Indian Writing in English

Indian English literature is an endeavour of showcasing the rare charms of Native writing in English. From being an inquisitive national explosion, Indian English has become a new form of Indian culture, and voice in which India speaks. While Indian authors have been making momentous contributions to world literature since the pre-Independence era, the past few years have seen a massive boom of Indian English writing in the international market. Not only are the works of Indian authors writing in English soaring on the best-seller list, they are also receiving a great deal of critical acclaim. Starting from Mulk Raj Anand, Vikram Chandra, Anita Desai, Kiran Desai, Arundhati Roy, Gita Mehta, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Raj Kamal Jha, Jhumpa Lahiri, Bharti Kirchner, Khushwant Singh, Vijay Singh, Tarun Tejpal, Amit Chaudhuri, Amitav Ghosh, Vikas Swarup, Rohinton Mistry, Suketu Mehta, Kiran Nagarkar, Dr Birbal Jha and C R Krishnan.… the parade of fine Indian writers is long and lengthening. 

R.K. Narayan is a writer who contributed over many decades and who continued to write till his death recently. He was discovered by Graham Greene in the sense that the latter helped him find a publisher in England. Graham Greene and Narayan remained close friends till the end. Similar to Thomas Hardy’s Wessex, Narayan created the fictitious town of Malgudi where he set his novels. Some criticise Narayan for the parochial, detached and closed world that he created in the face of the changing conditions in India at the times in which the stories are set. Others, such as Graham Greene, however, feel that through Malgudi they could vividly understand the Indian experience. Narayan’s evocation of small town life and its experiences through the eyes of the endearing child protagonist Swaminathan in Swami and Friends is a good sample of his writing style. Simultaneous with Narayan’s pastoral idylls, a very different writer, Mulk Raj Anand, was similarly gaining recognition for his writing set in rural India; but his stories were harsher, and engaged, sometimes brutally, with divisions of caste, class and religion.

Certainly, Indo-Nostalgic writings have much overlap with post-colonial literature but are generally not about ‘heavy’ topics such as cultural identity, conflicted identities, multilingualism or rootlessness. The writings are often less self-conscious and more light-hearted, perhaps dealing with impressionistic memories of places, people, cuisines, Only-in-India situations, or simply vignettes of “the way things were”. Of late, a few Indo-nostalgic writers are beginning to show signs of “long-distance nationalism”, concomitant with the rise of nationalism within India against the backdrop of a booming economy.

One of the key issues raised in this context is the superiority/inferiority of INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH as opposed to the literary production in the various languages of India. Key polar concepts bandied in this context are superficial/authentic, imitative/creative, shallow/deep, critical/uncritical, elitist/parochial and so on. 

Rushdie’s statement in his book – “the ironic proposition that India’s best writing since independence may have been done in the language of the departed imperialists is simply too much for some folks to bear” – created a lot of resentment among many writers, including writers in English. In his book, Amit Chaudhuri questions – “Can it be true that Indian writing, that endlessly rich, complex and problematic entity, is to be represented by a handful of writers who write in English, who live in England or America and whom one might have met at a party?”

Chaudhuri feels that after Rushdie, INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH started employing magical realism, bagginess, non-linear narrative and hybrid language to sustain themes seen as microcosms of India and supposedly reflecting Indian conditions. He contrasts this with the works of earlier writers such as Narayan where the use of English is pure, but the deciphering of meaning needs cultural familiarity. He also feels that Indianness is a theme constructed only in INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH and does not articulate itself in the vernacular literatures. He further adds “the post-colonial novel, becomes a trope for an ideal hybridity by which the West celebrates not so much Indianness, whatever that infinitely complex thing is, but its own historical quest, its reinterpretation of itself”.

To be continued......

SWINE FLU

SYMPTOMS

• fever, which is usually high, but unlike seasonal flu, is sometimes absent
• cough
• runny nose or stuffy nose
• sore throat
• body aches
• headache
• chills
• fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme
• diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes, but more commonly seen than with seasonal flu.

Signs of a more serious swine flu infection might include pneumonia and respiratory failure

