Wisdom In Prison

Since the beginning of my conscious living, I have felt that lack of smooth access to wisdom is the biggest handicap for human growth. I feel that wisdom is not available to a simple soul. Wisdom is just not accessible to normal human being. Human being is born powerful. Even when, human being is born with all intellect of the world, how can some develop so much, while many continue their struggle to survive? The accessibility and availability of wisdom is the main reason. Is wisdom in prison, where the jailor has over-constitutional power for its freedom? Today, when whole world is networked, Internet knows about human mind much before any body knows about it, can we assure availability of wisdom to a simple soul?

The Economic Times from New Delhi dated 7 July 2006, carried out a very new trend. The paper gave editorial power to all the seven men from Infosys who dreamt in 80s to change their fate in India. When professionalism is at stake, discriminations are widely and openly distributed to deprived people, rulers are more concerned about their future than the future of the nation, intelligent people are publicly demoralized, knowledge commission is asked to read constitutions, the morale of the educated people can not be easily protected.

I have the privilege of having yahoo 360 to protect my motivation. I can write a blog. I feel that it will provide similar direction to other professionals, intellectuals and educated people. The Economics Times effort to call these seven people for editorial task is worth coming in my blog. I am quite happy to give the statements of all seven as published in the news paper. Further analysis of these statements compelled me to reach to a very dramatic and mind opening conclusions. It must interest every educated person on this earth.

The team of these seven stalwarts was led by Narayana Murthy. One member of the team, Kris Gopalakrishnan says, ‘we can definitely learn from how quickly you need to make decisions with potentially significant impact if you made a wrong choice.’ The other member K Dinesh says, ‘within a short time, you need to do it impartially.’ In these two statements, I find the source of the lack of wisdom in society. The decisions with potentially significant impact are taken in the editorial job of a daily news paper. The question of wisdom of the people dealing with this task is a big concern. Today when a conscious and successful person talks about the task, he mentions about the problems. Similarly the other person talks about impartiality. Is it easy to be impartial? Impartiality is just not as easy as even presumed. It is a deep subject in itself which I have discussed in my earlier blogs.

Narayana Murthy in his editorial note mentions that let the media reserve the prime time and front page to heralding the success of this hardworking majority rather than focusing on the misdeeds of few. None of the news paper concentrates on this aspect. The owner of the daily is committing a serious crime to bring down the morale of the masses every day. The poor is kept poor not only because of deprivation of basic amenities, but of good positive environments too. The editors of daily papers and magazines are committing blunder. Are they committing crime? We come to know about these when the people like Narayana Murthy writes his sentiments. The availability of wisdom is the choice of few. Can you make opinion based on front page of daily news paper? Be careful!

These seven people have described confidence in every page of the news paper. They have discussed successes. They have talked about achievements of individuals. They have mentioned about the struggle and frustration of hardworking people. They have talked about hope. India is vibrant with hope. There is no reason to feel otherwise. Anybody who talks deprivations, failure or subsidies is doing harm to humanity. Murthy has rightly said, ‘we have to win the war of honesty, decency, national pride and hard work over corruption, vested interest and petty politics.’ The whole world is hopeful for our growth and development. We can not ignore their expectations.

United States has understood the potential of this nation. They are taking two steps forward for our one step to help us to eradicate poverty and deprivation. We have been able to do developments for the last sixty years through brain drain, now it is time to do it through brain gain. Let developed country face brain drain!

The unique effort of The Economic Times is an encouraging step. I see hope. I visualize the availability of wisdom across the board. Can the willing minds, open eyes, conscious efforts and democratic environment be able to access wisdom? Are we ready to take the wisdom out of the prison? Can Internet provide access to wisdom for normal soul? Yes it can. 

Eradication of Poverty - A Compulsion of Conscious Minds!

Eradication of poverty is the need of hour in this world. It is possible. It is required not only for poor or deprived people but it is a necessity to even developed people. In earlier history of human civilization when ruler used to fight a war for control and dominance, today they have to fight a war not for control but to eradicate poverty. This appears little ridiculous, however I have my firm belief that this trend has to take a shape in the years to come. This trend has to take the center stage of all educated and conscious people.

