Yes, WE all are guilty

She died, yes, finally, she died. I know that I don't have to mention her name, there is no need. We all know who. We all are mourning for her, and we all are sad for her. She was just 23 years old, one night, one incident, one bus ride changed her life. But she was not just another helpless girl who suffered tragic death at the hands of a few psychotic men in our society, she was representative of all women and kids who suffer sexual abuse every day. 

We all are directly or indirectly responsible for her death. Those six men were not alone when they were raping her, there was this age-old mindset that thinks that women don't have a choice to wear what they want. Their exposed bodies tempt men to lose control of their minds and give them the right to rape and abuse them. These dented and painted women don't even have the right to protest. They are prized possessions and we should cover them from head to toe to hide them from others' eyes so that they don't get stolen. They are objects of family and our personal honor. How come a woman can dare to challenge a man's authority, doesn't she know her limits? Many beliefs like these were with those six men, they helped them and fueled their lust and gore. They encouraged them to brutally rape and beat her. WHY? Because she was a woman who dared to resist, who dared to challenge their authority, who dared to hurt their male ego. She needed to be taught a lesson and based on what we see in our movies, in our society, the best way to punish a woman is to rape her and abuse her sexually. Even if she survives the assault the same associated with it kills her spirit and her honor. She will remember it for the rest of her life. Abusing a woman sexually is the ultimate victory for a man whose ego was hurt by that woman, it shows the power of his masculinity and ability to get revenge for his insult. After all, a man is not a man unless he is capable of sexually dominating a woman. These all are not lines from any misogynist book or some C-grade movie but thinking of our society, it is part of our belief system. 

Even today we have to have a debate on TV on issues whether women in cities should walk alone on the streets after dark. Whether they should wear makeup or clothes of their choice? Guilty is not only those men who committed this crime, definitely they deserve the strictest possible punishment, but guilty is also the system that produced them, and we all are part of that system. We can not escape the blame. Killing these six men won't stop this because many like them are waiting for their next prey. How many incidents of rape were reported even after this rape which was widely covered in all forms of media? Did we see any drop in the number of cases? Rape is not just a sexual act, it's an act of violence. We need to fight this mindset that looks at women in such a derogatory way. It won't be easy, because that evil resides in all of us in some form or other. It's not easy at all but unless we do this we will be standing at this juncture, again and again, looking in the mirror at the same image and wondering why these things happen. How to stop them? From where do these people come? Why do they do this? Every time the same questions, the same answers, and the same result. 

I wrote many posts related to the issue of women's suppression and the attitude of our society towards women. All religions are biased against women. All these things share the blame for all the prejudice that exists in people's minds against women and their sexuality. I am a feminist. All those who criticize feminism blindly without even making an effort to understand it must understand that feminism is not female chauvinism, it's a demand for equal treatment and equal rights, nothing more or nothing less. All these TV debates, blogs, protests, and discussions are definitely going to have some effect, we need all these resources and methods to solve these problems. We need to persist with our stand until we see some change, and we need to keep pushing for our demands until they get due consideration. Just hollow promises and diplomatic answers are not going to help. We heard these types of responses many times in the past and now they are not at all acceptable. Once any politician or public figure makes a misogynist statement then they should face the consequences, just withdrawing it and apologizing for it is not enough. 

In a country like India where scams of thousands of crores of rupees are becoming a regular event we don't have a well-equipped hospital where we can provide world-class care to our patients. We still have to airlift a patient in a very critical stage to a country much smaller than ours for better treatment. Who is answerable for this? What is the use of all economic boom and progress if we are not able to do anything substantial for the safety and health of our people? Let's bring some accountability into our day-to-day lives. We all need to be accountable for our actions. We need to ask questions and we need to keep on asking them until we get the right answers.

I have many things to say, but I am struggling to find the right words to express my feelings. I am feeling numb. I also wonder if this is going to help in any way? I am feeling sad, angry, and even slightly helpless but I am not going to give up this fight. People like me need to speak up, our opinion does matter, lawmakers can not ignore it, and we have to make sure that they listen to our voices. We all are guilty and our punishment is to stand and fight for justice and reforms so that we can protect many others like her from getting abused and murdered just for trying to live a normal life. We have to do this, there is no choice, just accepting our mistakes is not enough, things need to change, and we are the ones who need to bring that change. Please raise your voice, we kept quiet for too long.

Thanks for reading and please share your views about this topic. 

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)

Thank you, Sachin, for everything

Sachin Tendulkar declared his retirement from one-day cricket on Sunday, December 23rd, 2012. This day marked the end of 23 years and a very successful career of the best batsman of one-day international cricket. Sachin's entry into the cricket world and his partial exit (he still intends to play in tests) can be called one of the major events in the modern era of cricket. He redefined excellence in both forms of cricket. His passion, commitment, hard work, and humility are something that everyone can learn from him. He is the one man who inspired the entire nation to dream big and to believe that they can achieve excellence if they are willing to work hard. He also taught us how to remain humble and down to earth even after being so successful. His retirement is not just another event in cricket history, it's the end of a glorious era, which every cricket lover who followed cricket for the last 20 years or so Indian or non-Indian will remember forever.

My cricket following days can be divided into two eras first was Kapil Dev's era till 1989 but unfortunately, I never got a chance to watch much cricket on TV at that time. I only read in the news or heard from people around me. Kapil is regarded as the best all-rounder India has ever produced and he was a real game-changer. The second and much longer era is Sachin's era. When he emerged as a 16-year-old young boy on the international cricket scene, everyone saw a glimpse of a genius cricketer in his batting style and temperament, but very few realized that time that this young man would rule the cricket world for more than two decades in both formats of cricket (one day and tests). No one ever did this for such a long time in the past and may not be able to do it in the future also. He inspired an entire generation of cricketers in India to believe in themselves. Cricket was already a passion in India he turned it into a big craze almost to madness. His popularity rose so much that if cricket is a religion then certainly Sachin is a God of cricket.

I grew up watching his batting and following Indian cricket just because of him. India never dominated international cricket like Australia or West Indies did but Sachin always kept our hopes alive, as long as he was there on the crease every Indian felt that any target was achievable, and India could win. This was the power of this one man. I have seen people switching their television sets after his wicket because they believed that there was no point in watching the match. People thought without Sachin India doesn't stand a chance to win the match. Whenever people inquire about the Indian batting score no matter how many wickets India lost they always ask "Abhi Sachin hai ki nahi" (whether Sachin is still batting or not?). This question sums up the expectation or belief people had in him because if Sachin is still batting then India has a chance, if he is out then it's all over. This situation changed after the entry of some other talented cricketers like Yuvraj, Sehvag, and  Dhoni, but for a long time, this was the situation. 

His retirement was expected but all his fans including me didn't expect that it would be so sudden. Like others, I also thought that he mistimed the announcement of his retirement because of the current social/political environment in India. There is a huge outcry among the public against the brutal gang rape of a young girl in the Indian capital New Delhi, and many people thought that announcement of Tendulkar's retirement in the middle of all these protests and struggles might dilute this movement and divert the attention of media and people from this very important issue. This is the same reason I also thought that he mistimed his retirement from ODIs but on second thought I realized that this might be the way he wanted to go, quietly, without creating any fuss. A very high-pressure series against India's arch-rivals Pakistan is coming up very soon and maybe he doesn't want to divert the attention of players and media from that series. For him, cricket is the most important thing in his life and maybe he wanted Indian cricket to move on without creating too much fuss about his retirement. Normally people believe that extraordinary people deserve extraordinary farewells and should take grand exit but maybe some greats like to leave the stage very quietly without creating much fuss.

