The Order of the Future

Disclaimer: the piece of article is written by an Indian citizen, who had not read history very critically, however understands it.

Listening to the debate in Parliament, and especially to Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, the thought that echoed in my mind was resonated in Parliament by none other than Mr Yadav summoned as, “India deserves leaders like us!” I will come back to this session back, but first let me share some stories.

The truth is certainly not on his side, a folklore imprinted on minds of most of the Indians, where they do not even want to try to achieve for what they deserve. Like a story read in my childhood, which tells how a mighty elephant can be tamed with just a small chain as compared to his size. Please search for the answer yourself to know your strength.

We certainly do not deserve leaders like Mr Yadav, and to those who are proponent to the deserving leadership theory, please do a little time travel to the times when we used to have pathetic DTC services in pre 2000s days, after that the deadly “Red Line” service versus Metro Rail of today, and ask this question. DO we deserve the Metro Rail Service?

However when Anna Hazare said about change in system, nobody understood it better than the likes of “Red Line” leaders of India, that they might be in the line of tigers, not in terms of might, in terms of being an endangered species. Hence the debate in Parliament although was focussed on criticizing the ruling party, but unanimously an undertone was for the supremacy of Parliament, which meant supremacy and monopoly of “Red Lines”.

I am not against Parliamentary system, and almost all Indian citizens, and in fact many Pakistan nationals will agree to it, but who is ruling the Parliament is the question.

But let us dissect each and every piece, although I might fail in grasping the totality of the picture.

First it is too early to comment of what the outcome will be. And many will not term current event as a revolution. Both of the notion of words have been used in past, and we try to relate things with past to show our understanding of world and nature. However truth is we have always failed to predict the future, be it the economics (our Prime Minister can vouch for this line) or political.

The Past: Once upon a time there was a king, ruling his kingdom. This was the story of world, every world, because the world we now know is entirely different to what that was in ancient time(how Ancient? Let us say when Ganges had forests around it rather than fields, and water rather than pollutants). The king at that time (I am simplifying the notion of king for my storytelling habit; please do not get into academic debate) was the patriarch, and considered descent of God. Similar kings too existed in other parts of globe; however in India a man possessing more of cowherds was given the title. We have also been taught that in the same time, there used to be smaller units, Republican Units, co-existing along with kingdoms.

To me the existence of Republic is a myth, a hoax, a creation of historians. By the yardsticks of cowherd numbers, Mr Yadav certainly was a king in past, with his trails of many cow food scan, he certainly was a king.

How could a republic exist in times when we were not educated enough? The premise, we deserve our leader, should have held true in those days also. Movement to future is a march of progress. How could this present be darker than the past? A republic in past would have been a bigger chaos than today. That is why I consider the Republic existence as a myth.

Our leaders will have to think for themselves, if they are taking forward the nation, and their current Republic is better than the Republic of the past? If yes, then certainly the Republic of past were more of chaos and not a Republic (we should than expunge the pages of history which teaches lies to our school children). The current state of Indian Republic is not something to be cheered upon. If No, what then?

Last Few Years: History is written by the winners. French and American Revolution are thought to be two history shaping events. Globally (the world changed in between our Past, Ganges had fields along it, and the world was ruled by lines demarking what we call today as NATION), there was birth of Republic (opposed by Indian Historians, it was inherent part of India). But, winners history says, French Revolution gave birth to Republic. Another blow against our indigenous theory of Republic.

A thought. Why would a “nobody” would be so interested in having a dig at our current Prime Minister, Mr Yadav and Republic? None of them have anything in common. We will reach to it by end of our story.

Republic have many theories, many fathers, like victory. Let our story be centred to orphaned child. Not India, but people of India, who are thought to look-up to their “mai-baap”.

The “mai-baap” was a king, owing many cows, a king owing strong army, or a landlord having muscle man and cash, later the Britishers. All of whom had common thing. Force, might, POWER.

And none of them wanted to relinquish it. The French Revolution bought down the king. Is was about “By the People, For the People and Of the People”

The Present: An idea, when comes into existence, we first ridicule it, then question it, resist it and finally accept it. I will not quote anything from past, there are numerous ideas now living. We now live in a civilized, advancing and futuristic world. Is it?

We had successive economic recession, war against terrorism, cold war in recent present, lot of nuclear warheads, hunger and what not. The problems seem aplenty and we look forward to our leadership for the solutions. The leadership does not imply with the “Red Lines” in India, but the Yes-We-Can-President, hope of millions and hope-of-audacity. A noble prize winner for peace (please do not mind for lowercase, for me this institution, noble prize, has turned into a lowercase award, rationality follows), says twice for people of China & India. They are consuming more (once for food and next for petrol), hence there are rises in prices. Is this what we call a statement for Global Peace?

The challenge posed by People of India, during the protest against Government of India and in favour of Anna Hazare was an answer to many questions. Solidarity for seeking an answer to a new order.

The Order of Future: We have not formalized it, planned it, but we seek for an Order which is not certainly Present, which is Future.

