Believe me I am not Political

Defying the Odds: How My Yoga Instructor Helped Me Conquer Chronic Disc Bulge Against All Odds

2023-06-06T18:33:00.001+05:30

In life, there are moments when we find ourselves facing seemingly insurmountable challenges. For me, it was the diagnosis of a chronic disc bulge, Grade 2, accompanied by the recommendation of surgery

by multiple well renowned Neurosurgeons. However, against the odds, I found a guiding light in the form of my remarkable yoga instructor. With her unparalleled expertise, unwavering support, and a personalized approach to healing, she played an instrumental role in helping me overcome my condition and regain control of my life.

When I received the news of my chronic disc bulge, I was overwhelmed with despair. The pain was debilitating, and the prospects of undergoing surgery were daunting. It was in this moment of vulnerability that I discovered the transformative power of yoga. Encouraged by my desire to improve my condition, I sought out a yoga instructor who specialized in therapeutic practices, and little did I know how much this decision would change my life.

From our very first meeting, my yoga instructor exuded compassion and expertise. She took the time to understand my condition, my limitations, and my goals. While the doctors had advised surgery, my yoga instructor provided an alternative path to healing, instilling in me a sense of hope that I had not felt before.

What set my yoga instructor apart was her ability to tailor each session to my unique needs. Recognising the importance of alignment and posture, she meticulously crafted a practice that would gradually build

strength, improve flexibility, and promote healing. Her deep understanding of anatomy allowed them to guide me through poses and modifications that targeted the specific areas affected by the disc bulge. Throughout our sessions, my yoga instructor demonstrated unwavering patience and unwavering support. She celebrated every milestone, no matter how small, and gently pushed me beyond my perceived limitations. She reminded me that healing is a journey, and that progress should be measured not only by physical changes but also by the growth in mental resilience and self-compassion.

My yoga instructor's impact extended far beyond the confines of our practice sessions. She equipped me with valuable knowledge and tools to continue my healing journey outside the studio. Through personalized routines, recommended poses, and helpful resources, she empowered me to take control of my own well-being and integrate yoga into my daily life.

Against all odds, I can proudly say that I have overcome my chronic disc bulge without the need for surgery. Yoga, guided by my exceptional instructor, has been the catalyst for my transformation. Not only have I experienced a significant reduction in pain, improved posture, and enhanced physical capabilities, but I have also tapped into the profound mental and spiritual benefits that yoga offers.

To my extraordinary yoga instructor, words cannot express the depth of my gratitude. You defied conventional wisdom and helped me conquer a condition that once seemed insurmountable. Your dedication, expertise, and unwavering belief in my ability to heal have forever changed my life. You are a testament to the incredible impact a caring and skilled teacher can have on their students.

My journey of overcoming chronic disc bulge serves as a testament to the power of yoga and the transformative guidance of an exceptional instructor. Against all odds, I defied medical advice and discovered the healing potential within my own body. To those facing similar challenges, I urge you to seek the support of a knowledgeable yoga instructor who can guide you on your path to recovery. With their expertise and your determination, you too can triumph over adversity and embrace a life of strength, resilience, and well-being.

-Sunny Gusain

* Views are personal

The Damaging Impact of Religion in Public Space on Democracy

2023-05-30T12:05:00.001+05:30

Democracy is founded on the principles of equality, freedom, and pluralism. It thrives when citizens can express their diverse views and participate in decision-making processes without fear of discrimination or exclusion. However, the intrusion of religion, particularly Hindutva ideology, into public space can undermine these democratic ideals and pose significant challenges. This article explores how the presence of Hindutva ideology in public discourse and policy-making can damage democracy.

Undermining Secularism:

Secularism, the separation of religion and state, is a fundamental pillar of democracy. The rise of Hindutva ideology in India has challenged the secular fabric of society. For example, the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, carried out by Hindutva activists, violated the principles of secularism and led to communal tensions. The privileging of Hinduism and the promotion of Hindutva-based policies can marginalize minority faiths, erode the secular nature of the state, and undermine religious freedom for non-Hindus.

Exclusion and Discrimination:

Hindutva ideology in public space fosters an environment that perpetuates exclusion and discrimination. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India, which was seen by critics as a manifestation of Hindutva ideology, selectively granted citizenship based on religious affiliation, excluding Muslims. This policy generated widespread protests, highlighting the discriminatory nature of Hindutva-driven initiatives and their impact on minority communities.

Hindrance to Rational Decision-Making:

Public policy decisions should be based on reason, evidence, and the overall welfare of society. However, the influence of Hindutva ideology can hinder rational decision-making. For instance, the controversy surrounding the Taj Mahal, one of India's most iconic monuments, was fueled by Hindutva narratives questioning its historical significance based on religious interpretations. This erosion of rationality impedes progress and diverts attention away from crucial issues such as poverty alleviation, education, and healthcare.

Polarization and Conflict:

Hindutva ideology in public space can exacerbate social and political divisions, leading to polarization and conflict. Communal violence, such as the 2002 Gujarat riots, highlighted the destructive consequences of sectarian politics influenced by Hindutva ideology. The exploitation of religious sentiments for political gain further deepens societal divisions, hindering dialogue and cooperation necessary for a healthy democracy.

Impediment to Individual Autonomy:

Democracy recognizes and upholds individual autonomy, granting citizens the freedom to make choices based on their own values, beliefs, and conscience. However, Hindutva ideology in public space can restrict this autonomy. For instance, the controversial "Love Jihad" laws proposed by certain states in India seek to regulate interfaith marriages, infringing on personal choices and targeting specific religious communities. Such measures curtail individual liberties and undermine the democratic principles of personal freedom and autonomy.

The damaging impact of religion, specifically Hindutva ideology, in public space on democracy is evident through various examples. From undermining secularism and promoting exclusion and discrimination to hindering rational decision-making, fueling polarization, and impeding individual autonomy, Hindutva-driven narratives and policies pose significant challenges to democratic principles. Balancing religious freedom with the secular nature of public governance is crucial for safeguarding democracy's core values. By promoting inclusive dialogue, respect for diverse perspectives, and the separation of Hindutva ideology from the state, societies can strive towards upholding democratic principles and protecting citizens from the damaging effects of religious intrusion in public space.

-Sunny Gusain

* Views are personal

The Kerela Story?

2023-05-28T13:25:00.016+05:30

Truth or Propaganda?

Islamophobia, the irrational fear and hatred of Islam and Muslims, is a growing problem in many parts of the world, including India. Over the past few years, there has been a rise in instances of discrimination and violence against Muslims in India, fueled by the rhetoric and actions of the country's administration.

The current administration, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been accused of promoting a Hindu nationalist agenda at the expense of other religious and ethnic groups, particularly Muslims. This has led to an increase in the marginalization and stigmatization of Muslims in Indian society, as well as the normalization of anti-Muslim sentiment. One way in which the administration has sought to exploit prejudices and fuel Islamophobia is through the spread of propaganda and disinformation. The BJP has a massive social media presence and has been accused of using these platforms to spread false information and hate speech about Muslims, painting them as a threat to Indian society.

