Indian Secularism---an Enigma!

The Human Resource Development Ministry under the most honourable Shri Arjun Singh has recently added another sparkling feather to its "secular" cap.It may be true that the thousands of reforms to improve the Education System suggested by Educationists are gathering dust in the files of the HRD Ministry but the HRDM has accomplished most urgent reform(the reform of all the reforms,so to say).The emblem of the Kendriya vidyalaya Sangathan under the Ministry of HRD,designed nearly 43 years ago during Congress regime,contained a large lotus,the rising sun and a Sanskrit slogan in it.While successive Govts at the Centre understood the meaning and significance of the contents of the emblem and the appropriateness of the slogan and continued with it,ArjunSingh perhaps saw an opportunity to please his Itallian Mademoiselle.Thanks to his enthusiastic intervention,the "lotus"has now been taken away from the emblem and is replaced by somethingelse.What a victory,Mr.Arjun!You have really vanquished the mighty Kauravas with an all powerful arrow(Brahmasthra?) from your Gandeepam!By removing the lotus you have annihilated the "communal"forces from the land of the "secularists".


"Secularism"--no word in the English lexicon has perplexed the lexicographers worldwide so much as this magic word!In a very broad sense we may say that "secularism is what the secularists do!"Long ago, some economist defined 'money' as 'money is what money does!'Secularism is the antonym of communalism.All believers of Islam are secular and all "kaufers"(read all others) are communal.If an elected govt. dumps its minister and reverses the Supreme Court judgement in the Shah Bano case, it is just acting in a secular way.When V.P.Singh wooed Shahi Imam of Delhi,When the Kerala Assembly passes a resolution seeking Madhani's(accused in the Coimbattur blast case) release,Mr.Lalu Prasad Yadav hailing the (temporary)lifting of the ban on SIMI by a designated court,the Congress,the SP and the BSP pledging support for Abu Bashar of Azamghar,the bid to modernise 'madrassas' by supplying computers to make their inmates 'computer-savvy', et-al are only secular actions under the Indian semantic rules.But ofcourse VHP,BJP,Bajrang Dal etc are communal organisations and even "Bharat mata ki jai" is considered a communal slogan in that jargon.

In a secular country hundreds of crores being spent as subsidy for Haj Pilgrims,is perfectly understandable.The 14-page e-mail sent before the Delhi blasts may start with a quotation from Holy Quoron and the "merchants of death" may describe the massacre of innocent people as "holy war"---all these are permissible in secularism.Even the the remark of a congress big -weight comparing the Hindu-Christian clashes in Orissa and Karnataka to the serial bomb blasts, isperfectly understandable.

At the same time one should not think of the following as acts of even the semblence of terrorism:
1.Congress consents to Partition of the country
2.Congress govt. reverses the SupremeCourt judgement on Shah Bano case.
3.Demolition of temples and the forced eviction of Hindu pandits from the land of their own.
4.Revocation of land allotted to Amarnath Shrine Board with an eye on the vote bank.
5.the move to demolish RamSethu with the support of the "self-respect"group.
6.Permitting forced religious conversions through fraud and bribes.
7.Permitting the vulgar display of Hindu Gods and Bharat mata by M.F.Hussain in the name of "freedom of expression"(condemning vociferously the publication of a cartoon of the Prophet by a foreign magazine,is a different thing).
8.Our cheap politicians indirectly justifying terrorist activities as natural manifestation of a wronged group.Infact,if terrorist activities are the outcome of the "Hindu oppression"(even for argument sake) ,then why are the terrorists active in Pakistan which is not a Hindu country and so there can be no "Hindu oppression"?

If anybody is still thinking of the provisions in the Indian Constitution that 'secularism' means giving equal importance to all religions,he is at his own risk!May be to the powers that be,"all religions are equal,but the minority religions are 'more equal' than the majority religion and that "pampering the minority and hampering the majority" is the most acceptable meaning of 'secularism'.Who can say that secularism is an "enigma" anymore?

TRAVEL TRAVAILS!

This Probably happened during the 80's--may be sometime in 1983.I was a TGT in KV CLRI Chennai then and was in cloud nine that year when I became entitled to FIRST CLASS journey,having reached the required basic pay to avail that facility(a great privilege at that time).It may look so silly to people today who may wonder what is so great about it.But only those who have ever longed for it,will understand. During the month of March,I got selected to attend a orientation course at KV Southern Command Pune in June that year.Normally no teacher likes to attend such programmes that eat into their vacation,but not me!I saw this as a God-sent opportunity to realise my dream of travelling by FIRST CLASS all the way from Chennai to PUNE! So, wasting no time in waiting for the school to give the required travelling advance, I rushed to the Central Station with my own money to book my ticket to Pune by FIRST CLASS.



