Monday 30 January 2023

Humility and the Cosmos: How Realizing Our Insignificance Can Lead to Goodness

 

    The vastness of the universe can be overwhelming and awe-inspiring. When we take a step back and consider the countless stars, planets, and galaxies that exist, it is humbling to realize just how small and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things.

However, this realization can also have a profound impact on our lives and the way we interact with others. When we understand that we are all tiny dots in the cosmos, our petty differences and disagreements become trivial in comparison. This can help us cultivate a sense of humility and respect for others, regardless of their background or beliefs.

The late Carl Sagan, renowned astronomer and science communicator, once famously said, "We are made of star stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself." This statement perfectly captures the essence of what it means to be a tiny dot in an enormous universe.

By embracing our smallness in the universe, we can start to see the world from a different perspective. We can acknowledge that our lives are but a mere blip in the grand timeline of the universe, and this can give us a greater appreciation for the present moment. We can choose to focus on the things that truly matter, such as love, kindness, and compassion, rather than getting caught up in the noise of daily life.

In addition to helping us live in the moment, realizing our insignificance in the universe can also lead to an increase in goodness. When we have a humble perspective, we are more likely to treat others with kindness and respect. We are also more likely to act in a selfless manner, knowing that our actions can have a positive impact on the world around us.

One famous example of this concept is the story of a Buddhist monk who visited the Great Wall of China. Upon seeing the vastness of the wall, he was reminded of the insignificance of his own life and how his problems and worries were just a tiny blip in the grand timeline of the universe. This realization brought him peace and a renewed focus on what truly mattered in life.

In conclusion, taking a step back and considering the enormity of the universe can be a powerful experience. By embracing our smallness, we can cultivate humility, live in the moment, and make a positive impact on the world. The next time you gaze up at the night sky, remember that you are a tiny dot in the vastness of the cosmos and let the experience inspire you to live a life filled with goodness.

PS. Written for Indispire Edition 434When we realise that we are all tiny little dots in an enormous cosmos of stars and giant bodies, we will experience humility. And goodness will follow. #Humility

Saturday 8 May 2021

Potato must be the hero

     Amidst lockdown due to COVID pandemic, my maid preferred staying at her home rather than assisting me to fill my tummy.  After many failed attempts at getting the vegetables delivered from the Big basket and Jio mart, I ended up shouting at my fridge for not having things which I never bought, ofcourse unreasonably, "What I was thinking while buying you, Mr. 350 L?". Hopelessly, I made my tryst with my kitchen. As soon as I stepped in, I heard a voice coming from the lower stand of my kitchen cabinet. I got scared with a humming of the song "Kiska h ye tumko intezaar, Mein hoon na". Somehow, I was able to trace the voice in a round shaped medium sized Indian potato. 


Ignoring his song and tagging it "useless", I started looking at various empty packets of biscuits/snacks in the kitchen. And, then started the surprising monologue by my hero counting my favourite dishes, 

"Tum mujhe yu bhula na paaoge….

I sacrifice myself for your morning breakfast sandwich, aloo ka paratha. I am such a social person in your entire kitchen, that I go well with anyone and everyone, Aloo palak, Aloo Gobhi, Aloo bhindi, Mix veg, Aloo tamatar, Aloo Chole, Aloo Rajma, Dam aloo, Namkeen Rice. I can manage even with jeera alone (Jeera Aloo) !!Just Jeera ! Can you think of anything else which goes with Jeera? except obviously Jeera rice (:P) and oil! ?  But to be precise Jeera is merely used for tampering (chonk/tadka) with oil. I don’t even leave you during your snacks time, honey chilli potato, aloo chips, Aloo tikki, Gol gappe, Tikki chaat. Although you don’t appreciate me, but I don’t leave you hungry even when you decide to keep fast for your future husband."

Standing convinced, I gave a roadies salute and boiled my hero to have my feast :D

Moral of the story: Let's identify the "aloos' in our life and might as well bring them a floor up in relationship cabinet of our lives.