Another tactic used by the administration is to perpetuate the myth that Muslims are somehow disloyal to India, and that they pose a threat to national security. This has been used to justify policies that discriminate against Muslims, such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from neighboring countries, while making it more difficult for Muslim refugees to gain citizenship.

The administration has also sought to indoctrinate young people with its Hindu nationalist ideology, through the education system and other means. In some instances, textbooks have been revised to promote a more Hindu-centric view of Indian history and culture, while ignoring or downplaying the contributions of other groups, including Muslims.

All of these actions by the administration have contributed to a climate of fear and intolerance towards Muslims in India. This has led to a rise in hate crimes against Muslims, including mob violence and lynchings. In some cases, Muslims have been targeted simply for their religion, with no evidence of any wrongdoing.

It is important to note that Islamophobia is not unique to India, and that it is a global phenomenon that affects Muslims in many countries. However, the situation in India is particularly concerning, given the size of the Muslim population and the fact that the country is a democracy with a secular constitution.

Third Class Citizens?

To address this problem, it is important for the administration to acknowledge the harm caused by its actions and rhetoric, and to take concrete steps to combat Islamophobia and promote religious harmony. This could include measures such as education campaigns to promote tolerance and respect for all religions, as well as legal and policy reforms to protect the rights of minorities and prevent discrimination. Ultimately, the fight against Islamophobia in India requires a concerted effort by all members of society, including religious leaders, civil society organizations, and individuals. Only by working together to challenge prejudice and promote inclusion and respect can we build a society that truly reflects the values of democracy and secularism. The rise of Islamophobia in India is not just a manifestation of political rhetoric and propaganda, but is also linked to deeper societal issues such as patriarchy and the phenomenon of "love jihad".

The concept of "love jihad" is a baseless and Islamophobic conspiracy theory that alleges that Muslim men are engaging in a deliberate campaign to convert Hindu women to Islam through romantic relationships. This narrative has been used to stoke fear and hatred towards Muslims, particularly Muslim men, and has led to instances of violence against interfaith couples.

At the heart of the "love jihad" narrative is a patriarchal worldview that views women as property to be protected and controlled by men, and that sees interfaith relationships as a threat to social and cultural norms. This patriarchal mindset is reinforced by a wider societal structure that prioritizes men's voices and interests over those of women, and that often excludes women from positions of power and decision-making.

The impact of patriarchy is also evident in the ways in which Islamophobia is manifested in India. Women who wear the hijab or other traditional Islamic clothing are often subject to harassment and discrimination, and are viewed with suspicion by the wider society. This is because the hijab is seen as a marker of Muslim identity, which is itself associated with terrorism and extremism in popular discourse.

To combat Islamophobia and patriarchy in India, it is necessary to challenge these harmful narratives and to promote a more inclusive and equitable society. This could involve efforts to educate people about the diverse traditions and cultures that exist within India, and to promote greater understanding and respect for all religions and cultures.

It is also important to empower women and to create opportunities for them to participate in decision-making and leadership roles. This could involve measures such as affirmative action programs, as well as efforts to challenge sexist and patriarchal attitudes and behaviors in all spheres of society.

Ultimately, the fight against Islamophobia and patriarchy in India is a complex and multifaceted struggle that requires a concerted effort by all members of society. By working together to challenge prejudice, promote inclusion, and empower marginalized communities, we can build a more just and equitable society for all.

- Sunny Gusain

*Views are personal

Just Solitude and Life

2020-12-04T22:58:00.002+05:30

“Be alone-that is the secret of invention: be alone, that is when ideas are born.”- Nikola Tesla

Clutching on to the sheets, he lay flat on the bed, staring at nothingness on the ceiling above. Seconds go by, then minutes, then hours. He lay there unperturbed, just not being able to find the energy to get

up. He was alone in the house. So what is it he is experiencing? Loneliness, you would say and you that wouldn’t be far from the truth. But how can it be, when he has always been that sprightly happy-go-lucky kind of a person you’d call the soul of the party. How come that this cheerful unworried guy is feeling loneliness? Isn’t that emotion reserved for the frail and feeble?

Loneliness, like love, hate, anger and spite, is one of the many emotional states we all experience at some point of time in our lives. Solitude in contrast to loneliness may even be desirable at times. I prefer solitude over companionship any day. I’ve always wondered why contemporary society focuses so much on sociability. I mean what can be a better company than your own. Right? I look around and see people pronouncing loners a little strange even though I believe they are perfectly all right. Do you know what is the harshest most vicious punishment given to a convict in the prison? Solitary confinement. How that is the harshest punishment is beyond my understanding. Yes, I understand the sociological reasons for the punishment. But I just can’t get my head around it. I mean one can fully understand one’s gamut of emotions, and the reason for being while living in solitude, which obviously isn’t possible while living a highly communal life. Call it a blessing in disguise then that forced solitude is beneficial and desirable. Solitude gives us the space for self-reflection and introspection. It gives us the fuel needed to dive deep into our consciousness and find reasons or explanations to our anxieties, anger, envy, distress and so on.

Einstein preferred self solitude and often remained with his thoughts for months at a stretch. He found communication devices such as telephones horrible because of their ringing and preferred to stay away from them. He went sailing at times, alone, immersed in his thoughts. I don’t need to extol the most

brilliant and exceptional person who ever lived to sell solitude as some universal remedy. All great thinkers, philosophers, inventors and leaders have sought solitude. But to think that only great people need solitude would be missing the point entirely. I have actively longed for solitude and experienced that it transcends human thoughts and values. One actively learns to engage with oneself through one’s own company, giving rise to transcendental experiences in the process. As someone once said, “If you are lonely when you are alone, you’re in bad company.”

For me solitude is bliss and I would never want to miss an opportunity to enjoy my own company. Some people call it a little too narcissistic for their liking, but I call it a necessity in today's fast-paced life. Of course, not everybody agrees, as for some solitude is akin to experiencing obscurity, the beginning of the end.

- Sunny Gusain

*Views are personal

Offend the Offended

2020-11-30T21:34:00.002+05:30

“Religion’s greatest trick wasn’t convincing some people that there is a God and that He was all-powerful, it was convincing everyone else that you couldn’t ridicule the idea.”- Ricky Gervais

At the very heart of religious dogmatism and fundamentalism is the archaic notion that religious people hold regarding their beliefs being above scrutiny and scepticism. Belief and faith, for a rational mind like mine, are in fact under the lens more often than other matters. As Richard Dawkins describes in his book the God delusion, Faith, by definition, believes in things without evidence, which is a dangerous

proposition for the world in the 21st century. Once you allow people to hold beliefs and notions that are above criticism and scepticism, it more often than not results in a sort of rigidity in their psyche that any logic or reason-based explanation to the fallacy of those beliefs are brushed under the carpet as being offensive. It is not the religious believers who are at fault but the non-believers, (or apostates) who invariably tend to mild down on their censure of religion. The conscious endeavour of rational people not to offend believers for their anti-scientific beliefs, prejudices and notions has resulted in breeding fanaticism. “That’s offensive”, these two words put together have muzzled liberals and seculars to express scientific facts running contrary to the entrenched beliefs of the believers.

