Land Acquisition for Development
Wisdom expressed on forums discussing Land Acquisition for industrial development by Govt. and/or finally by some industrial houses have been mind boggling for a simple minded person like me. I do not understand the justification of depriving a person, or a family, or a village or whatever, of their means of livelihood for the benefit of those who are capable of expanding their empire by any other alternative mean. Can depriving a family of its land that has been the only source of livelihood for generations and may remain so for generations to come, be deemed justified under any pretext?
Then I hear of compensation to those whose source of livelihood is being snatched away. Wise people, very knowledgeable in economic theories, management and financial wizards, political pundits and such put their minds together to estimate the most reasonable compensation. I do not know what time frame they have in mind when they do this, but I am sure they do not think of generations to come over centuries. Because doing so will defeat their interests or may be they are incapable of estimating on this consideration or doing this will jeopardize the interests of those who hire them.
Agreed, that there is valuable mineral deposits there, but who deposited it there? Are these deposits like any deposit in a bank which can be taken out by the one who deposited it? Even if it is then the person owning the rights to the land has the right to do so when he deems fit. No one else can just go and by fair means or foul take that deposit out ignoring the right of the owner. Is it not robbery? Will a Govt. support one who wants to demolish a house of another where the one knows that there is a big load of gold ornaments lying, hid beneath the foundation by someone unknown and of which the owner has no knowledge? Will anybody term such an act right when the present owner is given just a compensation for the house at “market rate”? Well go ahead a term it a naïve question!
Another funny point I want to draw attention of the wise as an example to show what happens/ed when means of livelihood is snatched away. Funny, because it would seem so to the wise though it does not appear so to my puny mind. The forests in and around Hazaribagh; Hazaribagh because, that is the place I am a little familiar with, were destroyed by the unscrupulous, greedy, insensitive industrialists with whom the Govt. officials joined hands. The records may not show so, but it is a fact. The area was full of wild life of various species including human whom we now-a-days call tribals. The forest was the source of livelihood to all of them and they thrived there, I dare say happily. Now not a single living wild tiger or cheetah or such highly respected wild dwellers can be found in the whole of Hazaribagh district. This may be so in all of Jharkhand and again may be in all of the once densely forested areas all over the world. Are we not deprived of the various wild lives which we now-a-days call endangered species? Are we not deprived of the various human cultures that lived in such areas and thrived? Where are the highly cultured Bheels, Santhaals, Mundas? What happened to the proud Red Indians who roamed over the whole of American continents? Is this called evolution? I call it invasion, annihilation brought about by the greed of unscrupulous human beings shamelessly terming it as development.

Power of Pen/Word

When I was a student there used to be debate competitions and often the topic was “Which is mightier Pen or Sword”. I never participated because I suffered from stage fear but I made it a point to always be in the audience. Based on the arguments given by the speakers I would sway sometimes thinking that Sword is mightier and at other times the Pen.

However, now I am convinced at the age of 70 that Pen/Word is mightier. The reason is the type of articles I read in the media or hear the speeches and see the impact they have, astounding, to say the least. A stray incident can be turned into the most vicious of events by written or spoken words to turn the minds of people to believe in it and also react equally viciously. This further creates opportunities for the journalists/speakers to write/deliver, just for their bread, more juicy articles/speeches. I wonder, “Are they ever concerned about the hazards of inflammable writings or speeches?”

Reading about an Indian thrashed in Australia in the paper, I called my friend living there and he just brushed it off saying there is nothing, it is being unnecessarily blown out of proportion in the Indian media. Such incidents take place all over the world between people. In rage people become violent and react to repent later and there it ends or should better end.

Then someone, who is articulate and has a fertile self-motivated mind, gives it an entirely different meaning in such a convincing manner that a common reader starts believing in what he reads and starts nurturing hatred towards one of the parties involved—Australians towards Indians and Indians towards Australians, or Canadians towards Indians and Indians towards Canadians, or Muslims towards Hindus and Hindus towards Muslims, or Sikhs towards non-Sikhs and non-Sikhs towards Sikhs, or Captain towards his men and men towards their Captain, or such unending bipolars.

I wonder is it the motive of present day journalists and public speakers to create hatred in the otherwise innocent hearts of common people?

Questions and more questions

What can we do about the regional feeling taking roots in the mind of us, the Indians?

Are we one because we live in a geographically identified territory called India or are we one bound by a rich cultural heritage?

We seem to have forgotten that we sought independence for the whole country. We didn’t seek for any specific region. Therefore the problems that we are facing are also of the country and not of any region. Then why are we regionalizing them?

Similarly, the problems are also not of people belonging to any specific religion, caste or such. They are of the country.

Why do our leaders not try to win over the faith and support of Indians rather than of people belonging to a specific religion, region, caste and things like these. We have remained divided in the past but that does not mean that we endeavour to go back in time.

Why we Indians have so much of anger in our hearts that for the most flimsy of reasons we become destructive and go with a vengeance against our own lives and properties?

Why we Indians do not try to ignore all the divisive forces emanating from any quarters?

Human Rights2

Survival of the fittest is a truth. And a truth is that which does not change with time.