I can go on and on writing about so many memories I have about Sachin's performances in one-day cricket which I enjoyed and all are still very fresh in my mind but rather than doing this I want to end my personal tribute for this greatest batsman one day cricket ever saw, one cricketer who developed a passion of cricket in me, one sportsman who made many movements in my life special just because of his talent and performance by quoting some lines from an article in Times magazine about Sachin,

"It seems while time was having his toll on every individual on the face of this planet, he excused one man.
Time stands frozen in front of Sachin Tendulkar.
We have had champions, we have had legends.
But we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will"

Thanks for reading.

Some more articles about Sachin:

1. Growing up with Sachin-Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

2. सचिनपर्वाला अर्धविराम- eSakal

3. Sorry Sachin haters, but this time it’s personal-Abhilasha Khaitan

4. The God Of Big Things- Time Magazine

References:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sachin_Tendulkar (statistics speak themselves about talent of this cricketer)
2. http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/35320.html

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)

Violence is not an option

One police constable (47-year-old Subhash Chand) who was said to be injured during the protests against the Delhi gang rape case died because of injuries he sustained during police action against these protests. This is very sad news, as sad as the rape case itself. One police officer who was performing his duty died at the hands of a mob that was trying to protest against the inability of their government to protect their citizens. Now whose fault it is? There are already photos on social media, and on the internet that show protesters, especially women protesters getting brutally attacked by police. Now, people might think posting these photos is an attempt to justify the attack of protesters on police but I don't think the matter is so straightforward here. The blame game in this case has already started. Police arrested a few youths in this case and Arvind Kejriwal came out to defend these youths saying that there is no proof against them. I hope that both these tragic events don't get politicized, and no one should use these events for political gain because the issue of the safety of the citizens of any city or country should be above any politics or political party. The constable is dead and something must have caused his death. They should find the real reason for his death, then find the criminals who committed this act and punish them. 

During many protests in India, the crowd tends to get violent because they can not control their anger, or get too emotional about the issue. This is a very common case in India. It's very easy to organize protests but very difficult to control the crowd. The most infamous incident like this happened in 1922 (pre-independent India) during the non-cooperation movement that Mahatma Gandhi started. The angry mob burned a police station in Chauri Chaura (a town in UP) after police firing. Records say that 48 people died (26 in police firing and 22 because of the burning of the police station, police firing happened first). Gandhi wanted this movement to be strictly non-violent so because of this incident he called this movement off. He received a lot of criticism for taking this step as many leaders felt that the non-cooperation movement was working very well and the violence was not started by protesters. Such incidents happen regularly, not always resulting in deaths but many times resulting in public property damages, disturbance in public life, and inconvenience to the general public. It's very strange that this all happens in a country like India achieved her freedom via a non-violent freedom struggle movement. 

So the question we need to ask here is, do these violent protests work? Do they produce the desired result? What good do they do for our country? Do they help in creating awareness about the issue or just help in spreading hatred and anger? The answer to all these questions is a big 'NO.' Violence only results in more violence nothing else, it spreads hatred and anger, and it spreads fear not peace. Our own freedom struggle movement has demonstrated the power of non-violent protests to us, so why we don't use the same method? How come we are losing faith in the same method that we used successfully to win our freedom from foreign regimes? People definitely have the right to express their anger against their government, and they have full right to protest and register their demands, but they absolutely don't have any right to disrupt public life which creates unnecessary inconvenience to many people, damage public property, or attack police for no reason. Violence is not an option in any democratic country. I hope that our government, the people who are protesting as well as the police department all understand this and act accordingly. 

Thanks for reading and please share your views about this topic.

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)

References:
1. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/constable-injured-in-india-gate-protest-dies-in-hospital/article4237638.ece
2.  http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/policeman-death-no-evidence-against-arrested-youth-says-kejriwal/article4238310.ece
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chauri_Chaura

Is there any way to reduce rape and sexual abuse incidents?

The recent brutal rape case of a young girl in the Indian capital New Delhi has sparked huge debate and discussions in social media, the Indian parliament, and newspapers. People from various sections of society offered many suggestions about how to put a brake on these types of crimes, what type of punishment might help to prevent these types of incidents, and how to deal with the criminals who commit such heinous crimes. Suggestions cover a very wide spectrum. Some say capital punishment is the only right punishment for such crimes; some say hang them in public so that others won't dare to commit such crimes; some say no trial directly hang them or shoot them; some say castrate these males so that they won't be able to engage in any such acts in future even if they want to; some say women should be more careful with what they wear, where they go and how they conduct themselves. There are many suggestions like this. By just surfing the net and one can find many passionate posts that are very critical about India's law and order situation, politicians, government and blame them for this situation and crimes.

No doubt that it's the government's responsibility to protect its citizens from antisocial elements and make them feel safe to carry out their day-to-day activities without any fear. These types of incidents definitely shake the confidence of the residents in their government's ability to protect their interests. Unfortunately what we are seeing this time from the government's side is not very promising. They are trying to play the blame game. They are trying to suppress protests and are not willing to take any substantial steps toward finding a solution for these types of problems. This is very sad but this is what is happening. Another issue is as a society what are we doing to protect our people? How are we training women and men to tackle these types of issues? What do they think about each other? How women are projected in mainstream media and movies? How are they treated in their families? All these are very important questions and somehow directly or indirectly related to the question that why these types of crimes happen in our society?

Rape is not only about sex. If it is only a question of sexual desire then there are so many ways to satisfy that desire legally, without harming any person, or at least by using means which won't involve any violence. Then why do people choose this route? Rape does involve sexual acts but it's not a voluntary sexual encounter between two people. Sex is an integral part of love between adult couples but rape is pure violence, it involves violence, not sex. It's not only about lust or sexual desire but it's like hunting, damaging, or crushing a person physically and mentally. It's a very brutal act and that's why it demands very strict punishment. There is no age limit for rape victims they range from young kids to old women, it can happen in homes, bedrooms, moving buses, cars, and almost anywhere. It seems no place is a safe place nowadays.  The people who commit rape are definitely not normal people, for sure they have some psychological issues. They are not fit to roam in society freely, and they need treatment, as well as punishment.

I don't think capital punishment or hanging these rapists in public will reduce this crime. Already these types of punishments are practiced in some countries, and the situation of women is really pathetic in most of these countries. There is capital punishment for murder but that doesn't stop many from committing a murder. Rather this approach of capital punishment for all rapes might backfire and might increase incidents of  murder of rape victims. Many rapists kill their victims in the hope that they won't be caught because there won't be any evidence, so, I think that capital punishment may not be a very efficient way to stop this crime. Hanging rapists in public or torturing them in front of the public are very gruesome and inhuman acts for any democratic country and most probably these punishments will produce the same result as normal capital punishment. In most of sexual abuse cases, the offender is male or group of males (in case of gang rape), then why not make them incapable of committing this type of crime again and keep them imprisoned? We have modern medical techniques and methods available to do this, so why not use them? It will be a less gruesome and more effective punishment and there is a very high possibility that this fear of losing their so-called manhood might deter others from committing this crime.

Along with this punishment social and economic independence of women is very important. They should get equal respect and fair treatment in their own families. Boys and girls should be treated equally. Girls should not be considered soft targets for sexual abuse. We need to start sex education so young kids know what is proper and improper contact, what can be considered sexual harassment, and what is not. This type of education and training should be an integral part of the high school curriculum and this training should be mandatory at all workplaces. The solution to this problem is not so straightforward, the problem is very complicated so it should be tackled at multiple levels. We should utilize all the resources that we have in our hands to tackle this issue. It might take a long time but we should start working towards it as soon as possible. We already waited too long and should not delay any longer.

