara. "Yes Raj," she said without any emotion. Holding the tea cup with both hands, it was apparent that she wanted to avoid Raj. He asked, “Why Sara? Why?” “Why is as irrelevant for me as is the motion of this train,” she replied. Her eye was full of angst and anxiety; there was nothing so deep about it now, nothing. All this while tides changed on Raj’s complexion. His gesture was of a man who was about to die for some unknown reason. He tried to probe again. “Where are you going?” “Are you married?” asked Sara in reply. Unprepared Raj kept the cup back and said, “Yes and you?” he enquired. She smiled and pressed her lips with teeth and replied discretely, “It’s not for me. Not anymore.”

Adding her melodious voice to the atmosphere along with the unpleasant sound of train she said, “Do you know what Seamus Heaney says?” “No” replied Raj. She said “he says,

History says, don’t Hope

On this side of the grave,

But then, once in a lifetime

The longed – for tidal wave

Of justice can rise up,

And hope and history rhyme.”

“He is right, I guess,” claimed Raj. “Do you know I like these lines of Tennyson?

This truth within thy mind rehearse

That in a boundless universe

Is boundless better, boundless worse”

“Boundless worse, yes, there is boundless worse,” said Sara crossing her legs. Train was now moving constantly. Both of them started staring outside. There was no thunder. No rain. Moon light appeared. The moon had its own story to tell.

“It was this same weather that day when I was talking to you on my mirror,” again breaking the silence said Sara. “They finally raided our village as the resistance was not allowing them to acquire our land,” tears had left runnels down her cheek. Resting her head on the glass window she started speaking distinctly and discretely, “We are landless. We are dispossessed. Our women were raped; men were shot at point blank.” The Train was slowing down and so was her pace of speaking. In her broken voice she said, “I was raped, raped thrice that night.”

The Train stopped. She gathered her luggage and tried to escape. Raj followed her. “Sara, don’t go… Wait … Tell me. Who did this to you?!”

The Train halted. Sara stepped down. Raj followed her. A battalion of CRPF was loitering about, cracking jokes and laughing. Sara came back to Raj who was standing on the threshold of the train, holding the rod to overcome his nerves, she whispered, “Men in khaki.”

Train started moving. Moon hid under the cloud. Now it’s been years and years. She is dead. She was assassinated

Now she’s been dead nearly as many years

as that girl had lived. And of this circumstance

there is nothing to say at all.

Its silence silences.

O my Love !

2010-07-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

Why I cant sleep

From nights and nights

Am I turning into an

Insomniac?

O my Love !

Where are you?

Come to me

Its been years

The days are

Restless

The nights are

Sleepless

O my Love !

Where are you?

All narrators are dead

The narration is struggling

Struggling for an expression

Expression which gives meaning

Meaning not to text

But to our own existence

O my Love !

Where are you?

Hold my hand

Or embrace me

Embrace me

Or hide me

Hide me

In your narrative

O my love !

Where are you?

Tears lost its way

Mind displaced

Spirit no more spirited

Dreams shattered

Shattered not of absence

But absence of presence

Made it noxious

O my Love !

Where are you?

Promise of

Sheeraz garden

Bosphorus bank

Taj mahal

A walk in paris

Is still alive

O my love !

Am waiting

Waiting for that gentle touch

Which make me sane

Which deliver sense

Sense of meaning

Sense of being

Am missing that gentle touch

Touch which made me sensible

Sensible not for you

But for me

O my Love !

Where are you?

Night is passing

And soon the

Melody of azan

Will be in air

O my love

Come to me

End my anxiety

Open the chapter

The chapter

Of which

You are the first word

O my love

Where are you ?

THE IDEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF IMPERIALISM (2)

2010-01-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

Psychology of Imperialism:

Imperialism is nothing but using power & force, and ensuring their stability & continued use. Power creates a special type of psychology. There are two sides to this psychology. One side is related to the ruler and the other to the ruled. A special type of psychology is created in the ruled people (or nation). The ruler or the imperialistic power has a distinct ideology. Authors like Octave Mannoni, Frantz Fanon, and Albert Memmi have explained the psychology that gets created due to imperialism and neo-colonialism.

Structured Violence:

Structured Violence is deeply rooted in the psychology of Imperialism. The colonies are a ground to execute violence. Frantz Fanon unveiling this psychology of Imperial power describes colony as “a place where an experience of violence and upheaval is lived, where violence is built into structure and institutions. It is implemented by persons of flesh and bone, such as the soldier, the administrator, the police officer, and the native chief. It is sustained by an imaginary - that is, an interrelated set of signs that present themselves, in every instance, as an indisputable and undisputed meaning. The violence insinuates itself into the economy, domestic life, language, consciousness.”

Frantz argues that “spirit of violence” is omnipresent, exposing the very psychology of imperial power. The imperial regime uses all legitimized means to extend violence.

Control over difference of opinion:

This is a primary psychology of power, and imperialism is incomplete without this. Critics and those having difference of opinion on imperial policies are taken into control by a particular methodology, and are kept in it directly or indirectly. This is the primary and the strongest specialty of imperialistic psychology. On the other hand those interpreters and policy makers who can be useful in the accomplishment imperialistic ideas are given opportunities. The primary function of imperial psychology is to decrease the difference of opinion in the field of politics, and to prove criticism and conflicts (with imperialism) meaningless.

Humiliation of the conquered nation:

This is the second prominent psychology of political imperialism. The imperial powers think that it’s their political right to humiliate the conquered nation. Different methods of humiliation of the conquered nations are fundamental to imperialistic psychology. By this humiliation they want to justify their rule; and the “growth” of oppressed is not possible without imperial support and aid. Orientalism developed as a science of study for this political project only.

Greed and Power: Weapon of Imperialists

Imperialist forces have always used greed and power to fulfill their ambitions. Psychologies evolve due to greed and power. As a result of force and power, the fear is imbibed in the seized nation. When this feeling of fear and greed makes space into the minds of the enslaved nation, it serves as a milestone towards the triumph of imperialist forces. To develop this feeling of fear, the concept of “terrorism” came into existence. In this way the terrorism is a political issue that came into being through imperialist ideology. So, the objective of the imperialist forces is to devise various policies to pull common man into fear and greed. For imperialist objectives, the force is used unsparingly irrespective of whether that is against our own people or not. Under this condition, it can be said that the nation has become imperialist.

New social order

The clear ideology of political imperialism is to, in the society where they wish to rule, devise an order for achievement of political aims. Sometimes this order contains division of the countries or religions, or sometimes to form the different worlds for rich and for poor. New social order is devised under the light of political aims and the idea, of dipping the groups into themselves so deep that they don’t remember each other, is not forgotten. No link between rich and poor is maintained. So, new social order is originated from imperialist ideology, and its real objective is the fulfillment of political aims

Awareness and philosophical enslavement

The last type of imperialist ideology is very obvious and also interesting. Imperialist ideology tries to enslave the awareness and ideology of the nation or community being ruled. It is done so that they never reach their consciousness and never feel that they are being subdued by others.

