WHEN I AVERTED AN INDO-PAK WAR IN 1972 !

Place was Village Chak Mukam, Tangdhar Sector; Lipa Valley; Kashmir. Month and year were June 1972 . Exact date I do not remember. I was on a special mission patrol of about 20 men, from 'Bravo Company' of my battalion. I was given this special mission to village ChakMukam in Lipa Valley on the banks of river Neelam or Kishanganga (On Indian Side), on my immediate return from Young officers course from Junior Leaders Wing, Infantry School, Belgaum, Karnatka.

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"Hullo, one five for two alpha, message over", the radio link of my CO was desperately trying to establish link with me and my patrol.

"Hullo, two alpha for one five, Ok over" , I shouted back into the handset.

"One five for Two Alpha, what the f***ks you are doing? where are you?" my CO was shouting at me.

" One five I have done my task--I have occupied village Chak Mukam----. I have collected the villagers. I am making them sing our National Anthem---Jana Gana Mana-" I was enthusiastically elaborating when another voice intervened.

" Shut up, you rascal. Stop this nonsense--DON'T START A NEW WAR ON YOUR OWN.--we have interrupted message from other side-----they were asking for artillery fire on you----They claim we have attacked them---" Some one else was shouting at me.

The intruder was interrupted by my CO, "Hullo, One Five for 'One- O -Four', let me handle this---I will retrieve the situation". I could hear my Tiger (CO) sounding a peace maker. But I was wondering why were they panicking when I had everything under control----villagers were peacefully singing our national anthem , after some coaching, of course.

"One O-four- for one five----Get this rascal out immediately----I want him to be marched up to me". The intruding station seemed to me none other than our Brigade Commander, Brig M ML Ghai--an officer from Corps of Engineer.

My CO was crisp, " Hullo, One Five for Two Alpha, leave the place immediately and move to "Rakhi"---a post held by our neighbouring Battalion in Chhamkot Sub sector.

" Two Alpha for One Five, but the villagers want us to stay on. They were complaining about the Pakistani soldiers and their high handedness---They are----" I was trying to convince.

" One Five for two Alpha, just shut up -----They would come down with artillery fire on you in next ten minutes-----it might lead to some serious exchange of fire----Get out of the place before it begins-----You have proved your point---Now collect your men and get moving-----Be quick------Go to "Rakhi" Post ", My Tiger instructed me. I had no alternative but to follow orders. It was around 11.30 AM, I left the place.

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Before I go further, I must give you a bit of a background to this incident. You must know that Shimla summit meeting, between ZA Bhutto and Smt. Indira Gandhi, was held in July 1972. Therefore, before the meeting, both sides had to agree on the identification of certain land marks along which the Line of Control or LC ran. Accordingly, delienation talks for identification of LC on ground, sector wise, by military representatives from both sides, had begun in March 1972.

As a consequence of claims and counter claims, KAYIAN BOWL incident had taken place in our Brigade Sector in May 1972, whereby two of our battalions had suffered very badly as a result of an incident started by us but cleverly exploited by Pakistan.

( Kayian Bowl was in the NOGAON sector of our Brigade. After the war, one of our Sikh battalions was holding defences along the LC. Kayian was a depression with high hills on all sides. We controlled the entry to it from three directions. As the war ended, one of the section of nine men of Pakistan held the depression area. After the war, on humanitarian grounds, our men allowed logistic supplies to Pakistani Section through a narrow corridor. In fact, some kind of friendhip developed and our men ignored some of the acts of Pakistanis. But Pakistan on the quite, had built up the force upto a Battalion strength---by sending men carrying suplies as porters at night. Some would return but bulk would stay back. We did not know anything. They prepared defences at night. We were always under the impression that we would throw them out anyday . We had, therefore claimed that we were in occupation of the Kayian Bowl. When Pakistan disputed, we launched an operation which became a fiasco because of poor assessment of enemy strength. We suffered heavy casualities. Then, Pakistan launched a Counter attack on the Sikh Battalion which suffered extensive fatal casualities.)

It is no gainsaying the fact that our claims of LC were based on map marking without physical verification on the ground. This had to happen because of the characteristics of our Brigade commander. He had made tall claims on territory without physical verification. Accordingly, like Kayian Bowl, village Chak Mukam was also shown as our own village.

My new Commanding officer, Lt Col. SS Sahrawat, was member of the military delegation for delienation of LC in our sector. He had joined us in March 1972, while I had been on the Young Officer's course. I, alongwith my batchmates from Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, did the basic training for young officers only after the war---though we were commissioned in June 1971.

As Lt Colonel S S Sahrawat was the member of the delegation for delienation talks, headed by Lt. General PS Bhagat from India, he had been given map references of places we had laid claims. Being the battalion commander responsible for "Sari Ridge", he disputed our claims of controlling village Chak Mukam. His logic was simple. The village was some 4-5 Kms away from our nearest post at 'Amar Singh Ki Tekri', while Pakistani post was just a few meters away across the Neelam River. He asserted that we can not control it unless we had physical presence there. But our Brigade Commander rubbished his logic .

The LC in our sector was earmarked by Brigade Commander and our previous CO, who had moved out on a coveted posting as Instructor to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Tamil Nadu. It was done on the map. No effort was ever made to verify the facts till our new CO took over and he tried to get a hang of it because he was to represent our Brigade Sector at the delieanation talks. In so doing , he had sent two patrols but Brigade Commander refused to accept their version of domination of the village by Pakistan. He had insisted that village being on our side of the river ought to be under our domination. Also, he told the CO that it was his battalion who had given this reference and it was the job of our battalion to sort it out. Truth was that he had manipulated it with previous CO, who had no concern and was going away on posting. Thus, it was entirely commander's doing and he insisted that the map reference would not be changed, as this had gone to higher HQ , some three months back.

(Now you know, as to when the moral degradation began in the armed forces which is now getting to reflect its face through Tehleka -expose on commissions some years back or more recently on Sukhna Land Scam or Adarsh Housing Colony scandal in Mumbai. As a passing reference, I must say that it was not that corruption had suddenly come to army but the disturbing fact that corrupt only had become Generals. AK anthony should know it better because he was party to it when he sheltered General Deepak Kapoor in response to serious charges of corruption against him by his successor in Northern Command, Lt. General HS Panag. Anyway-----)

My new CO had done his bit by sending patrols twice to take control of the village or just dominate it. But on being heavily fired upon, patrols had failed. His repeated observation to Brigade HQ to make the amendment to the given map reference,t was turned down by Brigade Commander . Commander insisted that the village Chak Mukam be shown as controlled by our battalion. It was around this time that I had returned to my unit from Belgaum, Karnatka .

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It was 8 PM and I was leafing through a magazine in my officer's mess shelter at Battalion Headquarters at Nagina post (Now called Shararat ), when another person entered the mess shelter. I looked at him. His slim waist line and fluffy hairs told me that he was some young captain from a neighbouring unit, who might have come on a patrol to our unit. I got up and wished him. We got involved in a discussion on the 1971 war and how we had captured the Wanjal feature on the night of 15/16 December 1971. To be very frank, as is usual in any conversation, one tends to exaaggerate facts to those who are silent listeners. And I was doing it very deftly, so I thought.

He suddenly asked me, " Have you been to village Chak Mukam?".

"Oh, a number of times----" I boasted.

In fact, it was not a white lie, but an exaggeration because I had been only twice in December 1971, immediately after the ceasefire . The village Chak Mukam is located on the tip of a "Sari" ridge line, taking off from Nastachun Pass (also called--SADHNA PASS---after that Bollywood actress of yesteryears by the same name) over the Samshabari Range, moving south east as part of a spur, jutting out of the Nagina and going South east some 8-10 Kms via some of our defended posts at 'Ghasla Top', 'Brown Patch, 'Left Shoulder', 'Ring Contour' and 'Amar Singh Tekri' . All these localities were captured by one of our sister battalions of Rajputana Rifles (RAJ RIF) during the 1971 war and my battalion had been asked to occupy them after the war. The village Chak Mukam, was located just 3-4 Kms away from the last post of 'Amar singh Tekri', right on the banks of River Neelam. ( It is called River Kishanganga on our side)

As I was bragging about my exploits in Chak Mukam, just then another officer, our Adjutant, Captain AD Singh entered the mess shelter. The way he said 'good evening" to the stranger and paid his respect, I was a bit rattled. AD Singh then, pointing his fingrer towards me said, " Sir, he is Subaltern Rajinder Singh----We call him Rajee---Just returned from Young officer's course".

"Yea, I met him AD, he is quite familiar with Village Chak Mukam---he claims, he had been to the village number of times. Let us see, if he makes it to the village now. Why don't you send him on a patrol to the village? " came the directions from the stranger.

Capt AD Singh frowned at me but said, " Rajee , meet me after dinner I will brief you about the same."

Some other battalion officers joined us in the Mess shelter and the way every one was paying respect to the stranger, I knew as to who he was. I had realised that I had put my foot in my mouth by talking arrogantly to my new Commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel, S S Sahrawat. While I was feeling disturbed, he gave me mischievious and a crooked smile. Later, we became familiar with this smile when he used to pit his young officers in a competition for excellence, whether it was training or sports. He would make one young officer do something and then ask others, mostly subalterns and Captains, if they could do better. It was his way of getting job done in a much better way. We all loved him because he was professionally very competent and a very able leader of men. (Unfortunately he died at Nagrota, near Jammu, in 1982 when approved as a Brigadier---Indian army was the biggest loser)

After the dinner, I was briefed by Capt AD Singh. I was told that earlier two patrols had badly failed due to heavy firing from Lubgrian Post of Pakistan across the Neelam river, just opposite village Chak Mukam. The patrol leaders of both the patrols had been Commando instructors of the Divisional Battle School. One of the patrol leader, Capt VC sharma, had been injured and admitted in the hospital. Capt AD singh also told me that we have laid claim to the village in the delienation talks but Pakistan disputes it. "May be" , he said, " Pakistan has created a post there." I was instructed to move to BROWN PATCH ---a post between Ghasla Top and Ring Contour ----with my men.

Before I went for the course to Belgaum, I was located here at Brown Patch---I had visited village Chak Mukam, then as a patrol Leader. In retrospect, I feel, we should have created a defended post there, if we wanted this to be shown on our side. But due to administrative reasons, it was not accepted and the village was almost left on its own. The villagers had shown a desire to be on our side. And, thus, we allowed Pakistan to dominate it from Lubgrian defended post.

Anyway, as per my orders, I was to rest at Brown Patch and then choose my route, date and time . I was to inform the battalion HQ before I moved. I was cautioned that it must be done within a week, as CO was to move for delienation talk to THAKOCHAK, in Jammu Area. To be precise, after reaching BROWN PATCH, I decided to rest during the next day and move to Village ChakMukam after 2 AM during the following night. I chose the time because I wanted to be in the village by first light the next day. I told my men and Battalion HQ only at 10 PM that night. My CO was surprised on this haste---but he only said, " I like your eagerness, best of luck".

By 5 AM, we had surrounded the village. I told my men to collect the villagers at a mosque in the centre of the village. While doing so, my men found some 7 men in Khaki dress sleeping in a house. Two to three men managed to escape. Their weapons were taken away and they were blind folded and tied up. They were made prisoners and brought near the Mosque. Soldiers are soldiers---they have their orders and would treat roughly, anyone who resists them. So were those Pakistani men In Khaki. I learnt they were from 14 Azad Kashmir Rifles of Pakistan. Anyway, one of my task was to get evidence, if any, of Pakistan's hold in the village.

So, I had these seven prisoners and also we had collected all things Pakistani---cigarette packets, Pakistani News papers and magazines from some houses. By 1100 hours, I had the whole village collected near the mosque and had been making them sing our National Anthem. As they were singing Jana Gana Mana , there was hustle and bustle at Pakistani Post Lubgrian. They were shouting abuses and so we were. I had well placed my machine guns on higher ground to respond to their fire. I was sure dominating them.

The men in Khaki joined in singing Jana Gana Mana-----and all of us were getting sadistic pleasure in making them sing this. Some of my men were veterans of earlier patrols which had failed. This was their finest hour of victory and they were being tough with men in khaki because they held them responsible for injuries to Capt VC Sharma and some other men in the previous patrol. The fault of the earlier patrols was that they used to start from 'Start Point' during early hours of the morning and they often got day-lighted by the time they reached the village. Also, I was told by some men that they used to move very slowly, thus alerting the Pakistani Post at Lubgrian. No doubts, we had surprised them this time

It was then that the radio conversation quoted above had taken place. When I told my CO about seven prisoners, he curtly asked me to free them and move away. The reason was our Brigade Commander was now getting jittery He had already earned a bad name for Kayian Bowl fiasco. He had got away by blaming the GOC by claiming that he had known everything and that's why GOC had directed him in writing to clear the Kayian Pocket. He was a pastmaster in passing the buck. This time too he was cleverly trying to pass it on to his subordinate i.e my CO but situation was seemingly getting out of hand and he realised that he might not be so lucky for the second time.Thus, he did not want to get caught in another local fight with Pakistanis. With new GOC in command, he would have been exposed for his fake projections.

(Brigadier MML Ghai had saved himself in the 'Kayian Bowl fiasco' by blaming his GOC Major General E D Souza of Maratha Light Infantry. He had said that he was asked by his GOC to evict Pakistanis from Kayian Bowl. The fact was that the GOC had merely asked him to sort out the issue because it was Brigade Commander who had laid claims to Kayian Bowl. In good faith GOC did not inform his Corps Commander, Lt General Sartaz Singh. Brigadier MML Ghai asked orders in writing for sorting out the matter. GOC, ill- briefed on the strength of Pakistan soldiers in the Kayian bowl---- some 20-30 men were claimed, where as it turned out an Infantry Brigade ( 3000 Men) in actual----had given a written directive to clear. GOC had thought it was only a matter of throwing out a platoon----which would be done by the brigade on the quiet. It was not to be so. Instead, it was a clear ploy to involve the GOC and mislead the Corps Commander that GOC had known about Pakistani presence in Kayian Bowl. The fact was otherwise.