Let's start by changing our attitude towards women and let's start this change from ourselves, from our own families. If we can at least change our family's attitude then only we can dream of changing society or the whole world. The government also needs to step up, they have a very important role to play in this whole process. Lawmakers should show the courage to take the necessary steps to tackle these issues. Huge protests and widespread public outcry clearly show that people are fed up with just hollow words and fake promises they need some solid actions. People need a responsible and accountable administration that can respond to their demands and understand their needs and I don't think this is too much to ask from any government in any democratic country.

Thanks for reading and please share your views about this topic.

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)  

Where was God when I was raped and murdered?

Recently, two tragic incidents happened one here in Connecticut and another in New Delhi, India, which caught a lot of media attention and there is huge unrest in public about both these tragedies. Along with protests and debates about why these types of incidents happen very frequently nowadays, there were many prayer meetings at temples, churches,  other religious centers, and even on the streets to express sympathy and support for victims and their families. People prayed to their respective God to save the victim who was struggling for her life (in the Delhi rape case) and to give courage to families who lost their loved ones (in the school shooting case). This is a regular pattern after tragedies or incidents like these be it 9/11, the 26/11 terrorist attack, or any bomb explosion, mass killing, or rape. People come together and pray but these incidents don't stop. It raises one question in my mind, where is God when people need him/her most? I am sure many of these victims must be wondering the same. Where was God when I was getting raped or murdered? Why he/she didn't come to help me? I know that many people have asked this question before and many people have tried to answer this question but none of those answers are convincing. I know putting blame on destiny or praying to God after any tragedy helps to deal with the loss. It helps to deal with death and the incidents that are out of our control, but apart from this what purpose do these gatherings serve? Are they like counseling sessions that help to deal with these tragedies psychologically and nothing more.

Many of these terrorist attacks are carried out in the name of God. In the name of protecting the religion from evil forces which these groups believe are trying to destroy their religion. Terrorists also pray to their Gods and get their blessings before going on these types of missions. They believe that their  God will help them to fulfill their missions and many times they are successful. So technically God does listen to their prayers at least in some cases. I am not talking only about any particular religion like Islam which is continuously targeted nowadays as a major cause for terrorism but other religions like Hinduism (Babri Mosque demolition and communal riots, etc.), Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, Communism were also engaged in many violent incidents all in the name of protecting their religion. Many innocent people suffer during all these missions and attacks. People suffer a lot of physical and mental trauma, many die or lose their loved ones and most of these victims pray to their God. Many of the victims are really devoted to their religion and God. All these victims who suffer and perpetrators who brutally commit the crime or carry on the attacks both belong to several different religions and believe in different faiths and Gods. God is present on both sides.

All these incidents (including the attacks and peace marches or prayers after those attacks) raise many questions in my mind. If it is really there then on which side God is? Where is God when all these victims suffer or get attacked for no fault? Why God doesn't help these victims when they are getting raped or getting murdered brutally? Why do these innocent kids get killed at the hands of some insane person? Why do helpless women get raped and brutally attacked? Is there any power that controls this universe and our lives or does this world work on itself?

Do people even think about these questions or they are too blinded by their faith and beliefs? I don't think God or any other superpower is responsible for any of these crimes or attacks. These all are human acts. People like us who commit these crimes and heroes who fight against these criminals or terrorists are again people like us. It's our job to step up, accept the responsibility, take charge, and work towards solving all these problems. All these issues and problems are created by people like us and we need to solve them ourselves, no one else is going to do this for us. So, if any God or any other superpower is not responsible for all these attacks or problems then does it make any sense to ask any help from them? Is it right to blame them or give any credit to them when we see clearly that it's not working and not providing us with any answers or solutions? This is the question that I want to put in front of you today, this is the topic on which I want you all to think today.

Thanks for reading and please share your views about this topic.

Link for Speaking Tree post:
http://timesofindia.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/where-was-god-when-i-was-raped-and-murdered

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)  

My favorite scene from movie OMG

A few weeks back, I wrote a post about the movie Oh My God (OMG). I really liked this movie and watched it multiple times as I do with so many other movies which I like. There are many scenes that I like from this movie and I feel that they are really funny and at the same time, they comment directly or indirectly on current malpractices, superstitions and fears associated with almost all organized religions. The story of this movie is set in a Hindu family and mainly uses Hindu characters,. This is one of the reason why some people think that this movie was trying to insult, criticize, or make fun of Hindu culture or Gods while conveniently ignoring other cultures and faiths who also have many superstitions associated with them. I think this is the limitation of the medium it seld and not the film. The movie makers intend to comment on the general misuse of religion and the use of God to exploit people but due to time constraints and to add some entertainment value to the movie (after all it's a business and they have to recover their money), there are certain limitations on how much a movie like this can accommodate. Hence one should not see this movie as an attack on any particular religion or culture but should be taken as a general comment about several malpractices that are rampant among all organized religions today. 

The movie delivers a heavy blow on cult movements and all those so-called gurus who try to use people's emotions to sell their own ideas and beliefs in the name of religion and God. Nowhere in a movie script writer or director directly attack or question the existence of God. They only question the methods or the rituals which are used in the name of God. My favorite scene in the movie is towards the end of the movie where the main character Kanjibhai (Paresh Rawal) wants his family to meet with Lord Shrikrishna (Akshay Kumar). He wanted to show them that in spite of being an atheist, God himself came to visit him and helped him to come out of all his problems. By the time he takes his family to the spot where Krishna was with him just moments ago, Krishna disappears leaving that fancy key chain as a token that he used to rotate with his forefinger (like Sudarshan chakra). Kanjibhai realizes the futility of his efforts to show his family members that he indeed met with God. He collects that key chain and starts thinking of keeping it as a souvenir of God. While he is thinking about keeping that key chain with him, the voice in the background tells him to throw that key chain away and not to make the same mistake that many others did, that is, making different idols out of their own imaginations and turning them into God, forcing their own concept of God on others, worshiping idols or that invisible supreme entity rather than showing sympathy and love towards their fellow citizens. Kanjibhai realizes that this is against his principles and also against what he practiced as an atheist throughout his life. He throws away that key chain without any remorse and returns back to his normal life.

This scene delivers a very powerful message. Why search for God in temples, idols, churches, mosques, holy books, or any other place? Why not search for that power within ourselves? It also comments on how all these cult movements turn their founder into another deity and start worshiping him or her. All these leaders of various cult movements might have been very knowledgeable, they found something that gave them peace and happiness, tried to share that philosophy with people around them but their followers created a holy book out of their teachings and made them God and turned them into something divine. They started worshiping them and formed very exclusive groups with different names. In India we have so many of them, in every city, village, and town wherever you go you will find some Guru, Baba, Maharaj, or Prabhu who is being worshiped. This all sounds very crazy but many uneducated as well as educated people are actively involved in these types of movements. I hope that many more movies like this will come in future and try to comment on these type of superstitions in our society which may help us to come out of these cult movements. Movies like this and many documentaries related with this subject try to show us the mirror but only very few of us are willing to look at the image that they show. Most people like to live in denial mode and reject reality. Hopefully, this will initiate some change and we will move towards a more kind, loving, and accommodating world.

Thanks for reading and please share your views about this topic.

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing) 

We should have zero tolerance for violence against women and kids

Two recent incidents in two different countries one here in Newtown, CT, USA,  and one in New Delhi back in my home country India, both incidents left me sad and disturbed. In the first incident, 20 innocent 1st graders lost their lives at the hands of some insane young kid who got access to guns easily and used them to execute this heinous crime. In a second, equally gruesome act six men gang-raped an innocent girl in a moving bus on the streets of the Indian capital New Delhi. The girl was not only gang raped but badly beaten with blunt objects and is battling for her life as I write this blog. 

