Referendums

Everybody knows that the government of Ireland held a free and fair referendum on 22nd May, 2015 on two proposed amendments to the constitution of Ireland. The amendments, which were to reduce the age of candidacy for the President of Ireland from 35 to 21, and the permitting of same-sex marriage. According to information laid out in Wikipedia other amendments were considered but not proceeded with, including reducing the voting age from 18 to 16, and sanctioning the establishment of a Unified Patent Court.

The result on “marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex” was  supported by the Government as well as all major political parties and was approved by 62.07% of voters and the other one was rejected: the  proposal to reduce the age of eligibility to run for president from 35 to 21 by 73% of the populace.

Another referendum that took place in Scotland was on 18 September 2014 on the matter of Scottish independence from Great Britain. The question was “Should Scotland be an independent country?” and the voters had to vote “Yes” or “No”. Again, according to Wikipedia, The turnout of 84.6% was the highest recorded for an election or referendum in the United Kingdom since the introduction of universal suffrage. The ‘No’ side won with 55.3% votes going in that favor.

Two or rather three examples of wonderful maturity on decision making in a democratic society. Possibly the larger geography of India makes it quite difficult or may be it is the economics of such a referendum that makes its improbable in a country like India. There is also the probability of disinterest among the larger populace in matters such as a Temple at Ayodhya when there are larger issues which require much more attention and the quests that make it an exercise which does not deem such attention. But then there is that maturity level of our population in accepting democratic processes and results which would showcase itself that makes this for a good argument.

The question is should a temple be built in Ayodhya at the disputed location? Should a national monument that showcases cultural diversity as well as innovative growth and futuristic thinking be made instead?

Wouldn’t it be great to have a referendum on this and get the opinion of the complete country? And, once decided, whichever way the referendum goes, the acceptance of the opinion. Would not that showcase an immensely sophisticated social group? The beauty of acceptability of things that are prudent and judicious is the temperament that promulgates the power of an individual and also a nation.

I believe that we need to exercise our right of universal suffrage that makes us part of the decision process especially in matters such as these and as a mature society a lot of these things could get validity. The amount of money wasted on unnecessary propaganda as well drumming up of support for menial affairs should go; making way for a mature society willing to give solutions as well as answers to the larger sociological questions that circle around our current systems.

The women security issue is also something that needs to be looked into with a referendum approach. There has to be an answer to the question as to whether we let our women feel safe and how. The best possible way may be drastic but there has to be fear among the layman about the law as well its reach and judgement. There has to be death penalty for rapists as well as murderers. Any society with the woman being harassed, ridiculed as well as talked upon has to have a justice system that molds itself to make changes that deem fit for the times. Any society thus would be able to tell the larger populace of being a mature, value-laden, morally correct, forward thinking group of individuals. A referendum on this matter can also showcase to the world as to how the Indian man really thinks about matters that involve his woman folk. Currently the communication that goes across the world as well as that comes from around the world is of a bunch of immature, haughty, and high-libido-but-shameless bunch of men fill every room, corner, terrain and place in India. Which is not true! There is a larger population in the country that respects all women folk and also dignifies the aspect of asking her permission in any deed that would step into the realm of her freedom of space or physicality. The angst against the time taken and doling out of meager punishments by our justice system shall be showcased in a referendum that can ask the question: Should Death penalty be imposed for rapists and murderers in India?

The betterment of international relations and showcasing of India to the world happens when the communication of the deeds that India as a whole commits itself to and delivers. The message need not be shouted from rooftops or banged against walls, or shared a million times over social media so as to be heard. The message gets loud and clear when the actions would speak for itself and when the world would start whispering among themselves and the grape vine would reach us, we can tell each other that we have arrived.