Thus, the orders for eviction were also interpretted as use of reserve battalion and use of arty fire----which was forbidden in 1972. The permission was not taken. A whole battalion of Mahar Regiment was written off---followed by heavy casualities to a Sikh battalion , holding the shoulders of Kayian Bowl---which got butchered in a Pakistani counter attack. When the issue flared up, inquiry held, General E D'souza was blamed and Brig MM L Ghai got away by blaming the GOC. Unfortunately, Ghai rose to be a Lieutenant General and QMG of Indian Army. His kind were the pioneers of road to Tehleka, Sukhna and Adarsh Housing society. They were a trickle which has become a deluge now.)

My CO had proved his point to his Brigade Commander and he did not want the situation to further escalate. This is why he asked me to move on to "Rakhi Post". But as soon as I reached Rakhi Post I was asked to immediately get back to Brown Patch. There was some urgency. But when I reached there I found some big game going on------My battalion HQ had shifted to 'Left shoulder ----between Ghasla Top and Brown Patch '-----My company commander Major CMP Sinha with his company HQ was at Brown Patch------It was a different kind of a situation -----War without firing, as I later learnt------A real hand to hand war----

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As soon as I reached Brown Patch, I was asked by my Company Commander Major (Later Colonel) CMP Sinha to move to "Left Shoulder " forth with, where I was to meet the new GOC, Major General SK Sinha. GOC was coming to personally assess the latest situation around Chakmukam, which had threatened to become a zone of conflict, consequent to my patrol there. I was told that Pakistan had inducted a large number of additional troops in the Lipa Valley and they were all occupying the lower slopes--probably in wait for launching an attack to recapture the Ghasla Top -Ring Contour Ridgeline from us. Major CMP Sinha also told me that Brigade Commander, Brigadier MML Ghai, was particularly incensed with me for the whole fiasco.
Next day, exactly at 730 AM, I met my CO, Lt Col SS Sahrawat, in his office. He was tense---I could see his facial expressions. Rightly so, because just within three months of his command, he had not only fallen out with his Brigade Comander but probably, even GOC was unhappy. But I must commend the man----he did not display his unhappiness about me. Instead, he asked me as to what all I did in Chakmukam-----I frankly told him of every thing and handed over some goods and articles to him, which I had brought from ChakMukam. It included a Cigarette packet , an urdu magazine and a News paper published from Muzaffarabad in POK. He only said once as to why did I make them sing Indian National Anthem. I explained to him my reason. He remarked, " Well! this has caused the present conflict---all radio intercepts indicate an attack building up on us in a day or so. Forget it, you have done your job."

Exactly, at 8 AM, I was encountered by the Brigade Commander, Brigadier MML Ghai. He blasted me in front of all our officers, with his choosy abuses in English and I did the same to him silently, in my heart, in Punjabi. My CO showed his helplessness--but I could see his discomfort at the pitiable plight of his junior most officer, being on the firing line, like a lamb being cut to pieces by a butcher. Finally, my CO managed to say, " Sir, GOC is landing at the helipad in next five minutes." Brigade Commander said "OK "and moved away, sparing me further abuses.

Around the same time, my company commander, Major CMP Sinha, had purportedly radio messaged that Pakistani soldiers were climbing the slopes from all directions. But they were not holding their weapons in assault positions but 'sling arm'. This was a strange observation. I was ordered to rush back to Brown Patch. I later learnt that the said message was manipulated by the CO to make me disappear from the scene, as he did not want me to face the new GOC. Our adjutant had drafted the message and enacted as if it had come from my company commander-----who was also told about the message which he had purported to have sent to the Adjutant. I moved out. I was happy that I didn't have to face the FIRING of the GOC. I had enough of it from the Brigade Commander. It is better to face bullets of the enemy than wordly missiles of your seniors in anger.

As soon as I reached Brown Patch, I learnt that Pakistani Soldiers were holding positions some 300-400 meters short of Brown Patch, within the range of our small arms . They were about 400 to 500 men, shoulder to shoulder----it was strange---as this was no assault position. What was funny was the question as to what were they doing lying in the open in the broad day light. After the Kayian Bowl incident, we had orders not to open fire unless approved by the Corps HQ. Officially, matter was not even reported to Corps HQ and our GOC had come to personally assess the situation before reporting it.

Suddenly, I told my Company Commander, " Sir, if we have orders not to open the fire, I think, they too have their orders on the same lines"

" So", said Major CM P Sinha.

"Let us physiacally throw them out", I added.

" How" Major CMP Sinha gave an amusing look

"We will talk to them first to go back, then, physically push them out, if they do not listen", I was sounding so unmilitary like.

Major CMP Sinha burst out laughing----" You think we are participating in a wrestling championship here----Youngman, we are facing enemy, who is fully armed."

I went silent. Around 11 AM, a message came from CO to Major CMP Sinha to talk to Pakistani Commander on the spot and ask him to move back otherwise we would fire at them. We collected some 40 men and moved down slope towards the Pakistanis. Negotiations began when we were just 50 meters short of them. Rest of our men were at 'stand by position's in all our localities. We started advancing towards them menacingly---I was leading with a stick in my hand and mouthful of expletives at the top of my voice. We were rolling from higher ground to lower ground.

And lo! the scene had changed and Pakistani soldiers started running down slopes. Chase became interesting. Realising a golden opportunity, my company commander ordered all other men from Ring Contour, Brown Patch and Ghasla Top to start physical assault with sticks. And everywhere Pakistanis were on the physical run. CO was informed by Major CMP Sinha, who in between his briefing to the GOC announced the latest development. AD singh later told me that General SK Sinha asked the CO, if I were the same youngster.

When CO confirmed, he remarked, " I want such spirited youngmen in my command. Let him do this. But ask him to support short of Chak Mukam village. Take up positions some 200 meters short of it. Now, if they come , we would fire. I would convince the Corps Commander." We did exactly what we were told. After seeing us taking up positions around 2 PM, Pakistani soldiers also stopped and took up positions facing us. At places we were just lying five meters away from each other.

In the meanwhile, Pakistani opened up another front towards Ghasla Top from their post at Shishaldi feature. GOC at 'Left shoulder', saw this happening and he asked our Medium Machine Gun to open fire, but in the air. Pakistani soldiers ran away and our men moved down and occupied more advantageous positions.

Thus, the game spread to entireLipa Valley---everywhere both sides got into the act of physically grabbing land by positioning men. Both sides were reluctant to fire being prohibited by higher HQs. This wrestling match continued till next 15 days when the LC was finally agreed to on the ground, during a flag meeting at 'Amar Singh Tekri'. I was present there along with my commanding officer who was head of our delegation.

Some eight months later, in February 1973, while driving from Chowkiwal in J&K to Dharamshala in Himachal Paradesh, to attend Captain AD Singh's marriage, my CO in his happy mood, told me, " Rajee, you know your act of charging Pakistanis at Brown Patch had averted an Indo-Pak war. Our GOC had basically come to assess the ground situation and approve an attack plan to throw out the Pakistanis---This time we did not want to give in like the Kayian Bowl incident. We had an Infantry Brigade earmarked for this attack." He also informed me that the said brigade was in the process of concentrating near Niti Pass,----some 10 KMs behind our road head, when my act had taken place. He asked me as to what made me take that step. I couldn't think anything else but this:" Sir, irritation at our Commander's abuses!." "Yea! I thought so" , had said Colonel SS Sahrawat.

There are so many such type incidents which when you look back----you feel like being stupid and an idiot. But as a 21 year old youngman---you dont think of the consequences----You don't think ---just do it----caution is not your USP. Isn't it so?

LIPA VALLEY AS IT LOOKS TODAY----VIEW FROM PAKISTAN SIDE---PHOTO TAKEN BY A PAKISTANI ------NOT REALLY SITE OF VILLAGE CHAKMUKAM -------NOTE THE RIVER BEND----THE ONE YOU SEE WHERE RIVER DISAPPEARS----THIS WAS HOW VILLAGE CHAK MUKAM WAS LOCATED ON THE RIVER BEND ---THIS IS LIPA VALLEY---BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS CHAKMUKAM AREA-----IN 1972, THIS AREA HAD HARDLY ANY CIVILISATION EXCEPT THE VILLAGE OF CHAKMUKAM---TODAY IT IS MUSHROOMING.
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NAGMA'S BANGLES--- PART THREE

This is in sequal to my serialised story "NAGMA's BANGLES"---which has appeared earlier in two parts---It is a true story. If you are interested you can read them by coming to my Sulekha Blogs page or on Blogspot. Story is based on some real life incidents----I have changed names and places. I therefore, wrote this for wider audience not only on Sulekha but elsewhere too----there are already applauses for this part from various other sites----won't you like to read this problem of DISPLACED FAMILIES with jumbled up and LOST ROOTS?