GOVERNMENT AUTHORIZED HOSPITALS FOR TREATMENT OF SWINE FLU

City	Hospital	Address	Contact
Chennai	King Institute of Preventive Medicine (24/7 Service)	Guindy, Chennai – 32	(044) 22501520, 22501521 & 22501522
	Communicable Diseases Hospital	Thondiarpet, Chennai	(044) 25912686/87/88, 9444459543
	Government General Hospital	Opp. Central Railway Station, Chennai – 03	(044) 25305000, 25305723, 25305721, 25330300
Pune	Naidu Hospital	Nr Le’Meridian, Raja Bahadur Mill, GPO, Pune – 01	(020) 26058243
	National Institute of Virology	20A Ambedkar Road , Pune – 11	(020) 26006290
Kolkata	ID Hospital	57,Beliaghata, Beliaghata Road , Kolkata – 10‎	(033) 23701252
Coimbatore	Government General Hospital	Near Railway Station, Trichy Road, Coimbatore – 18	(0422) 2301393, 2301394, 2301395, 2301396
Hyderabad	Govt. General and Chest Diseases Hospital ,	Erragadda, Hyderabad	(040) 23814939
Mumbai	Kasturba Gandhi Hospital	Arthur Road, N M Joshi Marg, Jacob Circle , Mumbai – 11	(022) 23083901, 23092458, 23004512
	Sir J J Hospital	J J Marg, Byculla, Mumbai - 08	(022) 23735555, 23739031, 23760943, 23768400 / 23731144 / 5555 / 23701393 / 1366
	Haffkine Institute	Acharya Donde Marg, Parel, Mumbai – 12	(022) 24160947, 24160961, 24160962
Kochi	Government Medical College	Gandhi Nagar P O, Kottayam – 08	(0481) 2597311,2597312
	Government Medical College	Vandanam P O, Allapuzha – 05	(0477) 2282015
	Taluk Hospital	Railway Station Road , Alwaye, Ernakulam	(0484) 2624040  Sathyajit – 09847840051
	Taluk Hospital	Perumbavoor PO , Ernakulam 542	(0484) 2523138  Vipin – 09447305200
Gurgaon & Delhi	All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)	Ansari Nagar, Aurobindo Marg Ring Road , New Delhi – 29	(011) 26594404, 26861698 Prof. R C Deka – 9868397464
	National Institute for Communicable Diseases	22, Sham Nath Marg, New Delhi – 54	(011) 23971272/060/344/524/449/326
	Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital	Kharak Singh Marg, New Delhi – 01	(011) 23741640, 23741649, 23741639 Dr. N K Chaturvedi – 9811101704
	Vallabhai Patel Chest Institute	University Enclave, New Delhi- 07	(011) 27667102, 27667441, 27667667, 27666182
Bangalore	Victoria Hospital	K R Market, Kalasipalayam, Bangalore – 02	(080) 26703294  Dr. Gangadhar – 94480-49863
	SDS Tuberculosis & Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases	Hosur Road, Hombegowda Nagar, Bangalore – 29	(080) 26631923  Dr. Shivaraj – 99801-48780

Race and Gender in Othello

            Shakespeare’s Othello supports many critical readings, however the most obvious of the readings displayed through Othello are the Feminist reading and the Race reading. Through the Feminist readings, the audience/readers can be informed of the inequality between the sexes; oppressed women and dominant males; in the seventeenth century Venetian era. When viewing Othello in a feminist’s perspective, the audience can also observe the treatments of the three main female characters in the play; Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca.
          Although the oppressive treatment of women may be generally accepted in a seventeenth century Venetian society, but modern day feminists believe in the equality between women and men, thus the seventeenth century Venetian society would appear extraordinarily flawed.
         Through a race reading, the audience/readers can witness the discrimination that a character (in this case, Othello) receives due to his non-aristotlean background. In the modern day context,
           In both readings, the setting can be viewed as flawed. Feminists would agree that the victims of prejudice in the society are women whilst race critics would agree that the victim of the play is Othello.
            A race reading would establish Iago, Roderigo and Barbantio as the major racists of the play. It would also establish the Venetian society as one of power loving and prejudice.
For the first few scenes, Othello’s position was clearly that of an outsider. Iago, Roderigo and Barbantio excluded him through their mentioning of him as “the Moor”, “his Moorship”. Via this, the audience can unmistakably observe their racism towards Othello as they notify clearly his background of non-aristocracy.
           When Iago and Roderigo informs Barbantio of Desdemona’s marriage with Othello, Iago constantly refers to Othello in terms of animals; “an old black ram is tupping your white ewe” (1.1.97) and “your daughter covered with a Barbary horse”(1.1.125); this undoubtedly illustrate their regard towards Othello as they obviously cannot see the “man” inside Othello, but rather regarded Othello as a “talking animal”.
             Barbantio’s is more subtle when prejudicing Othello, the cause of this may be of his higher social class than that of the other two. However, Barbantio is nevertheless still frank with his opinion as he accuses Othello of using witchcraft and black magic in wooing of his daughter. Through this accusation, the readers can clearly define the meaning of this as witchcraft and black magic is often in association with people of African background (such as voodoo). Furthermore, Barbantio expresses his racism through comments such as “to the sooty bosom”, “of a thing as thou”. Barbantio’s comment to Roderigo after his realization of “O, would you had had her!” shows Barbantio’s sudden attitude change towards Roderigo even though he had rejected RoderigoТs offer in marriage multi-times previously.
The majority of the racial prejudices are presented in the first three acts of the play, but by the end of the novel, Emilia also makes a racist remark when she discovers that Othello had killed Desdemona; “O the more angel is she/ and you the blacker devil”; shows that Emilia may also have been racist. Emilia’s racism may not have been displayed previously may be because of her less important social position and because of her love for Desdemona.
The personality and strong character of the female archetypes on Othello can be seen through the Feminist point of view. The three main female characters; Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca; are all affected and oppressed by society in different ways. Desdemona; the faithful wife; and her servant, Emilia are suppressed by the society’s male domination, and its views that women should be owned by men as if they are property. Bianca, on the other hand, has more freedom than of an average woman due to her role as a courtesan. However, she, also is suppressed by the society due to her work as a courtesan. Thus her lower status in society is paid for by her freedom.
              The men of Othello are dubious individuals. This can be seen through the main character, Othello, himself. Via Othello, the audience/readers can witness a strong sense of irony, which is displayed through his speeches. In the beginning of the play, Othello claims that he believes in his love for Desdemona and her love for him; “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee” – “My life upon her faith!” (1.3.292-294) however, later in the play, he contradicts himself by believing in Iago who, in fact, is the villain of the play. “Damn her, lewd minx! O damn her, damn her!”
               The men within Othello regard women as sexual possessions instead of individuals. As Iago and Cassio talk of Bianca, Othello talks of Bianca;s reputed sexual nature for that of Desdemona: “She gives it out that you shall marry her” I marry her! What? A customer!” This is the monkey’s own giving out (4,1,115-127). Thus here shows Othello’s view point upon Desdemona’s whorish sexuality.
                In conclusion, each reading of Othello establishes certain values to which assists with the understanding and enjoyment of the play. Through the Race reading; Shakespeare takes advantage of Othello’s background into emphasizing the social boundary of race that many are intolerable to. Through the Feminist reading, the readers are shown the oppressive women in the seventeenth century Venetian society and this can be contrasted with the modern day society where feminists strongly believes in the equality of the genders. These readings gives the readers an understanding through different levels, thus possibly making the play more enjoyable.

