Comunal violence bill.

Read an  article on communal violence bill on the net.

On  reading the several provisions referred to in it, the bill appears to be very draconian and very very heavily loaded in favour of minorities and very very heavily loaded against the majority community which in here means Hindus.Is this the present govt's answer for pota? A tit for tat?

I was  ruminating and analysing the political fall out if this act came into force.

Its immediate benefit would be for Cong and other Secular parties ---that is minority wooing parties in extremes by foisting a sense of security[false] and the  feeling of being avenged, on minorities who would register their gratitude at the time of voting.
But in the long run this bill could prove to be the nemesis of Cong and pseudo secular parties[this is only an assessment not prediction and nor am i looking forward to such a scenario, though i am more or less a rightist]

1. Riots occur in lower startas of society . The segment that votes religiously.If this bill is pressed into action with the usual over enthusiasm that characterise these parties these days, so as to make them turn a blind eye to real situation  ,resentment will build up amongst the Hindu -viz majority to such an extent that they would lose trust in these parties and their resentment could boil over to the streets and could make them boycott these parties for ever.

2. The middle class is never involved in riots due to its natural abhorrence to blood shed and violence.So that part of the bill will not touch it. But if the forced integration the  lofty  notion of idealistic few living,  away from ground realities ,history [both communities have learnt not to tread on each others toes  ,having fought ,lived and adjusted with each other over the centuries] and sensitivity to religious beliefs , that this bill envisages that is dictating as to whom a person should rent his house etc would touch a very raw nerve.Not only at the blatant encroachment on the fundamental right to property that every civilised nation guarantees its citizens but also on equally  dangerous and sensitive issue, that of core religious beliefs and practises.

 Cut to the basics most Hindus [ unlike me and others living along with Muslims] are extremely finicky in their eating habits.Generally A veg Hindu will not let out his house to another Hindu if he is a non veg or even live near his house Then how will he tolerate minorities  with eating habits that goes against the basic religious belief  that of according a deep respect to cows , and the taboo against consuming its flesh , digest?An taboo religiously followed even by non veg Hindu.Wasn't it the greased cartridges which triggered the 1857 mutiny [,that is, it was the immediate cause apart from others] and didn't the Britishers become wiser after the event and restrained themselves from interfering in the socio religious practises of its colonial subjects with commendable restraint?

This forcible integration would breed resentment specially against the party that spear headed the bill The sense of betrayal and being short changed would bring a back lash that will be shown  at the elections..

3.The bjp which has no dilemma, guilt or shame of its  Hindu heritage which is basically secular and if it does not resort to excessive appeasement of minorities for sake of votes ,a trap that Cong has fallen into which is actually pleasing none, would become the natural gainer.

Acting as a rightist i shouldn't be pointing out all this .Just keep mum or make the right noises and secretly jump with joy at the prospect of rich harvesting of votes this bill would bring one day or the other to bjp.

As a blogger i am merely reacting.

And as one stuck in memory of Cong during my grand fathers time i feel sorry for the suicidal course it seems bent on taking by distancing itself more and more from its original confident [and not self effacing] secular Hindu moorings and edging closer and closer to be labelled as very partisan with its balance tilted to such an extreme that it could be one day called as  ,Muslim party of India and lose its much touted inclusive tag.  .

Budding dyarchy in judicial process.

The news heading 'Sharia courts to be set up in Mumbai' sent waves of alarm rippling through me as i conjured up visions of death by stoning, public be heading and chopping of limbs, the punishments to acts of transgressions and of criminal intent.

Was this a slow and steady overtaking of the system by fanatic islamists with the brazen approval of politicians hungry for power?

On a closer perusal it was clear that such courts were being set up to try the law relating to marriages and divorce of Muslims  and not criminal acts ,as an means to facilitate the quick disposal of cases.
Hindus and Muslims and Christians have been historically governed by their personal laws ,but with the constitution coming into force it was clearly established that whatever law is adopted in this field viz customary or shastras or shariayat it is the properly constituted courts that have the authority to adjudicate and decide.

The setting up Shariat courts cannot be justified by saying that it was an alternative dispute  redressal mechanism ,that are in vogue these days to settle disputes swiftly,since adr's are part and parcel of the judiciary.The shariat courts on the other hand is more or less like a parallel system of judiciary!

By honouring and recognising them the state will be conferring a legitimacy that is due only to courts set up under the provisions of the Constitution.Then won't khap panchayats [frowned by all] feel emboldened to seek similar legitimacy for the enforcement of their customary laws? And headman's start  demanding   that their say  the final word in all matters  ? A throw back to earlier centuries.

The setting up sharia courts  will only chip and erode the inherent, non transferable sovereign powers of the judiciary ,bit by bit and along with it ,the respect and faith it commands amongst the citizens will diminish correspondingly.
To me these courts are an assault on the Independence and authority of one of the finest institutions created by the constitution--the Judiciary.

