The Silence of the Lambs!

Yesterday I again watched the Oscar winning movie "The Silence of the Lambs", starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in the lead roles. The spine chilling movie was as always, a treat to watch. Ironically, yesterday was also a day when the much maligned Prime Minister of India, Mr Manmohan Singh, popular in the social media as MMS, spoke strongly in the parliament on the depressing economic scenario in the country as well as launched a scathing attack on the opposition, which for long has been baying for his blood.

Sir Anthony Hopkins

Now how is my watching a movie and the prime minister's speech, ironic?? It is because of the fact that our prime minister is famous (or should I say notorious) for his silence. He has become a butt of jokes because of his silence on all major issues facing the country, be it scams of gigantic proportions, lethargic foreign policies or economic doldrums. His silence was as silent as the silence of the lambs and that he decided to break prolonged silence on the day I watched "Silence of the Lambs", was the irony.

MMS with his impeccable credentials as a top notch economist and a person with the highest integrity has probably led a government that has been embroiled in scams and controversies of scales, which have been unprecedented in the Indian political history. Again an irony, as MMS himself has never been even suggestively targeted as being dishonest by anybody.

But as a leader of his pack, he has the moral responsibility for the doings and undoings of his team. He should have led by his own example and should have set examples of those who were corrupt. But alas, he has failed by not acting boldly and affirmatively. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, "To sin by silence when they should protest (and act) makes cowards of men", and it is again an irony that history might evaluate MMS on the basis of these very lines, inspite of the many qualities that he has, that makes him very different from the majority of the greedy and corrupt politicians that are eating into the resources of the country like termites.

Janmashtami Special- Shri Krishna and his continued relevance and popularity!

Lord Krishna, one of the most loved Hindu deities, is said to be the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the world as per Hindu beliefs. Shri Krishna was born on Janmashtami (28th of August this year) which is celebrated with religious fervor by Hindus all over the world.

It is said that Lord Vishnu comes to the mortal world in the form of incarnations when Mother Earth is ravaged by evil. In case of Shri Krishna as well, the reason was the same. During his life time, Lord Krishna delivered the world from many evil men like Kamsa, the King of Mathura, and was instrumental as the chief strategist for the Pandayas winning the battle of Kurukshetra of the Mahabharata fame.

Over centuries, times have changed but the relevance and importance of Shri Krishna in the Indian society has not diminished, in fact his charismatic influence has actually increased over time. So, what might be the reasons for this, I wondered, and in search for an answer, I had a very interesting chat with my father and the following points cropped up during our discussions.

Glimpses of the life and times of Shri Krishna

1) Shri Krishna was a "Doer"- Shri Krishna throughout his life has been depicted as somebody who is a doer, a man of action. In his childhood he was known as a "butter thief" as he used to steal home made butter and eat it. In his adolescence, he was notorious for his lover boy image and the fact that he used to tease girls in his village. In his youth he became famous for standing up to what he felt was right and was revered for it. India today has a very young population and the youth can easily identify with the different stages of Lord Krishna which embodies naughtiness of childhood and adolescence and level headed maturity and determination of youth.

2) Shri Krishna was "Practical"- Though he always followed the righteous path, Lord Krishna was also very practical in nature. In my opinion, he felt that the End always justifies the means.
A little deception in life is not wrong, especially if the deception could lead to more welfare for the general masses at large.As the chief adviser to the Pandavas, Sri Krishna was instrumental in advising the use of deceit during the course of the battle of Kurukshetra which resulted in the annihilation of many of the stronger Kaurava generals like Dronacharya and also Karna.

3) Shri Krishna was a "Motivator", par excellence- In today's fast paced materialistic life, when constant pressures both professional as well as personal take a heavy toll on individuals, the teachings of Lord Krishna, especially the discourse that he gave to the Pandava prince Arjuna prior to the start of the battle of Kurukshetra, all documented in the sacred book of the Hindus, the "Bhagwat Gita", are a great motivator and stress buster and enhance the popularity of Krishna amongst the youth.  

