Oracles of Gloom : Good Governance Day on Christmas

Gloominess is what characterises a tribe of utterly alienated commentators on India's public discourse. Alienated because they have scant knowledge about the very country they are commenting upon and more so as they have almost no inclination to even get acquainted with the same. Their motifs, their symbols, their allegories and analogies are quite distant from the ethos, beliefs and lives of the very people they are supposedly concerned about in their commentaries.

With these inherent fixations, these commentaries can't be directed for the due consumption of the native people, as in that case empathy, compassion and an inherent commitment for change & transformation would have been reflective than mere satire and an all round attack on the very civilizational foundations of the natives. If these prophecies are simply meant for the consumption of the foreign alien interests, which can never be wholesome or harmonious in nature, then it's a different subject matter altogether.

Sagarika Ghose is one such Oracle of Gloom whose imaginations run far and wild. In her latest commentary published in Times of India titled 'Santa ki Jai' she goes on her journalistic best to advocate that Christmas is a thoroughly Indian Festival.

If Ms. Ghose would have been a little sympathetic to the Indians at large and would have been a bit more of an insider, she would have better used her gift of the gab to champion a more worthy cause rather than spending her creative energies to put forth an article of gloom for an issue which just doesn't exist.

For a celebrationist civilisation which boasts of 'Saat Vaar and Nau Tyohaar' (7 days and 9 festivals) Christmas is already an integral part of Indian way of life duly recognized and assimilated in the national mainstream like that of Good Friday, like that of Id, Muharram, Guru Parb and all others. 

The birth of Christ is a cause of great applause and a source of jubilation for the Indian masses who celebrate the birth and death anniversaries of a large number of gurus, saints and seers. There are ekadashis, pooranmasis, amavasyas, chauths, ashtamis, saptamis and what not bearing their philosophical and religious connotations which are all celebrated in the Indian Households. 

There is enough space and accommodation for all celebrations in the Indian way of life that it outsteps the extreme of affecting the productivity of a modern economy at times. Where there is already so much abundance, accommodating a single day should not be and interestingly has never been an issue.

The inherent gloominess of this piece is either an outcome of a mischievous plot or is probably a result of the sheer lack of comprehension emanating from utter ignorance about the machinizations of the Indian mind. 

In the Indian tradition, there are layers of festivities. If on an important festival, someone in the family dies, that festival turns into remorse. It's not celebrated in the family till another occasion of joy like the birth of a child supplants the same. It's a fine tradition of locking in and locking out a social occasion. 

The aforesaid was a binary case, so easy to understand. Now going a bit deeper, there are festivals over festivals superimposed on each other as layers of design on a Corel Drawl or a Photoshop file. There are mere 365 days in the year, but innumerable number of social occasions which mark the same day. So what you would do? You would simply create a layered framework giving every occasion it's due space. 

Now depending on the priority and inclination people choose and celebrate in their own ways and means without getting into the unwarranted discourse of 'Christmas Day as Good Governance Day'.

It was probably not the conspiracy of the stars following the dictum of the marauders of Hindutva that Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee were made to share their birthdays with Jesus Christ. To add insult to this injury, these two individuals grew out to be the charismatic mass leaders of the Indian people by their sheer hard work and commitment to the public cause.

We do have many in our extended family whose birthdays co-incide with Janamashtami, Ramnavami. This poor author too shares its birthday with Ramanujaharya as per the lunar calendar.  What we then do is to synthesize the large occasion with that of the personal one. My mother never wailed as Ms Ghose seems to be in great slumber that you have capsized the birthday of the great stalwart like Ramanujacharya. It rather amused her that I got to born on the same day as that of a great Vaishnav acharya. The latest always used to take precedence over the old. 

If my daughter shares the same birthdate as that of MHRD minister, I would naturally prefer to be in the birthday bash of my little sweetheart while would obviously greet the minister and an elder sister duly as well. I don't see any contradiction or controversy in this modus operandi.

Why can't the Good Governance Day superimpose on the Christmas festivities? Why can't the Indian kid be tuned in to this glorious tradition of synthesis whereby he is made to celebrate not just one, but 3 birthdays in one go. He would get inspired by the life and times of these stalwarts in their own spaces and would somewhere create a differentiated impact through his well led life. 