Both these incidents raised many questions. First, are we failing to protect women and kids from the danger they face from such erratic behavior by some senseless individuals? Second, are our personal and political beliefs more important than our social responsibilities like protecting the lives of innocent civilians? There are many questions like these and I wrote my concerns about gun policy in the US in my last post related to the first incident (shooting inside a school in Newtown). Along with the gun law society's attitude towards mentally challenged people should be improved, and more resources should be made available to them to deal with their mental health. Problems like this don't have only one reason or solution. We have to look at all angles associated with it and try to act accordingly. If we fail to do this then incidents like this will keep on occurring again and again in some form or other and after every incident, we will engage in the same debates, the same deadlocks, and the same conclusion that something should be done, but no one knows what that 'something' is. These issues need to be discussed and debated openly. Only through proper discussion and consideration of all aspects we can expect to find any solution to these problems.

The second incident related to the gang rape is equally disturbing. It's also not the first case of this type of crime. New Delhi is on the verge of getting labeled as a 'rape city' of India where incidents of crime against women are becoming a regular event. It seems that statistically one rape case is reported every 14 hours in Delhi alone and we are only talking about reported cases here. After looking at these numbers it clearly seems that there is no fear about the law and punishment associated with rape or sexual harassment. They are pretty dam sure that they can run away from the law or if get caught they can escape using loopholes in law or after lengthy trials in Indian courts if at all they get convicted they can get away with very lenient punishment. All this is happening in a country that claims to respect women and worships female goddesses like Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Durga, and many others. In reality, our society has drifted away from even normal standards of treating women with dignity or equality. The country where female idols are worshiped is slowly becoming one of the most unsafe places for women, so ironic. 

Where did we mess it up? What is responsible for this scenario where female idols are worshiped but living females are humiliated and insulted on streets, in homes, and other places. The physical and mental trauma associated with any sexual abuse is terrible, and surprisingly in India, we don't have very strict laws to deal with these types of offenses. One can easily get bail in all cases related to sexual abuse. Very recently I saw an episode of the reality show KBC (Kaun Banega Crorepati) which Amitabh hosts on TV where they showed a victim of an acid attack, Sonali Mukherjee. Her story was horrible, but the brave lady survived that attack and is still fighting to get justice and the most horrible part was the culprits who committed that crime are roaming free in society (they are out on bail). This raises a few very serious questions about the way law and order machinery works in India. Why we don't have strict laws to punish these criminals? If we already have proper laws in place then why they are not followed in many cases? How these culprits can get away in many cases with very minor punishment (if at all they are convicted)? Why do victims have to wait for so many years to get justice in these types of cases? If there are loopholes in law then why can't lawmakers work towards removing them? In India parliament has amended the constitution so many times for so many reasons, isn't any form of violence against kids and women in strong enough reason for them to sit and discuss another amendment?

We as a people and society also have to think about this issue. When are we going to say enough is enough? In many of these cases, it was noticed that common people hesitate to offer any help. They just witness the crime as mute spectators. They think it's not their business to interfere. When are we going to change this mentality? Why common people are still scared to contact the police department? In cases dealing with child sexual abuse also situation is very pathetic. Very few cases of child sexual abuse that actually happen get reported to the police, very few of them manage to reach the court and only a small percentage of them result in actual conviction.

I received a very hard hitting post on my Facebook wall I am going to share it,

You stay silent when your mother is treated like shit by your father,
You stay silent when your friend takes dowry from his wife's family,
You stay silent when your classmates sits at a nukkad whistling 'maal' at passing women saying it is innocent fun.
You stay silent when a million women every year in this nation are murdered before birth or their breath dunked in milk before god after it, 
You don't report the drunkard husband who beat up your maid servant because it is not your business, 
You stayed silent when your boss hit upon a female colleague and you told her to grin and bear it because it happens everywhere, 
You sing along with your favorite male stars as they call their 'items' chikni chameli and halkat jawani etc., 
You stay silent when our police and paramilitary gang rape tribal and lower caste women and shove stones inside their rectum saying that that's an aberration of the system,
You did not protest the lower pay that your female colleagues got just because of their sex, 
You helped your parents arrange a marriage for your sister against her wishes saying she doesn't know her mind,
You stayed silent when in a family discussion a woman’s voice was silenced by the cacophony of male voices, 
You force a woman to wear burqa in the pretext of sharia law or justify their domesticity because some asshole called Manu wrote some asinine laws hundreds of years back, 
You think feminism is shit and feminist loud mouthed 'bitches' who have not better work to do than cry victim,
You applaud as Hindu right wing men barge into a hotel and slap ‘immoral’ women with the intention of ‘reforming’ their ‘maa’ ‘behen’
You stay silent when females in a party are sent away to discuss 'childish' things even as you discuss 'important' things like politics and all in their absence,
You stayed silent when your father directly and sarcastically showed your mother that she's lower then men in intelligence time and again,
You objected loudly when your girlfriend, wife wanted to put her life and career ahead of yours saying yours was more important,

And now suddenly you have become a man because ONE woman was brutally beaten and raped while you conveniently forget the hundreds of women whose psyche you were responsible for brutally beating and raping directly, or indirectly through your inaction... and now you evoke the same 'maa' and 'behen' argument to protect them... 

Thanks to the serpent of your awakened manhood, that woman in Delhi will perhaps get justice. But what about the millions of other women in the country of different religion, region and sect united by their shared injustice who will perhaps never get justice precisely for the same reason - your manhood?

This message is like a very tight slap on our faces. If this doesn't make us think then I don't know what will. Perpetrators of this particular crime and any such crimes should be punished severely so that people will think multiple times before engaging in any of such acts. We should have zero tolerance for any type of violence. We worship many Gods, and there are many religions out there that teach love and compassion towards our fellow humans but seldom it's practiced. Now it's time to practice all these teachings of love and respect in real life. Let's show the same compassion and love towards everyone around us that we show towards our loved and dear ones regardless of their gender, age, race, or nationality. Maybe one day we won't need any posts like this, any messages like this, and let's hope that day will come very soon.

Thanks for reading please share your views on this topic.

References:
1. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/gangraped-in-moving-bus-girl-fights-for-life-in-delhi-hospital/article4208833.ece 
2. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174288/Sonali-Mukherjee-Acid-attack-victim-pleads-justice-let-die.html
3. Story of child sexual abuse victim who bravely fought legal battle for six years to get justice,
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/girl-gets-justice-after-a-longdrawn-struggle/article4216829.ece

Guns are not toys, they kill people

Today is a very sad day for people in the US. One more massacre. A mentally sick person armed with an automatic or semiautomatic assault weapon opened fire on unarmed innocent people, including young kids, at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown CT, killing 20 kids and 7 adults including himself. This is not one isolated incident, similar incidents happened not that long ago, there was the Colorado theater shooting, the Virginia Tech massacre, and many more. In all these incidents one thing is common people with unstable states of mind get access to dangerous assault weapons very easily which they should not have gotten. Many innocent people got killed in all these incidents, it was not their fault they were just living their normal lives and it was cut short by some senseless violent act by some mentally unstable person. Yes, I know that we can not control anyone's mind, we can not predict anyone's behavior under stress or depression or any other mental trauma but we can definitely try to restrict their access to these assault weapons. These weapons multiply the danger associated with their unpredictable behavior.

