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I
am touching a subject that will evoke a lot of
discussion. If not discussion, it will very
likely get a lot of opinions expressed about it
– some rational and some caustic. Let’s see what
we get.
Global Warming:
Ads on TV exhort people to use compact
fluorescent bulbs, run cars that work on
biofuels and switch to renewable sources of
energy. Big seminars are held on global warming
and the elite of the scientific community show
slides after slides of melting arctic ice and
polar bears dying. But are biofuels, renewable
sources of energy and C.F. bulbs the cure for
centuries worth of carbon loading of the
atmosphere ? Only partly so !
No one wants to say that not having more than
two children will have the biggest impact on the
world environment. It is the absolute truth. We
humans are crowding the planet too tightly. Do
you know who does not want to hear this
recommendation ?! The market! The market runs on
numbers of consumer goods sold and if the
population begins to dip, there will be
plentiful houses, so no new mortgages, there
will be plenty of surplus energy generating
capacity, more college seats, better life. But
would anyone like to trade it for a falling
SENSEX or DOW ? Well, so lets not talk about
that vital issue.
Colonization:
It is alive and well. In the 21st century the
method of colonization has changed. You do not
have to send in your own people. You just setup
a despot regime and support it in the country
you wish to get resources out of. A powerful
despot does it for you more efficiently than
your own people would – and your hands would be
clean too ! This proxy government is alive and
well in so may countries. Does anyone raise as
much as a squeak about it ? Well lets not talk
about this vital issue also.
Religious strife in India:
A lull followed the strife after the partition
of India. The Muslim population percentage-wise
was in the single digits. They kept their heads
down and were widely discriminated. With an
soaring growth in the percentage of Muslims in
India comes the participation of this community
in every sphere of life. It is how things are
supposed to work, but there are two realities
that throw a spanner in the works. First, that
India is perched precariously (like Jordan) in
the proximity of countries that have Islam as
their state religion. Though many good people in
the Muslim community in India would not want to
do anything with the Pakistani agenda, there
will always be some who will use this as a chip
for Political reasons – just as the undesirables
in the Hindu community come up with stunts like
the ‘Zehrili CD’. It is more about politics than
religion. The solution is to get mainstream
India focus on not being excessively and
exclusively religious and making a public
display of it. Religion belongs inside peoples’
homes, not on the town square. But since this
can touch the ‘sensitivities of the people’,
let’s not talk about that vital issue.
AIDS:
Awareness is touted as the biggest weapon in the
control of AIDS. This is only partly true.
Despite all the awareness HIV infected people
will still be around in society spreading the
disease to the healthy populace. In India, where
cultural traditions have strong roots, AIDS
seems to spread 'underground', striking
housewives and innocent children. AIDS (and even
Hepatitis C) can be controlled, even eliminated,
by putting tattoo marks identifying an HIV
positive person somewhere on his body that is
not visible in day to day life. This is a very
simple and inexpensive solution, but no one
wants to talk about it.
Naxalite Strife will grow in India:
Capitalist and Islamic societies have their
agendas for which they crush Communists.
Communism is as unpopular today as the pugree of
the 1800’s. But the reasons of communism are
alive and well. The disparity in wealth in India
is glaring. It is there in the more affluent
parts of the world too, but effective
administration and media marketing brainwashes
people away from resisting the disparities. Not
so in India. Even the illiterate barber in India
has an unofficial degree in Political Science.
He is a lot more knowledgeable and politically
conscious than even many of the elites in many
developed countries. The have-nots in India will
try hard their share of India’s prosperity – and
the naxalwadi business is one of their means.
Just like the attack of the virus clears the
deck for bacterial infections, the naxalwadi
business may become a launch pad for other
anti-national activities by enemies of India.
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Comments: |
Very good and logical reasoning
there. I read this piece some days
back and waited to see how people
react to it. There was no reaction.
Were these issues of no consequence?
NO!!! These issues are as important
as important issues could be. They
affect everyone's life and that of
their kids. Then why the silence?
Perhaps the silence is in reaction
to the feeling expressed by the
author that "I am touching a subject
that will evoke a lot of discussion.
If not discussion, it will very
likely get a lot of opinions
expressed about it – some rational
and some caustic. Let’s see what we
get." How could we readers allow him
to take us for granted? So we kept
mum.
Reactions on PD follow a very
predictable norm. When some good
ideas are expressed about the world
at large we think either the author
has some hidden agenda or he is
writing about things that affect
everyone so let everyone else react
to it. We are keen to react to
issues like caste, reservations etc.
They sure are issues that affect us
but the larger issues like the
global warming, growth of
population, the spread of AIDS,
misuse of religion, the injustice
meted out by a few (Iraq) etc. are
issues that have / can have an
impact on us too.
Perhaps we react only when we have a
clear group of people as our
adversary. When we have to take on
the system or the Governments of the
world we become reticent. Come on
friends, we can at least express
solidarity when good ideas are put
forth.
The silence calls for some
introspection, doesn't it? -
Rajesh - Apr. 30, 2007 |
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