Ideas are Immortal

“Obedience cannot be expected of like minds, only compliance”.

And it requires servility, either in a subtle or pronounced form to budge down to bureaucracy, is a claim that I make. It seems to hold true with all the experiences I have had in understanding the paradigm of ‘obedience’.

Sometimes,we hear people taking shelter under the unreasonable umbrella of people above us in the hierarchy, either in families or at work –
“The boss is always right”,”I don’t want to do this, but I do it because my elders ask me to”, “I do it because that rule dictates so” etc are few observations one could make on a daily basis. Another form of obedience also a manifestation of fanaticism, where people become slaves to certain ideas without contesting them – all fanatics from extreme right to extreme left are examples.

Questioning authority is, if not the highest form of manifestation of rational thought in beings, is at least, one of the important basic principles. People who readily, and without questioning bureaucracy accept the views imposed on them, either because of the power vested in the bureaucracy or the weakness inside the individuals is an unfortunate state of affairs. The cause of this submission to authorities can be traced back to two factors – lack of sincere rational thought, and lack of courage.

We profess and preach rationalism in many flavors and hues, as if it were a commodity available in the supermarket. In reality, rational thinking is, nothing but a simple way of life, with a single demanding trait associated with it – consistency. To be able to apply consistent rational thought at all instances, without contradicting one’s own principles.

And this consistency requires courage. I might advice somebody to think rationally, manifest it even in my technical pursuits, but when there is a situation in my life demanding action, if I let go this rational thought and endorse a convenient path contradicting all that I have wanted to pursue, I have again budged down to an invisible authority, directly or indirectly.

Courage and scientific thought, courage to bring life to scientific thought is what is the necessity of the hour amongst many of us.

In most of my talks on Internet censorship, or while discoursing on Free Software, I invariably end up invoking the contributions made by WikiLeaks (WL) in enabling whistleblowers, and also cite WL as an example when the powerful have tried, and been almost successful in trampling independent voices, rising against injustice.

Julian Assange's Unauthorised Autobiography

Working with a grand, but necessary motto of transparency in Governments and financial institutions to ensure justice for the commons, WikiLeaks did shake up the ice and make many of us realise the double standards of various major players. In doing so, they have as expected annoyed the benefactors of secrecy.

While WikiLeaks is simply a high technology publishing platform, it is one of its kind. WL started functioning as a platform for whistleblowers to publish information without the fear of having being suppressed or in many cases protecting their lives. WL will in future turn to be an epoch in global journalism and a defining period where the institutions who were suppressing information, will think twice to do so. We have witnessed it, and I am certain not many of us realised how important a thing has occurred in the last 4-5 years around WikiLeaks.

The journey of WikiLeaks can be understood clearly by knowing its Editor-in-Chief, Julian Assange(JA).

While today, people might link him up with malignant rumors and accusations, which have been avalanched upon him – his autobiography provides a peek into the evolution of a man’s mind, who ended up being the baton holder for WikiLeaks.

Autobiography

JA, has been projected a super villain better than what Christopher Nolan does in his creations.

A geeky, promiscuous male chauvinist who wanted to control the world, is what many ended up thinking of him – given the smear campaigns he has been victimised to by the most powerful media networks of the world.

His autobiography, at least three quarters of it, is a passionate recitation of the mind that has grown to become a symbol for activism using the technology that is today making the world more close knit, sophisticated and in ways dangerous.

Advanced Mathematics and Quantum Mechanics , according to Assange helped him realise his goals of using technology to work towards making the world just. After starting off as a hacker in his teenage, with revelatory experiences of witnessing the dynamics of the world in the alleys of information, the progression Assange has made into the man behind WikiLeaks seems natural.

Not everyone is capable of bringing life to their vision both in terms of aptitude and attitude. Assange, given his upbringing and his life experiences coupled with his own intellect set on accomplishing his goals, which happens to be making the world a better place.

The smear campaign against ,JA could be one of the most powerful campaigns in recent history – media houses backed by Governments, went out ballistic against a single man, and they have been effective in tarnishing his image in the eyes of public. Now, I like to look up Asaange what he did in the server room of WikiLeaks, or in the board rooms of conferences, and relative to these grand feats might let him alone with his chauvinism as he calls it himself in his bedroom.