Why do we need to sell automatic or semiautomatic assault weapons to the general public? Why do they need them? How can a right to carry dangerous weapons capable of mass murder be a fundamental right in a civilized society? Many questions like this need answers. I hope that this incident is not also brushed aside as one unfortunate incident where a few unlucky kids lost their lives, followed by condolence meetings, a lot of tears and prayers, a candle march, and then slowly people forget it until something like this happens again. All they are suggesting on TV is to pray. I know that this will help to tackle the grief associated with the tragic loss but any amount of prayers won't help to stop incidents like this. Any amount of prayers, condolences, candles, or flowers is not going to bring back those kids and adults who died in these massacres. They are gone for no fault of theirs. God didn't kill them, and people who survived were not saved by God. So, please don't ask God why this happened, rather ask lawmakers, people who are in charge of this country. They must have answers to these questions. WHY THIS HAPPENED? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS? Please tell them to give some sensible answers this time. How many more people should die to make them realize that they need to modify the gun possession laws to save the lives of thousands of innocent unarmed people? A country where the sale of Marijuana is illegal but lethal assault weapons that can be used to kill hundreds of people can be purchased legally by almost anyone. Does this make any sense?

I know many people feel it's their fundamental right (awarded to them by their constitution) to carry a weapon of their choice. But why a civilized person living in a very civilized country would like to buy a semiautomatic or automatic assault weapon? Just for fun? Is it a toy? No, it's not a toy. Gun kills people, once a bullet is fired it doesn't care who is getting hit, kids, adults, or animals, it doesn't matter. Whether it was fired by mistake or purposely also doesn't matter, once the trigger is pressed the matter is not in anyone's hand. Do people want these weapons for personal protection? A semiautomatic rifle for personal protection? A weapon with so much destructive power for personal protection? Protection against who? That too in a country where the law and order situation is not bad and police respond very well. I think one can not justify possession of such a destructive weapon unless one is expected to get attacked by a mob or armed goons very frequently in their daily lives. I don't think people in any part of the US face these types of situations in their daily lives. 

This is not the time to have a gun debate or to play a blame game but this is definitely the time to take some action. We need some concrete steps to stop these types of incidents. Senseless acts of extreme violence are not new to humans but in today's world where we have so much control over our lives, we can definitely minimize risks associated with such type of senseless behaviors. Making the availability of assault weapons more difficult or impossible can be definitely one of the possible solutions to this problem. In many of these cases, the person who carried out this senseless act was found carrying multiple weapons as it's that easy to get them. We should do something to stop this easy access to dangerous weapons. Gun regulation may not be able to stop these types of acts altogether but it will definitely help to reduce them. Any step necessary towards saving innocent lives should be taken doesn't matter which party is ruling the country.

My heart goes out to all those families who lost their loved ones on Friday. We need to make sure that people with uncontrolled emotional behavior can not get access to lethal weapons so easily. We need to protect ourselves, and our children. Giving guns in everyone's hands is not a solution to protect our society. 

Thanks for reading and please raise your voice to express your concern about this issue.

Reference:
1. http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2012/12/14/news/doc50cb434cac3ab117605387.txt

Why are women not allowed to lit pyre during cremation?

Very few people are comfortable talking about death and issues related to it but this topic is not only related to death but mainly it's related with gender discrimination. It’s not that I am trying to link almost all topics on my blog with gender discrimination but many of these things are really closely related and understanding them in more detail might explain society's heavy prejudice towards women. 

Cremation is an extremely important religious ritual including for Hindus. It is an ancient custom among Hindus to cremate their dead. Hindus believe it releases an individual’s soul from its temporary physical body so it can be reborn. If this process is not done properly, then it is thought that the soul will be disturbed and won’t find its way to its proper place in the afterlife and come back to haunt living relatives, so it has huge significance. After a person dies (male or female doesn't matter), it is understood that the lighting of the funeral pyre will be led by the eldest son of the deceased, if he/she doesn’t have a son then grandson, and so on but it has to be some male adult or child from their family. 

One of the primary reasons that Hindus wish for a son is that only sons can carry out funeral rites which can give them mukti or moksha. It is possible to substitute another relative for a son but this is generally regarded as much less effective. Traditionally women have not been allowed at cremations because it is believed that they are emotionally not as strong as men and they might cry and cannot handle the emotional trauma associated with this act. Women are not even supposed to enter the cremation area or even watch what goes on inside it. This includes close women relatives and family members of the diseased person. They are allowed to help lay out the body at home and some other rituals but carrying the body, gathering the wood, and lighting the fire are all considered as man's work. One might wonder why was so, and is there any explanation for this or it is again a classic example of gender discrimination? It seems there is some explanation for this, we all know that during the early days of our civilization, the fire used to be started by rubbing sticks or stones against each other. Therefore, lighting any fire afresh used to be a difficult, time-consuming, and laborious task and required a lot of physical effort and energy. Maybe that is why women were not allowed to do this job because physically they are supposed to be weaker than men. This practice of a strong male (usually the eldest son) lighting the funeral pyre slowly grew into a custom, which over time became quite rigid almost like a law, and along with time too many superstitions also got attached to it. I think this is what led to the belief that the last rites for a parent or any person would not be acceptable to almighty God religiously unless the son or any other legal male heir had carried them out. This thinking puts more pressure on families to have sons while undermining the importance of daughters. Even many Hindi movies used to have this emotional dialogue where a person used to say to his/her son 'My son if you won’t be there then who will light my pyre?' (बेटा, अगर तू नहीं रहेगा तो मेरी चिता को आग कौन लगाएगा?). So, the prejudice remains even in movies and this belief is very strong.

So one can almost see a pattern in all these issues. Most of these customs and rituals are something that may have started because of unique situations and requirements of that time. They empower a particular gender (male) with a certain status and responsibility. Slowly they became rigid rules and a way to suppress the other gender (females). This needs to stop somewhere and I think our generation has the power and capability to do that. I am not saying that now make women light the pyre and kick men out, this is not my definition of women empowerment but what I am saying is give them an option. Give women equal treatment, and remove that prejudice and bias against them. It should be women's choice what to do but at least let them choose, allow them to say no, at least offer them that choice. I don't think it is too much to ask from our modern society.

  

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing) 

गीता अर्जुन को ही क्यों बताई गयी?

कुरुक्षेत्र मे मौजूद तमाम लोगों के बिच श्रीकृष्ण ने गिता बताने के लिए अर्जुन ही क्यों चुना? वहां पर कई वीर और विद्वान मौजूद थे तो अर्जुन ही क्यों?...

You tube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZIpEs4RXdE&feature=plcp

Worshiping while Menstruating - What's wrong with it?

Some cultures and traditions are very old, for thousands of years certain traditions have been in practice and people still follow them with a lot of devotion and belief. I am very proud of India's rich culture and traditions. There are many good things that one can learn from these traditions, but at the same time, there are certain rituals or traditions that need to change or should be abandoned altogether. Customs and rituals need to change with time. There is one custom where women and girls are not allowed to enter temples or take part in religious functions while menstruating (or during periods, the term is mostly used for menstruation). This tradition is still practiced in many families and many women also believe that they must follow this ritual. They feel guilty if they don't do this, such is the effect of this tradition. Every religion has put some restrictions on women while they are menstruating, so this is not related to any particular religion. Some forbid them from entering temples or mosques, some restrict their physical and social behavior, and different religions have different types of restrictions. There are many justifications for why these restrictions were introduced. Some of these explanations sound logical and must have been relevant to that era, but the strange part is even after so much progress in the area of sanitation and personal hygiene many people still practice these things. 