Being Offended is the principal defence behind which ludicrous beliefs of the people survive. If I were to claim today that my grandfather could lift a cow when he was alive and that he could jump across

rivers at the drop of a hat, I would be called a lunatic and a man of questionable integrity, but replace my grandfather with a mythological God and everyone enthusiastically accepts it to be literally true. They wouldn’t accept any scientific explanation to the implausibility of such an event ever having occurred. What I find to be the most fascinating thing about science is the ability of the observer or experimenter to shield outcomes from processes and experiments irrespective of his prejudices, faith and beliefs.

The prime reason why people have such beliefs is childhood indoctrination. Impressionable minds would believe in flying monsters if taught from early childhood. It is my dream and wishes that children should never be exposed to religious dogma and superstition until they have lived long enough to develop rational thinking. All children are born cynics and sceptics with an aptitude for critical thinking and interminable questioning. I believe if someone could be indoctrinated on superstitions, dogmas and prejudices, they certainly can be “indoctrinated” on universal human values of integrity, compassion, love, ethics, morals and kindness. The trick is to catch them young.

The spirit of enquiry is curtailed in a child from infancy and the civil society has allowed religious dogmatism and indoctrination to continue relentlessly throughout the modern world. It is time that we rise to challenge ridiculous dogmas and outrageous claims of the believers.

You know what brings the death of a society, when being called an intellectual becomes an expletive.

-Sunny Gusain

Classic Democracy- Still Relevant?

2020-07-20T00:08:00.001+05:30

You walk into an aircraft. The flight takes off smoothly. Everything is going as nonchalantly as it can. It's a long flight so you doze off, relaxed and satisfied. Suddenly you are woken up with a jerk, and even as you are frantically searching for the seat belt hooks, you hear the dreaded announcement. "The plane is going down as both pilots are unconscious, anyone with the necessary skills to fly the aircraft please come to the cockpit immediately." Fortunately, one trained pilot raises his hand among the crowd of passengers. Another one makes a passionate speech of why he should be flying the craft instead of the trained pilot although, he confesses, no experience of flying a craft. People decide to vote for it. They vote for the passionate one instead of the trained pilot. The jetliner, not surprisingly, dives to its death, killing everyone on board.

An amusing story with a tragic end. Sadly, the story is an allegorical account of the current state of democracy around the world today. When the ancient Athenians came up with the idea of Democracy around the 6th century BC, they would have never thought that it will spread like a wildfire around the globe. Even far-flung areas not inhabited at the time of the Athenians would accept democracy as a way of life would have been too farfetched for them to comprehend. So what happened to the sacred idea of democracy? Is democracy still thriving around the world or the romance over?

to be continued....

-Sunny Gusain

Mystery of Sushant's Death and The Way Forward

2020-06-29T01:54:00.000+05:30

As Sadguru puts it, “In our eagerness to develop our economy and exploit the world, we have forgotten to fix ourselves.”

This is in continuance to the earlier article. Sushant’s suicide was no fluke. It is part of a larger pattern

Sushant Singh Rajput

of suicides in the country. According to a Lancet study titled Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2016, Suicide is the most common cause of death in the age group of 15-39 years in India. There is plenty of data available on suicide which is enough to scare anybody yet there seems to be a quiet acceptance of suicides in the country. I believe there is no bigger disgrace to society than seeing its young commit suicide. It pains my heart deeply. Students face huge stresses today than in the past. They carry the burden of expectations of their parents, relatives and society.

Coming back to Sushant, he wasn’t a failure by any stretch of the imagination. Yet, as per the reports, he was diagnosed with depression 6 months before his death and was taking medications for the same. Everybody faces stress and anxiety at some point in their lives. We talk about developing skills among the youth so that they can better utilise technology and tools to transform their lives but we forget to give them the crucial skill sets to deal with anxiety and stress. Sushant’s suicide wasn’t his failure but ours as a society. We have failed to understand that just like we need skills to get employed, we need skills to deal with anxiety and stress. A strong institutional and educational framework dealing with stress management could have prevented his death.

Frittering Away Unseen

There is too much stress in India and a too little talk about it. Be it in schools, colleges or workplaces, everyone faces trauma and distress regularly. In an attempt to become successful at all costs, many young people succumb to death by suicide. The new Zeitgeist of succeeding at all costs seems to be one of the major reasons for suicide among the millennials. Just search for motivational videos on Youtube, and you are bombarded with results with recurrent themes of success at all costs. All costs? Even death? This result in a perennial dissatisfaction among the masses. We need not glorify success to the extent that it becomes a matter of life and death. Our mainstream media and society at large are responsible for glorifying successes and comparing one individual to the other. We need to teach and showcase to our youth that there is nothing abominable in failure. It’s a part of life and should be accepted gracefully.

Now let’s come to the solutions to this crisis. India, the land of yoga and meditation, has the tools to tackle this crisis. Acceptance of stress and anxiety as existing within one’s own physical boundaries and emotions is important.

Recognition of stress as a problem is paramount before we learn to deal with it. School and college curriculums should compulsorily carry stress management as practical approaches towards a fulfilling life.
Yoga and meditation should be made mandatory in schools and colleges. We have blindly
Ray of Hope?
followed the western model of education sans physical and mental development. Yoga and meditation have the power to become the best tools for dealing with stress and anxiety. Having experienced it first hand, I can personally stand up for its efficacy. A mind without stress has the power to not only benefit the individual but also the country at large.
How does one define progress and growth? Progress should be measured by parameters of Wellness and Happiness than by abstract financial numbers indicated by GDP. Just imagine a country where the government is trying to keep its citizens happy.
On an individual level, families and parents should understand how life works before putting undue pressure on their wards. Unlike what Viru Sahastrabuddhi said in the movie 3 idiots, Life is not a race, if you don’t run fast, you will not be a broken anda. Lose your focus on being ultra-competitive. And we should remember what Keyness had once said, "In the long run we are all dead.” Would you rather see your child dead than not being successful at getting admission into an IIT or a Medical College or a Job?

The simple yet powerful steps above could help tackle not only the health crisis of suicide but also stress-related conditions such as diabetes, depression, migraine, Alzheimer’s, Obesity and Asthma. Lastly, for God’s sake, stop blaming nepotism, him, her, this, that for Sushant Singh Rajput's death. His death epitomizes the poor stress management skills we have as a society. Hopefully, it will work as a wakeup call for many of us to bring about changes in our lifestyle.

Rest in Peace, Sushant.

-Sunny Gusain

*Views are personal.

Mystery of Sushant's Suicide

2020-06-27T10:30:00.002+05:30

An old saying goes, "A man has three faces, the first face you show to the world. The Second face you show to your family and friends. The Third face is the face you never show to anyone but yourself."

Sushant Singh Rajput

Sushant Singh Rajput's untimely death was shocking and distressing to the entire country. To see a lad, give up on the wonders of life is a sad commentary on the state of current human development. While there has been a raging debate about nepotism, groupism, favouritism and factionalism in the film industry whereby star kids apparently find it easier than the outsiders, everyone seems to have missed the wood for the trees when it comes at finding the real causes of his suicide.