Athigiri mantap.at Sri Vardaraja Perumal temple at Kanchipuram

sri Vardarajar with His consorts Sri Devi, Bhu Devi and PerunDevi Thaayaar at Varadarajar Temple

Two arasamarams/aswath trees/ flanked the  still greenish waters of the temple tank that has in its depths the wooden idol of Sri Varadharajar ,immersed to be taken out only once in 40 years and then worshipped for a month and then to be lowered into the watery sanctum till the next cycle .
One of the trees was in fullsome prime ,covered by huge swathes of green leaves through which it was impossible to see their support--the tawny branches.The other tree was quite bare and lean ,having shed the year old fatigued and worn out leaves and was unfurlng copper coloured leaflets all over its crown that was a perfect foil to its lush green companion as well as the leafy green pond below.

The mid day sun shone directly overhead burnishing the tender leaves on the top to gleaming deep red tassels whilst the dazzling reflection of the fiery sun from the tanks surface lit up those leaflets at the lower branches that were overshadowed by the ebullient red canopy that did not allow the rays to penetrate below, to a delicate rose  .
All this i watched from the steps of the steel enmeshed enclosed mantap built by Vijayanagar emperors that lies just outside the main temple of Sri Varadharajar at kanchipuram,when i took a short break from my leisurely and detailed examination of the wealth of sculptures adorning the huge and tall and numerous  pillars ,from its very top to its  base.Is it the unique shape and the feathery light weight of the leaf of the sacred fig tree/arasamaram that makes it catch the slightest whisper of wind ,to sway and dangle individually from its stem though growing in bunches like other trees, that makes it so enticing, attractive and eye catching?

Does its exalted status in Hindu belief since time immemorial apart from the various legends associated with it ,stem from this simple fact?That unlike other trees ,each leaf of Arasamaram is an individual in its own right and has an independent identity of its own, though they look alike and are dependant on the branches and roots of a single primary tree for its growth,stability and sustenance?

Now back to the highly sculpted mantap which according to a very sleepy watchman manning it is nearly 2000 years old!One familiar with history would put it to only 700-500 years ,since each sculpture bears the clearly artistic and unique signature of Vijayanagar emperors who ruled the Deccan from near about13 th cent --16 th cent ad. The temple however could be 2000 years or even older.Since all visitors and devotees are not familiar with history a notice board with a brief history would help in dispelling the ignorance shrouding the facts.

An leisurely examination by moving the head from the base to the high ceiling ,since every inch of every pillar has been painstakingly carved led to the conclusion that the mantap is more or less a dedication or a memorial of sort to the 11 th cent Sri Vaishnava acharya Sri Ramanuja--[1017--1137]His familiar seated form with the staff of a sanyasi held inbetween his folded hands adorns the base, mid section and the capitol of most of the pillars along with those of Vishnu, varahar, Narsimhar, Krishna , Hanuman Vyasa,Rama Sita and Lakshmi,carved all over .
AS the arsamarams leaves dangled in  a delectable dance and quivered in a rosy reflection over the green waters housing Varada ,the deity worshipped by Ramanuja who lived in Kanchipuram for decades, i couldn't help wondering at the energy and force that impelled him to carry on tirelessly to revive Hinduism that had become vague due to the wrong interpretation of Maya philosophy of Adi Shankara,[years after his departure], that dismissed every thing as mere delusions .

Sri Ramanuja established that life is real and Iswara is full of good qualities and is worthy of worship in any form and that archa  or deity form is  the easiest and tangible way of paying obeisance to the ultimate .

He was also an extra ordinary  revolutionary  In those early centuries viz 1000 AD when caste barriers were strictly upheld and its transgressions punished immediately with ostracisation ,undeterred by societal pressures to conform ,he honoured knowledge and devotion where ever he found it on whom so ever it may be and thus pestered a Sudra , a very pious man to become his guru and was overcome with such a rage at his wife's treatment ,[customary demeaning but the norm those days] whilst serving food to his guru that he immediately expelled her to her parents and instantly took up sanyasa .  Ramanuja was a brahmin.  
--
And when he learnt the closely guarded mantra for moksha from a Brahmin to be passed only to Brahmin's with repercussions for transgressions he chose to climb a nearby temple tower and to proclaim it loudly to all those interested to the way to moksha .His guru's fury abated with his reasoning that he didn't mind going through the vicious cycle of birth and death if 1000 others are enabled to gain entry into Vaikuntum or  attain moksha!

A rare , bright individual whose personality overcame all hurdles thrown by society and authorities.


He attracted followers from all strata of the society as well as castes and he embraced them all into his sect --Sri Vaishnavisim by following the earlier aazhwars--mystic vaishnavaite saints dictum that a devotee of Vishnu was more dearer than Narayana himself1But he did all this with missionary's zeal .He made 74 families--his followers [and not any mutt ]responsible to carry on vedic, sri vaishnavaite traditions ,visishta dwaita  philosophy  as well as the thorough reading of the Ramayana and the Gita compulsory , with clear injunction to never stray away.And i have descended from one such family.

