How the CIA rescued a few Americans from Tehran

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.05/feat_cia.html

Espionage and tech stuff have gone together for quite a while now. The interesting link above from Wired explores a real-life incident where espionage, tech stuff and Hollywood worked hand in hand to extract a few Americans from Tehran. This was, of course, during the coming to power of Ayotollah Khomeini and the subsequent Iranian revolution.

Written in a gripping manner, it won't let you go till you've read the full piece. Pieces like these are the reason I keep going for more and more of Wired.

After having watched Munich and Casino Royale in the last couple of days, I could almost visualize what happened in the above story.

Enjoy the read!

PS: I haven't had time to write a serious piece in quite a while. I get so many ideas but I forget what those were in a few minutes. And of course, time is a big factor. Should promise myself to write at least a couple of pieces a week!

Hunting for a working ATM in Jerusalem

As the title of this post says, I am in Jerusalem, the Holy City for three very big religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This city is awe inspiring because of so many reasons. Jerusalem is the biggest religious destination in the world. It has a history of thousands of years. It has always been on the minds and in the hearts of millions of people for very different reasons - political, religious and spiritual. I will not be going into that aspect of the area right now but will focus on a very interesting inconvenience I have encountered here.

Everybody needs money to do many things and I am no different here. For some purposes, simple currency notes are still preferred to plastic and it was for the same set of purposes that I went in search of some Israeli currency notes (New Israeli Shekel). Where else would a tourist get it other than in those wonderful machines of convenience - the Automated Teller Machines, remembered with gratitude by several people as Any Time Money? ATMs have become so common now across the world that they are expected to have a ubiquitous presence wherever we go and naturally are expected to be in working order too!

However, at least in Jerusalem, that is not the case at all! The period of Shabbat (this is how the word is spelled in Israel), from Friday evening to Saturday evening, a time for prayer and rest religiously followed by Jewish people, completely shuts down Jerusalem. For an outsider like me, this came as a complete shock.

Since only prayer and rest are to be undertaken during Shabbat, almost anything else is prohibited. I had heard before that secular activity is prohibited to the extent that even elevator buttons were not to be pressed. But seeing it in person was something else. The city completely shuts down!! Even the two preceding exclamations are not adequate to convey my surprise. It is not as if I have not seen this in India. But I have only seen that in the middle of the night (sometimes) and during bandhs. It is as if they have a weekly bandh here! On Friday, one sees traffic everywhere until Shabbat starts. Then all of a sudden, cars are off the road. Roads full of vehicles go completely empty with just a stray vehicle here and there.

I tried looking for an ATM just before Shabbat itself and found one with difficulty. Naturally, the text is all in Hebrew and you begin navigating the ATM menu after selecting English. But when I tried to draw money, it complained of some temporary problem. I later figured out that because of Shabbat, local people just draw all the money and none of the ATMs in busy areas have any currency left in him. Of course, on Shabbat, none of the ATMs work anyway.

My attempts at other ATMs too unfortunately have proved unsuccessful so far. People have told me that Tel Aviv is alive during the Shabbat time - but I have not been there during the weekend yet. I have been here just for a couple of weeks, but the locals seem to be just fine with it.

Jerusalem is a very interesting city steeped in history and legend. I wish to make a few posts about it when I get the time with pictures if possible.

I've been tagged!

I got tagged by Bellur RK and now I have to respond. But this set of questions is interesting and calls for quite some thought on my blogging. Anyway, here goes...

1. Are you happy/ satisfied with your blog, with its content and look?

For the moment, I suppose I am OK - but I am not completely satisfied with my blog - look or contentwise.

Lookwise:
I keep looking for new themes as I am pretty lazy to do HTML by myself. Blogspot beta was on and so I decided to use that. But some Kannada unicode fonts don't show up well in Firefox. Well, a lazy guy can't have it all! What else can I say?

Contentwise:
I have used my blog more as a tool to verbalize my thoughts. It has given me quite some practice - and so I have gone from typing up rants in 5 minutes to taking some serious time to write a single piece. As I had mentioned in one of my earlier posts, a blog post was intended to create a brain-dump of that moment. But nowadays I am trying to actually think about something and then write it as opposed to reacting to things that happen around me. For example, my posts on traffic in Bangalore were invariably posted after I got delayed in a traffic jam. I want to go from this reactive stage to a stage where I actually research a particular topic and then do a write up on it.

So, the answer is that I am satisfied with a blog post just after I've posted it - but when I re-read it after a couple of weeks, I go ..."I should have probably written that differently".

I am satisfied also because now, I have a personal soap box to hold forth on things that have caught my fancy. This satisfaction becomes happiness when I see comments on some of my posts from people I had never known before. It is really gratifying to see that some smart people are interested in what I write.

2. Does your family know about your blog?

Yes. If I particularly like a post I've written (or on other blogs as well), I make sure I get my wife and parents to read that and get their feedback. And I won't stop till they say that they've liked the piece ;)

3. Do you feel embarrassed to let your friends know about your blog or you just consider it as a private thing?

I don't feel embarrassed to let my friends know about my blog. But yes, I consider it as a kind of private thing. If somebody comes across my blog, I welcome that and then it is public. It is private in the sens that I don't advertise my blog with friends.

4. Did blogs cause positive changes in your thoughts?

I had written before - but not as much and definitely not with such regularity. As others have mentioned, blog posts are very effective in organizing and verbalizing thoughts. I like to read a good post as much as the next guy and so strive to write in such a way that my thoughts seem organized. :) So you could say that my blog posting has caused some positive changes in my thoughts. Now, everytime I encounter something, I think - "hmm.. should I blog about this?" and this is probably more than twice a day. But the frequency of my posts is something different - but the fact that my thoughts get slightly better organized upon reflection is a welcome change.

Other blogs (I haven't created a blog roll of mine yet) have also caused good changes. The words of the good saint tyAgarAja are made to echo in my ears when I read them. "endaro mahAnubhAvulu andariki mA vandamulu".

5. Do you only open the blogs of those who comment on your blog or you love to go and discover more by yourself?

No. In fact, I look at many blogs and comment on a few of them. And I may or may not get comments from those blogs I comment on. My comments are different from my blogs. It is far easier to comment than write a good post.

During my initial blogging phase (3 years ago), I was looking at new blogs. Now just keeping up with the ones I know (at least 20) is a difficult task - even with RSS/Atom. So I don't go looking for new blogs unless they get highlighted in a place I visit regularly.

6. What does visitors counter mean to you? Do you care about putting it in your blog?

I do have a visitor counter on my blog. It lets me rate myself - more the hits on a particular piece, better (or more controversial) the post.

7. Did you try to imagine your fellow bloggers and give them real pictures?

I have not met any fellow blogger in person. And I don't have any (probably just 1 or 2) pictures on my blog either.

8. Do you think there is a real benefit for blogging?

Of course! Otherwise it wouldn't be as popular and this post wouldn't get typed either! Interaction with other human beings and minds is a fundamental trait for all of us and blogging is a very good way to do that. Some blog posts are therapeutic in nature too!

Before blogging, one had to basically look at readers' mails to the editor in the newspapers to understand what *real* people thought on issues and even there you could see some regulars! Blogging, otoh, provides each person with a way to communicate his/her ideas to the wide world. What could be cooler than this?

9. Do you think that bloggers’ society is isolated from real world or interacts with events?

No. Bloggers can't write in a vacuum. Bloggers write in the real world too! They react to events in the real world!

10. Does criticism annoy you or do you feel it’s a normal thing?

No. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. Criticism, as long it is constructive and educative, is welcome. Otherwise I try to tolerate it. Fortunately (or otherwise), I have not been subjected to criticism on my blog. I suppose my blog has to mature more.