Paid Honeymoon

Recruitment AD:

"Your office shall be an SUV, your perks would involve fearless movement across difficult terrain, an awesome, adventurous journey through civilization’s earliest pit stops, being one with the earth and enjoying the outdoors at all times, adrenaline rush and nerve racking day-to-day routine. Add to all of these great and knowledgeable peers and being in the sun at all times. You get to use the weapons of choice, weapons of mass destruction as well as weapons that take machismo to another level."

To get this above profile more attractive they just added another perk ‘paid honeymoon leave’.

Isn’t this an amazing world. One never stops getting surprised, day-in-day-out; everyone is busy trying to push someone else, overwhelm someone, trample over something, and get people attracted to things that may be conspicuous in their absence of sense or rationality but hell it is a world of 7 billion odd people, there is got to be a huge crowd of guinea pigs for anything and everything that can be conjured up. 

ISIS Recruitment (or whatever they call it) announced this thing about paid honeymoon leave for new recruits. Palmyra is a deserted place but with an old world charm, may be the 'deserted place' factor too lends an attraction. 

It is all about how you communicate and persuade. Paid honeymoon leave for a person who is busy destroying all traces of early civilizations as long as they are not from a particular religion. Great stuff. But it is not just them. You browse the early morning newspaper and if you have anything called empathy or apathy or bloody any ‘pathy’ I tell you, the idea of a honeymoon would be loathed. 

The VHP had a meeting and they have decided on behalf of their religion and all people involved with that religion that any trace of Emperor Babur shall not be acceptable from now onward in India in any form. Great I am so worried about those things. I am so bloody worried about the temple which is supposed to come up in Ayodhya, because if it does not then what will happen to my children and grandchildren when it comes to visiting Ayodhya; I mean there would not be any reason for them to do so, and this temple would make sure that they have a reason to do so. That will change their lives, place the food on their table, make them intellectually superior and ready to take on the world as it moves into the future. My grandchildren and theirs too, would be so concerned as well angry that in the age when everyone is beginning to change sociologically, psychologically, anthropologically as well as in every logic nobody thought of the menace that one Mr.Babur from another 700+ odd years before us was. They would question and worry on wasn’t there anyone, anyone who could have stopped these admonitions to pop up everywhere. VHP was there baby….

A small view of what Times of India (TOI) makes me feel – On one end of the spectrum we have these very peculiar bunch of human beings who are all concerned of a past long bloody gone and long bloody lost for whatever reasons and they keep having these meetings deciding what the fuck to destroy and what the fuck to keep etc, and then there is this whole other bunch who sit in their little cocooned, godforsaken cities in North of India and take decisions on culture, social consciousness and tradition and what other bullshit which they deem fit and decide on white water rafting being a tradition and environment hazard and temple buildings and how much discomfort sadhus and spooky gurus are feeling at their traditional places of worship with the new generation of tipsy boys and girls with their overt displays of affection as well as skin.

On the other hand there is news of a scientist in England who says that with the advances made in machines and microbiology there is a good possibility that humans would transform themselves into cyborgs. Another news talks about  jobs that may be taken over by robots in the next 10 years. You have already heard about how everyone is hell bent on getting those driver-less cars going. There is another thing that I read about how wonderful the experience is being in Harvard for Business Management especially the first year when you learn so many thing about so many aspects that you would never miss this for anything other thing in this world. There is a new application that helps teachers to teach better grammar especially to students that need special attention. The same thing goes for students that require special help in math.

The funny part is here among the other lot, there is a lot of talk about destruction, about building temples, about Babar being completely thrashed out of history, about how a chief minister is saying that a 24 year old girl is a baby without much civic or traffic sense should be let gone, because she is the mayor’s niece. There is a lot of harping by the guys who are ruling – continuously shouting from every possible medium of communication that they are the best and the other guys who are sitting in the opposition screaming ‘it is all awful’…

This continues everyday, with the advent of twitter – every hour, every minute and in all this there is only one problem, where is the bloody honeymoon, cause that is matter of positivism, positive energy, inspirational and heart warming, Where is the innovation, the future outlook? Well, I have been thinking someday some hour, some minute…. it will start shaping itself and coming and meeting me in the readings that I do on India, about India, and about everyone who calls themselves Indian. If one needs to see what positivism and pride about self, country as well as tradition, culture and consciousness coupled with a futuristic outlook is to look at the Chinese. Their progress as well as their astonishing growth as well as rise in the world of intellectual capabilities. But that is for another day…..