‘The End of Poverty’ the book by Jeffery Sachs forwarded by Bono is available in Indian market since long. The book is being read by the people of developed world but they are simultaneously being read by the people of developing world. The International agencies including United Nations are active to take positive steps in the direction for eradication of poverty. Jeffery has written very encouraging steps to achieve this daunting task. The nine steps listed by Jeffery Sachs to eradicate poverty in the developing world are–

(a) Commit to the task,
(b) Adopt a plan of action,
(c) Raise the voice of the poor,
(d) Redeem the US role in the world
(e) Rescue the IMF and World Bank,
(f) Strengthen the UN,
(g) Harness Global science,
(h) Promote sustainable growth, and
(i) Make personal commitment.

Jeffery D Sachs says, ‘Eight million people die each year because they are too poor to survive. The tragedy is that with a little help, they could even thrive’. I totally disagree with the concept of ‘little help’. Even a huge help and contribution from monetary front will not be able to eradicate poverty, deprivation and inadequacies from the life and mind of poor. The poor are poor not because of money but there are other regional, social, religious factors associated with it. At this time, I think Bill Gates has understood the situations, that why he plans to retire from Microsoft to carry out his charity work. It is important for him if he reads these lines for his future direction.

The provisions of ‘little help’ are making poor and deprived people as Naxals, Guerrillas, ULFAs, Ranvir Senas and Terrorists. That is how we have created terrorist like Osama Bin Laden with massive help by the people with vested interest. A tribal, backward, schedule caste, Muslims or poor will remain the same in spite of a ‘little help’. Little help will go in the pockets of few wise saviors of poor. Corruptions, atrocities, slavery, illiteracy, discriminations and other social anomalies exists in society because of these little help from the people of developed world. There is a need to make them human before we expect them to live like a human. We have seen the price we have to pay for conversion from autocratic to democratic form of governance in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Poverty will have to be eradicated from the mind of the poor. The culture of poverty which has been engraved in the mind of large number of people belonging to backward caste, schedule tribes, schedule castes, Muslims, Africans, Blacks and others since time immemorial through generations has to be eradicated. These are not simple task. These can never be achieved through augmentation, supplementing resources, or subsidies. These can never be eradicated through reservations. Reservations will certainly increase the discriminations and introduce mediocrity.

We shall be able to tackle theses through unlearning processes. We shall be unlearning old traditions, customs, and methods for bringing new structure and privileged society. I have generated and synthesize whole unlearning processes. We have to create environment for eradication of poverty. We have to get a glimpse of a civilized and modern life. We shall be able to achieve satisfactory results through innovation and new way of thinking. We shall have to follow following a to z steps -

(a) Don’t think and act like poor,
(b) Open your heart and mind for a better world,
(c) Never learn from preachers and exploiters,
(d) Do not follow religious fanaticism at the cost of basic amenities for human being,
(e) Do not get exploited nor be destructive, be constructive,
(f) Detach yourself from poverty, sufferings and exploitations,
(g) Think Global and Act Universal,
(h) Enjoy the modern amenities of life,
(i) Balance all important gradients in life and societies,
(j) Never rely on uneducated parents, relatives or companions – Understand Generation Valley,
(k) Never create problems in life to keep yourself busy,
(l) Do not overwork to achieve success, take care of your health and enhancement of knowledge,
(m) Follow expert advice on crucial matter like family, sex and god rather than custom, religion or traditions,
(n) Enjoy your profession and master it. Take better decisions,
(o) Marry and be friend with a compatible partner,
(p) Never settle in underdeveloped locations or community,
(q) Don’t pursue poverty or encourage sufferings on the name of tradition or culture,
(r) Enjoy God’s free gift, do not follow those who have not enjoyed it,
(s) Be an entrepreneur, make Narayana Murthy or Majumdar Shaw your role model,
(t) Don’t exploit but empower poor for your own growth,
(u) Be creative and innovative in ‘Innovative Century’ of India,
(v) Let your capital and investment grow economy,
(w) Learn new Investment methods, remember – Gold is old, Stocks to stock, Let your money build the nation,
(x) Respect individuality in relationship, enjoy loneliness – you are never alone but with your environment and your body,
(y) Don’t copy or Xerox, be on your own, ‘Xerox century’ has gone. Be innovative! and
(z) Think and act like a citizen of a developed nation.