PS. Written for Indispire Edition 373Potato and you. Write an essay. As many words as you please. The genre you choose. Potato must be the hero. #Potato




Tuesday 31 March 2020

Middle East through the lens of Bitter Rivals (Iran vs Saudi Arabia)- Part II [Review]



This is in continuation to the previous post [here].

War against terror: Iraq War

The situation remained more or less silent in Middle East till the attack on US on 09-11-2001. In the light of 9-11, US started its war on terror, which was expanded to Saddam Hussein from Al Qaeda. Saudi Arabia was against US intervention in the region but the Saudi-US relations were already ebbing as 15 out of 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens. US war-machinery under Bush Administration, was led by Dick Cheney, Bush’s Vice President, destabilized Iraq by toppling Saddam Hussein. Meanwhile President Bush appointed Paul Bremer, as Presidential Envoy to Iraq on May 9, 2003, with authority to rule-by-decree and he came up this radical policy, popularly known as Debathification, of removing the Sunnis (from Baa'th party) from the administration. This sudden vacuum in administration gave way to local violence and Sunni-insurgency and consequential formation of Shia militia. This policy created space for both Iran and Saudis to meddle in internal affairs of Iran in their covert ways. Shia-Sunni conflict was at a peak. In the past, Iraq population was dominated by Shia, however, peacefully administered by the Sunni leaders. Shi’ism took dominance after the de-Baathification and resulted in civil war. Sunni leader Abu Musad was leading the Sunni rebels in Iraq. Iraq had witnessed lot of instability afterwards and remains unstable to this day. ISIS captured few of the cities including Baghdad, and Mosul. At that juncture, again, Iran intervened and set free the city of Mosul by indirect support to the locals.

Syrian Civil War

Next major conflict in the region was Syrian Civil War which erupted in Mar 2011, in wake of Arab Spring, and continuing till this day. Aleppo and Damascus were the two epicentres of the unrest. Iran has been supporting Assad regime from collapsing during the Arab Spring. Assad all along has been claiming that it’s the western power, hand-in-glove with Saudis which   instigated the civil war in prefabricated scenario. Sectarian identity were found among the groups to further the cause by Iran and Saudi Arabia. All this mayhem gave a fertile ground to organizations like IS and Al-Nusra. Syria war took worst turn, when International players started taking interest and it is worth mentioning that different rebel groups have backing of different foreign powers. The major parties supporting the Syrian Government are Iran, Russia and the Lebanese Hezbollah. Syrian rebel groups received political, logistic and military support from the United States, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Britain, France, Israel and the Netherlands.



Under the aegis of operation Timber Sycamore and other clandestine activities, CIA operatives and U.S. special operations troops have trained and armed nearly 10,000 rebel fighters at a cost of $1 billion a year since 2012. However, later Russia started aerial bombing to support Assad regime, which ultimately resulted the war to end in his favour and the uprising was considerably contained by the Assad regime.
Meanwhile, US had nuclear deal with Iran to curtail nuclear adventures which further upset the Saudi Arabia.

Yemen War

The poorest country in the Middle East, Yemen, faced another manifestation of this rivalry. Yemeni Civil War is an ongoing conflict that began in 2015 between two factions: the Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi-led Yemeni government, backed by Saudis and the Shia-dominated Houthi armed movement, backed by Iran. As soon as the uprising began, the capital Sanah was taken under control by Houthi rebels and the Hadi government was about to get overthrown. The Saudi Kingdom decisively intervened considering Yemen as its backyard whereas Iranian felt the obligation to protect the Yemeni Shia people . This intervention came in the form of relentless bombing (popularly names as "Operation Decisive Storm") and left Yemen unstable till date. 

Conclusion

As it can be seen from this discussion, most of the wars or insurgency or conflicts in the Middle East are the proxy wars led by Saudi Arabia and Iran. Islamic Revolution in Iran has irreversibly changed the power-dynamics in the region forever and the world is witnessing its butterfly effect in every corner.