The life and times of Malviya ji and Vajpayee ji are a great source of invitation for the Indian people. By juxtaposing the celebration of their appearance day, with the core central mission of Good Governance of the present disposition should be a cause of great satisfaction rather than remorse to these observers of Indian Public Life. We can always dilute the intention and integrity of an action, but as a refresher why can't we see the immense beauty and effectivity of the entire proposition? 

School kids or for that matter, citizenry of a knowledge civilization harboured in a sovereign nation state having a democratically elected majority government should not be treated like an imperial sheep. Their innate intrinsic inclinations and aspirations need to be respected and adhered to. 

I have no qualm in being one with Ms Ghose in accepting the fact that all the colors of India are represented at Christmas. Then why not add a couple more. 

Ms Ghose, let's shed off this gloom and gear up to celebrate the Good Governance Day on Christmas. You certainly would do a great piece on that.

Can there be any better service to Christ who always worked for the poorest of the poor? 

The quintessential Ram Madhav :: From Emergence of Indian Era to India Ideas Conclave

We become what our motivators and mentors inspire and influence us to be. 

I have had the unique privilege and opportunity to be in touch with one of India's ardent nationalists of this era for over a decade. 

The rendezvous with Ram Madhav ji took off when we invited him for a guest lecture at IIT Kharagpur in fall 2003 under our fledging Students' Forum for India's Heritage. The theme of the talk was chosen as 'Emergence of the Indian Era'. 

Before the emergence of a grand nation like India, could be discussed and talked about, we had to make sure the emergence of common interest amongst the student community about this talk. 

There was a sinister sensation across the campus which boldly elucidated on its main building 'Dedicated to the Service of Nation', that the Official Spokesperson of RSS is coming to address KGPians. 

Being an enthusiastic band of passionate youngsters determined to explore the objective foundations of Indian Nationhood, we went further to hear as to what the most versatile nationalist organization of India had in it to offer. 

Till then, I personally was an uninitiated 'Sanghi' as is the popular label accorded to those who dare to love and admire the vast landmass of 32 lakh square kms spread from the majestic Himalayas to the mind boggling Indian Ocean and its innate intrinsic variegated cultural and spiritual ethos. 

My quest to synthesize my vaishnavite spiritual moorings with my feeble but dominant sense of belongingness to my village, town, state and country couldn't be satiated by any of the mutually competing and warring spiritual cults prevalent on the campus. 

My inability to grow beyond the national boundaries into a true universal self, something which was so very easy to accept and accommodate for a lot many of my friends. 

I was thereby condemned to sustain and survive as an outcast having eccentric 'ebola' type ideas. 

It was this rendezvous with Ram Madhav ji which comforted me that I was probably not the only odd man out. 

The content of the talk is not very vocal on my memory, but the overall impressions of that small but significant interaction somewhere gave me an anchor and a much wider window to explore and quench my inner moorings to synthesize spirituality with nationalism.

A spark is what is needed to put you on charge. It somewhere happened automatically while being in touch with a man who had stood and lived for his convictions.

In a bid to link up the well meaning and wide base thinking student bodies across premiere institutions of the country and spread the contagion, we ended up meeting with Ram Madhav Ji all over again within a year in June 2004.

This was incidentally just after graduating from the comfortable confines of the campus. A lot of issues of national concern were duly discussed and the various reasons behind the same were explored as well. 

One key central message which got impinged on my inner consciousness were the words of Ram Madhav ji again that India needs to build up a Nationalistic Intellectual Movement as this is the most wanting ingredient for national resurrection. It's from this fountainhead that the real and effective solutions to Indian problems would emerge.

Carrying the additional burden of these guiding words, I entered into the School of Life and somehow or the other couldn't continue for long away from my fascination and conviction to make some meaningful difference somewhere. 

During my stint to contribute to restore the pristine glory and grandeur of Braj Bhoomi and thereafter with my initiation into the field of developmental and educational journalism in an entrepreneurial mode, whenever I was in doubt about the chosen path, a direct or indirect interaction with Madhav ji used to reinstate the conviction. 

Till then, I had encountered and met with and worked under a lot many people of eminence, nobody could provide that anchoring effect despite the elaborate interactions which even a word or a line of Madhav ji would induce.

Somewhere or the other, the dispassionate approach and an all encompassing architecture of his scheme of things, used to catalyse that comforting confidence.

I am still in the process of unraveling the nuances of this approach which comes to you in times of your strenuous times when your self gets quite heavy. 