At the expense of sounding philosophical, I wish to explore the dimensions which many elites from the glamour industry fail to comprehend. Actor Sushant's public persona was of an exuberant and joyous person. But we all know that public persona is the disguise actors have to flaunt in public to keep them in the spotlight. Fans look up to them for optimism and positivity, but the inner turmoil of many such public personalities remains concealed. The third face, as the saying goes, one never reveals to the outside world and is the truest reflection of what one really is. Depression, anxiety and other psychological disorders are often hidden from the public gaze. Celebrities become prisoners of their PR machinery. They can't be seen crying nor can they be seen displaying any forms of weakness in public due to their self created public persona. If and when they do open the Pandora's box, fans aren't charitable and graceful enough to accept infirmity from their heroes. The public regards them as infallible. Any sign of weakness results in the battering of their public image - the larger the weakness the bigger the loss of public affection. Heroes never fail, is the underlying theme propagated by the popular cinematic universe. Even if the protagonist faces struggles in the movie, ranging from fighting off a villain to grappling financial woes and courting a girl, by the end of the movie, he emerges triumphant. Real-life, unfortunately, doesn't end in three hours. Happy ending, therefore, isn't a destination that needs to be reached.

Entertainers, as they say, are entertainers and should not be taken at face value. But in a nation filled with idol-worshippers or bhakts, every move of the public figure is under intense scrutiny. The celebrity is expected to be idealistic and virtuous. The entire film industry is, amusingly enough, an industry. And just like any other industry, the film and entertainment industry is also teeming with stress for the stakeholders. Call it whatever you want- stress, pressure, depression, unhappiness, workload etc.- but it is an integral part of the industry.

A cursory look at the NCRB data below paints a grim picture of the society at large. More than 1.3 lac people perishing by suicide every year for the past few years is in itself a public health emergency. Contrast that with the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the country so far, 15000, and you're astonished to find out the different treatment given to the two, if I may call so pandemics. Why a knee-jerk decision of a lockdown for one and nothing for the other? Aren't suicides a priority for any health ministry of any government in the country?

Number of Suicides over the Years

Just visualise 70,000 deaths due to COVID-19 by end of June, wouldn't the government be taking remarkable actions to prevent or at least lower the mortality rate then? Why it is then that suicide is given a step-motherly treatment?

I'll continue the subject in the next blog with more personal insights and possible solutions.

-Sunny Gusain

*Views expressed are personal.

Curious Case of Patanjali's Corona Cure- Coronil

2020-06-24T08:18:00.003+05:30

Peter Parker's uncle once said, "With great power comes great responsibility". Similarly, Patanjali's

Evidence or Miracle?

Magnum Opus curtain-raiser Corona medicine, Coronil's tall claims should be accompanied by equally extraordinary research and clinical trial data on the efficacy of the medicine. COVID-19 is no joke neither should it be allowed to become one. Even as millions suffer around the globe, some companies are leaving no stone unturned in raking financial benefits out of this calamity. Patanjali seems to be one of the many companies who do not want to miss the bus when it comes to finding a cure for COVID-19. Reasons? Financial rewards, both global and domestic, are huge. The entire world is in such a state of despondency that any little hope of a vaccine or medicine enlightens the entire world. Companies are racing against time to bring about overnight success. Drug trials are being expedited by medical bodies like FDA and ICMR, which otherwise take years for approving a medicine. As of today, Patanjali hasn’t released data of the drug trial conducted by it for public scrutiny and peer review.

The brazen manner in which the electronic news media covered the unveiling of the drug by Baba Ramdev speaks a lot about the falling standards of Journalism ethics in the country. Nobody bothered to ask tough questions from Ramdev in the press conference due to their overzealous adulation for him. It was only when some actual journalists posed questions about the drug to ICMR- the apex medical body overseeing and approving any Covid-19 treatment in India- that we came to know that the drug is unapproved as of now. ICMR distanced itself entirely from Coronil’s tall claims and passed the buck to Ayush Ministry, which amusingly tried to pass the buck again to ICMR before releasing a press note (read the link below). ICMR shifted the ball on technical grounds of Coronil’s ayurvedic origins being outside its purview and consequently being within the subject domain of Ayush Ministry. Ayush Ministry put out the below press release and minced no words in demanding a clarification from Patanjali regarding technical details of the drug.

Statement issued by the Ministry of Ayush on claims of Patanjali Ayurved regarding treatment of COVID-19

But by the time the press release happened, Ramdev’s overzealous chauvinist army had already blown the trumpets all over social media, particularly Whatsapp, Twitter and Facebook universities, regarding

Magic Corona Pills?

the superiority of Ayurveda over any other forms of medicine being practised anywhere in the world. Patanjali would have received admonition and a legal notice from the Government if not for Ramdev’s close association with the ruling party. He provides a rare blend of chauvinism, Hindu cultural superiority discourse and cow worshipping, which the ruling party itself stands by earnestly. No wonder then that Ramdev will ease past the Ayush ministry authorities this time as well.

Whether modern medicine procedures regarding approval were bypassed or not, only time will tell but religious and cultural myths over scientific facts and processes, seem to be the mantra for Patanjali. I have nothing personal against Ayurveda. In fact, I strongly believe in Ayurveda for its unique approach towards human well being through the use of natural herbs and ingredients but the tall claims of Ramdev should be taken with a pinch of salt until more details emerge from the ministry. All said and done, I appreciate and admire the swiftness with which Patanjali came up with the medicine. I hope it works and that Patanjali passes the clinical trials and laid down procedures as mandated by Ayush Ministry or ICMR. After all, India needs entrepreneurs and an entrepreneurial Baba seems to be the icing on the cake.

-Sunny Gusain

*Views expressed are personal. If I offend you, please stay away

Petrol, Diesel Price Rise- 15 Days 15 Hikes

2020-06-21T23:15:00.001+05:30

Jet Set Go?

Only two things are progressing exponentially in the country today, one is the graph of Corona cases, and the other is the fuel prices. The double whammy of rising fuel prices and economic distress caused by the pandemic has burdened the lower and middle classes. So the question arises, are the fuel price hikes inevitable? Does the government have no choice left but to increase the fuel prices? Unfortunately, the answer to both questions is an overwhelming “NO”. Comparing the international crude oil prices through global oil benchmarks - Brent, OPEC or WTI- one cannot help but feel sorry for oneself as a consumer.

A cursory glance at the below table makes it abundantly clear that the end consumer like you and I have suffered the most. Just compare the two dates- 21 June and 06 Jan- of the year.