Middle East through the lens of Bitter Rivals (Iran vs Saudi Arabia)- Part I [Review]


Bitter Rivals (Iran and Saudi Arabia) a 3-hour long documentary by Frontline, covering almost all the major events in Middle-East, post-Iranian revolution, through the lens of equation between Iran and Saudi Arabia. In fact, as we would learn by the end of the documentary there is not a single conflict in the Middle East which doesn’t have a Saudi Vs Iran angle. The region has always been a hotbed of conflicts, chaos and clashes since medieval age. However, the genesis of the contemporary conflicts in the region lies in the Islamic Revolution in Iran. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that today’s Shia-Sunni conflict in Muslim world has its roots pre dominantly in the Islamic Revolution!  

Islamic Revolution

Iranian Revolution back in 1979 was led by Ayatollah Khomeini, which resulted in removal of the US backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s monarchy in Iran. It was a revolution in many senses. Firstly, it substituted monarchy by the democracy and Ayatollah became the supreme leader of the country. Secondly, it revived Islamic values in the region and many countries re-introduced Sharia. Thirdly, it has been seen as the second most important event in Shiite sect, after Battle of Karbala, which deepened the Shia-Sunni rift. Fourthly, entire region ruled by monarchy was apprehensive of export of revolution in the region and didn’t take these revisionist developments very well, especially Saudi Royalty, which belonged to the Sunni Sect and enjoyed good relations with the United Sates.

Revival of Wahabism: Saudi, Pakistan & Afghanistan 

Ayatollah Khomeini tried to revive the Shia sect in the far-flung areas, including Saudi Kingdom. This led to various uprising in Saudi Arabia which was brutally crushed. In the same year, seizure of Mecca (holiest site of Muslim world) was carried out by Mahdis, under the leadership of al-Qahtani, a Wahabi-fringe, to bring down the House of Sauds which was taken back through the siege. In response to the same, Saudi Kingdom became reactionary and tried to represent itself as guardian of Islamic values in the Muslim world. Religious establishments were given money (petro dollars) and resources to promote and propagate the Wahabism and Sharia in response to Iranian attempt to export revolution. Saudi Arabia encouraged Pakistan (Sunni dominated) for spreading Wahabhism through pumping money in madarsas, and encouraging religious practices of Islam.  President of Pakistan, Zia-ul-Hq who came into power through a coup helped Saudi Arabia to Islamise the country. Saudis couldn’t have been in more luck when the Soviet Union was bent to spread communism in the belt during cold war era. This invasion of Afghanistan gave Saudis, a just reason to intervene in the region. Saudi Arabia grabbed the opportunity and the war was portrayed as Jihad (religious war) against godless communist. US actively supported (Cartar doctrine) Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to resist the expansion of Soviet Union in Gulf countries. US in collaboration with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia formed Afghanistan Mujahdeen (rebel groups) to fight against Soviet Union. This way, Pakistan ISI was militarized by USA to keep a check on Soviet Union thus promoting jihad at global level. Meanwhile Saudi Arabia continued to spread Wahabi teachings and Sharia law in Pakistan. The militarization of the area with the combined force of Saudi Arabia and USA resulted in expulsion of Soviet Union.


Lebanon War

Afterwards many regional wars were not-so-indirectly supported by Iran and Saudi. In fact, it was the Iran vs Saudi Cold war of the region which was fought at different theatres by different players. First of them was Lebanon war in 1980s. The city of Nabitia was invaded by Israel while Palestinian army was thrown out. Iran supported Lebanon in driving out the Israel and kept US and Saudi Arabia at bay. The local rebel groups were indirectly trained by IRGC and Hezabollah came into existence which brought the glory to the local people. It was Iran’s first successful experiment of forming a Shia militia outside the Iranian borders. Hezbollah remains an unformidable force in the region to this day.

Iran-Iraq War

Another, decisive regional war was Iran-Iraq war which lasted for almost 8 years. The war has its genesis in 1979 when Khomeini led the Iranian revolution. With the apprehension of export of the revolution, Iraq led by Saddam with the intention to topple the newly-formed Ayatollah’s regime in Iran and capture new territory, made move into Iran. Iran, although ill-equipped, retaliated with full force of the civilians available in the country, including the children which were popularly known as "human wave attacks". The war turned out to be brutal as chemical weapons were used for the first time by Iraq. Iran was successful in pushing back the Iraqi army and decided to make offensive attack after being defensive for many days. After 8 years of huge devastation from both the sides, and arriving at a lose-lose situation, UN brokered a ceasefire in 1988.