11. Do you fear some political blogs and avoid them ?

I don't fear political blogs. But I avoid them ;)

Actually, I read a few political blogs on India and the US. Extreme left leaning (as well as extremely right leaning) blogs amuse me - but I don't frequent them.

12. Did you get shocked by the arrest of some bloggers?

No. People, who also happen to have blogged, get arrested. Even if they hadn't blogged, most of those arrested would have been eventually arrested. So... I suppose I should say I am not shocked.

13. Did you think about what will happen to your blog after you die?

Actually I have. It will be an interesting thing. A blog with no new posts. Like an online museum to the thoughts of a person. In the future, somebody could look for my blog and probably think "What primitive thoughts!" or "This guy should've been born now" or "This guy had way too much time on his hands" ;)

14. What do you like to hear? What’s the song you might like to put a link to in your blog?

I like good music and a wide variety of it. Carnatic music used to be my favorite - and probably still is - but with a lot lesser intensity than before. I would like an instrumental AlApana (flute/veena/violin) of one of several ragas like kalyANi, shankarAbharaNa, tODi... As I kept writing names of these rAgas, I saw that I like a rAga depending on my mood. Though I used to like vocal music, I am not a big fan of the current brood of singers - they murder the sAhitya and sing with absolutely no bhAva. Let me leave that as the topic for a separate post.

OK, I suppose I have answered all the questions to get me off the tagged hook. Anybody who reads this, is welcome to answer these questions in their blog.

Great write up on Malgudi Days by Jhumpa Lahiri

Got this via Churumuri.

You can find the full article here on Boston Review.

Very well written, of course.

Makes me want to read Malgudi days all over again. I think I will do that soon.

ದೇಶೀಯ ಜೀವನ ಪದ್ಧತಿ

In search of a sustainable lifestyle - Deccan Herald - Internet Edition

ಮೇಲಿನ ಕೊಂಡಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ಕಿಸಿದರೆ "ದೇಶಿ ಜೀವನ ಪದ್ಧತಿ" ಎಂಬ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಒಂದು ವಿಮರ್ಶೆ ಸಿಗುವುದು. ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಬರೆದವರು ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ಎಂಬುವವರು.

ಲೇಖನ ಓದಿದಾಗ ನನಗನ್ನಿಸಿದ ಕೆಲವು ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

ಮೊದಲನೆಯದೆಂದರೆ ಇಂಧನ ಉಳಿತಾಯ. ಪ್ರತಿದಿನ ಕಾರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಓಡಾಡುವ ನಾನು ದಿನಕ್ಕೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಇಂಧನವನ್ನೇ ವ್ಯಯಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಬೇಕು. ಇದನ್ನು ಮಾಡುವಾಗ ನನಗೆ ನಿತ್ಯದ ಅಳುಕು. ಪರಿಸರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕಾಳಜಿ ಇರುವವ ನಾನು ಎಂದು ನನ್ನ ಅನಿಸಿಕೆ. ಆದರೆ ನಾನೇ ಈ ರೀತಿ ಮಾಡಿದಾಗ ಕಾಳಜಿಯಿಲ್ಲದವರು ಇನ್ನೇನು ಮಾಡಿಯಾರು? ಮನೆಯೊಂದು ದಿಕ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕಛೇರಿ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ದಿಕ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿರುವುದು ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ. ಅದೂ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನಲ್ಲೇ ಹುಟ್ಟಿ ಬೆಳೆದ ನನಗೆ ಮನೆ ಇರುವ ಜಾಗ ಬದಲಾಯಿಸಲು ಇಷ್ಟವಿಲ್ಲ. ಸದ್ಯಕ್ಕಿರುವ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನು ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಬೇರೆಡೆ ಸೇರುವ ಮನಸ್ಸೂ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಬಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಓಡಾಡಲು ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಸಮಯವೇ ಬೇಕಾಗುವುದು. ಹೀಗೆ ಕಾರೇ ನನಗೆ ಗತಿ. ಮನೆಮಂದಿಯೆಲ್ಲರೂ ಒಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಓಡಾಡಬೇಕು ಎನ್ನುವ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಯಾನವನ್ನೇ ಕೊಂಡದಾಯ್ತು. ಹೀಗೆ ಸಂನ್ಯಾಸಿಯ ಸಂಸಾರದ ಹಾಗೆ ಗೃಹಸ್ಥನಾದ ನನ್ನ ಕಾರಿನ ಪುರಾಣ. ಇಂಧನವ್ಯಯವನ್ನು ಕಡಿಮೆ ಮಾಡಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗುವುದು ಮನೆಯಿಂದಲೇ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುವುದರಿಂದ. ವಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಒಂದು ದಿನ ಮನೆಯಿಂದ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಲು ಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಆದರೂ ಇಂಥ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳ ಮತ್ತು ಅಭಿಯಾನಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಓದಿದಾಗ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಏನೋ ಅಳುಕು. ನನ್ನ ಜೀವನ ಶೈಲಿಯನ್ನು ಹೇಗೆ ಬದಲಾಯಿಸಬಹುದು ಅನ್ನುವುದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಗಂಭೀರವಾದ ಆಲೋಚನೆ ನಡೆಸಬೇಕಾಗಿದೆ.

ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ವಿಷಯ - ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಒಗೆಯುವ ಪುಡಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯದು. ಈಗ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ಒಂದು ಕುತೂಹಲದ ಸಂಗತಿಯನ್ನು ನಮ್ಮ ಮುಂದಿಡುತ್ತಾರೆ. ವಾಸ್ತವವಾಗಿ ನಮಗೆ ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಶುದ್ಧವಾಗಿರಬೇಕು ಮತ್ತು ಮೆತ್ತಗಿರಬೇಕೆಂಬುದೇ ಆವಶ್ಯಕವಂತೆ. ಹೊಳೆಯುವ ಬಿಳುಪು ಇತ್ಯಾದಿಯೆಲ್ಲವೂ ಬೇಕಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂದರೆ ಅದು ಜಾಹಿರಾತು ಮಾಡುವವರ ಮೋಡಿಯಂತೆ! ಇದು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಅಶ್ಚರ್ಯದ ವಿಷಯವಲ್ಲವೇ? ಈಗ ನಿಮಗೆ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಹೊಸದರಂತಿರಬೇಕು ಎಂಬ ಆಸೆಯೇ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲವೇ? ನನಗಂತೂ ಇದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಹೊಸದಾಗಿರುವಂತಿಡಲು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣವಾದ ರಾಸಾಯನಿಕಗಳೇ ಬೇಕು ಅನ್ನುವ ಹಾಗೆ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ರಸಾಯನ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಓದದ ನನಗೆ ಈ ವಿಷಯದ ಸತ್ಯಾಂಶ ಎಷ್ಟು ಅನ್ನುವುದು ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ಯಾರಿಗಾದರೂ ಗೊತ್ತಿದ್ದರೆ ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ತಿಳಿಸಿ. ಬೇರೆಯವರು ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನು "ಸ್ವಚ್ಛ ಆದರೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಮಾಸಲು ಬಣ್ಣದ ಅಂಗಿಯನ್ನು ಧರಿಸಿರುವವನು(ಳು)" ಎಂದು ಗುರುತಿಸಿದರೆ ತೊಂದರೆ ಇಲ್ಲವೇ? ನೀವೂ ನನ್ನ ಮಾತನ್ನು ಅನುಮೋದಿಸುತ್ತೀರಾ? ನಾವು ಆ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಜಾಹಿರಾತುಗಳಿಂದ ಪ್ರಭಾವಿತರಾಗಿದ್ದೇವೆಯೇ?