In Hinduism, menstruating women are not supposed to enter the temple because they are believed to be ‘unclean.’ Menstruating women are also supposed to keep away from sacred objects even in their own homes. According to the Old Testament of the Bible, menstruating women are unclean for seven days (Leviticus 12). A woman had to 'purify' herself after she finished menstruating until then anything that she touched would be considered as unclean (as would anyone who had touched her, or had been touched by a person who had been in contact with her). I have read somewhere that Buddhism has no menstrual restrictions at all (menstruation is just seen as a natural bodily process). However, some Buddhist temples do restrict menstruating women from entering them (probably because of the influence of Hinduism).

I spent most of my life in a Hindu neighborhood in India, women were not allowed to go to the temple, do poojas, or even offer prasad (offerings from temples). They were not allowed in churches or mosques during those days. In some very orthodox families, women were forbidden from even entering the kitchen during menstruating days. She had to depend on somebody even to take drinking water from a vessel as it was believed that her touch might pollute that water. The belief was so strong and rigid that it was beyond any rational or logic. Technically she was ostracized or quarantined. The effect of these beliefs is so strong that if any woman dares to challenge them every attempt is made to make her feel like a sinner. There are so many explanations and justifications for why this practice was started; some say it was because of hygiene (remember those were pre-sanitary pad days), and some say that in those days women's basic lifestyle required more physical effort and put more strain than today and this practice gave them much required physical rest. These explanations indeed sound very practical and valid for 'those days.' Maybe it was required back then, but why are we still practicing them even today? Today with sanitary napkins and other options very sophisticated and reliable methods of sanitation are available. Women are empowered and capable of making decisions about their own health and sanitation. So, why these things are still in practice?

The hold of these beliefs is so strong that many women still believe that there is something wrong with them during those days. They feel they are really polluted or dirty during that period and should not take part in any of these activities. I have seen my mother, and my wife practicing these things for years, and no matter how much I question them, how much I explain they are just too scared to break this religious dogma or superstition. Now after my continuous questioning at least they accept that this practice is wrong and should be discontinued but they are scared to do it. I already wrote one post related to the pure biological nature of pregnancy, similarly, menstruation is a purely biological process, there is nothing dirty, or sinful in it. Menstruation has nothing to do with any god or religion, it's just simple biology. 

Many people who believe in the supremacy of God don't even think about how a God can become unclean or polluted by the touch of a menstruating woman. Does this mean that a woman in her period has more power than their all-powerful God? Why any god should fear a menstruating woman? Womanhood is a gift from nature to females and they should cherish it and feel proud of it. Shame or guilt should not be associated with any gender's biological function. This practice of seclusion of women in this way due to some biological processes associated with their gender should stop. It is the duty of all of us together to put a full stop to such discriminatory practices. Let's show some courage to eradicate this practice, let's confront these things wherever we see them, and let's start this from our own homes. 

I understand that many times it's not fair to judge past societies with current social values and knowledge. Here, I am not trying to do this, rather I am questioning the beliefs of present societies that are based on past social or religious values. Because of these types of beliefs and superstitions, women already suffered enough. They are treated as inferiors or like a burden in many societies from the moment the fetus is known to be a female. I think the time has come to get rid of all these types of customs and rituals. We have come very far from those medieval times. As far as I am concerned I don't care what any religion or scripture says about this topic, if I see this type of prejudice and discrimination I voice my opinion strongly against it, and I question it. I know it may not change anything immediately but I do it anyway. Unless women themselves start questioning these types of beliefs we can't bring that change. I hope that more and more women will start doing it. I am sure we all can create a prejudice-free environment with our efforts and I am willing to do my bit. Are you with me?

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Links for further reading:
1. Culture and menstruation
2. When Religion made Women outcasts…
3. Millions of Indian women need URGENT support for safe menstruation. Kudos to Anshu Gupta for raising this issue.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Holy cow - myth or reality?

I get regular posts on my Facebook wall from some of my Indian FB friends about their anger against cow slaughter. How we need to save cows from getting slaughtered, how it is evil to eat cow meat, and so on. Basically, all these posts say that it's our (all Hindus) duty to save the cow because she is a sacred animal in the Hindu religion. Eating or selling cow meat (beef) is a big no-no in most parts of India. A cow is considered a sacred/holy animal by most Hindus and killing her is considered a big sin. Above that selling her meat is a greater sin and then eating that meat is an unforgivable sin. But this should not give anyone an impression that Indians are vegetarians or they don't eat any meat or they are very protective about all animals. Believe me, many foreigners do get the impression that if you are from India you must be a vegetarian. I still wonder how and why they get this impression. So the the question to ask here is if many people in India are not against eating animal flesh then why they are so against cow meat? What is so special about this animal?

If any country, religion, or community is against animal slaughter or using any animal products (as vegans are) then one can understand their opposition to eating animal flesh, but here opposition is not about eating animal flesh but flesh of only a particular animal, a cow in case of Hindus and Pig in case of Muslims. The question is what is the logic or rationale behind it? I understand that Muslims or some Christians don't eat pork just because it's mentioned in their holy books (Qu'ran and Bible) not to eat that meat. So it's a very simple thing, there is absolutely no logic behind this, just follow the instructions, don't ask why, just follow the book, very simple. Even if this instruction was given in a book written several hundreds of years ago, just follow it without questioning. So, people are not against eating pork because they are against animal killing or care about these animals but just because some book (and remember this is not any medical or diet book) says not to eat it without giving any logical reasons. Now, what is the reason for Hindus not to eat beef? Well, for Hindus there is no single book that can be called a Hindu religious text. There are many books and some of them even clearly indicate that cow sacrifice was a very common practice in those days when these texts were written. So the origin of this belief (sacred cow) is not some particular book but there must be some other factors also.

So for me, the question was how the cow became holy or sacred in India or Hinduism? I think the main reason why cows attained this holy status was because of the agriculture-based economy. The cow is a very useful animal in the agriculture-based economy as it can provide milk, cow dunk (used in dried form as fuel, insect repellent), and ox/bullocks were used for farming. A cow was a very important animal in the economic and social life of any family in an agriculture-based economy. It was a very useful animal and if people killed it just to eat her meat then it would have reduced their number and in turn, harmed the economy. It was economically more productive to use them as agriculture and dairy animals rather than killing them for their flesh. But then the problem was, how to convince people to stop their killing for meat? How to solve this problem? A difficult option was to explain to people the importance of cows for the welfare of their families and tell them to follow a sustainable lifestyle where they can strike a balance between the number of cows so that their ratio is not adversely affected. A lot of economics and complicated stuff that common people don't want to listen to. We all know from experience that this strategy is very difficult to implement, we see many species becoming endangered (plants as well as animals) and some even getting extinct because of aggressive hunting or killing by humans for so many reasons (flesh, skin, or for any other body parts). The easier option was to declare the thing holy or sacred, this automatically protects that object (animal, land, tree, or anything). This practice is still used in India, any land or tree or anything one wants to protect or occupy, built some temple or mosque or any religious structure there, and one can see that people of that religion are willing to sacrifice their lives to protect that object. But if one tries convincing people about the necessity of having a sustainable lifestyle hardly anyone pays any attention. It sounds ridiculous but it's the reality. I am sure this will change in the future but right now this is the case in most parts of the country.

People who are against cow slaughter or think she is a sacred animal equate cows with their mothers. The reason they give is we drink her milk like we drink our mother's milk as an infant. Note that they don't give the same status to other animals or nuts from where we get milk for human consumption, for example, buffalo, goat, soybean, or almonds. Why preferential treatment only to cows but not to other animals or plants? Shameless use of double standards. I know that they may not like my questions but I am curious to know if they have any logical explanation.