Friday 5 July 2019

(Don’t) Waste the Thunder, Recycle


6:30 PM, I pressed the doorbell of my flat. As I was waiting for my brother to open the door, my eyes fell on a dozen cold drink bottles gathered in the polythene lying by the dustbin (No thanks to my cold drink addicted little brother). I picked them up and brought them inside. In about 30 minutes, I repurposed these bottles into these cute pen holders. What motivated me to do this at the end of a tedious work day? Because I imagined them being dumped in a place called Ghazipur Garbage Mountain and contributing to the horrible stink that will ruin my evening tea in my balcony.

Friends, I live in Kaushambi, Ghaziabad and at a very short distance of Ghazipur Garbage Mountain. When I saw it for the first time, I mistook this giant structure for Delhi ridge, extension of Aravalli (poor geography, I know).  Living here for past two years, it has been my worst nightmare come true to stay so close to this ticking bomb. When I visited the flat for the first time, I imagined the spacious balcony as the perfect spot for stress busting. Little did I know that this would be the most depressing spot of my house, thanks to the view it offers.

This Mt Everest of Rubbish is 65 metres in height and is about to cross the height of Taj Mahal(75 m) by year 2020, making it the 8th wonder of the world for sure. Each season, the site exposes us to new perils. In summers, the fires last often for days due to the methane gas being emitted from the dump. The flood of smoke curling up from the dump gives the impression that the city is on fire. During monsoons, it stinks of deadly and noxious gases. Poor me, I was such a fan of the earthy scent produced when first rain falls on dry soil. And now that scent is foreboding. In winters, it is not visible from distance, thankfully the fog obscures it. But you can imagine the composition of fog in the nearby areas. It is a sureshot way to hell.  True, I am not an early riser, but thought of having a morning walk (trek) in the Ghazipur surroundings wakes up the procrastinator in me instead and makes me bury my head in the cushions harder. The nights are worse with the smelly storms erupting in the crystal mountain by the alarm. The conditioning of gust of wind with horrible smell has made me stop associating the wind with the pleasant weather. At times I wonder, how much my lifespan has shortened by staying in the vicinity of this filthy mountain of doom (sorry mumma, your fasts won't be able to undo much).

Going along with the sarcastic rave reviews of this site on google, I stopped nearby to click a picture. The mound resembles a reclining ogre with smoke coming out of its many cervices and an unbearable smell seeping around. I am not sure whether I will be able to visit the world's most beautiful place, but definitely I have photographed the worst place in this world and was lucky enough to have a close look. This surely is the best place to feel death with the vultures and other bird of prey circling over the smoking mountain doom. Stray cows, dogs, rats and hundreds of waste pickers comb through the heaps of filth. Dozens of trucks shamelessly disgorging trash. The toxic leachate drained into Yamuna like rivulets of molten lava. It is not just a passive disaster, as predicted by many. In 2018, a section of the hill collapsed and buried two people alive. It is surrounded by the ghost flats, thanks to the advertisement of "Garbage side view" by the doomed builder. Another fun fact, the name Ghazipur and birds of prey hovering above the dumpyard, are shared by North India's largest Vegetable and chicken market.

I have posted these pictures of the site on to the Swatch Bharat twitter handle, but to no avail. Who on the earth can clean this festering mess? Who has the will? Can something be done? I can't answer these questions. What I can do is to tame these small demons (plastic bottles)  into cute little pen holders  and prevent them from landing into the ticking bomb.


The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.

#saynotoplastic  #recycle #beatplasticpollution #refusesingleuse

Sunday 17 March 2019

Book Review: Brief answers to the big questions by Stephen Hawking


Stephen Hawking, the most renowned scientist after Einstein, narrates a coincidence that he was born exactly 300 years later, i.e. 8th Jan, 1942 after Galileo died, i.e., 8th Jan 1942. It dawned upon me to find another coincidence, that I was born on 50th birthday of Stephen Hawking, i.e.,8th Jan 1992 :D.


