KHOJ

3 Wishes - A Short Story

2020-05-11T21:16:00.008+05:30

There lived a man who was eternally dissatisfied with his life. He never smiled, and always found reasons to criticize everyone. One night he got lucky. On his way home he met a Genie who felt pity for the sad man. The Genie was dark blue in colour and looked malignant and monstrous. At first the man was scared, but the friendly smile of the giant assured him. The Genie said that he will grant him three wishes, provided he agreed to one simple condition. The man was ecstatic. ‘Finally, my life was going to change for good’, he thought. His first wish was to be rich. The Genie reminded him about the condition, ‘Whatever you wished, your neighbours would get double of that’. The man agreed. He would be rich enough to fulfil all his desires.

The man reached his home, had his dinner and went to his bed anxiously. The excitement kept him awake all night. Next morning when he got up, his humble house has already turned into a beautiful mansion. He was richer than he ever dreamed possible. As human nature is, the happiness wasn’t meant to last for long. The moment he stepped out of his mansion his heart shattered into pieces. He remembered Genie’s words, ‘Whatever you wished, your neighbours would get double of that’. Happiness is not absolute, but relative. It is the positive gap between your reality and your expectations. His expectations were always set by the standard of his neighbours. His absolute wealth had no meaning because, based on his current expectations, his reality was that he was the poorest person in the neighbourhood. It also meant that he was the weakest, a condition no living species likes to be in. Our desires are ancient and inbuilt in our operating system. It is the carving that leads to motivation. It comes from our bodily structures and not the mental state. Desires helps us survive and wants us to be the fittest. ‘Fittest’ is a relative term. When a lion is chasing you, your absolute speed is irrelevant when you know that you cannot outpace the beast. All you just need to ensure is that you are not the slowest of the lot. Luckily for him, he still had two wishes left.

Our eternally dissatisfied man went back to the exact place and at the exact time he met the Genie last night. As expected, the Genie was right there. The Genie asked him about his day as a rich man. With a dejected look on his face the man explained his disastrous day. Concerned, the gene asked if he wanted another wish. This time the man gave some thought to the matter and uttered after a while that he wished he was turned into a poor man. ‘Are you sure?’ asked Genie with a confused look. ‘Yes’, insisted the man. With his wish granted, the man went back to his home satisfied. Tonight he felt asleep early. Next morning when he woke up his mansion was turned into a poor hut. It did not matter to him, all he wanted was to go out and visit his neighbourhood. He was now the richest person in the village. As he came out of his house there were poor people begging to him for food and money. It took him some time to realise that these beggars were none other than his neighbours. For the first time he felt proud that he was better than them. He took out some money from his front pocket and donated to his poor and filthy neighbours. While he was walking down the street with his head held high he felt someone grabbing and pulling is shirt from the back. As he turned he saw a thin poor girl, probably eight years old, begging for food. Looking at the pitiful condition of the kid made him sad. He looked around and saw the pain and agony. At that moment he realised what he had done. To satisfy his desires he made his entire neighbourhood suffer. For the first time he felt their pain, he felt empathy and compassion. Emotions makes us human beings, and it is emotions that teaches us to control our desires. Emotions also help us connect with fellow humans and that connection is a tool of survival too. He still had one wish left to undo the horrendous act he committed.

