FALING HINDU MARRIAGES IN ADVANCING INDIA

There is no denying that India is advancing fast materially and Indian couples have all the essentials needed for a comfortable living. Yet, Hindu marriages in particular are breaking down more frequently than ever before. It shows a marriage needs something more that material comforts to make it stable.

Earlier, a Hindu marriage was thought to be a bond for seven lives when science was a little less advanced. But now there are no seven lives, your life is here and now. Hindus are adopting an attitude similar to other religions that a marriage is a contract not an institution any more. And a contract can be signed and broken with the convenience of one or both the parties. Here it is broken even if not signed !!

The contract of a Hindu marriage is broken not because of breach of agreement as there were no conditions laid down like in several other religions. We enter into an institution and think it is a contract. The Hindu Marriage Act has given the women their rightful due but did not redefine a Hindu marriage as a contractual agreement. It is still based on the assumption of pious relationship, eternal bond and social sanction.

I know several marriages that broke down simply because of clash of ego of one or the other partner. The only difference that Hindu Marriage Act has brought about is that men cannot utter Talaq Talaq Talaq and get rid of their spouses. But once they know that the bond is actually an unwritten agreement that can be broken, they break it at the drop of a stone.

It is time we should either redefine a Hindu Marriage as a contractual agreement based on a written and signed document or else continue with the marriage of faith of eternal emotional bond. We cannot have benefits of both. Indeed, we are landing into evils of both models.

NEHRU PROMISED PLEBISITE IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR

We cannot run away from the fact that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India had promised plebiscite in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. However the promise was made after the papers of accession of the princely state in India had been already signed. Any attempt to question the legal document signed between Raja Hari Singh, the father of Dr. Karan Singh, the ruler of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the Government of India, might open the Pandora’s Box because the 500 odd states had signed almost in the same manner. What does that mean?

The rights of land were vested in the king and once those rights were transferred to the sovereign state of India, the land belongs to the people of India. Its status could not be altered by the promise of any individual or functionary without the explicit approval of the Parliament of India. Therefore, the promise of plebiscite did not have the sanction of the Parliament and could not be implemented. All the arguments that situation has changed after so many elections and all the rest are facade.

Even if the promise of plebiscite was fulfilled, the people of Jammu and Kashmir would have had a choice of remaining in India or going to Pakistan. They could not carry the land with them because it belongs to the people of India. I do not know what the so called interlocutors aim to achieve that has not been tried in the last Sixty years. What they are doing is an exercise in futility or at the most a wonderful time pass with humiliation to the Constitution of India and India herself.

Can you retain a hostile population on the strength of your gun to demonstrate the credentials of your secularism? I am afraid not for long. There are only two logical options. One is if you really believe that the state (now province) is an integral part of India, give Indians their right to settle wherever they like within the country. However, if you cannot do that, allow those who want to go to the land of their cherished dream, like so called Mohajirs (they were not mohajirs while in India) did during and after 1947. At any rate, they will not be able to carry the land with them.

EQUATING RSS WITH SIMI

I hope Rahul Gandhi does not actually consider the two outfits to have equal degree of fanaticism. May be the media reported in a spicy manner. After all he is more knowledgeable than that and he was not talking about ABVP or Bajrang Dal. Be as it may, in case he does consider RSS as fanatic as the SIMI then it will have far reaching message. When he becomes the Prime Minister of India he will either ban RSS or lfit the ban from SIMI.

It is true that the RSS faced bans during the Prime Ministership of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and Smt. Indira Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi may follow the precedent. But it is equally true that Vallabh Bhai Patel and Lal Bahadur Shastri and Jaiprakash narain thought otherwise. It will be in the fitness of things that Rahul Gandhi, being so meticulour, may like to gain some first hand information about the organisations before making comments and comparisons.

I am no body to defend RSS but objectivity in the assessment of the organisations by the leader of youth is questionable.

THEY ARE INDIAN NUMERALS NOT ARABIC

The other day I was reading 'INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS' in an Indian science journal and it says "all the photographs should be numbered using Arabic numerals. I was surprised and disappointed that our people are not aware that the nine digits were invented in India not in the Middle East. It is true that the travelers from Arab to India had taken the knowledge of numerals with them and spread it in the West. If the Western world had not got the knowledge from India through the travelers, they would still be writing in Roman numerals that would have made the advent of science and technology rather impossible.

In this age of Patents and 'Intellectual Property Rights', we must at least acknowledge and appreciate the wisdom of ancient Indians that they had invented not only Zero but also the nine numerals. We can read the book 'Wonder that was India' by A. L. Basham where more details are available. I would not blame Westerners for their ignorance because they had got the knowledge from the Arabs and thought the numbers to be Arabic. However, our Indian scientists should know better. To be extra courteous we may call them Indo-Arabic numerals.