ಪ್ಲಾಸ್ಟಿಕ್ಕಿನ ಅತಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಉಪಯೋಗದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನನ್ನ ವಿರೋಧವಿದೆ. ಇನ್ನು ಮುಂದೆ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಟ್ಟೆಯ ಚೀಲದ ಉಪಯೋಗ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಮಾಡಲು ನಿರ್ಧರಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಕ್ರಮೇಣ ಪ್ಲಾಸ್ಟಿಕ್ ಚೀಲಗಳ ಉಪಯೋಗ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಬೇಕು.

ಆಧುನಿಕ ಸೌಲಭ್ಯಗಳ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಆಯಾಮವನ್ನೂ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ನಮ್ಮ ಮುಂದಿಡುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಕಾಂಡೋಮುಗಳು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಲಭ್ಯವಿರುವುದರಿಂದ casual ಲೈಂಗಿಕ ಸಂಬಂಧಗಳಿಗೆ ದಾರಿ ಮಾಡಿ ಸಮಾಜದ ಶೈಥಿಲ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾರಣವಾಗಿದೆಯಂತೆ. ಒಂದು ಕಡೆ ಜನಸಂಖ್ಯೆಯನ್ನು ಹತ್ತಿಕ್ಕುವಲ್ಲಿ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡುವ ಈ ಸೌಲಭ್ಯ ಹೀಗೆ ಕೂಡ ಸಮಾಜದ ಅಧಃಪತನಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾರಣವಂತೆ. ನನಗೆ ಅಂಕಿ-ಅಂಶಗಳಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಇದನ್ನು ನಂಬಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ. ಸಂಬಂಧಗಳನ್ನು ಅಂಕಿಗಳ ಮೂಲಕ ಅಳೆಯಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವೇ? ಕಾಂಡೋಮುಗಳ ಬಳಕೆಯಿಂದ ಲೈಂಗಿಕ ರೋಗಗಳನ್ನು ತಡೆದ ಹಾಗಾಗಿಲ್ಲವೆ? ಹೀಗೆ ಇದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮನಸ್ಸು ದುವಿಧದಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ನಿಮಗೇನನ್ನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ?

ಒಂದು ದಿಕ್ಕಿನಿಂದ ಯೋಚಿಸಿದಾಗ - ಮಾನವ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಯ ಕೂಸು. ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಗೂ ತನಗೂ ಕುಂದು ಬಾರದ ಹಾಗೆ ಜೀವನ ನಡೆಸುವುದು ಧರ್ಮ. ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ಮೀರಿ ಅದನ್ನು ಲೂಟಿ ಮಾಡಿದರೆ ನಮಗೇ ಹಾನಿ. ಪರಿಸರಕ್ಕೆ ಹಾನಿಯುಂಟು ಮಾಡುವ ಯಾವ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನೂ ಮಾಡಬಾರದು.

ಆದರೆ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಕಡೆಯಿಂದ ಹೀಗೆ - ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಯಿರುವುದು ತನ್ನ ಪಾಡಿಗೇ ಆದರೂ ಮಾನವ ಅದನ್ನು ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸಬಹುದು, ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸಲೇ ಬೇಕು. ತನ್ನ ಆರಾಮಗಳನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡರೆ ಬೌದ್ದಿಕವಾಗಿ ಮನುಷ್ಯ ಬೆಳೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ; ಸಮಾಜವೂ ಬೆಳೆಯುತ್ತದೆ. ಪ್ರಗತಿ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ಮೀರಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ತಾನೆ ಸಾಧ್ಯ? ಈಗ, ಆದಿ ಮಾನವ ಬೇಟೆಯಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದವನು ಕ್ರಮೇಣ ವ್ಯವಸಾಯವನ್ನು ಕಲಿತು ಒಂದೆಡೆ ಜೀವಿಸಲು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಿದ್ದರಿಂದ ಅವನ ಬುದ್ದಿಯ ಬೆಳವಣಿಗೆ ಆಗಲಿಲ್ಲವೇ? ಈ ರೀತಿಯ ಬೆಳವಣಿಗೆಯಿಂದ ತಾನೆ ಈಗ ನಮ್ಮಂಥವರು ಗಣಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೀಲಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವುದು? ಈ ರೀತಿಯ ಆಲೋಚನಾಕ್ರಮದಿಂದ ತಾನೆ ಸಾಂಕ್ರಾಮಿಕ ರೋಗಗಳ ನಾಶವಾದದ್ದು? ಇದರಿಂದ ತಾನೆ ನದಿಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಅಣೆಕಟ್ಟುಗಳನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಿ ನೆರೆಯನ್ನು ಹತೋಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿಡಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗಿದ್ದು?

ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ತೀರ ಅಲಕ್ಷ್ಯಮಾಡಲು ನನ್ನಿಂದ ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಎಷ್ಟರ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಆ ರೀತಿಯ ಜೀವನ ಸಾಧ್ಯ? ನಾವೆಲ್ಲರೂ ಕಾಡಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಮರದಿಂದ ಬಿದ್ದ ಹಣ್ಣುಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ಸೇವಿಸಿ ಬದುಕಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವೇ? ಈಗ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ನರ್ಮದಾ ನದಿಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಅಣೆಕಟ್ಟು ಕಟ್ಟಬಾರದೆಂಬುದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಚಳವಳಿ ನಡೆದಿದೆ. ಅಂಕಿ-ಅಂಶಗಳನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟುವುದರ ಪರವಾಗಿರುವವರೂ ಮತ್ತು ವಿರೋಧಿಗಳೂ ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆದರೆ ಯಾರು ಸರಿ?

ಆದರೆ ಒಂದು ಮಾತು ಸತ್ಯ - yesterday's luxury becomes today's necessity. ಇದನ್ನು ನಾನು ಕಂಡುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಮೊಬೈಲುಗಳ ಉದಾಹರಣೆ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಿ. ಮೊಬೈಲುಗಳಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಆರಾಮವಾಗಿದ್ದವನು ನಾನು. ಆದರೆ ಅದನ್ನು ಕೊಂಡು ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸಿದ ನಂತರ ಮನೆಯನ್ನು ಬಿಟ್ಟೂ ಒಂದು ಘಳಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಬೇಕಾದರೂ ಸೆಲ್ ಫೋನ್ ನನ್ನ ಜೊತೆಯಲ್ಲಿರಬೇಕು. ಇಷ್ಟರ ಮಟ್ಟಿನ ಗುಲಾಮನಾಗಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಈ ಗುಲಾಮಗಿರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನನ್ನದು ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲದೆ ಸಮಾಜದ ಪಾತ್ರವೂ ಇದೆ. ಹಿಂದಾದರೆ ಯೋಜನೆ ಹಾಕಿ ನಂತರ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಈಗ ಆಗ ಬೇಕಾಗಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಆಗಲೇ ಕಂಡುಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು. ಛಕ್ಕನೆ ಸೆಲ್ ಫೋನಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಮಾಮೂಲಿ ಫೋನಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಮಗೆ ಬೇಕಾದ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಸಿಗದಿರುವ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆಯಿತ್ತು. ಆದರೆ ಈಗ "ಫೋನ್ ಯಾಕೋ ಆಫ್ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೆ?" ಎಂದು ನಂತರ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ಗದರುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಅಥವಾ "ಇನ್ನೂ ಸೆಲ್ ಫೋನ್ ಇಲ್ಲವಾ? ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ನಾವು ಹೇಗೆ ಸಂಪರ್ಕಿಸುವುದು?" ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಈ ಲಕ್ಷುರಿಗಳು ಆವಶ್ಯಕತೆಗಳಾಗಿ ಮಾರ್ಪಡುವುದೇ ಪ್ರಗತಿಯ ಸಂಕೇತವೇ?

ಒಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಲ್ಲಬೇಕು ಅನ್ನುವುದೇ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ. ವಾನಪ್ರಸ್ಥರ ಹಾಗೆ ಅಪರಿಗ್ರಹ ಹಿಡಿಯಬೇಕೆ? ಅಥವಾ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ತಲೆ ಕೆಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲೇ ಬಾರದೆ? ಮೊದಲು ಎಲ್ಲಿದ್ದೆನೋ ಅಲ್ಲಿಗೇ ಬಂದಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

ನನ್ನ ಸದ್ಯದ ವಿಚಾರ ಹೆಸರು ತಿಳಿಯದ ಒಬ್ಬ ಕವಿ ಹಾಡಿದ ಹಾಗಿದೆ:

ಅವರವರಿಗೆ ಅವರ ಹಾದಿ, ಅವರ ಹಾದಿ...

101 Dumbest moments in Business - 2005

101 Dumbest Moments in Business - January 01, 2006

This is a hilarious collection! Try this one for instance -

61 Farting shoes? What's not to like?

Florida-based Goosebumps Products, a maker of gel-filled shoe
inserts, sues supplier Bell Chem Corp., claiming that, by delivering
the wrong chemical, it had caused bubbles to form in the insoles that
emit "a flatulence-like noise" with each step. Goosebumps is forced to
dispose of at least 35,000 pairs and soon goes out of business.

And this -

83 The guy is falling! The guy is falling!

In November, parents and children attending a showing of Chicken
Little at AMC's Empire 25 in Manhattan instead get treated to Andrea, a
Spanish film that opens with a young man hanging himself from a tree.
Managers give audience members a refund or a coupon for a free movie.

Really funny!

Hindu - what does it mean?

APPENDIX 3 - MEANING OF THE WORD “HINDU”

The above is a link to an appendix in Sitaram Goel's book. It is an informative and thoughtprovoking piece on the word 'Hindu' and its fortunes down the ages. This comes all the way from how contemptuously the word 'Hindu' was used by Zoroastrians and later by Muslims to how it was used with pride during the 14th Century CE by various Hindu kings. It doesn't stop there but continues with how the British/Communist/Christian imperialists view the word 'Hindu'. Now, the so-called Dalits are using Hindu as a four letter word.

The word has travelled through the ages and means different things to different people. Click on the above link to read more.

ನಾನು ಕಾಣದ (ಆದರೂ ಚರಿತ್ರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ, ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡ) ದೆಹಲಿ

outlookindia.com, more than just the news magazine from India
Mean Streets... All HQ, No IQ : outlookindia.com

ಮೇಲಿನ ಕೊಂಡಿಯನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸಿದರೆ ಅಂಜಲಿ ಪುರಿ ಎಂಬಾಕೆ ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕೆಟ್ಟ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯವನ್ನು ಮೂಡಿಸುವ ಲೇಖನ ಕಾಣುತ್ತದೆ.

ಮೊದಲು ಒಂದು ಸಂಗತಿಯನ್ನು ಹೇಳಲೇಬೇಕು. ನಾನು ದೆಹಲಿಯನ್ನು ಪ್ರತ್ಯಕ್ಷವಾಗಿ ನೋಡೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಇವರು ಬರೆದ ಲೇಖನವನ್ನೋದಿದಾಗ ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನನಗನ್ನಿಸಿದ ಅನಿಸಿಕೆಗಳೇ ಪ್ರತಿಧ್ವನಿಸಿದವು. ನಾನು ಓದಿರುವ, ಕಂಡಿರುವ ಸಂಗತಿಗಳ ದೆಸೆಯಿಂದ ಅನುಮಾನ(inference)-ಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ಬರೆದದ್ದು ಇದು. ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಪ್ರೇಮಿಗಳ ಮನಸ್ಸನ್ನು ನೋಯಿಸಬೇಕೆಂದಲ್ಲ. ಅಂಥವರಿಗೆ ಈಗಲೇ ಹೇಳುತ್ತೇನೆ- ಮುಂದೆ ಓದಬೇಡಿ. ಓದಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ದೂರಬೇಡಿ. ಎಚ್ಚರಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ, ಜಾಗ್ರತೆ!

ಈ ಲೇಖನವು ಒತ್ತಿ ಒತ್ತಿ ಹೇಳುವುದು - "ದೆಹಲಿಯು ಒಡ್ಡರ, ಅಸಂಸ್ಕೃತರ, ಕಾಳಜಿಯಿಲ್ಲದ ಜನಗಳ ನಗರ"ವೆಂದು. ನನ್ನ ಮನಸ್ಸು ಬುದ್ಧಿಗಳೂ ಈ ವಿಚಾರವನ್ನು ಅನುಮೋದಿಸುತ್ತವೆ.

ಔಟ್-ಲುಕ್ ನಂಥ ಪತ್ರಿಕೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವಾಗಲೂ ಕಾಣುವ ಸಂಗತಿ ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯರ ಮೇಲಿನ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ಅತಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿರುವ ನಗರವೆಂದರೆ ದೆಹಲಿಯೆಂದೇ. ಮೇಲಿನ ಬರಹವು ಅಂಕಿ ಅಂಶಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಯಾವ ಯಾವ ವಿಷಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ದೆಹಲಿ ಒಂದು ಕೆಟ್ಟ ನಗರವೆಂದು ತೋರಿಸಿದೆ. ರಸ್ತೆ ಕಟ್ಟಡಗಳು ದೆಹಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿಯೇ ಇವೆ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಲೇಬೇಕು, ಬಹಳ ಜನ ಇದನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪುತ್ತಾರೆ ಕೂಡ. ಆದರೆ ನಗರ ಎಂದರೆ ಬರೇ ರಸ್ತೆ ಕಟ್ಟಡಗಳಲ್ಲ ತಾನೆ? ಒಂದು ನಗರಕ್ಕೂ ಮತ್ತದರ ಜನರಿಗೂ ಅವಿನಾಭಾವ ಸಂಬಂಧವಿದ್ದೇ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ.