The rights are those that the fittest describe. Therefore, the lesser people (and all creatures) can not do so. In other words rights of the lesser creature to survive, to own property, and such, can not be protected till they themselves become fittest (or at least fit enough to keep themselves protected).

Therefore, it is futile for the third parties to attempt to protect the rights of the tribal, the poor agriculture based people, and the various species. They are bound to perish or remain in protected areas provided by the fittest specie for their own entertainment like, pets, animals in zoo or protected forests. The attempts like human rights organizations are nothing but a selfish enterprise of those who want to be visible and therefore they put up a façade. In reality they are least concerned about those whose rights they talk about.

The struggle of the lesser ones can be successful if and only if they rise up and become fitter by learning to combat with the same weapons their adversaries are using, wealth, education and strategies. They will have to leave living the way the lived and find out on their own better and more sustainable ways of life. They will have to exploit the wealth wherever it is available, over-ground or underground, thinking only of the present and have no concern of the future, because, now a days, these are the rules of the game. If they do not, then others will definitely come in sooner or later. Nothing can stop it.

Allopathic Medication

I eat prescription allopathic medicine for high blood pressure. Similarly many people take allopathic medicine for different ailments.

Today while whiling away time sitting idle I got appalled thinking why do we knowingly eat medicines which are poisonous or harmful for a healthy body? If an antibiotic taken by a healthy person can make him sick why will it not do the same to an ailing unhealthy person? If a steroid will damage some healthy organs in the body why should it be taken?

I am not a very knowledgeable person therefore I can not give many examples. But, we all know that eating poison will always harm. So, why eat it?

Further, I am gradually getting convinced that all researches going on in the field of drugs and medicine are focusing in finding maintenance drugs and not cures. It is surprising that while science has taken giant leaps it has failed to find cures for common ailments like blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and so on. Yes! people have found maintenance drugs for many which the patients have to take lifelong and most of these are harmful to healthy persons. As a result people taking these medicines for one ailment land themselves with other serious defects needing further medication to develop yet more problems.

Can advising people to inflict harm on themselves be called criminal?

Journalism:

Every day when I read or view television I am shocked! A feeling that I do not relish nor do I think most of us do. Why then almost all ‘reports’ are so ominous? Naturally, because the world is full of gloomy things. Sometimes however, I get to read/see brighter things as well, but normally not highlighted and kept in a corner. As if it is a shameful thing and better be concealed. Since honest journalism demands that is why it is being reported.

There may be another reason – things that are normal, and all good things are normal, do not need reporting. It is the exception, the abnormal which needs attention of the mass and therefore, those must be reported. If it is so then I have no reason to feel bad. Though the media is full of ominous things the world is not.

Some wise man had said “seek and you will find”. So I infer that our journalists seek the gloomy and therefore they find it. Once found it has to be reported. When reported it is also read. Repeatedly reading such things leave indelible impressions. Such impressions then convert people and more evil minded are created. I am afraid that there will come a day when the “normal” would become “exception”. Or is the day already here?

Reservation

Constant mention, by our great (?) leaders, representatives of people and simultaneously by the most independent (?) and vocal media, of the problem of reservation and of inclusion of castes and races in the categories enjoying the benefits of reservation finally did succeed in educating a person like me, low in learning, low in IQ, low in everything that fall under this category. So much so, that an idea started germinating in the least fertile mind like mine.

First it struck me that our leaders are extremely concerned and worried about “upliftment” of the deprived section of our population. As a result and to quickly cure this ailment, they thought of forcing doles down the throats of deprived people. This was provided in our constitution (I hope but I am not sure) in the form of reservation of positions in educational institutions, in government services of all sorts not excluding those positions where inefficiencies may result in catastrophe. They identified four categories of deprived people namely Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Backward Class (BC) and Other Backward Class (OBC) and categorized numerous existing castes and races in these categories. This process has now been going on for over last fifty years. You know we have innumerable castes and races living in the country.

I do not know the definition of democracy but in our land we have three parties in it namely, the people, the leaders and the government. Each one from time to time finds a caste or race to be included in any of the four categories. Wait, not just like that. Each of the identifications creates chaos throughout the country. After several demonstrations, disruptions, destruction of public properties, loss of lives, arson, strikes, and such minor incidences, a solution is arrived at. Repetitiveness of this sequence of incidences in fact sowed the seed which germinated in my mind and bore the following fruit (solution).

Let the four categories remain as they are and since we are a democratic country allow every citizen to choose a category of his liking and include him in that. And again, since we are a democratic country, every citizen should be allowed to change his category as and when one desires.

I assure you all the problems arising out of reservation will get solved in one stroke. Furthermore, it will in very near future lead to every citizen falling in just one category. Then this category may be named as INDIANS, of course, if all agree!

Hold on! Not so fast. What will happen to the Ahamias (Assamese), Bengalis, Biharis, UPItes, Haryanvis, Punjabis, Odiyas, Telugus, Tamils, Gujaratis, Marathis, Malayalis, Kannads, Pahadis and others? And who are the INDIANS?

Well! I am not the only one to think as well as solve all the problems. Let some one else do it.