What do Bengalis get during the 5 day frenzy of Durga Puja?

Some pseudo intellectuals have often questioned the sheer madness that surrounds Durga Puja celebrations in West Bengal. They argue about the money spent during the Puja; the amount of energy “wasted” by the people; the traffic, the crowd, the gimmick… in fact everything that creates the madness. This is my humble reply to them.

On the day of Mahalaya, Sealdah station is swamped by dhakis the drummers who are an integral part of Durgotshob. This is the only time they can feel proud of their tradition and skill. They earn 10,000 to 20,000 during these 5 days. Rest of the year, they earn a meagre amount by working as migrant farm labourers. Durga Puja keeps their art alive. Many have even flown to San Francisco, Berlin and London.

Photo courtesy- www.mumbairock.com

Shola grows wild in marshy waterlogged areas. This seemingly abundant plant provides livelihood to almost 5000 craftsmen- the Malakars of the shola Pith craft.

Photo courtesy- www.biolib.cz

The milky white stalk of the plant is painstakingly processed for months to produce the intricate decorations that adorn the Durga idols all over West Bengal and in Kolkata.  Due to the hype and so called “gimmick” of these 5 days, the craft has now seen a revival. Many villages namely Banshberia, Moukhali, Hattala,Rangaberia, Chaitanyapur and Muldia have started shola works.

Each year, a sleepy suburban town near Kolkata creates a Disney like magical world through their “tuni bulb” light works. Great personalities, animals, circus clowns, peacocks, “Mayurponkhi nouka”, “thakurmar jhuli”, characters from”Abol Tabol” comes alive on the streets of Kolkata.

50,000 people work in this trade. The best prize for “alokshajja” goes to the Puja organizers. The puja committees set aside almost 5 lakhs for these unique light works that will add to the popularity of their theme and Pandal. Not only in Kolkata, there is a huge rising demand for these light works in far off Gujarat, Mumbai and Ranchi. Their work is now appreciated all over the world. The most famous being the giant peacock barge at 2003 Thames Festival.

Media reports that the total expenditure in Durga Puja is growing at a 30%. More than 2 lakhs artisans of different crafts and art make their annual living from this festival.

Apart from this, the five day celebration provides almost the entire year’s income for other craftsmen- zari workers, Natun gram’s Wooden owl makers, dokra workers, the pandal makers and of course, the 260 units and 9000 patuas from Kumartuli. 

And, for those who are still sceptical about the worth of this Puja for Bengalis, here is a thought. It is a tribute- to the indomitable courage of the people of Bengal- those middle class households who save each penny throughout the year to visit a new place, go for a tour in Rajasthan, Gujarat, to the hills of Himalaya and North East;

It takes courage to smile through the debts, rising price of everything that is needed for a decent living, to say no to bribe even when an extra 500 would buy a much needed medicine, to live a deprived life even when there is easy money available if only they say yes to a decadent wish or a corrupt request.

These 5 days, Bengalis renew their spirit, their hope and prepare for the grind that awaits them for the next 365 days. They take pride in small achievements- a bike, a rise in salary, a gift of a jewellery to their mothers and wives, a computer for his son or daughter and other little dreams that make no sense to others but for them, it is just an inch forward to a better life, a reminder that their lives are not worthless. So, yes, Bengalis get a lot from Durga Puja.

Our Brain Holds the Key to Our Connection with Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence

Our Brain Holds the Key to Our Connection with Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence

There has often been a conflict in two philosophies of life- The East- with its over emphasis on religion asks us to live a pious life so that we can have a less painful afterlife while the West –with its overemphasis on science, reasoning and consciousness asks us to live our life the way we choose to with complete disregard for an afterlife. One believes in death as “the irreversible cessation of all vital functions especially as indicated by permanent stoppage of the heart, respiration, and brain activity: the end of life”, the other believes in continuation of soul.

In all ancient cultures and even in all the tribal cultures all around the world, death is looked upon as a part of an ongoing process- it is just a stage in the journey of soul.

Modern science has only recently woke up to the fact that it does not completely know the functions and mechanisms of human brain and human body.

It seems that “god” (extra-terrestrial intelligent species) made humans in their mirror form. And surprisingly, with serious effort, a person can break the barrier of body and material consciousness. Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a psychedelic compound that resembles the basic structure of neurotransmitters. When ingested, DMT is able to cross the human blood-brain-barrier, allowing it to act as a powerful hallucinogenic drug that dramatically affects human consciousness. Those who have taken DMT speak of similar experiences- of meeting or seeing spiritual and/or alien spirits.

