My Own Dussera

Sometime back, I read an article on (where else?) the net. It explained in some detail how the same thing, an idea, a joke, an article, gets repeatedly read and re-posted on the net and elsewhere; till someone comes across it on multiple sites or platforms. So far its OK. What the author had issue with was that, that last someone starts claiming proprietorship for it as a result of what he considers "research"! That is not so bad, but the idea itself, even though fallacious at times, gains credence as a result of this constant repetition!

That one article froze all my ambitions of writing a regular blog post!

Mainly as a result of having too much free time on my hands, I tend to read a bit more than the average guy. Frequently, I come across ideas or things I find worth sharing. Occasionally a few topics or ideas from different sources just gel together. The end product seems like worth passing on and sharing. I had big plans to share all those things here, on a regular basis. But the above article stopped me in my tracks, instantly making me feel like a fraud and a thief! I was consumed with a feeling that nothing I was ever going to say was original!

But not anymore!

The reason is an extraordinary booklet called, "Steal Like An Artist" by Austen Kleon. If u have not read it yet, read it! Won't take more than a couple of hours, even at a snail’s pace!

Austin Kleon is, in his own words, “a writer who draws”.(“I make art with words and books with pictures.”) He has been translated into more than 20 languages. The Atlantic called him “positively one of the most interesting people on the Internet,” & I agree wholeheartedly! You can learn (almost) everything about him here.

I won't  spoil ur fun by saying anything more about him; but I promise you, a visit to his site, even a cursory one is a delight! Sure to lift ur spirits!

What he has done in the book is deconstruct the whole myth of Original Creativity!

He convincingly argues that whether in arts or literature or in fact in any of the creative pursuits there is hardly anything that can be called original, in the truest sense of the word!

Just as in a kaleidoscope, it is all there, even before you pick it up; the multicolored pieces of glass & the angled mirrors, but every actual view is different and changes with each little nudge u give to the kaleidoscope. And in that sense, every new view is ur creation! So in creativity!

We all have that “Light-Bulb” moment from time to time when, as a result of something you hear or read, an idea pops up in our head like the light-bulb in comic strips. Each of them may not compare with Newton’s “Gravity” or Einstein’s “Relativity”; just as every view through the kaleidoscope is not breathtakingly beautiful. Every such creation may not be extraordinary or "Genius", but all the same it has a rightful claim to be called a creative and original output! Sant Dnyaneshwar, the 13th century Maharashtrian, BhaktiMarg Saint-Prodigy puts it beautifully in his inimitable style, 

“jçpçnbmçç®çí ®ççuçCçí, pçiççÇ Pççuççdzçç MçnçCçí; cnCççívççÇ kçÀç³ç kçÀJçCçí ®ççuççí®ççÇ vç³çí?”

(Freely translated it means, 'just bcoz the Swan's walk is world renowned for it's majesty, does it disqualify everyone else from walking?')

Austin Kleon has of course put all this much more wittily and convincingly, than I ever could! Following his own advice, he has also quoted extensively from various sources. 

So, I have shed all my doubts. Consider this as my own ritual crossing of the boundaries (çÆmçcççíuuçbIçvç) traditionally associated with Dussera!

I hope to write, & write often! I don't know how often, but write I will!

 So keep visiting! Who knows, u may get lucky & find a view that takes ur breath away, your own “Light-Bulb” moment!

Happy çÆJçpç³ççoMçcççÇ!!!

PS: Your comments will be greatly appreciated, & if u leave ur email address here, I will try & get back to u. (I am quite new at this, so help me out guys!)

SAVE KONKAN

        महाराष्ट्र सरकारने नुकतेच कोकणात "रासायनिक उद्योग क्षेत्र" विकसित करण्याची घोषणा केली आहे.

