The Spectator Syndrome

 I am sure that you, too, have noticed the  "have a mobile, will shoot" phenomenon. It was okay so long as it related to the selfie craze which, too, has often led to most damaging consequences. Sure, one felt utmost pity for the survivors of such fools whose daredevilry during the selfie-time led to disastrous consequences. 

The other half of the "my mobile, my sho(o)t" mania, however, is indeed incredulous. Have you realised that a majority of the population is forever filming via the mobile something or the other? One could say, "well, his forefathers must have left him a huge fortune to thus splurge!" Actually, it is never ever so. All such characters are submerged in debts. 

That apart, you could say that at least the data pack serving companies must be very happy that such creatures repeatedly buy their stuff whose rates are actually getting steeper by the re-charge! 'All is thus well, why are you grumbling?' Is that your question? 

Well, my submission, humble but heavily horrified, is that such constant reel making is desensitising the 'janta'! Let me give you an example or two to prove my point. An accident takes place. Mobiles are fast busy shooting! Instead of helping the victims, instead of calling the police or an emergency ambulance, they SHOOT reels! 

These days, if a woman is riding a two-wheeler, whether or not as a pillion rider makes no difference, there are any number of creeps humiliating her by putting their paws under her floating tee! Any number of onlookers would 'shoot' such a scene instead of confronting the culprit!

What must they be doing with so many reels on the road? Sure their mobile must have a huge storage capacity! Yet what exactly is achieved by shooting some sight, extremely ugly or gory?

The next objection that I am putting forth is truly worrisome in my opinion. Due to such heartless, senseless, soulless shooting, people merely shoot-n-store. They never feel the rawness of the moment. Such dehumanised desensitisation is the real issue.

 A person who can calmly watch-n-shoot a dying person is a psychopath! Absolute danger to self and the society! The misfortune today is that so huge is the number of such 'citizens' that one feels like saying, 'Lord, save them, but not their data, because they perfectly very well know what they are shooting, eh, doing!"

Pratima@ Why is the spectator syndrome so worrisome? Let me quote Martin Niemoller, a  German priest cum holocaust survivor.                 He writes, "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Socialist.                                                              Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Trade Unionist.                                                              Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew.                                                                                                     Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me."

Quote of the day:                                                         "In life be a participant, not a spectator," asserts Lou Holtz. 

Word of the day: spectator syndrome                       The idea of “spectator syndrome” generally refers to the psychological habit of scrolling, observing, or standing by instead of actively participating in life. 

The Ticking Population Bomb

 Not so very long away, the Indian population was supposed to be a world saviour! The demographic dividend was the cause. In comparison with most other countries, the Indian population was young, which means that the percentage of the earning population was higher, and dependants were fewer in comparison. 

Subtly, however, a change was unmistakable. Slowly but surely, in the beginning of the millenium itself, the graying polpulation was growing, given the better life expectancy. By the second decade of the twenty first century, this shift in the population statistics was unmistakable. 

In the third decade of this century, however, yet another shift in the population paradigm is glaring at us in the face. The reproduction rate of India is already 2.1. This percentage, moreover, is noteworthy both in the urban as well as the rural area. In fact, in certain states, it is even below 2.

Why is this change worrisome? That is because within a decade, there would be more dependents, and fewer with the earning potential. As it is, given the AI strides, the world over, white collar jobs are shrinking. With dual advances in the field of robotics and the AI, the reduction in the blue collar jobs, too, is imminent. Given such facts, who would feed whom, and how? That is the question!

Pratima@ It may not be oh-so-very- politically-correct to say so.But numbers never lie! It is the Hindu population that is reducing much faster. Given the shimmering tensions already surfacing in all types of "jihad's", this change is worrisome, too!

Quote of the day:                                                          Says Jacques-Yves Cousteau, "Population growth is the major source of environmental degradation." 

Word of the day: life expectancy                                 Life expectancy is a statistical measure indicating the average number of years a person is expected to live, based on the year of birth, current age, and other demographic factors like gender. It assumes that the mortality patterns of a specific population  remain constant over time. 