The best examples of such encounters are found in Shamanism practised by Amerindian tribes of Amazon basin. Out of millions of plants, only a few plants in Amazon produce DMT. The brew prepared from such plants is called Ayahuasca- Aya- meaning “soul” and Waska meaning ‘liana” essentially- “ liana of the dead or spirit liana.

First “miracle” – DMT is produced in human body although its function is unknown to scientists. Is it the key to unlock the barrier and meet our true ancestors coded inside our body just like we do for our robots now. Many indigenous people claim that the name of the plant that could produce DMT which can be utilised by our bodies without the enzimes breaking it down- was given to them by spirits of the plant itself in “dream time” usually the days of origin of that tribe.

Second “miracle” – Irrespective of who drinks the brew, the experience is similar- hallucinations about god like beings, intelligent spirits and most important of all- spirit of Ayahuasca- a sort Supreme Mother. Such hallucination causes a reality switch in the person. That is why ayahuasca has been used to cure drug addiction, mental diseases by the shamans from ancient time.

Third “miracle”- Brain is the key to our connection with these true ancestors- It seems that our near death experiences alter our personality. Those who have near death experience become more altruistic, less materialistic and more loving. Such change in personality happen in relation to what is needed for an all-round growth of individual- So who determines this change? The brain, according to science is dead for the 10 -15 minutes. So where does the body and brain get this signal to change? Considering the aftereffects, the near-death phenomenon seems to stimulate the brain hemisphere that was not previously dominant. There is also an observable movement in the brain, structurally, toward data clustering and creative invention - as if the person was developing a more synergistic type of neutral network –involving the brain as a whole and not just as two separate hemispheres-.There is now established historical evidence that many people who have contributed significantly to the betterment of our society had near death experience- Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Queen Elizabeth I..

Scientists are now working to find the importance and behaviour of particles that could have momentum and energy but no mass- ie our souls. Photon particles can be a case in point.

Till we find irreversible proof from science, let us believe that our true ancestors gave us all the power to do good, heal the earth and do wonders and miracles. We have ruined that blessing with our doggedness and our faith in our invincibility. Let us rewind the track of progress just a little and give Earth little breathing space.  

Read more at-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s42vuf0ahU8- Graham Hancock- The war on consciousness- TED Talk.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyltryptamine

http://dreamherbs.com/helpful-articles/stories-of-near-death-experiences/

http://www.dailyom.com/library/000/002/000002527.html

http://www.dailyom.com/library/000/002/000002527.html

Leadership and What It Entails

According to Webster's Dictionary, a leader is someone who has the capacity to lead: the office or position of leader. The keywords in the two definitions are "capacity" and "office". The leader is the person who is willing to listen, make decisions and most importantly takes the hand of his subordinates and inspires them to deliver their best. So, how do we judge who is a good leader? Simple, we look at his subordinates. If they seem motivated to go that extra mile for the company, if they are proactive and willing to take on new things, if they whistle and work even if there is overtime of  3 hours.... look for the person who is standing behind and smiling. He is a true leader. A leader is not just about the office or the designation- it is about the spirit of professionalism, honesty and dedication. 

According to Revenue Journal two of the important characteristics of true leadership are- being non-judgmental and being able to communicate clearly, precisely and concisely. In Indian context, I would add another characteristic- Being Fair-minded –to identify competence and do away with prejudice. Prejudice is numero uno enemy of just and fair. A leader should also display high emotional intelligence quotient. This calls for being sensitive to people’s problems, feelings.

A person who continuously flogs a subordinate for slipping or a fault , that too in public  cannot inspire anything positive in his subordinates. It shows that the leader is not honest, neither responsible.  Rather it creates an atmosphere of distrust. This may be conducive towards individual success but surely not a recipe of good team work. In fact, I call such a place as “ saving your own behind at every cost”.

As Indra Nooyi says, “your compass must point towards true north all the time, all the while.’ I have seen many offices of leaders being occupied by just highly efficient managers. Now, there is a difference between managers and leaders- a manager will run the daily chores while a leader would have a vision and an action plan to achieve that vision. Many companies in India has made their CEOs to parrot the jargon of leadership- team work, proactive, professionalism. However, they need to learn and learn fast that they cannot expect professionalism from their subordinates if they donot deliver it themselves- a case in point- many companies make the subordinates work overtime, work during holidays and crib when the employees take leave… they forget that they are not paying for the overtime, they are not taking measures for safety of their women employees, that there is rampant nepotism at various levels of the organization, gender bias.

I find that the best things come from the smallest packages. I find Harry Potter books a classic- it teaches without preaching. So here is something from Harry Potter.