It may appear difficult because of prevailing situations and circumstances; but there is no other option to unlearn old things. We have reached a stage where we are almost compelled to accept these changes. We are forced to unlearn whatever we have learned in our previous generations and time. This will achieve a better social structure and balanced society. We will not be looking towards the developed world but we will be one. This will make us a citizen of developed nation. That is what people of developed world wants. That is the necessity. That is going to happen.
Unlearn – Solution for eradication of poverty!

Is it a time to define Democracy?

Human beings have come a long way. Today when we are celebrating Independence Day for the biggest democratic and free country, more than half of the countries in the world are still struggling to define democracy. Two thousand years of human civilisation have made all educated individuals to understand that freedom is the basic need of human beings. Freedom is the desire. It is the pleasure. It forces humanity towards excellence. It allows humanity to bloom. On the other hand, slavery is a punishment. It deteriorates human values. It cripples mental thinking. It distorts judgments. It forces the people to grab suicide bombs. It teaches people to kill themselves. It does not allow prospering life. It compels the people to lose identity. Dictatorship is worse that slavery because it ensures intellectual degradation. The normal slave has physical compulsions but individual in a dictatorship of any form irrespective of the name, ensure mental compulsions. Physical compulsions are less painful than mental one. Mental compulsions does not allow individual to grow. It does not allow individual to excel. It restricts human growth. There is no doubt that democracy is the basic need of human to ensure freedom. On this auspicious night of Independence day 4th July 06, I felt to explain few basic intricacies of freedom which I felt civilization have been kept deprived off. It is important for the conscious people on Internet to be aware about these anomalies in society. These provide better appreciation for the future of individual and nations.

As a conscious person of a democratic country, I found that achieving freedom for individual and democracies for the nations have been the basic necessity since evolution of human history. Human have fought innumerable number of wars. Human have fought many battle to conquer freedom. Today at the onset of 21st century, humans are still struggling to define democracy and freedom. In the information age, when more than one third of the human beings are networked together irrespective of their caste, creed, religion and region, leadership at various levels are still trying to define freedom and up to some extent I feel even human growth. Is it so difficult to define freedom for human beings? Is it so difficult and contradictory to explain freedom? Does meaning of freedom vary based on sex, caste, religion or region? Does level and desire of freedom varies based on education or literacy level of human? Does scope of freedom varies based on economics or financial status of the individual? Why can not human being define freedom for all humanity? Freedom is freedom and it needs to be free from any clutches of definitions. Irrespective of sex, religion, financial status and any other criteria, freedom should be available to all human beings. Every human being should be free. They should have freedom to get education, to chose language, religion, caste, profession, and even nation, to live a free life, to enjoy privileges, to roam around the world, to do things of choice, to get connected on internet, surf any site, chat to any one or anywhere in the world, explore and excel in any endeavour. Is it a big demand? Can human have the privilege to have this much freedom? I do not see much of difficulties for this much freedom to human beings in 21st century.

Is it surprising when Imran Khan, a Cricketer turned Politician of Pakistan, a Muslim dominated country, says, ‘Having a dictator spells disaster for any country. Mankind needs pure democracy.’ Imran is living in Pakistan run by Army General Musharaff. It amounts to some value when Imran demands for democracy and certainly asks for freedom. He is correct to point out that dictator spells disaster for the nation. Dictatorship is a disaster for individual human being. Can the Muslim world and especially all intelligentsia of this world listen? Few intelligent people always try to convince some of the people at some of the places against democracy and freedom. Even in India, we have large number of intellectuals who are sympathetic towards Muslims, are ready to profess the human needs or even national needs otherwise. Is it in interest of Muslims? Can all theses intellectuals get their orientation clear to believe that democracy and that too pure democracy is the basic need of human beings. No body can convince at least educated humans otherwise. Any intellectual can make few of the people fool for few of the time for few of the reason. Freedom is required by every individual. It is just a matter of time. Difference of opinion has to vanish. People anywhere at this age will try to achieve freedom. The availability of free media are going to ensure freedom.

Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Shariff are joining hands not only to bring democracy in Pakistan but now they are joining hands along with other supporting political parties to ensure continuation of democracy. Every few years, Pakistan feels pray to Military ruler and land up having Military dictatorship. Today, majority of Pakistanis are convinced of the need of democracy and continuation of democracy. And for the peace of entire world, there is an urgent need that Muslims have democracy and freedom in their countries. The important point is that Muslims not only need democracy but they need pure democracy. That is what Imran has said and it is correct. There is no reason why Muslim male or female should not have freedom to live a free life, to choose a government, to decide about their future, to get better educated, to have the privileges of 21st century, to enjoy life without veil, to enjoy freedom, and so on. The human desires are unlimited and there is no reason that why part of these desires are not achieved by them. Most of the people from Muslim world see these human privileges on their television, come to know through their news papers, read on Internet and so on. They can not be left ignorant. They are going to conquer them.