      स्वातंत्र्यानंतरच्या ६८ वर्षांत आणि स्वतंत्र महाराष्ट्र राज्याच्या निर्मिती नंतरच्या गेल्या ५५ वर्षांत विकासाच्या नावाखाली कोकणाच्या नशिबी एखाद्या शापासारखे फक्त रासायनिक उद्योगच आले! पाताळगंगा, रसायनी, धाटाव, बिरवाडी आणि लोटे येथिल 'रासायनिक' म्हणून विशेष निर्दिष्ट केलेल्या MIDC, आणि नागोठणे येथिल IPCL (आता रिलायंन्स) ही या शापाची उत्तम उदाहरणे आहेत.
        हे रासायनिक उद्योग आजूबाजूच्या प्रदेशात करत असलेला विध्वंस आपण सर्वांनीच प्रत्यक्ष पाहिलेला आणि अनुभवलेला आहे. हवा कायमची प्रदुषित झाल्ये, भूगर्भ-जल साठे एकतर रिकामे तरी झालेत किंवा दुषित तरी. वर्षानुवर्षे अनिर्बंधपणे या कारखान्यांनी सोडलेल्या रासायनिक सांडपाण्यामुळे आजूबाजूच्या नद्या, नाले, तळी विषारी रसायनांनी ओसंडून वहात आहेत. या सर्वांगिण प्रदुषणाने स्थानिक राहिवाश्यांचे आरोग्य धोक्यात आले आहे. अधिकृत आकडेवारी उपलब्ध नसली तरी गर्भपात, अपु-या दिवसांची प्रसूती, मृत किंवा जन्मजात अपंग/विकृत मुले जन्माला येणे, पचनाचे आणि आतड्यांचे विकार, आणि कर्करोग या सर्वांचेच प्रमाण वाढते आहे असे म्हणणे अतिशयोक्तीचे होणार नाही. परिसरातील गोरगरिबांकरीता नद्यांतून पकडलेले गोड्यापाण्याचे मासे हा दैनंदिन आहाराचा मुख्य भाग होता. आज या नद्यांमधून मासे जवळपास नाहिसेच झाले आहेत. इतकेच नव्हे तर, न्यूयॉर्क च्या ब्लँकस्मिथ इन्सीट्यूट ने बिरवाडी MIDC ची गणती जगातील सर्वाधिक प्रदूषीत ३० औद्योगिक क्षेत्रांमधे केलेली आहे!
      कारखान्यांमुळे पर्यावरणाची अशी हानी होऊ नये आणि झाल्यास दोषींवर कठोर कारवाई व्हावी या करीता कडक कायदे नक्कीच आहेत, पण ते केवळ कागदोपत्री. प्रत्यक्षात महाराष्ट्र प्रदुषण नियामक मंडळ, सरकारी यंत्रणा, आणि राज्यकर्ते या सगळ्यानी साटे-लोटे करुन वर्षानुवर्षे या सगळ्यावर पांघरुण टाकण्याचेच काम केलेले आहे हा इतिहास आहे.
      हि आत्ताची घोषणा, विकासाच्या गोंडस नावाखाली गुजरातमधील कच्छपासून प.बंगाल मधील सुंदरबनांपर्यंत देशाचा संपूर्ण सागरी किनारा रसायनिक उद्योगांच्या दावणीला बांधण्याच्या महत्वाकांक्षी योजनेचा एक भाग आहे. या योजनेचे नाव आहे PCPIR. म्हणजे, Petroleum, Chemical, & Petro-Chemical Investment Region.
      अगदी साध्या भाषेत, या योजनेखाली समुद्रकिनाऱ्यालगत प्रत्येकी कमितकमी २५०चौ.कि.मी.ची रसायनिक उद्योग क्षेत्रे विकसित करण्यत येणार आहेत. त्या करीता लागणा-या सर्व पायाभूत सुविधा (रस्ते, रेल्वे, पाणि, विशिष्ट प्रतीचा खात्रीशिर विजपुरवठा इ.) राज्य सरकारने आपल्या तिजोरीतून खर्च करुन उभ्या  करावयाच्या आहेत. प्रत्यक्ष भूसंपादन न करता, केवळ ७/१२वर शिक्के मारुन काम भागणार आहे! एवढेच नव्हे तर या कारखान्यांचे सांडपाणी आणि रसायनिक प्रक्रीयांमधून निर्माण झालेली विषारी द्रव्ये यांचि विल्हेवाट लावण्याची जबाबदारी देखिल राज्य सरकारने उचलायची आहे!
        अश्यातऱ्हेने आपल्या पैशांनी उभारलेल्या या आयत्या बिळांवर बसायला भारत सरकार मग खाजगी क्षेत्रातील (भारतीय तसेच १००% परदेशी) नागोबांना हात जोडून आमंत्रित करणार. ते मग कोणत्याही जबाबदारी शिवाय आपले अजस्त्र रसायनिक प्रकल्प येथे उभारणार आणि त्यांच्या या उपकाराबद्दल त्यांना सरकार कर आणि रॉयल्टीमध्ये प्रचंड सूट देणार. बहूसंख्य भारतीय कायदे त्यांना लागू होणार नाहीत. सागरी किनारपट्टीचे संरक्षण करण्याच्या हेतूने अंमलात आणलेल्या CRZ कायद्यातून या योजनेला आधीच सूट देण्यात आली आहे. महाराष्ट्र सरकारने तर याहून एक पाऊल पुढे जाऊन ही सूट नदीकिनाऱ्यांच्या बाबतीत देखिल लागू केली आहे! या क्षेत्रातील ग्रामपंचायती, नगरपालीका या सारख्या स्थानिक स्वराज्य संस्थांचे अधिकार खूपच मर्यादीत होतील.
      कोकणातील रसायनिक उद्योगांच्या वर्षानुवर्षे चालू असलेल्या बेलगाम आणि बेजबाबदार वागण्यालाआपण सारेच साक्षी आहोत. त्यांना शिस्त लावण्याकरीता आवश्यक ती क्षमता किंवा इच्छाशक्ती सरकारी यंत्रणेकडे नाही हे नक्की. या परिस्थितीत असले अवाढव्य रसायनिक प्रकल्प इथे आले तर केवढा हाहा:कार माजेल याची आपण कल्पना करु शकता! प्रत्यक्ष मायबाप सरकारच त्यांच्यासमोर हात जोडून लाचारपणे उभे असल्यावर आपल्या डोळ्यादेखत कोकणाचे वाटोळे केल्याशिवाय ते राहणार नाहीत!
          जैविक विवीधतेसाठी कोकण आणि सह्याद्रि घाट जगभर नावाजलेले आहेत. निसर्गसंपदेने नटलेली, हिरवीगार दरी-खोरी, स्फटिकासमान स्वच्छ पाण्याने खळखळणारे झरे, नद्या-नाले, आणि कधीही मंत्रमुग्ध करणारा सागर किनारा यामुळे कोकण आज भूतलावरील स्वर्गापेक्षा काही वेगळा नाही. पण जर ही PCPIRची योजना पूर्णपणे अमलात आली तर याच स्वर्गाचे हां हां म्हणता एक रुक्ष वाळवंट आणि गलिच्छ विषारी किनारपट्टीत रुपांतर होईल!
हे टाळण्याच फक्त एकच मार्ग आहे....
आपण सर्वांनी एकत्र येऊन एकमुखाने त्याचा विरोध करणे.....