Mostly the purpose of getting up in the morning is to get something done. Surprisingly that is becoming a rarity for certain people at least when they look at their own little life. I sometimes, rather, mostly wonder about getting things done. I teach, I inspire and then sit down and read, may be share a few view points on matters deemed important on that particular day and get back home, kiss the people I love, play, work out, read again and TV and then sleep after reading some more. Add writing to it, which never involved showing to someone else, this here is a change in routine. Anyway, mostly when I question myself what I did, I go, damn! nothing of value. It may have been of value to some people, from what they have expressed to me, but for me personally, nothing,

When is it of any value?

I used to travel a lot without knowing why, and with no particular aim in mind, just kept moving seeing different places, meeting different people, experiencing the idea of lousy toilet seats and lousier bed bug, ants and I dunno what all infested beds. I loved that. I had this peaceful calm smile at the end of the day that made my nights more healthier and hug-able. Why?

The purposelessness of it all made it worthwhile. I dunno, I am just guessing. Quite recently, the purpose bug hit me and since then I have been miserable about all that I do. Everything. I am into this horrendous exercise of questioning everything that I do. I talk with my love and I go what is the purpose of this conversation, I am considering meeting my friends, I am thinking, what is the freaking purpose. Some loose talk, cheap booze, and some really heavy protein intake and after all that a heavy dose of hangover the next day and then the worry about further purpose. I don’t think one can live like that. Thinking about purpose of each and everything in a rational way. There are lots irrational and unpalatable answers to the purposes of all the above minute tasks or deeds but they do not help when the intellectual domain comes forth and places its point of view, stating that this is incorrigible.

I believe the beauty of everyday existence lies in the fact that you live, do things that make you feel happy, do things that give cheer and a high and do not seek answers and do not have queries and hopes and aspirations. Mostly, it is that which fails and makes for miserable daily routines and logs of anger bouts as the purpose may at times remain just that and does not pour out its brimming state and may stay such for a very long time, taking you along in its delirium, everyday state of morose and vanity and consume you in its closed brimming sensation.

Just Live…… Just Do…

A tribute to William Boyd "Bill" Watterson II for making me feel good and curious

Beginning anything is the most difficult part. Many a thought goes into the process of wanting to do something that would help some people, get some people to have an opinion, make some stranger happy, create a difference in some aspect of someone’s life and many more. That is the better side. But the best side is the one that is selfish and wants to make one self happy and content. It has been a long lost wish that keeps harking back and getting back on a continuous basis – the wish to write. The wish to write and share a lot of what I know and am learning on a daily basis. But the instinct that says who the hell would want to read what I write. That feeling that I am a small, minuscule object with a dreary and unknown life in a pond the size of toilet tank with lesser utility to the larger world than that toilet tank keeps throwing its cynical rhythms back at me. I did not gather up any courage today and thought this is it and I shall place the written word today and nothing can stop me. I just thought well, I have some time and I have been drooling in the lousy mood swings that exasperates and defies everyone who dared to have expressed their affections for me. 

So here I am and this place is going to be a slow, disparaging journey on everything under the sun. Coz I am one of those people who love to read, assimilate and express about everything under the sun. I do not know the concept of utilizing it to earn my living or create something great out of it but I guess I never knew that part the only thing I know is to read, feel, express and then continue to do the same thing day in and day out. Useful – Nope – Useless. But well, that is the way it is. And may be it shall continue like this for as long as I shall kick the bucket.

Welcome to some barks on all things I read, heard and felt for….