The other aspect of imperialism is emergence of the idea that force is the only source of victory: by adopting their education, science, culture and political policy can the suppressed ones develop. By using every source, the imperialist forces try to inculcate this thought or idea into the suppressed nations.

Now let me draw your attention towards a very important point. Imperialist ideologies and imperialist psychology are the two basic things which give rise to imperialism. The roots of imperialist nature, imperialist policy, imperialist culture, imperialist methodologies and imperialist exploitation are hidden in aforesaid two things. The deeper understanding we have on the above said two points, the more powerfully can we oppose them. Next important thing is that, for teaching and propagating imperialist ideas and psychologies, all the possible sources are used; therefore our literature, our art and our media are spent for this establishment. In the next chapter when we analyze imperialism in India the above said two points come to fore. On this basis we can form a view that to wage a war against imperialism, deeper understanding of imperialist ideas and psychology is indispensable.

THE IDEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF IMPERIALISM

2010-01-14T03:15:00.000-08:00

(This is first half of the chapter of my book on imperialism)

"The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much." – Joseph Conrad

Political Imperialism: an Introduction

For the pioneering of one’s power and expansion of rule, new methods were employed in all ages. There always stands an Ideology behind these methods. Imperialism and Neo-colonialism is also such a method which blushed in the 19^th century in Europe. Imperialism and Neo-colonialism were inherently inevitable post the Age of Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution in Europe. Jules Ferry, prime minister of France in 1884 said: “In the area of economics, I am placing before you, with the support of some statistics, the considerations that justify the policy of colonial expansion, as seen from the perspective of a need, felt more and more urgently by the industrialized population of Europe and especially the people of our rich and hardworking country of France: the need for outlets [for exports]. Is this a fantasy? Is this a concern [that can wait] for the future? Or is this not a pressing need, one may say a crying need, of our industrial population?”

History is evident of the fact that war campaigns are not something new employed for the expansion of a nation. But the Age of Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution gave new ways, new direction, new ideology and new approach to it. Hence, the expansions and war campaigns post Industrial Revolution are very different from the expansions before. This difference is because of the evolution of terminologies “Neo-colonialism” and “Imperialism”.

Neo-colonialism and Imperialism are terms generally used in lieu of each other. But there are two basic differences between them. Firstly, neo-colonialism is confined to economic exploitation whereas imperialism compasses political, economic, social and cultural exploitation. Secondly, imperialism possesses an ideological background which drives neo-colonialism. According to Edward Said, “neo-colonialism is the necessary outcome of imperialism”. Imperialism is the expansion of one’s authority and using of power across the boundaries of one’s geographical limits. It is making captive, as by force and gain control of them.

Eckert writes, “Imperialism is a type of politics which remains active in order to expand its nation, and economical, political and ideological ideas of its culture. This expansion is not limited to the political boundaries.”

Oxford Dictionary defines imperialism as “a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means”

Schumpeter says, “Imperialism is objectless expansion, a pattern simply learned from the behavior of other nations and institutionalized into the domestic political processes of a state by a "warrior" class. This warrior class is created because of the need for defense, but, over time, the class will manufacture reasons to perpetuate its existence, usually through manipulation of crises”

Ideology of Political Imperialism:

Imperialistic policies and determination always remain in search of ideologies, ideologies which are helpful in the achievement of imperialistic objectives. Hence, imperialism possesses some ideologies within it or imports ideologies for the achievement of its objectives. This results in imperialism, simultaneously possessing policies of conflict and confrontation, and adopting any one of these according to the requirement.

Gibbon writes, “For every war a motive of safety or revenge, of honor or zeal, of right or convenience may be readily found in the jurisprudence of conquerors.”

The real motive of political imperialism is hidden in the expansion of empire, continued reign of power and exploitation of conquered nations for the benefit of the imperialistic nation. This is the basic principle of any power. The ways of achieving the stated motives may change but the basic principle remains the same:

1 Expansion of Empire

2 Stability & Expansion of power

3 Exploitation of conquered nations

These objectives are achieved through various means. War is a direct way of entry. Sometimes the entry is made taking the excuse of trade and business, some other times the excuse is for ‘imparting culture to the barbaric nations.’

An imperialistic power frames more ideologies in the light of the basic ideologies for making the accomplishment of its basic ideologies possible, thus ideology is created for achievement of (basic) ideology.

Thus framed ideologies are used for the fulfillment of core ideologies.

History and study show that the imperialistic powers usually use three framed ideologies in order to achieve their basic ideologies.

1 Framed Jargons

2 Ethical Reasoning

3 Enemy of imperialism

Framed Jargons:

The imperialistic powers of every time invent jargons in order to achieve its ulterior motives. These jargons are combined with meaning and philosophy and are presented as if these jargons are the divine solutions. Other nations are taught that these philosophies are the only solution for the humanity. Behind these jargons, imperialism continues its functions.

There are many jargons used in this modern era as well. A complete list of these jargons can be made. “Human Rights” is one of these jargons behind which is hidden the excruciating history of human exploitation. Similar is the jargon “New World Order,” whose world order is this? And for what?

Similar is the jargon “Failed or Rogue Nations.”

In the same way the jargon “Balance of Power” is used whose (apparent) objective is to create a ‘balance’ in the imperialistic power’s territory and to conquer the territory and to use it for their benefit.

The modern imperialistic are ruling the underdeveloped nations by fetching these nations into this jungle of jargons which have been created by them.

Ethical Reasoning:

The second framed ideology is based on ‘Morals’ or ‘ethics’. The imperialistic powers use them in order to show the world that it is their moral responsibility to concentrate on improving the current situation. Under this moral screen they execute army attacks, search for a political reason and strengthen basic ideologies.

This moral reasoning has been used by imperialistic powers of all times in their way.

Europeans imperialistic powers came to conquer Asia and Africa on the grounds of “teaching culture” and on these very grounds they have ruled those nations.

Somervell explains this truth as, “Imperialism was a sentiment rather than a policy; its foundations were moral rather than intellectual.”

Few years ago when US attacked Iraq, its main reason was stated as, it’s the moral duty of US to free the people of Iraq from the cruelty of Saddam Hussain.

Hence, the imperialistic powers use moral reasons like these, under the ideological framework in order to advance their imperialism.

Disguise as Enemy of Imperialism:

This third ideological reason is the most dangerous of all. In this the imperialism camouflages itself as the enemy of imperialism. It apparently comes to rescue the people from evil force. This face of imperialism is very famous even today. Therefore, after the Second World War America and other powers got imperialistic reason from this ideology. In the name of freeing nations from fascism they have accomplished their military, political and imperialistic plans.