MY DILEMMA-TWO SNAPS
I am Harvinder ---Harvinder Singh. No, you don't know me. But you would soon know know me---May be you hate me after you listen to my story. Hate me?----that might be an under statement---you might like to shoot me down. My story--? You see, I am in a bit of dilemma, whether to let the cat out of the bag or let my story be kept wrapped up as it has remained till now. My heart asks me to vomit it out but brain demands a control over my emotions. It is a big confusion --I don't know what to do. Come on, don't you make fun of me---please try and understand my problem----even you would be puzzled when you have heard the full story----I bet on this----My life has become a strange story. You want hint---Well! you can say---it is a kind of love affair which should not have happened but it did and now the truth has shattered my world.
No, No, please this is not "Sohni-Mahiwal", "Heer-Ranjha" or "Laila-Majnu" or even "Romeo-Juliet" kind of love-tale----this is a modern day love story---but it has linkages to social ethos where this kind of love was treated as "sin" ---nay, a "grand sin". I committed this grand sin unknowingly. Whatever---Sin is a sin. And by the time, I had come across this truth, a lot of water has flown in the River Ganges.
I don't know who is at fault? I even don't know whether it was an 'offence' or not. Well, I leave it to you to decide. But I know, should you go by Indian social ethos---in fact, why Indian---for that matter any society---then, you are going to pronounce me a 'convict'. May be when you have fully heard the story, you might say disdainfully, " Oh, my god! what rubbish you are talking about-----damn you, what a loathsome story? ". Afterall, you are also part of the same social system.
What did you say? You don't get carried away by the hollowness of social ethos and outdated principles. Very well said, sir! Even I used to say the same and care too hoots for the redundant social values. I, too was very modern, forward looking and open-minded person. But everything has changed after marriage. I have been siezed by social norms and their social expectations. What to do? You have to fall in the line. Afterall, you have to live in this society.
How can one ignore the society? One has to be concerned about your family, their principles, traditions and customs. They make a ring around you in which you have to remain confined.If you step out of this, there will, definitely be a problem. Something of this nature, I have done. It was OK as long as I didn't know. But it seems, I would now be an object of ridicule by everyone.
There is no doubts that my family members would erupt in anger like a volcano and I know it would hurt my mother terribly. And this is what I don't want. She had really checked me and cautioned me. Now when she learns the truth about Adarsh Kaur, my wife, she would almost kill herself. By the way, Adarsh Kaur is not the real name of my wife. She was Zoya Chaudhary before marriage. She had herself changed her name after marriage. She became "Adarsh Kaur" from " Zoya Chaudhary". On learning this, my mother was highly pleased. She had accepted Zoya after initial objections to my courting her. Have you now understood my problem? What do you say, " you interest has further grown" ?
So you are stubborn and very keen to listen to my tale of woe. Well! they say love is blind----so, could be my love----you don't carry out investigations when you fall in love. Do you? Love is love---it works like computer programme---it does not bother for society and its stipulations. Love does not recognise religion, region, caste and creed differentiations. These things are local rules and norms of various segments in the social system. When it happens, love does not care for society and its relations---after all love is blind. But when real life begins, you begin to bother for the rules and relations of the society---you can not live out side. You start bothering for your relations---mother, father, brother, sister and others. It is because of this concern that I am in a conflict with my mind. And this is my dilemma. To be very frank our society does not allow nupital ties in some blood relations-----This is my problem.
Really speaking, I had not known this earlier. I came to know this only a few days back. Adarsh Kaur does not know it even today. Now you tell me as to how would have I known this knotty relationship? I belong to a different place---Adarsh comes from some other origin. We belong to modern era and live in a free and a liberal society. We were both working together at the same place. We became familiar. Familiarity led to close interaction. This caused mutual infatuation and affinity and so we fell in love.
First of all, Adarsh, alias Zoya's parents strongly objected on religious lines. But we refused to toe their line. Then, they said that we belonged to two different countries who were sworn enemies----I was an Indian and she was a Pakistani girl. We rubbished this arguement too. Both of us said that we would break ties with our countries, if they objected to our marriage.
Shortly speaking, we turned down all arguements and got married here in USA. Then,two years had gone by when my mother Jaswant Kaur had accepted our marriage. Afterall, parents are parents. She came to USA. Happily stayed with us for a month and then went back to India. Two years after this my wife's parents also accepted our marriage. They also stayed with us for two months. My father-in-law Mr. Inayat Ali was very happy with me.
I have been married for nine years now. There are two children too. But our social roots don't leave you. After so many years of marriage, this truth has come like a bolt from blue. You might be bored with this trash----might not be getting head or tail of this story. A lot of questions might be coming to your mind. Is it right? Some thing like-----
Are you asking as to who I was? I have already told you my name--Harvinder Singh----I have told you that I belong to India---I am highly educated---an engineer by profession----got an excellent job and keep hopping countries in connection with my profession. Well, if it interests you I am around 35 years old. My dilemma--? Oh, it is a photograph----which has become my dilemma. Must be wondering as to how a photo could cause such consternation? Ok, I would explain to you.
I come from Punjab State in India. I belong to a small village in SBS Nagar (Nawanshahar) district. My mother's name is Jaswant kaur and she stays with my younger brother Devinder Singh who is a Major in the Indian Army and currently posted in Junior Leaders Wing Belgaum (Karnatka). My father's name is Sardar Balwant Singh. I have never met him, though. It is alleged that he had left his family for better pasteures in our childhood.The year might be 1975-76---I am not too sure. strangely, this was not a new thing for my mother. She had the misfortune when she was two and a half years old and her mother left her for her paramour. Mother never talked about this---but maternal grandfather had told us. This was around 1950 or so. Our grandfather had learnt that she had gone over to Pakistan in 1951 as her paramour had rejected her.She did write a number of letters to our mother but as informed by our grandfather our mother used to tear them and throw it away. She hated her mother and her religion. This is why she had objected to our marriage, too. It was our maternal grandfather who brought up our mother. He married again but there was no issue and second wife died in a road accident in 1969. He never married thereafter.Our mother only took care of the house hold. She loved her father so much that she never wanted to leve him and the house. This led to tiff between our parents and one day our father left us ---never to look back again. No one knew where he had gone. He had just disappeared in the thin air.
I graduated in Mechanical engineering in 1995 from Punjab Engineering College Chandigarh. I was picked up by PUNWIRE, an electronic company of Punjab Government. I worked there for sometimes . In 1997, I came over to USA to do my MBA from UCLA- University of Los Angeles. I finished MBA in 1999 and got employed with 'E-Bay' I am here ever since then.
Here, I came in contact with Zoya Chaudhary , who too was working for E-Bayd. The nature of Job was such that she was working under me and daily interaction increased. She belonged to Pakistan. Slowly our interaction led to our falling for each other. When it came marriage, the families on both sides objected but we took the command decision and got married in USA. There were angry protests by both families. There were threats from Zoya's family. But they were all empty threats. 9/11 had changed everything and reduced the importance of Pakistani officials. They could not do anything by sitting in Pakistan.
Then, time lapsed. Months went by---then years rolled away ---suddenly my mother gave in because of her love for me. After two years of our marriage she had come to us----she had totally changed---she had accepted our marriage. She was extremely happy when my son Vikram was born. Thereafter it had become a routine for her to visit us every alternative year and we used to visit India in the following year. My mother had developed love for my wife and my son. There was nothing she held against Zoya or me. Now she stays with my younger brother In Belgaum, Karnatka. He is posted as instructor in Juniors Leaders Academy.
We had been married for four years when Zoya's parents too mellowed down and remembered their daughter. Zoya's mother Abida Begum had rung up one day. Thereafter it became a routine and misunderstanding was removed. It was the year 2006, when Zoyya's father Chaudhary Inayat Ali and his wife Abida begum came to us in USA. They stayed with us for two months. This period was enough to know each other and we came very close. It was then I came to know that My father-in-Law had studied in USA at Berkley University. He had been teaching History before he went to Pakistan with his wife Begum Abida.He had stayed here for many years. He got married to Begum Abida here only. But she was already maarried before she married Chaudhary Inayat Ali. She had left her first husband because of mutual imcompatibility but he did not like the idea of Begum abida marrying Inayat Ali. I was told that he was some Indian Sikh. I was not interested in the further story. She had once told me that her first husband's name was Sardar Balwinder Singh, who owned some Indian store in Fremont, San Francisco. He had troubled the duo quite a lot and that's why both had gone over to Pakistan.
When Zoya's parents were with us, same year my daughter Parminder was born. We all had celebrated. In any case Zoya's parents were so happy with us that they had bought us a new car as a gift from them. It seemed all differences had vanished and it was time to rejoice. whaat a great feeling it had been for last three years. And now, when everything was going smoothly, suddenly these two stupid PHOTOS have turned everything upset down-----It has made me sleepless. What would you have done if you were in my place? Should I divulge the truth to everyone or let it be as it is? I know you would ask me " What Truth"? Exactly, this is what is tearing me apart ---how to narrate this truth? Ok, I will tell you---but keep it with you----Be careful in telling others---
It is like this: Some days back Zoya has returned from Pakistan. She had gone to meet them after nine years. She has returned with an album. In this album there is a photograph of Sardar Balwinder Singh with Abida Begum and Zoya. It was disclosed by Begum Abida that Sardar Balwinder was Zoya's father. Now Zoya was keen to meet him. I too said" Why Not"?
We went to Fremont, San Francisco to meet him. We stayed in Milpitas Holiday Inn hotel. Zoya developed some viral fever. Therefore I had to go alone to meet Sardar Balwinder Singh. He was not at the store but I got his home address from the girl at the counter. He lived somewhere in the Pebbles Creek community,on the Grimmer Street, near Lake Elizabeth. As I rang the bell a 24 -25 year old girl opened the door. The way she looked and the spoke in totally Americanised accents, I was doubtful if the House belonged to some Indian.
Anyway I told her that I had come to meet Sardar Balwinder Singh. She asked me to come in but informed me that her parents had gone to New york for some business trip. I asked her about her mother. I was told that she was Judy william ---Balwinder's third wife. I was surprised and asked about the first wife. "Oh, she was an Indian---an illiterate lady ----back in India. It was before dad immigrated to USA.Second wife was a Muslim, who ditched him and went over to Pakistan. I am Christina his daughter from Judy Williams. I have brother too, who is in Afghanistan---he is in the army", Christina had replied. " Are you in touch with your step mother in India ?", I just asked, out of sheer curiosity. " No, No, but I am planning to visit India after I finish my graduation----dad's first wife and two sons live in Punjab---somewhere in Jalandhar District-----Are you from Jalandhar?" she asked. "No" I said, " I belong to a village near Nawanshahar" " what ? What did you say---- Nawanshahar----Yes, Yes-- Nawanshahar---this is what dad also says. ---Wait------" saying so she went inside and came back with an old album. She took out a snap and gave it to me and said, " Here is dad's Indian family". The moment I looked at the photo I was nonplussed. It was the an old blackand white photo of my mother with two small children---one was definitely me-----" I was flabbergasted. But I kept mum and excused myself to come out of the house. So, Balwinder Singh was also Balwant Singh. The revelation was terribly shocking for me because it meant Zoya and me were Brother and Sister".
I came back to Hotel and told a lie to Adarsh Kaur that Sardar Balwinder Singh did not live in Fremont and hs has shifted somewhere in New York. We would find out him in New York. Thus we came back to Los Angeles. But the very thought of my relationship with Adarsh Kaur was playing havoc with my mental state----But would happen if my mother and Zoya's mother come to know of it. I can see the storm coming. But Somehow I had reconciled and decided not to tell anything to anyone about this secredt. And I resolved to let it remain wrapped up with me only.
But things never work out the way you plan. Sometimes you learn that fate has its own course charted out. As if this photo was nothing---yesterday, I received another photo from my mother. She has sent this photo to Zoya. I have not given it to Zoya as yet. It has created a big confusion in my mind. This photo is of my mother as a child with her mother. As I looked at this photo, I instantly recognised her as Zoya's Grand mother----Her photo is there in the Album Zoya brought from Pakistan. My mother wants Zoya to find out this woman, called Nagma, in Pakistan. I don't know how after 58 years my mother has suddenly developed love for her long forgotten mother. I know Mother has given the name as NAGMA--but Zoya would immediately recognise her grand mother.
My problem was something else---now this photo would further complicate the matter because it is established that Chaudhary Inayat Ali, Zoya's father and my mother Jaswant Kaur were also brother and Sister, through a common mother. What a complicated relationship it is becoming? I don't know how the Socialogist would describe this relationship----whether we were brother and sister from Father's side or first cousins from my Mother's side or we were just husband and wife because of our children? How to cope up with this storm which is building in our otherwise well settled lives. I would have just ignored the whole thing---but for Christina's plans to go to india next year. Should I have a frank talk with her and dissuade her from going to India and thus hide this truth from everyone? Should I reveal the truth to every one and run the risk of ruining my well set married life-----I am confused--terribly confused. Would you help me and tell me a way out-----Please?

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SHIP THAT NEVER SINKS

Storm! Storm!! Storm!!! An alarm was sounded,
Eerie, panic and confusion, left me dumb founded.

Gathering all my wits, I make a very hasty decision:
To pick up the belongings and race out of my cabin.

‘What is it young man ‘,a confident voice did irritate?
"Storm! Sir!! ‘Storm", I divulged my hysterical state.

‘Crisis when they come’, old man’s sermon thus began –
“Respond to them with resolute mind and dismay san.

Do not show any grief, for, crisis unleash without a trace;
Self-confidence would soon steer us all to a safer place.

Storms come; waves do race when on sea one sets sail;
Life meanders on 'roughs and troughs' through unknown trail.

“Be calm and stay composed", the man continued without a blink:
Storms and winds come and go, mine is the ship that never sinks” .

Waves grew tall in ocean; suddenly shaking every bit of the ship,
My fears get the hold of me and I go flying into the water, for a dip.

On the ferocious waves as I struggle, I heard the captain say:
“Hope is pivot of life and life is to fight; fight on, fight on, till you stay” .

Away, away the ship goes on; fighting the waves, I realized the gravity –
“To a large vessel, no storm is strong; scattered pieces have no safety” .

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I HATE MY DARING GUTS!

I HATE MY DARING GUTS
You don’t understand, you would never do,
If God is wrong, I would question Him, too;
No wonder, most people think that I was nuts:
In my leisurely hours, even I hate my daring guts.

I never do care, if my dearest friend turns my foe:
Because truth is bitter and it would always be so;
Injustice does enrage me and my mind gets hurt:
How boldly I face it, even I hate my daring guts?

I never hate sinners nor, like others, I keep grudges:
But I match wrong-doer’s sledges with my sledges;
I have no time to waste when the said case gets shut:
However I do introspect and then I hate my daring guts.

Let me do ascertain that I was always not like this:
Avoiding conflicts, never in public, I flashed my fist;
Then, a realization came: ‘silence’, often, crime abet--
Now I fight tooth and nail, I often hate my daring guts?

It is no good to fight evil because of personal causes:
Making virtue out of individual motives as thing of roses;
Silence is no gold, if they burn your neighbor’s hut ----
To pre-empt my turn I fight, later I hate my daring gut.

Swami Vivekananda exhorted,“Hate the sin and not sinner”,
I would not abuse a sinner even in jest,just to be a winner;
Double-faced people often play the game of “Jeff”’& “Mutt”:
I would fight them to any extent, even if I hate my daring guts.
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INQUISITIVE MIND

"WHO ARE YOU?",A "VOICE" ASKED.
"I AM A HUMAN BEING",I DID RETORT.
"WHO?", IT VIGROUSLY REPEATED.
"A HUMAN", I VEHMENTLY REITERATED.

"SAY IT AGAIN", IT MADE A DELIBERATE RECENSION.
"ARE YOU HARD OF HEARING?", I COUNTER QUESTION.
"NO. NO, NO!" CAME THE PROMPT ASSERTION.
"THEN, WHO ARE YOU?" I REPEAT HER QUESTION.

"THANK GOD, I AM NOT HUMAN", THE VOICE GOES ON,
"PREY, WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE", MY ANGER SHOWN--
"THANK GOD, YOU ARE NOT GOD", THE VOICE HAD DARED;
"YOUR FUNNY RANTS MAKE NO SENSE", I, TOO, DECLARED.

"AREN'T YOU AN ANIMAL?", IT LET GO A MISSILE,
"YES, 'SOCIAL' THEY SAY", I THOUGHT FOR A WHILE;
"YOU CRAVE FOR MONEY", IT MADE AN ALLEGATION,
"I NEED NOT DENY", I HONESTLY MAKE A SUBMISSION.

"WHERE DOES GOD RESIDE?" THE VOICE INQUIRED,
"HOW DO I KNOW?", I WAS GETTING BORED AND TIRED;
"HOW ABOUT TEMPLES AND SHRINES?" IT CONJECTURED,
"I REALLY CAN NOT SAY", THE ANSWER I HAD MUSTERED.

"YOU KILL IN THE NAME OF GOD", THE VOICE WAS CLEAR,
"YEA, SO WHAT IS YOUR CRIB ?", I SHOWED NO FEAR;
"AND YOU STILL SAY YOU WERE A HUMAN?" IT SHRIEKED,
"DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER DEFINITION?" I LOUDLY SQUEAKED.

"YOU SPEND SO LAVISHLY ON TEMPLES AND SHRINES",IT THUNDERED.
"YES, WHY SHOULD GOD LIVE IN MISERY?" I GENUINELY WONDERED;
"DOES GOD NEED YOUR LUXURY?" THE VOICE HAD SHOT AGAIN,
"I DON'T KNOW; I DON'T KNOW ", WAS MY CONFUSED REFRAIN.

"IS PRIEST A GOD?" 'VOICE',THUS, BEGAN TO HAMMER A POINT:
FOR,HE LIVES IN A COSTLY BUILDING,WHAT YOU SAY IS A 'GOD'S JOINT',
IN THE NAME OF YOUR 'FAITH' YOU HATE OTHERS AND PUT GOD TO SHAME;
OH! YOU DRUMBEAT YOU ARE 'HUMAN' BUT FOLLOW LAWS OF ANIMAL DOMAIN."

"STOP YOUR DISCOURSE", I HAD SHOUTED AT THE FACELESS VOICE,
"YOU TOLD ME NOTHING NEW", I COULD NEITHER CRY NOR REJOICE;
"HEY,LOOK INSIDE AND YOU WILL FIND",VOICE GAVE ME DITRECTIONS,
"I AM ONLY YOUR INQUISITIVE MIND",FINALLY,IT MADE NO PRETENSIONS.
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COSMIC AGE COMING--- WITHERING OF RELIGION & NATION STATE

' THE COSMIC AGE’ –WITHERING ‘NATION STATE’ AND DIMNISHING HOLD OF RELIGION!