Some of these people are willing to massacre people who kill cows and all this in the name of saving the holy cow. Does this make any sense? What's the use of killing poor people who are trying to earn their living by doing their job to support their families. I used to feel really gross when I used to see people drink cow urine. I still can't understand the logic behind it. I know the uses of cow dunk but I never saw people eating it, but drinking the urine of some animal was a totally illogical and foolish act, but people do it. The book "The Myth of Holy Cow" written by D. N. Jha, where he discussed various aspects related to this issue is already banned in India (as expected, no surprise) and even the author was threatened, and anyone can guess the reason. People just don't want to read about the other side of the story, it hurts their religious sentiments? The opposition to cow slaughter is not at all related to Hinduism, this religion is much more than that but somehow few people are using this issue for their personal and political benefit. If people are so against animal killing then they should request the government to ban all meat-based products and make a law to enforce this action, but to create a drama using cow slaughter as a religious issue is just pathetic.

People of that time found this easy solution (declaring the cow a sacred or holy object) to protect cows. They also did with some trees (in India especially in villages still some species of trees are not cut just because people believe that they are sacred and cutting them will bring bad luck to them or their village). It was the need of that time and I think this trick worked very well and served its purpose. The question now is, do we still need this same trick to maintain the number of cows in India? After so much progress in animal husbandry and science do we have any logical reason to stop people from eating beef or pork? I am not advocating a non-vegetarian diet (especially eating beef) or slaughtering of animals for food here. This post is not in support of any particular form of diet. I am just asking a question, why a meat of only cows forbidden for people who want to eat it? People who don't want to eat that meat should not eat it, no one is forcing them but they should allow others to eat, the same way they allow others to eat chicken, duck, or deer. We should learn to respect each other's dietary choices.

People who oppose cow slaughter for whatever reasons put the argument that then people will also demand human meat, will that be okay? This question doesn't have any logic, people say this just for the sake of argument. Cannibalism was never part of our history or culture, but eating animal meat was and still is, it is stupid to argue that eating human meat could be a dietary choice. People don't have any right to dictate what others should eat, diet is a personal choice like clothing. There is nothing wrong in encouraging vegetarian or non-veg diets by showing their merits and demerits but to ridicule one form of diet for some illogical reasons doesn't make sense. Whatever food we eat, it should be healthy food, it is hypocritical to kill and eat some farm animals of our own choice (like chicken  goat, sheep, deer, pig, duck, etc.) and force others not to eat animals of their choice (pork or beef).

I also don't accept the logic of vegetarian people that their diet doesn't involve the killing of living things. A vegetarian diet just doesn't include animal flesh and doesn't involve animal killing, but all plants are living things and people do kill them to consume them. These two categories are named according to their origin or source from where food originates and there is nothing pro or anti-life in both of them. There is simple rule in nature, every living thing survives at the cost of another living thing. I hope that people around the world realize and acknowledge this fact and learn to respect each other's dietary choices. We need to adopt a sustainable lifestyle that is good for the health of our body, and our planet.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

References:
1. The Myth of Holy Cow- D. N. Jha (http://www.amazon.com/Myth-Holy-Cow-D-Jha/dp/1859844243)
2. http://www.ted.com/talks/christien_meindertsma_on_pig_05049.html 
3. http://themuslimvoice.wordpress.com/2009/05/17/why-is-pig-haraam-in-islam/ 
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unclean_animals
5. http://my.opera.com/liquid%20snake/blog/pork-forbidden-but-why (another example how Dr. Zakir Nayak uses his medical degree to fool people)
6. http://ebooks.iskcondesiretree.info/pdf/Voice_of_Cows/Voice_of_Cows_-_Newsletter_Vol-01_-_Issue-05_-_2010-02.pdf
7. http://books.google.com/books/about/Hindus_Ate_Beef.html?id=PjLxHAAACAAJ

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing) 

I am neither a theist nor atheist

Normally, people who believe in God or the ones who don't believe like to divide the whole world into two sections, one set of people who believe in God and its existence are called 'theists' and the other section who don't believe in God are called 'atheists'. There are many subgroups among both these groups, but normally people like to associate themselves with any one of these categories. Both groups are very passionate about their beliefs and have very strong points to support their hypothesis. I love to hear both sides, both have many very good points and that's why it really amazes me when I see that both sides feel that the other side doesn't have any logic or rationale behind their hypothesis. The funny thing is that both feel that the other side is totally ignorant and stupid.

Many theist people who know me think that I am an atheist who doesn't believe in God or doesn't follow any rituals of any organized religion. Because of this behavior, theists put me in the 'atheist' category. Also, some posts on my blog clearly show my views about organized religion and the traditional concept of God preached by many sects and groups. But at the same time many who see me and meet me at some poojas, festivals, and religious gatherings, see me singing bhajans or aartis (devotional songs), involved in so-called spiritual discussions and gatherings think that I am kind of religious guy who needs a little more push to become a full-fledged devotee. And because of the many questions that I ask they also think that I need some proper guidance and a Guru so that I can also become one of them, a devotee who accepts everything without questioning (or minimum questioning). They say that if this happens then I can enjoy all the benefits that come from being part of an organized religious group. Many of my atheist friends like my posts and views where I question some religious concepts and traditions that are still practiced, I target especially the ones that result in discrimination or suppression of a particular class of society or a particular gender.

I don't fit in any of these groups, maybe there are no proper labels for people like me. I am sure there are many like me with an all-inclusive philosophy who are fine with the concept of God or no God, any religion or no religion as long as it maintains peace, harmony, mutual respect, and dignity of all, and allows healthy discussion to improve knowledge. I also agree that my views about the current form of religion and the concept of God are closer to atheism rather than theism. The problem with the conventional definition of theist or atheist is that it puts too much emphasis on the presence of a deity. People who believe that at least one deity exists are called theists and those who don't believe in the existence of deities are called atheists. Both these groups don't meet eye to eye and try to score points against each other wherever they can. Both of them are becoming quite fanatic and extremist in their views. I don't like this constant tug of war and continuous attempts to insult or humiliate each other. I think both can learn a lot from each other and can peacefully co-exist but the current format of organized religion or many cult movements or fanatic atheism doesn't allow this. As far as I read about religion, I found that Hinduism (not in its current form but maybe in its early stages) was the only civilization that not only allowed but encouraged questioning as a way to gain and generate knowledge. Back then it also gave the option to reject all current theories and philosophies and find something new. Somehow that tolerant and secular thinking lost its ground as it evolved into an organized religion which we call Hinduism today. Many things changed and today it is not at all different from most other religions practiced around the world.