The form of democracy has always been a matter of concern for intellectuals. It has always been a choice for humanity. Even Musharraf organized a referendum to justify his ruling when he clinched power. He did it nicely. He is still going strong. But the questions comes, are people satisfied with such democratic illusion? The similar thing could be observed in other parts of the world. In the name of democracy, what happened in Iran or even in Palestine, give poor taste to freedom. In general people have restrictions. We are compelled to think otherwise. Election takes place in some form or other but they are restricted to justify the rule of few individual only. Very few Islamic nations give freedom to female to vote. Very few Islamic nations give freedom to female to get elected. Civilization is still struggling to define freedom in a right way. Even Indian democracy appears illusions.

The United States of America has come a long way in the history of mankind. They have analyzed, rejoiced and enjoyed various forms of freedom. They have solved its intricacies for more than two hundred years. They are celebrating their independence as the form of freedom for humanity. They still argue and discuss the depth of freedom so freely. Even after massive devastation of 9/11, Americans are going strong to pursue their freedom. They are struggling to bring and sustain democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq. They are moving ahead with all its might to spread the democratic form of Governance.

The people of United States have enjoyed the best of everything in this world since more than two hundred years of various revolutionary phases. They have provided to humanity all the technological inventions which took place in the last century. Every human on this earth have enjoyed those privileges for betterment of their life. In spite of caste, creed, religion or region, people of this world have enjoyed invention like airplanes, televisions, mobiles, computers, medicines, vaccines, robots and so on. The people of this world expect something more from all developing world. The people of developing countries need to work for humanity in constructive way rather than destructive missions. They need not to spread poverty, terrorism, war and illiteracy. Can we imagine how to achieve these for prosperity of humanity? Freedom and democracy may be the means.

Today, when USA moves with the concept of spreading democracy and open economy, there is no reason to believe with suspicion. There is no reason to have center page of daily news appear from intelligentsias of developing world with negative analysis Developing world is continue developing not because of developed world but because of developing nature and ideas of leadership of developing world. The message should be very clear and precise. Till the time, any individual is deprived of basic human needs; they are equivalent to a BOMB. The deprivation and frustration may be the reasons of massive violence and demonstration all across the world against Danish cartoons. Why do not we have such massive demonstration for poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, clean water and basic amenities? Old and conservative leaderships are taking humanity for a ride. It is not going to go too far. Human are becoming better informed and better conscious. Leaderships of the world need to take the note of these changes.

Time has come when we involve every human being in the process of governance and avoid the frustration and sense of deprivation among individuals. Democracy may ensure the vital ingredients to provide respect, opportunities and status. Democracy will ensure the involvement of every individual in governance. For the sake of humanity at large, we have to unlearn old and traditional way of Governance and embrace the democratic form of governance. 

Luxary Living and Low Thinking!

Simple living and high thinking has become a quote for common man today. People sitting at comfortable position, has a different version of this. I call it for them as high living and low thinking. That is what the people at high level especially the people who are enjoying the high level position for last few generations without putting much of efforts in present generation, are comfortably getting away with low level thinking. They are less educated and positioned at high level. They are having powerful appointments. Their low level thinking is giving directions to majority. Their spoken words and sentences become the headlines of daily news papers. Because of the tremendous lack of knowledge and understanding, they are doing low thinking rather they are forced to do low thinking even though sitting at high level. They do now have wisdom because this is thing which no body gets from ancestors. They hardly have broad knowledge to carry out high level thinking.

There may be time around sixty or seventy years back when simple living and high thinking must be relevant. Today it is not only irrelevant but it is a laughing stock. But our great thinker Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh does not feel shy in telling the same to the dying farmer, even when their action is justifying something else. The life of farmers depicts simple living and simple dying. The people living a simple life are forced to die a simple death through suicide, starvation, deadly disease, AIDS, Bird Flue and so on. They die in bulk during natural disasters like Earth Quake, Tsunami, flood, heat stroke and so on. They die during terrorist attack. They die during stampede ate railway station or pilgrim places. Their life is simple. Their death is a simple event. What a simple living and simple dying!