‘ RELIGION’ has often been wrongly equated with ‘SPIRITUALITY’ and similarly ‘NATIONALISM’ has been synonymous with ‘PATRIOTISM’. This dual synonymy has always been the real cause of human conflict and confrontation.

Religion had been basically designed to perform certain TEMPORAL RITUALS/ PRACTICES which had become utmost necessary as part of human faith and belief to live life in a particular manner. Religion ‘regulates’ daily human life. As against this, ‘SPIRITUALITY’ guides, motivates and drives human beings to rise above narrow and parochial personal motives to synthesize human soul and the Nature. It upholds man’s quest for ‘INNER PEACE’ with self and supports his inquisitive search for ‘Moralistic Answers’ to ‘Humanistic Questions’. Viewed as such, religion might seem to be part of ‘SPIRITUALITY’ but never a holistic canvas covering spirituality. It might be ‘one of the means’ and ‘not the only mean’ to seek inner peace. In a world abounding in ignorance, illiteracy and little-knowledge of not-too-distant past, religion had sought to provide answers to man’s spiritual queries. In the days bygone, knowledge of man was so limited both in extent and depth that religion sought to fill the vacuum by satisfying human curiosity. In other words, where knowledge had failed to provide answers, ‘Religion’ had stepped in with ‘symbolic’ answers.

But answers provided by religion were always stereo-typed and revolved around its ‘Singularity of only Truth’. This became belief and unshakeable faith and anyone suggesting any deviation became the cause of HATRED and CONFRONTATION. RELIGION had left no space in the human mind for alternative and better knowledge. It exploited illiteracy and unawareness of its subjects. Merely acquiring academic knowledge is not the empowerment of human mind. It is the understanding and application of this academic knowledge which enables one to break free of ‘RELIGIOUS-SINGULARITY-OF ONLY-TRUTH’. Those, who still believe in the religious singularity of only truth, are as illiterate as were the people in the medieval periods. Knowledge has many truths about itself which the bigots can hardly understand. But, today, the scene has changed many times over and the onrushing DELUGE OF KNOWLEDGE is pushing religion now into background.

Similarly, “Nationalism” was a product of Industrial revolution in the 18th Century. The coming of the machines had standardized production and enhanced human capacity to produce more consumable goods in a lesser time period. Standardized processes led to production of goods in bulk. MASS PRODUCTION became the order of the day and this unleashed a competition for more raw material and resources. More and more groups of people merged into one ‘key social mass’ to produce larger socio-geographical identities. This ‘Massification’ of people and societies led to bigger socio-politico communities. This gave birth to the concept of a ‘NATION STATE’—where geography, ethnicity, military prowess, lingual similarities and cultural affinities played greater role in defining national boundaries. This emotional sense of belonging to something supreme generated a feeling of ‘SUPERIORITY’ and greatness. It became the duty of every single man within the borders of such geographic descriptions to protect its territorial integrity at all costs—even with supreme sacrifice. This came to be called PATRIOTISM. Thus, man had acquired different national identities—each one claiming superiority and greatness. Such competitive thoughts had to spark hatred and dislike amongst humans. Industrial revolution gave rise to organized CONFLICTS and WARS between nations as ‘expansionist interests’ clashed.

Both ‘Religion’ and ‘Nation State’ had divided humanity into different ‘GHETTOES’—always hating and fighting against one another. Ignorance and ‘Lack of Awareness’ had often made man his own worst enemy. Man fought for GERMANY, ENGLAND, AMERICA, RUSSIA, ITALY, JAPAN, CHINA, INDIA, FRANCE and PAKISTAN etc. Man even fights for ISLAM, CHISTANITY, HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, SIKHISM, COMMUNISM and CAPITALISM et al. All this he resorts to because he was given these identities at the time of his birth. These “BIRTH-TAG’ identities had pushed man far away from the basic tenets of ‘HUMANISM’. But all this is now going to change as KNOWLEDGE REVOLUTION has FLATENED THE WORLD and there is no scope for emotional frailties of IGNORANCE and UNAWARENESS.

‘Man’ has been ‘individualized’. Societies and families have broken up under the pressure of ‘INDIVIDUALISATION’. Zeal for ‘Self-promotion-at-all-costs’ has sent ‘individualized man’ globe-trotting to serve personal interests better. Societies and polities are getting tailor-made for globe-trotting man. Such a ‘Globalised man’ views ‘NATIONALISM’ and ‘RELIGION’ as outmoded philosophies which put him at a utter disadvantage because they narrow down his sphere of activities and opportunities in an otherwise leveled playing field of a FLATENED WORLD. A school of thought is emerging that those who do not join the band wagon will lose out. The message is clear: either HOOK ON or be LEFT BEHIND in the IGNONIMITY of the ‘Grand Canyons of Times’, when your other contemporaries elsewhere were now moving past the KNOWLEDGE AGE and riding into the COSMIC ERA.

Thomas R Friedman has postulated three stages of GLOBALISATION in his book, “THE WORLD IS FLAT”. The first stage he says started around 1492 AD when COLUMBUS hit the coast of AMERICA. This was GLOBLISTION 1.0. It was spearheaded by countries trying to turn the LARGE world into MEDIUM. It lasted around 300 years till about 1800AD. This was the time when INDUSTRIAL revolution had galvanized EUROPE and the concept of NATION STATE was born. Industrial Revolution gave rise to MULTI NATIONAL COMPANIES or MNCs. The GLOBALISATION 2.0 was sparked by the MNCs and it turned the world from MEDIUM to SMALL. It ended around 2000 AD. The GLOBALISATION 3.0 was spearheaded by INDIVIDUAL who had been empowered by COMPUTERS, INTERNET and WEB to be his own player in a FLATENED WORLD—where everyone was having a level playing field to do what he wants to do. The world had been turned from SMALL into a TINY node in the universe.

Alvin Toffler in his trilogy of books, namely, “Future Shock”, “Third Wave” and “Power Shift” talks at length of the THREE WAVES of growth and development mankind has undergone since its inception. Each wave had a dominating philosophy. FIRST WAVE was dominated by AGRICULTURE or physical force. SECOND WAVE, which coincided with GLOBALISATION 1.0 and GLOBALISATION 2.0 of FRIEDMAN, was dominated by MONEY or mass production. THIRD WAVE, almost synonymous with GLOBALISATION 3.0, is associated with INFORMATION or the KNOWLEDGE.

Accordingly, each wave described the society as such i.e. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY and the INFORMATION SOCIETY. The First Wave lasted around 1500 years--- up to the start of Industrial Revolution in Europe. The Second Wave began around 15th Century and it carried on for almost four hundreds and fifty years and it lasted till mid Twentieth Century. The Third Wave or the ‘Information Age’ began around the end of Second World War and it unleashed an era of ‘Total Transformation of the Society’. As the mankind entered 21st Century, the THIRD WAVE was also seemingly drawing curtains on itself. We are now entering the FOURTH WAVE ---‘THE COSMIC WAVE’.

The process of GLOBALISATION and KNOWLEDGE REVOLUTION has shrunk the world to a level where the world is heading into borderless landmass of free flowing GLOBAL CITIZENS. Man has ventured into space. He is now looking beyond the earth. There are tell-tale signs of some form of intelligent life in the outer space. We are sure heading into the COSMIC AGE where man could think of ‘GALAXY-HOPPING’ in the not-too-distant-future. We are now capable of imagining the mythical characters of VEDIC PEOPLE who could move into THREE WORLDS with the twinkling of an eye. We have been able to identify EARTH-II which lay at some 20.5 LIGHTS YEARS away from us. It could have some form of life. May be in next 50 years manned mission could be sent to this planet to find if there were any homosapiens there.

We are sitting at the edge of a revolutionary change in our ‘Ways of Life’—when ‘Religion and Nations’ would become irrelevant in our daily chores. We will THINK GLOBAL and ACT GLOBAL in everyway. THIRD WAVE and GLOBALISATION 3.0 are shaping the future of the COSMIC MAN who is looking beyond the mundane frontiers of the EARTH and thinking of enmeshing into the SPACE. In such a scheme of things, RELIGION and NATION STATE would have NO PLACE. Some of us have already leapfrogged into the FOURTH WAVE of COSMIC AGE. The transient period is of GLOBALISED MAN and he has already hit the economical fabric of the GLOBE.

Nixon Bostorm, Director of FUTURE OF HUMANITY INSTITUTE at OXFORDUniversity has postulated that the day was not far when a robotized man could actually become a reality. In other words, activities of a ‘BIO-TECH’ man could be simulated. This is heralding characters of the movie MATRIX in reality for you, when you could be doing things in a ‘Virtual World’. Bostorm even goes to the extent of saying that 20 percent chance exists when ours could be a SIMULATED WORLD. It means it could be switched off like our computer screen goes off when we log off. This view could be strengthening the “ID THEORY” of the creation of universe as against the “BIG BANG THEORY”. I leave it at this.

But the fact remains BIO-TECH BRAINS, as in the movie MATRIX, could be created who would be able to simulate a physical body and move around in a simulated world. Time and space to such VIRTUAL HUMAN BEINGS would be a matter of no significance. They would move from place ‘A’ to place ‘B’ with the twinkling of an eye. We are heading into the age of COSMIC TRAVELLERS who would go ‘GALAXY HOPPING’ as the modern man goes ‘CONTINENT HOPPING’ today. ‘Cosmic travelers’ would provide us real time information on outer space. Where would, then, be the time for EARTHLY BOUNDARIES of MIND and Physical SPACE? Religion and Nation State would have no identity in the VIRTUAL WORLD of TOMORROW.

The advent of FLATENED WORLD has already produced a class of ‘CONTINENT-HOPPING-CITIZENS’ who have hardly any strong affiliation or ties with one particular nation. They are a class of ROVING HUMAN BEINGS who are more inspired and fired by ECONOMIC zeal. In a level-playing field, they look for opportunities to find cheapest ways of wealth creation. BPOs, KPOs and IT industry have revolutionized the concept of manufacture and production at the global level. Borders have begun to disappear and the walls separating people are collapsing everywhere. The day is not far when the NATIONAL BOUNDARIES WOULD merge into one another and the concept of NATION STATE would be consigned to dustbin of human history. The world is likely to be broken into thousands of interdependent and interconnected economic nodes with no predominant political ideology as the governing philosophy. Alvin Toffler has predicted the rise of some 5000 City States with their own economic agenda. Their emergence would really not spell a death knell for the religion but it would push it into insignificance. Religion might not play as significant a role in man’s spiritual life as it does today. It would become a private affair.

The recent upsurge of the RELIGION and the NATIONALISTIC EMOTIONS are the clear-cut signs of dying philosophies. The desperation is to protect the banishing identities in a GLOBALISED WORLD. The OFFICIALDOM everywhere is trying to use FORCE to keep the ‘breaking unit’ under its wings. Nations after nations are falling prey to this. Call it insurgency, militancy, terrorism or what have you? The fact remains: NATIONS ARE UNDER ATTACK FROM WITHIN.

The GLOBE is currently transiting through a PROCESS of POLITICO-RELIGIOUS ‘Fission’ and ‘Fusion’ at the same time. While geo-politically, ‘LARGE’ is breaking into ‘SMALL’—it is leading to tension and violence in these nations. The process of FISSION is on. Slowly and slowly all big or small nations will splinter into small economic nodes. This is the call of the GLOBALISED WORLD. While on one hand process of FISSION is on, on the other hand, the process of FUSION at the GLOBAL LEVEL is also working simultaneously, where these tiny economic nodes will be sewn into one big GLOBAL UNIT. These will be interconnected, interdependent and synchronized dots on the GLOBAL CHIP. Global dynamism will ensure that none could exist in a vacuum—they will exist with each other—supplementing and supporting.

It may sound funny but it is a truism that a dying insect grows wings and flutters more. Same is true of religious fundamentalism. Its sound and fury is basically to preserve its banishing identity in the wake of on-going globalization. It is true of all religions. I reckon Twenty First Century will pull the curtains on religion once for all. The coming of the COSMIC AGE is sounding of the LAST POST for Religion and the Nation State. Witness their demise in the coming decades.
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DIGITALISING HUMAN BEING !

DIGITALIZED MAN --WHERE DO WE STAND?

We have come a long way in human history when man can live in a VIRTUAL WORLD. Human DNA has been mapped. BOSTORM, Director of Future Of Humanity, at Oxford, talks of a SIMULATED WORLD. How would it be? Let us have first view of this. This artile is by ABHILASH KUSHWAHA ,posted on his blog :
www. abhikush.blogsot.com The link is: http://abhikush.blogspot.com/2007/01/new-cosmopolitan-man.html
I can only say that with the advances in DNA MAPPING and DIGITALISATION OF HUMAN LIFE ,one could also think of RECYCLING one's life through his robotised duplicate or the clone. MAN WOULD BE REINCARNATING HIMSELF. REBIRTH WILL NOT BE A MYTH, THEN. Isn't it? This is a revolutionary concept. This article gives the time frame when technologically man could think of digitalising himself and his life. Read on . If you have any querry kindly post the question to him on his blog.


