( The Book of The Saint )

Little eyes wide. Horror and bewilderment. “Shall the rain not cease to fall? And this storm! Shall it not ease? Is this the end of the world? Do ye not hear the clamour and screams? Can ye not bid the winds stop, wise one ? And if ye ask, will the Gods not bend ?  What of  today, of which ye talk, what of  my tomorrow’s dreams?”

The wise man straightened, still deep in thought, his eyes still on the ground, ” Is it not enough, that we are reminded today ? That we shall think of nothing but our nothingness. That, and of all we so covet our pride and splendour razed to the ground and washed away. Is it not enough that today we shall think nothing except of  the Gods above and of us? And tomorrow, lad,” he said, ” tomorrow, your chance; your turn to build. From the rubble and carnage to salvage – having been reminded, to build better still under warmer sun and livelier breath of wind.” A wizened old hand patted the babe on the head, ”Sleep now, little one, quiet until the storm doth ease.”

The Fence Sat Upon

In the free world where freedomS are promised, guaranteed even, the yoke of so-called responsibility comes as an automatic choice. Those freedoms come with limitations born with the price of that freedom itself. Chains of another kind. Bonds of our choosing yet bonds that newer generations will not have the option to reject.They shall be born with the yoke and shackles chosen by those that came before. Paradox indeed that today’s freedom is tomorrow’s slavery. Ironic indeed, and tragic that there must be bloody and violent revolutions today against systems, leaderships and governments chosen in the past with equal fervour, wisdom and even sacrifice of life.

Does all the wisdom and zeal of the past and present forget to take into account that the choices of today may be unacceptable tomorrow? That the freedoms and liberties of today may be shackles upon the generations of tomorrow? Was it/IS it failure of foresight? Or at the very beginning the intent of those come to power to preserve their self-righteousness and the prevalence of the systems of their choice over the generations of tomorrow under all circumstances? To leave no choice but that of violent revolution to the masses that may be disillusioned tomorrow?

All of History says that no system can last forever. That every order, with time, must give way to new. Why, in that case, do not the Constitution of Nations today provide for peaceful transition if and when things do come to such a head? Is it shortsightedness? Or is it the understanding that if the masses do get disillusioned to the extent they would reject every word and law of that system? Perhaps one or both. But keeping History in mind perhaps the more secure and powerful nations of today should start in the direction and consider including in their ‘mighty right’ constitutions clauses and radical ( no, not war and military and forceful reaction) measures to meet such a situation IF it SHOULD  come around. ‘If ‘ because every system would like to believe itself almighty and righteous beyond reproach and infallible. ‘Should’ because, eventually the disillusionment must come and the time for change.

Until then they would wait,

those that sit on the fence.

In disagreement and doubtful,

0f the greener pastures fenced for them.

In Defence of Libya

I beg all those that would label me, I’m not ‘anti West/ern’ or anti USA. BUT the UN resolution 1970/ 1973 about Libya is definitely all that the UN cannot be standing for. The coalition lead by the USA against Libya- read ‘Gadhafi’- is transparently half baked and overtly US agenda to overthrow the Libyan Government. The US and its allies have used the media- I do not hesitate to name the CNN and the BBC which appear to have lost all credibility as internationally acclaimed independent, neutral News agencies. Shame indeed that News agencies, the BBC in particular ( it is widely accepted post Iraq and Afghanistan that the CNN is just a US mouthpiece ), should stoop to the level it has done with the Libyan issue in that it has been unashamedly misreporting and overtly supporting armed rebellion in a Sovereign State while it tarnishes the image of the existing government and indulges in biased reporting in order to garner public and international support for the armed rebellious groups.

The agenda of the Developed Nations – the USA and allies – regarding the Middle East, North Africa, most other African nations, Asia, is clear and evident and  not hidden from the international community and peoples of these regions anymore. If there are any left who have some doubt, they, too shall be convinced post Libya and after what is happening in the region right now. Sad indeed, that the USA, today the most powerful one Nation in the world appears to be riding a wave of misplaced zeal. Rather sad, that its new leadership does not think about riding rough over smaller, weaker Nations and Governments and people. Sad, too, the US policy of fragmenting and weakening other Nations and people in order to maintain their own position of power. Why does a great Nation with a greater future continue to stick to policy that is bound to bring not just itself but perhaps in its falling ( or overzealous effort to keep it place) the entire world to a dangerous state of being?