“It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.” 
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Buddhism in Tagore's Writings

Religious views of Rabindranath Tagore was undoubtedly shaped by his life-long association with Upanishads- a legacy left by his grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore and his father Debendranath Tagore.Tagore was brought up at Jorashanko  at his ancestral house where slokas and texts were part of everyday ritual of worship. Hence his idea of spirituality and God is a congruence of the ideas of supreme cosmic energy, worship of nature and beauty of the soul or Aatman. Many of the slokas of Upanishads is echoed in his poems. The famous Rigveda  sloka- “ Madhubata Hritayate, becomes in poet’s words-E dyulok madhumoy, madhumoy ei prithibir dhuli..

His love for humanity, his view of a humanistic religion transcending the borders of political states was, to some extent , ethered from his association with the Vaishnava poets . The notions of tolerance and harmony he got from “ Maitri Bhavna” of Buddhism.

Unlike the more rigid code of the Hinayana or Lesser Vessel of Buddhism, Tagore found a greater appeal in Mahayana vessel. The Buddhist scriptures often depicts salvation as –

“ salvation is essentially the breaking down of this continuity- an escape from the cycles of existence. Buddhism thus sees salvation as the complete obliteration of individual consciousness called ‘nirvana’.”

Tagore looked beyond this self- annihilation and exclusion of oneself from the mainstream of humanity as the only road towards salvation that is so commonly spoken of in Buddhism.

Unlike the harsher code of self denial of Hinayana, Mahayana Buddhism offers to all beings salvation by following the path of love, faith and even the pursuit of knowledge. It stresses on the attainment of nirvana with noble emotions and with action for the good of community. This humane aspect of Buddhism appealed to the poet. In an address at shantiniketan, the poet says, “ At the root of Buddhism, there is a metaphysical theory. But it is not this that has united people under its banner. Its friendship- its pity and mercy and the universal love preached by the Buddha have helped to remove barriers between man and man.”

Tagore in his poems pens this thought of humane internationalism. He denounces the self-annihilation as nirvana- rather, he believes in the evolution of the human spirit or aatma through service to the others. He condemns the inaction and exclusion of oneself from the sorrows and struggles of the society in order to attain nirvana as preached by some doctrines of Buddhism. Isolation of mind and soul from the material world never appealed to him. Rather, he expresses the more humanistic nature of Buddha’s teachings- universal love, spiritual beauty and service to mankind. He highlights the tenets of “ Maitri Bhavana” as was preached by Buddha. Buddha says-

“ Avyapajjyo homi, aneegho homi, Sukhi attanang pariharami-

Yathalabhdho sampattityo ma vigachhantu-“

Let all living beings be happy, let all beings be without enemy. Let all beings be nonviolent. Let every soul be happy, let every being get what is rightfully his.

Buddha further defines this universal love towards every creature as-

“ Mata yatha nijang puttong ayushla ekputtamanurkshe,

Evamapi sabbabhuteshu man sang bhaavye aparimaaye..”

As a mother saves her child with her own life, so also we should strive to save maittri among all living beings.

Many of Tagore’s work thus refers to the service of humanity as the best form of service to God.

The Buddhist themes in his works necessarily depicts this message whether in Chandalika or Shaapmochan or Avisar, to name a few.

One of his poems can be quoted which nurtures the poet’s view on religion-

Leave this chanting and singing and telling of beads! 
Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut? 
Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before thee! 

He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground 
and where the pathmaker is breaking stones. 
He is with them in sun and in shower, 
and his garment is covered with dust. 
Put off thy holy mantle and even like him come down on the dusty soil! 

Deliverance? 
Where is this deliverance to be found? 
Our master himself has joyfully taken upon him the bonds of creation; 
he is bound with us all for ever. 

Come out of thy meditations and leave aside thy flowers and incense! 
What harm is there if thy clothes become tattered and stained? 
Meet him and stand by him in toil and in sweat of thy brow.

Why should we encourage baking?

I have recently found a new joy in my life and wish to share it with you. It is baking. Sunday baking is starting to become a ritual that everybody is looking forward to. As soon as I clear the table and start putting pots and pans, flour and measuring spoons, there is an excitement in the air. Questions start – “what is it you are baking? “ ,“Is it high calorie? Will it have eggs? “, “How long will it take? Shall we have it for tea or as dessert after dinner?’...

One hour on and my apartment starts to smell heavenly. Two months of this and I have come to realize two things- it is a great learning experience for children.

See if you can coax your child to this wonderful world... but first, do some research- know the names of young Masterchef winners... salary paid to a patisserie chef .. Why? Believe me today’s generation is smart. They will ask you this before they even drag their eyes away from the TV.