He has brilliantly linked science(physics to be specific) and mathematics with the real life social and humanitarian problems, thus bridging the gap between elite scientist and common man.
He has been able to present the science in a very engrossing and lucid  way. The big questions he deals are: Is there a God? How did it all begin? Is time travel possible? What is inside of a black hole? Is there other intelligent life in the universe? Will artificial intelligence outsmart us? How do we shape the future? Should we colonize space? Can we predict the future? Will we survive on earth? 
I wasn't expecting concrete solutions for these questions, but Stephen Hawking is able to explain these complicated and highly unpredictable questions in a way that everyone would understand while providing food for thought and firing the imagination of the reader. 
The complicated and intellectual stuff is blended with his sharp sense of humor- comments on Trump, stupidity of human race etc. Initial 4-5 chapters are science laden. While the last three chapters are crucial for the present world- the future of our planet, colonization of other planets, and the rise of artificial intelligence. He charts his strategy to save us. He suggests science to be the only savior to these problems.
There are far too many mentions of Star Trek(have put it in checklist) surely underlining his vision for the future of humanity. Few harmless repetitions are out there giving a feeling that all the independent essays are just sequenced up, lacking a coherent compilation. The justification lies in the fact that the essays were written as independent modules by Stephen Hawking and the book was completed by his academic colleagues and family member after his demise. The final touch up might deserve more attention.
To sum up, the title does justice to the content, a great introductory collection of essays to big ideas. It is a masterpiece for school students, under graduates or layman to understand the very basic problems of science and their importance in life.  As he lived his life with optimism, never give up attitude and a great vision for humanity, he suggested scientific literacy to be an essential component for future.
I would recommend this intellectually stimulating book to the leaders of global world, including politicians to realign their priorities to what matters.
Quotes I liked from the book:
"If you look behind every exception person there is an exceptional teacher"
"Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up. Unleash your imagination. Shape the future."


Friday 16 November 2018

Patriarchy cuts al(l)ways


One evening, Sohan was going through his Facebook wall. He read the #metoo status of Rohini and felt like sharing it. He copied and pasted the status, recalling a heinous incident he went through. Little did he know, that the night will pass pacifying his batchmates in a college facebook group, in response to his unexpected status. Memes were being shared on the group with the morphed images(his face imposed on the body of a bollywood heroine). That night, he became the hot target of jokes. In the end, he decided to delete that post and deactivate his FB account.

It is an illustration of the effect of Patriarchy which is little known in our society. Patriarchy is the social system governing rigid dichotomy of gender roles, in which males predominate in the roles of political leadership, social privilege and economic control of property. According to the concept of patriarchy, men are supposed to be strong, unemotional and logical. While, women are supposed to be expressive, caring, weak and dependent. This differentiation is mostly justified as per the inherent natural biological differences and is further reinforced with the empirical evidences and theory like "The men are from Mars, and women are from Venus". Thanks to our long term conditioning, the force of patriarchy has become the water that we all swim in like fish irrespective of the gender. In conventional and plain understanding, the victim is a woman while the perpetrators might be men or society in general.

In this article, I will discuss the lesser known dimension of Patriarchy, i.e., man as victim of patriarchy.

Lets begin from the childhood. The typical notion is that men are not expressive, but have you ever wondered, a 2 year old baby boy cries as much as a baby girl does. So, gender has no role to play right from the childhood. It is the social conditioning that forces a boy to wear a mask as time passes. A newborn baby girl is draped in a pink towel, while a newborn baby boy in a blue towel from the hospital itself. The segregation begins here, pink dolls vs blue trucks, fairytales vs Super Heroes.
Even in schools, in the class of SUPW(socially useful and productive work) , a girl is given the fair opportunity to explore her artistic talent by making flower  or rangoli or mehandi designs. It is a free class for the boys. Even punishment in school varies for the two genders. Since the boy is supposed to be rough and tough, he will be punished (murgha punishment) more severely than a girl child(usually the standing punishment).  A brother is supposed to take care of her sister(may it be younger or the elder one), pick her up late at night from her friend's place.