ದೆಹಲಿ ಒಂದು ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ನಗರ. ಮಹಾಭಾರತದ ಕಾಲದಿಂದಲೂ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಜನಗಳಿದ್ದೇ ಇದ್ದರು, ಇದ್ದಾರೆ. ಆಗಿನ ಕಾಲದಿಂದ ವಿಧಿವಶಾತ್ "ಭಾರತದ ಭಾಗ್ಯದ ವಿಧಾತ"ರ ನಗರವಾಗಿ ಪರಿಣಮಿಸಿದೆ. ಇದರಿಂದ ಮೇಲಿನಿಂದ ಮೇಲಕ್ಕೆ ಅನರ್ಥಗಳು ನಡೆದೇ ನಡೆದಿವೆ. ಕೌರವ-ಪಾಂಡವರು ಇದ್ದದ್ದು ಇಲ್ಲೇ ಎಂದು ಮರೆಯಬಾರದು. ಅವರ ದಿನನಿತ್ಯದ ಕಾಳಗ-ಮನಸ್ತಾಪಗಳನ್ನು ಮಹಭಾರತ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿಯೇ ವರ್ಣಿಸಿದೆ. ಇದರ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಹಸ್ತಿನಾವತಿಯಲ್ಲೇ ಪ್ರಾಯಃ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ, ಅಂದರೆ ಅಪ್ಪಟ ದೆಹಲಿಯವರೇ ಆದ, ಕೌರವರು ಮಾಡಿದ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರಗಳು ಸರ್ವವಿದಿತ. ದ್ರೌಪದಿಯ ಮಾನಭಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ಯತ್ನಿಸಿದ ದುರ್ಯೋಧನ-ದುಃಶಾಸನರು ಈಗಿನ ದೆಹಲಿಗರಿಗೆ ಪೂರ್ವಜರು. ಆದರೆ ಅವರ ಮಾದರಿಯನ್ನೇ ಅನುಸರಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಇಂದಿನ ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಕೆಲಭಾಗದಷ್ಟು ಪುರುಷವರ್ಗವನ್ನು ಕಂಡಾಗ ಮನಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ಖೇದವಾಗದೇ ಇರದು. ಸ್ವಾರಸ್ಯದ ಒಂದಂಶ ಗಮನಿಸಬೇಕು. ಪಾಂಡವರು ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ್ದು ಹಿಮಾಲಯದ ಅರಣ್ಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ. ದೆಹಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟದ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ ಅವರಲ್ಲಿ ಧರ್ಮವಿದ್ದಿರಬೇಕೋ ಏನೊ !

ಈ ಜಗಳದಿಂದ ಕುರುಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಯುದ್ಧ ಸಂಭವಿಸಿದ್ದು ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ತಿಳಿದ ವಿಷಯ. ಈ ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ ಅಶಾಂತಿಯ ವಾತಾವರಣ ಧರ್ಮಯುದ್ಧಕ್ಕೇ ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲದೆ ದೇಶದ ಎಲ್ಲೆಡೆಗಳಿಂದ ಬಂದ ಸೈನ್ಯಗಳ ಅಪಾರ-ಪ್ರಾಣಹಾನಿಗೂ ಕಾರಣವಾಯ್ತು. ಏನೋ ಒಂದು ಹಠಮಾರಿತನ, ಒಂದು ಅಸಡ್ಡೆಯ ಪ್ರವೃತ್ತಿ, ಮುಂಗೋಪ - ಇವೆಲ್ಲವೂ ಕೌರವರಲ್ಲೂ ಮತ್ತು ಅವರ ವಂಶಜರೇ ಆದ ಇಂದಿನ ದೆಹಲಿಗರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಾನವಾಗಿ ಕಾಣುತ್ತದೆ.

ಈ ಇತಿಹಾಸ-ಪುರಾಣಗಳ ಕಾಲದ ನಂತರ ಈಚೆಯ ಚರಿತ್ರೆಗೆ ಬರಬಹುದು. ರಾಜಾ ಧಿಲು (ದಿಲು?) ಎಂಬ ಒಬ್ಬ ರಾಜನಿಂದ ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಆಧುನಿಕ ಹೆಸರು ಬಂದಿತೆನ್ನುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅದಿರಲಿ - ನಂತರ ಕೇಳಿಬರುವ ಹೆಸರು ಪೃಥ್ವೀರಾಜ ಚೌಹಾನನದು. ಪೃಥ್ವೀರಾಜ-ಸಂಯುಕ್ತರ ಪ್ರೇಮಕಥೆ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ತಿಳಿದಿರುವುದೇ. ಪೃಥ್ವೀರಾಜನ ದುರಂತ ಕೂಡ ತಿಳಿದದ್ದೇ. ಅವನ ನಂತರ ಹಿಂದೂ ರಾಜರು ದೆಹಲಿಯನ್ನು ಆಳಿದ್ದು ಕಡಿಮೆ ಎನ್ನಬಹುದು. ಪೃಥ್ವೀರಾಜ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಸೈನ್ಯವನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿ ಶಕ್ತಿವಂತನಾಗಿದ್ದರೂ ಅವನ ಅಸಡ್ಡೆಯೇ ಅವನ ಮೃತ್ಯುವಾಯಿತು. ರಾಜರು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿದ್ದ ದೆಹಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ರಾಜಸ ಗುಣವೇ ತಾಂಡವವಾಡಿದೆ.

ಭಾರತವನ್ನು ಆಕ್ರಮಿಸಬಂದ ಇಸ್ಲಾಂ ಮತೀಯರಾಗಲಿ ಇನ್ನೂ ಯಾರಾದರಾಗಲಿ - ಅವರಿಗೆ ದೆಹಲಿಯನ್ನು ವಶಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ಅತ್ಯವಶ್ಯಕವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಬಾಬರ - ಇಬ್ರಾಹಿಮ ಲೋದಿಯ ಕಾಳಗವಿರಬಹುದು - ಅಥವಾ ಅಕ್ಬರ-ಹೇಮೂಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ನಡೆದ ಎರಡನೇ ಪಾನಿಪತ್ತಿನ ಯುದ್ಧವಿರಬಹುದು. ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ದೆಹಲಿಯನ್ನು ಆಕ್ರಮಿಸಲೋಸುಗವೇ! ಮುಘಲರು ಆಕ್ರಮಿಸಿದ ನಂತರ ಅವರದ್ದೇ ನಗರವಾಗಿ ದೆಹಲಿ ಸುಮಾರು ಮುನ್ನೂರಕ್ಕೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ವರ್ಷ ಉಳಿಯಿತು. ನಂತರ ಬಹಾದುರ ಷಾ ನನ್ನು ಓಡಿಸಿದ ನಂತರ ಬ್ರಿಟೀಷರ ಆಳ್ವಿಕೆ. ಕಲ್ಕತ್ತಾವನ್ನು ತೊರೆದು ದೆಹಲಿಯನ್ನೇ ತಮ್ಮ ರಾಜಧಾನಿಯನ್ನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡರು. ಅದಾದ ಮೇಲೆ ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಉಳಿದಿದೆ. ಕೆಂಪು ಕೋಟೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ-ದಿನಾಚರಣೆಯಂದು ಅಂದಿನ ಪ್ರಧಾನ ಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳು ಭಾಷಣ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಹಲವು ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಧುರೀಣರ ಸಮಾಧಿಯನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದ ನಗರ ದೆಹಲಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಹಲವು ದೇಶಗಳ ರಾಯಭಾರಿಗಳ ಕಛೇರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದ ನಗರವೂ ದೆಹಲಿಯೇ!

ಹೀಗೆ ತಲತಲಾಂತರಗಳಿಂದ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಶಕ್ತಿಗೆ ದೆಹಲಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರವಾಗಿದೆ; ಪ್ರತೀಕವೂ ಆಗಿದೆ. ದೆಹಲಿಯನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿದವರು ದೇಶವನ್ನೇ ಹಿಡಿಯುವರು. ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಶಕ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಹಿಂಸೆಯ ಒಂದು ನಾಡಿ ಇದ್ದೇ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಶಕ್ತಿಯೇ ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಹಿಂಸಾಪ್ರವೃತ್ತಿಯ ಹಿಂದಿನ ಕಾರಣವಿರಬೇಕು.