After waiting for over two hours in the queue(there was no i-ticket or e-ticket facility those days),When my turn came I handed the amount to the person in the counter with trembling hands(excitement) .But when I got the ticket in my hands ,all my excitement evaporated in no time,as I found that I got only Waiting List No.1 ,though I had booked a full two months in advance!Hiding my disappointment I queried the reservation clerk as to what was my chance of getting my reservation confirmed,he laughed boisterously and said that there was a full 2 months and my waiting was only no. 1 and I shouldn't have any such improbable doubts.Unwillingly and without being fully convincinced I left the counter.



For the next three weeks It became my regular routine to visit the ticket counter every Monday to enquire if there was any improvement in the position,but call it my luck(or lack of it)that the position remained painfully the same!I also came to know that many of my friends of the other local KVs who had also to attend the same course at Pune had booked confirmed tickets by 2nd class(I wonder till today why none of them suggested to me to do the same ). But like a true optimist.I was waitng for a miracle to happen!



Just one day before the scheduled departure of the train--I remember It was Dadar Express--I made my routine enquiry and was as usual promptly pooh-poohed of my fears by counter clerk.



On the scheduled day of departure I was at the platform well in advance with my bag and baggage hoping for the miracle to happen but the position was stuck at number one!The trin was quite late to be shunted into the platform and there was harly 10 minutes for the departure when ,gathering all my politeness I approached the TTE of the first class compartment and informed in chaste English(hoping that it would help my cause) that mine was waiting listNo.One - and whether I could board the compartment."Poyya, unakku verey velai ille?",was the reply in pure unchaste Tamil!When the train started moving, I saw many people with waiting list number 153 or 205 etc(in 2nd class) were boarding the compartment without asking the TTE.All I could do was to stand petrified in the platform watching the train depart,with my other friends whe had booked by 2nd class, waving bye-bye to me unmindful of my plight.Truly, the world was a cruel place to kill the simple dream of a law-abiding citizen to enjoy a legitimate tavel by the entitled class.



I was truly not trained much in Crisis-management at that time!(Now I've become adept in Crisis management,having worked as KV Principal for over 6 years).So I stood rooted to my place ,with a lot of"asadu" flowing down my face!On recovering my coposure partially ,I looked around aimlessly.That was when I found another person next to me looking as crisis-ridden as me.On enquiry I learnt that he was Mr.NageswaraRao(I'm glad I can get his name right), another teacher from KVKalpakkam proceedinding to the same school in Pune to attend the same orientation course as mine!I thanked God for the small mercy that now I'm not alone in this crisis.Ironically the position of Mr.NageswaraRao was Waiting ListNo.2 !and he was detrained by the same TTE for not having a confirmed reservation in 1st class.



The rest of the story may not be very interesting,though I cannot leave it unfinished.Mr.Rao being an Andhra guy from Renigunta through which the next train(Bombay Janatha Express)would pass.So after cancelling our First class tickets and buying waiting list(2nd class)tickets -some123,124 etc,we trvelled by unreserved class till Renigunta by Janata Express,he bribed the "mana Vadu"TTE at Renigunta where so many lemon-merchants follow this technique and then we shifted to a sleeper compartment and some how reached Pune a full 24 hours after the programme started!



The obvious moral of the story is:Don't ever trust the bloody counter clerk or his speculations!Always trvel by confirmed accommodation--1st class,sleeper or AC .If by chance Mr.Rao happens to go through this he is welcome to contact me!

Long live ' wisest of the wise'!

"Arignar' refers to a wise man and "Perarignar"therefore should mean "wisest of the wise".Yes I mean the inimitable late shri Annadurai,the first Dravidian chief minister of Tamilnadu whose birth centenary was celebrated with the usual pomp and show by the "thambis" belonging to various political parties, on 15September.All the fuss and the torrential downpour of freebees like ONE KG ONE RUPEE RICE,the subsidised masala packs etc not withstanding,what strikes one is the amazing ironies that stand out on the occasion.