Date	Petrol Price (Uttrakhand in₹)	Diesel (Uttrakhand in ₹)	Global Brent Crude Oil (in $/Barrel)	Global OPEC (in $/Barrel)
21 June	80.69	71.00	39.72	35.09
11 May	74.57	64.18	29.63	22.71
28 April	72.55	63.17	20.46	12.41
07 April	72.55	63.17	22.67	31.87
06 Jan	77.31	69.18	68.44	68.89

A 42% drop in global crude prices hasn’t resulted in the same corresponding decrease in domestic fuel prices. In fact, since January, fuel prices have stayed put even as global crude prices fell to historical lows. So, are the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) raking in the moolah? Surprisingly, No. One important dimension to explore in this case is that the Government deregulated state control of petrol prices in 2010 and diesel prices in 2014. But the harsh reality is that whenever the prices fell in the global markets this Government has disingenuously increased excise duty thereby nullifying the benefits of any decrease in prices to the end consumer. In fact, since 2014 the excise duty has increased by a whopping 258% on petrol and 820% in diesel. The only coffers that have filled are the Governments. The poor middle class has taken the brunt of high fuel prices-both directly and indirectly. Indirectly through a rise in prices of commodities which are primarily transported by diesel consuming vehicles like trucks and directly through the purchase of petrol or diesel from pumps for personal transportation needs. One estimate puts the Government’s earnings through excise alone in the last 6 years at a monumental ₹ 18,00,000 crores.

As per IOCL website data, Price build-up of petrol at Delhi as on 16.06.2020 puts the total taxes at a staggering 225% of the fuel price. This figure is unacceptable and, to put it more bluntly, is like rubbing salt in the wound except that the wound also has been inflicted by the Government.

A barrage of questions arises, when the Government raked in such a humongous amount of money why did it appeal for charity one month into the COVID crisis? Did the Government deploy the generated resources into productive schemes or to build the much-needed infrastructure in the country? Don’t the middle class deserve some form of Income Support Scheme from the government during this unprecedented financial crisis?

Even when a father lends money to his son for business there is the expectation of handsome returns, so is it wrong for the common man, like you and I, to expect the Government to start giving us handsome returns for our investment?

Numerous questions arise but the Government has no answers. Meanwhile, the fuel prices have been hiked for the 15th consecutive day (as on 21st June). The bottom line is, the high fuel price regime is here to stay, whether we like it or not. Embrace it. Grow your vegetables and start training bulls, for you may require them for your bullock carts.

As Thomas Paine once put it, “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.”

-Sunny Gusain

*Views expressed are personal. If I offend you, please stay away.

Galwan Valley and the Curious Case of Anti-China Sentiment

2020-06-18T23:53:00.000+05:30

As if the already faltering Indian economy due to the pandemic wasn’t painful enough, the Chinese

Peace anybody?

adventurism on India’s territory, particularly the Galwan valley, and consequent barbaric killing of 20 brave Indian soldiers has further eroded India’s self-confidence and is likely to further deteriorate the relations between the two nations. At the outset, I wish to confess that I’m neither a defence expert nor an economist, but then neither are those spreading jingoistic propaganda against China without understanding the ramifications of war. As China has progressed over the last several decades, it has slowly but surely transformed into a rogue nation endeavouring to usurp disputed territories by aggression and its military might. The killing of 20 odd brave Indian soldiers is a grave provocation and India would do well to renounce its “eschew violence” policy with China.

Yes, China has an enormous GDP of $16 trillion compared to India’s GDP of $3 trillion. Yes, China has

Naive Notions

a military budget of $ 261 billion as compared to India’s military budget of $ 71 billion (as per 2019 data of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)). But to think that India would lay flat on its back when the Chinese come knocking, would be a gross misjudgement on the part of the Chinese. The experiences and tactical advantages, along with world-class military arsenal, which the Indian military has acquired through wars and skirmishes with Pakistan, will come in handy when push comes to shove from the Chinese. India is not only a nuclear-capable country but also has one of the largest and most skilled armies of the world. Having said that, India should refrain from War and maintain its commitment to peace with China as we have more to lose than gain if a war takes place. India needs to be on its toes with its multifarious approach, ranging from boosting manufacturing and modernising army to building defence infrastructure and realigning itself around China’s vulnerabilities.

While some chauvinists have begun warmongering on Whatsapp and Facebook Universities, the reality on the ground, militarily and economically, is grim. Infantile Whatsapp forwards prodding the reader to delete anything that contains Sino investment or name are doing rounds in the country. What those

Condolences to the brave souls

imbeciles fail to comprehend is that India will suffer more if we shun all economic activity with China. For instance, as per 2018 World Bank data, total Sino exports to India constituted only around 3% of its total exports while the figure is much higher 5.08% for India. I could elucidate it further but not in this article. The bottom-line is India progresses better, faster and stronger with China’s investment and until we make ourselves self-sufficient we can use the money China invests in India. It’s a game of endurance which India cannot afford to lose. We do have the resources and experience to deal with any Chinese aggression on our territory, but before we embark on the path of aggressive retaliation we should consolidate inwards.

As Swami Vivekanand put it, “All power is within you.”

- Sunny Gusain

*Views expressed are personal. I am not sorry for any offence caused.

Bankers- Unsung heroes of the COVID era

2020-06-13T22:59:00.008+05:30

Bankers, particularly the mid-level and entry-level employees, have been the unsung corona warriors. There has been no

Banker-in-arms

panegyric on the risks these unsung heroes have exposed themselves to while providing banking services to the most underprivileged in the country. Yet they have worked relentlessly and assiduously over the past few months. Even amidst the churn created by COVID-19, these indefatigable spirits have made sure that the last mile cash deliverance is carried out with finesse. It is not the Middle and Higher-Income-Groups which suffer when the Government announces draconian and unilateral measures such as demonetization and lockdown but the least privileged classes that do. As much progress as India has made in making its economy cashless, the fact is cash is still the king and will remain so in the foreseeable future. In both the events, Demonetization and Lockdown announced with much secrecy and this government’s favourite shock-and-awe approach, the Government forgot about these vast sections of the Indian hoi-polloi. These unsung COVID warriors have ensured a sense of normalcy by providing not only the much-needed banking services but also assuaging the fears of the poor about the virus and its impact. Public Sector Bankers are the Government’s arms dealing with these disadvantaged groups.

Serpentine queue

Delivery of various schemes of the government like PMJDY, PMGKY, Mudra Schemes and Direct Benefit Transfers are made successful even during the peak of the pandemic by these bankers. Just consider this, 19.86 crores Jan Dhan accounts held by women are being credited each month with ₹500 each under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna resulting in long queues outside banks’ branches’ with little to no physical distancing being followed. Bankers are providing services to all these people without worrying about their safety from the virus spreading from these people. The fact that a lot of bank personnel with co-morbidities and pregnant women staff have continued working even though they are at a higher risk of fatality says a lot about their commitment and devotion to duty.

All this coming at the backdrop of bank mergers causing pandemonium among the merged banks and its employees makes it even more remarkable. Unfortunately, while in the line of duty, many bankers have lost their lives due to Covid-19 without any gratitude being expressed either by the customers or the Government. We need to recognize the excellent work being put up by these corona warriors and give it the much-deserved appreciation and admiration. Thank you to all my former colleagues and current warriors for being compassionate and diligent during these extraordinary times. You work is highly appreciated. This country and I will forever be grateful.

-Sunny Gusain

* Views expressed are personal. If anyone is offended, I've succeeded.

