Seed of hatred begets nothing but destruction

Hate looks like a paltry four letter word. To say ‘I hate…’ may seem natural. ‘It’s common’ many may say, and agree. It is also a ‘natural human tendency’ that which is imbibed in a person ‘since birth’. But once born hate often dies hard.

Leaders are the men who lead the masses. Leaders are required, for without them we have little motivation for growth. If leaders are wise, they transform the society for good and forever, when imprudent he instigates a culture of hatred. That hatred, like wild fire, burns the minds of people and instigates violence to be faced and suffered by not just one but generations after generations.

When Pakistan was born it was simply based on abhorrence towards the Hindus. When Zimbabwe marched in its path to freedom it carried along hatred against the white skinned people. Almost all of the middle-eastern nations were brought to existence out of the hatred for the other races and religions. There is a saying in various Indian (or Hindu) texts, which reads ‘If hatred is thy reason, it shall bring nothing but destruction.’ Great Indian Sages starting from Vedic seers like Jaimini and Veda Vyas until the great exponent of Advaita Adi Shankaracharya until Sufi saints like Kabir have all been great propagators of ‘Love’, for they knew that ‘Hate’ will bring nothing but obliteration. The chaotic state of Pakistan, financial and social misery of Zimbabwe, suffering of people living in Middle Eastern nations, I strongly believe, is a testimony to that truism of our sages.

Threat that can be severe than Terrorism

By U. Mahesh Prabhu

Do you think Islamic terrorism is the worst thing ever to be faced by mankind? If ‘Yes’ is your answer, perhaps you shall change your view point, and completely, after reading this.

Egypt’s authoritarian regime is currently facing a mounting political threat. Other countries in similar state are: Cote D’Ivoire, Cameroon, Mozambique, Uzbekistan, Yemen and Indonesia. If not riots they are forced to face increase in public demonstration. Recently Jacques Edonard Alexis, Prime Minister of Republic of Haiti, a Caribbean nation, was kicked out of office foreseeing the hospitals filled with wounded following the riots. These riots, interestingly, are neither for the sake of religion nor for unswerving political rationale. It is all happening for the sake of food!

Globally food prices have risen nearly 40% since mid-2007. And the nations who import nearly all of its food are facing their worst crisis ever. The prices of wheat have jumped by over 120% which means the price of a loaf of bread has more than doubled in places where poor spend as much as 75% of their income just on food. It is needless to say that if such rise in prices go on, then its consequence on population in a large set of countries will be terrible.

Zimbabwe: A dreadful saga of inflation

In Zimbabwe every person is a millionaire. He has a capacity to spend millions of Zimbabwean Dollars (ZD) every month. It is true, have no doubts. Actually he does spend millions of dollars. It’s fact, not fiction.

However, it is also true that knowing this very truth revered economists deny calling it a prosperous nation. Not out of psychosis, but of sanity. A mere sausage sandwich here costs 30 million ZD. That’s true, thirty million! That apart a 30 pound bag of potatoes, which would cost 90 million in the first week of March, is now estimated to be costing over 160 million ZD. Why? That’s because of inflation, which in case of this African nation has surpassed over 1,000 %.

Before I dive a bit deep into the subject here’s a brief definition of inflation, for those who have never heard of this economic terminology: ‘Inflation is a measure of rise in price level of goods and services, measured up by taking set of goods and services and then prices of the items in the set are compared to prices one period ago.’

In 1979, when Mugabe’s nationalist rebels overthrew the white dominated government of Rhodesia, and changed the name of the country to Zimbabwe, it was among the most prosperous of the African Nations then. All the farms which once would have enough and more of food grains and thus export to earn a foreign exchange now lay barren – virtually. Needless to say that agricultural productivity is at all time low. This year the country’s shortfall in maize is 360,000 tones, and its short fall in wheat is 255,000 tones.