The ascendance of the nationalist aspirations of the country in the form of a majority government under the leadership  of Prime Minister Modi, somewhere created the rightful platform for evoking and accelerating the building up of a Nationalistic Intellectual Movement, something which was duly espoused by Ram Madhav Ji a decade back in front of some fascinated youngsters entering into the school of life. 

Today, when I am present at the valedictory session of India Ideas Conclave, I can very well sense the resilience and doggedness of this man of few but forceful words. He invited, communicated and met with the same dispassionate but contagious affection. 

It dawned upon me that it requires this level of grit and determination to influence and contribute to the national life. I got a chance to laugh, contemplate and forgive myself for my youthful fallacies during my very little journey so far.

The Quintessential Ram Madhav somewhere represents that innate intrinsic spirit of man making and motivating youngsters like me to a directed path to channelize their energies to make some meaningful difference somewhere and give some relevance to their existence. 

I can say with responsibility and confidence that I certainly have found a definitive life goal and path to tread on, thanks to the rendezvous which took off a decade back and still continues. 

The Ruckus over Ramzaade - Haramzaade Taxonomy :: The Tactics of Obscurantism in India's Public Discourse

The sadistic pleasure of breaching the impregnable & closely guarded armor of Prime Minister Modi's stellar performance so far might be the innate intrinsic reason for the procrastination of the resolution of the parliamentary logjam over the supposed Ramzaade Vs. Haramzaade taxonomy unleashed by Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti during an electoral expression at Delhi recently. 

While the Prime Minister has dis-approved of her remarks to placate the shenanigans of parliamentary discourse. He has much more to accomplish on his governance agenda which needs a parliamentary sanction, the reason for his supposed softening and letting go approach. 

However, this entire episode presents an interesting opening into exploring the undue bias, dichotomy & sophism which has got crept into India's public discourse. This is somewhere to reign in the self-expression of the people at large in the language and lingo they are comfortable and well versed with. 

Sadhvi's political discourse somewhere emanates from the traditional Indian worldview whose central inquiry and concern for time immemorial has been around the twin axis of dharmic and adharmic conduct. The ignorant and uninitiated adherents of alien & adversary ideologies might deride it by labeling it as an Hindutva bandwagon. So what? What's wrong with Hinduism after all. It's one of the finest living traditions on the earth which advocates for universalism, positive assimilation and transcendence of humanity to higher echelons through self penance.


It's interesting but alarming at the same time to note the dubious sensitivity of these rabble rousers who would celebrate and sanction the terming of a bollywood actress as Asia's most sexiest woman - someone who tends to arouse sexual desire or interest. Objectification of the institution of womanhood is an accepted reality, but the classification of dharmic and adharmic conducts sends shiver down their spine as it somewhere exposes the inadequacies & hypocrisies of their political worldview. 

What Vishal Sikka has put very boldly that Indians don't speak up, they simply tend to follow orders. This smacks of a defeated, subjugated and tormented people. They fear in speaking up because they lack the courage, the confidence and the conviction that they would be laughed at, mocked at and looked down upon in some way or the other. They don't take a stand against these very attacks on their civilizational ethos because they still live under a psychological threat to their very personal, social and cultural liberties which somewhere continued for more than half a century after the exodus of the British from the Indian Soil.

The all-out support of the Indian people in the centenary year of World War - I to the self-assuring voice in Narendra Modi is just a reflection & proof of their deeply rooted fears which persist to this date. 

Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's taxonomy is just an outward example of that innate intrinsic need of self-expression of the common Indian which is not shrouded in the homilies of "white man's burden". It's simple, honest and closer to life, which is led and pursued by this billion plus nation for millennias. The diversionary tactics of heralding obscurantism would probably not withstand their credence any further.

Taking the Best of West and not the Waste of it

The West has given some of the finest technological and managerial wonders to the entire humanity. There is however a drive to restructure and reorient the entire world around them. This might be a justifiable objective of the thinkers, philosophers and leaders of the western civilization. All the intellectual skulduggery confined in the research and advocacy can be given a fair chance as well honoring the innate intrinsic right of every civilization to push through its very own values, visions and virtues.

Nevertheless, invoking the very same principle of reciprocity the other oriental and ancient civilizations of the east should have the right to exercise their very own choices as to what they consider worth accommodating, adopting and accepting. 