Besides presenting the moral reasons, George Bush has even taken the support of this ‘enemy of imperialism’ ideology for the invasion of Iraq stating that Saddam’s imperialistic aspirations and operations have affected many sections of the society, like Kurd’s got enough of their rights etc. This type ideology of seems to be most effective in the history of American Imperialism.

So this is clear that under the screen of political imperialism many ideologies are working away and to achieve these ideologies these ideologies are created so as to provide reasons. Now we would discuss the psychologies of imperialism.

Cyber Space and Question of Identity

2009-12-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

(This is the second part of my article 'The Anatomy of Cyber Generation')

The writer of Six Degrees, Duncan Watt argues that network science has shown us that distance is a mere delusion. That means two persons living on the two opposite sides of the planet can get really close to each other through network, to the extent that the distance between them becomes meaningless.

Through virtual social networks also an individual can overcome the impediment of distance. Remoteness becomes a worthless thing but the existence of relationship depends on individual. It implies that a network gets two individuals close by rendering the distance meaningless, but how far this “friendship” is taken to, depends on the individuals. In the light of Postmodernism, where there is no single truth, in the virtual world the identity loses its oneness; implying that identity too does not remain as a single “truth”.

The question of identity is an important and a serious one for both an individual and a society. The role of Identity begins with an individual’s self and continues till the construction of a society’s identity. The debate of the identity of an individual is central and fundamental, and cyber culture gives this debate a new direction. Many things contribute to the development and construction of a human being’s identity. Or we can also say that the human identity has different components. For example, its way of life or religion, its family, its gender, its country or its company. Many a similar thing contributes to the construction of its personality. A few components of the identity are so crucial that a person is identified or recognized by them; and a few others are of a second level (or are sublevels) which could either be permanent or temporary. When we study in school, for example, our identity is that of a school going kid, and attitude of society towards us is also of a similar level. At times, this becomes a significant or salient component of our identity. However, as time passes by, we get released from this identity.

According to the Cartesian principles, the human identity is fixed, and there is no change taking place in it. We find a reflection of this thought is Essentialism too. Or the interpretation or construal of identity that it is fixed and that it is observant of an order and a rule is an Essentialist point of view.

This viewpoint that identity is fixed and defined has been under various criticisms in the postmodern period. According to Hall, the thought that there should be or is oneness in identity is a meaningless thought. He opines that in this world the centrality of identity is getting over and our identity now is getting de-centralized. In Hall’s belief the end of identity’s centrality plays a key role in our development/progress. He says:

In essence, the argument in that the old identities which stabilized the social world for so long are in decline, giving rise to new identities and fragmenting the modern individual as a unified subject. This so called ‘crisis of identity’ is seen as part of a wider process of change which is dislocating the central structures and processes of modern societies and undermining the frameworks which gave individuals stable anchorage in the social world.

Hall and the supporters of this perspective of his, see identity as a continuous process. In the genealogy of identity, this point of view is most strengthened by two things: firstly by the postmodern philosophers among whom Michel Foucault is noteworthy, and secondly by the cyber culture. All these things are inter-connected, and the manifestation of these conditions of identity is easily possible in cyber space. Michel Foucault has given a new dimension to this debate of identity. His philosophy has created an upheaval in the intellectual world. Foucault, while pondering over the issue of homosexuality, concludes that we have to determine identity historically. On homosexuality’s history and the place & situation at the time of its invention, Foucault argues a great deal. Foucault tries to link discourse, knowledge, power and identity with each other. He starts a new debate on sexual identity by linking homosexuality with the issue of identity. By this way of studying identity or by this viewpoint two things come into existence. First, one gets a critical point of view on identity. The significance of the relation between power and identity gets elucidated, and the historicity of identity is known. Second thing is this that if identity’s roots are deeply seated in history and then in power, then it can be constructed anew. Through the window of history we can see identity as an ever-changing thing.

These theoretical or intellectual debates have a deep relationship with the crisis of identity taking place in cyber culture or cyber space. If situation is only this that identity can be transformed or can be passed through a process of transformation, then its best example is the cyberspace. But it has to be kept in mind that in the making of cyberspace this thought has played its part. Therefore, such tools and environment have been provided to us so that a practical implementation of this viewpoint can be achieved.

Cyber Culture and Self Identity

After this basic prologue an individual, who adopts the cyber culture, has an opportunity to build his identity anew. A part of identity is that in which an individual cannot, in his/her identity, bring about a transformation nor can he/she use the tools to reveal it, through which a “new” face of his/her identity can come out. Yet, in cyber culture our identity is subject to our consciousness. We manufacture our identity by means of our consciousness: the way we are or the way we want to be. We are provided with the tools and resources by means of which we can present our identity the way we like. A case in point is the web page through which we can show a mirror of ourselves to the web users. Its look, its design, its decoration and the devices that it uses present a glimpse of our self. These web pages need not be our websites; rather the different web pages that we use are all but a reflection of our own self.

Another example is that of a “profile”. Every cyber citizen is required to, somewhere or the other, create his/her profile. While making a profile one usually faces a question and that is “about me”. And every citizen of this world says something about himself/herself. Why does cyber culture gives the option of “about me”? To write about oneself and to write it honestly is a very difficult task. But every individual tries to write something about itself. The question that arises now is whether the articulation or expression of one’s self is based on truth or it is a part of this self identity: meaning, to manufacture de novo one’s self and identity. In the “About me” column or space, every person does not write what he/she is. Rather he writes what he wants to show or to be. Both of these are possible. At times we, in our introduction, say what we want to look like. For instance, if we want to attract people’s love and sympathy towards ourselves, we project our self to be an idol or an icon of pain and suffering; whether we have actually faced or gone through pain or suffering or not, doesn’t matter. The other type of writing “About me” is that where we express what we are not but what we want to become: that is, we try to present a Desired Self. An individual’s personality when, after entering the cyber space, gets in touch with the kind of tools, and finds itself in the kind of environment, it travels in it from Actual Self to Self Identity and from Self Identity to Desired Self. One thing that gets cleared now is that Self Identity is the link between the Actual Self and the Desired Self.

Actual Self -> Self Identity -> Desired Self

It cannot be denied that in this imaginative journey, there is no house but there is time. An individual’s personality can get close to Desired Self and can return from virtual world to the real world. That means the desired self is obtained by him/her, and it starts manifesting in the real world too. And there is a real possibility that he/she, in his journey from the Actual to the Desired Self, might lose his/her own “Self”, and get a new “self” in existence which is virtually dangerous, and is also really ominous in the physical world.

In the process of obtaining this desired self, an individual or a group of individuals reveal their identity in two ways. That means in this journey their identification can be of two types:

Revealing Identity
Masking Identity

Revealing identity

The first situation is that where an individual reveals his/her personality and true identity in the virtual world. This can be done various ways: through photographs, interests, achievements, information and so on – through all these he/she tries to present his/her self and true identity in the virtual world. It is also possible that in this process of disclosure he/she takes time and gradually discloses his/her identity. In this course, he/she considers the virtual world with seriousness. This should be used for our benefit. The contacts and acquaintances that are made by it should be put to use in the practical world.