 Make no mistake, the world is beginning to see the USA as a bully that brags and swaggers unashamedly amidst the international community and loves its own voice too much to hear anyone else. The attitude, the policies, the action in Libya and the MiddleEast (at present) all reek of a false sense of invincibility; a belligerent cowboy attitude lost in its own reason, refusing to think twice, to think anew and deeper. All because of the seeming successes it has enjoyed over the past. The USA appears to forget that it may have attained freedom long ago but that its a brand new chapter in history post the second World War and since then has been only some over fifty years. Why does it apper it’s policies have been constanly anti Governments and anti People of other nations (as would appear to the common man) and that it has gone out of its way having used ALL possible measures- propaganda and action covert and overt- in furtherance of these policies. A little over half a century is not too much time. The USA needs to sit back (whether it has time OR NOT) and think anew. The international situation (contrary to the US effort at control and peace) could be at a crucial juncture and crossroads. A desperate people and desperate Governments could, by the current trend of action of the developed world led by the USA be pushed into a corner or state where perhaps terrorism and God alone knows what other ‘ism’ may well be the only recourse left to them if they are to lead more peaceful and better lives. The USA’s statements like ‘bombing … back into the dark ages’ and others of the kind are not lost upon the people they affect. The USA might be pleased to see the result- those people with all lost roaming their dark ages with guns supplied by the developed natons- but it is those people that will matter in the end and THAT state of being which shall challenge our system and bring upon us a chaos that may with all our political and military and economic might be hard to contain. I hope we shall not bring it to THAT DAY.

The UN resolution’s demand for ceasefire of the Gadhafi Government is gross and absurd. It can obviously not be met because the handful of armed rebels continue to gain ground and continue to roam armed and at large. The resolution should have been about BOTH parties maintaining a ceasefire and a status quo. How blatantly stupid that the Government of a nation be disarmed or told to ceasefire or maintain it  if the rebelling parties continue to maintain their arms and gain ground taking advantage of that ceasfire? The propaganda machinery of  the UN Coalition forces in Libya and their military actions in combination cannot blind the world. The entire action is so obviously and transparently motivated by reasons other than peace and the protection of the Libyan civilians. If peace and the safety of  civilian population were a reason, Yemen and Bahrain and the UAE would be right now facing UN sanctions too. The world may stand by and do nothing this time, but the entire story and its import shall not be lost on the impressionable people and generations of today. And somewhere down the road of time we shall reap what we sow . Do we believe that ? Or is religion and the Holy Book, like it is widely believed by now only an object and reason and means to push the political and socio-economic welfare of the Western world and cause divide and unrest amonst peoples of other nations?

 The USA lead coalition has severly undermined the importance and credibility of the United Nations. It has made the UN look very small and rather pathetic as an internationally acclaimed body of nations aimed at maintaining some sense amongst the chaos of the world. Today it’s just a lackey of the USA, compelled to do the bidding of a few powerful nations. It has no soul and no heart. Surely, overtly militarily aiding armed rebellion by a handful of groups against athe Government of a sovereign Nation could not have been among its ideals. It is surely not a body of nations meant to foist and fuel and help rebellion against other nations.

The leading Press and News media in the world, ‘would be’ ideals for a free press and freedom of speech and expression, reduced to being the propaganda machinery of their mentor states, going beyond themselves to push the agenda of their own nations (sadly,understandably), the UN and other states of the world compelled to support or reduced to the level of mere spectators while Nations powerful today use any excuse to wage war against countries for their own selfish soci-political or economic goals. The events current do not auger well for a world that seeks global peace and harmony. It does not auger well for the global community as envisioned for the coming decades. Indeed there is a very quiet despair midst the populations of the world and in the air, the smell of a new global tyranny and the danger of a new form of global dictatorship. I do not wish to sound ‘alarmist’  but yes, the end of Gadhafi’s Libya in the manner of the US coalition could well be the beginning of a new and dangerous era.