Dr. Vishwanath Bite

Interesting Fatcs About India

Interesting Fatcs About India

1. India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history.
2. The name ‘India’ is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
3. Chess was invented in India.
4. Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.
5. The ‘Place Value System’ and the ‘Decimal System’ were developed in India in 100 B.C.
6. India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.
7. India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
8. The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
9. The world’s first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
10. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
11. India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India’s wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
12. Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.
13. The value of “pi” was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.
14. Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world (Source : Gemological Institute of America).
15. India exports software to 90 countries.
16. The four religions born in India – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world’s population.
17. Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
18. Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.

English Unlimited

While reading through the blogs a few days ago, I came across a post that commented on what English produces.  I remember reading in Klages’ Literary Theory: A Guide for the Perplexed that English produces knowledgeable people, and at the time I was okay with that.  But the more I thought about it, the less okay I felt with this statement.  Engineers, while trained to build bridges, have to learn math, which is knowledge.  Scientists, while trained to discover how natural phenomena work, have to learn scientific theory, which is knowledge.  Philosophers, while trained to ponder existence and our purpose, have to learn about the philosophic thought that came before, which is knowledge.  How then does English get away with saying that our product is knowledge?

Klages herself partially answers that.  She says that Literary Theory helps to examine how our world works.  But wait, don’t other disciplines do that?  Doesn’t psychology and sociology try to describe everyday human life in a scientific way?  Yes, English examines literature, but couldn’t I just apply psychological theory to the literature?  And don’t we already do so, seeing how there is a chapter in Klages’ book devoted to psychoanalysis?

There is obviously more to English than this, or we would just be an offshoot of another discipline.  The more I thought about it, the more English reminds me of anthropology.  But unlike anthropology, we are devoted solely to the written work produced by people throughout time.  We are like historians, but we are looking at more than just the stories of people; we examine the way those stories are written, and we are always interpreting what is on the page.

The more I think about it, the more English seems like the unifying discipline among the humanities.  There is a little bit of everything in us, and we still manage to stand apart from the rest.  While I’m still not entirely clear whether there is a product, I know English produces a unique cultural record that no other discipline has.  And isn’t that good enough?

What is IPL?

The IPL is now being played at the political arena! The murky financial dealings and its links point not to just IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi and his family but also to many political bigwigs and their relatives. As the IPL row gets bigger and bigger every day it is turning out to be a huge cause of embarrassment for the Prime Minister and a possible trump card for the opposition parties! The PM might have won the first round in the IPL row investigation by asking Shashi Tharoor to step down in the wake of his alleged mentor role in the Kochi IPL team but the issue is far from over! Now with more ministers and franchisees owned by business houses and film stars coming under the scrutiny by the IT department and more by the media the integrity of the Manmohan Singh-led government is being questioned! Will the government act tough and set its house in order? Will the government clean up the BCCI/IPL? Or will it buckle under pressure from its own quarters and sweep everything under the carpet to protect its political image and survival? And there’s more than one reason to find out which way the investigation is headed!