Masking identity

The second type can be of those users who want to keep their identity hidden; who cover up their identity. In this process of concealing, photograph, interests and various other things are either not revealed or presented falsely: using someone else’s photo instead of their own for instance. This type of identity is a character of an inquisitive mind, anxiety or leisure. Or it can also be said that such type of individuals, in the discovery of their identity, enter the virtual world as imposters. A majority of such users enter it for leisure and entertainment. However, there are also a few serious imposters in it. Cyber culture grants them an opportunity to run away from their wounded identity of the physical world and to construct a new identity in this world.

Apart from the debates mentioned above, we can classify identity in another manner. This means that cyber citizens’ (or netizens’) identification is of two more types:

Global Identity
Mobile Identity

Global Identity

Cyber culture provides its citizens with a global identity. This global identity means that an individual’s identification acquires a global status; moreover identity emancipates itself from the borders and national bounds. In this sense it can be said that the real time manifestation of globalization can be seen in cyber space. Boundaries and the idea of border, as a result of the identification, starts to weaken. As a consequence innumerable citizens on social networking websites forge global relationships. Status of these relationships is not of an international relationship; rather it is the individual’s will to discover a global identity in the cyber world. He/she does not remain bounded by a border to befriend an accomplished individual or a beautiful woman. Keeping his/her instincts, needs and interests in view he/she is free to build any relationship in the whole world. Consequently, in cyber space the identity becomes global. Or there is every possibility present to form a global identity. For example, on social networking websites countless Indians, who were afraid of even the name of a Pakistani, or innumerable Pakistanis, who used to feel in a state of war even with the name of an Indian, are now forming relations, and exchanging their thoughts and feelings with each other on these websites. And this happens not by just being Indian or Pakistani, nor is there the nationality of identity behind this relationship; rather it takes place by being a global identity individual, and he/she maintains relationships with this status.

The debate of global identity does not stop at the level of an individual, but the question that now arises is whether there is any possibility of a global culture by means of global identity or does the cyber space reproduce a global culture. It is right to say that birth of a real global culture is among the impossible due to the fact that identity and cultural relation have a strong connection with emotions and traditions too. Even then this point is debatable: that through this identity and this space or due to the existence of cyber space, cultural exchange is taking place too and by this, a shared global culture is also coming into existence. This point is of importance too that the forces working behind the debate of cyber culture take great interest in the global culture, by means of which their ideological and cultural objectives are achieved.

Mobile Identity

Another facet of identity, which is not so different from the other forms of identity but which is an indispensable result of globalization, is mobile identity. Globalisation, global culture and cyber space influence to a certain extent the relationship between identity and bodily existence, identity and house, identity and traditions, or separate them immanently from one another. As a result an individual creates a mobile identity of himself/herself. Therefore, 12 years earlier, Negro Ponte had said:

The post-information age will remove the limitations of geography. Digital living will include less and less dependence upon being in a specific place at a specific time, and the transmission of place itself will start to become possible in the post information age, since you may live and work at one or many locations, the concept of an ‘address’ now takes a new meaning.

The way in which identity take new forms in cyber space, mobile identity can be seen as a reverse action that an individual’s identity is not fixed, rather it’s mobile. He/she has not defined his/her identity; rather there are possibilities for change and movement in it. He/she is free from the limits of a house, and due to the global networking in cyber space his/her identity also attains mobility.

Identity and Personality’s Cyber Trend

Some cyber sociologists consider the end of identity and personality in cyber space an increasingly important issue. But the end of identity and personality is not possible completely; rather cyber space tries to give to its netizens a new identity: that identity can either be global or mobile. And consequently the dissolution of our real identity can also be felt. Its meaning also gets affected. But complete termination of identity is not possible.

Understanding of the cyber space, right attitude towards it and checking strategy about it demands that we try to understand the changing proclivity of identity and personality. John Suler in his book “The Psychology of Cyberspace” debates on the various types of identities found in cyberspace. He discusses about the following identities at the end:

Psychopathic
Narcissistic
Schizoid
paranoid
depressive and manic
masochistic
obsessive
hysterical
dissociative

He speaks on these types of identities. But after understanding the cyber tendency we can say that this materialistic classification not only exists but most of the time any user after entering in cyberspace acquire any of these personalities. This means that a healthy person, who’s neither obsessive nor depressive, after entering the cyberspace, becomes both obsessive and depressive. This facet of the cyberspace is gravely dangerous. In his/her physical world the individual is healthy and intelligent but as soon as he/she enters the cyber world his/her identity starts to transform. His/her tone and way of speaking begins to change. Through the study of a few types of identity we can easily understand this cyber propensity. (To be continued…)

A new meaning of peace

2009-12-10T02:47:00.000-08:00

Global power has global paradox. President Obama with wife Michele leaves for Oslo to receive his noble prize for peace. He will also attend the ongoing summit on climate change in Copenhagen. Obama is on way to Oslo to receive his peace prize but he is going to talk about war. After announcing that 30,000 more troops will be deployed in Afghan he will be honored as most peaceful man on earth. And while visiting one day to Denmark to lay out his goal of cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 17 % by 2020, his one day trip will generate more than 3,820 tons of carbon dioxide.

White house has cleared that in his acceptance speech at Oslo president Obama will talk about sending 30,000 soldiers to Afghanistan. Spokesperson of White House Gibbs said that Obama has understanding of this noble peace prize and he doesn’t compare himself to Mother Teresa or Nelson Mandela.

Obama’s peace prize will now define the meaning of peace itself. The failed American diplomacy in Middle East has raised serious question. Much hyped Cairo speech of President Obama brought no change in the condition and it can only be regarded as eloquent rhetoric.

His policy toward Palestine and deprived Gaza is just continuation of Bush policy towards Middle East. Obama’s South Asia’ policy is also not working in right direction. Perhaps the greatest intellectual alive found the right reason of choosing Obama for peace prize. Reacting on his selection Noam Chomsky said “The hopes and prospects for peace aren't well aligned -- not even close. The task is to bring them nearer. Presumably that was the intent of the Nobel Peace Prize committee in choosing President Barack Obama.”

THE ANATOMY OF CYBER-GENERATION

2009-10-06T01:35:00.000-07:00

we come out of history in order to enter into simulation – jean baudrillard

The moment history enters the period of post-modernism search for the truth and its discovery is rendered as fruitless and futile act. In the language of Lyotard post-modernism is only about looking at Meta-narratives with suspicion. But in reality, this suspicion is not limited only to meta-narratives; rather every narrative, subject and truth comes inside its boundaries. To understand the difference between truth and “truth-like” is the most cumbersome thing of this era. Truth and falsehood, or truth and truth-like are not clear and lucid like day and night. Where does the truth begin, when does it turn into truth-like, and when does truth-like transforms into the real falsehood? This separation is a difficult task.