Now follows the stories within stories, we start from last. Mr Obama, might have been correct when he said the price rise was due to consumption rise in China & India. But is this in spirit to promote World Peace? Well certainly he can claim he is President of America, and has to take care of his countries welfare, but to the basic need of other people, do we still believe in humanism? After 9/11 there was echo “the day the world changed”. Yes, the world has changed, the world economic order is on brink of collapse, few countries are fighting for UNSC, but UN per se has failed as an agency to bring peace. The people for 2008 economic fiasco are still free, Mr Obama failed to punish the guilty. Do we still believe in world peace by this prize? That is, in letter and spirit.

We could never have relied in “Red Lines” for support. Not even a single voice was heard in China & India against Mr Obama’s opinion. I wonder there would have been similar silence in case America would have opposed NPT or any similar war item. So much for the people, the common man.

Indian historians falsified the democracy in India, first in past and then in present. One could not be ascertained another was borrowed across globe, with so many ifs and but, then the common man was made believe “You deserve a Red Line service, or in fact no service”. The “mai-baap” will decide what to do with their lives. This is the story of India, but how different is the story of US. The only difference they have is their “mai-baap” is in suits and ours in kurta.

Run a parallel, the story will come in foreground.

Now the similarity between Prime Minister of India and the Republic in present being better than past, with answer as No. This is “Nobody’s” perspective. We have a Prime Minister now; whose resume probably cannot be matched by any other head of state. The superlatives would seem dwarf in front of him, his integrity never was questioned, till recently. And now he says he is “Helpless”. How could we have a system, where a learned head of nation, with majority in Parliament be helpless. How can he empower poor, common man? A helpless PM heading a nation of 120 crores? Truly the People of India are helpless. The point of rationality breaks down here.

Why would many people in Pakistan agree? After all we both of us have the same genetic code, but the evolution has resulted in two markedly different species. Two different worlds created in span of 64 years only. Yet they both would agree.

Mr Yadav had a great sense of humour, as I felt it, but could not understand. Why I felt because in between a very serious debate, in between when a 74 year old was in fast for about 25 hours, when people of India feeling helpless for being citizen of India were peacefully protesting, he uttered something and many Member of Parliament had a good laugh. A laugh on the nation and to the system they said belonged to them and them only. And why I could not understand, because I felt Members of Parliament laughing at the helplessness of common man, on being the common man’s futility of being a “Nobody”.

America phrased few words in present “By the People, For the People, Of the People”. The Order of Present should have not have been broken. “Red Lines” have defined themselves as the supreme power; the constitution was set of principles for proper functioning of society, not for creation of privileged class called Member of Parliament, who had no confidence on People of India and utmost trust on themselves.

Parallels can be drawn in Roman empire, French revolution, but what India is witnessing is an event of future. We might fail today and the “Red Lines” might rule to alter the history, but even they have had a glimpse of the future, where people can live without “mai-baap”, hence they are afraid and scrambling and the howl has turned louder from them. I salute Mr Advani to recognize this in April 2011.

The wheel of events have taken a turn, where the “Red Lines” will be slowly coming to an end with better systems, the passing of Lokpal in Present can only delay the speed of wheel, but cannot stop it.

We the People of India, did give them the Constitution, and in past have chosen to be governed in the process of “Democracy”. However, we the People of India have seen this is not the Future; we are sowing the seeds of Future, the Order of Future.

Mirrors

The man said to me never take mirrors when you move from one place to another, the memories are caught in them, and they chase you to new places.

Dracula, probably that's why had no mirror in his castle, his memories would haunt him, in superlative degree!

I ran from my town, had been running for years, to escape from memories, never carrying a single crystal. But they seemed to catch me, the ghost would stand in front of me no sooner I thought its past. every time the man was proved wrong, but I always believed him, yet couldn't disprove his statement.

Atlast, today I was left with no options. I was trapped in the web of life, a job to support every single day of existence. And even in the momemnts most true to heart I could not run away.

I had to see present change into past as the train moved away from me. I knew the memories would be with me looking into rear-view mirror as I tried to start the car. I didn't tried to run away from mirrors and memories now, they seemed more true to me.

And in this sudden moment of realization, I felt warmth around the core of my eyes, something reflected back from mirror, and the truth dawned to me, how the past is caught in the mirror. A mirror we cannot escape, a mirror trying to break free from memories, yet catching more of it.

Déjà vu

It seemed so much familiar. A life re-lived, a dream revisited, another second, a minute, an hour, an entire lifetime wasted on thoughts.

I have been walking for the last one hour. The day started without any goal, I started doing things for which failure was sure. Daryagunj visit at an hour when the pavement book market was sure to have been closed. To try to find something when I knew I would not get it. A hope when there was none. Walking along the road, I felt coming out of that place, walking to some other place, but for no reason. Probably my fear to live another past, a past which had everything, but for which I felt nothing. A dread to the fear.