I am shocked and surprised when Manmohan talks against huge capacity investments, SEZ, corporate investments in farming etc. This is the bad luck for a developing country like India when Prime Minister talks against development in such a fashion. Can India ever dream to compete with growing China in this fashion? Because he is Prime Minister, it comes in the most knowledgeable paper of India – The Economics Times. What a crunch of knowledge domain? What a slavery of wisdom? I am forced to write this in my blog – high living and low thinking.

The Economics Times did worst to wisdom when again next day, it writing about what country chants about PM’s inclusive growth. Today India has more than sixty percent people relying on farming. It has to reduce to five to six percent if India has to become developed. The life out of farming through meager land can never satisfy the need of human being in 21st century. The bulk amount of people has to move out from farming to improve the living condition of poor. Poor can never become rich in a poor environment. Inclusive growth should never be rojected so unsystematically. Is this the direction of the biggest economist of this country? Why are they doing such low level thinking sitiing at such high level?

Tavleen Singh wrote an article in Indian Express on Sunday. It is titled as simple living or zero thinking. I term this as simple living and zero thinking. You can never do big thinking at low level. After my significant amount of research in carrying out with plenty of study, I observe that it is almost sure that simple living ensures zero or negative thinking in today age. Even if some amount of thinking, one is able to do, what is the use of this? Who is going to listen to the words spoken by people who are living simple? So people who live simple living generally goes for suicide like our farmers are doing in Maharastra. Tavleen writes that simple life of tribal people means living without clean water, electricity (even Delhi lives without it), schools and healthcare. Is this the simple life we need to preserve? But even though, Manmohan government is ready to go ahead with Tribal Land Rights Bill in the next session of Parliament. Why Manmohan wants simple life for a shortly going to be developed nation? Is it because he has already given Indian unemployed youth a scheme? We feel proud to give something to beggars in India. He has given National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme. Is it because of ever misguided Marxists (that is what Tavleen says)? O, people of this shortly going to be developed country, be aware of this misguided principles of simple living. Never opt for simple living when you deserve today a lavish life style. When your leaders are living in luxury to go ahead with low thinking, who stop you to have better living and better thinking?

I am 45 now. I also used to follow the proverb like simple living and high thinking. But lately since last few years, I am very conscious about my luxurious living. Fortunately, I passed my thirties during economic liberalization. I could get every thing for me and my family. I have house in a metropolitan city. I have car, inverter, air-conditions and so on. I am member of lot of high status clubs and societies. I attend almost every week some or other function in five star hotels. Life is a luxury. But when I sit in this luxury and think about thinking, it puzzles me. Why the people sitting at such high position are misguiding large number of followers.

Natwar Singh writes an article and put a quote from America at the Crossroads by Francis Fukuyama. ‘Know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed – Count Axel Gustavson Oxenstierna, Swedish statesman (1583-1654). Is Natwar talking about himself or his party? Is he talking about Indian government? If he is not talking about these then what are he fooling people around? Why is he telling how America is governed when he is not able to tell us how Congress party is governed? Why is he telling how world is governed? When he should tell us, How India is governed? How Arjun Singh takes decisions on reservations and divide whole country? How Manmohan talks about simple living? Has he ever asked her Chairperson Sonia to live a simple life? Why Sonia is not going to a village to live a simple life without clean water, electricity, schools (as such Rahul is old enough to get educated) and healthcare, so that she can do some high thinking? Why is she living a luxurious life at 10 Janpath and doing low thinking? Is preaching easier if you have got status, prestige and position from last few generations? Has high thinking been left to poor people only? Why do not we talk and walk same? Why do not these people do the same thing what they preach others?

Life is tough. In this era of Cruzwell’s law, when we are going to have inventions in the 10 years of 21st century equivalent to last 2000 years of human history, how are human going to cope up with the problems? Is wisdom going to misguide and confuse us endlessly? Today when on the average, we are generating approximately 2 Exabyte of information every year, how are we going to segregate intelligence from garbage? Why these old leaders are spreading garbage to this highly skilled and intellectual country? Today India is known in the world for IT (Indian Talent). We must spread wisdom. So let us follow – luxury living and high thinking!