आपणास पटत असल्यास कृपया खालील link ला भेट देऊन आपला पाठींबा नोंदवा. तसेच फेसबुक, व्हॉट्सअँप, ट्वीटर इ सर्व माध्मातून आपल्या मित्रमंडळींमध्ये या मोहीमेचा प्रचार करा.
आपल्या प्रत्येकाच्या मदतीची गरज आहे!

 https://www.change.org/p/save-konkan?recruiter=388540596&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

THE FAILING REPUBLIC

In the last couple of days, I am swamped with patriotic messages. On fb & twitter & whatsapp & ordinary smses; emotional, colourful, sometimes funny, witty but all congratulating all of us on the occasion of ‘Republic Day’.

         It has made me ask, what are we celebrating? The word ‘Republic’ is defined in the dictionary as “a country without a king or queen, usually governed by elected representatives of the people and a president”. The meaning is more effectively conveyed by the Indian words used, “Praja-Sattak” or “Gana-Tantra” Divas. 

Do we really have that in this country?

On this, our 64^th Republic Day, do we honestly believe that we are ruled by the common citizens (Praja) of this country? Do we, the ordinary citizens (Gana), have any say in the way this country is governed?

The answer is an emphatic NO!

The reasons for this can be debated endlessly; and in fact majority of us do just that! Debate these and similar issues endlessly in the comfort of our drawing rooms. And, depressingly, the conclusions are usually the same....

“Politicians have ruined this country”

“Politics has become a business of rogues & crooks”

“Politics is not a field for gentlemen like us, anymore”

“What can I do, alone?”

“After all, I have my career, family, life to consider”

& the unkindest cut of them all, “This country has no future, Iss desh ka kuchh nahi ho sakta”

Today let us pause to consider why have things come to this sorry state!

The answer, to my mind, is that we, the ordinary, decent, honest folk have decided in our collective wisdom that ‘let somebody else do it!’

We have utterly & completely stopped participating in the democratic process. And as a result, if crooks & rogues have taken over by default, who is to be blamed?

The system put in place by our forefathers is excellent; the only ingredient missing is our active participation! Democracy is not a utility or a machine that once installed should be giving faultless service endlessly. We think the occasional servicing in the form of our infrequent visits to the polling booth should be enough!

No, it doesn’t work that way! A vibrant democracy is a dynamic process that needs aware, alert citizens, who speak out when necessary, for it to be successful!

I am not canvassing for any one political party here; today let us canvass for the nation.

Whatever party, ideology or leader you believe in, for that party (& also inside that party!), participate!

At the level of your building, mohalla, ward, constituency, district, state, or nation; as per your capacity & inclination, PARTICIPATE! Be alert & vigilant about what is going on, speak out when necessary, but let those in power know that you are watching, and then see the difference!

Today, let us ask ourselves, if these seasonal  “26^th Jan/ 15^th Aug bouts” of patriotism are enough to fulfill our duties as citizens? Does that entitle us to bad-mouth the political class, snigger at the politicians and write off this entire great nation as hopeless?