4) Shri Krishna was "Unorthodox"- The life of Shri Krishna is full of paradoxes. On one hand he used to tease the womenfolk of his village in his adolescence and on the other he was the person who saved the honor of Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas from the Kauravas. He is believed to have wedded 16000 women in his life time but is the same person who is known for his devoted love towards "Radha", his consort. He was righteous but at the same time not averse to occasional aberrations for the general good. All in all, he was not what one would call "perfect" and this very reason makes him endearing in the eyes and hearts of the Hindus.

These are just a few reasons I could fathom out, which in my opinion are the reasons for the continued relevance and popularity of Shri Krishna, even today among Hindus not only in India but the world over.

Wishing all a very Happy Janmashtami! Jai Shree Krishna!!!

Apple and Newton's Theory!

It is famously asserted that when the great English Physicist and Mathematician, Sir Isaac Newton was once sitting under an apple tree, an apple fell on him. Falling of apples is not an uncommon thing and many people might have encountered this "accident" over centuries. But this particular incident spurred Sir Isaac into action and he discovered the forces of Gravity.

He quoted : "Anything that goes up, must come down"and this quotation of his has become a Universal Truth, quite literarily. In all the spheres of life, be it Social, Technological, Economic or Political, this quotation is correct to the "T".

1) Social- Social upheavals have been a common phenomenon from time immemorial. The Incas, the Mayans and the other American Indian tribes, the undisputed overlords of the Americas, are now limited to certain reservations and pockets in their own homeland. Closer home, the once unconceivable obsolescence of the caste system is in progress. In many Indian states, the supposedly upper castes are now being governed and lead by leaders from the lower castes. In the mad melee for job reservations and quotas, the upper castes have also upped the ante demanding reservations for their own.

2) Technological- Kodak was once the undisputed "king" of the photography landscape. It was synonymous with a camera. Come 2013, it has been a year since it filed for bankruptcy. In the age of digital cameras, the photo pioneer got spectacularly left behind.

3) Economic- Economies have risen and fallen like pins in a bowling alley throughout history. First the greatest economies in the world like India and China crumbled under the onslaught of the colonial powers and the British empire emerged as the beacon of economic light for the entire world. Then the British empire gave way to the Superpowers like USA and USSR and now the world is again looking towards India and China, a perfect complete circle this.. 

4) Political- Corrupt regimes have been overthrown in places like Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. The autocrats who ruled these countries with an iron fist, saw their autocracies come crashing down like a pack of cards in the wake of massive public outcry and mass movements.

All fellow members of Blue Caramel should bear a fact in mind that "There is nothing stronger than Time" and if you go up in life the only things that can keep you up there from the various spheres of life are Tolerance for others (Social), Innovativeness (Technology), Managerial skills (Economic) and Honesty and truthfulness in dealings (Political). 

A poem on Indian Independence Day!

With the 67th Indian Independence Day in just about a week's time, my wife who is a teacher was frantically searching for a poem which she would make her students recite on 15th of August. She searched the net but could not come across any which would be ideal for her students who are in kindergarten. As a last resort she asked her father-in-law, if he knew of any poems that were ideal for the students. And lo, in less than 10 minutes she had a poem that was to her liking. From where did father get the poem, he made his own creation. A tribute to the genius that my father Udayan Mitter is, presenting the poem (though it is in Hindi).

आज़ादी  के  इस  पावन  दिन  पर, शीश  सभी  झुकाए  | 
On this auspicious day of independence, lets all bow our heads.

वीरों  के  बलिदान  को  आज , याद  करें  और  गुण  गाएँ   ||      
Lets recall the supreme sacrifices made by the freedom fighters and sing praises in their honor.

लहराते' इस  झंडे  को', सब  करें  सम्मान  |||                
The tri-colored flag that is fluttering let us all always honor it.

आओ  मिल  कर  गाएँ  , जन  गन  मन  का  गान  ||||             
 Lets all together sing, the Indian National anthem.

Salute!!!