Hello, is it Islam?

The aftermath of elimination of Osama Bin Laden saw the news of his death spread like wildfire. While the world rejoiced in unison,United Statesand their allies complimented each other for having successfully accomplished an act of retaliation against their arch foe no.1.  For a moment it all appeared as if the very plague of extremism afflicting humanity since last couple of decades has been got rid of and man could now breathe a sigh of relief at long last. As hours rolled by, the euphoria surrounding the killing of Laden gradually melted away. This was in anticipation of some sort of rebuttal or blurt expected from the opponents, namely the Al Qaida. However, none came that could counter the news blast of May 2, 2011. Under these circumstances, is it appropriate for the world to presume that the enemy has been silenced for good? Hopefully yes but definitely no!

 

The maxim by Karl Max would come in handy here viz. “Religion is the opium of the people”.

 

Many posers stare in the face of a recurring question viz. have Al Qaida and their ilk realized the futility of clinging on to their vague notion that the world could be brought around through acrimonious threats and perilous maneuvers? Briefly speaking, no and definitely not!

 

Elimination of Laden and isolation of Al Qaida made the particular network appear like a rudderless ship. Even though it may only be for a short while yet history will underline the developments of 2nd May 2011 as a cornerstone in a determined effort by world powers to wipe terrorism out in entirety. Moreover, the killing of Laden has definitely stolen the wind out of the sails of an Islamic phobia that gained ground in course of a ‘jihadi’ culture let loose by fanatic elements within the core Islamic group.

 

Whatever the thought process within the extremist network may be, the sudden developments of May 1, 2011 and its aftermath should set the ball rolling within the extremist network for cautioning them from venturing too close to fratricidal missions such as 9/11 or 26/11 as the case may be, since such attempts are only fraught with dire consequences not only for the network but for the entire Islamic fold as well. The existing stand by the world on the topic of extremism must guide the extremists to take heed of the writing on the wall, the result of which may not be any the encouraging.

 

There is no doubt the Islamic countries across the globe are taking cognizance of the change in equations as also the determination shown by most countries on the question of extremism.  Further, even the Heads of State of Islamic countries too need to tone down their rhetoric and fall in line with an undiluted concept of cooperation and coexistence. Al Qaida and their sympathizers too need to see reality in a proper perspective if they want Islam to proceed on the lines set down by its founders.

 

Critical inputs, crude facts and mathematical figures related to developments in the last couple of decades stare Islam in the face, the same Islam that from time to time posted arrogant claims of incomparability with other religions but failed miserably to outwit the weaponry and hate campaign that stay poised to wipe their cadres in to extinction.  Besides the lakhs of Muslims that keep bidding adieu to the world under the aegis of their ‘jihad’, as many and more Muslims perished during various wars (the 10 years of Iran-Iraq war being one) or those that have fallen to bullets and bombs at the hands of their own ilk. To cap it all, the present unrest already ripping through many of the Islamic nations on one count or the other, in an attempt to overthrow their rulers, ominously portray Islam as anything but reliable or deserving respect, what to speak of worthy of obeisance to their alleged ‘allah’?

 

Allegations are also rife with insinuations on Islamic heads having amassed huge amounts of unaccountable wealth stashed away abroad in foreign banks, much to the chagrin of the commons who are down to earth Muslims themselves. Have these elite Islamists who have ruled for decades all along feigning allegiance to their alleged Allah get spurred in to amassing huge amounts of wealth for specific reasons, or does it portray only the real self of Islam which already has an unending chain of extremist cut-throats whose pervading presence across the world is sufficient to augment their empty assertions of an incomparable religion? To put it the other way, have these followers of Islam become rogues overnight or have they gone with the Islamic wind that ‘blows nobody any good’?

 

How many more such self-anointed martyrs of ‘jihadi’ cult would be required to halt decimation in their rank and file, before they succeed in making a crawling attempt to get the symbol of Islam back to a position of flutter atop Mosques and Masjids? Harping on the same old string of ‘blasphemy’ and ‘crusade against injustice’ will only get Islam slighted even by the devil in a huff.  When all is said and done, the basic lesson to be carried away from the developments of last few days for those leading Islam from the front ought to be to engage the so called ‘allah’ to get his acts together for the welfare of Muslims rather than igniting hatred in and around the world which could make even hell an uneven place for those reposing faith in the evil one.

Ethics, Manners & Etiquette – Leaf-2

Ethics, Manners & Etiquette – Leaf-2.

Ethics, Manners & Etiquette – Leaf-2

In an animating and bountiful display of divine architecture, God put together an entire universe, all in one piece and that too out of nothingness. No measurements were taken, no adhesive used either; He fixed the massive stars and planets all in one go, at locations which remain unexplored by man even to this day. The basic elements which went in to piece together an infinite universe comprising all forms of life were eternal love, divine truth, omniscience and omnipotence. Incidentally, the creation of universe by the Almighty was preceded by God chastising the devils for their act of rebellion against divine will.  Through this one act of creation the Almighty established a dividing line which separated divinity from humanity, infinite from finite and spirit from matter.  And man, as the ruler of the universe, was positioned at one edge of the finite world while the other extreme came to be occupied by Satan led by Lucifer and his bad angels. 

The only barrier that separated one from the other was death in the case of human beings and eternal damnation for the devils.  However, neither had the liberty to stray in to the domain of the other without the explicit nod of the Almighty.

It may be worth recalling that God created angels in His own mystical image thereby ordaining them to exist with all splendour, radiance and resplendence in the company of other angelic spirits much like God Himself.  After many millions of divine years, God decided to create the universe and all creatures with it. This done, He gave charge of the universe to his supreme creation namely man.  The bad angels under Lucifer could not withstand the Almighty lavishing love sublime on human beings ranked below them.  A section of such angels rebelled against God which act of theirs attracted the wrath of Almighty who ordered His archangels to banish them out of the celestial bliss in to a state of deprivation in hell. 

Relegated to a nadir of abysmal existence and having forefeited their right to exist either as part of an infinite realm or in a finite world with human beings as company, and having been made an outcast, detested by all, deprived of a graceful existence, and above all having lost the grace and favour of God Almighty Himself, Satan has had to resign himself to his eternal fate and languish for ever in hell in solitude and damnation.  Satan in his attempt to obviate his antipathy towards human beings contemplated a plot to avenge the drubbing and humiliation received at the hands of Almighty by successfully driving a wedge between man vis-à-vis his creator, the Almighty and Everlasting God.

Incidentally, Satan deemed it an ignominous scourge to exist within the periphery of infinity under abject deprivation. Forelorn and despondent, having been denied access to human world and pushed to leading a life as evil spirits within the narrow confines of eternal doom, he made good his plan of floating unproductive and hazardous elements in to the world, with an eye to wean away as many of the human beings in to his domain, namely hell. To this end he put in his all, by toiling day in and day out so as to make man his fodder and the world an eyesore to his own creator.

Hard-work, devotion, dedication, patience, spirit of denial, sacrifice and to top them all perseverance. Virtues in abundance!  You name them. He has them all – the Devil!

If there is any single trait that we ought to learn from the devil, it is perseverance. As a matter of fact, perseverance is an attribute the devil is so possessive about and would not dare part with even grudgingly for a no-return. He has been on the job for millions of years, industriously straining his lacerated physique, toiling hard in the hope of weaning away as many humans into his abstract world of despair and devastation. A ghost of an enigma and an outcast of divine wrath, devil can never abide by the dictum of God or His angels. He observes no law; obtains no justice. Like a live and pale shadow, he goes about his chores profusely pining for the lost bliss of celestial serenity. Having squandered away his divine gift, he has been destined to survive in isolation away from the bliss of divinity and God! And the greatest slight he has had to bear was creation of the universe and man followed by his redemption.

Satan has been on the prowl ever since the beginning of creation.  Being barred by God Almighty from making direct contact with human beings, which act could spell disastrous for the weak creatures namely man, a malignant Satan indulged in proxy war directly on human beings but indirectly on God. He did this by floating pernicious instincts that could rent apart the honour and dignity of human beings and by infesting the universe with a spell of pointed discord, malaise, destruction, devastation, melancholy and death upon man in a manner that could leave the humans vexed with a life of indignity and dishonour.