Truths about the Environment and Us

Does it even surprise people that there are only about 1500 Tigers of a kind remaining of an entire species? Do we raise an eyebrow even ? Do we care at all what happens to them or any other species (or even our own as long as we are not immediately and directly affected)?
Even as we read this, there are a MULTITUDE of lifeforms on the verge of extinction, others going extinct without perhaps our even knowing they ever existed. Of the more visible, Birds and Fish and other wild animals, Plantlife, and life-sustaining resources such as Rivers and Lakes, Land, Air and even the Oceans are being pushed by our actions ( and/or inactions) into a stage or state or statistic from where a reversal to life is impossible. The position of Insects – too minute and inconsequential in the chain of life to bother recording.
In bringing to an end a species as prominent and well known – visible – as the TIGER, we face the simple, frightening truth that the Human race is absolutely incapable of protecting the Environment from disaster. That all the talk and so-called effort at protecting or preserving all that is necessary for sustaining our environment is an eyewash and sham. The human race proves itself to be the most efficient of all parasites, devouring more, and more variety, more efficiently, at a faster pace than perhaps all other species put together, of the planet Earth it infests. Indeed our race shows a voracious appetite and unlike other life species consumes all that it can while finding new ways of consumption (use) for that which first hand may appear to be nonconsumable. Adaptive, ingenious, voracious consumers, creating at that same fast pace, more waste than any other species. Also,the only species that generates more waste and NON Bio-degradable waste than any other species on Earth.
But we stalk Tigers for now. The pleasure being in the fact that these will be the last few Tiger Hunts. Before we finally run out of those wonderful once proud cats. The World Wildlife Fund, the Animal Rights groups, Environmental Watch, THE ‘PROJECT TIGER‘, you name the rest… . ALL the kings horses and all the Kings’ (sic) men. If you could not save the Tiger from extinction you can save nothing. Accept it. It’s only a question of time. That much talked of final hour must come. Until then, all the lies and sham and play acting at finding more responsibility in a species that could go down in universal History as nothing more than a crude Parasite – with voracious appetite, feeding of the Planet it would infest and, in the end, destroy in its reckless gluttony.
Tigers today because the Tiger is one noticeable (?) milestone in our chequered path to total destruction.

Jokes on the Environment: Tall Tiger Tales

For some strange reason I get this rush of a chill down my almost non-existant spine at the thought of living beings vanishing forever, just so, one day. Being there one day, fearsome, beautiful, proud and lauded, and then gone – vanished forever. Can life be so fickle and so worthless to us ? So helpless as we make it seem?

Something called a Tigerthon starts all of a sudden. A magnificent cat is on the edge of vanishing forever they say. Something needs to be done so that the species may survive, they say. I guess, at this stage we want to be part of the event, be in the limelight. With all the media available it would have to be losers and all those that are no one who would miss out on not being onstage when History is in the making.  Afterall that majestic cat, so glorified by poet and writer, hunter and protector alike; so sought after – just a sighting of it so awe-inspiring, which we have been so overtly and with so much vehemence in pomp and show been protecting all these many decades, is finally hanging by its claws on the edge of extinction. That there are many other species long gone or which might so disappear which we may have failed to notice and to ‘protect’ so vehemently and with so much gusto and aplomb over the years is not important right now.(Who the hell knows too much of what variety of beings life sustains anyway). The lights are where the tiger is and that’s where we focus until the next time. And who knows , next time may not be the same Big event as The Tiger saying bbye.

There’s the bold statistic there that said there are only 1500 TigerS in the wild. Wow it would be real nice to have one stuffed for the grandchildren to see, when you tell them a Jim Corbett tiger tale by a crackling fire, to have them believe. Who will doubt that somewhere auctions are already on, trading at high and the bidding at a forever high. Tiger tooth, Tiger tail, Tiger Claw, Head, Skin, Bones. Theres nothing about Tigers that doesn’t sell. Now its going to be the stuff of History.

As for the guys crying Tiger Tiger … ( that does remind me of some writer having written something like those two words somewhere), like they found something new to do. HEY YOU GUYS WAKE UP. First let me remind you : The Tiger was ‘always’ an endangered species– has been for since my Daddy heard of its existence. It has for a long time been on the verge of extinction –  thanks for reminding us again. Project Tiger has been heard of by a large part of the concerned world – sounded good, like straight out of those Action movies. Save The Tiger. As well as lots of other slogans. Tigerthon does not sound too good under the circumstances – surely it cannot be that long a race. 1500 should not take too long you sissies! Surely you are much quicker and better equipped than those louts of the past! And India and ALL concerned nations and Organisations have been aware for a long time and have (without doubt) been doing EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to save that darned Cat. The facts and figures regarding these stupid animals that took up so much of space and money and planning and energy amidst  our already depleting land and other resources have been highlighted every now and then in the world forums and of course among the so concerned Peoples of India. Monies, have been donated often to save the poor critters. Funds have been raised. The so concerned Governments over the years have Financed and so have, I’m certain, those WWF, WTF chaps too, among all those unsung others. All having done their own sincere lot. And I have no doubts about the monies, that at least SOME of all that went into the huge National Parks, the research and studies, and all that had been considered essential and full of wisdom for the ‘protection’ of that animal pest that we have nearly done away with.

