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.

The Time has Changed

It is often said, “The time has changed”. What does this mean? If we are referring to passage of time, it is true. We do not ever remain in the moment we were a moment ago. But, this is not normally meant by the expression. What is meant is that the social norms and values have changed, the behaviour pattern of people has changed, the ways of expression have changed, the words have changed, the meanings of old words have also changed, etc. etc.. It is never meant that the time has changed, the technologies have changed, the economic condition has changed, the consumption pattern has changed, some laws of physics have changed, medical science has changed, etc. etc..

Very few people complain about the latter types of changes but many voices are heard criticizing the former lot. And who are the ones who complain? The same people, who allowed or sanctioned these changes. When this is pointed out to them they have a very strong argument, they invariably say, “We had to allow or sanction ‘that’ because you know ‘The time has changed’ how can we live in the past?

What they mean is that with passage of time each one of us became so weak and spineless that neither we could live a disciplined life nor we had the guts to force discipline on our children. As a result our following generation went on degenerating. All prevailing evils are allowed and sanctioned by us and we blame ‘time’ for this. What a perverse logic of a degenerated mind!!!!

An Appeal

Bliss, I do not know what it is but I believe it to be a state where one is in a perpetual state of contentment, happiness and such.

To reach this state is every ones goal. This calls for knowledge of the path to follow. Only that some one, who has already followed the path and reached the state of bliss, can impart this knowledge. Where is such a teacher?

Why all self-proclaimed teachers claiming to impart such knowledge seem to me commercially motivated or hankering for fame. Most of them are engaged in gathering followers, building institutions, are media hungry, selling their knowledge for money and are impermanent (i.e. short life-ed nothing except truth is permanent). They, therefore, do not see that their knowledge (?) is mostly needed by creatures living in miseries, are deprived, ignorant, oppressed and what not! But then, these creatures also are have-nots, no money to lavish on the knowledgeable teachers and have no resources to make them famous.

India appears to have emerged as one producing more number of such teachers than any other country right from the time of Gautam Buddh. Can I put Buddh in the above category? Nonsense!!! But look at the modern day teachers. Are they comparable to Buddh?

Loud and clear calls for such teachers, who claim to help alleviate human miseries I think, are coming from places like India itself, Africa, Vietnam, etc.

My folded hands prayer to them "Please listen to them".

Knowledge

It is said that ignorance is bliss! It then follows that knowledge is the opposite.

Should we believe this?

Well I roam around and see people with different levels of knowledge and in different levels of economic status. Also I find people having varying levels of happiness, contentment, worries, miseries, and so on. The general impression that I gather is quite revealing to me.

The people with lesser degree of knowledge are again generally in a happy state of mind. Their worries, if they have any, are minor in nature. As a result they are contented and therefore, are able to laugh and sleep better. They may not be in the state of bliss but are the present day knowledgeable people in that state? Would they not want just to laugh and sleep as the less knowledgeables are doing?

Is it then that knowledge deprives people of the ability to easily laugh and peacefully fall asleep? If so, it would then emerges that knowledge is the one which creates miseries of all types. And therefore, any sane person would say knowledge is evil. Wrong!!!!

Faulty knowledge is evil. The one which is making people more ignorant. The one which is depriving people of the wisdom he is naturally born with and would naturally develop with age. This, all other creatures are wise enough to understand except we human beings.

All non-human creatures know how to live with the Nature and not how to live off-with the Nature. Therefore, the day we learn to live with the Nature we will experience the "bliss" we are so intensely looking for. So, should not our endeavour be to gather that knowledge?