Reason 1: Today there were reports in the newspapers that the Prime Minister has asked the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the Home Minister P. Chidambaram to investigate the IPL row. Well, the PM had little option after he rejected the demand of the opposition for a joint parliamentary committee on the IPL row! This reported decision for an ‘in-party’ investigation into the IPL row will obviously enjoy the support of his own party and from his allies but could cast doubts on the integrity and the outcome of the investigation!

No doubt that Mr. Singh has upheld his clean image and public accountability after he asked Shashi Tharoor to step down after the opposition held him responsible for his alleged role in the Kochi IPL team and his pushing for a sweat equity for his friend Sunanda Pushkar. But unfortunately things didn’t end there! The IPL muck appears to run deep in to the political and sports system in this country. Now Sharad Pawar, the Union Agriculture Minister is alleged to have stakes through the 30% sweat equity for Sudanand Sule, his son-in-law in the Videocon-led bid for Pune IPL team which ultimately failed to bag the rights. Another NCP leader Praful Patel, the Civil Aviation Minister has been accused of partnering Adani  for the Ahmedabad IPL team. The minister is also accused of forwarding valuations details to Shashi Tharoor through his daughter just a couple days before the IPL bid for two new teams were to taken place.

The links doesn’t stop there! The IPL broadcasting rights is held by Multi Screen Media where Sharad Pawar’s son-in-law has a stake! And the World Sports Group (WSG) India Head has admitted that Rs. 125 crore was received as payoff from MSM and this was distributed among all beneficiaries including ‘one’  with political links!

Praful Patel’s daughter Poorna is the hospitality manager in the IPL and is accused of sending the IPL valuation to her father’s office from where it was forwarded to Shashi Tharoor! Also, Poorna is accused of using her father’s political powers to cancel a scheduled Air India flight and use it as a chartered flight to carry the IPL players from Chandigarh to Chennai!

Now if these charges are proven, which again depends on the genuineness of the investigation team, it could mean the end of Pawar and Praful as ministers in the Manmohan Singh government. However, this may not happen as it could mean upsetting the political balance of the Congress given the fact that the Government needs the support of NCP at the center, particularly after the tussle between the allies in the government over the W omen’s Reservation Bill.

Reason 2: Lalit Modi, the man behind the entire controversy and who has been accused of using his links set up in tax havens to get stakes in at least 3 of the 8 IPL teams, is not a softie and is expected to fight hard and could expose many in the government as partners in the IPL scam. Consider this: Modi is alleged to have enough ‘business contacts’  in the IPL who are close relatives of politicians serving in the government. Exposing them could prove risky for the survival of the government. Moreover, the government has a lot to answer when it comes to explaining its lethargy in not pursuing the IT angle into the multi-crore for the past 2 years!

On the other hand BCCI has in-house conflicts and needs a clean up. Patuadi, one of the country’s most respected cricketers and now a member of the IPL Governing Council has spilled the beans when he said that the Council had not shown much interest in the business affairs of the IPL (Ironically, Saif Ali Khan, the Bollywood actor and son of Patuadi had unsuccessfully bid for the Pune IPL team!) Also, the Board has members who have stakes in the IPL teams which is a clear case of conflict of interest.

And on the conflict between Modi and the BCCI, the former is not interested in relinquishing the post of the IPL Chairman and Commissioner and has even gone to the extent of questioning the calling of the meeting by the BCCI Secretary Mr. Srinivasan who is the owner of the company India Cements that owns Chennai Super Kings. Patuadi, a member of the IPL Governing Council said that it is conflict of interest if board members have stakes in franchisees.

Now here’s another reason why the government is suspected not to come clean on the IPL row! It’s the huge money that the IPL rakes in! The BCCI created the IPL and now wants the rebel Modi to get out. The BCCI cannot afford to shut down the IPL and lose the huge money! But it is also a truth that the Board itself needs a clean up! Unfortunately sports is not separate from politics in this part of the world and the BCCI is controlled by the political bigwigs.

The IPL row has just begun! And it all depends on how the government will choose to conduct itself in in the investigation process which will go a long way in creating an impression on the common man about the integrity and truthfulness of this government!