Another visit to Chandni chauk, again a market which should have been closed on Sundays, which I knew beforehand. Purchases that I didn’t need were my reason to visit this place, and to have this reason to gather another disappointment. But viola! Universe again created a magic, and I have to buy a few camera accessories, without which I could have been wealthier!!

A thought was tied to me; it kept me on the edge. On edge of sanity, a boundary of truth and fiction. Where the line that divides them is very thin. As thin and as blurred as the bubble floating in front of my face, as false a the man selling the toy, the toy as true as the bubbles it was creating, as false as that child’s wish to own that toy, and as false as that child’s parent denial to that child’s dream. And then suddenly the floating bubble burst.

And then there was the walk along the memory lane, a narrow lane, another dread, another fear, and my helplessness to walk along this road. Another fear to walk, time and again. Since this has to be me, and this life has to be so.

Question

Like a question in my mind, not visible until now, but suspended somewhere, the paper was floating in air. Perhaps it was only for a second, that I was able to glance on it. Funny thing this nature reveals, strange are the acts of universe.
It took me another moment to come back to present, switch the gear and move on, for the world around me was going ahead as the red signal turned green. I left the paper hanging in air behind me.
The gentle breeze was touching my face; I had to calm down the engine. The danger of turning the simplicity of cold air to fierce torrent is always lurking once I rev-up the engine. And even if once I dare to speed-up I would lose the calmness, the perspective. Perhaps the power is to hold, the balance to maintain.
Movement is not the negation of suspension, for the complexity of the universe is never solved. A universe suspended in ether moves in space beyond definitions.
The thoughts were differentiated and words were integrated, or were it vice-versa. The mathematics was never solved. An axiom without theorem. A theorem with proof?

He was yayawar.
The mountain was high, the acme distant. It were cold winds that he felt against himself. He never felt the time, how long has he been climbing?
He loved heights, and distances. His love for them increased with the worsening of them.
The white flakes of snows were falling, lying all around him. Small, white, cold, light….
The cold was growing on him.
He remembered the last sparks he had left in his last camp. He admired them, they were lovely, they burned slowly, glowed warmly.. He had repulsion for fire, big fire. They were egoist, they would consume everything and yet want more, then spare none, anything that comes on their way.

Ah…the cold, the height, the distance.
Every step he took was becoming heavy. The snow deep, air cold and thin.
Ah….
God! He thought, why am I climbing?
Everyone fought over Him, some destroyed His idols. He believed in idol worship. Atleast somebody was solid. The people he met were hollow, deviod of substance, empty.
Ah God!...where is sun?
Suddenly it dawned to him he hadn’t seen it for long….to the bright one..
Was the pinnacle coming down for him? Or was he climbing faster?
Was the air beating against him? Was it fighting with him? He loved heights, but…feared them.
He reached there. It seemed to him he was in the ocean of whites.
Where was the cold? Where were his fears?

It was his dream, to jump from a great height. He knew he will never fall, he would start flying. The more the height, the better his flight. It never occurred to him that hard land was somewhere below him.
He was still thinking something….
They saw him, felt the cold, saw the height, felt the fear, saw…

And he…closed his eyes.

dream

“It all seems like a dream”, I heard ma saying, when we were watching the photo albums.
I came to Delhi for the search of a job, and so it seemed, like yesterday, and like a dream. And I never knew I would change so much, a change like a chemical reaction. It was like vulcanization. A process to harden natural rubber, doping it with impurities, usually sulphur, because natural rubber is soft and of no commercial value. Only problem with vulcanization, its irreversible.
I was thought be impractical, not fit for the world, because the supposed qualification to fit in this world is to dupe the people who trust you.
Words fail me, thoughts run away from me, and once you have used your quota of words, one cannot ask for more words. For while playing with words I come across some sentences, they are thrown from the unknown directions of cosmos. We all are showered with the rains of advice, or SMS in newer avatar. Wonderful they are, for they conjure up a image that is fit with the life we live. A movie reminded me something a few days back, I wish to end this blog-post with the realization.
I have been wrong, and my personal opinion goes to add that wrong should not exist. But if a person is wrong, he cannot be eliminated, rather the identity which is thought to be wrong should be eliminated. Period.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing - Edmund Burke"

fever

I was not afraid of insanity or madness, it runs in my family, its only a matter of time that it will catch with me.
Was it illusion, illusions, delusions or dementia? A constant state of mind in suspension, but seemed more real. Madness or truth, its debate time immortal. What I see, I cannot perceive. That is why these words come to me.
Dissecting each thought, each action is more harder, and the corpse of thoughts that lie after this is more dreadful, more difficult to clean. Blood on my hands, I am helpless. We are not discussing theology, philosophy, or other worldliness. My words are the my actions in papers. All this is past, but past keeps happening in paper, in our thoughts, in the mind, whoever reads them, thinks them, feels it.
Again, it is receding from me, my suspension in time, I am coming back to today. Goodbye the illusions, welcome the world!