The real manifestation of post-modernism takes place through technology, art, media and culture; and through these only do the post-modern viewpoint and attitudes come into existence. The best examples are films, internet and virtual world in which a human experiences truth, truth-like and falsehood concurrently.

Cyber culture – an introduction:

Several years earlier (1990), renowned anthropologist Arjun Apadrai classified the cultural economy into five different types (which he calls Scapes):

Ethnoscapes
Technoscapes
Finanscapes
Mediascapes
Deoscapes

Therefore, for such type of economy the need of a new way of thinking and analyzing is felt. These five types require a special kind of network. The debate of cyber culture has deep and strong relationship with the existence and workings of this network. That’s why Castells (the renowned researcher of cyber culture) has based his argument of cyber culture on network.

Nothing can be said for certain about the history of cyber culture’s terminology. However, after the definitions of Gibson this became a subject of discussion and debate in the world of cyber culture study. Thus, American critique Mark Dewey is known for his assessments of the definitions in the beginning period. Dewey, while specifying the term of cyber culture, says:

A far-flung, loosely knit complex of sub legitimate, alternative, and oppositional sub-cultures whose common project is the subversive use of technocommodities often framed by radical body politics… cyber culture is divisible into several major territories: visionary technology, fringe science ,avant-gardeart ,and pop culture

Other researchers believe that cyber culture is a name for our cyber attitude like how we live in a cyber world, make relations with others; and few others believe that complete definition of the term cyber culture is not possible. Bell says:

..Cyberculture is certainly a contested and evolving discourse

But by analyzing the existing trends of cyberculture we can understand its content and direction.

Cyber space and a new society

From the end of the 20^th century till today (in 21^st century), the awestruck position at which the internet has brought the world – this phenomenon is not just a topic of research and study anymore. The information flood can no longer be contained. This is an irreversible act and any replacement to it is only its progress. Computerization of society is a truth of the day, and everyone seems to adopt this truth. Probably this is the reason why Lyotard wrote this:

It is hard to see what other direction contemporary technology could take us an alternative to the computerization of society. (The postmodern condition)

Cyber space has brought a new world into existence: a complete society where relationships are made, transactions take place, and activities of rewarding and punishing are also there. A complete world of social relationships and opportunities are available on your screen. The creator of cyber space terminology is William Gibbson, who in 1984 through his famous novel Neuromancer gave the idea of cyber space. Gibbson says:

Cyberspace A consensual hallucination experienced daily by millions of legitimate operators. A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding.

The above definition and Neuromancer made this idea so much popular that a few experts even started using Gibsonian Cyber Space as a term.

Michal Heim gives his opinion about the cyber space in the following words:

Cybersapce is more than a breakthrough in electronic media or in computer interface design with its virtual environments and simulated worlds. Cyber space is a .. Tool for examining our every sense of reality. (The erotic ontology of cyber space)

There was a period when a society in the cyber world seemed only an illusion, but it no longer remained so. On the contrary, its status is now that of a vibrant and dynamic society. We cannot deny the inter-relationship between technology and society. This form of technology has a deep connection with society, and incidents that occur in the virtual world will have their effects on our physical world. Zizek says:

The way computerization affects our lives does not depend directly on technology, it results from the way the impact of new technology is refracted by the social relations which, in their turn, co –determine the very direction of technological development.

Paul Virilio expresses this reality by saying that technological progress affects our social relations completely.

There are many dynamics of the cyber space which are noteworthy and demand attention. It need urgent assiduity. A fresh discourse is essential to think about the evolution and content of this society (virtual)

Here, we will discuss some of the problems of this “society”.

(to be continued.. )

In the garden of Aenesidemus

2009-09-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

Acatalepsy is the defining feature of our time. It is not just because the discovery of truth is painful, but infact the need of truth and discovery it self has lost its meaning. So, comprehending with any kind of truth is just a matter of our political ‘self’. Manufacturing events, news, enemies, chaos, consent is a primary need of a “state”, else the survival of a state become dubious.

For this, the state is ready to force all kinds of violence. The only way to achieve “objective” is violence (means can be different). Weber was right in claiming the “natural” behavior of State. He argues:

“the state is a relation of men dominating men, a relation supported by means of legitimate (i.e. considered to be legitimate) violence.” This “consideration” is also state’s will.

Nandigram, lalgarh, salwa judum, rape, POTA, fake encounter etc are the metaphors, and the phenomena, which is a wacky face of development. Obviously these are also development[s]. And the rate of development in this domain is much higher than our GDP. It is omnipresent. The manifestation is represented on different stage. They are camouflaged but they are not meaningless like our feelings. Sometime Manipur, sometime sophian, sometime salwa judum (rape episode) and sometime “unsolved” mystery of arrest and fake encounter attract us on this developmental model as well.

It's five years now. Some young souls departed as a result of state sponsored stage killing. A cold blooded murder. The warmness of being youth becomes a freezing experience. Ishrat jahan a girl from Mumbai along with Javed Gulam Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjad Ali and Jisan Abdul Gani were gunned down by Gujarat Police outside Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004, and now a magistrial inquiry report found that the encounter was fake.

Ishrat jahan and others are just an addition in the list of victims into state's notebook of “legitimized terror”. An early view on the state’s role forces us to conclude that state is pathetic. Why doesn't it understand that imperial tones of policy will go against it? Why doesn't it understand that such displacement and repression will develop anxiety, which in turn will lead to “terror”? And one can conclude that state is poor and lacks farsightedness. But what if state is doing it because of farsightedness, and what if it’s an intended programme and a determined policy?

Historical injustice is fatal for a nation and to surmount that, we speak for reservation and delivery of justice to that class. But what if history of injustice is written in front of us? Then how much abnegation can “we” avail? Country is becoming fragile and weak (from inside). Its real strength – the people of India, are becoming hopeless about justice and skeptical about “developmental” policy. We have failed to learn or in fact we have not learned how to resolve issues through dialogue, how to settle things with argument and tolerance. Let it be lalgarh or Darjeeling or Manipur. There is worth noting distress and anxiety within the intellectual class [too] from this developmental model. But “food for thought” is still not worth to be translated into a movement – a movement for change.

In the mood of deep dejection I entered into thegarden of Aenesidemus*. He was busy in planting some new tree. He read the pain of my face and said, "distress??" I said, "yes!" Then he shook his head and said, "Skepticism?" I said yes! And he expressed his emotion as, "ha ha ha." He quickly claimed, "skepticism is a way of life; you can only achieve peace of mind by suspending justice. Go boy, be skeptic and be happy." I returned from his garden in a more thoughtful mood, and I realized that subsidiary of his garden is everywhere, and our skepticism is producing happiness without any sense of irony.

………………………………………………………………………………...