The New Cosmopolitan Man

In this article David Vekslar debunks many predictions and advances some of his own. I particularly found the following interesting: "The New Cosmopolitan Man"

A number of researchers are working on video cameras integrated into clothing or eye-ware that can record a 24/7 video stream from the wearer's perspective. They predict that an entire lifetime of such recordings will be able to fit into a small device within 10 years. When this technology is combined with GPS and computervision software and cross-referenced with our contact lists and email, a complete digital record can be created to supplement our memories. Imagine being able to search for and review anything experienced during your
digitally-enhanced life.
The building blocks are already in place — my Google accounts make every email, chat, and web search of the last three years instantly searchable and available. My Flickr account serves as a geographically tagged diary of my life. A tiny device records all my bike rides and sends a map tagged with my performance statistics to mycomputer.
The sum of all these innovations will gradually change the way we define ourselves. Our consciousness becomes the central processing unit of a complex system, with external storage and sensor facilities spread across the world and to other people. As human-computer interfaces improve, our sense of self will evolve to include our digital memories as well as those of others. Initially, people had to talk to each other to share information. Then they could look it up in a book. Now you can search for it in Wikipedia. Imagine when you willbe able to instantly look it up as an extension of a thought process using some successor to web services.
Thanks to globalization, such tools for sharing knowledge and experience will be available worldwide. It will not be a "hive-mind" (another common sci-fi scenario) because our own sense of self will be enhanced in parallel with our connections to others. A revolutionary concept particularly "They predict that an entire lifetime of such recordings will be able to fit into a small device within 10 years." Can this be possible?
I recently recorded some moments of my Hawaii trip with Sony Mini DV. While transferring it to my computer using a USB cable Windows Media Maker said it will take 5 MB to record a minute of recording. The quality was good enough to be shared through you tube. However, I would like to store my digital life in DVD quality i.e. 4 GB for 100 mins (using firewire and a good software) or 40 MB for 1 min. What the heck? Let's make it 50 MB / min.

Let us assume an average age of 75 years or 75*365*24*60 = 39420000 mins
Total storage at 5 MB / min (you tube quality)
197100000 MB or 197100 GB or 197.1 TB
Total storage at 50 MB / min (you tube quality)
1971000000 MB or 1971000 GB or 1971 TB

The current capacity of external hard disk available on market will soon be 1 TB. According to Moore's law for hard disk (Kryder's law) the hard disk capacity should increase by 1000 times every 10 years. Therefore, in 10 years we could have a 1000TB drive.
Applying Moore's law capacity will double every 18 months i.e. will increase 1000 times in 15 years. However, Kryder's law may not be true and infact Moore's law which equates to a 54% per annum increase would also be in doubt. The article states "Drives have failed to meet the 54% level for the last 3 years and they are also not expected to meet it for the next 3 years".
The article analyzes trends for annual "sweet spot" (in demand storage drive) capacity increases. Assuming similar trend for high end capacity increases we get the following picture:-

THIRTEEN years average increase is 105% per annum ==> 1000 TB reached between 9 & 10 years. However, last 2 years growth has been 29%. Assuming that the growth does not slow further then this is what will happen?

At 29% growth time to reach 197 TB (you tube quality) --> 20 to 21 years from 1st half of 2006.
At 29% growth time to reach 1971 TB (DVD quality) --> 30 to 31 years from 1st half of 2006.
And this is the time when the capacity will be 1st available. If you consider "sweet spot" (drive commonly available for public) then the results are:-

At 29% growth time to reach 197 TB (you tube quality) --> 20 to 21 years from 1st half of 2012.
At 29% growth time to reach 1971 TB (DVD quality) --> 30 to 31 years from 1st half of 2012.

Assuming that people will not start recording until they are sure they can store their entire life; the first recordings on a you tube quality video will begin between 2026 and 2027. It may not catch on with general public between 2032 and 2033.

Digital life in DVD quality will begin between 2036 and 2037 with general public starting between 2042 and 2043.NOTE: I have just analyzed the capacity to record the data. I haven't factored how long it will take to make a camera which you can wear all day long. And transfer it to the storage device. Hopefully, one should be available by the time the storage capacity becomes available.Moreover, this analysis is for entire lives. People could actually start earlier and keep migrating data as moreand more storage becomes available but then that would depend on how soon the technology (camera) is available.
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Posted by abhikush at 4:46 PM on his Blog: www. ABHIKUSH.BLOGSPOT.COM
Labels: Technology .Link is : http://abhikush.blogspot.com/2007/01/new-cosmopolitan-man.html
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ISN'T HINDUISM SAME AS 'INDIANISM'

My quest is to know what the heck is 'HINDUISM'? Is it really a RELIGION? To all its detracters and also its followers, it would be an interesting exercise to know that the word 'HINDU' was not to be found in any of the ancient literature of this so called religion. The origional text of 'VEDAS', 'EPICS'( RAMAYANA & MAHABHARTA), Holy Book 'GEETA', 'UPNISHADS', 'PURANAS or even 'BRAHMANAS' do not have a mention of the word 'HINDU' even once. According to famous INDOLOGIST and a renowned historian, Mr JOHN KEAY, first time this word appeared in the written form was in 518 BC.(Refer to pp 10 of HISTORY OF INDIA by JOHN KEAY.) It was on a tablet by King DARIUS-1 of ancient PERSIA ( IRAN). According to the tablet, the DIKTAT on it had said that King DARIUS-1 ruled upto and beyond RIVER 'HINDU' (SINDHU/INDUS). John Keay goes on to explain that the word 'HINDU' was, in fact, a corruption of the SANSKRIT word, "SINDHU" . It is believed that the ancient PERSIANS pronounced 'S' with apostraphe 'H'. Thus River "SINDHU" became River "HINDU".

This has been also authenticated by the renowned Indian ARCHAEOLOGIST, Sh. Rajesh Kochhar, in his book," A VEDIC HISTORY OF INDIA". In the book , a number of such examples have been given---such as 'ASURA' in SANSKRIT as 'AHURA' in ancient Persian ( Avaistic Zenda) or DASYU in Sanskrit as 'DAHYU'. Actually Rajesh Kochhar goes on to say that Ancient PERSIANS belonged to the same branch of the ARYANS who came to India.( By the way, PLEASE NOTE ARYANS WAS NOT A RACE AS IT IS THOUGHT TO BE; IT WAS SIMPLY A LINGUAL FRATERNITY!) More on this, some time later in the future.

Therefore, the ancient PERSIANS called, anyone living EAST of the RIVER "HINDU" (SINDHU,) as a 'HINDU'. Please note, it was a GEOGRAPHICAL CONNOTATION and it had a FOREIGN ORIGION. According to JOHN KEAY in his another book, 'INTO INDIA' the word HINDU was used for describing the "Geographical & Cultural Identity" of a person as and at par with 'INDIAN' today or as a 'BRITON' or an 'AMERICAN' would mean to us now-a-days. People in the olden days, followed a number of TEMPORAL SECTS with separate identities such as 'SHAIVISM', 'VAISHNAVISM', 'BUDDHISM' Or 'JAINISM'. They were all called HINDUS as late as till 18th CENTURY.

Further, it may be noted, when the ancient PERSIANS interacted with the GREEKS, the word 'HINDU' lost its 'H' and became "INDIE", "INDIC" Or "INDIA". 'Alexander the Great'( SIKANDER-E-AZAM) called it the land of INDIA. From the GREKS the word travelled further WEST and they named this land as INDIA. But the PERSIANS and the ARABS kept on calling it 'HINDUSTAN'( LAND OF HINDUS). It was never a religious identity. It was purely a GEOGRAPHICAL AND CULTURAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PEOPLE LIVING HERE. People followed VAISHNAV (VEDIC) and SHAIVITE (NAGA) practices. The VEDIC people called this land as "ARYAVRAT" and SHAIVITES called it as,"BHARATVARSH". ( SHAIVITES WERE THE FOLLOWERS OF LORD SHIVA and belonged to a race called NAGA--who were scattered from AFGHANISTAN in the WEST to ASSAM in the EAST to MAHARASHTRA in the South--their philosophy was LIVE TODAYi.e. EAT(also meat) , DRINK and BE MERRY--as opposed to VAISHNAVS, who were not only 'pure Vegetarians' but also WORRIED OF THE FUTURE.)

Later came the BUDDHISTS AND JAINS who were in reality an off-shoot PRODUCT of the SYNTHESIS OF VAISHNAVISM and SHAIVISM. Synthesis only led to new TEMPORAL PROCEDURES WITOUT CHANGING THE GEOGRAPHICAL or THE CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS LAND. So, the FOREIGNERS, particularly the ARABS & PERSIANS, continued to referrto them as "HINDUS" only. Slightly digressing here to press home the point. Please note Dr SIR IQBAL MOHAMMED's famoous poem "HINDUSTAN HAMARA'. He was a man of history and he knew his origion. This is why he exhorts our people, "--------MAZHAB NAHIN SIKHATA AAPAS MEIN BAIR RAKHNA, 'HINDI' HAI HUM WATAN HAI HINDUSTAN HAMARA----" ( THE RELIGION DOES NOT TEACH US TO HAVE ANIMOSITY TOWARDS EACH OTHER; WE ARE 'HINDI' AND OUR NATION IS 'HINDUSTAN'). I would like to draw your attention to the word "HINDI" meaning "WE ARE ALL HINDUS!". Unfortunately, religious BIGOTS got the better of him, as they do even today of the most sensible people in various religions in India.

How did the word "HINDU" acquire religious connotation? After the word came into existence around SIXTH CENTURY BC as a GEOGRAPHICAL & CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE PEOPLE LIVING EAST OF THE RIVER "SINDHU"( HINDU Or INDUS), it continued to carry same meaning for another 1000 years. Around 530 AD, a HUN Prince, GOPALDITYA, was corronated as king of KASHMIR. He was son of 'MIHIRKULA'---a tyrant HUN king of Kashmir. Gopalditya was a very learned man and a good administrator. One day while going around his capital with his minister, he saw people following weird TEMPORAL practices. Some were worshipping IDOLS. Some were advocating eating of meat and drinking of intoxicants, while some others totally preached against it. He noticed, despite all these differences and opposing views, people lived in harmony and peace. He was impressed with such neighbourly CO-EXISTENCE. He asked his minister on the weird ways of the people. Minister said," THEY ARE 'HINDUS' and they do not follow one temporal practice. THEY TOLERATE OPPOSITE VIEWS AND DISSIDENCE. It is THEIR WAY OF LIVING." "Oh, great! THEN I WILL ALSO BECOME A HINDU.", He had said. This is how then the word 'HINDU' began to acquire RELIGIOUS meaning. It must be said that it was then a CONFLUENCE of various TEMPORAL practices---particularly 'SHAIVISM' and 'VAISNAVISM'---widely and diametrically opposite thoughts. All the same the word continued to carry its old PERSIAN identity of 'CULTURAL NATIONHOOD' --right upto the 18th Century.
Therfore, it must not be seen as a religion--because there are no uniform temporal practices amongst HINDUS, from region to region; caste to caste; class to class; sects to sects; language to language. Its APPARENT DISSIMLIARITIES MAKE IT A GREAT TREATISE ON LIVING A LIFE IN A COLOURFUL MANNER. IT advocates UNITY IN DIVERSITY IN TRUE SENSE. Unfortunately, inspit of all this, it continues to be the FAVOURITE WHIPPING BOY OF PSEUDO-INTELLECTUALS AND HALF-READ educationists. But it MOVES ON. AND KEEP GROWING. ITS PROTECTION IS ITS "NO-DEFENCE" BY ITS FOLLOWERS. The rising trend to defend it, would make it WEAK and RIGID. It has survived thousands of years of onslaught and each time it has emerged STRONGER.

We must know that 'HINDUISM' as a TEMPORAL & SPIRITUAL philosophy,Known as today, was never FOUNDED BY ANY ONE SAINT/ MESSIAH or a PROPHET as almost all other known religions and sects have been. IT EVOLVED ITSELF. IT DOES NOT BELONG TO ONE SECT OR SET OF SECTS. THE MULTIPLICITIES OF ITS GODS IS A TESTIMONY OF ITS EMPHASIS ON THE COLLECTIVE WISDOM. THIS VERY FACT MAKES IT FLEXIBLE AND SECULAR. IT CONTINUES TO GROW AND EVOLVE. HINDUISM IS A CULTURAL ENTITY; it is not a RELIGION. It encompasses in its fold a whole philosophy of living SPIRITUAL, INTELLECTUAL, MATERIAL, SOCIAL, POLITACAL AND MILITARY LIFE. It is more than the word "RELIGION"--which simply means FOLLOWING RITUALS and TEMPORAL PROCEDURES. IT is, in fact, emancipation of the word "DHARMA"--which includes in itself parameters of Social, Political, Economic and spiritual conduct of a man. It defines social/familial/ national responsibilities and duties.
The word "HINDU", in fact, is THE LOST ELDER BROTHER of the CURRENT TERMINOLOGY of "INDIAN"--which substituted it. This is also given by the FOREIGNERS only-- more particularly by the GREEKS. From the GREEKS it travelled further WEST AND GOT POPULARISED amongst the EUROPEANS. AS WEST RULED INDIA for almost 200 yers, THE NAME 'INDIAN or INDIA' GOT STUCK AND 'HINDU' lost its shine. But amongst the ARABS and PERSIANS IT IS STILL KNOWN AS 'HINDUSTAN'--THE LAND OF HINDUS.

Please note I am only trying to clear out certain misconceptions about this MOST SECULAR and FLEXIBLE TREATISE ON HUMAN CONDUCT AND BEHAVIOUR WITH MALICE TOWARDS NONE. It not ONLY SHOWS THE WAY AS HOW TO LEAD A HUMAN LIFE BUT ALSO ACCEPTS NEW WAYS WITH PASSAGE OF TIME. We must understand:-

-It encourages CRITICISM and DISSIDENCE.

-It does not CLAIM ITS PHILOSOPHY AS 'ULTIMATE AND FINAL' .

-It doesnot ENCOURAGE HATRED FOR YOUR RIVALS and ENEMIES.