C.N.Annadurai was a simpleton,with a real literary bent of mind who came from a humble background at Kancheepuram.He was known for his upright nature and benevolence in public life.When he founded the "Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam" he would never have dreamt that his future political 'thambis'would idealise him much agaist his principle against idol worship.Today you cannot name a city or a street in it without an "Anna silai"in it.So much for a man who ridiculed "silai vazhipadu"!

At the time of founding the DMK,C.N.Annadurai's main doctrine was a separate "Dravida nadu"--"Dravida nadu dravidarukke"(The dravidian land-read Tamilnadu belongs to the Tamilians alone).But then came a time and political compulsions that he he could not hold on to his secessionistic ideology any more.So without any hesitation he sacrificed the main doctrine of the DMK,namely the "dravida nadu dravidarukke' slogan.He was indeed very practical and down-to earth in his approach.I can still recall the posters put up by the congressmen throughout my hometown Sivaganga condemning the DMK for this ruthless compromise on its basic doctrine.

"Kolgai izhandha mundam
Adhu komali piditha pindam
Theera mudiyatha gandam
Ini Dhi mu ka vazhvadhu dandam"
(The party that has sacrificed its ideals is like a doll used by a clown.The land cannot get rid of this menace(DMK) and this headless body has no reason to suvive.)
As a school boy I used enjoy the rhyme scheme of these lines though I couldn'y comprehend the import of the same.
It is no small wonder whether the congress which is a faithful though shameless ally of the DMK today, can afford to have the same attitude towards the ruling DMK.

Another commendable character of Annadurai was that he was very accommodative towards his colleagues in the party and the govt.Never ever could he even think of" dynastic rule" that has become the order of the day today.He was the one who gave prominance to Karunanidhi who later overtook others in race to the "gaddhi".But today it is an open secret that ,given the choice,Tamilnadu will be subdivided into two different legacies sooner or later.The two "rising sons" will share the booty among themselves--the northern Tamilnadu being named "Stalin Nadu" and the southern Tamilnadu being "Alagiri Nadu"!But still there will be a hitch.How will you then account for "Kanimozhi Nadu" and "KayalvizhiNadu"?So much for the founder who hated dynastic rule.
If it is rising sons in the DMK,then it is the "friendly sister "who calls the shots in the AIADMK,there being 'no family' for the AIADMK supremo!What a way to honour a leader by burying the ideals that he stood he stood for.

The Congress that has always ridden piggy back on either of the Dravidian parties opportunistically does not lag behind in celebrating the birth day bash as well.One may recall what the last Congress Chief Minister of Tamilnadu Bakthavatsalam said after conceding defeat to the DMK,"A virus has entered the Tamilnadu political scenario".One hopes some strong antivirus potion is put in place!The congress that excells in singing Itllian lullabies to MadamGandhi and her son," the future yuvraj", has again no scruples whil eulogising the ideals of Annadurai.All one can say while watching these "satans citing Scriptures" is,is the title of a famous satire of the legendary Cho Ramaswamy"Yarukkum Vetkam Illai"(No one is ashamed).

The Sign of life!

How often did we have the time and inclination to enjoy the message (intended as well as unintended)conveyed by a roadside sign board?Composing a sign board text is not as easy as one takes it to be.The choice of apt words and phrases that should ensure bevity without sacrifising clarity is indeed not everybody's cup of tea!Let's now embark upon an interesting journey through this "Sign of life".

1.Sign board in a crocodile park:Swimming is prohibited.Survivors willbe prosecuted.

2.the signboard at a shipping bay warns pedestrians of speeding trucks thus:"Warning!Truck area.Pedestrians not allowed.Violators will be squished."

3.The sign board at a concert hall has a request to the audience:"When lights begin to dim before the show, please set your cell phones and small children on vibrate."

4.Sign board outside a church:"Want to go to Heaven?Flight lessons are given here."

5.A sign board warns women-visitors to a factory thus:"If your dress is very loose, be carefulwhile approaching the machines.If they are very tight,be careful while approaching the workers."

6.The cocktail lounge of a prestigious club has this request to make:"Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar."

7.The name board of a Barcelona travel agency:"Go Away."

8.Sign board outside a laundry:"We dye for you."

9.Sign board in a double decker bus:"When you exit ,please be sure to lower your head and watch your step.If you miss your step and hit your head ,please lower your voice and watch your language."