The thinkers, scholars and leaders of these civilizations should exercise their discretion in allowing only the best what west has to offer and avoid the waste which it's astute business minds tend to push onto the humble, civilized, self contained and non-aggressive people of the eastern worlds.

In the garb of hallowed but hollow skewed and monopolised concepts of globalization, technology, democracy and blind faith of evoking fairness in all human transactions by dint of freedom accorded to the market forces the indigenous individual rights of civilizations just can't be snatched away or at best duped in the name of people's choice brought about using the power of ruthless reckless unbridled media which adheres and pushes the worldview of its benefactors.

There is therefore a greater need to consolidate the indigenous experience and create an elaborate blue-print of what all to accept and what all to discard from the west. The power of technology shows be unleashed by independent voices to create a truly interconnected world and not dominated by one civilization in particular.

The mantra which need to get propounded and propagated is 'Accepting the best of West while avoiding the Waste of it.'

A decade of discovery

June 1st 2014 marks the end of a decade of discovery for a youthful me having a lot of dreams and determination graduating from IIT Kharagpur and stepping into the real world full of challenges and inequities. The 3650 days that have passed by have had a recokening of their own. 

The social beliefs got normalized, the spiritual realizations got strengthened, the political understanding got fine tuned, the intellectual worldview got widened, the emotional self got stratified.

The decade was full of tormenting losses as well as tantalizing gains. At the very start of this momentous journey I lost my beloved father, whose words of wisdom do guide and goad me to this date. The more I advance in life, the more grateful I become of my father and get filled with the awe and reverence to his grand intellect and grasp of the real state of affairs. And towards the close of this memorable decade got blessed with a lovely daughter who has been named by her grandma after the reigning deity of Braj Bhoomi Nikunjeshwary Srimati Radharani. 

The coming in of Surbhi in my life 3 years back started yet another chapter of deeply anchored stupendous success on all forefronts. I had the distinction of harbouring a set of good motives, loads of sincerity to accomplish the same but had somewhere gone dry and rough on the emotional plank. The coming in of Surbhi added that much needed dimension of all round love, acceptance and accommodation. Her day to day tips to handle both the mundane as well as the most meticulous and strategic professional challenges elevated her to the status of not just a wife but a constant friend, philosopher and guide. The care and control which she takes of me makes my mother greatly relieved that she has got the good fortune of passing on the baton to a worthy Bahu who easily fits into the cherished role of leading the family from the front.

The very first evidence of the same was displayed when Gaurav's matrimonial project was driven singly by Surbhi. It was on her behest and consistent effort that he could get his soulmate well in time.

These 10 years were a reckoning on the family forefront whereby I witnessed the increasing hollowness, hypocrisy and helplessness of family relationships both on the paternal as well as the maternal side. After getting married the same scenario was witnessed amidst the paternal and maternal sides of my spouse as well. This somewhere certified the much widespread decay which has engulfed our personal bondings whose bindings have gone utterly materialistic, contracted & constricted to the nearest nuclear concept of a family. This might be giving a sense of fulfillment in the immediate run but is severely weakening the social structure not just in the longer run but also in the medium one. 

Got the biggest emotional trauma of my life when I tried to stand upto my belief of a family and the sense of duty towards the extended family comprising of my Mamaji over the issue of marrying his daughter and our beloved cousin sister. The severe abrogation of trust in a relationship which was forged at birth and the sheer hypocrisy & silence of the entire set of relatives ever-ready to burn their time and money on family festivities was mind blowing and hooked me off in its entirety from the business of family relationships. This cost me severely on the professional front as well as it led to the momentary closure of the version 1 of my media enterprise. The blow was momentary but reckoning on multiple counts. It blew me apart for a while, but then I recovered and restored my personal belief all over again and committed myself to make a dent in the space by my own exemplary conduct as well as through the creation of a larger advocacy and sensitization framework.

While being in college, I was deeply drawn to the exhortation boldly engraved on the main building 'Dedicated to the service of nation'. The impression got so severe that I couldn't contain myself on a well paying and self-serving career in the IT industry. My explorations for a meaningful platform to channelize my ethos and energies took me to the land of Braj whereby a larger movement to restore the pristine glory and grandeur of the fabled land inspired by Sri Ramesh Babaji and spearheaded by the noted investigative jounalist Sri Vineet Narain was building on. The inner conviction of creating a meaningful difference somewhere hooked me instantly to this open ended challenging but worth trying project. I started with utmost commitment and dedication and contributed towards the building of a global Braj restoration movement on all forefronts. 