ಅದಿರಲಿ. ಈಚೆಗೆ ಓದಿದ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ತಂತು. ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಮತ್ತದರ ಜನರ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಪಾತ್ರವಿದೆ. ಎಮರ್ಜೆನ್ಸಿಯ ಕಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ಸುಮಾರಾಗಿ ಬರುವ ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ವಿಶ್ವಕೋಶದ ಧಾಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಆ ಕಾಲದ ಜನಮನವನ್ನು ಸೆರೆಹಿಡಿಯುತ್ತದೆ. ಕಲೆ, ಪತ್ರಿಕೋದ್ಯಮ,ರಾಜಕೀಯ, ವಾಣಿಜ್ಯ, ಅಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮ, ವಿದ್ಯಾಭ್ಯಾಸ - ಇವೆಲ್ಲದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಇವುಗಳ ನಡುವಿನ ಸಂಬಂಧದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆಯನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದ ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ಇಲ್ಲಿನವರೆವಿಗೂ ಅತಿ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಕೃತಿಯೆಂದರೆ ತಂತು. ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಂತಿಯೆಂಬ ಒಂದು ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ಪಾತ್ರವಿದೆ. ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಮಹತ್ವಾಕಾಂಕ್ಷೆಯನ್ನೆಲ್ಲಾ ಆಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರು ಆವಾಹಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಕೆಲಸ ಕೈಗೂಡಬೇಕೆಂದರೆ ಏನು ಮಾಡುವುದಕ್ಕೂ ಹೇಸದ ಛಲ. ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರವಾದರೂ ಮಹತ್ವಾಕಾಂಕ್ಷೆಯ ಸೇವೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅದೇ ಸದಾಚಾರವೆಂಬ ಧೋರಣೆ. ಇವೆಲ್ಲದರ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಏನನ್ನೂ ಸಾಧಿಸಬಲ್ಲೆನೆಂಬ ಆತ್ಮವಿಶ್ವಾಸ. ಆದರೆ ಇದರ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಸೇರುವ ಪರರ ಭಾವನೆಗಳ ಬಗೆಗಿನ ಸಂವೇದನಾರಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಸೇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಂತಸ್ತೇ ಎಲ್ಲವೆಂಬ ಭ್ರಮೆ. ಇವೆಲ್ಲವೂ ಆ ಪಾತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದು ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರು ಬಹಳಷ್ಟು ದೆಹಲಿಗರನ್ನು ನೋಡಿಯೇ ಮಾಡಿದ ಪಾತ್ರವಿರಬೇಕು. ಮೂಲತಃ ಕನ್ನಡಿತಿಯದೇ ಆದ ಕಾಂತಿ ದೆಹಲಿಯಲ್ಲೇ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಬೆಳೆದದ್ದರಿಂದ ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಗುಣಗಳನ್ನೇ (ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಗುಣವೆಂದರೆ characteristic ಎಂದು ಮಾತ್ರ) ತನ್ನದಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾಳೆ. (ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕವನ್ನು ಓದದವರು ಒಂದು ಬಾರಿ ಓದಲೇ ಬೇಕೆಂದು ನನ್ನ ಸ್ನೇಹಪೂರ್ವಕ ಒತ್ತಾಯ. ನಿಮ್ಮ ಸಮಯ ವ್ಯರ್ಥವಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ಮಾತ್ರ ನಾನು ಭರವಸೆ ನೀಡಬಲ್ಲೆ.)

ನಾನು ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಸಂಪರ್ಕವನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದ ಜನರನ್ನು ಕಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ನಾನು ನೋಡಿದ ಜನರಲ್ಲಿ ಮೇಲೆ ಆ ಪಾತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳಿದ ಗುಣಗಳ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಎದ್ದು ಕಾಣುವ ಗುಣ ಎಂದರೆ ಒಡ್ಡತನ. ಈ ಒಡ್ಡತನ ಗ್ರಾಮ್ಯವಾದ ಒಡ್ಡತನವಲ್ಲ. ಔಟ್-ಲುಕ್ಕಿನ ಲೇಖನದಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆದಿರುವ ಹಾಗೆ - ಸೌಜನ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲದಿರುವಿಕೆ. ನೀವು ಒಂದು ಸರಣಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಂತು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಸರದಿಗಾಗಿ ಕಾಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಗ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ನುಗ್ಗಿ ತನ್ನ ಕೆಟ ನಡೆನುಡಿಗಳಿಂದ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮನಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ನೋವುಂಟುಮಾಡಿದರೂ ತನ್ನ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಅಸೌಜನ್ಯ. ಇದನ್ನು ನಾನು ಬೇರೆ ಬೇರೆ ಸ್ತರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ನಾನು ಕಂಡ ಹಾಗೆ ಅವರಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಅವ್ಯಕ್ತ ಅನುಕ್ತ ಸ್ವ-ಪ್ರಶಂಸೆಯ ಛಾಯೆ ಮೂಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ವೈಯಕ್ತಿಕವಾಗಿ ನಾನು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಹೇಳಲಾರೆ.

ಇದೇನು ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಯಾವ ನಗರದ ಬಗೆಗೂ ಇರದಷ್ಟು ವಿಚಾರವೆಂದು ಕೇಳಿದರೆ ನನ್ನ ಉತ್ತರ ಹೀಗಿದೆ. ದೆಹಲಿ ಈಗ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಹೇಗೆ ಮುಖ್ಯವೋ ನನಗೂ ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಮುಖ್ಯ. ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶದ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ರಾಜಧಾನಿಯದು. ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶದ ಚರಿತ್ರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾವಿರ ಸಾವಿರ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಇರುವ ಕೇಂದ್ರಬಿಂದು ದೆಹಲಿ. ಇಂಥ ನಗರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕುತೂಹಲಾಸಕ್ತಿಗಳು ಮೂಡದಿರಲು ಹೇಗೆ ಸಾಧ್ಯ? ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಯಾಗಿ ಮಾತ್ರ ನಾನು ಗಮನಿಸಿದ ಕೆಲವು ಅಂಶಗಳನ್ನು ಹೇಳಬಯಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ, ಅಷ್ಟೆ.

ನನ್ನ ಜಿಜ್ಞಾಸೆ ಮುಂದುವರೆದಿದೆ. ನಗರವೊಂದು ದೇಶದ ರಾಜಧಾನಿಯಾಗಬೇಕಾದರೆ ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಏನಾದರೂ ವಿಶೇಷಗುಣವಿರಬೇಕೆ? ಕೌಟಿಲ್ಯನು ಇದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಏನು ಹೇಳಿರುವನೋ ತಿಳಿಯದು. ದೆಹಲಿಯು ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶದ ರಾಜಧಾನಿಯಾಗಲು ಅರ್ಹವೇ ಎಂಬ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಯು ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೂಡಿದೆ. ಇದು ಒಂದು academic question. ಅಷ್ಟೆ. ತುಘಲಕ್ ಮಾಡಿದ ಹಾಗೆ ರಾಜಧಾನಿಯನ್ನು ಬದಲಿಸಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಹುಚ್ಚುಬುದ್ಧಿ ನನಗಿಲ್ಲ. ಇದ್ದರೂ ನನ್ನ ಮಾತು ಕೇಳುವವರು ಯಾರು ?

ಇನ್ನೂ ಒಂದು ವಿಚಾರಾರ್ಹ ವಿಷಯ- ಇಂಥ ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ನೇತಾರರು ನುಗ್ಗಿದಾಗ ಇವರ ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ ಏನಾದರೂ ಬುದ್ಧಿಭೇದವುಂಟಾಗುತ್ತದೆಯೇ? ಇದರಿಂದ ಅವರು ಮನಃಸ್ವಾಸ್ಥ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡು ದೇಶವನ್ನು ಆಳಲು ಅಸಮರ್ಥರಾಗುವರೇ? ಅಥವಾ ರಾಜಕೀಯಪುರುಷರಿಂದ ದೆಹಲಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ದೆಹಲಿಗರಿಗೆ ಈ ಗುಣ ಬಂದಿತೇ?