The man went back to the Genie again. The Genie asked him about his day as the richest person in the neighbourhood. He knew exactly why the man asked for such a wish. ‘It was horrible’, replied the man with remorse, ‘and this time I know exactly what to do with my last wish’. ‘What is it that your heart truly desires?’ questioned Genie. ‘I want to undo everything and go back to the way I was before’, came the reply. ‘Your wish, my command’, said the Genie with a smile in his face, knowing very well that his message was conveyed. Next morning the man found himself back in his old house. When he grabbed his mobile to look at the time, he was surprised to see the date. Not a day has passed since the night of his first wish. Was he dreaming it all along? But it felt so real. Keen to know what happened, he ran out of his house into the neighbourhood. Everything was as they were before he met the Genie. His gaze fell on the 8-year-old girl playing happily with her mother. He never felt so happy in his life before. That whole day he spent in his neighbourhood, meeting and greeting his old friends and making new in the process. He realised how lucky he was to be part of such a caring community. Relationship is the cornerstone of happiness, and it took the man some time to realise that. The worst way to find happiness is to go looking for it. You don't find happiness, happiness finds you when you stop looking. That night the man went back to the exact same spot where he met the Genie. Somewhere in his heart he hoped that the Genie was real, and he wanted to thank him. Alas! No one was there that night. Instead, he saw a dark blue cloth fluttering in the wind.

Story inspired by a folk tale.

Subhrashis Adhikari

Author: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

www.subhrashis.com

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

The Revolt of 1857

2020-05-10T19:52:00.004+05:30

REF:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Rebellion_of_1857

On 10th May 1857 numerous Indian sepoys from Meerut were imprisoned because they refused to use the new cartridges. Sir John Malcolm, witness to the Sepoy Mutiny, noted that the Indian sepoys were loyal to the EIC until 1796CE. What happened after 1796CE?

The structure of the regiments changed as more European officers joined the army and Indian sepoys got stuck in the lower ranks. They were also forced to travel overseas, something their religion prohibited. The already discontented sepoys, treated as second-class citizens in their own land, revolted. They killed few European officers in Meerut, crossed the Yamuna River, burnt down the tollhouse, and marched towards Delhi. The revolutionaries were in search of a leader, and who better than the king of Delhi to lead them. They were heading for disappointment. The poet king was in no mood for action in this old age, and he stayed silent. The gates of Delhi were closed.

It did not remain close for long, however. The gates of Rajghat had to be opened after protests from locals who wanted to take their morning dip into the Yamuna River. There might have been more to the demand then just their morning dip. The locals probably helped the soldiers of Meerut sneak into Delhi when the gates were opened. Once the soldiers managed to get inside the city violence spread rapidly. More British officers were killed, and the unruly rebels did not spare even their families. All local Christians the mob could lay their hands on were murdered. British officers panicked and open fired at the sepoys, including those who were fighting for the EIC.

Things went out of control, and the next day, Zafar reluctantly accepted alliance of the sepoys. The support of a Mughal king gave the movement a much-needed momentum, and it spread rapidly across northern India. Nana Saheb and Tantia Tope led the fight in Kanpur; it was Begam Hazrat Mahal in Lucknow; in Bareilly by Khan Bahadur; in Jagdishpur by Kunwar Singh; and in Jhansi by Rani Lakshmibai. Occasional rebellions also took place in Bengal and Bombay Presidency while Chennai remained largely silent. The Sikhs allied with the EIC as their hatred for the Mughals was much more than that towards the British. The deaths of their gurus in the hand of Mughal kings were not forgotten easily. The British Army brought in all support that they could get from Britain, Persia, and those on their way to China to fight the Opium War. India was the crown of British Empire. They could ill afford to lose it. What followed was a ruthless battle.

The British officers burnt down villages after villages, killing rebels and civilians alike. As per the records, 100,000 Indian sepoys were killed. That statistics does not take into account the dead civilians, and the rebels who did not belong to the British Army. Amaresh Misra, in his controversial book, termed it as an ‘untold holocaust’ where the Britishers killed 10 million Indians in over ten years since 1857CE. Even though the British were slow to retaliate, Indians could not grab that opportunity. Lack of faith in one another, the resulting lack of coordination, and betrayals by own men led to the defeat of the Indians. The supply of artillery belonging to the rebels also exhausted. The British forces slowly regained all their lost territories. Delhi fell on September 1857 when Jafar was captured from Humayun’s tomb. Rani of Jhansi, called by a British officer as the only man among the men, died fighting on 17 June 1857. The old Kunwar Singh managed to escape the British troops till his death on 9 May 1858. Tantia Tope was betrayed by Man Singh and was captured and executed on April 1859. Galib managed to escape and survive. He would later mourn and write,

"So many of my friends and relatives have died that if now I were to die, not a single soul would be left to mourn for me."