As it happens with all loosely held socio-spiritual movements, people with all motivations and denominations do come and engage in an innate power struggle to exploit the best out of the drive. 

An overdose of idealism compounded with a blind belief in the infallibility and absence of human frugality of the top preceptor and spiritual leader, made me inflexible and created undue hurdles of ego clashes. I tend to make inadvertent attacks on silent but dominant aspirations of a many in the establishment an thereby became unpopular despite immense hard work and results on ground. The political side of even a so called sacred social movement driven by spiritual sensibilities was my biggest realization. This could however come only at the cost of a severe death threat heralded by the strongmen of the very high headed, noble and pious institution which I considered my inspiration and soul keeper. 

My foray into creating an enterprise of my own in the educational Infomedia space also brought their own share of learning. Over reliance in the goodness of people, the inherent motivations and diverse temptations, the power equations and a whole lot of other worldly dynamics got further transparent. 

The life journey however goes on and every day is a new discovery. However the decade gone by was noteworthy as it mapped quite closely with national events. I graduated in the year when Atal Bihari Vajpayee lost the India Shining Appeal. I moved on to create my own educational media enterprise after serving the Braj Bhoomi for 5 long years in the year when India elected UPA-II. I am closing this memoir in an year when the country has ascended Narendra Bhai Modi to usher an era of good days. 

After all these ups and downs; coronations and criticisms; failures and successes, the convictions and beliefs with which I had started this fantastic journey stand much more amplified and strong. However a lot of worldly wisdom has dawned into handling the day-to-day imperfections. The flight of fancy and dominance of romanticism over reason still rule the roost, as it continues to the innate intrinsic DNA of mine, life really goes on and on. 

Swadharme Nidhanam Shreyah; Pardharmo Bhayavah goes the saying. It's better to pursue one's own convictions and beliefs rather than to retort to those of others. 

I could withstand with this ideal so far amidst all tormentations and hope to continue the same even in the next decade which unfolds with all its tribulations. 

The tryst with destiny continues.

The dawn of a new era :: 50 Years After Nehru

May 26th, 2014 would go as a watershed day not just in the history of India but also of the entire world. It would mark the departure of India's First Prime Minister and his ideological undercurrents which continued to influence India's statecraft 50 long years ago even after his demise and the ascendance of India's 15th Prime Minister who has a mind and worldview of his own.

While the late J L Nehru ascended on the India's political scene courtesy his Anand Bhawan legacy as well as the blessings of the national leader of the time Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Narendra Damodardas Modi had to confront one and all to make his way upto the top. The very patriarch who could have anointed him as his political successor simply found himself in a competing slot. 

While Nehru was the blue eyed boy of the retreating imperialists as his beliefs and vision were quite in sync with theirs, Modi is seen with tremendous suspicion and caution by the powers of the day in a yet another epoch of global change.

While Nehru was unapologetic for his English taste and convictions, Modi has not let any doubt about his conviction for Hindu Nationalism and to put it into practice. This would certainly mark the political advent of a third worldview of Pagan ethos led by the Commonwealth of Hinduism apart from the Christian and  Islamic ones.

Even after being the protege of the Mahatma, Nehru was known for his vociferous indulgences of all extremes, Modi coming from his RSS training is a mere tea totaller who displayed his frugal vegan life by ordering a pure vegetarian banquet right on his swearing day.

While Nehru was oblivious and anachronistic to the Indian ethos & traditions and systematically sidelined the leadership of the day to a dry, materialistic, indulgence ridden ideological cocktail which later came to be recognised as Nehruvianism; Modi on the other hand is extremely vigilant about the cultural diversity of India and has the mettle to not only understand it but also the uncanny capacity to synthesize it in prevalent systems and institutions.

Nehru's 18 year rule and romanticism was somewhere involved in brewing an unnecessary impractical cocktail which led to the eventual invasion of India by China. Modi on the other hand has demonstrated in his 12 year stint in the State of Gujarat a unique originality on almost all fronts quite in sync with the realities and realizations of the Indian ethos. He displayed his statesmanship right on his swearing in day by engaging the immediate neighbours load stock barrel.

While Nehru created a blind trust and belef into the capabilities of the western educated mandarins, Modi is more biased towards sons of the soil for critical advise and action.