10.An ad. message in the kennel column of a newspaper:"Golden Retriever.Very cheap.Will eat anything.Loves children."

11.After driving all the way up to the office building,a customer to a travel agency was startled to find this board :Please leave your car outside.

12.Sign board outside the workers restroom in the office: New incentive plan.Work or get fired. 13.The ad. message for a mosquito repellant."Do not donate blood--to mosquitoes.Use 'nomos cream'.

14.Ad. message inserted by a popular launderer:"Dear customers!Do not spoil your precious clothes by washing them at home.Bring them to us.We will do it systematically for you ,using our sophisticated machines at a nominal cost."

15.The sign board in a zoo warns visitors thus:Please donot feed the animals.If you have anything,give it to the guards on duty."

16.The signboard outside an ENT Clinic announces its services in a beatiful way:"See no evil?Hear no evil?Speak no evil?May be we can help."

17.THe low doorway to the breakfast room of a restaurant had this message painted in bold letters."Duck or grouse."

18.The sign board outside a huge national park in Chennai: Asia's largest oxygen factory.Absolutely sound-proof.

19.The sssign board in the men's room was rather perplexing.It said "4U2P".On careful reflection one could guess it meant"For you to pee."

20.Outside a grocery store:Wanted two part-time perishable clerks.

21."Hot cow's milk available"said the board near a man serving milk to customers with a cow tethered nearby.When one of the customers complained voceferously that the milk was not hot,the man replied,Touch the cow.It's hot,standing in the sun.I sell hot-cow's milk!.

22.Customers to aliquor shop found,to their amazement a donkey beingat the other end near near a board that said:"For additional kick."

23.The sign board outside a private news channel:We have more live reporters than any other channel.

24.Sign board outside a drug store selling oral contraceptives announces:A pill a day ,keeps the doctor away.

25.Ad. message of an adhesive:Joins everything except broken hearts.

26.Ad. message of for a body spray:"All's well that smells well."

27.The name board of agarage owned by one Nagaraj says it all:NAGARAGE.

(readers are welcome to supplement to this list)

Freedom-- From What?

"Freedom from fear is the freedom I claim for you my countrymen..."said Tagore.Fifteenth August provides us with yet another opportunity to introspect how many types of fears have we conquered over these61 years.while the entire world is currently seized with genuine fear of Islamic Terrorism India is no stranger to it.Right from the day the first Mullah led his hordes through the Khyber Pass in 10th century AD our very existence as a free nation has been eroded and Islamic Terrorism has been consuming people and property in snowy mountains to shopping malls and has now entered into hospitals aswell.On the Independence Day, from VVIPs to 'aam admi' every one had to be scouting for the lurking 'Jihadi' .This fear will continue till the last Jihadi walks into 'jannat'.Kashmir has become the embodiment of fear psychosis of late.It is becoming a malignant tumour in the head of our nation.The POK is beyond our bounds'de facto' and is likely to become 'de jure'too what with the political establishment on the verge of recognising the current LOC as the international border with Pakistan,though the constitution forbids any part of soveign India including POK.By Article370 J&K is exempt from many laws that are applicable to the rest of the country.Many other constitutional provisions are declared redundant .The operation of even the 'residual'laws are subject to the approval of the J&K Assembly!It means invariably that the state can over rule the Centre__an Independence within an Independence!The present turmoil raging in Jammu-Kashmir,--rather Jammu Vs Kashmir is over the denial of India's land for the use of Indian citizens!What about 'Economic Freedom'?Though politicians shout from roof tops that more and more people arerising above poverty line,they have few takers.The truth is that the 'booming middle class' is chasing goods and services that it does not need.Where can one expect economic freedom when the middleclass has bartered it to a virtually life long EMI?According to the "aam common man",borrowing is better than begging and a better moral option than stealing.What about the huge chunk of the population thatare in bondage to poverty?Even 60 years of quotas,quotas and more quotas not to speak of free colour TVs,have brought little succour to the truly oppressed.The entire nation has again no freedom from corruption.How we wish that we get our driving licenses and ration cards from lifeless robots that work rather than from a bored clerk doesn't!And with robots the grease will not be on the palm at least!MERA(FREE)BHARAT MAHAN! (Inspired by an article in a local newsletter)

How clean is MrClean?

The image of MrClean of the Union govt. has undoutedly taken a beating in post Trust vote scenerio.

Welcome to TOMSPEAKS to experience the facets of life's charms as Tom does.