* He was skeptical philosopher of 1^{st century BC. He saw skepticism as way of life}

THE BURDEN OF LANGUAGE

2009-07-22T07:56:00.001-07:00

The relation between language and civilization is quite significant. The language of civilization, which explores knowledge, becomes the language of modernity and development. This pushes the ‘speakers’ of other civilization in “asylum”. The only way out is to imitate “The Civilization” and speak the language of “modernity”

English as a language triumphed as language of civilization. It speaks for rationality, modernity and development. The only way out for civilizational growth is to “Be English”. Language not only contains set of grammar and rules, it contains complete package of culture and value system. So if a language is ‘publicized’ its cultures ‘publicizes’ too. If languages get imported, culture gets imported too.

In the post colonial world the administration was handed to ‘natives’ but culture always remained colonial. In fact in colonial age the culture was native but in post-colonial era it became “foreign”. From education system to administration, from art to culture we are moving towards “foreign”.

In a schizophrenic assumption of ‘national self’ we are living in the world of dream and abnegation. Our value system, education, system, judiciary, economics all want to attain the eternal position of “development” which lies in being “civilizationlly foreign”.

The latest remark of Supreme Court is just an expression of common psyche. That knowledge and development, modernity and values rest in learning “The knowledge” in English. The bench of three judges exclaim there notion as :

"People who study in mother tongues are not able to compete in medical and engineering exams. It is very easy to say that children should be taught in mother tongues, but the question is how to survive in this world. The best way out of this controversy would be to make all choices available but let the parents decide. Today private schools are charging Rs 30000-40000 but still parents are crazy to get their children admitted to English schools." — Chief Justice of India, K G Balakrishnan

So survival of the Gen-next and nation is dependent on learning English and technology. The “only” branch of knowledge. Sometime suffocated by voices of technology, I feel that if technology is the only knowledge or “The knowledge”. What if one fails to learn English, what if one fails to pass engineering, what if he fails to imitate “The Culture”?? Is he aberrant, is he irrational or is he Anti-national?? Quaffed by voices of development and growth, we remain slave, our consciousness dying, and our culture in crisis of identity and “we” gawk from the burden of language.

LIVING IN ABNEGATION

2009-01-06T11:26:00.000-08:00

Sometime living in denial is a satisfying experience. As the abominable development around us is abstruse. The health of globe is abysmal but our self denial put us on the height of glory. What is going in Ghaza is not a new experience but the silence of every citizen of world is deeply depressing.

Oppression by the oppressed is a historical fact. The exhibition of barbarism is inevitable when someone has absolute power and freedom. Israel a terror state has put everything to display the act of power. The destruction, casualty, pain and suffering are unimaginable. It’s beyond nightmare. The unstoppable power of Israel and act of aggression shows the helplessness of the rest of the world.

But the aberrant behavior of media is more and more depressing. Instead of showing and discussing the worst humanitarian crisis, they are more concerned about ghajini and amir khan, Amitabh bachan and his family.

Media as an institution has just transformed into a corporate entertainment agency feeding the news hunger of elite and upper middle class. With no serious business at stake, they are just busy in increasing their TRP by selling anything. Anything which elite and middle class can buy. Any news and headline which can excite them.

Media in this country is playing a very negative role. Pushing the common people into denial mode. Creating a matrix for them and abetting them to get rid of reality. Media an important tool in any democratic society has failed to create an ambience of truth and trust. Failed to initiate any discourse on serious issues.

Now it’s the duty of every aware citizen of this nation to unmask the media and held them accountable in front of society. Let’s not live in abnegation. Let’s seek the truth.

SPREADING TERROR . . . WEAKENING TRUST

2008-10-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

In the time of economic regression, increasing arm race and triumph of neo-imperialist in many part of the globe. There are many undercurrents affecting our country as well. There is serious disruption, disturbance and chaos along length and breadth of this country. Exploding bombs in public places like diwali crackers, India becoming more as Police state and transformation of us into majoritarianism from liberal democracy.

Once a nation and land of many cultures and languages are turning to be hostile to each other. “Marathi” attacking Bihari. “Hindu” raping Nuns. “Muslims” planting bombs and Bodo killing assameese Muslims. What would be the future of the great nation in amidst of this? The nation which stands for integrity, proud of its democracy triumphed as a land of different cultures and languages. In fact, the only country and only nation in the history of civilization which assimilated many cultures and traditions and spread multi colours in the atmosphere.

Serious questions have aired in this country after series of events. Terrorist planting bombs, police killing people and masses loosing trust.

In the series of all events the later one is the most dangerous. Police is the instrument of state to maintain law and order. But what if it become self –governed. Police has to protect civilians and infuse sense of security in them but what if they start injecting fear.

Society and human – human interaction is based on what? Obviously Trust. And what if the society lost trust, resultantly the civil society will be more like jungle. Trust is the backbone of any civil society. And if any individual in society looses its trust in judiciary, administration and state then certainly we will plunge into land of distress and distrust. The equation of these can only produce chaos. This chaos cannot be managed nor controlled. The equation of hopelessness, injustice and state – sponsored terrorism can breed more terror.

The only ray of hope is to keep the trust alive. To build a strong civil society on the basis of trust. An environment of trust within individual is the key to fight any terror whether inside or outside. The advantages of high trust are:

a. lower administration costs, higher institutional reliability;

b. large and efficient organizations;

c. a better environment

• disadvantages of low trust:

a. corruption and trade with influences;

b. small and inefficient organizations;

c. more chaos

A common man can kindle the light of trust through love, awareness and resilience. Let’s rise to fight all sort of terrorism through the power of trust.

By - Syed Musab Iqbal

THE CALCULUS OF AN INTRICATED MATRIX

2008-04-30T23:34:00.000-07:00

“An optimist is the human personification of spring – Susan J Bissonette”

Are you alive? Hold your nerves. Stay calm and ask yourself that are you dreaming or the shattered dream made you enigmatic. The dream that always came true or the truth itself is dream. Exploring the science beyond the sky is what you call a dream. The world where we are living, enjoying and dancing in glee is the byproduct of selfishness and individualism often offered with glamour and materialism, making us realizes that our dream came true.

This question is as old as human’s development of sciences that is this world real? What is reality, if it is something then it remains same with ages or not, then who define and regulate it. Are you talking something of god? No, then who differentiate and integrate reality. Is it the job of the powerful or the powerless, what they often try to explore in day dreams? There are some equations which became more complicated with time and the multiplied matrix of these entities is often mind-boggling. The reality of truth, life and happiness. The algebra of these three I often tried to solve but failed. Failed with a sense of dejection and irony. The dejection which never evaporated nor absorbed and irony which exist beneath and beyond myself.

Humankind of all ages has some privilege of their time. What is the freedom of our time?

Freedom of speech, expression, expansion or development? No, but the freedom of living in a dream world which has no regular expression, no symmetry, no caveat, no boundary, just a world of white darkness and joyful delusion. The question we can ask that is everyone a part of it, and then one can say that some got liberated, some are not engulfed by it, some are thrown from it and some are hopelessly dependent on it. Humans of this age are either fooled by randomness or backstabbed by their own choices. Most of them are either deprived or despised and rest of them is busy in building what they call development on the pillar of disparity, deprivation and despise.