All those years and money and effort and we HAVE managed so far to keep the latest figure at 1500 in the wilderness. That stupid cat refuses to die. 

Now. All this noise all over again. One Big B growling, too, this time. What I would like to know and PLEASE, SOMEONE tell me, WHAT NEW THING are you planning to do? To finish with those last few darned cats still left, finally ?

The Book of the Saint

… And what is Deceit? The babe enquired of the old man.
The traveller smiled at the darkening horizon, his eyes reflecting the colors of the evening skies. Tis about embracing a friend and then stabbing him in the back, little one. Deceit is the will of evil and slave to Temptation. It comes mixt in the alluring silver streams that spring from the darkness of the Deep. Those that drink of the one, must then feed, on all others three, Betrayal and  Avarice and Greed. And in that sustenance draw darkness closer around them and be further from light of life; seek a more pleasureable path and be part of Another’s darker strife. 

 Deceit is all those lies, which must cause hurt and maim and bleed, that must be told to those that trust and those that love and those that have faith, by those slave to that vice. Which oozes from that Deep, which the angels fallen must keep, Where Archangel fallen from grace, waits proud in the darkness to reap.

The babe wondered. 

Don’t you fret that little head over it. The wise man said and smiled. Time to go home, little one, and soon time to sleep.

Under Seige

I am besieged . Pressured by the world into this dark corner from which I want not out. But someone help me, please.. my soul is dying. 

Iam besieged by loathing and hatred. And the frightening primitive law of survival of the fittest, that primeval craft a finer art now, honed to its most modern to fit into the world order of today, with newer ways to suit better the present way of life and the present system we call the modern developed world. I imagine I had a better chance then, when ages ago humanity (!) was still at a more primitive stage, perhaps even when barbarian. Only the weapons and the means have changed. The clothes are different. The languages spoken are different. Technologies make everything more global. We have the capabilities to strike more fatally today, strike harder, faster and further and engage larger targets. We are still the same. Apes and barbarians with a different language, a different sense of dress. Now we can do more comfortably and in a more organised manner and with better resources the very things we did back then. The dimensions have grown, we have our Systems, our Governments and our greedily consumed resources to aid our primate ways.

There is, in our Barbarian hands now, a very Primitive technology  as a machine gun in the hands of an enterprising, clever monkey. All the rest gathered around would look in awe and clap their hands in raucus glee at the few shots fired into distant tree. The sight of the slick, formidable and alien looking weapon. The heroic wielder of the gun. The awe inspiring sound of the shots. The amazing smell of gunpowder. The effect upon the tree. And the possibilities! Mesmerizing.

Not an eyebrow raised. Not a voice in the crowd shouting no ! when … Some such apes gather together and to ‘find out’  if there is water on a moon, BOMB IT. Clapping all around at the awesome deed done! At the ‘discovery’ of water!  No thought that there might be, perhaps thriving, perhaps hopeful, the last brave remnants of life where there is water… ! Give me a guarantee there isn’t and the right to sue you into oblivion if you are wrong!

Oh , but I drift! I am under seige, so help me please. Cornered by deceit and betrayal and lies. Corruption of all nature chokes me. I cannot hold against the rush anymore. The pushing and shoving. And blaspheming? No! that is just old granma’s talk. In a world where truth is about scientific fact, God is only wild theory right now. And don’t look amazed, there is no billions of dollars of research going anywhere in THAT direction. That kind of money only goes into POSSIBILITIES that are useful to mankind!

Someone help please. I’m beseiged by this organized mayhem and chaos. I am a misfit in a world where such hunger. Forgive me that I cannot eat dog. That, I refuse to do. But I am at my wit’s end now. Having fallen so far, I dare not fall further for fear that I am now closer to the dark, closer to that deep from whence rise these siver springs powered by the design of the that once Archangel who reaps of us now just as he has sown. Shall he win ? Shall Chaos rule here on Earth, too? Is there anyone left that has not been moulded in the design of the Fallen Ones? The harvest is rich I’m sure. I dream the fallen Archangel smiles his wry smile and laughs in the face of Him in whom we chose not to believe.  

And so I despair. My soul is under seige. It hath no place to go if ye God should defeat.