-Its much maligned CASTE-SYSTEM was a social division of work to achieve 'SPECIALISATION' in family work---IT IS SAME THING AS YOU SEE IN VARIOUS PROFESSIONS OF TODAY. An ENGINEER's SON GOES FOR ENGINEERING. A DOCTOR'S SON GOES FOR MEDICINES. A POLITICIAN's SON GOES FOR POLITICS.A 'FAUJI's SON GENERALLY. TILL DATE, WENT FOR 'DEFENCE SERVICES' CAREER. IN fact these are the MODERN CASTES OF INDIA. No upper caste boy( STARVING OF HUNGER) would mind marrying GRAND DAUGHTER OF BABU JAGJIVAN RAM. Where is the caste system? Only IN THE PAGES OF CONSTITUTION WHICH KEEPS IT ALIVE THROUGH THE BOGEY OF RESERVATION. HAD THE PROVISION OF RESERVATION NOT BEEN THERE, THE OLD CASTE SYSTEM WOULD HAVE DISAPPEARED LONG TIME BACK. BUT IT HAS BEEN KEPT ALIVE BY VOTE BANK POLITICIANS.

-SOCIAL DIVISIONS IN HINDUISM' were to promote & IMPROVE QUALITY OF WORK THROUGH HERIDATORY PROFESSION. It is a different matter that it fell victim to monoply of a class.

-Much CRITICISED IDOL WORSHIPPING is actually a sign of inability of others to be definitive about their GODS. IDOLS ARE REPRESENTATION OF GODS OF YOUR PREFERENCE. IT IS A SYMBOL WHICH GIVES YOU FREEDOM TO CHOOSE YOUR GOD. 'OTHERS' do not provide this freedom to their followers. They do not know the SHAPE of their GOD. It is law of nature that SHAPELESS THINGS DO NOT EXIST. IF A THING DOES NOT EXIST, WHY DO YOU WORSHIP?

- In any case, WHAT IS THERE IN THE MOSQUE AT MECCA? WHAT ARE THE STATUES OF VIRGIN MERY OR LORD JESUS or THE CROSS DOING IN CHURCHES? HOW ABOUT THE GODDESS OF LIBERTY & FREEDOM? WHAT IS IT DOING IN THE MOST ADVANCED NATION--NEW YORK--NEAR CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. IT IS A SYMBOL---A SYMBOL OF SUPEREMACY OF HUMAN SPIRIT---- ISN'T IT? Symbols are reminders of the faith to the faithful. Why are we criticizing HINDU symbols, if others also do it?
-The multiplicity of gods/godesses speaks volume on the DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM & LIBERTY OF SPIRITUAL THOUGHT in the HINDU CULTURAL and SOCIAL WAY OF LIFE. It does not bind you to the fallacy of ABSOLUTISM like others.

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LAWS OF ABSURDITY!

LAWS OF ABSURDITY & ‘ENB’ SYNDROME

In my 40 years dealing with human beings, both in the civil and military arena, I had come across certain unique features of human conduct and behaviour. I formulated them as three LAWS of ABSURDITY. To me, they characterise the EXTREME NEGATIVE BEHAVIOUR of a normal human being. I had posted this last year, too, but I feel it is relevant for all times, so re-posting it after refurbishing.

‘Extreme Negative Behaviour’ (ENB) is a mental posture of a normal human being, whereby he tends to display negative responses in all sorts of situations. He might not be suffering from a psychic disorder. Do not also confuse with a schizophrenic personality. They are mentally sick people. I am talking about a PERFECTLY NORMAL PERSON with no abnormalities. You will find such persons in your day to day dealings, who will announce their disagreement with you even before you have completed your argument or statement. These ‘CONSTANT NUT SHAKERS’ have a perennial ‘NO’ on their lips if you suggest anything new to them. They become habitually negative. When the NEGATIVITY takes an EXTREME STAND in their day to day conduct we refer to them as afflicted by ENB syndromme. Basically, this bulging club of people suffering from ENB Syndrome includes in its ranks government servants and professionals alike. There are no exceptions.

Having had dealt with thousands of human-beings over a career span of 40 years under different kind of situations, ranging from ‘death-defying missions’ through ‘Film Stars Nights’ to whimsical needs of ‘Hospitality Industry’, I have observed that ENB syndrome is more pronounced in an age group of people between 30-60 years of age. It is because of the auto-activation of ‘defence mechanism’ in the man suffering from ‘social and financial insecurity’. Ironically, this is the age group which is hyperactive in all spheres of human activity, at any given time. All of them might not be victim of ENB but bulk of them will display some tinges of ‘Negativism’ in their conduct.

While some amount of ‘Negative’ behaviour is not bad but its repetitive streak pushes man into the sphere of ABSURDITY. Generally, the man suffering from ‘ENB syndrome’ will be governed by the LAWS OF ABSURDITY. In my experiences of dealing with human beings, I have found there were THREE ‘Laws of Absurdity’ which characterize the general conduct of people under the spell of ENB Syndrome. These are: namely, Law of BIASED MIND, Law of PARANOID MIND and the Law of LOVE-FAILED MIND. I will briefly explain them in the paragraphs appended below.

‘THE LAW OF BIASED MIND’. They are prejudiced people who eat, drink, sleep and dream “HATE”. They are people with a mental disposition of, “I HATE EVIL BUT YOU ALONE ARE THE EVIL.” Their mind functions only one way----any other way, they come under ENB spell. They are UNI-DIRECTIONAL in their conduct. The moment they get into unfamiliar grounds they switch on their ENB button. The conduct and behaviour of our political parties and leaders, today can be described as such. They suffer from fixation of mind which guides them in their conduct. These people are always focused on their well set targets. They can be ordinary people or most powerful personas. Pakistani military leadership’s anti-India disposition is reflective of the biased mind which will never allow any peace in the subcontinent. Modern electronic ‘media rivalry’ is another example of prejudiced and biased people drum-beating their piety while exposing others. They have an agenda to pursue which they do relentlessly. All their noise on the ills of others is basically aimed at hiding their own weaknesses. These kinds of people can be talked out of their mental state if one shows empathy towards their cause. They ought to be persistently told as to how self-destructive their hate could be? They must be made to realize that their hate is more harmful to them than their intended target. If not handled properly and allowed to pursue their agenda with impunity they graduate into the second law of absurdity, which is Law of Paranoid Mind.

‘THE LAW OF PARANOID MIND’. They are mentally hardened and stiffened people who have a negative world view. Their excessive hatred galvanizes them into thinking that they alone were the indispensable tools of “goodness”. These are the people who think the world around them was terribly wrong and they have the charter to do something to bring order to it. They suffer from ‘self-righteousness’. They move around with the DROPPED SHUTTERS of mind. In fact, they are best described by Thomas Harris as people with mental dispositions as “I AM OK, YOU ARE NOT OK”. Despots, Dictators, Powerful-Men around the world might display this inclination and tendency. Hitler’s hatred of Jews or George Bush’s obsession with late Saddam Hussein and Ossama Bin Laden’s hatred of Americans are some of its finest examples. Initially, this impelled them into their infamous acts, later when they graduated into third law , it became their addiction. These people are inebriated with self acclaimed virtues of self- greatness and self-righteousness. They disdain dissidence and difference of opinion. Intolerance is their chief characteristic. Such people are murderers and killers at large. Fundamentalists, Religious-Terrorists, Militants and Radicals also fall under this category because they are regimented for a cause and desensitized of human compassion. To them it is always “Us versus They”. While ‘us’ denotes ‘Puritanism and Good’; ‘they’ stands for ‘Satan and Evil’. So, their simple analogy is EITHER YOU ARE WITH THEM OR YOU ARE AGAINST THEM. There is no third option. You got to deal with these people firmly and carefully. They need to be constantly bombarded with the view that the world ought to be seen without their tinted glasses. Squeeze out the sense of self-righteousness in them. The destructive tinge acquired by them, if not corrected, leads them into the third law of ‘Love Failed Mind’. This is the most dangerous state of a human mind.

‘THE LAW OF LOVE-FAILED MIND’. It states: “IF ‘SHE’ CAN NOT BE MINE, SHE CAN NOT BELONG TO ANY ONE ELSE, TOO. KILL THE DAMSEL”. This is a destructive mind at its best. It has no logic and it follows no logic other than the one to destroy the ‘object of desire’, it could not procure or acquire. To be very frank, they do not listen to logic and it is pointless engaging then in discussion. They are totally desensitised and dehumanised. While dealing with them---- EXPECT NO MERCY AND SHOW NO MERCY. Some of the hard core killers and terrorist leaders fall into this category. Pakistan’s Kashmir policy, since 1990, is the result of failed romanticism of the ‘unfinished agenda of 1947’. Talks or no talks, it will 'blow hot and cold' on Kashmir only to surprise uncouth Indian Leadership. In the wake of rising clout of MULLAS and TALIBANS in Pakistan, India’s pipedream of peace in the subcontinent is a distant far-cry because with the rise of the religious fanatics in Pakistan, the threat of a civil war there is highly on the cards. President ZARDARI is tottering on one leg since the end of his honey moon with NAWAZ SHARRIEF. He might collapse any day due to inherent imbalance in his posture.

You will thus see that ENB syndrome gradually leads a person to dangerous and diabolic actions. The acid test to identify them in the early stages is their failure to appreciate the ‘do-gooders’ of society. They can not praise anyone. In every “GOOD” they will find “UGLINESS”. In a lighter vein though, I find the leaders of two major national parties i.e. CONGRESS and BJP actually suffering from tinges of ENB. They just can not praise each other's good. So is true of MULAYAM SINGH YADAV and MAYAWATI. Now KARAT's Left has joined this "ENB Brigade" as is the case of MAMTA BANNERJEE of TNC. I won't find DMK & AIADMK in Chennai any different. Somehow they see all "red "in each others "blue". Such an irrationality and negativism can not allow INDIA to deal with TERRORISM effectively.
The people suffering from 'ENB Syndromme' will be virtually cribbing, crying and criticizing everything. It is easier to cure them in the initial stages. As soon a man shows negative trends, remedial measures must be initiated to guard him against falling prey to ENB. Once they pass on to "Second law of Absurdity", they become difficult to handle and endanger the society, both locally and globally. India suffers because of this syndromme afflicting its political leadership. What is your take?
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‘ARYANS’, ‘DRAVIDS’AND ‘NAGAS’---SOME LIES, SOME MYTHS AND SOME LEGENDS

‘ARYANS’, ‘DRAVIDS’AND ‘NAGAS’---SOME LIES, SOME MYTHS AND SOME LEGENDS-PART ONE



Who are Dravidian people? Are they ethnically same? Do they owe their origin to South India? Strange questions I ask and strange answers I will give. I will quote from known written sources but deduce based on what the ORAL HISTORY of the people would dictate to me. Firstly, DRAVIDIAN PEOPLE are neither one nor ethnically same. The origin of the word is interesting. As I Go through WIKIPEDIA article, it makes certain amusing observations. These are:-

-The word first time finds mention in SANSKRIT TEXTS in and around seventh century AD. It was used by KUMARILA BHATTA in his book TANTRIKAVARTTIKA. It is alleged the word was used to describe TAMIL LANGUAGE. It was an Englishman, namely, Robert Caldwell, who used this phrase to describe people of South India. He coined the term DRAVIDIANS in the 19th Century. How ironic—there are people in South India whose ancestors coined this dergatory term to describe lowly people but today they as descendants of 'ANCIENTS GREATS' are also clubbed into the same category.

-The Origin of the word DRAVIDA is attributed to the Sanskrit word “DRAMILA” or “DAMILA”, which later corrupted to Tamil or Tamil speaking people. It has been done by Linguists and they have gone to the extent of equating these words with TAMIL or TARMIZ. However, I have a different definition. I personally feel the word has been coined out of old Sanskrit and ancient PERSIAN words. There is a Persian word “DRI-CHE-SHAK”, meaning undoubtedly or without doubt. Here, DRI stands for WITHOUT and ‘SHAK’ for ‘DOUBT’. Even in SANSKRIT the word ‘DRI’stands for “LACKING- IN”. The word DRAVID is made of two Sanskrit words “DRI” and “VID”. DRI, as explained, would stand for ‘Lacking-in or poor’ while “VID” means KNOWLEDGE. Thus DRAVID was a person who did not have the knowledge. It was used to refer to people who were considered INFERIOR---as till a few years back or even today, NON-ENGLISH speaking people are viewed. It was not referring to a race or one ethnicity but was used as a derogatory term.

-Robert Caldwell, a renowned linguist, in his book “Grammar of the Dravidians or the People of South India, published in 1856, recognized 73 Dravidian languages spoken from South India to Baluchistan(PAKISTAN),Western Iran, Afghanistan and Urals. It is now believed they were the people who established Pre –Aryan or the HARAPPAN civilization .I call it the civilization of NAGA people who were the worshippers of lord Shiva. The VEDIC knowledge belongs to them which had been usurped by the ARYANS because by that time, say around 1900 BC to 2800 BC NATURAL UPHEAVALS had devastated the NAGA CIVILISATION. Anyway at this stage, dates are not important.

The more I dig into VEDIC and ARYAN myths and legends, the more I am astonished at the written volumes of BRITISH-INTERPRETTED accounts of ancient Indian History. I do not blame the BRITISHERS for this gaffe but the obedient servants of HIS MASTER’s VOICE---the genre of modern Indian historians of colonial and post-colonial era. My pointer is towards the callous neglect of the ORAL HISTORY while interpreting ancient Indian history. There was a need for a deliberate effort to establish a linkage of ORAL HISTORY with the archaeological sites. The BRITISHERS couldn’t have done this. They did not understand the local facts of customs, traditions, folklores, food habits and the development of language and local dialect to include, sayings, maxims, phrases and the grammar. Let me explain my point regarding the impact of historical events on language, dialect, customs, traditions and children games. I will do so with some examples from rural Punjab of yesteryears to show as to how do games, phrases and idioms evolve?