Sri Ramanuja lived in times when royal patronage was necessary to practise and propagate one's religious convictions and beliefs.As Brithrahari had observed in 1 cent AD itself that there were only two gods  --Siva or Vishnu , the same was true in the times of Ramanuja a 1000 years later as well .

The Tamil king was a staunch saivite who couldn't tolerate the popularity that Ramanuja was acquiring , hence went on the path of persecution that made Ramanuja to leave Sri rangam and live in karnataka in exile for more than a decade,returning after his son ,who wasn't all that dogmatic suceeded to the throne.  .Another religion that was in dominanace was Jainism to which the ruler of karnataka subscribed to,which he relinquished to embrace Sri Vaishnavism , overwhelmed by the ministering abilities of Ramanuja who cured his daughter of her hitherto incurable ailment and gave him his full patronage.

However Ramanuja had to face stiff resistance to his all embracing policy to his fold and in his quest to standardise the form of ritualistic worship in temples  in neighbouring kerala  as well as, orissa ,where the priests couldn't stomach such ideas and literally beat him and left him for dead .The Brahmins of Kashmir were also equally jealous in guarding their own ways of worship and unwilling to share their philosophical thoughts  ,when Ramanuja visited that place .He was driven away overnight.

Was the rapid spread of Islam an factor in the relentless endeavour of Ramanuja to throw open the spiritual secrets guarded jealously by Brahmins for centuries to all irrespective of caste and creed, to keep the drifting flock intact?By now Ghaznivadis were established at Delhi and were spreading their power, influence and religion in the principalities of their conquests.He might have wanted to consolidate all Hindus under one banner --Sri Vaishnavism as a bulwark against the rapid spread of Islam in Bharat,

There is a story held to be factual that when Ramanuja requested the Delhi sultan to hand over the processional deity of the main deity of the temple at Melkote, karnataka , which was heaped along with other idols raided by the marauders , the king's daughter was so attached to that idol which was her favourite doll that she wouldn't let go ,though her father acceded to Ramnuja's request ,and followed him to Melkote and remained there till her premature expiry.

In commemoration of this unique attachment and devotion  of that young Muslim girl an idol known as Bibi nachiayar,   standing in supplication at the feet of the idol ,was installed at the sanctum of the vishnu temple at Melkote and it remains there till date.There is also a sannidhi for this 'Tulaka Nacchiayar' at the second prakara [circumbulatory passage] of Sri Rangam temple .And the daily prasad cooked at the temple kitchen and offered to Sri Ranganathar includes chappathi, butter and dhal ,in honour of that  muslim girl's devotion to the idol of Narayana.This practise is continuing till today.

Sri Ramanuja's sphere of influence endures till date  in Tamilnadu, Andhra pradesh and Karnataka.


 

Borderline idealists.

If a person views another as an idealist then that person so judging is himself or herself an idealist ,since he/she views another's thought process and beliefs  as unacceptable and contrary  to his views,  even if those views   maybe  accepted as  pragmatic.Since he is sticking as dearly and furiously as an confirmed idealist to his set of belief's and also views it as superior to others and expects other lowly , idoitic and irrational mortals seeped in ignorance and delusions ,to adhere to his  ' rational ,sane and level headed views' , so stamped,by oneself, with conceited self approval.

It is a man's world.

This piece is regarding the GO that confers the right to a share in the the family pension along with the legally wedded wife and children of a man ,on the 'other' woman and children of that person.
Hindu Marriages Act declares the marriage of a person who has a spouse living at the time of marriage as bigamous and  that person is  punishable with a jail term of not less than 2 years.

This go is in total contravention of the said section  and also shows the way to circumvent it and enjoy the spoils at the cost of betrayal , callously to the legally wedded wife  and indirectly affixes its stamp of approval on extra marital relationships  viz bigamy , polygamy that was sought to be eradicated from Hindu society by the enactment of the HM act.

According to me the legally wedded wife who has entrusted herself and her children's future with a deep faith and conviction in the institution of marriage as it subsits now should be the sole recipient of the family pension.
Why should she suffer twice?First by the betrayal of her errant husband and then by the State seconding this irresponsible act by rushing into support the other woman who has stolen [ even if she had been deceived that is her look out , there are other remedies] the company, affection and responsibilities of her spouse towards her and rewards  her [the partner out of wedlock] for doing so with guile or otherwise ,by splitting the monetary entitlements as well !Absolutely unfair.
There is already a provision in the said act that confers property rights on illegitimate children , which though a humane provision, is by itself an erosion of the sanctity of marriage ,Sharing of family pension is another concrete step in this direction, that of making a mockery of monogamous marriages.

How very assuring this GO would be to the deviant ,errant and philandering  man! He has the cake and also gets to eat it! After all it is a man's world.

He can close his eyes with complete peace in his heart without the tiniest prick to his conscience , absolved of all his sins since  the state will step in, so very compassionately to bear the cross for him.