Does no one remember the Hindu contribution to Mathematics?

Does no one remember the Hindu contribution to Mathematics?

A well written article on things that should be obvious - but what can you do when a thousand idiots shout in your face that Hindus contributed nothing to science and technology?

To the question in the article, which is also its title, I say I remember and that too with not too much pride. Not too much pride because I know (as a Hindu) that Hindus were and are capable of this and much more. But only pride in things that happened thousands of years ago is not sufficient. Any group of people should have roots and wings (as a kindergarten school I saw recently aptly named) - roots to understand where they have come from and to establish their identity and wings to fly into the sky of unlimited opportunity that the future provides.

Or, as DVG so wonderfully says -
hosa chiguru haLe bEru kUDiralu mara sobagu |
hosayukti haLetattvadoDagUDe dharma ||
RushivAkyadoDane vijnAna mELavise |
jasavu janajIvanake - mankutimma ||

Just as a tree appears beautiful with new foliage and old roots, dharma (it is not possible to translate this word properly) too shines when it is endowed with eternal principles and new applications. Mankind benefits immensely when the wisdom of the sages combines with the innovations of science and technology.

The above is my pathetic attempt to convey the gist of the poem - but it is a quartet full of meaning and very relevant to the present for any group of people - be it Hindu, Muslim or Christian. This is what I want to see in any group, especially the Hindus, being one myself.

Articles such as the one linked are important as they serve to remind often that there were contributions from Hindus to mathematics. But just reminding ourselves of the things that were done by people in the past leads to a short-lived warm and fuzzy romantic feeling and not much else. We have to live in the present. The past is meant to assure us and to caution us - but that should be the only use of the past, though this is easier said than done.

UPA government's dangerous move to communalise the Armed Forces

The Acorn >> It's vital to keep religion out of it

This is one piece of news I had been wanting to write about. The Acorn has written about it so eloquently and well that I just need to link to that article.

Read it to see how the UPA government is bent upon making India backward.

Wired 14.02: The New Boom

Wired 14.02: The New Boom

Is this really the case? It wasn't the case in 2004. Wow ! The boom and that atmosphere, once again? It looks too good to be true.

A history of sorts ? (via outlookindia.com)

Just wanted to highlight the plight of Hindus in Pakistan. Krishan Bheel is a really bold man. Just think of it - a Hindu MP slapping a Muslim MP - an influential one and a Maulvi to boot - and that too in Pakistan !

You can read more here.

Princeton - Weekly Bulletin 12/08/03 - Bhargava strikes balance among many interests

This is an old article - a couple of years old.This is one of those rare occasions where I have come across a really well-rounded personality. Manjul Bhargava is not just one of the youngest full professors of Mathematics around, (at all of 28 years old and that too at Princeton!) - but he seems to be a great teacher and a very good tabla player too. How many people around us have so many interests? And how many are really good in their multiple fields?

I came across his name in a mailing list to which I subscribe. What really caught my eye was that Manjul seems to know Samskrit - he apparently studied Samskrit at the Rajasthan Samskrit Vidyapeeth. He had studied Aryabhata when he was 22 (I guess he is 30 now).

I really felt proud on reading about a person who is so well balanced and adept at multiple fields. I felt even more pride on knowing that Manjul was of Indian descent and was quite proud of his culture and traditions. Contrast this with many other people of Indian origin in India and abroad who take every chance to put down the culture they were born in!

Look here for a good article on Manjul.

Look here for an audio interview with Manjul on NPR.

Look here for a more recent article.

May Manjul give a long lasting contribution to mankind and may he be allowed to work in an unhindered environment that will enable him to do so!

History's Worst Software Bugs and the Software engineer's code of ethics

Look at this informative and well written article here

I've always liked Wired for such articles and got to this one via news.com. Though I used to feel that programming could not be considered "real" engineering (early in my career), that distinction is blurred in applications such as the ones listed in the above link. That necessitated the ACM and the IEEE Computer Society to come up with a software engineering code of ethics which you can read here.

Because errors in programming were not causing large scale mishaps, buggy code was (and still is) mostly tolerated as a nuisance. But this article makes you rethink that notion. The code of ethics is a welcome step in that area, though I don't see that being followed religiously. (Do doctors follow the Hippocratic oath?). Yet, this code of ethics, done in 1999, is a welcome step in that area that exhorts software engineers to give their profession due importance not from just a monetary point of view but also as a responsibility they have towards their organizations and to society at large.

Is there any company/organization that kind of mandates its employees to follow the software engineering code of ethics?

Marshall's Hunch by Terence Monmaney in the New Yorker

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/content/articles/051010fr_archive03

What a great piece of writing!

I read a couple of days ago about the Nobel prize to two Australian scientists for proving that peptic ulcers are caused by a bacterium (Helicobacter). I wanted to find out more about this research when I chanced upon this article in the New Yorker.

This is an article that mixes science with its human aspect beautifully and written very well too. If Terence Monmaney writes a book, watch out for it! It should be an engrossing read!

A very illuminating read

Why do such things happen?

HoustonChronicle.com - Hindu killed while meditating in park honored

Akhil Chopra was killed when he was apparently meditating in a Houston park. His boss at work said that Akhil Chopra was quite deep in meditation; so deep as to not even hear a robber. The robber shot him at point blank range.

I really find it difficult to understand how someone could shoot an innocent person and that too when he was meditating peacefully. What sort of a crazed person could this be?

But the deed has been done. I don't know if the perpetrator of the crime has any remorse or not. But I feel a deep sense of sorrow at this incident, though I don't know Akhil Chopra.

What has humankind come to? On one hand we have senseless violence like this whereas you have such spontaneous outpouring of concern from the other end. But even one act like this tarnishes the entire society as society is partly, if not wholly, responsible for the creation of such criminals.

All I can do is to pray for the peace of the departed soul. But questions remain. Why did this happen? What sort of a person could have done this? How can we prevent such things?

History has known tyrants and sadists of an even worse nature. One example I read about in an Amar Chitra Katha book is that of the Huna tyrant Mihirakula. When his army was navigating a mountain pass, an elephant accidentally slipped and plunged to its death. This man, instead of expressing concern, was intoxicated. He then began pushing more elephants so that he could have his 'high'. What kind of a man could that be? There have been many tyrants throughout history in Attila, Genghiz Khan, Idi Amin, Hitler, Stalin and even in Mahmud Ghazni, Ghauri and so on.

An article I read on redherring.com talks about recent research that people are not happy just because of their material possessions but are so because of their relative affluence over other people they know. If this is true, isn't this a sad commentary on human condition? If their happiness can be made "higher" by making someone less happier, people end up doing that. Is that not the seed of sadism?

Humans endowed with their so-called intellects need more avenues to feel happy and engaged. Their intellects give them new ways too. Drugs are one way. Torturing fellow beings is another. But animals indulge in violence only when they need food or are defending themselves. Aren't animals better than such humans? So isn't calling a particularly cruel man an animal wrong?

The perpetrator could probably be just a stupid teenager, getting his highs on video games or from violent movies. In video games one can kill and die without any real side-effects. In America, it is pretty easy to get a gun (at least much easier than in India). So a gun-toting teenager is walking in a Houston park. He sees this poor guy meditating; he decides in an impulse to show his power (to himself or to his accompanying friend) over Akhil Chopra by killing him with his gun. He presses the trigger a couple of times and the act is done. A video game or a movie could have caused the mind of the perpetrator to be so numb to reality that Akhil Chopra's death might not even have registered in his mind. He probably got a small "high" from this. All this for a small "high"? Akhil's family devastated because of one man's high?