We are sorry Mr Darren Sammy-the Stallion

2020-06-11T23:21:00.001+05:30

I couldn’t hold it anymore. So what got me out of slumber, you’d think. The simple old bête noir of the developed world, Racism. The alleged use of the word Kalu (blacky in English) by some Indian

players for Darren Sammy, a St.Lucian cricketer who played international cricket, during his stint with the IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad got me thinking. Is it even fathomable that brown men can be racists? I mean, in reality, how many fair-complexioned brown men do you see in India? Not many I suppose. Aghast by the allegations against the Indian cricketers, I took a plunge down the memory lane and, holy moly as it turned out, we are racists. The sight of a black person in the office invites jeering. Black children are bullied in schools. Black sportspersons are called names. Dark complexioned people are seen more suspiciously in public life than otherwise. I mean it is such a common sight in the country that hardly anyone seems to care, that is until you are Darren Sammy.

I can’t imagine the shudder and repulsion he must have felt when he learned the actual meaning of the word. The fact that none other than Ishant Sharma, the lanky spearhead of the Indian cricket team, used the racist word Kalu (blacky in English) for him must have been degrading for him but to be fair to the pacer he must have used it as nonchalantly as any Indian does. I am sure he didn’t mean any malice or degradation towards him when he said that word. It’s just the way we are. Delhi, in

particular, seems to lead when it comes to racist attacks. I mean these Dilliwalas wouldn’t even spare their compatriots from the North East and the South. What else do you expect from them? Recently, a Manipuri girl was spat on by a North Delhi man, calling her Corona in the process. You can dismiss it as a one-off incident arising out of abhorrence for the beleaguered Chinese, but then you must be living in obscurity and ignoring the reality. Indian society, in general, is obsessed with fair skin and, quite naturally, therefore, is repulsed by black skin. I mean you’d have to be extraordinarily ingenuous to believe that we aren’t repulsed by the sight of black skin. Just look around and see the kind of advertisements we encounter on print and television media. Oh, you poor baby must be outraged, how can a black man accuse us Indians of racism, even though we are giving him greenbacks in the IPL!

Dear Mr Sammy, I apologise on behalf of us Indians for being racists and discriminating based on colour. I understand the outrage you must have felt when you learnt that Kalu doesn’t mean a great stallion as you had previously thought, but instead meant blacky. I myself was bullied in school for my not so fair complexion and I empathise with your feelings. We love cricketers irrespective of their colour, caste, class and creed. Do not wait up for any public apology to come from Indian players. Tell me, have the Gods ever apologised for their blunders? If you thought this would cause public outrage in India, you couldn’t have been further from the truth. The news wasn’t even a part of the National media circus, which had more significant issues to cover, pun intended.

We owe you an apology, and we owe an apology to our fellow countrymen as well. I am sorry for being racist.

-Sunny Gusain

* Views expressed are personal. If you get offended then I've succeeded.

The Greatest Invention of All Time

2018-03-19T14:03:00.000+05:30

Death is a certainty which is the most amazingly ignored reality of our times. We live so as to believe that death will always elude us, as if we were born with amrit ras ( a syrup considered to be sacred and consumption of which will make one Immortal) so as to make us immortal or eternal. Eternity is fiction, and immortality a farce.

What keeps us going? Should we all think about death as an impending reality? Should we all have death in our mind while doing our daily chores? Almost all fears and expectations vanish in the face of death.

Indeed, these questions are easier to ask than answer. Death is a motivation killer. One just cannot function with the Sword of Damocles hanging over one's head. What should be one's approach to life then? Should one live life to the fullest , oblivious to the impending death? Where should one look for answers then? The good thing about such thinking is that it is not original. People before us have wondered about the same issues. These are called existential questions. Questions which define us, questions which give us a character, questions which shape our existence, questions which haunt us in the night and amuse us in the morning. The existential questions are probably the only thing that make homo sapiens distinctive when compared to other species on earth. No other species on the planet seem to be having existential crisis as much as humans. All space exploration is a result of these existential questions.

Philosophers have been trying to find answers to these fascinating questions since ages resulting in marvelous and incredible books such as the Gita, which for Hindus is a Life Guiding self help book. So how does Gita deal with the question of death?

Chapter two of the The Bhagavad Gita says:

"For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

One might argue that Gita, as a philosophical book scores high and that it does there is not an iota of doubt over that. But the underlying message of the book is to keep going without worrying about

death. The book specially targets the warrior clans to continue wars and battles without worrying about death as well as moral crisis arising out of war.

Will continue......

- Sunny Gusain

Dear GOD: Letter from an atheist

2018-03-19T12:33:00.000+05:30

I grew up in a lower middle class god loving family. Although I must admit that the portrait of half elephant-half human form God did give me jitters as a child. I was petrified to stay alone in the house with that gross looking elephant God. I would avoid looking at the portrait for the fear of being killed or mutilated. Of course, my fears were exaggerated as nothing of that sort happened during my childhood. I was delighted that the Elephant God never devoured me for dinner but this gave me a sense of invincibility against any sorts of God, be it the monkey God or the tongue wagging, multi-

headed feminine Goddess. I was scared of myriad forms of Gods. Many a times I would just wake up in the middle of the night and sneak my head out the blanket only to find the Monkey God staring right into my soul and immediately I would hide under the covers. After all is said and done, I did have some rewarding sessions with the Gods helping me get some good grades in exams, or so I thought. I've truly wanted to ask God if he indeed existed for then it would spare the Gallons of blood that has been spilled over his Name.

-Sunny Gusain

Mulayam not so Soft

2015-07-17T16:57:00.002+05:30

So it is out in the open. Again. The ruling party chief threatening a serving IG ranked IPS officer of

dire consequences if he didn’t mend his ways. The brave officer though had other plans than just being flabbergasted by this unnatural heed of "advice", as the CM puts it. Before I delve into the knitty gritties of the case let me just reproduce the transcript of the conversation that allegedly took place between the IPS officer and the SP supremo. So here it is:

It’s a matter of amusement then what the CM Mr Akhilesh Yadav had to say about it when asked by the media. He replied, "Jab CM ko suna dete hain toh officer kya cheez hai". The CM’s wit is funny indeed except for the fact that the threat is very real and existent. For an officer to discharge his duties in an honest and sincere manner is almost impossible. You as an officer either toe the line of the politicians or perish in ways galore including but not limited to pseudo rape cases, corruption charges (ironic?) and illegalities in discharge of official duties.

Questions

It was amusing watching the open debate on times now; it became so hilarious at one point of time when the sitting party MLA said that being a fatherly figure Mr Yadav was only advising the officer and was well within his rights to do so. He tried justifying the crass behavior of the supremo by being pious towards him and calling him father of all the people in the state and thus justifying the call given by Mulayam to the officer, Mr Amitabh Thakur. It appears as if casting aspersions and intimidating others has become engraved in the party ethos. Such was the shamelessness on display by the MLA on air that when asked about the rattling of Land Mafia being the reason why Mr Thakur got the call from Netaji, he replied show me the proof that there is land mafia. I fully credit him for that. UP has been shining for so long now with development and progress that all illegal activities including land grabbing, sand mining, goondaism etc do not exist there. What a shame that Mr Arnab Goswami doesn’t understand this simple fact. Viva la UP.