Someone eloquently expressed his notion that Love is not the greatest glue between two people. Sex is. Sex is not only the effective glue but also most efficient market commodity. A wonderful tool of advertisement and propaganda. It seems that we are revolving or forced to revolve around two things – money & sex. Someone can ask that what the problem in it is. I can only say that the question is not of problem rather it lies in our attitude of solving the equation of truth, life and happiness. Sex with all its attribute and facets are part of every individual. There is no escape from that; either you are watching news, cricket match or just a kids cartoon. It is apparently present everywhere to excite us, entertain us, deviate us and keep us away from the truth. That truth which is not deep in the jungle or deep in the sea but which lies inside us – in the depth of ourselves in the form of soul. The soul which is either dying or crying.

There are two forces which have made us captive. The global power which has a hegemonic agenda of global dominance and corporate imperialism. Directly or indirectly we are part of them. We are so inert and so hopeless that we can not analyze the catastrophic condition nor we can fight them. The reality is gulped by the noises of growth and development and we have been blinded by the glitter and the pace of development.

Some of the great powers are always dependent on there enemies. One of the great leader of the last century profoundly spoke that we cannot live without enemy, if we don’t have one better create it. What is the purpose of creation of enemy? To implement the colonial agenda or to frame the truth. There is enormous tale of fabrication. Fabrication of history and fabrication of truth. The evil power fighting the evil world created a great misery of our time. The triumph of NeoCon became the triumph of brutality and invasion as well.

One can just gasp in awe while entering a tempting and sparkling building of any corporate office. Working in a corporate company is like a dream coming true. But is the dream coming true or we are forced to live in dreamland it self. Corporate slavery is the phenomenon of our time. It has strengthened the individualism with much stronger sense of greed and selfishness. There is endless desire; there is no turning back and no end of greed. One package after another. One company after another. People are running in madness that they can’t even understand that this road is endless and there is no end where you will catch happiness. Money can’t bring happiness but it can bring more money.

Lewis Carroll has created a wonderland only for Alice but powerful of our time has created a wonderland for everyone. We need a savior, a liberator, a fighter. But this liberator does exist? Yes, it exists as a part of our consciousness. To build this consciousness we need to integrate three entities in our differential calculus.They are

keep reading by increasing your spectrum and bandwidth
keep thinking with global eyes, and
keep exploring the world by traveling and by sharing the experiences of the people across the globe

This is the only liberator, only savior. Every individual should find his consciousness, to get rid of this dreamland. Dreamland full of phantasm, chaos, intrusion, deprivation, conspiracy, invasion and disparity. Justice, peace and harmony is dream but we have to make this dream a truth we need to wake up and try to realize that we are alive. I am alive. Yes, we all are alive.

Once in the dream of a night I stood
Lone in the light of a magical wood,
Soul-deep in visions that poppy-like sprang;
And spirits of Truth were the birds that sang,
And spirits of Love were the stars that glowed,
And spirits of Peace were the streams that flowed
In that magical wood in the land of sleep.

The Declining Morality in Campuses

2008-04-02T23:03:00.000-07:00

Morality of the students is a big concern in educational campuses. Their behavior, attitude and outlook all are judged by morality, and most of the time they are the only ones who are the convicted criminals of immorality in campuses. But now the story has reversed; teachers are also being eyed as immoral entity in campuses. There are several stories about the teachers teasing, molesting and beating students mercilessly.

In most of the professional campuses located in and out the city, teachers are becoming monsters for their students. The tools of attendance and internal marks are now the weapons of torture and exploitation. This tool has not only opened the door for exploitation but has also apparently created a business of malpractices in the city campuses. If you have any doubt in the subject or problem with your faculty, be careful to ask them; the result can be shortage of attendance or reduction in internal marks or more than that. Students have paid for it in the recent years, their academic year has been spoiled, and they get detained just because they argued with their faculty, no matter how good is the student in the subject.

Recently the news was in the air that a faculty strikes the answer sheet of a student and classifies it as a case of malpractice without any reason, consequently he gets zero marks. If this is the case then certainly the trusted relationship between a teacher and student will come to an end. And this end of trust will certainly lead to the opening of the door of endless confrontation.

The question is why such things happen and why is it not controlled? There are certainly various reasons for that but the most important one of them is the failure of universities in building an academic environment in campuses. Their role is mainly confined to register the student and ensure their exam papers get corrected (no matter how it is examined)

Colleges without proper infrastructure, facilities and trained faculties are just adding to student’s frustration. The university should built mechanism to control these incidents, and must create a forum where students can speak their fear, anxiety and problems. Media and educational NGO’s can also help in creating better learning environment and exposing the monster in the face of a teacher.

Musab Iqbal

Discovering a genesis of hope

2008-03-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

Bad things happen when the pace of change exceeds our ability to change, and events move faster than our understanding. It is then that we feel the loss of control over our lives. Anxiety creates fear, fear leads to anger,anger breeds violence,and violence - when combined with weapons of mass destruction - becomes a deadly reality. The greatest single antidote to violence is conversation, speaking our fears, listening to the fears of others, and in that sharing of vulnerabilities discovering a genesis of hope ---- Jonathan Sacks

Mark Tully's India

2008-03-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

There are some modern western authors who love to stay in India, Mark Tully is one of them .Sir Mark Tully was born in Calcutta in 1935. He was the chief of bureau, BBC, New Delhi for twenty-two years he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2005.

He has written several books about India including No full stops in India, India in slow motion (with his partner and colleague Gillian Wright), and The Heart of India.

His latest book is again about India – INDIA’S UNENDING JOURNEY. This book reflects his deep attachment and understanding of India. The book has eleven chapters from Puri to varanasi. It seems that Mark Tully is impressed by the humility of Indians; he writes in his first chapter that I have learnt from India is to value humility. In several chapters of this book Tully seems to be arguing on importance of religion and religious dialogue. Criticizing the west of it anti-religion attitude he writes “for the decline in religious observation in Europe is an aggressive secularism that is as dogmatic as any religion and which has become the dominant philosophy of life in the west.”

He enjoys the Indian tradition of conversation. He writes “Conversation is an integral part of the Indian tradition that has influenced me. “Mark Tully seems convinced that religious doctrine should change with time, he writes “Doctrine has to develop in the light of new knowledge and the changing norms of society.” The idea of balance between reason and revelation isn’t new but it has taken several turn after the triumph of militant secularism.

Tully exhibits his behavior of learning through out his book. He talks about the communal harmony to sexuality and from unity to growth and development. It is really an addition of adventurous as well thought provoking book on my rack.

NAME OF THE BOOK: INDIA’S UNENDING JOURNEY – FINDING BALANCE IN A TIME OF CHANGE

AUTHOR: MARK TULLY

PUBLISHER: RIDER BOOK

ISBN: 978-1-84-604017-7

REVIEW BY: MUSAB IQBAL

VIEWS - Karen Armstrong in her book Muhammad

2008-03-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

At the end of her book Muhammad, Karen Armstong wrote:
The reality is that Islam & the West share a common tradition from the time of prophet Muhammad.Muslims have recognized this but the west cannot accept it.today some muslims are beginning to turn against the cultures of the people of the book,which have humiliated & despised them.They have even began to islamize their new hatred.The beloved figure of prophet became central to one of the latest clashes between islam & the west during the Salman Rushdie affair. If Muslims need to understand our western traditions & institutions more thoroughly today,we in the west need to divert ourselves of some of our old prejudiceperhaps one place to start is with the figure of Muhammad"a complex passionate man who sometimes did thingsnthat it is difficult for us to accept,but who has genius of a profound order & founded a religion & a cultural tradition that was not based on the sword - despite the western myth and whose name'Islam'signifies peaceand reconciliation.

2008-03-27T22:25:00.000-07:00

THE PARADOX OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Since the end of Second World War, the world discovered a new god, god of development. This god has been exultantly worshipped by all developed countries of the west as well as in the poverty-stricken countries of Asia and Africa. This god of development has a great impact on not only nations but on every individual living in a civilized society. The impact is so incisive that it is a nightmare to think of a life without development. The development known to the world is the development of economics only. More there will be economic development; more will be the pace of global development. Every soul must strive hard to achieve that economic prosperity whether in this journey of glee, humanity lives or die. In the worship of this god man has become so blind, that he is walking on the road of development by crushing the human values and humanity, but he can’t realize. This journey is not only disastrous but it would lead to such serious repercussions that man can’t even imagine. As the German scholar, Wolfgang Sachs says “the lighthouse shows cracks and is starting to crumble. The idea of development stands like a ruin in the intellectual landscape.” In fact, “this epoch is coming to an end. The time is ripe to write its obituary.”

The Age of turbulence or the age of inequality

Alan Greenspan in his latest book ‘The age of turbulence’ talks about the future of the world, economic injustice, China’s development along with his experience with life. But it seems that this age is more of inequality which is leading to turbulence. According to human development report of 2005 the interaction between poverty and violent conflict in many developing countries is destroying lives on an enormous scale. The growing rich poor gap or economic polarization in the world is contributing to a global chaos.

Despite a glut of food, and a spectacular increase in the globe’s capacity to grow more, hunger remains one of the world’s major problems. According to the international food policy research institute in Washington, 850 million people worldwide, or one in seven human beings, go hungry every day. According to UNICEF, 30,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.” That is about 210,000 children each week, or just under 11 million children under five years of age, each year. And according to a different report of Human development, every hour more than 1,200 children die away from the glare of media attention.

Poverty is the major challenge for the world today. Nobel laureate Mohammed Younus writes in his book ‘Banker to the Poor’ that “Poverty does not belong to civilized human society.” But poverty not only stays in civilized society, it is the fate it seems with a sense of irony. Based on National Sample Survey data, this shows that a frightening 77 percent of India’s population lives on a pathetic Rs.20 (half a U.S. dollar) a day.

Here are some more data which explain the inequality and disparity in the world

· Half the world — nearly three billion people — live on less than two dollars a day

· The world’s richest 520 individuals have a combined income greater than that of the poorest 416 million (HDR’05)

· Richest 2 percent of the world’s adults own more than half of global household wealth (World distribution of Household wealth report)

· The richest 1 percent alone owned 40 percent of global assets in2000, for 85 percent of the world total.

· There is a perceptible increase in inter-personal wealth in-equality in India between 1991 and 2002( national sample survey data)

· The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the poorest 48 nations (i.e. a quarter of the world’s countries) is less than the wealth of the world’s three richest people combined.

· 20% of the population in the developed nations, consume 86% of the world’s goods. The top fifth of the world’s people in the richest countries enjoy 82% of the expanding export trade and 68% of foreign direct investment — the bottom fifth, barely more than 1%. In 1960, the 20% of the world’s people in the richest countries had 30 times the income of the poorest 20% — in 1997, 74 times as much

· The combined wealth of the world’s 200 richest people hit $1 trillion in 1999; the combined incomes of the 582 million people living in the 43 least developed countries is $146 billion

· A mere 12 percent of the world’s population uses 85 percent of its water, and these 12 percent do not live in the Third World

· About 0.13% of the world’s population controlled 25% of the world’s assets in 2004

This is the story of rising inequalities and disparity almost everywhere in the world. India has now the honor of having the richest person of the world here, but the inequality here is so apparent and high that it has change the vision of India to be a developed country by 2020 into a day dream. Praful Bidwai writes “The contrast between this obscene concentration of wealth at the very top, and the prevalence of mass poverty, with the most appalling conditions of life at the bottom, should shocks us all. Not only in this morally indefensible and unacceptable in itself; but coupled with deep and entrenched inequalities of opportunity in this super-hierarchical, casteist society, it is especially repugnant.”(The question of inequality, frontline, Nov 2, 2007)

Social Problems

India after sixty years of independence failed to get rid of some of the serious social problem. Caste system is still prevalent, and spoiling the society from every corner. The problem of child labor is one of the serious issue which the society today witness. India has the highest number of child labors in the world. Along with poverty, debt, social problems, inaccessible education system and inefficiency are some more factors which is contributing to its ‘development’.

India has 5 lac formal school for a population of 239 million. Of which 14% has no building, 38% has no black boards, 30% has only one teacher and 50% has no drinking water. In result 4 out of 5 children don’t enter into school and 70% dropout before they enter class 4. Not only this but one out of three of the world’s malnourished children live in India. There are 2, 70,000 child prostitutes in this country. Society is on the verge of collapse the widening difference between have and have not will certainly lead to disaster.

Epilogue

Mahbub ul haq, founder of Human development report explain development as “The basic purpose of development is to enlarge people's choices. In principle, these choices can be infinite and can change over time. People often value achievements that do not show up at all, or not immediately, in income or growth figures: greater access to knowledge, better nutrition and health services, more secure livelihoods, security against crime and physical violence, satisfying leisure hours, political and cultural freedoms and sense of participation in community activities. The objective of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and creative lives."

Development must help in nourishing human soul and human values. Development without values will always cause injustice, inequality and turbulence. The role of develop society is not to humiliate and ruin the weaker one but to create opportunity for the development of all. The paradox of global development is apparent. In a world where people are dieing of hunger and poverty, the paradox is that in the same world individuals have enough money to spend on lewd things. According to a report available on internet every second $ 3,075.64 is spent on pornography, every second 28,258 internet viewers are watching pornographic sites and the annual revenue of pornographic site for the year 2006 was $ 97.06 billion. This ad hoc, abrupt and rapid change need to be checked to save not only humanity but the eco system as well.

Syed Musab iqbal

Hyderabad