Caution: Plant Genetic Engineering

This with regard to plant genetic engineering. Creativity fuelled by the developments and discoveries of worldwide scientific research coupled with the easy availability of material and knowledge, when indulged in at ‘garage’ level, is bound to spawn complex problems in future.

We continue to ignore the fact that plantlife being an easy human target continues to be treated as something abstract. It’s time we began to treat and understand plants as a living thing. So much noise about humanity and animals rights by activists, but apart from deforestation vis a vis the environment plants are not understood as much else.

 Take note that we are playing, in genetic engineering, with that most important lifeform that feeds humanity and all life on this planet- indirectly if not directly- almost singlehandedly, maintains the balance of the soil- in its natural existence, and helps in maintaining the environmental and ecological balance (and relate this to land, air and water and all  living things on this planet). The culture of seeds and plants to increase yield to meet the needs of a growing world population or the fancy of creativity without too many checks and controls, is playing dangerously and callously with the laws of nature, which – accept it you brains out there, look at your daily weather forecasts and rate yourselves honestly for a change- we dare not pretend to know too much about and especially with regard to plantlife since THAT is one form of life which despite it’s cardinal importance does not draw too much attention as plants do not bleed or scream their pain.

All seeds and plants are in their current state of being through eons of development and change in their genes, in their shape and form and nature. Nature has its way of doing away with those that would interfere or go against it’s laws or against the very existence of its vast system. That the plants and seeds of today have undergone that ruthless test and survived/ been allowed to survive speaks volumes of their value to the this good earth. To change them with the limited knowledge we have for experiments’ sake or the needs of today or to engineer new breeds must be done only if need be and that with caution. A new drive is the need of the day to make aware the world of the importance of plantlife and need also of renewed endevour to learn more of plants and their importance in this our system.

A- Political India

Money, old friend, what are we doing about that 2 G – or was it 3G?- the media has made a lot out of it! 

Oye Soniye, lots of people made lots on it. And that it is not 2 or 3 G is just what the problem is- that boy Raja overdid it and went beyond the acceptable limits! Otherwise, with Obama coming in, the Asiad and all that hype about some Gold, all the cricket and all the other stuff, the matter would be long blown over by now.

We can’t be sitting ducks, Man, something’s got to be done. Why do these people get their necks in where they can’t get out! Look at Sassy, he’s learnt-  talkin about Arundhati Roy now instead of Bapu and Nehruji, and Doing only what he can marry in a hurry if things seem to be getting out of hand.

Oh yes, Sonja, Sassy’s got smarter, seems like he can’t help doin it all the time, but he, too, will have to draw a line somewhere, thrice is a bit too much don’t you think ? The thousands of Gs is another thing altogether, on the positive side the slumdogs don’t really understand what all those figures mean, they have graduated to thinking upto a Crore with our Big Bee flashing the figure on TV all the time and smaller figures could therefore stir up a public upheaval but amounts beyond that aren’t really understood by the poor mutts. Even Hairy Thakre’s men haven’t made much noise about it. In fact, just the mention of money shuts them up just a bit. All the noise against that poor little rich boy Shark Khan and even our very own puttar Tondulkar, and talk about culture and national sentiment being hurt, about censoring things and objectionable stuff, breaking down property and bashing up anyone in the way! BUT they didn’t mind being labelled slumdogs internationally that time with that slumdog movie. And I know it was to do with the million mentioned there. So too much of noise about Raja and the too many Gs is unlikely. In fact the other day when all had sort of quietened down, I passed by Raja and patted him on the shoulder and of course the media picked up that scrap but as usual the poor illiterate blokes got it wrong saying I was showing support for the man. To think the premier could be so naive! 

So you got things under control Bunny! Good. Mama Mia, I was beginning to worry just a bit! Keep me posted Buns, what would I do without you?

where Fairplay?

Why all the hue and cry and sudden ‘concern’ over Chinese trade policies?  We cried foul against the communists and their protectionist market policies. We bashed them across their heads all these years for their dark, cold, demonic ways and had the Church and Media and the world condemn them to eternal hell, poor folk! (Let’s skip the errant Russian souls running around with their version of the free market for now.) The Chinese decided to play our game and now that it seems they have the free market by the scruff of the neck and are dragging it happily around, trying to play our game the best they can and actually doing pretty well! It appears rather unsporting that we want to come up with new laws and checks on the game that never seemed to exist before. Are some people looking like crybabies here, and the respected USA behaving like the typical hurt bully?