Violent movies and video games are partly to blame. They are only partly to blame because they wouldn't have been made if there was no demand. But crime has existed even before movies and video games. Did not these tyrants exist before these technical advancements? As I think and write through this, I am more and more reminded of the analysis that I read in Freakonomics. The factors that make a person are first and foremost genetic. Upbringing is secondary. But then there are the unknowns. In Freakonomics especially, we see a teen gang member becoming a professor, whereas someone from a "better" family turned out to be the Unabomber! It becomes an increasingly difficult problem to solve intellectually. It looks like we can seek refuge only in Karma and adRShTa for an explanation.

Akhil's episode reminds me of Lord Krishna's departure. When Krishna was meditating in a forest, a hunter shoots an arrow at Krishna's foot taking it to be the mouth of a deer. Krishna died a slow death from the wound, but not before consoling the hunter. While the whole episode is immensely saddening, Akhil's departure from the world shows how great a soul he must be (not must have been because the soul is immortal).

May Almighty grant peace to the departed soul!

The Big Gulp from Wired

Wired 13.08: The Big Gulp

"Water, water everywhere
Nor any drop to drink"

rues the Ancient Mariner. If he had this system, he probably wouldn't have that much of a problem. This system was tested on water from an open ditch in Jakarta and it produced water deemed drinkable by the Environmental Protection Agency. NASA is thinking of using this in their missions as this will eliminate a lot of the water carrying problem. I wonder how this system will cope with Bangalore's notorious VrishabhAvati !

Anyway, one thing that was not mentioned by Water Security, the company that makes this system, is how much the system costs. The cost of clean water is apparently 3c per gallon but what about the chemicals used in it ? Does their manufacturing involve toxic chemicals/byproducts? That should have also been commented on by the piece's author.

Nevertheless, this looks like it will be a boon to parts of the world where an acute shortage of drinking water persists whether it rains or not!

Looking at the growth in population and the depletion of water resources to such an extent, it seems to me that the next big conflict will be for water. Right now it is just about oil. But fifty years from now, with the population at an unprecedented level, there is bound to be competition for water. A big problem in addition to the increase in population is a corresponding decrease in the groundwater levels - which is really alarming.

In Bangalore, especially, I personally know that we could hit water at 100ft from the surface less than 10 years ago. Now I've seen people dig close to 1000 ft unsuccessfully. Digging to that extent is definitely illegal - but who seems to care? A person owning a plot of land needs water and can't depend on the city water company. What does he do ? He drills into the earth. This greed across all sections of society has depleted the water levels.

Even in villages, farmers now grow cash crops that are not all natural to the climate. So what do they do ? They dig borewells and pump out water like it is nobody's business. And when the wells go dry, well - what else? How do you blend human need with concern for the environment?

Rainwater harvesting is a great solution to this problem. To its credit, the Karnataka government is making it mandatory for all the new houses to have a rainwater harvesting scheme in place. Villages also get this with assistance from the government. But people should feel that this problem is theirs. Only then can a real solution be implemented.

Research on systems such as the one from Water Security should be carried on across the world's labs. For nothing is more necessary for our existence than air and water.

Tagore in America - Sepia Mutiny

Tagore in America - Sepia Mutiny

This is a very interesting article to say the least. I kind of knew that Tagore had visited the US but I did not know that it had been so well documented.

The writer of this piece Amardeep Singh has done a great job in making a nice readable synopsis of a book.

On another note, I've been checking Indian blogs out now and after reading them I have to echo Saint Tyagaraja's words - "endarO mahAnubhAvulu, andariki nA vandanamulu"

Flying in India - Shivkar Talpade?

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/dec16/snt2.asp

This is a very interesting article which speaks of Shivkar Talpade pioneering flight a full 8 years before the Wright brothers did (in 1895). Apparently Shivkar's research was based on Samskrit treatises on vaimAnikashAstra. It would be great if this had been true. I would believe it completely had Stephen Knapp's name not been mentioned.

Stephen Knapp has a web site that is pro-Hindu. But it also claims that Taj Mahal was a Shiva temple with pretty poor proof. Any pattern is dubbed 'vedic'. That is another thing I hate nowadays. People are bringing the Veda to everyday life to the extent that soon we'll have vedic tea, vedic coffee and vedic TV. Why the urge to prefix everything under the sun with vedic?

The veda is supreme for me even if it does not talk about quarks or the distance from the earth to the sun or the string theory. It is like a mother to me even if it calls the sun rising and setting. Because the physical realm is not where the veda rules but in the spiritual. What else can declare in words that words and mind cannot reach it ? "yato vAcho nivartante aprApya manasA saha". That, is the realm of the veda and not something like vedic nuclear science or vedic toothpaste. Study of the veda traditionally and with a shraddhA-strengthened intellect should let us into the secrets of the veda.

What can you say to those who think that the puruSha sUkta has coded the distance between the earth and the sun?

Geopolitics and Sanskrit Phobia by Rajiv Malhotra on Sulekha

Geopolitics and Sanskrit Phobia by Rajiv Malhotra on Sulekha

A very interesting read (a trifle long). One part I would like to quote is this -

There are pragmatic reasons behind the intensifying clash of civilizations, and ideology may often be a weapon rather than the underlying cause: Only one billion out of the six billion people in the world today live at Western levels of consumption, but by mid century most of the ten billion people (projected population level by mid century) will mimic Western consumerist lifestyles, and this will further pressure the environment, resources, capital and labor markets.

Looking at this piece, I thought for a moment that Malhotra was exhorting the world to cast away Western consumerist lifestyles. IMO, western consumerist lifestyles have proved to be very harmful to the environment. Untrammeled greed and the desire to make oneself more and more comfortable regardless of what it may cost the world are characteristics of this malady. This leads to trends such as the protracted use of fossil fuels that harm the atmosphere, uncontrolled mining, denuding tropical forests (especially in the Third world), and other such acts. Even if environmental concern is reflected, it is limited more often than not to their own homelands without even considering that their lifestyle is causing a strain on natural resources elsewhere in the world.

The end consumer may not even be educated enough to recognize that he/she is in fact the perpetrator of such an environmental tragedy.

But in the next paragraph itself - Malhotra enters geopolitics again. But of course - this article speaks of Geopolitics even before Samskrit.

BTW, the Adi Hastings that this article mentions had visited Samskrita Bharati, an organization solely dedicated to the spread of spoken Samskrit. He was treated so well by the people there, I heard and yet, he chose to continue to see the activities of Samskrita Bharati via a communalistic lens. People in Samskrita Bharati felt very bad when their hospitality was repaid with a hostile (and incorrect, I may add) thesis.

I've been thinking on similar lines on how much a language influences our thinking. Samskrit and Samskriti are indeed inseparable.

On an entirely different note (slightly related to language and the culture it reflects), I see people in India ending their emails with "Warm regards". In India, especially in South India, it is warm throughout the year. It is considered hospitality when people are served cool (even cold) beverages on hot days. How would "warm regards" work on a very hot day?

In Indian literature, shItala or coolness is what is much desired because of the prevalent climatic conditions. Likewise, in the West, warm feelings are the norm. The "warm regards" phenomenon is what happens when a language such as English gains international currency. It probably sounds OK to most people but just think of it -- don't warm regards on a hot day make the situation more uncomfortable? Yes, yes, I realize that "warm" is about the feelings and all that ... but that's what I am saying. Because of the English language, "warm" has changed its meaning to "cordial" .

To be sure, I use "best" regards whenever I can - but I may have slipped on an occasion or two. But is that really a slip or am I using the language like it should be?