There was a game in rural PUNJAB, some 3-4 decades back, which the young children used to play. In this game, they drew out a square on the ground. Divided it into five rectangles from top to bottom. The third and fifth rectangles were further subdivided vertically into two equal rectangles each. The own side of the side is called ‘GHAR’ (Home). The far side is called ‘SAMUNDAR’ (THE SEA). And then they throw a dice sequentially from the HOME SIDE rectangle first and go towards the SEA SIDE rectangles step by step. Each time they have to go hopping on one leg to the rectangle where the dice is lying and push it out of the square. It is done in turns. Should the dice go out sideways or land in the opponent’s square—the player is considered out. Should you successfully bring the dice out of the square---you own the rectangle where you had thrown the dice. There are two players or two teams. It is called “ADDEE –CHHARAPPA”, meaning “HEEL- HOPPING”. Now, how would you interpret this game? If I write it, for your convenience as “ADDEE-CH-HARAPPA”, then, what would you say? Let me translate it for you: HARAPPA UNDER MY HEEL. Are you raising your heckles? Why not? This is what the game means—if you follow its basic characteristics.

Go to SANGHOL—an archaeological site of HARAPPAN period---near Chandigarh, some 60 kms South West of it on the road to Ludhiana. They say it lay on the banks of river SATLUJ when it was a tributary of river SARASWATI. The excavations reveal that it was a well planned city—which one day, some distant time in the past, just banished. The folk lore says that it was the outcome of the curse of a woman of the village. They tell you the story of the curse of a widowed girl of the village who, being harassed and troubled, wanted the TOWN to cave in---or in typical Punjabi word---“NIGGHAR JAAVE”. And Lo! It caved in one evening with the sound “GARH—GARH—GARH---GARH---GARH”. Is the name “GHAGGAR”—the name of the dry stream—alleged to be ancient SARASWATI CHANNEL based on this sound “GARH ---GARH---GARH”? Just think about it? Go to Ropar, some 50 Kms WEST of Chandigarh on the road to Jalandhar/Hoshiarpur. It is on the banks of river SATLUJ as it comes out of the Shivalik Hills. The excavations, there too, tell a similar story. How about Chandigarh itself? The museum in the Punjab University tells the story of its linkage with Harappa sites. In India, the story of our historical evolution has been greatly mystified in our attempt to glamourise our past based on certain epochal stories. We tend to be emotional in claiming everything as indigenous. Let me illustrate this in succeeding paragraphs.

Take the case of evolution of Hinduism. I t must be understood that unlike other religions, it was not founded by any MESSIAH, PROPHET or a SAINT. It evolved itself by the confluence of various TEMPORAL PHILOSOPHIES, both indigenous and external. It graduated from geographical identity to religious identity over 1000 years. Primarily, it emerged with the synthesis of two diametrically opposite philosophies---SHAIVISM and VAISHNAVISM. While SHAIVITES were NON-VEGETERAIANS; VAISHNAVITES are VEGETARIANS. Even today KASHMIRI PANDITS—the Staunch SHAIVITES ---eat MEAT and that too ‘HALAAL’ and not JHATKA’. ‘Shaivites’ had Lord Shiva as its presiding deity; Vaishnavites had Lord Vishnu. ‘Shaivites’ believed in LIVING LIFE HAPPILY TODAY---thus their guiding principle was: EAT, DRINK and BE MERY. Vaishnavites believed in the betterment OF FUTURE through ‘GOOD DEEDS TODAY’.

SHAIVISM is indigenous and VAISHNAVISM is imported. In the times bygone, both of them were competitive temporal philosophies. In the history of ‘Chalukyas’, a dynasty ruling in the peninsular India around 1000-1200AD, there are instances of kings patronizing SHAIVISM and prosecuting the Vaishnavites. It is alleged that one of the Chalukya kings, namely Kullothunga Chola II, had removed the statue of Lord Vishnu from the SHIVA shrine at CHIDAMBRAM. History and EPOCHS tell us that LORD SHIVA had been the most revered deity of ancient India. The mythical RAVANA of RAMAYANA was worshipper of LORD SHIVA. Balmiki, who wrote, original RAMAYANA was a CHANDAL—who were SHIVA followers. But, over a period of time the competition between SHAVITES and VAISHNAVITES has gone and both of them merged to create HINDUISM---which further gave birth to Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

Both of them had so well meshed into one another, today, that it laid the foundation of the basic two TENETS of TOLERANCE and PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE of Hinduism. Their merger gave rise to the concept of COLLECTIVE WISDOM and MULTIPLICITY of GODS---so as to give freedom of choice in religious matters. They had merged so well that each lost its individual identity. The emergence of HINDUISM, around 530 AD, did exactly the same to INDIA what GLOBALISATION was doing to the WORLD, today. I may add here that the emerging “INDIANISM or INDIANESS” of today, might have the finer characteristics of al prevailing major religions in India, as did HINDUISM in the 6th Century AD. Geography and climatic environments do play their part in shaping the course of history as for as traditions, customs and lingual peculiarities are concerned. The point is we have to study our history in unison with ORAL TRADITIONS, ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCES and AVAILABLE WRITTEN RECORDS.

The excavations of the archaeological sites and historical monuments do not tell the true tale of our HISTORY unless we take into account the folklores, food habits, dresses, traditions, customs and lingual dialects. All this make oral history besides some written accounts. Purely basing your judgment on the artifacts discovered gives out only a disconnected and disconcerted story. Most of the ancient Indian History has been interpreted on the bases of potteries and metal works and ‘periods’ have been assigned by a process of elimination. This is amongst the reasons that after the excavations at HARAPPA—the ancient history has fallen prey to the reasoning and argument whether HARAPPA was PRE-VEDIC / ARYAN or POST VEDIC. Equally ironical is the fact that it has been dubbed as INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION—whereas it might be SAPTA SINDHU or NAGA CIVILISATION.

Who were Aryans? I agree with ROMILLA THAPAR on their LINGUAL IDENTITY. I am not going to indulge in the debate whether they were indigenous or from outside. Before I go further, let me ask you some pertinent questions. Who are the ENGLISH SPEAKING people of modern India? Are they ethnically one? Are they fair complexioned or dark complexioned? “What silly questions”, some of you would say? Yes, they are very very silly and stupid questions. Frankly speaking, they are as stupid as has been the case of the ARYANS identity with some superior ethnicity or VEDIC KNOWLEDGE. How did English language come to India? It was not of Indian origin. Today, a major chunk of URBAN India, reads, writes and may be, speaks English. It does not make them ethnically one. Linguistic uniformity does not represent ethnic connectivity. Same is true of ARYANS. It only speaks of their Lingual affinity and not of racial. I would say same of the word, “DRAVID”.

Let me emphatically state that there were no ETHNIC identities of the words ‘ARYANS’ or ‘VEDIC’ and ‘DRAVID’. The DRAVIDS do not have even the lingual similarity. They might include ‘EARLY ARYANS’, ‘NAGAS’ and various nomadic tribes who lived in the forests of a region EAST of ‘SARASWATI-SINDHU’ basin. As I have stated above, ‘DRAVID ‘was a word concocted by SANSKRIT speaking ARYANS to represent NON-SANSKRIT SPEAKING people. It had the similar connotation as the ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLE of today have towards NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING native PEOPLE. It had some derogatory and disrespectful implications—like CRUDE, BARBARIAN or an uneducated person might be referred to. I will come back to it a little later.

‘Aryan’ is a word used for people who spoke probably, a crude dialect of a language now recognized as SANSKRIT. They were the people who branched off from a tribe which migrated to ancient PERSIA from steppes of Central Asia. ‘Crude Sanskrit had many similarities with ancient Persian language AVESTAN. SANSKRIT was reformed and perfected around FIRST CENTURY AD by PANINI---“SAMAST KRIT---meaning PERFECTED”. It is after this that dissimilarities might have cropped up in the two languages. Modern day IRAN (ancient PERSIA) derives its name from the word ARIANA. It was in the 19th Century and early 20th Century that the word was glamorized, by GERMAN SCHOLARS who, too, claimed to be descendants of the same tribe. It was thus accorded an ethnic supremacy—which was exploited by HITLER to discredit Jews and other European people.

When ‘Harappa’ and ‘Mohan Jodaro’, both in Pakistan, were excavated around early 20th Century, a myth was woven around the supremacy of ‘Aryans and Vedic’ people, based on the architectural greatness of these two towns. In the absence of any available written historical records, it was assumed that crude and brute people of India could not have such an advanced civilization in the past. No attempt was made to seek a connection with ORAL HISTORY of the land. Thus a theory of ARYAN INVASION and CONQUER of INDIA was forwarded and accorded legitimacy. Thus was created a myth of VEDIC PEOPLE and INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION. To this, confusion was added by some INDIAN SCHOLARS who claimed INDIA as the origin of VEDIC or the ARYAN PEOPLE. Both were eccentrically wrong.

The word VEDIC or VEDAS has it roots in a SANSKRIT word ‘VID’, which means knowledge and education, as explained previously. Thus, the VEDAS do contain KNOWLEDGE but it PRE-EXISTED the arrival of ARYANS. The four VEDAS have their amplifications given in BRAHMANAS, PURANS, UPNISHADAS and ARYANIKAS. This knowledge belonged to people who lived in the region called SAPTA SINDHU and ALP-GANHSTHAN (AFGHANISTAN). They were neither ARYANS nor DRAVIDS—they were SAIVITES—or the followers of Lord SHIVA or what I would say “NAGA PEOPLE”. Mythology tells us that NAGAS owe their origin to RISHI (SAINT) KASHYAP. These RISHIS used to live in the forests with their families---the ARYANAKAS are the explanatory notes by them on various forms of VEDIC LITERATURE. Rishi KASHYAP or KASHPYO in GREEK is reported to have given his name to CASPIAN SEA and KASHMIR. There are different mythological stories to be told but at some other times. Here, suffice to say the descendants of KASHYAP still exist as a CASTE amongst Hindus. They claim themselves as KASHYAP RAJPUTS but worked as WATER BEARERS or PLANQUIN BEARERS in the good old days.

The Naga civilization was spread from modern day Afghanistan to East up to Assam and Kashmir in the North to Karnataka in the South. They generally lived along the water bodies such as lakes and rivers, that is why also called ‘WATER PEOPLE’. Bulk of the civilization was around rivers SARASWATI -SINDHU and their tributaries. Ninety percent of the HARAPPAN sites are located in this region. These people had trade links with the west right up to Greece, Mesopotemia and River Oxus or AAMU River.

They had their own script---closer to BRAHMI or PRAKRITI which resembles more with Indo-Dravidian or Tamil or South Indian Language. Some 434 characters have been identified. It needs to be deciphered. Efforts are on to do so. The seals recovered at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro tell the tale of family histories. Most prominent one is of a UNICORN BULL—not a known animal species these days. I will come back with some detailed interpretations of these seals.

PART TWO


In Part One, I had stated that VEDIC KNOWLEDGE in India pre-existed the arrival of so- called ARYANS. I had also gone on to say that the MYTH of ARYA, as a race, was created by Europeans or more particularly the GERMANS, who were looking for a racial supremacy. Therefore, when in the early twenties of the last Century, such magnificent archaeological sites as HARAPPA and MOHANJO-DARO were excavated, they were immediately linked to something superior which had imported itself from outside to the Indian mainland. People, like MAXMULELLER and MORTIMER WHEELER, could not believe that ancient INDIA could have had created such ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS IN URBAN DWELLING. Western Scholars, trained and educated on the biblical beliefs that the universe was created only around 23 October 4100BC, could not think of the world existing prior to this. In time and space,they reduced everything to within 2000BC and originating from Central Asia. Thus, based on the flimsiest of grounds, the theory of ARYAN INVASION and CONQUER was floated when a mount of dead bodies was found at MOHANJO-DARO. It was assumed that they might have been slaughtered by the SUPERIOR ARYANS. This myth led to the emergence of a SUPER MYTH on the supremacy and superiroity of a great ARYAN & VEDIC KNOWLEDGE, imported from outside. New archaeological excavations and the interpretation of the ORAL HISTORY reveal that the MYTH and the SUPER MYTH, both, were a cruel joke on the ANCIENT GREATNESS of INDIA.

I have already highlighted in Part One that ARYANS were only a lingual fraternity of SANSKRIT speaking people, who probably used it as a title to add honour and dignity to self. They did not belong to one particular race as is true of ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLE of today. Also, it would be pertinent to note that they did not come as a one big migration or invading hordes but as a trickle and gradually their numbers multiplied. Who can deny that SILICON VALLEY in CALIFORNIA, USA was bursting at seams today with growing population of INDIANS and ASIANS? What would you say, 500 or 1000 years hence, if the demographic shift takes place in their favor----and you have more of HINDI, Chinese or TAMIL speaking people there? I suspect something of this nature happened in ancient India in the late HARAPPAN period around 2800-1900 BC. The people speaking crude- sanskritic- dialect came as TRADERS from Central Asia and began settling down. It is a different matter that after coming to the LAND OF SAPTASINDHU they might have contributed towards the further development of the existing VEDIC KNOWLEDGE.

By the way, we call this knowledge "VEDIC" for ease of understanding and also because it was SANSKRITISED by the Sanskrit speaking people who were enamored by its greatness and depth. More ever, the main fact is that the PICTORIAL SCRIPT of the INDIGENOUS INDIANS, like the HARAPPAN SCRIPT, was too difficult for the general public to understand. Sanskrit language had become to ancient INDIANS what English language is to modern India. I would also like to emphasize here THAT THE REAL, ACTUAL AND INTELLIGBLE DEVELOPMENT OF SANSKRIT TOOK PLACE ONLY IN THE ‘SAPTA SINDHU REGION’. It was perfected by PANINI in the first Century AD and he created a GRAMMAR for it. Prior to this, SANSKRIT was the poor sister of AVESTAN ZENDA of ancient Persians. It was crude and without a proper script. Before PANINI perfected the script and the grammar, there was a tradition of ORAL TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE from one generation to another generation. GURUKUL SCHOOLS excelled in this.

