Behind the Gujjar-Meena fracas

The 1857 uprising, though for a short time, unnerved the British. After the event, to ensure that this never occurred again, Britons began commencing a series of real politick measures. The Bengal army which had shown alarming camaraderie during the mutiny was disbanded. Calumny against the Brahmins, for having presented the ideological leaven for the revolt along with constituting an all India framework for the movement, was doubled. The unity of Hindus and Muslims, which was unmistakably extraordinary during the revolt, was a major budding threat for the empire in India and provision were made to dissuade it.

‘Divide et Impera was the old Roman motto,’ wrote Lord Elphinstone, then Governor of Bombay ‘and it should be ours.’ Sir John Strachey was of no dissimilar view. ‘The existence, side by side, of hostile creeds among the Indian people, is one of the strong points in our political position in India.’ he stated.

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.

Never give up… come what may!

By U. Mahesh Prabhu

When I was young, that point in time when I didn’t even understood ‘L’ of Life, I was conveyed by many of my friends, relatives and members of my family that I was ‘good for nothing’. ‘I don’t know what you would be in life Mahesh.’ was what they said to me repeatedly. That did, of course, cause resentment and unrest in my consciousness. I knew I wasn’t made for being nothing. But, what was I supposed to be? I never knew. I was befuddled, in totality.

If at a given point of time I decided I wanted to be an Engineer, bit later I would prefer to be a doctor, later solider and then even a spy, perhaps. But you can’t be all at a time. Or can you? Certainly not! But that fire in me, which was completely untamed, was smoldering my mind and spirit.

‘To be anything in life, you need to have a good brains’ I was definite. More bizarre as it was many hypnotized me that ‘good brains show up in good marks’ and hence ‘no good marks would simply mean lack of intellect’ that which leads to ‘doom’.

Is the decline of fourth-estate here and happening?

Distinguished Editor and Author of our times M J Akbar is removed from the Editorship of ‘The Asian Age’ and ‘Deccan Chronicle’.

First it was the abrupt removal of M V Kamath from the Chairman of Prasar Bharati and now its turn of M J Akbar. MJ who has been for the past 15 years been identified among the most admired journalist-editor has been booted out from the Editorship of ‘The Asian Age’ and ‘Deccan Chronicle’. As per some confirmed sources UPA Chairperson Ms. Sonia Gandhi is said to be behind the scenes.

Two of the India’s legendary journalists cum editors are being humiliated, though indirectly, by the Congress led UPA government and yet our own journalist friends don’t seem to be interested in reporting this to the public. ‘That’s not news’ is what they said to me when I informed and sought their support towards taking up the matter on their respective mediums. Well, what then is news? I need someone to help me understand.