Nehru was enamoured by power and pelf and most importantly the personal cult to such an extent that even after being preferred over Sardar Patel to take on the reigns of the nation, he dumped his very benefactor and his entire vision for the nation at large. Modi, though might have passed through a gruelling succession heat, has not sidelined any of the ideals and vision which his political mentors in Vajpayee, Advani and Joshi had crafted all through their political life. He lives and seems to continue the same principals. The operations might see his characteristic originality.

While Nehru left a battered, bruised and breathless nation which had to beg for even food grains, Modi by all means is expected to leave a legacy of self-reliance, self-confidence and self-sustainability.

They say it's all in the man at the top. This 26th May after 50 years of Nehru's demise would go down as a transformational day for the nation as a whole.

Dawn of Modi Era :: Dispelling the twin spells of Vanity and Complacency of the Indian Masses

They say that the only constant in human life is change. For good or for bad, any change brings in a sense of relief and releases some of the reserved optimism. 

The euphemism of the dawn of a new era of good days has probably got Mr. Modi and his party a majestic mandate from the Indian masses. But the judgement of the masses is largely impulsive than investigative. Masses at large are always glued to their immediate gloom or glee. They tend to be led and driven by any Pied Piper who can play to their tunes.

The whopping enablement and empowerment granted by the voters of a democratic polity can be seen as a symbol of success, but probably only for a short-while. This needs to be translated into transcending possibilities which out of everything else empowers and enables the society at large.

The Indian society for whatever and various reasons has largely been glued to a non-materialistic world view. There is an innate resistance to work and responsibility. The number of public holidays in the name of culture and religious sentiments is one glaring example of the same. On the drop of a handkerchief the Indian mind is ready to take respite in gluttony.

To worsen it all, the philosophical frameworks developed and practised in this land of Gods tend to justify it all. Justification for all faulty and self serving reasons though.

The biggest challenge in front of Mr Modi would thereby be to shake up this grand tamas of the Indian people breeding beautifully in the garb of sattvic virtues.

Electioneering gets more into a mode of entertainment than public education which has to be perpetual and propelling.

In what ways and means would Mr Modi arise the latent giant energies of the Indian masses to meaningful effort would be an area of key interest.

How would the Modi magic dispel the twin spells of vanity and complacency of the Indian people would certainly determine the level of his eventual success.

There seems to be some relief considering his Vedantic upbringing and his own example of relentless work.

Unlearn to reckon

It's sometimes very easy and comfortable to lead a life of ignorance. Ignorance they say is bliss. When you don't reason you are somewhere in a state of perpetual rest. Reason taxes the mind and creates a perpetual suffering, the pain and agony of which only the one who suffers can sense.

When you tend to reason out the creation around you, you do need a modus operandi to let the unfurling of this grandiose exploration as well as a framework to record your findings so as to use them out in your further reasoning process.

The propensity to reason out the existence and to create a personalized framework based on the same varies from individual to individual.

From time immemorial this innate human propensity has been catered to by a large number of philosophical systems which suggest their very own modus operandi and framework. 

The unraveling of the existence has probably been the innate intrinsic inspiration of all educational systems as well,

Somewhere down the progression of human civilization the philosophical systems got divorced from the educational systems and vice-versa. 

The other human propensity to exercise dominion over others probably let to the rigidity of educational systems and religiosity of philosophical systems. 

While systems are important guidelines for neophytes to acquire a quick understanding of the existence from a particular modus operandi and in a peculiar framework, they need to be dismantled or taken away once an initial level of understanding is struck at. 

The reckoning starts when you start unlearning the framework which you have developed through any modus operandi. 

This is probably what we are missing. This very process of unlearning is probably the solution to all what ails today's educational as well as philosophical systems.

The reemergence of the east

The reemergence of the east over the past decade has unnerved the western think tanks like never before. The 5 century old contructs of imperialism are not bearing much fruit.

The advent of technology and spread of the universal ethos of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness have given rise of a spree of independent thinking and rooted political leaders who have resisted the innumerable temptations as well as threats of persecution in myriad ways. 

The People's Republic of China had had been on its ascendance for over 3 decades now. 

The most prominent member of the erstwhile USSR, Russia seems to be belligerent under the leadership of Vladimir Putin. 

The world's largest democracy India is going to witness a definitive transformation under the nationalistic leader Narendra Damodardas Modi. 