Though the revolt failed, it managed to achieve an impossible task of uniting the Indians, to some extent at least. Years later, it would inspire Indians in their fight for independence from the British rule. The war also marked the end of two great powers of India: the Mughals and the EIC. The Queen of England took over from the EIC and established the British Raj. As for the Mughals, the dynasty ended with the death of Bahadur Shah Jafar. He once wrote a prophetic poem as if he knew his end was near:

"Bar rahi hai hameshaa zakhm pe zakhm, dil kaa chaaraagaron khudaa haafiz
Aaj hai kuchh ziyaadaa betaabii, dil-e-betaab ko khudaa haafiz
Kyon hifaazat ham aur ki dhundhen, har nafas jab ki hai khudaa haafiz
Chaahe rukhsat ho raah-e-ishq mein, ai ‘Zafar’ jaane do khudaa haafiz"

(Increasing forever pain on pain, Oh healers of heart . . . Goodbye!

Today I am unusually impatient, Oh restlessness . . . Goodbye!

Why search for protection from others, When every part of me said . . . Goodbye!

Even if ceases the road to love, Oh ‘Zafar’ let go . . . Goodbye!)

Subhrashis Adhikari

Author: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

www.subhrashis.com

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

How Stories Made Us...

2020-04-20T17:03:00.000+05:30

“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.” - Kurt Vonnegut

Why did we paint the caves? What's the connection between the rock arts of hunters and gatherers, the ‘fiction’ of Harare and the ‘Maya’ of Upanisads? How are humans related to Zebra flinch? Why do we create stories and how did it make us the top predator? How can stories limit our potential? Can we script a new story to create a better world?

Between 60-70,000 years ago, the group of Sapiens that now dominates our world, started to migrate out of Africa. This group of people were unique and lucky to be part of some random mutations that changed the fate of our planet. One of the uniqueness of those random mutations is what we see in the ancient caves, that we now call rock paintings. Why are the rock paintings important? What does they reveal about us? We will find out.

Figure 1

Figure 1 is the oldest figurative rock painting we know of. It is from a cave in Indonesia and is over 40,000 years old.

What do they paint in the wall?

Dinner!

Not much different from our Facebook walls now a days.

Figure 2

Figure 2 is from the more famous Altamira cave in Spain and is around 20,000 years old. The fine motor skills and the advance imagination of our ancestors amaze me.

Figure 3

Figure 3 is a picture I clicked...from Bundi in Rajasthan. We do not know how old these are, but still pretty amazing. The question that comes to the mind when I see these paintings is why did they paint?

The most common reason proposed by scholars is animism. “Anima” means soul or spirit in Latin. According to this theory our ancestors painted the animals they hunted, on the walls, to call help from the spirit world to bring success in their hunting expedition. Back in those days hunting was a dangerous activity, and they needed all the help they could.

I believe there is an alternate explanation. This idea struck me in my 2016 Ladakh trip. I just finished reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari and was reading The Principal Upanisads by Prof. S. Radhakrishnan. As I was standing in front of those rock arts, looking at the figures of Ibex hunting, dancing, caravan scenes etc, I realized that there was a connection between the rock arts of hunters and gatherers, the ‘fiction’ of Harare and the ‘Maya’ of Upanisads. Before that let us look at some other paintings

This was drawn by my daughter when she was 5.5 yrs old. Thats a farm and there are animals in that picture. One thing I can assure you, she was not summoning the spirits.

I took this picture when I was in Jordan. The whole truck is decorated, like most Asian trucks. Its an expression of love for MA, and I cannot be sure from this picture if she is a spirit.

This is a graffiti, again from Jordon. It is talking about hope and peace.