Once you have got them interested, unknowingly, you will achieve two things- your child is going to learn patience as the bread or pastry rises in the oven, and, you will teach them ratio- okay, I agree, it would be little tough on your part to see a perfectly good cake going to be ruined because the amount of sugar or baking powder is not in right proportion. But, with practice, the children will learn fast. And it provides some “quality time” that is now in vogue.

So happy baking to you and your child. Sit down and have a homemade chocolate cake this Sunday and experience the joy of sharing time with your child.

Democracy and Pakistan

From 1947 to 1951, Pakistan as a fledgling nation did not run on the basis of a constitution. Government of India Act-1935 was the sole document that served the purpose of the constitution. After nine years the first legal constitution arrived in 1956. However the sanctity of this document proved short-lived. It was abrogated in 1958. This began the practice of accepting the intrusion of Armed Forces personnel in active politics in Pakistan. Iskander Mirza became the president with the support of General Muhammad Ayub Khan, Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, who was named chief martial-law administrator. General Ayub Khan subsequently forced him to resign and became the president himself. When Zulfikar Ali Bhutto started the movement against Ayub Khan, there happened again a breach of faith in constitution. Ayub Khan resigned and transferred the power to Chief of Army- General Yahya Khan instead of following the rule of Constitution.This also shows that constitution of Pakistan has never earned the respect that a nation should owe to this ultimate endorsement of modern democratic philosophy. It was no wonder that Yahya Khan assumed the Presidency hereafter.  In 1973 the National Assembly adopted the country's fifth constitution. In 1977, the army Chief of Staff, General Muhammad Zia Ul-Haq, imposed another military regime. The Supreme Court of Pakistan sanctioned General Zia’s overthrowing of Bhutto government on grounds of necessity. This also set the precedence since now instead of being just a one time political event, the country accepted that whenever required, armed forces can become part of decision making process in the administration of the country overthrowing the legitimate avenues established in the constitution. When in later years, direct intervention of Armed Forces in governance was curbed in accordance with the constitution, General Karamat adopted an arm twisting tactic and resigned from the post of Army Chief. General Musharraf took over and imposed another decade of military regime in Pakistan. However he learnt fast from his predecessors. This time, he validated his dictatorship under the ruse of a referendum and got himself the Presidency through election-thus legitimizing his rule.

It can be thus concluded, that democracy in Pakistan has always been subservient to Army. It may be questioned that why do people allow the army personnel to interfere and later on usurp the power. The answer lies in the social makeup of the country and the state of economy.

In 1985 when election was held under General Zia tribal leaders were 157 in number in National Assembly. Businessmen accounted for 54 elected members. Industry was dominated by a few families and private ownership. Largely using their own resources, they accounted for the major part of investment and ownership in manufacturing during the first two decades after independence. Hence it is obvious that they would want someone in power to help further their individual profits. Whenever, anyone has tried to go against these handful of wealthy class of landlords and industrialists, they have ousted him. Case in point would be Mr. Bhutto’s administration. When Zulfikar ali Bhutto continued with his economic reforms, nationalization and limiting the power of Armed Forces, he incurred the wrath of these people which eventually led to his downfall.

 Sindhis and Punjabis have always dominated the political forefront in Pakistan. Whenever a political leader emerges in Pakistan his first campaign revolves around his ancestral home and biradari. Association and identification with a clan gives the popular endorsement to his views. In this, Pakistan is quite similar to Lebanon and other Middle Eastern nation states where national identity comes second to clan allegiance. This nature of politics is also a feature of any country where literacy level is low. According to UNESCO the education scenario in Pakistan is grim. Independent sources and educational experts place the overall literacy rate at 26 per cent and the rate for girls and women at 12 per cent. The situation is more alarming in rural areas. The significant spillover effect of such low literacy is reflected in political democracy of the country. A higher literacy rate would involve more people in the decision making process and would raise the economic status. Right now it is a vicious cycle of illiteracy, poverty, unemployment, lack of cohesion and national integrity. Corruption thus colludes the ideals and ambitions of people empowered to change the course of the country. At present growth rate stands at only 3.67. On the other hand, population growth rate is a staggering 34% between 2001 and 2011. Unless literacy and population control measures are adopted stringently, the economic benefits would be lost. Critics might say that this growth is due to the influx of refugees in the last decade. However the total fertility rate is highest in Pakistan- at 3.2 it is higher than India or Bangladesh.

So the challenges for the leading political parties in upcoming election are many- fighting corruption and terrorism, reviving the economy, establishing peaceful democracy and all its ministrations and increasing the literacy rate and standard of living.