Veer Savarkar and the 1857 "Rebellion"

 I am a student of literature. Words hence make worlds for me. That is to say, I do not begin my analysis from the ideological premises, however popular such an approach may be. 

It is but natural hence that I have tried umpteen times to establish that Savarkar changed our way of looking at reality through his usage of language. In this light, let us look at his much maligned  "applications" to the ruling Britishers.

 My opinion has always been that such a florid, heavy usage was the done thing then, when it came to writing to the highest authorities. You cannot take a text or its author out of the immediate context. Sure, if he were to be alive today, he himself would have found all such "application" cum letters by all the late leaders then absolutely fulsome! 

In fact, Savarkar has donated many original, unique words to our mother tongue. Will write some other time about the words he contributed to Marathi. Right now, let us look at the title of his 1909 book. The very wording is a tribute to his deep, intellectual and directional patriotism. 

This 1909 book looks at the 1857 uprising against the British. The colonial attitude to it is reflected in the nomenclature attributed to it. The British dismissed it as "Sepoy Mutiny" or "Sepoy Revolt." In his seminal book, Savarkar trashes such a reductionist approach. 

The very title of his analysis is "The Indian Independence War of 1857" which adds a unique gravitas to the events. Savarkar establishes, moreover, that the battlefield of this war was not narrow as the Britishers believed. On the contrary, it was vastly widespread. 

Peasants, landlords, citizens, too, participated in it. Savarkar, in fact, argues that some princely states were privy to it. The goal was unique, too. It was a rejection of the British reforms as a dressing of-n-over the wound of being a colony. It was hence the plinth of the events that led to the actual independence in 1947.

This book, which in my opinion is truly motivational in the history of our freedomq struggle, was but obviously a thorn in the sides for the Britishers. They promptly banned it. This oppression made hardly any difference as private copies kept on circulating, and thereby adding to the feel of resistance. No wonder, in my opinion, Savarkar IS a pioneer figure! 

Pratima@ During the 1857 Independence War, "bhakari"s were used ingeniously as a mode of  forwarding uniquely the messages. This fact should prove how closely the common man was attached the independence struggle. Hence my argument that Savarkar's novel nomenclature added uniquely to the contemporaneous Independence struggle.

Quote of the day:                                                          "Independence is never given," says Savarkar. "It is always taken." 

Word of the day: nomenclature                                Nomenclate is a science oriented system of naming things. 

Melodi

 Language is a very co-operative, creative, constructive phenomenon. Forever ready it is to concoct new words to re(de)fine realities newly encountered. Blending is an often used linguistic process to coin such new words. 

"Melodi" is one such blended word, the current rage in India. It is an outrageous concoction of Melo(ni) + (Mo)di. It was cooked up because the Indian P. M. gave the Italian P. M. a packet full of "melody", a chocolate filled caramel coated toffee. 

Now there are ways to look at this incident. There is the 'high' way followed by the Opposition. Concocted are awful pics of both the leaders coupled with downright ugly messages.  Come on, why  reveal your dirty mind? She is half his age, happily married, with kids past the toffee eating stage. 

Honestly, I am ashamed of the immature response to the incident because it shows up the 'Indian' mentality to the whole world. Let me hence put forth my analysis. Madame Meloni, too, belongs to the Right-Centrist kind of politics. There, hence, is a political affinity between the two.

The current world scenario is such that unfortunately all the bi/tri/multi-lateral relationships are actually unilateral. That is to say, each country looks at events only from its own perspective. In such a volatile context, with conflicts simmering in very many directions, friends, if any, are literally a boon. 

Hence the camaraderie. Actually, that entire foreign tour, obviously pre-planned, of the UAE and the Nordic/European nations was for very many contracts n deals that could address the future needs of India. 

Now the Italian mo(ve)ment (she was also showing some long distance monument) was just a warm-up gesture before the serious talks began. It could also be positively looked at as propping up a local brand globally. 

Well, "melody", that famous caramel-and-chocolate candy is manufactured by the Mumbai-based FMCG company, Parle Products.  Like the Bengali  "jhal muri", the toffee thus got a great toss-up. Actually, quite some business deal in its own way, right? 

We should thank our collective stars that neither Ambani nor Adani makes/sells the "melody" toffee. Just imagine what would have been the chaos, if it were so!

Now, I sure would be accused of being an "andh bhakt" which, surely, I am absolutely not. To prove it, let me provide a unique perspective. Was the gift-n-guffaw a mock at you-know-who? Indeed, one can imagine the rile the Congress must suffer due to the Italian intimacy up on show!

In brief, I refuse to be a Modi-hater or a Modi-baiter, quite an epidemic hereabouts. A visceral hatred for the sake of hatred blinds a citizen's perspective is my opinion. Hence my refusal to prove to the whole world that Indians are so obsessed with the ancient "Kam Sutra" that nothing, no word, no laugh, no hug, remains innocent! Spare me the dirty mind, please! 

Pratima@ Women, even in high positions, even on the world stage, even when the contexts clearly are asexual, have to looked at as sexual objects!?! Patriarchal mindset seems to be lasting longer than even the cockroach, supposedly surviving an atom bomb! 

Quote of the day:                                                        "Reality is just a point of view", says Philip K. Dick, while Richard Rohr argues, "every viewpoint is a point from a view." 

Word of the day: mindset                                          A mindset is an established set of beliefs, attitudes, and mental habits that shape how you interpret the world, view yourself, and react to situations. It acts as an internal lens, guiding your thoughts, behaviours, and choices. 

Melody Incarnate

 Remember the intense request that captured Seeta's determination to accompany Rama in to the forest? Yes, I am referring to the soulful "nirop kasla maza gheta?/Jethe Raghaw, tethe Seeta." Sure, the touching simplicity nestled in the poet's, GaDiMa's, words. The melody, however, was not only Sudhir Phadke's, because the sweet, gentle voice that enlivened his notes and GaDiMa's words was Manik Varma's! 

All of us who have some training, quite basic for sure, in singing, have let loose our vocal chords on her "amrutachi godi tuzya bhajanat" and "amruta huni god nam tuze", even otherwise the staples of Pune Akashwani, where you could hear these simple sweet lovelies at least twice a day, right? Remember "ektari gate geet" or "Kabirache winto shele"?

Yes, the sweet simplicity of Manik Varma's gentle bhakti geet, bhava geet, natya geet appears effortless. Actually, hers was a hugely trained voice. She was Hirabai Barodekar's disciple. In a way, it is as good as saying that she was a direct descendant of the Kirana Gharana. No wonder, she was melody incarnate. From the Agra Gharana inputs, her "thumri" attained an additional poignancy, right?

Given her stalwart contribution, it is such a surprise that her centenary on May 16 went almost unnoticed. May be, her daughters and disciples like Asha Khadilkar might be planning a worthy tribute to this accomplished artist who excelled in-n-at her womanly duties as well.

Basically, however, such careless yet conscious neglect is precisely the plight of the genuine these days. In the AI-infested wor(l)ds today, indeed it is difficult to decipher the truth from the trash, the real from the false, the genuine from the fake(d)!

 You have to be very good at advertising from the roof top, nay, these days, from every WhatsApp or any such other countless platforms your non-existent talent, and you can rule every t.v. show on each channel, while the insta/FB are yours to conquer!

Does it matter though? The loyal listener hardly cares for the showmanship, just as she never did. Her melodious notes have enriched our listening, and will continue to enthral us!

Pratima @ Much worse is the  literary wor(l)d. With rampant (self-) publishing possibilities, given the internet, every pen pusher, key presser actually, considers himself/herself the greatest gift to mankind! 

Yet those in the know do not care for a Gautami Patil, for instance. They would rather listen to Sulochanatai Chavan who sang the raunchiest lavani's, yet neither her face nor her eyes nor her body reflected the vulgar gestures, the sexy "ada"!

Quote of the day:                                                          "Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less," argues C.S. Lewis.

Word of the day: unassuming                                  Being unassuming means being modest, quiet, and unpretentious. It describes someone who does not draw attention to himself/herself, does not act arrogantly, or try to appear more important or flashy than (s)he actually is. 

The fraternal feel!

 Today is indeed unique. Why? Well, it celebrates a real special bond in our lives. Yes, it is a day dedicated to 'Brothers'! 

Brothers, even when not big the Orwell way, are a presence. Brothers are truly a birthday gift, that is, gratis from the birth-day. Brothers have our back. They save us from many a disaster, given our goofiness. 

They are smarter, ah, yes, much  much more street smart, and thus help us to be grounded. They are the best silent support system, even when it may cost them a brownie point, or two, with you know who. 

That bond, blood bound, keeps on pulsating, silently, like the oxygen that reaches via the thinnest capillaries. It may not be very flashy, it need not at all be showy. In fact, there may be months when you do not even get to meet them.

 Yet there remains an understanding, a knowing that in this big bad world, there would be somebody whose heart would unconditionally wish you well. Thank you, Aai-Papa, for two great gifts that are the refracted reflections, Pratima-s, of my becoming and being! Happy Brothers' Day!

Pratima@ As you grow older/and hopefully wiser/ better you feel emotions tender/thus you know better that forever gift 'brother'!

Quote of the day:                                                     "Born as a brother, borne a brother, no matter the distance, no matter the difference, and no matter the issue.”  Byron Pulsifer would not mind the minor yet meaning wise major changes I made to his quote.

Word of the day: fraternal                                        Fraternal refers to anything relating to brothers, brotherhood, or a close, friendly relationship resembling that of siblings. 

The Tea Therapy

 There are very many people whose day cannot begin without a cup of tea, and then there is no end to the cups guzzled, slurped, drowned down the day. No, it is not exactly addiction. Rather, it is therapy, I suppose. 

Actually, I would not know exactly. I am absolutely a coffee person who does not exactly like the Maharashtrian way of making it, with lots of sugar n milk n cardamom seeds. The "kaapi" version, especially of the decoction variety, has a better wake-up n shine message in my opinion. 

Not that I do not drink tea. I sure do, but occasionally. Oh, yes, I brew a rather nice cuppa either with ginger n lemon grass or with cardamom seeds. My heart, however, belongs to coffee which, too, I drink tops twice (very rarely thrice) a day. 

Yet I do know people who drink tea, the hotter, the better, as if it is an alternative to water which it is not, given the tanin. Yet, yes, it can be granted that making and tasting tea is quite an art, perfected by the Japanese. 

Actually, tea was invented in China where it was a medicinal brew. As for India, even when the British introduced it, it is now totally decolonised, and currently has fancy avataars such lemon tea to the very earthy, very local jaggery tea.

 Each to his taste, but let not a drop go waste (oh, yes, the boiled tea leaves are real good for the rose plant in the terrace garden) should be the motto on the world tea day, actually celebrated every day by those who cherish it! 

Pratima@ Like the tea, the bee, too, is absolute therapy for the very existence of mankind. Bees provide not merely honey or bees wax. Basically, they are the most efficient pollinators, without whom mankind would not survive at all. The real endangered species they are, though not as 'dekko'-rative as the safari tigers! 'Long live the bees' should be the forever motto of every 'bee' day which actually should be each day!

Quote of the day:                                                           "My tastes are simple. I am easily satisfied with the best." This quote, so pithy n perfect, is assigned to Oscar Wilde and Winston S. Churchill, both masters of mesmerizing quotes! 

Word of the day: taste                                                Taste, says the Webster Dictionary, is a sensory and cognitive concept that refers to the biological ability to detect flavors, as well as a person's aesthetic or personal preferences. It bridges both scientific anatomy and cultural preference.