This one is from Ulaanbaataar, Mongolia, from my trans-Siberian trip. I am not quite sure what that means.

This is also from the same trip. Its Olkham Island in Lake Baikal. This cute little thing is called nerpa or the Lake Baikal seal.

Painting is not just something our ancestors did. We still do it everywhere around the globe. Now let us go back in time.

Shekhawati is a wonderful place to visit, and not very far from here. All the houses are richly decorated with colorful murals like this. It depicts scenes from the epics or the daily life of people.

Going back few centuries, this one if from 16-17th century Orchha. It shows gods and goddesses and various mythological characters.

This painting of a king with his concubines is from 4th century Bagh caves.

These are Buddhist paintings of
Bodhisattva from Ajanta and Bagh cave.

This one is from Egypt, Valley of kings.

Looking at all these paintings one thing is clear, art exists all round the globe since time immortal… why……

Art is about communicating a story in form of information. Imagine a person who lived thousands of years ago, is now transferring information to me long after that person is gone. Looking at the cave paintings I can now feel the story of his life, of hunting, of the dancing, of all his emotions. No other animal is capable of doing that in the sophisticated way our species can.

Art make our species unique.

According to neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran, art activates our visual centre and tap into evolved survival response center of our brain. Our brain likes to share emotions with others through stories, and art was the first tool we invented to do just that.

Brain has three components, if we describe it in a crude way:

The reptilian brain, the oldest component, controls out desires. Desires motivate us to weave stories.

The mammalian brain controls emotions. Emotions add color to the stories and create the urge to share it with others.

The neo-mammalian brain controls our cognitive functions that help us build the tools to share the stories.

In human beings all three components of the brain are strong enough not only to think about art, but also replicate that thought in the walls of the caves and share it with others in form of stories. It helped create fictions like religion, nation, currency etc. It is the ability to create this fictitious world of Maya that helped us rise to the top of the food-chain from being just another ordinary prey. Information is the strength of our species with which we could defeat any predator. These etchings on the rocks were the first evidence of us turning into the deadliest predator of all times.

The area of our brain that is associated with speech is the same area responsible for singing in zebra finches. Some scientists have found link between FOXP2 gene with evolution of human speech and language. Mutation of this gene results in speech impairment in not just humans, but also lack of singing ability in flinches. Language is in our genes.

Language not only helps in communication, but also in making and sharing stories.

We can talk and plan ahead to save ourselves from predators, while at the same time strategizing how to kill our next prey. We can gossip about whom you like and whom you don’t, about who is helpful and who is a cheater, about who loves whom and who is sleeping with whom. According to Yuval Noah Harari, none of these ‘fictions’ would have been possible without language.

Human brain is a complex mass of tufu-like protein that guides us through our life. Information travels faster than any F1 car inside our brains. It acquires, processes, interprets and stores information, while creating prejudice and bias. Let’s test that theory…. This is a simple question, and we all know the answer. How many colors are there in a rainbow?

In my previous lectures whenever I asked how many colors are there in a rainbow, almost unanimously everyone said ‘seven’. Again it is not wrong. That is exactly what my daughter is taught at school. Technically it is the correct answer. But have we ever asked ourselves why seven? In truth it is a continuous electromagnetic spectrum, and not discrete seven bands. Rainbow has all colors. Why seven then? Because we were told so.

The number 7 has fascinated Indians and Greeks alike. When you get obsessed with something you see it everywhere. We are biased towards things we hold close. We were so biased that we made seven oceans, seven continents, seven heavens, seven days, seven sins, seven ‘classical’ planets and seven wonders. Even fictions prefer the magic number 7. Snow White met seven dwarfs, Sindbad the sailor had seven voyages, and then there is 007. We can as well make 6 or 20 oceans. We can club Europe and Asia into one continent. Why make Australia a new continent and leave our Greenland? Why seven wonders? Because modern world has been primed by seven.