I fail to understand, everytime,as to how people are so longing to thrive on the vices in others and not see the positives. Even in Assange’s case the world seems to have him a villain, without supporting his real purpose.

People like you and I, might sit down to read him and write about people like him, who really have done something. In the end, if we introspect, I repeat – if we introspect, we will in most cases find it disheartening to see we neither have the aptitude or the attitude to go out of our routines and try and impact the world we are helping to go to dogs.

Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence and thereby eventually lose all ability to defend ourselves and those we love. In a modern economy it is impossible to seal oneself off from injustice.

If we can only live once, then let it be a daring adventure that draws on all our powers.

Perhaps as an old man I will take great comfort in pottering around in a lab and gently talking to students in the summer evening and will accept suffering with insouciance. But not now; men in their prime, if they have convictions are tasked to act on them.
Julian Assange

A novice art admirer that I am, happened to visit the exhibition of the life and works of Ramkinkar Baij – an artist from the Santiniketan school which has enriched India with numerous artists, ideologies and means of expression. With elucidation on the techniques by another artist whom I escorted I was able to appreciate the experience holistically – both about the techniques, and with some of my own experience the intent of works.

Ramkinkar Baij

While the life of Ramkinkar Baij itself is an exemplary manifestation of commitment to one’s passion, how this passion can be transformed into pieces of art that would capture the spirit of humanity and make future generations revel at these passionate artistic feats is an experience one must never miss – visit the gallery.

Kinkarda, as he was known amongst his peers and students, had a theme for most of his work – people. Most of the works of Kinkarda had the struggles of people captured on the canvas, in his sketches and the vibrant sculptures he created. Drowning in the nosie of globalised economy, where people are no longer given importance, but their only their possessions and material worth is, it is reconciling with the actual reality to see the works of Kinkarda.

He was Left leaning and apart from capturing the struggles and lives of the working peasants, carpenters, chai-walas and other segement of the class, he also was keen on capturing the inspiration that other creators were bestowing on the society, like Rabindra Nath Tagore (he sculpted Tagore), This notion of celebrating the human inspiration and capturing people’s plight are the undercurrent, and recuurent themes of all his works.

The Golden Crop

Austere, committed and creative, Kinkarda’s life is an inspiration to everyone, not only for artists. Every painting of his, every sculpture of his have immortalised the life and ideals of the genius that he was. Is it not what each one of us must be attempting to do – follow our passion, focus on our goals and impact the world.

PS: National Gallery of Arts in Bangalore is one blissful place hidden from the chaos of the urban life, right in the heart of the city – Don’t miss a chance to visit.

Retrospective: An art exhibition of Ramkinkar Baij at National Gallery of Arts

“Pharaohs built the pyramids, Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal, likewise Information & Technology is building the Bruhat Bengaluru”: One commonality in these claims is the approval given to making the workers oblivious, and projecting these mega accomplishments as simply grand individual feats.

History is unpardonably biased, and has always been against the working class.

While the last decade has seen namma Bengaluru become the IT cradle of Asia, the outsourcing hub for the developed world, we have all been busy envisaging the city as another Singapore, with the IT revolution sweeping every nook and corner of our conscious lives, governance and the sprouting malls ( which seem to have become the symbol of urbanisation) – a silently struggling force has been driving this change without flaunting around in the malls or the multiplex cinema halls.

The prefix ‘Bruhat’ (grand,massive), to the previously BMP – Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (city corporation) does project the aspiration of what the city wants to be, and some might well argue this has even come true. Apart from all the growth the IT revolution has caused in Bangalore – SEZ’s, IT parks, multi-storeyed apartments, super markets, better roads, plenty of cars, branded merchandise, fast food centres, ‘bottled’ drinking water and all the rest of it, it also silently has multiplied the cost of living in the city to many great extents – making it one of the costliest cities in India to survive in.

A relevant digression into a lesser known, easily ignored facet of the IT revolution might allow some of us to have a more balanced outlook of this ‘progress’.