Pre-Independence Phase: INDIAN ENGLISH DRAMA

Pre-Independence Phase:

            After the British set up their regime in India, the crippled Indian drama witnessed a revival. With the impact of Western civilization on Indian life, a new renaissance dawned on Indian arts, including drama. English education gave an impetus to the critical study of not only Western drama but also Classical Indian drama. English and Italian dramatic troupes toured India and performed many English plays mainly Shakespeare’s in cities like Bombay and Madras (now called as Mumbai and Chennai). The Portuguese brought a form of dance drama to the West-coast. Russian music director Lebedoff is said to have produced the first modern drama in Calcutta (Kolkata) towards the end of the 18th century. For the first time in the history of modern Indian theatre two comedies, Disguise and Love is the Best Doctor were translated from English into Bengali by Lebedoff and Goloknath Das, and on the 7^th of November 1795, they were produced in Kolkata. The first Bengali theatre ‘The Hindu Theatre’ was established by Prasannakumar Tagore in 1831, and some English plays and translations also were staged.

Full post is deleted for maintaining Copyright 

Dr. Vishwanath Bite

Sanskrit Shubhashite

नीरक्षीरविवेक

नीरक्षीरविवेके हंस आलस्यम् त्वम् एव तनुषे चेत् |
विश्वस्मिन् अधुना अन्य: कुलव्रतं पालयिष्यति क: |
अर्थ:-
अरे हंसा, जर तुच पाणी तथा दूध भिन्न करणे सोडुन देशील तर दूसरं कोण तूझ्या कुलव्रताचं पालन करेल ? जर बुद्धीवान किंवा कुशल माणुसच आपलं कर्तव्य करणे सोडून देईल, तर ते काम दुसरं कोण करेल??
Cārvāka

यावत जीवेत सुखं जीवेत
ऋणं कृत्वा घृतं पीबेत
भस्मीभूतस्य देहस्य
पुनरागमनं कुतः
( जीवनात सुखाने जगावे. कर्ज काढून तूपरोटी खावी. एकदा देहाची राख झाल्यावर परत कोण येणार आहे?)
Cārvāka was truly atheist/materialist.
धनम्

शतेषु जायते शुरः
सहस्रेचुच पन्डितः
वक्ता दशसहस्रेषु
दाता भवति वानवा ll
(खरेच, खरी दानत असलेला दुर्मिळ आहे)

स्वदेशेशु धनं विद्या
विदेशेशु धनं मति l
परलोके धनं धर्मः
शीलं सर्वत्र वैधनं l
(थोडक्यात, चांगले चारित्र्य हे सर्वत्र धनासारखे असते.)

अदाता पुरुषस्त्यागी धनं सञ्चिन्त्य गच्छति।
दातारं कृपणं मन्ये मृतोऽप्यर्थं न मुञ्चति॥

The person who does not donate [his wealth]; dies thinking of his wealth, [leaving it behind for others]. [On the other hand], the person who makes great donations; even after his death carries the fruit with him, and is the real ‘miser’.
आशा 

आशा नाम मनुश्यणाम कश्चिदश्चर्य श्रुनखला
यथा बद्धा प्रधावन्ति मुक्ता तिश्ठति पन्गुवत

आशा हि एकच अशी साखळी आहे जी बान्धून माणूस पळायला लागतो आणि सोडल्यावर पान्गळा होतो
Knowledge 

रविसन्निधिमात्रेण सूर्यकान्ता प्रकाशयेत्।
गुरुसन्निधिमात्रेण शिष्यज्ञानं प्रकाशयेत्॥

Only in the presence of the sun, does the sunflower bloom.
[In the same way], only in the presence of the preceptor, does a student’s knowledge shine!


धनधान्यप्रयोगेषु विद्यासङ्ग्रहणेषु च।
आहारे व्यवहारे च त्यक्तलज्जस्सुखी भवेत्॥

In earning wealth or foodgrains, or in the acquisition of knowledge;
While eating and in [business] dealings, one who is not shy will be happy.

क्षणशः कणशश्चैव विद्यामर्थंच चिन्तयेत् ।
क्षणत्यागे कुतो विद्या कणत्यागे कुतो धनम् ।।
अजरामरवत् प्राज्ञः विद्यामर्थंच चिन्तयेत् ।
गृहीत एव केशेषु मृत्युना धर्ममाचरेत् ।।

एकधा दशधा चैव शतधा च सहस्रधा।
रणे पार्थशरोवृष्टिर्दानं ब्रह्मविधे यथा॥

A gift given to a knowledgeable (one who knows brahman) person is like the arrow of Arjuna in the battlefield! When taken, it is single, when set to the bow, ten, when released, a hundred, on the way, a thousand, and when hitting the target, becomes a shower!

धर्म

अनित्यानि शरीराणि वैभवं न वा शाश्वतम्।
नित्यसन्निहितो मृत्युः कर्तव्यो धर्मसङ्ग्रहः॥

The body is impermanent; nor are the material pleasures permanent.
Death is ever-imminent; therefore, one must always follow dharma.