This strategic pivot of Russia, China and India would unveil a never seen axis of collaboration for the welfare and survival of the entire humanity. Post world war 2, it's probably for the first time that yet another axis of global power would have emerged in a 45 year long bi-polar and then a 25 year long unipolar world.

There would be an all out attempt to create tension and turmoil to desist the congregation of ties amongst these struggling but emerging nations of economic prowess. The biggest western arsenal stooped deep into their intellectual armour would have to be impregnated and defended against.

India, which has had one of the biggest contributions to world thought before the advent of theocratic regimes would have yet another relevant role to play. 

Indian intellects of original thought would have to take on this challenge for the welfare and survival of the entire humanity.

Who is afraid of Narendra Modi?

It's in the nature of things to resist modification of any kind. The physical law of inertia reigns supreme in the material nature. 

The ascendance of a patriot rooted firmly in the Indian ethos and having the progressive vision required to lead a billion plus nation seems to have a far reaching impact, influence and implication in the intellectual cosets of our self styled liberal, progressive, globalised, tolerant, left leaning harbingers of peace and prosperity. 

Incidentally and interestingly India's intellectual climate is swarmed with the croak of these self-serving alienated intellectuals endowed by foreign godfathers.

Their due distinction lie in their capability of creating self-contradicting convoluted narratives with no pointed reasoning or inference.  They have the uncanny competence of garnishing facts with fiction in their characteristic cocktails with a sprinkling of some high octane ideals and ideas so as to give a hallow of inordinate charisma and intellectual might.

A simple dissection of their reasoning matrix bares and exposes it all onto which they cry foul play. 

Using this very art and craft of intellectual imposturing this tribe of intellectuals are trying their luck to malign the ascendance of Narendra Damodardas Modi on India's political turf in innumerable ways and means. 

It's probably for the first time in Modern Indian history that a political leader of immense character, content and comprehension has made it to the forefront who doesn't fall prey to the imposed ethos and value systems. It's this original thinking and strong independent action which unnerves this cabal of know it all and do it all our way and our designs. 

India of the ages has had been made captive by this very tribe for due vested interests who have been pertuating sophism and obscurantism of all kinds. 

The simplicity of Narendra Modi's narratives have crossed this quagmire of intellectual skulduggery which had had been keeping the innate potential of this grand nation under check.

The man simply refuses to even acknowledge the constructs designed to obstruct, confuse and convolute the ongoing narrative. The simple  adherence to the native mother tongue has helped the cause much more.

Modi is rightfully feared by this cabal of rootless alienated self-serving intelligentsia who works on the behest of their benefactors for multifarious economic and political reasons.

The innate ethos of the Indic civilizations which have been brought to the forefront by this rooted man has certainly validated the Vedantic exhortation 'Good motive, sincerity and infinite love can conquer the world. One single soul possessed of these qualities can destroy the dark designs of millions of crooks and brutes".

Inconsistencies of intent and integrity : Reflections on Manu Joseph's defense of Tejpal

The April 7th issue of the outlook magazine seems to celebrate porn in myriad manners. Both overt and covert. While they have put Sunny Leone on a Centre Spread bringing her profession and persona to public acceptance, an indepth elaborate commentary around the innate intimate consensual or forceful escapades of the author of 'Alchemy of Desire' has been woven. The intent of highlighting this piece as a cover story is hard to decipher.

Accentuating the legitimization and large scale social acceptance of pornography seems to be a reasonable journalistic objective, but the crafting of a grand theatrical narrative around the sensuous stupor of a celebrated journalist and writer venerated by a network of Delhi's influential cultural elite opens up several pressing, pertinent and potent questions of serious nature.

The narrative gets all the more obnoxious and nauseating when the craftsman of the invokes his dialectics by introducing the open kisses and hugs and expression of love from the father Tejpal to the daughter Cara in a pre-dominant public space - the entrance of a fast track court - alongside with the emphatic assertion of undergoing a consensual sexual act between an employer Tejpal with an employee again in a dominant public space - the elevator of a hotel.

The full page snap of a caring daugher pleading her victimized father to relax adds much more to the visual gimmickry. The due mention of the older daughter gifting the novel 'Jailbird' is probably done with a purpose, the purpose of trivializing the severity of the episode by the invocation of another dutiful daughter succintly absoving her father or at least abrogating the appalling nature of the charges pressed against him.