I hope that now you can appreciate how stories have made us who we are. Most of the time we do not even realise that most of our faith is just stories we have been fed.

We are the stories we believe in. We have to be careful about what stories we learn.

Grow up with stories of what is right and what is wrong. The moral teachings help us to cope up with the uncertainties of life and prepare us for the reality. But they also limit us by creating ‘belief systems’. Our emotions can often be guided our ‘belief systems’ or stories of which we are often unaware of. For example we often say ‘No pain, no gain’, or ‘Life is hard’. We say that with good intention. It helps us accept harsh realities and work for success. But is also creates a conditioned fear. Children who grow us with such stories often think that in order to be successful one need to suffer. Life is hard, so you might never find happiness. Studies have shown that such limiting beliefs makes one discouraged and hopeless. It also makes people feel guilty when they achieve something easily. They believe that if they have not worked hard and struggled to get something, they are not worthy of it. Such limiting beliefs often end up creating unhappy personalities. In order to be happy one needs to identify their ‘limiting beliefs’. They are not bad, but it is important that we are aware of them in order to avoid their 'bad' influence.

Another story that limits us is the ‘us’ vs ‘them’. For millions of years we have survived by identifying 'them' and 'us'. The wild did not provide us with ample time to judge if ‘them’ were a threat. So, it was always assumed that ‘them’ = ‘threat’. Bigotry is a modern relict of that evolutionary past. This has led to bloodshed and many have lost their life. But the world is changing. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how intricately we are connected to each other. It also showed us the powerful influence we have on nature. The lockdown has cleaned up the air and water bodies. The birds and animals are happy. Unlike the past, any wrong action we take today, any more war and bloodshed, will have ripple effect in the entire biosphere. Sapiens have become a powerful natural force like volcano. With that much power and influence, we need to take up the responsibility. It's time we find a new story. What would that be?

We need a new Story.

We started with the wall paintings from around the globe and also did a quick time travel. We learned why did we paint the caves, what's the connection between the rock arts of hunters and gatherers, the ‘fiction’ of Harare and the ‘Maya’ of Upanisads, how are humans related to Zebra flinch, why do we create stories and how did it make us the top predator, and how can stories limit our potential. The final question is, can we script a new story to create a better world?

In nature the fittest survive. Devdutt calls it ‘prakriti’, which is guided by the rule of the jungle ‘matysa nyaya’. According to this rule, big fish eats small fish. Hunters and gatherers lived by the rule of prakriti. Post agriculture the rule of ‘prakriti’ changed to the rule of ‘sanskriti’. Sanskriti is culture, or a set of social rules that defines a group. The group can be a tribe, a religion or a nation. Post the Neo-lithic revolution, sanskriti started to dominate over prakriti. Matysa Nyaya was now modified to big (read powerful) groups eating (exploiting) small (weak) groups. According to the new rule, a small fish in a big group has more chance of survival than a big fish in a small group. Empathy is the glue that helps the group bond strongly. However, it's the cognitive power of our brain that can take us to the next level of civilisation. I call it Sukriti, or the right thought, which would eventually lead to right action.

History tells us that many civilizations had flourished in the past, but in the struggle for survival they got lost into the oblivion. New ones took over. Our future will be different from what it is today. It was human beings who have created stories like compassion, altruism, truth, honesty, loyalty, love, equality, secularism, liberty and peace. These words are fictions that we have invented. And these are powerful inventions. Yes, some of them may be evolutionary, and in our genes, but they are also cultural memes. We should be proud of that. That is the trump of us, the inquisitive apes. It is through these values that we can create a strong society and a happier world, not just for us but also for all species.