If you start participating, however modestly, next year, I will be proud to exchange these greetings with you...

“HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY”!

THE RULE OF LAW

THE RULE OF LAW

        Another “Republic Day”! In all it’s glory!

        It means many things to many people. ‘A long week end’ is the commonest! Or ‘Oh My God, A Dry Saturday! What a nuisance!’! Or a chance to see old patriotic films/songs on TV & feel a bit nostalgic, or occasionally, buying a plastic Tricolor from the kids at the traffic signal & carrying it around for a few days on the dashboard of one’s car!

        In fact everything, except what it actually is!

        What it really stands for is 1.Our acceptance by common consent, of a ‘Democratic, Federal, Republic’ form of government to rule us & 2. As a corollary, our consent to obey all it’s laws to be able to live in a civil society.

        What a laugh!

        Not even an illiterate farmer or a school-going kid now believes that we have a ‘Functioning’ democracy. Oh, we vote all right, or are at least supposed to! Regular as clockwork, elections are held for Gram Panchayat to Parliament. But what we actually enjoy (or suffer, depending upon your view point!) is an Oligarchy of Rogues, draped in various shades of the political rainbow. All of them busy together in gleefully pillaging the country regardless of the side of the power divide they belong to! That, as you might rightly say, is nothing new!

        What amazes me more is why we are so reluctant to obey laws!

        We as a society seem to take some obscene pleasure in breaking all sorts of laws, big & small, and think nothing of it. None of us is an exception. Whether it is a question of waiting a few seconds at a red traffic light, wearing helmets or seatbelts, standing patiently in any queue till our turn comes or, not disclosing a bank account to the IT department; we are ready, nay eager, to break laws at the drop of a hat; as long as we think we can get away with it.

        And I am talking about educated, honest, cultured, civilized, god fearing people like you & me. When I try to talk about it, the commonest response is ‘So what? Such a small thing! What does it matter?’ And the commonest defense is ‘Everybody does it! Just my obeying the laws is not going to help’! There are various versions in between. Like ‘I know it is wrong, but what can one do? I don’t want to be left behind’ (whether in traffic or in Life!)

        What a petty, self serving attitude to have!

        It is the “In” thing to blame politicians & the police for every ill besetting this country. But, if we ourselves are not prepared to make those everyday, small sacrifices needed to build a civil society, to obey the rules & laws meant for ordinary citizens, do we have the moral right to demand model, exemplary behavior from the political class? And the police? If the elite of this country is intent on breaking every law in sight, how can they be expected to fulfill their duty, and give us a reasonably secure, crime-free society to live in?

        While all this is logical, straightforward & pertinent what interests me more is it’s genesis.

        How did we become like this? We are a cultured people, with the benefit of more than 5000 years of the most advanced civilization in history, behind us. A glorious heritage of which we are justly proud. Even today, in every country where we choose to settle down, we are welcome as one of the most hard working, productive and law-abiding ethnic groups. So why is it that, the moment we are left in our own country, on our own, we start breaking laws, left & right?

        It seems to me that there are two reasons for this phenomenon.

        In their eagerness to paint a rosy picture of the utopia that was to be post-independence India, our leaders must have given an incorrect picture of what ‘Democracy’ means. Before that, throughout our known history we were only ruled by kings (native or foreign). We had never even heard of ‘Self Rule’. For such people, the idea of democracy must have seemed like a drink of heady wine to a traveler coming out of a desert after months of thirsty wandering. No wonder it went to our collective head! Somewhere along the line, the idea of ‘being your own master’ got perverted into ‘not having to obey anybody or anything’. We were never told that the idea of a strong democracy depends entirely upon the sacrifice of the small (and sometimes even big) interests of the individual for the sake of the greater common good. Democracy is more about duties and less about rights. I know that in today’s cynical world, all this sounds like meaningless, laughable, pompous, & platitudinous. But for all that, it is still the Truth!

        The other factor is that, the newly emerging ruling elite started the trend of creating exceptions for themselves from every rule, may be as a proof or show of their ‘Importance’. How else would you explain the huge hoardings displaying the list of people exempted from paying the toll at every toll booth? These worthies sure are not so poor that they can’t afford the 20/30 Rs toll! Neither is paying the toll likely to prevent them from performing their sacred duties as ‘Servants of the People’! That mentality, while percolating down to the masses has, somewhere along the line has transformed 'breaking the law' into a status symbol! The more laws you can break and the more rules you are exempt from, greater your social status! No wonder we, all of us, seem to be in a race to disobey every law in sight and break every rule we can!

        Coming back to the Republic Day, as a matter of curiosity, please find out, how many of your friends attended the flag hoisting ceremony today? Did you? And if it is a symbol of our patriotism, what does it say about us and our great country?