मित्रभेदः
उपकारिषु यः साधुः साधुत्वे तस्य को गुणः।
अपकारिषु यः साधुः स साधुः सद्भिरुच्यते॥२७०॥
—मित्रभेदः नाम प्रथमे तन्त्रे

One who is good, when being helped/favoured, what is great (surprising) about his goodness?
When being wronged, one who still remains kind/helpful, he is [indeed] said to be good, by the learned.

आत्मनः शक्तिम् उद्वीक्ष्य मनोत्साहं च यो व्रजेत्।
बहून् हन्ति स एकोऽपि क्षत्रियान् भार्गवो यथा॥२५९॥
—मित्रभेदः नाम प्रथमे तन्त्रे भासुरकाख्य-सिंह कथा ८

A hero who goes forth girt in energy and pride, having taken the measure of his own power and strength
Can single-handled smite his foes, even as Bhārgava (Paraśurāma) hacked down the warriors.

निर्विषेणापि सर्पेण कर्तव्या महती फणा।
विषं भवतु वा माऽभूत् फणटोपो भयङ्करः॥२२५॥
—मित्रभेदः नाम प्रथमे तन्त्रे

Even by a non-poisonous snake, it is important to hiss and expand its hood.
Whether or not it has poison, the [sight of the] hood is itself scary.

दुर्मन्त्रान्नृपतिर्विनश्यति यतिः सङ्गात् सुतो लालसात्
विप्रोऽनध्ययनात् कुलं कुतनयाच्छीलं खलोपासनात्।
मैत्री चाप्रणयात् समृद्धिरनयात् स्नेहः प्रवासाश्रयात्
स्त्री गर्वादनवेक्षणादपि कृषिस्त्यागत् प्रमादाद्धनम्॥१८०॥
—मित्रभेदः नाम प्रथमे तन्त्रे देवशर्मा-परिव्राजक कथा ४

A king is ruined by bad advice; an ascetic, by company; a child by pampering;
A brāhmaṇa by lack of learning; a noble family by evil sons; virtuous conduct by serving the base;
Friendship from want of regard; investment by mismanagement; affection from long absence/separation; And a woman by pride; a farm, from neglect; wealth, through misdirected charity

निःस्पृहो नाधिकारी स्यान्नाकामी मण्डनप्रियः।
नाविदग्धः प्रियं ब्रूयात् स्फुटवक्ता न वाञ्चकः॥१७५॥
— मित्रभेदः नाम प्रथमे तन्त्रे देवशर्म-परिव्राजक कथा ४

One without ambition does not hold an authoritative position; One fallen out of love does not care to adorn himself. One who lacks learning displays no eloquence; One who is blunt in speech is never a cheat!

दुर्जन: परिहर्तव्यो विद्ययालंकृतो‍sपि सत् ।
मणिना भूषित: सर्प: किमसौ न भयंकर: ॥

विद्येने विभूषित असला तरी तो जर दुर्जन असला तर त्याला दूरच ठेवावे (टाळावे) कारण ज्याच्या डोक्यावर मणि (रत्न) आहे असा नाग भयंकर नसतो काय? (नागाच्या डोक्यावर मणि असतो अशी कल्पना आहे)

शकट पंच-हस्तेन दश-हस्तेन वाजिनम |
हस्ती शत-हस्तेन देश-त्यागेन दुर्जनम ||7||

बैलगाडी पासून पाच हात राखून चला,घोडा या प्राण्या पासून दहा हात दुरून चला,हत्ती च्या हजार हात दुरून चला,पण जर गाठ एखाद्या पातळ्यांत्री माणसाशी असेल तर तो देशच ताबडतोब सोडा!!!!!

Collected from various sources.

by

Dr. Vishwanath Bite

Dr. Ambedkar and Nationalism

Dr. Ambedkar and Nationalism 

Dr. Ambedkar was an iconoclastic social reformer who at the very formative years of his career realized what it meant to be an untouchable and how struggle against untouchability could be launched. The social reform movement of the caste Hindus could not win him to its side because of his existential understanding of the pangs of untouchability. The issue of untouchability, for social reformers, was a mere problem. This problem was exterior to them in the sense that it affects only the untouchables. They themselves had never experienced the sinisterous blows of untouchability. Though they were sympathetic to the cause of Dalits, but they belonged to the camp that imposed this inhuman system of social segregation on the Dalits.

Baba Sahib analysis of the origins of the untouchability and his action plans for its eradication were different from the approach and practice of the caste Hindu social reformers. What distinguished Baba Sahib from the other social reformers was that he looked at the problems of the Dalits from below, from a vantage point of the deprived and oppressed. This perspective led him to think differently from the dominant stream of social and political thought of his time. His major works on: Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development; Annihilation of Caste; Who Were the Shudras; The Untouchables: Who Were They and Why They Became Untouchables? are testimonies to his independent and original thinking. He smashed the mythological basis of untouchability and laid bare its economic roots.