STOP PROMOTING BUFFALO CULTURE

In the recent past the spread of TV and cinema has been phenomenal and so is the steepness of the crime graph in India. Can any one explain why there has been explosion in the criminal cases of eve molestation, loot, abduction, ransom, murder, rape, burglary, cheating, synchronizing with the spread of TV and cinema. They were rare in the Indian society just a few decades ago. Film makers might claim they portray what is happening in the society but the fact is that the society tries to imitate what is happening on the screen. The promoters of crime are as guilty as the criminals themselves.

Indeed, many culprits admit that they got the idea and learnt the techniques from TV and cinema. T V channels have started special programmes on crime with full details of the heinous acts. These visuals make powerful impact on young viewers.

If children watch the throat of a goat or sheep being slit to allow the entire blood of her body ooze out, they become insensitive to oozing blood, their tender feelings are hardened. This is not to plead vegetarianism but to object to public display of cutting throat. Likewise when children watch sex crime, violence and antisocial activities, their animal instinct is awakened. Reel life is translating itself into real life.

Cinema and TV in their subtle ways are promoting a new type of culture –the buffaloes culture. The cattle roam around naked in public view and bulls chasing them with or without mutual consent. The Homo sapiens (humans) must have been like that during palaeolithic and Neolithic times but evolved to a civilized society of restraint thereafter. Film makers want to take us to the days of free for all through arousal of sensuality and sexuality on the pretext of public demand.

The excuse of public demand is obnoxious because the public might demand hashish, marijuana, opium and host of other things but we cannot and perhaps should not supply the same to the people. The argument is nothing but refuge for earning quick money by exploiting animal instincts of human beings.

Agreed, all living beings from bacteria to humans have their own ways and rules of love and love making. Human evolution was accompanied with social experience leading to civilized manners that prohibit public display of intimate personal life a la buffaloes. The programmes on TV and cinema are doing precisely the same.

After the so called arousal of sensuality and sexuality, the young ones try to satisfy their urge. Since they cannot go on a date with a friend to calm down they adopt other means that are most unpleasant.

I heard one of the leading film makers saying India is a country where 'Shiva Linga' is worshipped and Khajuraho, Konark and Ajanta were created. This is silly argument. Shiva literally means auspiciousness and welfare and Shiva Linga shaped as Cosmos is the symbol of Cosmic Energy of auspiciousness.

Regarding Khajuraho and Konark , the sex postures are depicted on the outer side of walls of temples but once you enter the temple, the walls and ceilings are blank and plain. The message is loud and clear. You need to overcome the sexual urge to tread the path of spiritual concentration, the sublimation of energy. Be as it may, taking shelter under mythological context may be dangerous. For example, Virgin Mary gave birth to Lord Jesus Christ, should the film makers portray virgins to be child bearing? This will be absolute misuse of the freedom of expression granted by our constitution.

It is for the film makers to use their discretion and decide if on the pretext of public demand they should exhibit the bedroom scenes on screen for arousal of sensuality and sexuality at the expense of discipline and sensitivity of Indian mind? Should the film makers go on pouring petrol and expect the fire not to ignite?

THE KASHMIR TANGLE

Every Indian loves Kashmir a little more than he or she loves any other state of the country. Does that mean the people of India be taxed for ever to keep the problem alive. Should our soldiers be asked to defend Kashmir with folded hands . Some researchers estimate that 40000 people have been killed since 1989 alone and Thousands of soldiers have died. Can any one estimate the number of soldiers died in Kashmir since 1947 and money spent to contain insurgency. Can any one count the money spent by way of subsidy that failed to please the Kashmiri populace . If this is the way our governments wish to solve the problem, God forbid the cost that will be paid in decades nay Centuries to come.

Kashmir is an integral part of India, they say but an Indian cannot roam around freely there what to talk of purchasing a piece of land. Indian soldiers are sent there to contain insurgency with instructions not to use weapons lest it will be construed violation of human right !!

It is a miracle that many of the soldiers return home alive and safe, though mentally disturbed at times.

It is said that Nehru had promised plebicite in Kashmir and did not try the exercise. Did Nehru have sanction of the Parliament to promise the plebicite or did he take the Kashmir dispute to U.N.O. with the approval of the Parliament? Be as it may, the problem has gone from bad to worse over the years.

Even after the last 61 years' of fighting the hostile people, it did not occur to our governments that the problem can never ever be solved unless the demographic complexion of Kashmir is altered to all India figures. Hope our governments will understand.

अनजाने मुसाफिर को समर्पित

यादों की गठरी समेटे हुए और अपनी ही धुन में

सड़क के किनारे

अकेला मुसाफ़िर चला जा रहा था

गठरी थी उसकी खुली जा रही ,

यादें संभाले संभलती नहीं थीं

कभी ग़म निकल कर चुभन दे रहे थे,

खुशियाँ कभी थीं उसको

खिझातीं

तभी एक साथी पुराना मिला

बोला कब तक ये गठरी सँवारे रहोगे

इसे फ़ेंक दो, आग इसमें लगा दो

रफ़्तार तुम ज़िन्दगी की बढ़ा दो

नई ज़िन्दगी के सफ़र पर निकल लो

फिर नयी एक गठरी सजा लो

वह रुका, थोडा सोचा और

रफ़्तार अपनी बढा ली.