Alas! boys are systematically brutalized in order to prepare them for positions of domination. "Mard ko dard nahi hota" , "hath me chudiya pehni h kya", "real men don’t cry", type of mentality is forced down their throats, robbing them of core aspects of their humanity. To be more explicit, patriarchy is a form of cultural violence, which includes the physical, emotional, and spiritual brutalization of boys. The beauty of an equally responsible relationship and magnanimity of sharing and caring are not the essential elements expected from them.

When there has been hue and cry about the violence inflicted by males in our society, we forget the fact that no human being would ever do anything harmful to another human being, if they didn’t get brutalized in the first place, to the point where they lose the contact with their own natural self and it erodes their generosity, compassion and kindness.

Going further, as soon as a boy turns 25, job pressure starts building upon him. And by the time he turns 28, he is supposed to be the breadwinner of the family, which means he should choose a ‘stable’, socially acceptable and ‘masculine’ career rather than go after his passion which isn’t usually expected from women. In choosing a career of fashion consultant, he might have to pay the cost of being labelled as a gay or a pervert. He faces the restriction on the choice of clothing, the company, pursuing his passion.  How many guys can get their legs shaved(despite scorching summers) without being judged? Their choice is also ultimately dictated by the social norms.

While getting married, he is supposed to protect his male ego, where he cannot accept a girl of higher social or economic rank in the social hierarchy without challenges. The pressure to outperform his life partner never wholeheartedly allows him to support her (Watch the movie Akele hum Akele Tum).

Post marriage, women are seen as natural caretakers of the household, while men are discouraged from spending too much time with the children. Since the childcare is seen as a feminine activity, the fathers remain alienated from the feeling of being emotionally connected to their kids. Father figure has limited role of providing financial security to the kids. In the bollywood movie, Kabhi khushi kabhi gum, Amitabh Bachchan too was a victim of this phenomenon. Despite having emotions for his son, he had to pretend as a stone hearted person. As per social norms, men and women can't be equal parents to their children. It says that women are considered fit to take care of children and this results in women getting custody of children in maximum cases of divorce.

Patriarchy denies emotional literacy to men. The rigid gender norms might also be the reason behind high rates of suicides among men as men are less likely to seek help for emotional problems. The ingrained fear of being seen as weak puts a lot of pressure to hide their real emotions.

The cult of masculinity further turns a blind eye towards the fact that men can also be the victims of sexual abuse, or domestic violence. And if they were victims it was because they were not being manly enough. Or they are supposed to be sex hungry so their consent is implicit. Similarly, domestic violence is supposed to be directed at women only. While, there is a real possibility of men being victim of domestic violence. 

Men are confined to this conception of what it means to be a man. It forces them to live up to an unachievable standard based simply because they are men.

What can be done?
At societal level, it is impossible to change overnight. But change can begin at home. So start by dis-identifying  or de-associating yourself with everything that you have been conditioned to think or do. Learn cooking when you need to learn this life skill and not because of your gender. Learn to drive as and when needed. Question everything that you do. Undo your socialization and choose what you want to be. Be free of social norms, obligations or fear of being judged. Set your own values free from patriarchal suppositions.
Feminism, a new wave and a new concept is good for men too, since it is the bedrock of gender equality. It seeks to get rid of those archaic norms of what a “real man” or a “real woman" is expected to be. This value needs to be imbibed in the kids of today. [A must read: We should all be feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie(read the book review here)]. 
At the end, humanity, duty, responsibility, kindness and emotions are gender neutral concepts. There is a need to acknowledge that in the current set up there is a problem with gender stereotyping and we must fix it. It needs sensitivity towards and from both the genders. Lets strive towards a world where Sohan and Rohini will be looked at through the same lens. Imagine, how much happier we all would be, shunning the weight of entrenched gender expectations.




Humility and the Cosmos: How Realizing Our Insignificance Can Lead to Goodness

       The vastness of the universe can be overwhelming and awe-inspiring. When we take a step back and consider the countless stars, planet...