The workforce which drives most of the BBMP’s computerised avatar are the contract labourers,  handled by Government companies of the likes of  KEONICS. These workers – around 800 of them with basic computer qualifications, get paid an average of Rs.5000/- a month, have for long not been getting their salaries on time and haven’t seen their pay cheques for the last few months. Adding to this fragile situation is the uncertainty of their contract itself and the missing employee benefits of any kind. This is a recipe for distress for sure. For, in most cases it is the bread winner working and trying to make a living in the exorbitant city of Bangalore under these conditions.

Ward number 72’s BBMP office telephone operator Saraswathi (name changed by request) has a heart rending episode which encapsulates the plight of these workers. She works as a telephone operator with added responsibilities of all the office tasks and for the last ten months has not been paid a penny. “I have mortgaged all my jewels, to the last of the chunk to run my house, and there is no respite to this apathy” she says defiantly, yet. When asked why she has still hasn’t sought another job she is hopeful things would alleviate, “I have seen to it that my file moves through the bureaucracy and I cannot let go the hard work of these many months – sometime soon I will be paid and that might help me get out of all the debt caused until now.” Many more Saraswathis are being victimised in this reckless exploitation.

Work in progress, yet no wages!

With no salary, provident funds, other rightful benefits or other sort of insurance these 800 or so workers’ plight has been continually ignored for few years now. A recurrent issue of this sort in the ‘knowledge hub and the IT haven’ is nothing but a shame and must be at once healed.

With none of their calls being given heed to, this sector of workers have organised now, recently in an attempt to collectively bargain their rights.

If I missed out stating one of the other natural consequences of the IT revolution, here it is – it accelerates the increasing disparity in the society, and the Bruhat Bangalore stands as a proof to this claim.

Is it natural for us to seek recognition and establish ourselves proficient in some skills, or is it mere peer pressure and the expectation from the society that we want to do something and grow beyond ourselves. If left alone will we want to excel, or will the individual in us remain complacent and do nothing exceptional?

I am trying to probe into the intent, and the incentive we as ‘people in a soceity’ need to create.

The act of creation, in terms of various expressions in art and numerous inquisitions in science is, in many cases personal, but the purpose for their existence might not be contained within the individual. I am implying that the creator creates to cater to the rest of the beings who do not create, either by serving their needs and/or by severely being dependent on them by deriving them as the subject.

Think of an imaginary world where individuals wouldn’t be related to each other- more specifically highly independent, incubated from each other so to speak with little or no interaction with each other. In such a case, would the individual still want to create? Will for instance, he/she compose music or write out a novel? While I see the possibility of it happening; it might only contribute a small portion of the creation.

My argument is that although the process of creation is very personal, for an artist or a writer or a performer, without a subject that
‘the world minus the creator ‘presents itself to be, there is no purpose to create. While most artists have sought solitude and hence solace in disconnected creation, it does not construe to be a rebuttal to claim of ‘dependent creation’. For, the very reason an artist drifts away from the society makes the society a subject in an anti sense. The paradox – “Don’t think of an elephant, and our brain in attempting not to think of an elephant is first thinking of an elephant”. Likewise, a creator who does not want to create for the society.

Still, the fundamental question of ‘why create’ is unanswered.
Because I do not have any other well versed examples other than myself, I shall take my amateur creative abilities in the world of words as a case study.

I write fundamentally to express myself. And the question that surfaces immediately is that why I want to express and to whom? If I were to express myself to my own self, venting it through words wouldn’t be necessary, for, all I end up doing is express myself inadequately by outsourcing my thoughts to words. So, in such a case I am seeking to express myself to beings other than myself, and if I am seeking their consent about me -I am not sure. Maybe I want them to peek into me – is that a valid reason? To me it is! Do I want them to admire this expressed me? If I say no, I would only be contradicting my existence – of course, we all seek admiration. If you differ,do express your dissent.
If not for the society, I would not have any observations to make and report it as my understanding or vent out as my emotions.

Without society, that is without being connected to the world external to us, there simply cannot be any creation. We are still social beings, and if we digress from this tendency we might cease to exist.
We create to fill ourselves and serve others.

What we ought to do now is to revert India to its Golden Era, that which existed before the Muslim invaders or the Christian traders happened to pollute us.