If we have to survive, we need to unite. The new story must be that of unity and compassion for all. Experiments show that compassion and gratitude makes us happy. They also show that out brain is plastic, it can be taught to be compassionate. If we can teach stories of compassion and global unity, we can create a better world. According to Ubuntu philosophy, which has its origins in ancient Africa, a newborn baby is not a person. People are born without ‘ena’, or selfhood. Every individual must acquire it through interactions with others and experiences they acquire over time. The concept of 'I' or self is blurrier in Ubuntu philosophy. According to them, ’I am because we are, and since we are, therefore I am.’ We have to take that story and spread it around the globe. I will leave you with that thought.

Subhrashis Adhikari

Author: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

www.subhrashis.com

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

LIFE GAMES to Fight COVID Grief

2020-04-16T19:16:00.002+05:30

"These are extraordinary times, and we are probably living through a defining moment in human history."

"We are in grief, and the whole world is connected through that common thread of grief in an unprecedented way."

These are extraordinary times, and we are probably living through a defining moment in human history.This is not just a health crisis, but also a psychological one. We are scared about our health and that of our loved ones. We are worried about our finance and our future. We are in grief, and the whole world is connected through that common thread of grief in an unprecedented way. According to Kübler-Ross Model there are five stages of grief. If I adopt that model in the context of current situation, the five stages of COVID-grief can be summarized as below:

Denial: It is just another flu. We are immune.

Anger: It is a conspiracy. Blame the rich. Complete mismanagement.

Bargaining: Please save us, next time we will be better with the environment.

Depression: When will this end? The markets are down? My job is at risk.

Acceptance: It is what it is. This too shall pass.

It might not happen in that exact sequence, and sometimes negative thoughts can lead to vicious negative cycle that cause acute depression. Research show that depressed mood bias our memory towards negative emotion. This in turn increases the probability of recalling negative memory leading to further depression. To break the negative cycle we need to accept the situation we are in. How do we move to the fifth stage of acceptance quickly? I am happy to share an approach that has worked for me, and I hope that it helps some of you. I have named it LIFE GAMES and it is a way of life that includes all our daily habits.

L for Low-carb Diet: Majority of us eats more carb than our body needs. Especially, refined carbs is known to lower the production of BDNF, a protein essential for creating strong neurological connections. Excessive sugar intake increases inflammation and can cause depression. Having said that, carbs are also important. Switch to healthy carbs like whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits, instead of white bread, white rice, pasta, sugary foods and potatoes. Do not add sugar to beverages. If required, Stevia might be a better alternative. The key is to have a balanced diet of both macro (Carbs, Proteins and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). The requirements vary from person to person based on sex, health, age etc. Green leafy vegetables are rich in Vitamin B, whereas Vitamin C is found abundantly in citrus fruits. Green leafy vegetables, milk and dairy products and plant oils provide Vitamin A, D, E and K. Water is a source of essential minerals and 2-4 liters are recommended by WHO per day. Healthy body means to healthy mind.

I for Intermittent-fasting: It is amazing how cheap it is to stay fit. According to a study done in 2019 at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, fasting increased levels of 44 different metabolites. These substances formed by our body’s metabolic processes help boost antioxidant levels in our body. Fasting kick-starts the process of autophagy which repairs our cells and our immune system, which is more important now than ever. I try to follow a 12-hour slot, dinner at 8 pm and breakfast at 8 am, and just have water, tea and coffee in between.

F for Flow: Flow is a mental state of intense focus, which we might also term as being ‘in the zone’. It is one of the most difficult mental state to achieve during lockdown. Working from home can be difficult, with added household chores that were once done by our helpers. Our brain is trained for separate home and office environment. Now both environments have collided leading to loss of focus. This can lead to stress. One of the key methods to get into the flow is to try and keep the two environment as separate as possible. The best way is to follow the routine of getting ready for work as in the pre-lockdown days, and find a separate space for your work where outside disturbance is minimum. Once office hours are over, return to you home environment and focus on your family.