The craftsman seems to duly undrstand the mind of a 'rightist' society which values family ties reasonably well. If the two young daughters are by the side of a person accused of outraging the modesty of a woman of his daughter's age, he is bound to garner due public sympathy amidst which a lot can be managed and justified. 

The narrative is further built on the far cry of the accused/victim - the celebrated investigative  journalist - to examine the CCTV footage to know the truth. 

Interestingly the overemphasis on the core abstract value of truth is done without any sense of a framework of right or wrong which probably doesn't exist in the worldview of these guardians of public thought and conduct. 

The narrative goes on further to absolve the accused by invoking his wife with the reasoning that her husband's sexual escapade with a lady of her daughter's age and proximity was just consensual. 

The trajectory of the narrative infers as if this is a normal conduct amidst the network of Delhi's influential cultural elite who patronises the accused. Is this rationalization the intent of the craftsman?

The narrative gets sinister when it in a spree of refined rounded resonating string of words assassinates the 'character' of the Young Woman who chose to report the conduct of his boss. 

The choice of the phrases, 'delicate mental state', 'consumed by the intense fear', 'turning of the noise against her', 'her way of life', 'her character would be on trial', 'details of her past are already in the air', can be certainly be taken up as a open candid threat by way of this celebrated pieced published in a national news magazine suo moto by the trial court. 

The craftsman goes further to report the  dichotomic 'medical condition' of the Young Woman's father. 

Seems like all tricks of the textbook are underplay to destroy the credibility of the complainant.

Interestingly, after having defamed the Young Woman himself by way of aforementioned illustrations, the craftsman plays with the comprehension of the reader by inserting a paragraph which reads 'Tejpal is in the fast track court in Panjim to impress upon it that contrary to the claims of the Prosecution, his agents are not the ones who are defaming the Young Woman.'

Now invoking the basic principles of reasoning either the craftsman of the narrative is an agent of the celebrated journalist condemned in a perpetually lit basement cell containing a corner toilet being shared with half-a-dozen inmates; or the aforesaid exhortations of intimidation are an ode to the veneration of the Young Woman. 

The narrative gets further interesting when the craftsman toggles between the demand of 'pens and scribbling pads' with that of the 'CCTV footage'. Whether the footage would exonerate the accused or a long drawn intertwined narrative like the one being examined here compounded by technical court gimmicks would, needs to be seen as time would unravel. 

The gory analysis of the supposed inconsistencies between the Young Woman's statements and that of the CCTV tapes as narrated by the craftsman are skipped out here as this examination is not intended to be 'in search of one goldmine enterprise that always seemed just within the grasp' of the celebrated journalist who has had been fervently craving for pens and scribbling pads in the Vasco cell. 

The craftsman has used all his intellectual prowess and linguistic skulduggery to make it a incoherent reading aimed at convincing the readers through a web of confusing paragraphs though it has all the elements of an arousing real life porn reporting. Though this does seem to be the core intent of this 6 pager scribble.

The craftsman chisels out his defense further by introducing another dichotomy that either the rapist was foolish or a drunken flirt.

While closing his piece, the craftsman tries to restore his integrity by giving a chance to the Young Woman that the inconsistencies between her statements and the hard truth of the video footage might be the consequences of lapses in memory something witnessed even by the craftsman himself. 

The celebrated jounalist gets his little triumph by getting pens and scribbling pads. The craftsman leaves the reader with a parting thought that whether aw would get triumph over a 10 year tenure in prison as well. 

The inconsistencies of intent and integrity of Manu Joseph seem to be glaring and goading enough. His attempt to erect a multifaceted intellectual defense justifying and decelerating the gravity of the conduct of Tejpal can be accommodated in an atmosphere where the likes of Sunny Leones are being projected as national stars. Afterall what's wrong in indulging in consensual frolics with a junior lady of a daughter's age and proximity? It might be an acceptable tradition amongst the network of Delhi's influential cultural elite which patronises journalists and writers of 'Alchemy of Desire' fame and derides a conventional conservative rightist society.

However the one paragraph containing explicit threat and intimidation to the Young Woman can land up the craftsman  into trouble. 

By his very overdoing of the rounded dialectics, he has openly admitted to be an agent of Tejpal dutifully engaged in defaming the Young Woman, something which this entire narrative is a glaring testimony of. 

The Outlook magazine should be wary of sanitizing such pieces of overt intimidation and threat.