Educationists who inspire me

Jiddu Krishnamurti was born on 11 May 1895 in Madanapalle, a small town in south India. He was  adopted in his youth by Dr Annie Besant, then president of the Theosophical Society. Dr Besant and others proclaimed that Krishnamurti was to be a world teacher. In 1929, however, Krishnamurti renounced the role that he was expected to play, dissolved the Order with its huge following, and returned all the money and property that had been donated for this work. From then, for nearly sixty years until his death on 17 February 1986, he travelled throughout the world talking to large audiences and to individuals about the need for a radical change in mankind.

Jiddu Krishnamurti’s ideals on education have been controversial, to say the least. Even now with our visions of liberal education, his ideas spark debates. Some say the ideas are impractical; some argue that they cannot be practiced in a world where a student has to succeed- and by success we obviously mean material gains, power and position.

Our views of education need to be realigned to understand Krishnamurti’s philosophy. In the present formal system of education, his ideas seem impractical. He talks about a complete harmony between an individual and the society. His views on society is similar to what was said in our Upanishads-

“Samaniba Akutih Samana Hrudayani chah;

Samanamastu Vo Manoah Yathavah Susahasti” 

“The purpose of all of you; let be one; let your hearts be one; let your minds be one, by means of which all of you could be one in all respects.” 

According to Krishnamurti, the purpose of education is to bring about freedom, the flowering of goodness, that in itself shall transform the society for better.

The freedom that he speaks of is, of course, spiritual rather than political. And he says that it is the duty of the schools to nurture this freedom among the children.

He insists that schools have special places for silence- where the students can know their thoughts- not just religious chanting of mantras and meditation. The silence he speaks of is a dialogue between the subconscious mind and the conscious mind.

Krishnamurti says in his diary-

“It’s(the brain) the centre of remembrance, the past; it’s the storehouse of experience and knowledge, tradition. So it’s limited, conditioned. Its activities are planned, thought out, reasoned, but it functions in limitation, in space-time. So it cannot formulate or understand that which the total, the whole, the complete is. The complete, the whole is the mind.”

This experience of life in its totality can be complete when one experiences the nature’s beauty- because there is no logical thought, nor purpose in its majesty. It is not by accident that the schools founded by him are away from the cities, in natural surroundings. Beauty to him brings about the sensitivity that he considers essential in human nature. The natural surrounding, the beauty of a tiny flower by the road speaks about the glory and majesty of harmony and selflessness.

“From this sensitivity for the whole of existence springs goodness, love;”Krishnamurti 1964)

Lastly, Krishnamurti speaks about the nature and duty of educators. They are central in his philosophy of education; in creating a space for the child to know himself, the teachers create that positive energy that drives the process of self-knowing and self- learning forward. And thus the society at large embraces the goodness and transforms itself for the better.

In 1901, someone in Bengal desired the same for children- freedom to express thoughts and follow the path to self-knowledge. In 1921 his ideals on education manifested in Vishva Bharati University. Rabindranath Tagore had similar views about freedom- like Krishnamurti he believed that nature is the ultimate teacher. Nearness to nature in all its resplendent would lead the students to freedom of heart; this then would manifest itself in his intellect and lastly it will evolve the free will so often spoken about by Rousseau.

There is another similarity between Krishnamurti and Tagore’s ideals on education. Both of them placed profound importance on art and creative pursuits for developing sensitivity in children. There is this famous story- It goes like this- Children at Patha bhavan  used to pick flowers from trees. In doing so they would often break the branches. So Gurudev told them that they were hurting the trees and advised them to take permission from the trees before plucking the flowers. Do you imagine that the children stopped? They kept on plucking the flowers-only from now on they peeped inside Tagore’s room and say that they had already taken permission from the trees.

At Patha Bhaban the children sat on hand-woven mats beneath the trees, which they were allowed to climb and run beneath, between the classes.

Amartya Sen, a Nobel Laureate himself and a former student of Patha Bhavan, writes that at Santiniketan, the emphasis was on “self-motivation rather than on discipline, and on fostering intellectual curiosity rather than competitive excellence.” 

The philosophy of education envisaged by both these educationists is more relevant today than it was before. We need the harmony of soul and nature, of hand and mind and of teacher and taught. We cannot just add these ideas into an otherwise mechanical system of schooling and advertise ourselves as “unique”. That would never work and as always we shall blame that the ideas were impractical to start with.

But if we take a pause from churning out  toppers rankers and IIT-ians and start paying attention to make the students lifelong learners, it would be these ideas that would show us the path to success and an enriched humanity.