Theists and atheists can learn a lot of good things from each other. The best scenario will be where both can co-exist together and benefit from each other. Many don't need religion or God to live their life, they are strong enough to live their life without need of any such imaginary support. At the same time, many need religion and God desperately and can not imagine their life without these things. We all no matter which group you associate with need to be sensitive to the feelings of others. If people ridicule each other's beliefs all the time then how we can understand each other and share our ideas? I think even common people (who are not involved in research) need to adopt a scientific mindset and logical thinking. Scientists listen to new concepts and ideas from all fields of science and don't ridicule them just because they don't like it or think it's crazy. In science, any question or objection is not taken as an offense but as an opportunity to improve and learn more. What is wrong with having this type of mindset in real life? If everyone can think like this then slowly these labels even if they exist will stop having rigid meanings and stop dividing people based on their beliefs. In science chemists don't hate physicists or biologists just because they belong to different fields, rather they help each other and borrow ideas liberally from wherever they feel necessary. Isn't this a beautiful philosophy and way to live life? Isn't this thinking or approach helped us to solve some great mysteries or problems? This interdisciplinary approach leads us to invent great things that make our lives more comfortable and happy. I am not preaching any new philosophy here, rather I am saying we can use the same philosophy that is already in use. No matter which religion you follow or don't follow any religion, whether you consider yourself a theist or atheist, if you can think like a scientist, it can do wonders. Let's be happy and make others happy.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Links:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theism
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Balasaheb Thackeray - Ek tha Tiger

Today on 17th November 2012, Shivsena chief Balasaheb Thackeray (or Thakre) passed away in Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra, the city which he loved and cared for. I am sure there will be mixed reactions from various sections of society, media as well as other regions of India about this news. This news has great significance for people from Maharashtra because he was one leader from Maharashtra who focused only on Maharashtra and its people. I guess he was a unique political leader who never even traveled outside Maharashtra for any reason. Just like a tiger who never left his den. People from other states may not understand the importance of his personality because they view him from a totally different angle. One may or may not agree with his ways or policies, may hate or love him but one thing is sure one can not ignore him.

His personality and movement which he started for Marathi manoos (which brought him into the limelight), and his speeches had a great influence on the people of Maharashtra. He made his quest to fight for problems of 'Marathi manoos' and that's what made him popular among the masses. One can question his methods or even criticize him for some of his actions but he totally believed in his philosophy and was razor focused on his goal. He made his own place in state politics without any godfather. I first heard his speech when I was still a schoolboy, never related to them but understood that he was a really good orator with a very good grip on the audience. His style and way of delivering his speech were unique and people loved it. Even the media used to wait eagerly for his speech which he used to deliver at Shivsena gathering on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami every year.

Maharashtra and especially Mumbai was facing an unprecedented load of immigrants from other parts of India when Balasaheb entered politics. He started his political career with his movement against immigrants, it was about the dominance of the immigrants from other states in Mumbai over locals. National media projected him as one of the most divisive figures in regional politics. Indeed. he was, but he also raised some important issues that mattered to the locals. 

Painting him as a political person playing only divisive politics or preaching intolerance is an incomplete painting. He was much more than this. In Indian politics, every political party caters to its own vote bank and he did the same to survive in this game. He played by the same rules that other parties play. He raised some valid questions like what locals should do when immigrants reject and insult their local culture, and what to do when they don't even learn the local language but rather try to impose their own and make fun of local languages and people? I agree that it's their choice to learn or not to learn any language but to mock the local culture is not the right thing to do and that's where he came into the picture. The locals found their voice in him. 

I am not trying to justify his political career or all of his activities here but trying to explain Balasaheb from my own point of view. I disagreed with his views on some issues and supported him only on some issues. That's the way I look at every person or situation, there will be always good and bad things, I like to take all that is good for me and leave the rest. I never voted for Shivsena in any national election but I always favored their candidates in local elections as long as I was in Pune because they took an active interest in our day-to-day problems and they were one of us. One can definitely analyze and criticize his political career and show many flaws in his political philosophy but despite all these things, the truth is that he attracted a big fan following, and developed a regional party that has been controlling the Mumbai municipal corporation for the last 15 years or so. His party along with BJP was the only party that ruled a full term (5 years) in Maharashtra which is continuously ruled by INC (Indian National Congress) and these are not small achievements.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)  

Ram, a great king but a bad husband?

Recently, senior supreme court lawyer and former law minister of India Mr. Ram Jethmalani was in the news for his comment about Ram, the central character from the epic Ramayan. He called Ram a bad husband for not standing by his wife when she needed his support most after someone from his kingdom questioned her character. I am sure many political parties and religious organizations will come after him for this statement and Jethmalani will receive a lot of criticism from all quarters of society. I wrote one post related to Sita and her significance for women of today's world a few months back. I personally think that Ram failed as a husband to protect her wife on two occasions. On the first occasion, it was not entirely his fault but on the second occasion, when someone questioned her chastity, he could have protected his wife who already suffered enough trauma in captivity of Ravan and already proved her innocence (by giving agnee pariksha). But he chose to make his people happy rather than standing by his innocent wife.

This issue has been the subject of many debates and discussions for many years and many people have expressed their opinion about this issue. Some favor Ram and call him a great king who put the interest of the people of his kingdom before his personal happiness. Some criticize him for failing to protect his wife just because few males raised objections about her chastity and character. According to the epic, Sita was abducted forcibly, even though many blame her for crossing the Lakshman Rekha (line drawn by Lakshman to protect her), she crossed the Lakshman Rekha willingly but she was tricked into doing so. She stayed in the captivity of Ravan almost for a year, resisted all his advances toward her, and protected herself from him. But that was not enough to prove her innocence, just because she was a woman and people couldn't believe that a single woman could protect herself against a mighty king. They thought Ravan must have polluted her. Some people in Ayodhya (Ram's kingdom) were not convinced about her chastity. They refused to believe that she was chaste or pure anymore after staying for a year in captivity of another man away from her husband. I am pretty sure what they mean by this is that she was raped or willingly had sex with Ravan. So, it was not a question of Sita's moral character but it was a matter of her sexual behavior. Why do the people of Ayodhya were only concerned about Sita's sexual behavior, but not Ram's? Does this mean if a wife gets raped she is not pure or deserves to be a wife anymore? Having more than one wife (Ram's father Dashrath had three wives) was not considered bad in Ramayan. Men were allowed to have multiple sexual partners at the same time but women were not (even rape was considered as her fault). In this case, there was just an element of doubt, not any proof. Ram is considered a 'maryada purushottam' (a person honoring all rules). So, how did he fail to honor his duties as a husband? Why did he rescue Sita if he wanted to abandon her after coming back to Ayodhya? If he could leave the kingdom to honor a promise that his father gave to one of his three wives, then why he didn't leave the same kingdom to protect his wife and her honor?

One can ask many questions like this and debate this issue endlessly. For me, this was a clear case of using double standards for men and women. No one objected to Ram's character because he also stayed away from his wife for almost a year and was a royal guest of a few kings (like Sugreev). He must have met many beautiful women during that one year, but no one even thought about asking him any questions or asking him to prove his chastity. Why? Just because he was a man. Why ask Sita? Just because Sita was a woman. Did anyone say double standards?

I am not interested here in deciding whether Ram was a better king or a bad husband but I see one thing clearly, he failed to protect and support his wife when she needed his support most. He just abandoned her and never bothered to check what happened to her afterward. He didn't even care to check if she was alive or not, that says a lot about his attitude towards his own beloved wife and Ramayan doesn't give any proper explanations for his behavior. Ram is considered a God and is worshiped in many temples across India, which is why any comment against him or questioning any of his actions generates a lot of controversy and uproar from the conservative section of the Hindu population. I read that someone has announced a reward of five lakhs (approx. 10,000 USD) for anyone who spits on Jethmalani's face. These people do not want to debate or discuss to explain their point of view but want to punish Jethmalani for expressing his views. This is the strange but true face of organized religion where disagreement is not tolerated rather it's punished using the harshest way possible so the next person thinks twice before questioning anything. Hinduism is becoming dictatorial like other organized religions. The organized religion is damaged beyond any repair and people who follow it are not interested in repairing it. However, there is an element of hope. Questions like this, and posts like this keep the fire of disagreement burning, and one day people may realize that all humans deserve to be treated with equal respect and honor regardless of their beliefs, race, and gender. Till then keep asking questions and have patience.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

References:

1. http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/ram-was-a-bad-husband-says-ram-jethmalani-290412
2. http://awara32.blogspot.com/2010/09/ram-bashing-and-how-to-end-this.html
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rama

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)