Or other close renditions of this utopian vision of resetting India to a ‘pristine’ condition, is off late surging up from various quadrants. While this might seem encouraging to few, for the ones who have well thought about the larger issue related to this, it is a nightmare turning into reality. It is a small slide from fanaticism to fascism, and of course we don’t want a dystopian India which no longer values its openness. Ironically, these visionaries precisely use the same terms to articulate and contradict the openness we are known for ; imperfect it might be with all the political thrashing, still our ‘secularism’ has sustained for all these years.

Western influence India

Now, for all the bad reasons, polarisation of people on issues is always happening and does always hurt. Even the so called ‘westernisation’ has extreme responses : one section wants to emulate the whole lifestyle of the western world without understanding the necessities for those traditions and customs in their society. A tradition that evolves in one society cannot be mimicked in a different society that has contradicting structure and ethos – it is local, and to incorporate another tradition it takes a gradual process of assimilation.

This trend of adiabatic attempts to emulate the tradition and customs as perceived via the media vents without understanding the history and need for their existence is flawed and whole population of ours in today a victim to this misunderstanding.

Secondly, the other pole which stereotypes the West to be an emotionless, science pursing catastrophe that is causing the dwindling of  our culture and tradition is doubly flawed. Assimilating science to lead effective lives, if it takes us to let go some of our primitive thoughts is a natural process of evolution and there is nothing wrong about it. We only make our system more refined and robust. Further, the antagonism that is inherent to such propagandists about disbelievers, rationals and science pursuers is perilous, for,not stagnation but evolution is what will allow tradition and culture to thrive.

Being cautious of the demon in the form of nationalism today is necessary;  it takes a simple change of outlook to see that humanity simply does not end beyond our national borders!

The metamorphosis of our observations into thoughts, and thoughts into words is an exercise the subconscious mind performs with so much ease, and contemplation of the same by the conscious mind seems so cumbersome.

A 20-30 seconds world watching out of a bus I was traveling in was so rich that I’m afraid I will have to use few hundreds words.

A lady with bandage supporting her still arm alights the bus, while I remembered before a few days getting news of a lady bumping into a pothole and having fallen of her scooter – and because she got down in front of a hospital another link is made – maybe for a routine dressing procedure
.
The bus moves on, and I read the banner “Terrace Lake” in an under construction place, and having seen few pictures of a tank on the terrace with transparent sidings I correlated the two to be the same and was finding it ludicrous to have a lake on top of a high rise building to stare into more of concrete – where are we heading towards?

Next I see three girls sitting alongside Uncle Donald or whatever that clown from the silly food chain, and remembered a naughty joke that I had read on a friend’s picture.

This scene leads me next into a more morose of a place – a crematorium and I glance at the picture of an obituary poster of a lady in her wedding attire, probably;  irony I thought and was already having a small hint of sympathy to the girl and her spouse. Also a running thought of people using younger picture of a person to immortalise them in photo with garlands, than their latest – was it the same with this lady? Maybe not. Then it hit me, my grandfather’s picture at home wasn’t his oldest  but when he was quite young, although he died in his sixties!

Then the scene shifts to a big sewer with soapy froth and the regular inquisition as to who is dispensing those ‘chemicals’ even today remained unanswered.

Cross that and I see a coconut tree trunk, chopped and drying – by the end of that scene I was already contemplating this post!

Quite brilliant for the 30 seconds in which I must have traversed a total distance of less than 50 metres!

Wow! Isn’t it mind boggling to imagine how many words it would take to articulate all our thoughts?

Even before I can delve into elaborating the post, I find it necessary to clarify the caption itself. I am trying to look at the so called ‘small’ means of making and being happy. Well, if something makes us happy it is never small! So, just to resonate with the conceived notion I am using the same parlance.

What makes us happy can never be small or at no cost must be trivialised.

Seeking joy in the simplest of the acts, gestures, things, words is the way of life. Although we are designed to live on these lines when younger the chaos of the society drowns these simple joys by the time we have grown up.

I find it disheartening to see the demands I put forth now on myself to be happy; they are fewer and rarer – it does leave me less happy in that sense!
Taking a ride into my own fanciful observations from childhood :

Looking at water sprout from ground, or the pattern of it leak from the taps.
Sparrows at the threshold pecking grains,and their flutter when disturbed.
Awe at the working of a TV, to the noise in a radio.
Warmth in the palm, to the dirt in the nails.
Whistle of air with the palm around the ear, to the roar of thunder.

Each one of us would have plenty of these anecdotes to quote from childhood. Although we might know these exist still, that awe and the joy we could still derive are missing.

Not just about childhood, as we grow up and find newer means of pleasure and joy, we slowly start growing numb towards them, seeking newer extravagant means ignoring the simpler ones, which even before a while would have made us ecstatic.

The first few hesitant touches, to the every utterance of name.
The profundity of words, to the grandeur of poetry.
Revelation of science, to the excitement of experiments.
The puzzling math, to the obscurity of a new idea.

Is it because of the lessening intrigue, or do we take things for granted? Whatever the reason might be, the consequences are depressing! Simple joys of life, which seem as if they come in small packets must always be treasured and generously bestowed upon others too.

While there is too much of cribbing going on about the dysfunctional government and the mis-functioning authorities, at some point we all fail to see to what an extent we have been using these as excuses to cover up our own fallacies.

After a point, these become chants of procrastinating individuals, who would do nothing but only have vibrant conversations about the changes they will want to see. Starting from performing their own duties like voting, debating and questioning the sap of democracy – The People are no conveniently relishing the state of limbo.

Text book democracy
Blaming the politicians, most of us are mostly taking it as an excuse to ‘bunk’ elections. The turn out for voting is plunging and the ones who end up voting are the planted voters, or the ones operating on ‘election perks’. This notion of text book democracy, where the population is theoretically still participating in elections to elect their representatives of course will lead to an oligarchy that we witness today in India.

The greatest evil of all time “ignorance” is gaining hold in today’s ironically scientific world. An ignorance of many more folds, where people might know evolution, or even know to use smart phones, but would not know who is causing them the daily troubles they face – fuel price hike, inflation, debt, pollution and a whole lot of the issues today the population faces is attributed to an umbrella term ‘global crisis’.

The leaders feed the same trash, and the population is more than happy to chew on that cud and stay lethargic about the problems – these are problems which are directly affecting everyone’s lives on a daily basis. The cloud of ignorance has culminated into a carapace which the population uses to blame everyone else but themselves and silently move on their crawling lives.

When the people stop speaking and acting, that is technically the death of democracy. We in India, the largest democracy in the world will blame anyone else but not ourselves.

Why won’t we vote?
Everyone’s the same – this political party or the other – everybody is corrupt – they come, loot us and go! Why should I vote and become an accomplice?

This tone is commonly heard amongst us. Well some of it might be true – that we are left with little choice, but then we have reached this state also because of our inaction. Further inaction will push us into an abyss with no chance of return. Participative democracy might be flawed, but for now there is no better alternative. Keeping this as the first step we can slowly build better systems with integrity and compassion.

Abstaining from participating in democracy is anarchic. And anarchism yields nothing but chaos ; while some might argue that chaos is good, I would say not beyond an individual. You cannot have a chaotic society with infinite orientations.

Gist is, by blaming the system all we are ending up doing is finding an excuse to excuse ourselves of our duties and responsibilities.

Change should start with the person in the mirror!

Hasty I was,
now more patient I am,
like the glistening drop of dew,
waiting to trickle down the humbling you.

Impulsive I was,
now more passionate I am,
like the artist full with ideas,
waiting to give life to the void of canvas.

Drowsing I was,
now all oneiric I am,
like the wanderer in desert sands
at the sight of an oasis, wanting water in hands.

Doleful I was,
now all hopeful I am,
like the old book in the shelf
wanting to be read, and reader in it losing himself.

Imposing I was,
now accommodating I am,
like the wide and open terrain
collecting every precious drop of rain.

Poor I was,
now affluent with you I am,
like the fields turning green,
after timed, adequate monsoon routine.

What I was,
now, what I am,
is all but because of you –
you’ve made this new me, after you…