-Sunny Gusain

Disclaimer: The views are personal

Why Vyapam broke my Slumber

2015-07-14T20:15:00.001+05:30

Hats off to this scam

So, I write again. More sarcastic than the past that’s a promise. After a very long time I muster up the courage to write something. Was I procrastinating? Yes, I was. For a full couple of years. Vyapam. What does it strike the most in your mind while you hear the name Vyapam. Brazenness, that’s what strikes my mind when I listen to this word. Thousands have been duped over the past 10 years in the case. Most importantly, it’s the youth of the state who have been deprived of their rightful places either in medical colleges or in government jobs. In short, meritocracy has been compromised for nepotism. What a shame!! Who should we blame? The political dispensation or the people themselves who benefited from such ignoble cheating. The jury is still out on that and trust me if past cases are anything to go by it will take another quarter of a century to finally arrive at a judgment, guilty or not guilty. It seems as if Justice delayed is justice denied is a rhetoric expression with no practical uses. Our judiciary still runs at a snail pace. Very slow. Lethargic, no, but extremely slow.

The laws of the land combined with the sheer number of the cases are a burden on the judges. Coming back to Vyapam, the statements which the politicians are giving are so utterly outrageous and smelling of arrogance that any rational and honest person would be appalled to say the least. Ache din ayenge seems like the most negatively popular rhetoric now even surpassing the law will take its own course we have full trust in the judiciary which is invariably used by the politicians or bureaucrats accused of graft. Amusing? No. Far from being amusing the Vyapam is becoming a hot bed of blood. Suicides, murders, deaths in police custody, bullying and what not. The most blatant dimension of the whole scam is the way whistle blowers are being threatened even on camera and on record. We can only imagine what happens to them when the cameras are not on them. It requires a lot of courage and ideals to stand up to the state Minister and come out with the truth. It’s almost akin to travelling against the tide going at 100mph. Protection to their life and property though is minimal.

Whoever had the courage and patience to read the article up until now is silently applauded by me now. Coming to the point, there is a joke doing the rounds in social media especially Watsapp where a reporter purportedly asks a question to Mr Shivaraj Singh Chauhan, the CM of MP, related to Vyapam scam, to which he replies that whoever has asked a question about the Vyapam Scam has died. In reply, the reporter cleverly changes the question and instead asks the minister how the minister’s wife is cooking a particular vegetable. Humorous, the joke may be, but it carries a deep pitched sarcasm in it. If you mull over the number of deaths that are reported to have taken place in relation to the Vyapam Scam you will be stunned to say the least. May be that explains why I am refraining from calling specific names. See I don’t know who did it. Neither do I know for sure who is responsible and accountable for the deaths. I believe the CBI enquiry which has now been ordered by the Supreme Court will bring up some radiant facts and truths in the case. One thing that I can definitely believe in is that no matter what happens both the political parties are going to have a closed door meeting regarding why this case needs to be brushed under the carpet due to the involvement of players from both sides.

Wait and watch. It’s going to be fascinating to see the outcome of facts and figures in the case. Last but not the least, thank you very much for tolerating the read for an entire duration of over 650 words.

-Sunny Gusain

P.S.: No numbers or names in the article to be associated with the outcome of the scam. Please do not kill me.

Disclaimer: The views are personal.

Dysfunction in society

2013-11-05T22:21:00.000+05:30

How dysfunctional are we? The question is not merely an outcome of frustration but a general observance of the populace and their popular culture. The rotting cultural values are becoming irreversible. The changes and alterations are happening at such high speeds that the rotting is becoming a norm rather than an exception. We are all running but still finding ourselves at the same place, with our progress or the virtual idea of progress shredded into tiny pieces. We are collecting those pieces and still running, probably scared from something or someone. We are not independent anymore but organized labors in a highly sophisticated labor market, white or otherwise. The better the circle of incentives and farcical emoluments, the bigger the avarice of an individual and, lest we forget, individuals form societies. We are all bound by the idea of money and a career. The natural liberty of a man is to be free from all sorts of mental and physical strains. In the culture of today, we breed dissatisfaction, inequality, envy and above all unhappiness. We manufacture and diligently prepare diseases and then bring up hospitals to cure our diseases. And then we invite the envy of our neighbors by getting treated at rich hospitals which only a lucky few can afford. Why corporatism is important is because it brings in materialistic prosperity and apparently brings in happiness along with this materialistic prosperity. But does it really bring in happiness, or does it bring in slavery as its by product. The debate will always go on. Its a never ending process.

A famous quote is so right in this contest: Things were made to be used and humans were made to be loved, but the problems arose when things started to be loved and people used.

-Sunny Gusain

Rape

2013-03-25T08:27:00.001+05:30

Indian culture is in a moribund state for quite some time now. The critically low level of tolerance, forbearance and patience witnessed by a free thinker in the country points towards radicalisation of thoughts and beliefs of the populace. Rape is a phenomenon that media has recently taken fancy to. Cricket remains a distant second to the rape sensationalism by the media. Barring some, Rape has almost become a pure commercial interest for the media. And rightly so, after all who doesn’t like to watch a good rape story unfolding in excruciating detail on the idiot box. In the name of fashion, page3 and moviesa news channel would happily garner TRPs by objectifying women for which ironically they have booked a prime time slot for a debate on the issue of women empowerment. Women empowerment should first start with the minds of the masses and only then should it reflect on the legislation and the laws of the nation. Harsher laws won’t stop rapes but changing mindsets will.

-Sunny Gusain

Liberty-Equality-Capitalism

2013-03-25T08:23:00.000+05:30

What is liberty? Is it absolute? Is liberty natural? Is justice legal or is it moral? Dwelling on the ideas of liberty, morality and legality makes us giddy. A true free man is one who is free naturally. One who doesn’t fear laws or worry about morality? Natural instincts are the only rules that the true free man abide by. The government, the ruling classes and their ideology hold us hostage in the name of development. We may not necessarily relate or agree to either their style of ruling or their ideology. The act of governance itself is synonym of perfidy to the natural ethos of justice. Is development the concrete that is erected in a matter of days or is it the new anti missile system coming up in your country? Public good by the government may not necessarily be its motto but public control surely is. The rulers are in control of you and me. The company, corporation or any entity you work for is bound by capitalism. Capitalism, which is the son of Darwinism theory of natural selection, is marred with irony. The Irony that people perceives capitalism to bring justice by bringing equality and inclusive development while capitalism’s true nature is wiping out the unfit. Justice and equality are two different entities anyways, and as we all know, justice does not always equal equality.

-Sunny Gusain

Amoeba or Human?

2013-02-13T23:32:00.000+05:30

Amoeba:a complex simple being

Behind the white veils of success lies a deep dark convoluted truth of our mortal existence. We often tend to ignore it but it keeps coming back intermittently. There are times when it briefly vanishes from our conscience but again it comes back with more powerful fangs than before. So we often wonder as to what really is defined as true success. Does dog eat dog attitude, so prevalent in the corporate world, a real basis of success where every individual is as devoid of any emotions and compassion as a snake is while killing its prey. Is a truly successful person an ascetic who uses spirituality to attain seclusion from his genetic desires to have wealth? Alternatively, is there a middle path to a successful life, where a person has spirituality, money, family amongst other things to help him have that feeling of fulfilment even as he leaves his mortal incarnation?

