Monday, June 19, 2006

Existential imperatives of Indian society and the Mandal vandals

Primary imperatives are reflective and collective represent a fundamental philosophy which would form the driving force for any company, organisation……….or for that matter, even a country.

"Primary imperatives", being the most basic of principles which define the stretch of the civic soul of a collective; and in this instance; the society.

If I am faced with a dilemma of which Doctor I shall put my life in the hands of, or for that matter, even consult in the case of a common flu, I would rather not go at all than be faced with the possibility of subjecting myself to mediocrity in the form of a doctor who was made based on his lineage rather than sheer merit.

We are going back to the ages of witch doctors, though not in the same sense, but on a parallel plane of driving thought. A witch doctor was born from a societal fear from the unknown, and in this instance t hey will be born because of self interests and vote banks of sleazy politicians.

One must deliberate over why democracy is what it is as a philosophy when a country chooses to adopt it. Democracy states that it shall be the choice of the masses and when the alleged representatives of the people are driven not by the wishes of the people who chose them but by their own future (am not an advocate for altruism and self-sacrifice but for responsibility to the primary imperative of your existence); this is nothing if not the death of democracy.

A noble profession they say; centres of excellence they are called; ………some great visionaries conceptualised these thoughts, others geniuses gave form to these and yet others, students and faculty have brought these to what they are, true temples to the human intellect and sheer competence. These are the organisations which have given birth to and continue to spawn the next generation of Indians who will, in essence be forbearers of the flame of all things that greatness is made of, intelligence, capability and sheer merit!

And why does one have to be faced with a unique predicament where he would forced to contemplate a future away from his home country only because he does not want his kids to grow up in an environment which is highly inclined to spawn and encourage mediocrity. There is an interesting line that I ran across about what one mother said to her obviously brilliant child….."Everybody is special", she said, "That's another way of saying that nobody is!" ….countered the child.

As on today, we have students who are going on hunger strikes, morchas and what-nots, to get their case across when they ought to be studying to make their and the country's future brighter…….

As on today, we have ministers whose very diction reflects their lack of education and they are in a position to make categorical comments like "merit is no problem with OBCs and STs"………if that were the case, why is it that they need reservations to begin with.....one wonders!!

And then you have icons of capitalism like the industrial monarchs, who, whatever their reasons, provide stimulus and are catalysts to greatness, competence and as I've said before this………..sheer merit.

And why cant these purported champions of the oppressed foresee the immediate repercussions of their actions…and is it too hard to foresee a society where one will chose not to interact with these alleged OBCs/STs only because they are OBCs/STs without actual regard to genuine merit, for when I am faced with the necessity to go to Doctor, why would I want to take the risk of finding out the hard way whether or not the "purported" professional was genuinely qualified to be where he is………..and that too, the hard way!!!

And why is it so hard to envision a society where a very clear line will be drawn between those who are and are not, irrespective of the obvious "have and have not" and the "are nots" will essentially be these OBCs/STs irrespective of genuine merit where it lies. In this way these alleged leaders are not doing anyone a favour, neither those who are supposedly getting "helped" today or those of these alleged "classes" who do not "need" help because they are basically brilliant, or the rest of the supposed society which is caught in the cross fire, in the form of other genuine talents which lost out and the hoi polloi which will be victimised by the mediocrity that such bills will spawn.

And why can't one see the fact that a better reform would be simply to provide better opportunities at the preliminary level by providing free basic education thereby creating a fair playing field when one gets to the stage of choosing their professional vocation. Our governments are already addressing this and what country can know better, the fact that nothing can keep a good mint down? The constitution of this country was written by a great mind which was of this alleged "backward" class.

And why is it so hard to contemplate a society which is divided on the lines of able and the not-so irrespective of caste, creed, background, race, sex and only intelligence and competence……………………………

Here's one for intelligence, greatness and as I've repeatedly reiterated, sheer merit!

The Curse of Icarus

When was the last time you wanted to break into a run
To see how fast you could go
When was the last time you wanted to jump off the edge
To see if you could fly!

What Icarus could not find out;
When his wings melted,
He would never know why

We were once warriors
But are now prone to this route
Cogito ergo sum, they said
That’s all I do now……..I think!

Now the warrior in me is surging again
I stand up and walk tall
And I break into a run again
This time am sure I will not fall!

I will jump off this edge
And this time I will fly
For Icarus I am not
Neither will this be only a try

For when I do I do
I just don’t think and stare
For I was once warrior
And am now a warrior again!

Epilogue

There are times when I must conquer
There are times when I shall seek
The thoughts the mindscapes wander
Are the thoughts that will lead me deep
Time demands that I move on
As the visions are deemed clearer
For I am a time wanderer
.................A prisoner of the skies

The ghost of a song

There was a time
When I wrote what I thought
They way I thought it
The way all ought to be

There was this once that I wrote a song
A song about the wars in my mind
Of the conflicts of time
Of all the thoughts unbidden, but came anyway

There was this once that I wrote a song
A song about love
A song about tenderness
Of all the happiness with which I came away

And there was another once
When I wrote a song to greatness,
And valour
And all the glory that may

But these are all far away from the truth
Coz no one, not me not anyone has written a song
To the mind and what may be…………………..

Silent Rage

The sounds engulf the agony
Whatever goes does
Whatever went is gone
But I stand on

The martyrs cry out loud
And legends are born again
The wind ripples the blood
That flows in my veins

My mind in turmoil
The agony that is my fate
The destiny that was written
Is now my destiny remade

The warriors are now silent
Though the battle rages on
For the heart is the heart of a warrior
Forever at war

Though my war for now is over
And my hands are now still
But the fingers still curl
In the imaginary grip of the sword

The warrior in me is but dormant
Waiting for time to blow the horn
For humiliation and tears
To give him a world to fight for

The warrior will rage again
Once the walls are breached
The walls of tolerance and peace
And a new battle will be born

For I was born with the heart of a warrior
And the wind will ripple the blood in my veins again
For my heart is the heart of a warrior
Born to this war