We live in a universe that was wholly and graciously gifted to man by God Himself through an act of predilection.  However, the host who caters to man is the devil himself who has the entire universe hijacked for his amusement, in a manner that the universe might appear lacerated and famished as Satan is. There is therefore, no wonder that life provides a lot of disconnect among human beings which are but an outcome of misperceptions, misunderstandings or misprojections by people and nations who deem it their exclusive right to abide by each one’s temperament.  Incidentally, the emerging trend among human beings is indicative of a colossal departure from the strategic design and divine will originally outlined by God for man and the universe. 

 

Strategic meddling and rampant maneuvering in core aspects of creation as also in the overall activities of man by Satan, by and large disturbed the rhythem with which life first started.  Moreover, the devil wasted no time in twisting man made laws and faking judgements to suit his sinister designs in order to pit one against the other.  An avalanche of divided perceptions lashed the citadel and the fortifications of man’s inner trust and mutual harmony, all of which took a beating at the dexterous manipulations by Satan.  Even the huge strides made in the field of Science and Technology did not stand up to the quantum expectations of a civilized world. In his effort to augument the prospects of a pompous life, man started eyeing to attain excellence. Excel he did, but his inferior instinct gave the game away.  As is bound to happen, when shine starts enveloping the universe, the darker elements take advantage of the sparkle.  An arrogant man found himself groping through a vicious circle of his own make in an attempt to buy himself peace and tranquility, which was not to be.  For by the time comfort and luxury of his choice showed up, life had altogether become a haphazard trap wherein man’s interaction with other human beings drew flak, as a result of which he only met with stumbling block at every cross road. He was unable to proceed with errands without doling out largesse in his manners, approach and attitude with people in order to keep them in good humour for having his way.  Incidentally, man strayed far too much in to a realm of peevishness; thanks to an imp playing his part exceedingly well to the detriment of man and the universe.

In this context, it needs to be emphasized that the goodness of God is infinite.  The onus for all the perils and hazards including the curse of destruction, devastation and death falls squarely on the one only adversary of God namely Satan, who deliberately played false with the fate of man and pinned him down to such a state of helplessness.  God as the supreme Good can only vouchsafe to protect the free will endowed on Satan and his entire creation including man. Satan has been untiringly sawing the seed of pain, suffering, discomfiture, discord, death, and likewise inflicting heavy casualties on human beings through natural catastrophes such as earthquakes, volcanos, tsunamis or other perils and even displacing the good due to man by delaying the sequence of peace, happiness and prosperity.

When Satan engages a proxy to play st to guests (read human beings) who have been gifted with the entire universe by Almighty Himself, man has every right to assert his prowess to overcome the hazards so placed by Satan.  Whatever situation the world may be in as of today, is on account of man’s mistrust of his creator or on account of his towing a different line.  This needs amendment.  As of today, the world is a divided lot with one side wholly and flourishingly following the diktat of Satan. On the other hand there is hardly a handful of faithful ones following the precepts of the supreme Creator.  Obviously a tussle would always exist between the two in the form of competition or prod. What may then emerge would be grotesquely a blurred picture of misunderstanding by some, high handedness by few and a host of evil instincts let loose by Satan creating havoc for the just ones.  A finite man loses count on all aspects but God does not.  When a close relative of his passes away man appears overcome with grief, whereas when someone else far away falls victim to another’s misadventure, he merely looks on with casual approach.    There is need for introspection. There is need to open up to a universal conduct, a universal approach and a universal attitude. 

Man was created by God out of love and predilection that he might bear testimony for the infinite love bestowed on him through His eternal and divine truth manifested in His omniscience and omnipotence. Being the only heir to an infinite creation, man is greatly indebted to and owes total allegiance to God only. As such, his primary objective ought to be to strive towards greater glory of God which can best be achieved through a life adorned with human attributes namely ‘Ethics, Manners & Etiquette’.

Survival is vital for existence for it is the flavour of life, a flavour which lingers on till you fade away from the world; in like manner flavour or survival demands dignity, which being the cream adorning one’s life and which caters to one’s ambitions and aspirations. With cream and the flavour in hand, one only needs to give shape to the material aspect which makes the difference viz. the goal one sets for oneself.  The voyage you are on should not be anchored until you attain a wholesome success, a renowned fame and an envious reputation which should shape your destiny and provide the needed impetus to the onward thrust, add dimension to your thrill and confer on you a cause for celebrations.  So destine your future with élan, bestride an elegant world of sophistication, profess a broad outlook, lead a circle of your closest friends with dynamism and allow your future to smile on you to the delight of your near and dear ones with a new episode titled “Ethics, Manners & Etiquette – Leaf – 2”.

A unique concept styled ‘Ethics, Manners & Etiquette’, minutely framed to broadly include all the required features intended to give one and all a direction on how to go about their journey to fame, reputation and success and savour the glory of a carefree life is submitted herein for the benefit of everyone.  Every attempt has been made to include all categories of people in to paving the way for a pleasant and peaceful destiny.  Special care has also been taken to bring about an environment for coexistence of all sections of people from every walk of life and people from all disciplines, irrespective of category, profession or standing in the society, to enable advance with a secured identity of their own.  With the world progressing at a fast pace and the demand for absorbing knowledge, experience and competence far exceeding the schedule and timeframe as determined for each, the elite who would stand to succed in life would have to minimize inordinate delays in tackling certain areas of expression and articulation. It is of paramount importance that we keep in mind the effectiveness of clear-cut expression, communication and articulation. 

One should also bear in mind the time-frame by which one needs to devise ways and means of skipping unnecessary and time consuming work out so as to keep abreast of the challenge being faced by the present day generation, which far exceeds one’s capacity, capability and speed.  Seeing the need for people to cover extensive stretches of ground before arriving at a plausible distance of one’s goal, attempt has also been made to give a boost to a virtuous life far surpassing the normal stretch of mediocrity and lack of professionalism.   With the standards having fallen far below the affordable levels, and which would necessarily warrant an increased and enhanced foresight by both young and old in attaining one’s goal, and for providing a cosmopolitan approach to people and their lives, every minutest of details have been taken care of so that a Chapter for the reform of life and attitude of people may reach every section of people so as to benefit equally one and all. 

The overall features have been meticulously framed and a pattern adopted with rigorous exercise keeping the need of time and generation.  It is important to remember that progress in life demands novelty in approach, positive interaction with people and ability to communicate with people with grace. Any let up in projecting oneself with ease could result in decline in one’s image which can psychologically affect the momentum, the focus and resultantly tardy the progress. ‘Ethics, Manners & Etiquette’ attempts to formulate this exercise whereby people with determination and skill may not lag behind in attaining the pinnacle of glory to the advantage of themselves, the society, the nation and the world.  The purpose and aim in defining the theme for success of all is to place everyone within the parameters of a vocation for achieving recognition so that the entire exercise would tantamount to a life-long experience that would necessarily come to stay for the betterment of people who matter in a society.

The moment you step out on to the road, be sure, you are being watched by hundreds of people from different walks of life. These may constitute businessmen, professionals, educated, uneducated, powerful, influential, prominent or high-ranking and besides of course, your neighbors, acquaintances and the list goes on to level up to the present day population.  However, it is up to you to convert people’s looks or advances in to a line up for your friendship. And what would you make of this line up, an archive? Friends make up your day-to-day strength to surmount problems in life. Be sure, your attitude test starts the moment you are on the road to achieving a goal. 