He built a strong case against the "Janama" (birth) thesis of the untouchability which foreclosed all the ways for Dalit emancipation. He exhorted its victims to oppose it tooth and nail. He said, "It is disgraceful to live at the cost of one's self respect. Self-respect is most vital factor in life. Without it, man is a mere cipher. To live worthily with self-respect one has to overcome difficulties. It is out of hard and ceaseless struggle alone that one derives strength, confidence and recognitionn". He drew a distinction between merely living and living worthily. For living a worthy life, Ambedkar said, society must be based on liberty, equality and fraternity. For Ambedkar, social tyranny is more oppressive than the political tyranny and "a reformer who defies society, is a much more courageous man than a politician, who defies government".

Ambedkar was one who defied society. In the beginning of his social reform crusade, he tried to get respect and equality for the Dalits by bringing reforms within the social set up of Hinduism. He continued his struggle for empowerment of the Dalits by seeking changes within the fold of Hinduism till 1935. When he realised that the salvation of Dalits was not possible while living within the fold of Hinduism, he started his scathing criticism and tirade against Hinduism and ultimately sought the emancipation of Dalits and its empowerment from outside the Hindu religion. Hence his conversion to Buddhism. For Ambedkar the issue of Dalit liberation was the foremost issue and he emphasized that Dalits themselves have to come forward for its realization. Thus, Ambedkar provided a subaltern perspective to see clearly the chameleon of Indian caste-ridden social set-up deceptively appearing in crimson colors and the ways to guard the interests of the Dalits.

Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar made stringent efforts to transform the hierarchical structures of Indian society for the restoration of equal rights and justice to the neglected lot by building up a critique from within the structure of Indian society. His was not a theoretical attempt but a practical approach to the problems of untouchability. He tried to seek the solution to this perennial problem of the Indian society not by making appeals to the conscience of the usurpers or bringing transformation in the outlook of the individual by begging but by seeking transformation in the socio-religious and politico-economic structures of the Indian society by continuous and relentless struggle against the exploitative system where he thought the roots of the untouchability lay. He thought that until and unless the authority of the Dharam Shastras is shaken which provided divine sanction to the system of discrimination based on the caste hierarchy, the eradication of untouchability could not be realised. He was of the opinion that untouchability emanated neither from religious notions, nor from the much-popularised theory of Aryan conquest. On the contrary, it came into existence as a result of the struggle among the tribes at a stage when they were starting to settle down for a stable life. In the process, the settled tribes employed the broken tribesmen as guards against the marauding bands. These broken tribesmen employed as guards became untouchables.

Dr. Ambedkar's views on Indian nationalism in opposition to the dominant discourse of Hindu nationalism as represented by Raja Rammohan Roy, B.G. Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Golvalkar and Shyama Prasad Mookerjee on the one hand, and Communist-secular-socialist nationalism represented by M.N. Roy, R. P. Duta, T. Nagi Reddy and E.M.S. Namboodripad on the other, are not only distinct but also original. Hindu nationalism in essence aims at strengthening the Brahamanical supremacy in the post-colonial India. The communist-secular-social nationalism though based on abolition of class, its ideologues like that of the Hindu nationalism also belonged to the upper-castes and were myopic to the Dalits tribulations.

Dr. Ambedkar's conception of nationalism articulated and synthesized the national perceptions and aspirations of the downtrodden. Ambedkar's alternative form of nationalism, popularly known as ˜Dalit-Bahujan-nationalism's incorporated the subaltern philosophy of Jyotirao Phule and Periyar E.V. Ramaswami Naicker. It constructed an anti-Hindu and anti-Brahamanical discourse of Indian nationalism. It aimed at establishing a casteless and classless society where no one would be discriminated on the basis of birth and occupation. Within the Dalit-Bahuhjan framework of Indian nationalism, Ambedkar built up a critique of pre-colonial Brahmanism and its asymmetrical social set up based on low and high dichotomy of graded caste system. This system of inegalitarianism led to the process of exploitation by the unproductive Brahamanical castes of the various productive castes.

Ambedkar's understanding of the question of the identity and existence of the nation was based on his incisive analysis of the oppressive character of the Hindu community. Since the dominant Hindu discourse of Indian nationalism remained indifferent towards removal of the caste system; and the economic analysis of the communist secular socialist school also failed to highlight the issue of caste in its mechanical interpretation of class, Ambedkar's himself an untouchable and victim of untouchability “formulated his own framework from the perspective of the untouchables for the understanding of the system of caste and untouchability. The foundations of dalit-Bahujan nationalism lie in this framework developed by Ambedkar. It aimed at restructuring the Indian society into a casteless and classless and egalitarian Sangha (Ilaiah 2001: 109). Annihilation of caste was its central theme. Caste for Ambedkar was nothing but Brahmanism incarnate. "Brahmanism is the poison which has spoiled Hinduism" (Ambedkar 1995: 92). Ambedkar realised that any form of nationalism whose roots were steeped into Hinduism could not be a solution to the problem of dalits. Any discourse of nationalism bereft of annihilation of caste was just not acceptable to him. The agenda of annihilation of caste was so important to him that it became a central point of his struggle against colonial rule. In the first Round Table Conference, he minced no words in criticizing the British government for its failure to undo untouchability.

