STRAIGHT TALKS

The world is a stage. And all men and women are mere actors. - Shakespeare The impact of movies and movie celebrities can be  bewildering to any active agile mind and disturbing on any standards of civilisation. Because many just don’t perceive it as mere entertainment nor understand that the business of entertainment is just another effort to make money. Some moderns even think and go extreme to believe hero worshipped celebrities alone have brains. Especially in Philliphines, Nigeria, India and in some developing countries.  In India, celebrities especially those from film world and the game of cricket, make it big and reach the top of politics and even reach offices of governance with ease and no effort. South of Mumbai in India stays unique with its high pitch movie obsession. As a result, Bollywood guys and gals never miss opportunities to become people’s representatives to Parliament. From Amitabh Bachan, Jaya Bhaduri, Rajesh Khanna, Shatrughan Sinha, Sunil Dut...

Sanatan Dharama popularly known as Hinduism, we are repeatedly told is highly discriminatory and filled with prejudices. Many West trained join hands with Dravidian school drop outs were in the forefront of this propaganda. Casteism is one major drawbacks we are told. Brahmins who make a minority in Hinduism were accused of suppressing other castes and Manu Smriti was quoted in this defense. Everyone knows that Caste system was not hereditary like contemporary dynasties till the vedic period. Then the divisions began. The lower caste of working class called Sudras were discriminated by the three upper castes. If discrimination did exist, it was because of the three upper castes. The division was not water tight. All Brahmins weren't occupied at temples. They were farmers too.  Kshatriyas were not restricted to defense of the soil but partook in all areas of human activity. Enterprising Vaisyas were not just local traders and history shows that they traded across continents. T...

The common and oft repeated excuse for media when cornered or exposed is : Don’t shoot the messenger! Is media a messenger or just a messenger? Or is it less or more of it? We need to find answers to define media in defence of the media. Either they are innocent honest messengers or clever carriers that convert facts into coloured opinions depending on their business agenda. It’s impossible to be both. A messenger according to dictionary is one who is employed to carry messages or a document. This messenger transfers, conveys messages and documents as they were. This messenger has no right to tamper with or open the content but can only forward it as required. Yes the postman and the courier are messengers so are emails and applications that help us communicate directly. Let’s ask whether  any media organisation does an impartial , matter of fact, objective transfer of facts to the reader, the viewer or the listener as the case may be? Let’s assume the capital of Indi...

“The Lord Kapaleeshwarar sat watching the people of Mylapore Amidst flowering coconut palms Taking ritual bath in the seas in the Masi month” Saint Poet Thirugnanasambandar wrote thus in sixth century. There are also references in sangam literature to the Kapaleeshwarar temple of Chennai as located on the sea shore.  How did the temple move to the present location and found far away from the shore? The ancient temple was destroyed by Portuguese Catholics in 1561. And on its place the present Church of Santhome built. When the present Home of Archbishop was built, stones belonging to the temple were unearthed. Instead of the Archeological Survey of India investigating into it, the whole thing was hushed up in keeping with the spirit of Indian secularism. Instead a story of martyrdom of Thomas was conceived and sold to the people. A fake tomb for Thomas was erected as approved by Vatican to convert Hindus into Christianity. Check this for story of Thomas’  tombs: ...

One of the harsh criticisms on Modi government has been that demonetisation was badly prepared and handled and took few months for the nation to settle down. That it hurt businesses. Made people suffer. The same allegations were hurled on GST implementation too. Factually such claims appear right but do they stick deep down? Were they poorly conceived and delivered as hurled by detractors? Imagine for a moment Modi alerting RBI to begin printing of new notes while asking them to stop printing currencies that were to be demonetised. Again imagine ATMs across nation being upgraded for new notes with a direction to all the banks. What could have happened if precautionary steps were taken as part of preparation? Simple. News would have leaked of the impending demonetisation and with adequate notice, all to be demonetised currencies would have been converted as legal money with all the available loopholes in the banking sector. A sure shot for failure of demonetisation that would hav...

Agitations are the marks of a vibrant democracy, we are told. Dissent is the heartbeat of Parliamentary Democracy, it’s often reiterated. So to mark dissent we have agitation, communists enlighten us. Fair argument. Except that no agitation or dissent was ever permitted in China, Cuba or USSR? So let’s study agitation. I was forced to apply mind because of the happenings in India. From every day bandh in high literacy Kerala to alternative day hartal in argumentative Bengal to the new entry to afitational politics in Tamilnadu which seems to have agitation once every hour. What were it’s roots and has agitations , violent agitations ever helped in reformation or were just rebellions? Have you ever felt disturbed? Agitated? What do you do then? Blow your top or calm down? It depends on your character. Agitations, public agitations are about blowing your top. Simply demonstrate your dissatisfaction. Again you can convey your agitated mind or your agitation purpose calmly as Mah...

Lord Jesus Christ was possibly the greatest messiah of love after Gautama Buddha. Not considering the unknown paramathmas who may have lived and died unknown or little known in India and elsewhere. Jesus was a pacifist and never uttered a harsh word or abuse on anyone we are told. Christ was an inspiration for Mahatma Gandhi , Michael Angelo, the metaphysical poets and many great minds during the last two thousand years. As Bible is considered authentic representative of the teachings of Jesus Christ, we will refer to Bible as His voice. We know that Jesus never wrote the Bible. We are aware of numerous interpretations and editions that are contradictory to each other. We understand that many stories and parables have no historical proof or reference but pass the validity ground on the premise that his immediate followers would not have lied risking the kingdom of God, We are also aware of the arguments against the Bible but we are assuming magnanimously that Bible is most authen...