Life does not provide a magic for attaining position, authority or for fulfillment of one’s dreams.  Likewise, a path to recognition, an achievement, fame, success, reputation etc. has to be traced through tireless efforts combined with determination and skill.  An accomplishment of any of the aforesaid glory, when achieved by way of a virtuous life, dedication and competency will alone add milestones to your lingering reputation and herald an era of joy and fulfillment.  Such a disposition alone would positively make an impact on your life and a supreme acknowledgement of your achievement endorsed by those who would later on flock to you for guidance.  People who feel inclined to taking up such challenge, ought to brace themselves up for any eventuality mindful of the fact that nothing comes free in life and mediocrity and half-heartedness would serve no purpose till you achieve the goal set out for yourself.  Your adversaries would strike when and where you least suspect.  Ostensibly the unscrupulous or wayward elements may even attempt to drift you off the mark. And the extraordinarily gutsy elements might even attempt a cakewalk or a free ride over your self-respect and good demeanour.  Be not dismayed nor should you lose heart, for even as you renew your efforts to gain control of yourself, the necessary windfall boost will come your way for “the reward for hard work and a dedicated effort is always decided by the giver of life, the creator”.  You only need to accomplish your part i.e. the endorsement of God’s will and the world is yours!

In our dealings it is vital that we be prepared to face people of diverse nature and category be it in age, education, culture, view or social standing. Even so, it is of paramount importance to be on extra alert always while maneuvering to achieve our errand or submitting a view at the disposal of others or even at soliciting an advice or opinion.  Remember, on most occasions your activities would be suspect in the eye of shadowy elements or proxies who may or may not have your good in mind and hence vulnerable to attempts of sabotage by shrewed and dastardly elements lying in wait for people on fastrack.  Never lose sight of your goal, for you are there not to reverse a process or to distance your destination, much less to sideline your means to achieve the end. Remember, your end is your success and means your attitude. If you persevere in your focused approach, you stand chances of enhancing the prospects of a glorious end through “Ethics, Manners & Etiquette”.

Our elders aver that “idleness is the mirror of the devil”.  In the same breath they also caution us that “excessive speed gets one nowhere” (Chinese proverb).  In order to tread on a safer alley to avoid tripping over inadvertently we need to adopt a focused approach, lest the enemies catch us unawares and consequently our progress get hindered.

Maya Angelou is on record with her “I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to God’s will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at a commensurate speed”.

A caution, therefore, for those aspiring to attain their goals is to remind oneself time and again that their activities are always under the scanner of the evil elements and an occupied mind is as much prone to devil’s agents.  Once you decide to plunge in to the arena of competitiveness, you would have to get accustomed to tremors from the devil’s proxies who would not sit idle till you fail them.  You would be playing a battle of wits. Things could drag you to embarrassing moments.  However, such adversities are bound to prop up time and again for the devil knows well that the proxies engaged by him would never reach the final destination but are bound to fall back somewhere in the race.  Beware of the prod by the devil.  Utilize your weapon namely patience, fortitude, forbearance and valour.  He who rides rough shod over your integrity would get weakened with the passage of time. Take an earthly assurance that those who battle your integrity today, belittle your esteem, make light of your self-respect and those who do not heed your courteous gestures and moves would one day stand in awe at the sparkling image you would radiate even as the pursuit of your goal would reach near fulfillment.  They would then hang their heads in shame at the folly of having played foul throughout. 

As for a solemn assurance, you have the convincing words under a divine assurance from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself who said “I am the way, the truth and the life” when he emphatically taught that –

Mathew 5:10-11

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.

People who wish to advance in life; they would have to be on their toes keeping humour and cheap talks at bay. Be of a focused mind as well as maintain a focused approach with determination that can surpass falling prey to attempts by people with inferior instinct at demeaning your self respect.  The unruly and treacherous elements could exploit your attitude to the hilt. Always remember, you are there in your interest and your interest is your goal, to be achieved at all costs. Dare them, and the evil shall vanish at Godspeed!

However, in order to achieve a vertical climb, in order to attain the glory of fame, honour and reputation, one requires a soul mate – to be precise a friend.  A friend who would qualify to be one when you grope about for solace of trust, one who would have the sanctity within capable of linking the finite with infinite, a friend who would have an image of your reflection, image like yourself which would satisfy your craving for perfection, human perfection – him you might term a friend.  A friend who would remind you of yesterday, satisfy your today. And above all a friend who would assure you of a tomorrow. Such a friend would have the potential to not only boost your image but even to add a chain of like friends to your following and even multiply the number to form a circle that would allow you a free interaction as also enhance your prominence, your prestige and your prospects.

When you need a favour, be it material or even if it be of a spiritual nature, of all the neighbors around, you sure can count on your friend to deliver and he alone will do so diligently.  A time tested mutual friend would always have your interest in equal measure as his.  A friend would be a friend in life, a friend in adversity and a friend till infinity who would have no qualms about making sacrifices to any extent for a friend who can buy our trust even to death.

Chieri is a tiny hamlet on the outskirts of Turin in Italy.  It was a quiet evening on the night between 3 and 4 April, 1837.  John Bosco, now Saint Don Bosco (1815 – 1888) was seated by his study table, engrossed in reading and recollection. Alongside the study was a dormitory with nearly twenty seminarians of his age, preparing for a night’s rest.

All at once a thunderous eruption rent the air. Strong winds lashed at the latched doors and windows flinging them wide open. There was rattling sound all around. The impact was beyond comprehension and the magnitude beyond human confabulations. The entire apartment shook below the feet or so it appeared. An earth quake of such magnitude could be understandable, but a heavens quake was never desirable, especially at a time when the young seminarians were retiring for a night’s rest after a hectic day’s schedule. The roaring winds deafened the curious minds in to exchanging bewildered looks all around as also at each other unable to gasp for breath at such astonishing developments that confused their minds. In short, it was a night portending unforeseen disasters.  Then as though from nowhere in the vicinity, a tender glow of celestial light wafted over an otherwise hilarious heaven. All eyes were fixed on to the gush of light steaming out of thickened heavens. As light spread out with swirling intensity, a soothing melody followed by a mild tune chimed out of the flooded lights, generating bliss like radiance all around. As the humming of music died down in streaks, a soft voice echoed out of nowhere. “Bosco, my friend – I am saved”. The voice echoed away in to distant night and the music retreated in to timeless memory. The serenity of the night returned while the nearly two dozen youngsters sat clustered around each other unable to fathom what the mirage was all about. The entire episode brought about a thrill of horror in to the advancing night.  However, for Don Bosco it was a unique event which rendered his conviction a consummation.  He recognized the voice as that of Luigi Comollo, an intimate friend and colleague who pursued his studies in the Seminary where he passed away on April 2, 1837.

Luigi Comollo and Don Bosco had casually entered in to a pact that whosoever passed away first would return to convey to the other where and in what state he was.  Born on April 7, 1817 in Pra, Cinzano, Italy, Comollo pursued his studies in the Seminary where he passed away on April 2, 1837. Within two days of his passing away Comollo hastened back to earth to fulfil the promise made by him to Don Bosco, his most trusted friend. 

St. Don Bosco on various occasions referred to the episode narrated above. However, on all occasions he cautioned his students and colleagues to refrain from making such a pact since it was fraught with dangerous consequences for the very reason that the two realms of humanity and divinity are poles apart from one another and any attempt to bring them together could jeopardize the equilibrium of the lesser denomination viz. human nature or the universe.  Nonetheless, the readers would do well to carry away a great lesson Don Bosco himself wanted to teach others viz. the totality of selfless love for a neighbour which we in human terms call ‘friend’.  It would have been nearest to impossible for a person to return to a finite realm of human existence after having left the world whereby the soul of a person had parted from the human body.  By coincidence, there is reason to believe that this may perhaps have been one unique instance of a pact arrived at between friends and a logical fulfilment of pact under peculiar circumstances despite tremendous odds to the contrary.

Much stands debated though, but man’s attempt to piece out an exact or closest definition or identity of friend have always made him rely on the one only inspired Holy Book, the Bible.  Who is a friend? 

Friendship accords us a plank. Friendship provides us with an opportunity to theme our lives.  Friendship shapes an occasion to repose our trust in someone who would match our image and likeness, of the resemblance that God made man. Much of what we profess, much of what we learn and all of what we own, we owe it to a friend or friends, young or old, inferior or superior, opponent or well wisher.  Only a negligible percentage of the knowledge we possess is the outcome of our own hardwork. Friendship provides us with an exercise that moulds our thoughts, our deeds, our experience, our years, our lives but above all our own attitude.

Fame, success and reputation can only stem from a well founded base embedded in knowledge, virtues and congeniality.  Ethics is an exercise in this direction.  Much of the resistance we encounter in practical life arises out of our rigidness born out of arrogance or ignorance.  But if we succeed in bending our perspectives uniformly with a mellowed voice, an appealing tone, a pitch with a rhythem that can chime in to the ears of others, an entreat, a request with regret for intrusion, then there are chances of a success in mollifying an adversary or breaking the freeze in people’s attitude.

“Ethics, Manners & Etiquette” are traits which render man a specie apart from all other creatures roaming the earth or hovering the skies.  Although the three characteristics namely “Ethics, Manners & Etiquette”  merely complement each other, yet what goes a long way in moulding one in to an upright man in the eye of the society, as also the one single aspect which prominently distinguishes a person as extraordinary from the other human beings is Ethics.  Ethics forms an integral part of any dignified living while the remaining two namely Manners & Etiquette merely feature as compliments to the former for purposes of decency and decorum in life.

Having arrived at the threshold of Ethics, it is important to point out how for trifles we are in the forefront, eager to demean others, to strip people of their dignity without the least respect & reverence for what they are or for what they merit or for what they command. In our eagerness to promote our ‘ego’, we push people in to pits of despair and devastation, not even allowing them to make amends for slight and finite errors. Attitude demands a greater degree of tolerance, which we all lack.  “Ethics, Manners & Etiquette” covers much for bringing about herculean change within such capricious people who make no bone of their attempts to browbeat people who deserve utmost respect.

Ethics is an esthetic art which enables one to sense, evaluate, judge, concur or act morally, justly and accurately with a positive frame of mind as also in a disciplined manner on issues of common interest relating to spirituality and human life.  Incidentally, Ethics relates to acts of perceiving, deliberating upon, deciding or acting on any aspect of divine or human life within the frame-work of morality and virtuousness. Although the term ‘Ethics’ is commonly referred to philosophically as the art of deciding the right and wrong side of life and resultant activities but in real life it encompasses a wider perspective having a larger meaning to supplement one’s ability  and to infallibly deal with all aspects concerning life. 

How ethics came to be born? After many million years of existence in solitude, God descended over the universe of infinite time and eternal matter.  For a moment the essence of time, infinity and eternity came to a standstill and the clock of creation started ticking for man.  It was at this juncture that God created a positive concept called man. He did this in His own image and likeness.  He then infused in to him a soul which portrayed the grace and radiance of divine presence within his human physique that constituted man in his prime stage of creation.  This way man came to exist.  However, after man’s fall from grace due to treacherous connivance by Satan, man imbibed certain idiosyncrasies wholly and exclusively owned by the devil whereby the body of man got contaminated in to a naked waste with ruined countenance prone to decay and destruction.  The curse of Satan got the better of man and man lost the grace, favour and right to evoke the grace of the Almighty.  Ethics was born the day our first parents disobeyed God.  The structure of man’s composition changed to mere flesh and blood ultimately destined to end at the instance of devil’s spitefulness.  A man who, through no fault of his, was drained of his graceful and sublime senses, made to part with the gracious instinct endowed by God and made to fall through unfathomable depths of meanest instincts imbibed from the devil himself. That same man is now destined to rise in pursuit of a goal, fame, success and reputation through a novel standard envisaged as the one only path to ascending the pinnacle of glory and which is now brought to you under a new episode titled “Ethics, Manners & Etiquette – Leaf – 2”.

Ethics is all about moral values, positive psyche, conscious assessment, dignified approach, broadened outlook and a host of other virtuous connotations, all comprehensively envisioned and effectively positioned with conviction and grace.  Dignity of every person grows with reason and realization, much the way he advances in age and wisdom.  The root element and the depth of dignity lies in age, reason and realization as also the manner in which a person conducts himself, the maturity he reveals within and the equilibrium he projects with utmost ease.  A well founded base possessing advantages like knowledge, virtue and good demeanour can stimulate a person to ascend to heights of fame, success and reputation with ease.

Ethics is a unique apparatus capable of monitoring human instinct, human senses and negativity in life. Human nature is prone to insinuation by way of circumstance, temptation, prod, nag, goad and similar antagonizing attempts to divert one’s goal, attention or focus. Be you of steady mind and never allow such negativity to gnaw in to key areas where you need to focus your thrust or where you have achieved partial or full success, for it is never easy to recover a lost ground.  However, valiant people will bypass all such temptations and forge ahead with determination and thrust.  Maintain your mental equilibrium and all adversity will fade away with the passing of time.

“Ethics, Manners & Ettiquette”, if linked to practical life, the very chances of survival of law and the courts would appear bleak. Remember, in your pursuit of your goal of your choice, every aspect of life would be on your side including state, law and administration because you hold the flame of ‘honesty, simplicity and truth’ of the like of ‘silence, simplicity and steadfastness of resolve’, under your banner “Ethics, Manners & Etiquette”. 

And what is a law that has done precious little to make man conscious of his duties and responsibilities towards society? What after all is a judgment that needs years to arrive at a manipulated truth? Seeing the time lag between the first motion and the final judgment, it can safely be inferred that considerable manipulations have taken place with the passage of time vis-à-vis the incident, the place of occurrence and the circumstances of a crime. Moreover, a judgment too is passed based on deliberations by Counsels, where even the judge would never have steered out of his seat to arrive at a just judgement or to hasten a process of justice. In a nutshell, a ridiculous instance of delivering a wrong judgement!

Incidentally, man has become a mere spectator and at best a casualty under the vigilant eye of law and justice, allowing innocents or those without criminal bent of mind to become one or to languish in jails or at best silently bear the ignominious pain of death and devastation under fabricated laws and judgments.

Devil is aware that the only power on earth capable of resurrecting, restructuring or renovating and rebuilding the creation back to its original shape prior to the first sin, is God Himself who alone can dispense justice to humans.

Be focused for your destination is nigh. You cannot change your features, but the attitude you can, at nobody’s expense. With the universe galloping towards an unknown destination, with its original features disfigured having encountered a perilous journey through millions of years in succession, the only trust you can repose is in yourself, your attitude, your good demeanour to arrive safely at your projected destination. In order to counter the evil that you might come by at appropriate intervals there is only one solution to rely on, namely “Ethics, Manners & Etiquette”.

Your magic is in your own hands and if you have the courage to hold aloft the trinity flame of “Ethics, Manners & Etiquette”, then fame, success and reputation will be yours to reach out for. The magic has to be evolved by you and this can best be achieved through a process of everlasting consequence. Hence await the next episode of ‘Ethics, Manners & Etiquette”.

Islam stands isolated!

Shine of Islam not only faded away with the passing of time but failed even to stand up to its own dark era of hatred and extremism.  With the universe and its inhabitants making giant strides on all fronts, Islam with its school of thought has become the bane of extremism and a bone of contention for the entire world. If the leading lights of Islam are unable to exercise even a semblance of control over the dark elements within its fold, it ought to suffice for a conclusion that Islam is an outcome of human error or weakness, so call off the bluff now with all its belief mired in controversies.

No human being can copy a kill to paste truth but with Muslims fighting shy of being targeted for their own folly, are unable to even reason as to what their actual demand is.

Do we take a look at how the so called Islam traced a prophet within an individual who hardly managed to live up to what eventually goes to make a prophet?

 

On a hectic night in the year 570 A.D. when Abdullah and Amina decided to have a go at each other, it never occurred to the unsuspecting couple that they were training their trigger on a peaceful world of innocent believers. The couple did not have the least inkling that he who was to see light of the world nine months later viz. on April 20, 571 would set the world on fire and bring about a dark era of hatred and passion!

Muhammad (Abu al-Qasim Muhammad Ibn Abd Allah Ibn Abd al-Muttalib Ibn Hashim) became a controversial figure even among his contemporaries. He scripted history that got mired in contradictions and incongruity. His first marriage at 25 did not yield him the bliss of happiness he dreamt of. So, in an effort to circumvent his own weaknesses, he is said to have retired to solitude in a cave away from Mecca. After he allegedly received his first revelation from ‘allah’, he is said to have emerged with a puritan image, as if transcended in to an elite of a prophet.  Armed with his alleged new mandate, he attempted to convert people to his version of Islam, but in the process encountered hostility from many of those around him. Sensing that only a meager fraction of the populace heeded his call to embrace Islam of his vision, he felt deeply distressed and disillusioned. And as the heat of hostility from those around started being felt, he decided he would not be able to fend for himself from their ire, so he along with a few of his followers made good his escape from Mecca in to Medina.

After reinforcing his following with people of other tribes, he managed to wrest Meccafrom the locals but not without exhausting himself with eight weary years of long drawn out battle.  At Meccahe allegedly lived a life of committed discourses on Islam. Despite assuming the halo of a prophet, still his lust for worldly attractions and bodily inclinations kept increasing manifold. The un-reported figures and unofficial statistics apart, he is said to have enjoyed the luxury of twelve marriages, all that to satiate his body and genitals. He wound up his session of marriages by taking a 9 year old girl as his begum, that too at the ripe old age of 54. It may be worth dwelling on the puzzle of a surmise as to how divinity could have deigned to shed any iota of revelation in to a mind obsessed with worldly cares and base lustful instincts?

There is no record of his having been born a prophet. Even if this position is accepted as true, still what intrigues people or defies ethics is how divinity could establish contact with a finite being like Mohammed, who spent most of his years in futile warfare, conquests and unmerciful butcheries, which under normal circumstances could never have attracted divine revelation. It also needs to be emphasized that despite being a messenger of his ‘allah’, he found it expedient to target innocent and righteous people who never intended harm on anyone. Moreover, any person with a prophetic image could at most have attracted jealousy from people around and which could have been tackled by a confident and devout person. But in the present case it clearly manifested that the people were well acquainted with the game he was indulging in. Broadly speaking, it was more of a hoodwinking game by his blind followers while none of the divine stuff that his own followers wanted others to believe in existed.

He had an implied weakness for women so much so he invariably hearkened to their aid whenever they appeared to be in distress. He was full of sympathy when it came to the plight of women and always went out of his way to assist them. It is also worth adding here that he got married to twelve women in succession (one of them a child of 9), all of which suggest that his body, mind and human faculties had been defiled through his own sins and evil habits. This being the case it is more than puzzling as to how God could ever interact with a faulty and defiled human being?

He unraveled the dogma in a style of his own but failed to abide by it in real life. He denounced God but extolled Allah of his make. As a result, towards the sunset of his life, the alleged prophet was tormented beyond capacity by the very God he denounced, and the illness ultimately took his life as well.

Can any sane person proclaim himself as a prophet and yet detest other human beings, as he himself uttered: “Curse be on the Jews and the Christians, that they made the grave of their prophets a place of worship” (Bukhari 62/1).

When a prophet like Mohammed spoke of ‘their prophets’, it implied that he belonged to a different category or denomination of prophets. In other words, neither divinity nor Almighty had any role to play in the so called revelation from ‘allah’. So, who did?

This raises the great question – Did Muhammad really have a revelation or a day dream? And did the devil take undue advantage of his weaknesses and set him up as his stooge?

The overall analysis of his life goes to suggest that Mohammed did not have a divine revelation; rather it was a pipe-dream wherein the devil appeared to subscribe to his sentiments and living style. No wonder then that his own followers go berserk unable to digest the fact that their game of deifying the devil is being staunchly opposed by devout and God-fearing people all over the world.

Where was the need of a prophet for a world that was very much on track much to the detriment of peace and harmony?

How do his followers distinguish between God and the devil? Where do they draw the dividing line between the Supreme Good and the greater evil? If the logic of a prophet satiating his bodily needs, living by feminism, persecuting innocents, fuelling his ambitions and still enjoy divinity duly applauded by his blind followers, then every Muslim following in the footsteps of Mohamed may be regarded as a prophet doing what has been  counseled to them and deserving to be called as much – allah-ho-akbar.

 

The true followers of God, in the meantime, send up a fervent prayer to God Almighty that He save the world, prevent the devil from anointing these prophets of doom and deign to forgive their overindulgence and contamination of the world!

 

As an afterthought one might emphatically assert that Islam which refers to Jesus Christ as a prophet only, the absurdity with which they project or eulogise an ordinary man by name Muhammad, who lived to excel as an immoral being with craze to satiate his lust of flesh till his dying years, who was pitted against his own ambitions to kill or annex territories, fails reason and logic how he awfully failed to leave a message of peace and love to the beleaguered people who unto this day are unable to safeguard their belief but through kill and extremism.

NEWS PAPER

A cup of morning tea without a newspaper by the side is like holding a fishing rod without dangling a bait on it. Newspaper with its wide ranging features and attractions has become the most sought after piece of informative material to start the day with for most people around the globe. With its coverage engulfing most areas and day to day requirements, newspaper has become indispensable nationally as well as internationally.  What makes it all the more attractive is its highly qualitative approach to bringing people around on prominent issues and attractions of an ever advancing world. Even with all the advanced technologies on the media front, news paper undoubtedly maintains its uniqueness when it comes to bringing people and the world together.

Newspapers adorn not only residential houses. In fact it is made available in all offices, reception counters, restaurants, tea-stalls, shops etc. all of which display the daily newspapers in a prominent place or a corner, to attract guests in to a leisurely wait.  Visitors who occupy their idle hours avidly scanning their contents hardly feel hours roll by while their hosts finish off with exigencies and urgent appointments.  Newspaper has come to be regarded as a necessary ingredient that brings the world and various events at the flash of an eye blink.  It is in fact a marvelous piece of attraction that has come to be regarded as a necessity for every human being, for keeping abreast of developments in and around the country and the world in general.  Newspaper is, in fact, a symbol of refreshing drink that invigorates its readers while keeping the general public updated on important events and developments. To most people, reading newspaper in the morning hours is indispensable, it forewarns the government on the pulse of the people and the people are acquainted with what the government is about.

 

Newspaper, besides providing ample update on political developments and summarized interviews of people and departments alike, the intermittent interviews with high profile individuals and party dignitaries bring the news alive, leaving an eerie suspense in the minds of people and opponents alike. In essence newspapers keep alive a rhythm on every front with retorts and rebuttals while the general public make individual assessments on the performance of a government or the opposition.

 

Going by statistics, India is said to be having approximately 5,600 dailies in circulation in various languages all over the country.  The above figure may provide an insight in to the literary status and informative standards maintained by the country.  The whole structure and appearance of a newspaper is designed in such a manner as to make it appealing to every generation, be it rich or poor, young or old.  One salient feature of a newspaper is that its style and focus keep changing according to time and requirements.  Every segment of a society relish it with avidity, so much so, many people including business men and scholars cannot go without scanning the newspaper for once during the day.

 

NATURE OF ITS CONTENTS

 

A newspaper carries various features which, in essence, adorn its pages besides carrying headlines highlighting important events or happenings relevant to the occasion or period.  Modern day newspaper caters to every class of people, by means of updates on business as well as economy related topics plus inputs on political events and personalities, interviews with people of high standing, providing news of vital importance with images and illustrations, besides classified columns which dwell on day to day requirements of different categories of people.  In short, a newspaper may be referred to as an ‘encyclopedia’ of daily activities both inside and outside the country.

 

BENEFICIARIES OF A NEWSPAPER

Generally speaking every bit of print on the newspaper benefits various sections of a society frm diplomats, politicians, professionals like doctors, lawyers, business class, office goers, besides labour class, whether employed or unemployed and alos the students who form the core group of youngsters who are to shoulder the responsibility of taking the future of the country forward.  The other all encompassing features of a newspaper include, among others, advertisements of various categories, minor items like forecast of weather, cross word puzzle as also astrological inputs and other classifieds.  With such vast scope of comprehensive information features with dexterity and focus, with inputs systematically added to create the required colour and flavour needed to satisfy the readers, the newspaper holds tremendous scope for the upliftment of every section of masses towards a better tomorrow and immense benefit is derived through its informative pages all of which enable a person to step on to a better tomorrow.  In essence, the newspaper is a ‘daily reckoner’, which imparts education and connects a today with the coming tomorrow, thus excelling in every aspect of life.  It carries with it a future for every section of the society for earning livelihood and for achieving their desired goals.

                                                                                                  

ABUSES

 

This medium of instruction that holds great values for people and society at large, sometimes come under manipulation by certain categories of people, who tend to abuse its usage to further their vested interests.  Incidentally, some people utilize its scope and circulation for furthering the sale of their products or for providing adverse comments on the competitor’s products through unlawful means.  Faced with prospects of a bleak future for their products in the dwindling market, certain categories of people resort to planting incorrect information, with a view to confuse the market.  Some even use this media to plant news items that do not conform to truth or at times may even directly infringe on the rights of another individual or section of the society. Such acts and manipulations by vested interests indirectly harm the reputation, not only of the products, but the paper as well and needs to be checked. 

 

TILTING THE BALANCE

With very large number of dailies in circulation all over the country and the world as well, there is a need to base every bit of information that is brought out in print to be founded on ethics and truth.  The world is gradually slipping towards a period of anarchy and insecurity among countries.  Extremism has taken the centre stage of human existence. Media too is gradually going astray by undermining the achievements of the world leaders and projecting achievements of extremists rather than censuring the same.  This approach is weakening the fight against terrorism or failing to achieve the desired results.  The world is practically being bent to the will of extremists who have taken the world for a ride.  There is need to counter this trend and the media should come forward to project the need for a concerned fight against terrorism, or else, it would be a ‘yesterday’ for the world and a blooming tomorrow for terrorists.  Any departure from these criteria could jeopardize the progress of the society and the world at large, which is being continuously slammed by inclement forces of extremism and human rights violation.

Hazare – a blot on the Nation!

A poverty-stricken young, wayward and inconsistent Kisan Baburao Hazare forsook his studies in 7^th standard on the plea of abject poverty. Mysteriously enough, his childless aunt who brought him to Mumbai to have him educated was left spellbound when he decided on his own that poverty did not allow him to further his schooling. So much for the logic of a rustic lad on his having abandoned education, very much in contrast to Mohanadas Karamchand Gandhi, the father of the nation, who achieved the impossible despite all odds and took the nation out of a nasty mess of foreign rule through sheer grit and determination. Kisan Baburao Hazare is said to have taken to street after he bid goodbye to books, in the hope of amassing wealth by selling flowers at Dadar, in the company of miscreants and bad elements, as the newly discovered trade, in his judgment, was more lucrative and rewarding.

Corruption, let us not forget, is a worldwide phenomenon. No human being can claim to be detached from wealth except by people adhering to spirituality. However, the young lad from Ralegaon Siddhi felt the pinch for money, fame and wealth very early in life and moved on to pavement in the company of other misguided youngsters in search of hard cash.

In the present context, past is of little or no consideration but post sure is!  By post we refer to the initiative required for stamping out the menace called corruption. Corruption, like any other vice spares no one, and the social worker Kisan Babu Hazare was no exception.  His attempts to arm twist democratically elected fully operative government machinery in to succumbing to his pressure tactics was grotesquely uncalled for. However, his blackmail worked and the government lost no time in persuading the 71 years old Anna Hazare on 9^th April 2011 from precipitating matters who called off his ‘fast unto death’ undertaken on 5^th April, 2011.

Mediocrity in perception and blackmail by individuals like Hazare for attaining one’s objective does not augur well for a nation that has already established a vibrant democracy capable of combating all economic hazards and social evils. It needs to be borne in mind that Indian economy had held its mark even during the recent recession and economic slump. The nation has come a long way and is presently racing towards another century or a millennium as the case may be.  The integrity and progress of the nation is hinged on the rudder which is currently steered by some elite group of politicians under the watchful eye of UPA Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi. It would therefore, be in the interest of democracy and the Indian sub-continent as well, if people like Kisan Baburao Hazare set aside their ill-gotten wisdom or outdated method of coercing a government that has not ever forsaken the process of dialogue in order to arrive at a consensus in the interest of the masses, rather than adopting loose tactics to attract media or blackmail the government in to hearkening to their newly found woes and tantrums.

The forte therefore, needs to be on getting people of integrity around, with grit and determination, capable of chalking out programs and policies for the nation, people who are fully capable of maintaining equilibrium on the vital issues of luxury and money and are not easily carried away by their individuality and sentiments. People who are prepared to deny themselves for the sake of others, whereby the country could excel in every discipline while upholding the morale and ethics, so as to boost the ingredients of a righteous life viz. physically, mentally, morally and spiritually.  In order to excel in every discipline or to bring about brilliance in every aspect, the complete system and governance need to be overhauled. Merely by pulling at loose ends such as corruption, the focus could be lost and opportunity squandered away unnecessarily whereby the very same elements indulging in nefarious activities might try and find out alternate methods of overcoming the hurdles placed in a hurry to keep the evil elements at bay. The country is presently on the right path to progress and development and it should be the endeavor of people and individuals to address the loopholes facing the society, the nation and the world in general.

Coming back to Anna Hazare, it is worth mentioning that he had even contemplated suicide on one occasion and wrote a two page essay on why he wanted to end his life.

Can a person with suicidal tendency hold the reins of a country that has advanced this far prior to or post independence?

On a closer scrutiny, it appears that the initiative to do away with corruption came from wrong quarters. No person with scant education, a maimed mentality, regional approach and petty resolve can move with the time. Anna Hazare made a bonfire of all that the democracy stood for, by deciding to undertake the arm-twisting method to bring the government around.

Any person like Anna Hazare, with a dubious background, having been associated with unsocial, reserved and bad company that made him a drop out from school during his early years, became aggressive enough to lead rowdy groups and elements in to forcing people in to his way of life, one who is prepared to even blackmail a democratically elected government in to accepting demands for his own narrow or regional ends can as well divide the nation under one pretext or the other. The so called social work carried out by him was only a part of the activity by the bad company he kept, whereby he ruled his village with an iron hand, which allowed him to overrule decisions of elders, to the extent of touting liquor vendors etc. by means of a wrong attitude he nursed within and which made him opt out of his aunt’s house in search of freedom; the mediocrity he nursed in life that made him opt out of his studies; his joining the Indian army as driver at 23 but again quitting the job under the guise of voluntary retirement at 35 unable to hold on to a disciplined life, all of these instances reveal the wayward ways to which he had got accustomed to. It is also worth taking note of the fact that he ensured that law did not catch up with him on account of his aggressiveness or bad company he kept. By ganging up with street urchins and bad elements, he succeeded in making out a larger than life portrait of himself but reduced the very concept of democracy in to a blackmail apparatus. It was much of hoodwinking people and the nation in to believing that he, as a poor man could have undertaken social activities which he could have done as a fully educated person as well. But education for him was a sour tablet and could not swallow it. Having been associated with unsocial elements throughout, the only way for him out of the dilemma in life was to convert his activities in to philanthropic ones! So meet the man – Anna Hazare from Ralegaon Siddhi, on the outskirts ofMaharashtra, the Padma Bhushan awardee of 1992!

The Padma Bhushan awarded to him in 1992 was precisely a magnanimous act by the Government of India.  It was precisely an attempt to motivate people and individuals in to becoming ideal citizens rather than wasting their time and energy indulging in unsocial acts of omissions and commissions. It was by no means an award for upholding his wayward past; rather it was an incentive to bring stray elements around to a path of hard work and righteousness.

Suicide or an attempt to do so is illegal in a country that has seen many instances of hijack, blackmail, kidnap, public fury and devastation of national property, besides dowry deaths, wife burning, molestation of women, communal frenzy, etc. These are instances of highhandedness in a society which calls itself the largest democracy in the world. Mohanadas Karamchand Gandhi resorted to fasting unto death on three occasions as a measure of appeasing the grouse of a party or a community but here his name has been unnecessarily dragged in to blackmailing a democratically elected government in to accepting a unilateral decision by a select few individuals.  To defame Gandhi or holding his name as ransom in order to force a decision on any entity or to use democracy as an apparatus to blackmail a government in to succumbing to a particular school of thought is the latest cult which calls itself a part of social work. Here the very logic of democracy which calls for discussion and diplomacy went down the drain with Anna Hazare deciding to force a government in to accepting his demand to enact a strong anti-corruption act as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill, a law that has since established a Lokpal (Ombudsman) for purposes of eradication of corruption.

A person is most trustworthy and best cut out for leadership if he has acquired knowledge, enhanced wisdom and inculcated values in life right from his shy years of innocence, be it be under the guidance of parents or not. But the young Baburao joined the street after forsaking his studies for a shortcut to popularity of lesser denomination. This approach only conforms to narrow objectives, not cut out for a free nation of diverse communities spread out in 28 states and 7 union territories. Errant youngsters, who take to streets from young age, normally take to feminism and indulge in unruly activities.  Such an attitude normally dispels the organized mindset within or the ability to concentrate on issues of common interest. So was it with this youngster, whom today the nation acknowledges as Anna Hazare.

His overall life appears to be inconsistent and not in tune with his determination as portrayed in his attempt to eradicate corruption. Frankly he does not portray himself as being any the intelligent, diplomatic or of shrewd mettle that can stand against corruption in a system deeply embedded by Hindu culture and mythic beliefs. It is also worth taking cognizance of the fact that human values, education, morality and proper attitude alone can work in to the core of corruption and not mediocrity, stubbornness or aggressive and revolutionary measures. Mohanadas Karamchand Gandhi lived through an era where he had a popular support – call it national. But the 21^st century has traversed several generations away from those prehistoric years when the government was yet to be restored to a democratic rule.

As per the latest input, a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) has been filed in the Delhi High Court alleging charges of corruption in a trust run by him. More would follow in due course as matters proceed in the court.

Throughout his life, Kisan Baburao Hazare was inconsistent and never stayed put in any particular field. As such, with all odds against his past, the future of Indiain his hands only looks bleak, if not impossible. Let us not forget that corruption is the work of brain and muscle power. To annihilate this plague of a menace or to bring about reform among people, one needs to foster ethics and bolster the morale of the nation. Threats, blackmail or waywardness cannot carry an appeal in an age in which suicide squads have become the bane of extremism haunting today’s world? Then how does one attach a string of ‘fast unto death’ for blackmail in order to achieve a formidable task of routing corruption out of ‘Hindustan’?

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Corruption has India in a frenzy!

Presto! India, the largest democracy in the world, has successfully emerged as the one only nation with two distinct oppositions viz. one consisting of communal party namely the BJP with like-minded sympathizers and the other, a hood under Kisan Baburao Hazare, with the residue of communal elements which include, among others, the RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, Ram Sena etc, all in the disguise of crusaders against corruption. The latter has been singularly dying to dye the Indian sub-continent in bad light, with only a fraction of the populace heeding his groans!
Where exactly are we lacking in dynamism? Are not the individuals collectively steering the wheel of a largest democracy, all in one voice, with a sense of restraint keeping all extremes at bay, united with resolve and contributing to the progress of the nation, boosting the image of a progressive alliance in a free nation of diverse communities with a populace estimated at 1.3 billion spread out in 28 states and 7 union territories, the elected representatives of the very people who chose to adopt a Constitution on 26th January, 1950?

Are we Indians in favour of a stable government functioning on an ideally disciplined platform catering to the needs of diverse communities on a land spread out over an area of 3,287,240 sq. kms or are we beckoning a state of barbarity and blackmail by a select few villagers to envelope the nation with their chorus orchestrated by some mean minded and disgruntled people of yesteryears of uneven category?

Incidentally, the real opposition has lost all sense of ethics. Their lofty views merely hoist destructive and empty verbal blasts from time to time, which hardly meet the parameters required to build a nation and people. Far from being constructive, the opposition has lost their teeth of conviction, while their intermittent blurts only fuel the fire of ignominious disharmony among the right minded people. Do we need statistics to read in to reality or do we make up our mind to assert our voice for the real democracy which is presently ransacked, shattered and held to ransom by a few mean minded individuals?

Have the likes of Hazare and Ramdev including many of the stalwarts playing second fiddle to the social worker & other crusaders reconciled to holding a democratically elected government to ransom under an excuse that some unscrupulous elements played false with the nation’s wealth? Are these mean minded crusaders aware of the harm they are doing to the reputation and integrity of the country? How do these select crusaders opt to wield an authority, which ought to be the prerogative of a government and ruling elite, and go ahead to blackmail the government or vilify individuals of integrity and high standing? Are such acts of a select few worthy of being condoned in a democracy which has no weight-age or voice of the 1.3 billion? The culpability of these people needs to be traced.

To start with – every crusader flings vague aspersions on individuals of integrity and righteousness without any base merely to vent their ire at the real culprits who would never come out of hiding till the government makes cautious inroads in to their nefarious deeds. But this needs to be done cautiously without alluding to information obtained through particular channels of government machinery. The need of the hour is, therefore, to infuse ethics and righteousness among a people and the nation, a majority of whom are uneducated, uncultured or ill-informed of the real picture. By slinging mud at any and all within the government amount to smearing innocent and righteous people and government without any rhyme or reason. This directly harms the nation, the government and individuals who work day in and day out for the welfare of the people. Such unwanted references to people in high places get blown out of proportion in the course of gossips and discussions.

If any individual including Hazare decides to incite people against the government and individuals of dignity and status, if these very people project themselves as the ones entrusted with power to flout norms and laws of the country in the guise of agitation, if they decide to promote personal prestige and individuality, in the process deflating the government machinery from functioning, then the least we can suggest to them is to burn the constitution, desist from electing any government and get back to barbarity of old. However, they must realize that the nation and the Constitution is not a pack of cards or papers for Hazare and his ilk to play with, nor is the government a property to fiddle with. These men of mean wisdom need to realize that they do not stand to represent 1.3 billion.

Moreover, we the people of India need to realize that, whereas we slammed the perpetrators of Parliament attack case during 2001, today Hazare and his ilk are denigrating the very same Parliament, Constitution, institutions, government and people who deserve to be respected as custodians of the nation, the rights of 1.3 billion people and people elected through proper democratic channel.

However, the acts and commissions being resorted by these crusaders amount to inciting mob, defiling constitution, spreading hatred against government and individuals and blackmailing the nation, the government and the majority of people for which not only Hazare but the very people following in his footsteps ought to be taken to task. To go about this, the law enforcement people need to first tackle the followers, detain the lot of them without any mercy and then send Hazare back to his village, for this is in the interest of the nation, people and the non-agitating people who accept democracy and the constitution.

Ethics, Manners and Etiquette! – Part I

Ethics, Manners and Etiquette! – Part I.

Ethics, Manners and Etiquette! – Part I

 

When a topic of paramount importance like ‘Ethics, manners & etiquette’ is tossed on to the corridors of internet readership, how would people react – with dismay? What response should one anticipate from general public? Cool – tepid or sullen?  Obviously, no eyebrows would be raised since the subject matter does not carry appeal in an age that is galloping towards a peak of human discoveries. A few, perhaps, might give it a cursory glance just for the heck of it. Some might even vie this as another move to add monotony to the already cumbersome life.  Quite elementary!  The topic in effect does not carry sufficient sting to steer the conscience of people who are surging ahead within meager resources in their bid to make a mark on the ladder of success and fame.

Success, fame, reputation etc. and a long list of such aspirations nursed by present day generation do not easily connect with people without their attracting a formidable challenge.  These goals demand among others, a focused approach, a breath-taking suspense, a relentless endeavor and a sacrifice of immense measure. But to crown them all one needs to cultivate the virtue of perseverance.  Only then will a culmination be reached and the solemn accomplishment of their dream destiny can be arrived at.

In an age when every one hankers for a name for himself the evasive fame goes to the elite few who stand prepared to forego cheap glamour, stormy temptations and vane pleasures of life full of glee. This life is full of vanities but they that steer clear of the myth and mysteries of this vane life, concentrating keenly on the goal to be achieved, stand to gain in the long run.  In short, with a world slowly sliding in to a grossly haphazard scenario, focus and determination alone would enable success rendering a smile of fortune on the men of valor and integrity.

Generation after generation man watched the wondrous universe taking turns to reveal or manifest the ins and outs as well as facts and figures concerning creation, hitherto unknown to man. While the universe scrambled to consolidate a few million years under its creative history, the earth under the able stewardship of human inhabitants made its mark as a unique and progressive planet thereby creating an era of unparalleled developments in the history of mankind.  Alongside the pace of progress and advancement doubled the stride by man, all the while keeping apace with time and age in the magnificent use of his own brain and machinery. Haste and competition caught the world unawares.  Caught in a race between time and development, man had recourse to an unprecedented move whereby he brazenly ignored the meaningful values of life and good demeanor. Gradually but unwittingly enough human beings forsook the sublime path of faith, dedication and hard work in return for a life of luxury, glamour and concupiscence.  Man shed his virtues in return for a life of glee, looking down scornfully upon the society with despise and detest. Sex and glamour did him in. He sacrificed all ideals of an enhanced life; he breached the dignity and valor of collective conscience in return for a crime-streaked path of inhuman extremism.  He achieved the latter but lost his peace.

The noted French Novelist Marcel Pagnol averred – “The reason people find it difficult to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be”.

Peace under the guise of happiness is an attribute to success. However, in order to savor its fragrance one has to live up to the supreme will of the Almighty, which our first parents, namely Adam and Eve failed to live up to.

It was an earthly bliss which our first parents, namely Adam and Eve earned by sheer dint of their being God Almighty’s first creation. They earned a care-free life of happiness and contentment but failed to secure it for long. Garden of Eden was abounding in God’s love but the first couple failed to capitalize on it.  Incidentally, Adam and Eve failed to decipher the writing on the wall. Probably because they missed their childhood or the schooling days; or may be they had no past to rely upon because they were born adults.

Despite having the whole world at their disposal and the Almighty constantly by their side, God Himself became a suspect in their eyes, and they pressed ahead to grab a formula that could place them at par with the Almighty. At the cost of an undeserved gift of love and happiness, they had to per force accept a life of nothingness on a barren and desolate earth. They were deprived of their happiness and the cause of it being a ‘disconnect’ with their nearest and only neighbor – God.

On their way out ofEden, the first couple made no plea for mercy; no supplication sent for a reversal of their plight or even a reconsideration of God’s will. They shed no tears for their guilt; there was no blaming one another either, save for a cursory pointer by Adam that he consented to the wishes of his companion as he was prepared to stand by her in bliss or in peril, without allowing a split to mar their oneness. The Almighty read their innermost thoughts and stopped short of banishing them from the bliss ofEdento a life of nothingness on a barren earth.

Marooned in a world of loneliness and desolation and left with a companion to feed and care for, man set about tilling the soil and taming cattle for a living. Time moved, centuries crossed and civilization after civilization dawned on man, as he grappled with living problems, took on challenges, adopted strategies that could deliver on the vital problems of life and with the advancement of time, made much inroads in to many of the hurdles and complexities of life. Man’s descendants followed suit and gradually through dexterous use of reason and intellect, man rose to prominence. Prosperity smiled on him and he soon found himself at the threshold of a modern era – an age of scientific inventions and notable achievements. Man’s living style changed and he became self sufficient for his everyday needs. Irrespective of the role played by each, in his or her capacity, the bond of oneness enabled humanity to provide a glimpse of a better and advanced world.

The duo combination, consisting of man and woman, successfully achieved a speck of an earthly glory that can, at best, be counted among part of a whole of what was lost in the Garden of Eden. Although the world affairs have always been dominated by the male category, the role of women and their contribution in overall progress and development of a civilized world came to be recognized only towards the second half of the twentieth century.  Nevertheless, it is a universally acknowledged fact that man could not have achieved this remarkable feat single handedly without the might of his fellow travelers, who have hitherto acted as the driving force in exploring far ends of the universe. In effect, the combination of instinct and human brain achieved the impossible by sticking together through thick and thin, thus becoming capable of exploring the world that always appeared a void to human eye.

What needs special mention here is the fact that man within an average life span of say 40 to 60 years managed to secure the key to a string of mysteries surrounding the earth and the universe, which would have been nearest to impossible without the active connivance of people and human beings around.  To put it plainly, a little child that crawls out of the arms of its mother, slowly steadies himself on his own feet and shyly learns to interact with grown-ups and elders, thereafter gradually transforms himself in to a force to reckon with, asserting his capability to take huge leaps in to position of bidding for the lowest depths, highest peaks and unending galaxies glittering in the horizon. But to achieve this, man must walk shoulder to shoulder with his generation.

Man has always been in the forefront of universal reforms and development, and in today’s world it is his unstinted efforts coupled with determination that enabled an otherwise barbarous world to have been disciplined in to submission that has made an era of reason and intelligence possible. Unfortunately, in the wake of his soaring ambitions and a chain of notable achievements, man by nature tended to develop an inertia towards those around him and the safest and the easiest target to let go off his temperament was his next door neighbor, a neighbor who with the passage of time created boundaries and divisions. In short creation of decisive walls separating one from the other, one society from the other, one nation from the other and finally even man himself from God.

Progress requires concentration. For concentration it is vital that one have recourse to a silent approach that can allow the mind to function without hitch. A viable theory that ought to accelerate the pace and progress of the world is ‘Silence’ which alone can set the tone for progress. A silent approach can necessarily carry sophistication and spur one towards excellence. The world must not lose sight of the fact that stillness of the universe spurred divinity to give voice to human beings and with voice followed mood and sophistication for a world swarming with finite beings advancing to levels of perfection – human perfection.

Indeed, out of the stillness of silence emerged the universe and life. The voice of divinity “Let there be light” dispelled the darkness, renting the stillness in to a vibrant world of humanity with a golden streak of truth and righteousness. The eternal silence gave way to voice of sanity, voice of life and in the glow of divine silence blossomed the love of human beings who learnt to respect other human beings, quite unparalleled in the unwritten history of human-divine relation which made its mark on mankind in the form of ‘ethics, manners & etiquette’.

World has advanced to a great extent. As a sequel to these changes the proverb ‘speech is silver but silence is golden’ too underwent tremendous change, to the detriment of human relationship. Evidently, the age old proverb no longer proved right for the present day generation. The sharpness of silence came in direct conflict with the sharpness of an ‘ego’, obviously a marked deflection of truth and righteousness. The new trend adopted by present d

ay generation is one of focus and forthrightness, laying greater emphasis on advancement in life through quantity rather than adhering to the essence of quality and virtuousness. This attitude brought about the unwanted scare in the form of selfishness.

Discipline in everyday life has become as expensive as it is difficult to trade, hard to sell and harder still to transact in the normal course. A few genuine buyers who treasure this valuable component deem it a formidable task to keep pace with the run away procedures and advancement.

The ancient theory or to be precise, the old adage states, ‘Speech is silver but silence is golden’. Incidentally, the proverb has come of age and the golden suffix to silence too demands a rethink.

When the iron is hot we strike, because it serves our purpose and in most instances we gain the lead.  How many of us make use of that sublime and heavenly concept which can send a lauder and clearer message to our opponents, adversaries and to the world?  Silence does the trick when nothing else works!

Silence definitely had its moment of reckoning. Its attributes are manifold. Silence ensures an audience. Silence refreshes, enthuses and fortifies the mind. Everything in the universe loses its originality at sometime or the other. Everything has to reduce, decrease or diminish as the case may be. Everything must die down to the stillness of silence. Silence is the culmination of everything. Silence is the beginning, the break and the end. Silence remains undaunted for out of the stillness of silence emerges a refreshing light, the dawn of life, the warmth of sound and the purity of God.

Ethics, Manners & Etiquette – Part – I ends here. We are a long way to a world of righteousness. Await the next supplement of Ethics, Manners & Etiquette!                Cheerio! ©