Swaraj without extinction of caste had no meaning for Ambedkar. In his undelivered speech to the Jat Pat Todak Mandal of Lahore, he said, “In the fight for swaraj you fight with the whole nation on your side. In this, you have to fight against the whole nation and that too your own. But it is more important than swaraj. There is no use having swaraj, if you cannot defend it. More important than the question of defending swaraj is the question of defending Hindus under the swaraj. In my opinion, only when the Hindu society becomes a casteless society that it can hope to have strength enough to defend itself. Without such internal strength, swaraj for Hindus may turn out to be only a step towards slavery". Thus, it was Ambedkar's subaltern perspective, which distinguished his conception of swaraj from that of the protagonists of the various shades of the national freedom movement. In his editorial in the Bahishkrit Bharat, Ambedkar wrote on 29 July 1927 "If Tilak had been born among the untouchables, he would not have raised the slogan ˜Swaraj is my birthright", but he would have raised the slogan ˜Annihilation of untouchability is my birthright".

Dr. Vishwanath Bite

Equality of Man

Equality of Man 

The hard reality that different people are blessed with different intellects, temperaments, men are not equal. Division of society into groups based on common vocation, interest is common. Recognizing difference in temperaments, those possessing aspirations were Brahmins, those possessing energy with the urge to purify were Kshatriyas, those possessing energy without aspirations were Vaishyas and those possesing inertia were Shudras. The Kshatriyas and Vaishyas received education in the Brahman’s house but could not do the duties allotted to Brahmans. A Kshatriya was the protector and the upholder of Dharma. The Vaishya was the producer and distributor of wealth. A Shudra could serve the Brahman, follow arts and crafts, enter the army and when in distress follow the vocation of Vaishya. He could not study the Vedas but could study the Puranas, Epics. 

Thus a place was accorded in society to each group according to the duties and functions that it could perform best. If the west truly believed in the equality of man, what was the need for Martin Luther King? Inspite of material prosperity, there is racial discrimination in Germany; the Blacks of America are poor. 

The Dalits of today are critical of Manu Smriti, the caste system etc. While I empathize with their plight and the problems faced by them what prevents them from studying, working harder (not that do not), and facing up to life to improve their conditions. Do they not see that there are poor people belonging to the other three castes? Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Manohar Joshi is believed to have come to Mumbai virtually penniless. While some of you may questions the means, none can deny the hard work that has gone into making him a prosperous businessmen today. If a member of the backward caste can become a distinguished member of the country’s foreign service and be its President, cannot others attempt to reach half way? Are not problems faced by all of us? Are they unique to my dalit brothers? Also read ‘Rediscovering India’ section Dharampal. 

When two children of the same parents can have different intellects so also can people of the same country.

To understand the social philosophy we must try and remove certain ideas that we have been ingrained into our minds. Manava Dharma ruled out a competitive society because such a society has a tendency to stimulate egotism, greed, and untruth. On the other hand, by following the competitive model, there is no equality either. Employment is uncertain and worry, frustration engulfs you. Insecurity, frustration, tension, heart-attacks, blood-pressure follow. In a competitive society, the strong will prosper while the poor will be pushed towards the wall, their minds filled with envy and hatred. Some sociologists believe that the riots in India are a result of the class conflict between the have be and have nots.

Some of you might argue, that if there is no competition, how do, we decide admission into medical colleges, employees get increments, we bring out the best in individuals. Competition is a part of modern society but it is our approach to it that determines our state of mind. If we were to enter an examination hall worried about how tough the paper would be or start worrying about the results after appearing we are bound to get stressed. On the other hand if our approach were to be study hard, give it our best short and leave the rest for the future to decide we would be much happier. 

Manav Dharma takes into account the biological fact that every person is likely to inherit the traits and aptitudes of his parents. Family association would make more easily available for the child to uphold family traditions and value. Working with a community spirit leads to greater degree of cooperation. If one’s duties are clearly laid down the scope for greed, self-indulgence, a life of egotism is reduced. 

Some of you might argue that how system would work in a globalised economy and in mega corporations like General Electric, Unilever. We must realize that the Manu Smiriti was written thousand of years of ago. What was relevant then might not be wholly relevant today. But the concept of joint effort, cooperation, different traits in human beings are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago.