Another Mortal Life

This is the fourth time in last two months when I am feeling like writing something similar to what I'm finally writing today. Each time I delayed, and the impulse died.

First, it was our so-called forefather Manu's writings, a part of which I got a chance to read last semester (obviously, for academic requirements). Though it was a nice read and I can whole-heartedly agree that Manu was a great Indian philosopher, I couldn't resist myself from ridiculing him for what he has been hailed for centuries and criticized for years. So here I quote our so-called forefather, though not in his own words, but a translation (not by me):

"Hybridisation destroys the basic material of the human being. It is one of the major causes of the decline and destruction of State and society"

Certainly, Manu is not talking about inter-species sex. What he is doing is to create species within species (and hence letting none be human). Oh, now I understand: He is indeed the Forefather, he produced not one, but four species and millions of sub-species in Hindus (And he didn't need an Eve!).

The concept of sub-species is such an intelligent work. It ensures that each sub-species has at least a few other sub-species to look down upon and hence console itself. And the 'lowest' ones who don't have any sub-species to 'hate' would only be a thousandth fraction of the population! Kudos to Manu. The 999/1000 fraction of the society is happy! Ignorance is bliss.

Second time, it was on a train where I found three female teachers of some secondary school talking about everything from their paychecks to castes to women empowerment. (I just wish 'sound' were a thing you could hear only when you are being spoken to. I was so sleepy that time.) Anyhow here are some excerpts from their wisdom :

"Wo to xyz (some caste different than her's and, of course, not the same as that of other two teachers) hai. Uska kya bharosa"

"Men still don't understand. Women are rising; take it on your chin, guys."

"Pataa nahin kya bura kiya tha bechari ne pichhle janam mein. Three daughters and no son yet" (Not to mention that this is the same speaker who declared the rise)

So the young minds of this nation are in good hands.

Next time it was the newspaper when I was back home this december. Every other day I could read:

"A Panchayat of some 22 villages sat to decide on the punishment to be meted out to the couple who were found guilty of an inter-caste marriage"

"All members of groom's caste in the village are to be socially boycotted- the Panchayat unanimously decides. Situation tense. SP says enough forces are deployed there to control any unwanted incident".(Are the things done by the Panchayat not 'unwanted' in the first place?)

"No church shall be constructed in the town- Maha Panchayat decides. Moreover the christians involved in the construction have to leave the village" (And the police again was reported to be in control of the situation!)

What the hell! Is there any law in this land of ours or these panchayats are the ministries of the so-called God? If these are the decisions they are going to continue making, we should consider doing away with them. (I know. I know. Please don't enlighten me with the lecture on benefits of panchayati system you read in your junior high school!)

Moreover, what these hindi newspapers think they are doing when they mention the names of who's who of the panchayat? Fuck them. TOI is indeed better, I must say, now that I've found there's more crappy stuff in print media than DT's page 3.

And the latest thing that forces me to write is the Big Brother Bakwaas. We the sons and daughters of Manu are hell bent on taking not only on the individual who made some racist remarks on Shilpa Shetty, but also on Britain and the West in general (as if this country of ours has some deep-rooted tradition of equality(!)- this's what I wrote while commenting on a friend's post on the issue.)

We aren't racist. Britain is. (After all, colour is the criteria that defines racism!) And that too because somebody from that nation didn't treat our 'celebrity' well. Tell me something better to laugh at.

While I'm talking about racism and things, I have some vague recollections of this nice and simple poem:

"Dear white fella
When I born, I black
When I grow up, I black
When I go in sun, I black
When I cold, I black
When I scared, I black
When I sick, I black
And when I die, I still black.

You white fella
When you born, you pink
When you grow up, you white
When you go in sun, you red
When you cold, you blue
When you scared, you yellow
When you sick, you green
And when you die, you grey.

And you have the cheek to call me colored????? "

(Well, Google is such a great thing! Kills the vagueness of the recollections! It also says the poem is by some African Shakespeare.)

And how could I not mention this statement by a now-retired Indian cricketer: "A loss to West Indies doesn't hurt that much. They are like us."

Why????