The one question, which adds an added twist to these already trivial questions, is my all time favourite, isn’t an Amoeba better than a human is? Now, there are various parameters on which this question may be answered but in the most basic and upfront parameter of “SURVIVAL” Amoeba scores and wins undeniably. I am sure almost all of us agree that the primary goal of our existence is survival as has been suggested by Robert Charles Darwin in his famous theories of natural selection. I am a firm believer of Darwin’s theories, as its proof is so obvious for anyone residing in India. We face intense natural selection every single day so deniability of the same would tantamount to blasphemy. While we humans have sophisticated biological, psychological, sexual and other complex systems in place to ensure we survive, an amoeba makes do with a single cell performing all functions carried out by humans. Of course, an Amoeba won’t have rhythmic orgasms like we do, or have lust for money or the feeling of patriotism, or the need to apply hair gel on their hair, but they still perform the most important function called “survival” very effectively. And by the look of it, it appears like more than half of the Indian population is having the problem of survival while an Amoeba is definitely not having a bad time surviving. If anything, Amoeba is fast growing in the ultra polluted environments of India while the exact opposite is happening with the humans. Amoeba or Human then? Well, I would surely want to be an Amoeba.....

-Sunny Gusain

Yo Yo Honey Singh

2013-01-03T00:05:00.002+05:30

Honey Singh: not so sweet?

Good evening. This is india news hour. The biggest news of today is that Indians have finally found the culprit behind the ever increasing number of rapes. And as previously suggested by respected chauvinists and ultra sensitive nationalists it is none other than Honey Singh. He is the sole reason behind violence against the fairer sex. An FIR lodged against his name in Lucknow is indeed the first concrete step towards nailing him and ending this malice against women in the society. The 'misogynist singer', not surprisingly though, has denied all charges of 'misogyny' leveled against him. But of course who is he to deny the charges when the jury is already out against him. The claim of Honey Singh, who has also sung a beautiful track on Bhagat Singh, that he respects women and is a men of values was rejected vehemently by the saviors of our nation. Surely, he has deeply hurt the Indian values and disrespected women, it doesn't matter then that the lyrics of the controversial song 'c***t' has been in public domain for, well, almost eight years now. May be like our courts, we needed time to understand the lyrics. Fine enough. Personally, I think all singers and musicians should by law not be allowed to sing anything other then singing songs in the praise of God, or politicians, or may be something which doesn't affect the sensibilities of Indians. If anything puts women in bad light (read as objectification) then it has to be the item songs of Bollywood. If they aren't offensive then nothing else is. Live the artist and let live the artistry.

- Sunny Gusain

Sir Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar....... Indeed

2013-01-01T23:57:00.002+05:30

A National Hero

I was born in 1987. Two years hence, a legend started in 1989. To call him just a legend would be a felony of first order. Ever since I remember myself I remember him. He is as much a part of my conscience and life as anything else that I know. I still vividly recall the year 1998 when in Sharjah, UAE He destroyed and displayed improbable strength and magnificence even as the desert storms were lurching around the corner. It was as if the evil was at work to stop the God from spreading goodness that day. It failed. Miserably too. Over the years, the mudslingers and maligners kept on rocketing mud at Him even as he so meticulously kept on piling goodness and brilliance. He still remains a paradigm of grandeur and as I see it, the one and the last one to carry the flames of "class". Year 1998, at around one hour past midnight the whole colony of residents were watching the God at work. Even as he smashed the balls here and there, we were on the edge, murmuring prayers for His victory.

You were awestruck with his precise cover drives and the trademark straight drives. It was as if he was using a ruler for every shot he played, or as I wondered often during that time, if his bat was like a ballistic missile, always hitting the target. Sometimes you see these kids scoring heavily and being compared with the master. Now who will tell these experts that the 'means are as important as the ends'. It is not only the runs He has scored but the absolute delight he would give to anyone watching Him score those runs that is so unique about Him. Of course, I believe someone in the future might break his records but the exquisite manner in which he scored each and every run can never be replicated........not over yet

-Sunny Gusain

Mortal thoughts

2012-11-15T17:33:00.001+05:30

-Sunny Gusain

Ye India hai, India

2012-11-12T12:19:00.002+05:30

Indians have a knack of being leaders. In fact, I could go the distance and say that we Indians are born leaders. You want an example from my side, well consider it your lucky day I will give you one. Since the day I became sensible enough to understand the world a little, I have observed people with a relatively high degree of interest than you would expect from normal people. Luckily, while observing people I have been able to maintain a low profile to prevent myself from being labelled as a lunatic in a highly self-conscious Indian society. We live in a society full of hypersensitive individuals. We never get offended when our tirangaa, the national flag, is run over and stomped by us after each republic and Independence day. Half of the people reading this would not even understand the difference between republic day and Independence Day (true story). But let's not tread on that line as it is too dangerous( for me) as I could be labelled a traitor and made an outcast by the patriotic chauvinists. So, let’s come to the point. See the same tirangaa when disrespected by the foreign liquor companies or TV anchors wearing tirangaa sarees gets a very angry and outrageous response from the conscious patriots. Yes yes I know i am missing the wood for the trees, deviating from the topic at hand and all but let’s face it I am just being an Indian.

If I ask my respected readers as to how many care about the nation many would be amused as to what kind of a question is it. But when I ask the same readers about how many of them have given a bribe to a tout to make their driving licenses the responses would surely be overwhelmingly in affirmative. Not surprisingly then that many of us do not really have to go through a driving test before we actually get our driving licenses. In fact i know of a lot of people who have licenses to drive a four wheeler but, astonishingly, to put it in American vernacular “ don’t know shit about driving a 4-wheeler.”. TaDa. The result of this is easily evident once you enter the Indian “death roads”.

Next time you are on a driving trail in the city, just observe where people stop in a red light stop. Almost everyone stops after the stop line. Shit. Not quite. If anything that’s only the start of “Shit Happens”, as the moment the traffic light is about to turn green these sons and daughters of Schumachers and Rossi’s race the accelerator and jump even before the lights turn green. Shit. Not quite again. See, these people are so much full of courage or total disregard for law (or are sure of the indifference of the traffic constable, whichever way you want to put it) that in spite of the traffic controller standing right there they jump the stop lines and red lights Shrrrrrrooom and Vrroooom they go. How we respect the law can also be gauged by one personal example of mine. Just the other day as I stopped before a stop line on a red light right here in my hometown Dehradun, I heard the blowing horn of a Honda City car, on finding out that the horn was directed at me, I replied it’s red light. So this guy, who looked suave and decent, started calling me names because according to him i could have moved even further than standing like a stupid person before a stop line. The lights turned green, and as this car passed by me the driver had a word of advise for me......Ye India hai, INDIA.........sure it is!!!!!

-Sunny Gusain