It has now been established that origins of Indian civilization go back to the end of last ICE AGE, which geology tells us was around 10,000 years back. The SARASVATI River in the post 'ICE-AGE' era, and the main site of URBAN RUINS in ancient INDIA, say around 80 percent of the excavated sites, is well documented in the VEDIC LITERATURE. Old Rig Vedic litereature talks about the river from the "MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA". This phase is primarily between 5000BC to 8000BC. There is a general belief that a seismic upheaval around 4500 BC diverted its two main tributaries, YAMUNA and SATLUJ towards their current courses. This river, which was generally 6-8 KMs wide, at times up to 14 KMs, was very deep with a fast flowing current. It is assumed that between 3000BC and 1900BC, the river was gradually dying and drying. After another upheaval around 3000BC, the river used to disappear in a place called VINASHNA in the deserts of Rajasthan, where a series of lake formed themselves. The water level having further reduced, the river began to dry up and it is estimated it ceased to flow around 1900BC. RIG VEDA, HAS ITS MENTION SOME 60 TIMES WHILE THE GANGES IS ONLY ONCE. The cessation of the river SARASWATI (1900BC) corresponds with the decline of the HARAPPAN CIVILISATION. It was the drying up of the River SARASWATI that caused the ababndonment of HARAPPAN CITIES and not any invasion by some SUPER RACE. It was these ECOLOGICAL changes that led to the fall of Harappan Civilisation.

Most Western historians and some Indians too, say that RAMAYANA STORY was enacted around 1900-1500BC, that is post-SARASWATI period. Based on the same analogy, they assign MAHABHARTA the date of around 1000BC. I find major lacunae with these theories. It is that they do not take into account VEDIC RISHIS or seers such as VASHISHTA , JAGDAMBI and VISHAVMITRA, who are the creators of RIG VEDAS. So, how can these RISHIS be post SARASVATI?
This river has now been identified, through satellite imagery, as a PALAEO channel, running now along the dry channel of River GHAGHAR of Haryana –Rajasthan in India and River HAKRA in SINDH, Pakistan. It allegedly started from HAR KI DOON in UTTARANCHAL and flowed, along with its tributaries DRISHTAVADI, YAMUNA, SATLUJ etc, through KURUKSHETRA, PAHEWA, SHATRANA, SIRSA, KALBANGAN, SURATGARH (all in India) HAKRA and LOTHAL in Pakistan. Major archaeological sites have been found along this channel of the mythological river. This falsifies the super myth of INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION. It is now referred to as SARASVATI VALLEY CIVILISATION.

'Sarasvati River' has been the cradle of ancient Indian civilization. It was the FOUNTAIN HEAD of the SAPTA-SINDHU REGION. It must be noted that there was nothing 'ARYAN' or 'DRAVIDA' about this civilization. In the words of Dr. DAVID FRAWLEY and Dr. NAVRATNA S RAJARAM in their book, “HIDDEN HORIZONS”, the concepts of ARYANS and DRAVIDA races have no scientific and archaeological basis. To quote them: “ ------------The late ancient Aryan and Dravidians migrations, postulated to have taken place c.1500BCE (3500Before Present), into India from Central Asia of WESTERN Linguistic theories, occur too late, after populations and cultures were already formed, to result in the great changes attributed to them. Besides, no records of such proposed invasions or migrations have yet been found. Archaeology, literature, and science, including genetics, all contradict it. ----------------------------”

To put it simply, ARYANS were SANSKRIT SPEAKING people and DRAVIDIANS were non-SANSKRIT SPEAKING people. This was initially when crude Sanskrit was spoken before it was developed by PANINI. The word DRAVIDA is found first time in written form in a SIXTH CENTURY SANSKRIT TEXT, called TANTRIKAVARTIKA by KUMARILA BHATTA , to describe people who were inferior or lacking in knowledge and who spoke unintelligible language. This was the time, when, after the decline of BUDDHISM and emergence of GUPTA EMPIRE, HINDUISM had been given RELIGIOUS CONNOTATION with the confluence of SHAIVISM and VAISHNAVISM. This was also the time when the movement for the revival of SANATAN DHARMA would begin.

However, the word ‘DRAVIDA’ came into extensive modern use in the last half of the 19th Century when a BRITISH AUTHOR, Robert Caldwell, picked up the word from this SANSKRIT TEXT to describe the people of SOUTH INDIA—as they thought all SOUTH INDIANS speak TAMIL or DAMILA or DRAMILA. Thus, such a simplistic identification of the people is an example how SANSKRIT SPEAKING PEOPLE would have disfigured the originality of the NON-SANSKRITIC KNOWLEDGE. Actually, the idea of DRAVIDA created the myth of their migrations prior to ARYANS from Central Asia. The man behind this was CALDWELL, who regarded them as SCYTHIANS people because of some affinities between DRAVIDIAN LANGUAGES and CENTRAL ASIAN LANGUAGES.

Ancient India had movement of people from North to South and vice versa more freely. This is evident as you read the the immediate period in the aftermath of last ICE AGE. Peninsular India was the place where humans lived and cultivated. It is only when glacier melting raised the sea levels that people moved north into plain vacant areas, along the water bodies.Thus, through this Northward migration of peoples & cultures from South India, at the end of 'Ice Age', that the SARASVATI RIVER CIVILISATION WAS CREATED around 8000 BC—which was primarily NAGA CIVILISATION. But this Civilization had the best of both the regions i.e. North and South. As oral history tells us that the greatest of Rig Vedic Rishi, VASHISHTHA was the younger brother of AGASTYA –who is considered a great dominant seer in South India and Tamil Nadu It is also known that seer AGASTYA has supposedly composed 25 hymns for RIG VEDA..It establishes the fact that proto-Vedic and proto-Tamil cultures were closely related. It is further important to note that people from south like TURVASHAS and the YADUS are also mentioned in RIG VEDA as are PURUS of North India.

Anthropologists, Archaeologists and historians have now veered round to the view that the populations in the late ICE AGE were centered in the coastal areas and not along the rivers. In fact these populations preceded the river civilizations some thousands of years. Surprisingly, the historians and anthropologists have found that these sites were located not in CENTRAL ASIA, EURASIA or Europe but in the COASTAL REGIONS OF PENINSULAR INDIA or particularly now submerged LAND MASS of “SUNDA LAND”—also called GREATER INDIA. It is said that agriculture was first started in this region and when the temperatures rose at the end of Ice age, water level rose about 400 feet, submerging most of SUNDALAND—which had included whole of present day South Asia including Thailand, Myanmar and land up to INDONESIA, ANDEMAN & NICOBAR, SRILANKA etc, the people migrated to North West Region which became SARASVATI RIVER basin. Thus, began the saga of river civilizations.

HARAPPAN seals tell the story of this MUTATION of KNOWLEDGE. I would like to draw your attention to seals depicting YOGIC POSTURES—such as MULBANDHAASANA of YOGA on a seal. It is by a three headed deity who is also called PASHUPATINATH or Lord Shiva. I have said in my earlier write-up that NAGAS WERE followers of Lord SHIVA. Take another seal of SWASTIKA or SVASTI-KA meaning maker of welfare. These seals have been extensively found in Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. There is a seal with five SVASTI-SIGNS—which finds mention in Rig Veda and ‘Yajur Veda’. Again, the UNI-CORN or one horned animal seal found extensively in all the archaeological sites. It could be a boar. In Mahabharata it is described as ‘one horned’ or “EK-SHRINGA” This VARAH or BOAR seal has references in Rig Veda, ‘Yajur Veda’ and Mahabharata. Again, there are several seals as well as terra-cotta figurines demonstrating various YOGIC POSTURES. They are available on the WIKIPEDIA article on HARAPPAN SEALS. All this goes to show that HARAPPAN had this knowledge prior to the coming of so-called ARYANS. There is an artifact discovered which can be interpreted as OM sign. It is ‘bow-shaped’ with ashavattha tree leaves adorning it. I conclude from all this that VEDIC KNOWLEDGE was available to HARAPPAN people who dominated the SARASWATI –SINDHU region and who had migrated to this region from the COASTAL AREAS at the end of last ICE AGE.

Now the question arises who were HARAPPANS? Were they ARYANS or DRAVIDIANS? My answer is BIG NO. Ancient history, tradition, anthropology, literature, archaeology knows none as ARYANS and DRAVIDIANS. At best ARYA was a title used by aristocratic and educated people who spoke PERFECTED SANSKRIT—a language of the elite. I would rather say the crude language was used by the traders and adopted by ancient INDIAN SCHOLARS to replace the unscientific and difficult pictorial language of SARASVATI region. Today AMERICANISED English has overshadowed the Queen’s English. So must have been the case of INDIANISED SANSKRIT- which could have overshadowed AVESTAN ZENDA or CRUDE SANSKRIT.

‘Dravidian’ was a myth created by a SANSKRIT scholar to identify NON-SANSKRIT SPEAKING people as a derogatory reference. It later was used by BRITISH scholars to describe people of PENINSULAR INDIA. Some Sanskrit texts referred to five DRAVIDAS—or PANCH DRAVIDAS i.e. GUJRAT, MAHARASHTRA, KARNATKA, TAMIL and TELGU. It was basically to describe five regions of peninsular India. Neither ARYANS nor DRAVIDAS were a race to acquire that unique status. I would further like to reiterate that SANSKRIT, in crudest form, came to INDIA as a language of the TRADERS from the Central Asia and Iran as did English. It is known now that HARAPPAN had trade links with Egyptians, Sumerians and Iranians. It was reformed and developed in India and then utilized to transpose the KNOWLEDGE from PICTORIAL SCRIPTS to its improved version. So, who were HARAPPANS?

As a simple answer I would like to say they were ‘ancient Indians’—who had migrated from the coastal regions to SAPTA SINDHU REGION at the end of last ICE AGE, when bulk of SUNDA LAND or THE GREATER INDIA was submerged into the rising ocean. They were agriculturalists and URBAN DWELLERS who lived along the water bodies such as lakes and rivers. They knew the importance of water as they had developed agriculture in the coastal areas. Discovery of an urban city in the ‘bay of cam bay ‘ or “KHAMBHAT BAY” off the coast of Gujarat testifies this theory. Carbon dating suggests that city was submerged around 7500BC. This is around the time ICE AGE came to an end. Similar discoveries are being reported from near Chennai. And they were the ancient INDIANS. Let us not talk of color and complexion. Climate, weather and geographic features play their part. American speaks their English through nasal sounds whereas English men speak differently. The geography does have its impact on your speech.

I firmly believe that people of SARASVATI-INDUS region were the carrier of VEDIC KNOWLEDGE as NAGA PEOPLE. They were followers of LORD SHIVA—who had the entire region mapped by his temples. His followers believed in drinking SOMARAS, an intoxicant, and relished non-vegetarian dishes. They believed living happily in the present. EAT, DRINK, and be MERY was their basic philosophy of life. Natural upheavals between 4500 BC to 2000BC led to their cities being devastated. It is during this period that trading jamborees of people from WEST began to settle in the region where vacuum was created by the migration EAST and SOUTH of the NAGAS. Even Ramayana mentions that Lord RAVNA was worshipper of LORD SHIVA---he is alleged to have offered his head in YAGNA to lord SHIVA one thousand times. It is also truism that RAVNA was a most LEARNED KING—he was known to have the knowledge of FOUR VEDAS. At the time of his death, Lord RAMA and LAXMAN go to RAVNA to get the final Lesson of life. And what did he tell them: “NEVER BE HAUGHTY”. I reckon Ravna was a NAGA KING.BALMIKI, who wrote Ramayana was a CHANDAL—a NAGA. Mythology talks about them as DANAVS or DASYUS, DAITYAS, RAKSHASHAS etc. This is the time when NAGAS had withdrawn from SARASVATI region to down south and East and they had established their own kingdoms. Perhaps geography, weather and climate affected their color and complexion.

‘Mahabharata’ too, makes a mention of these NAGAS in a most derogatory sense—when it paints them as demons or dangerous people. There are three stories in Mahabharata about them. One is lord Krishna, as a child, overpowering a KALIYA NAAG on the banks of River Yamuna near Mathura. He has been depicted as half human and half snake. I am sure he must be some NAGA chieftain who lived near the river. Then there is a mention of ARJUNA marrying a NAGA girl ULUPI in MANIPUR during ‘Pandav’s’ 14 year exile who gave birth to his son. She ought to be a human if ARJUNA married her and got a son through her. Then we come to the famous YAGNA by JANAMAJAY, grand son of ARJUNA, who in his zeal to revenge his father’s killing by a NAGA Prince, TAKSHAK, took a vow to eliminate NAGA race from the earth. He systematically carried out ETHNIC CLEANSING—like what happened in KASHMIR some years back when Kashmiri Pundits (KPs) were made to vacate the valley. He went on to ravage the beautiful city of TAXILA—in Pakistan. This is the only instance I find of ARYAN butchery of the HARAPPAN people. Ethnic Cleansing has historical precedence in Indian Context.

So, who were Nagas? I think it needs to take into account historical, archaeological, anthropological and mythological tales to form an opinion. It would be better if I do it separately in another blog. But for the time being I would say that they were the people who founded the Harappan civilisation. All the vedic knowledge belonged to them.They disappeared, as all fully developed civilisations do because of their own lethargy,laziness and luxurious life sparked by overwhelming wealth and knowledge. When it happens, the civilisation ceases to grow and others come and grow over them. This is the only historical truth of human transition from one 'Time Period' to another. This time period might not be visible immediately but when you read the past history the layered structure of its anatomy is visible. This is what President BH Obama of USA , has been telling the Americans. However he might not know that demography of Sillicon valley is irreversible. The 'land of plenty' induced laziness might push USA and alongwith it Western Civilisation into dustbin of history, as did all affluent civilisations while at the zenith of their development. Sometimes later on Harappan civilisation!
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