E for Exercise: We are built to move and our traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle kept us healthy. Our brains are hardwired to derive happiness, meaning, and a sense of belonging from physical activity. Recent studies show that regular exercise is good for our brains too. In fact it makes us more generous and cooperative. A brief 30 minutes of physical activity can lift our mood, reduce anxiety and make us positive. Exercise regime involves three types of movement: simple stretching, ones that involve strength and skill, and high-intensity interval training. Follow the one that suites.

"Reflecting on the positive aspects of ones life turns negative thoughts into positive ones."

G for Gratitude: Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools to get out of depression. Gratitude is a state of mind and can be irrespective of ones current situation. Reflecting on the positive aspects of ones life turns negative thoughts into positive ones. These are trying times for all of us, and is especially harsh to those in poverty. By contributing to the society in whatever means possible, and helping those in need can give us purpose and satisfaction. Maintaining a Gratitude Journal, by reflecting on the positive aspects of our life and write down five things we are thankful for, is known to help people get out of depression.

A for Aim: This is the right time to reflect at our life and find out our ultimate desires. Our desires are often guided by external world. It includes factors like fear of repercussions from others, guilt over hurting someone else, guilt over disappointing another and fear of being judged, criticized, or rejected. Find out things that matter to you and are not guided by the external world. It might be something tangible like traveling, or intangible like being more patient with your kid. This is true for professional life too. Write down the goals, break it down into smaller achievable entities, put a timeline, and periodically review your progress and develop goals for improvement. Having a vision for the future gives hope, reduces uncertainty and puts the chaos around us into perspective.

M for Mindfulness and Meditation: A 2011 research at Harvard revealed that students developed significantly denser concentrations of gray matter in their prefrontal cortex after an eight-week program in mindfulness training. Their brain changed in just few weeks leading to better focus, sensory processing, and planning abilities. Mindfulness also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which makes us happy and relaxed. One of the easiest ways is to sit on your favorite chair where you are relaxed and comfortable. Try to focus on one thing: may be your breath, or the pressure exerted by the chair on your body, or your heart beat. Another way is to lie down, close your eyes and scan the body. It is important to be non-judgmental and open-hearted with yourself while doing this, and be compassionate toward your thoughts and feelings. The mind will wander, that is its nature. Be aware that it is wandering and then bring it back to focus. Simple practice of mindfulness for just 15min daily can have positive influence on our life.

E for Entertainment: Being stuck in you house for days, it is important to find ways to entertain oneself. Social media is one way to get entertained. The thing with Internet is that we often get stuck at its first letter ‘I’. To much focus on ‘I’ can lead to narcissism and depression. It is a good idea to fix a limited time for social media and limit exposure to negative news. Relationship is a key indicator of happiness. It is important to stay connected to friends and family through video calls and support each other. Hobbies like reading, drawing, writing, singing, dancing, etc is a very good way of staying away from the negativities. Playing games and watching movies together is also a great way of spending time together with you family.

S for Sleep: It is essential to have a good night’s sleep. It helps in maintaining the health of our brain. All of us have an internal clock called circadian rhythm. Breaking the rhythm leads to stress and leaves us feeling tired throughout the day. Lack of sleep releases hormone ghrelin, which increases hunger and lowers levels of leptin, which regulates metabolism. Improper metabolism can make us tired and even depressed. It is recommended to have at least 7 hours of sleep every day.

"Human species are as complicated as they are resilient."

Human species are as complicated as they are resilient. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to help us, I am sure we will all find our own way through this pandemic. The strength of our species is that we adapt, no matter what the situation is. The post COVID world could be entirely different from the world we are used to. But that might not necessarily be a bad thing. Together we will definitely craft a better future for all.

Subhrashis Adhikari

Author: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

www.subhrashis.com

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

THE PRICE OF NOT STAYING AT HOME

2020-03-23T17:24:00.001+05:30

REF: WIKI

The world is never going to be the same again. It is upto us whether the change is for better or for worse.

One infected patient can transmit COVID-19 to ~3 new people (average transmission rate). The virus spreads exponentially. And we might not even not know that we are spreading it. COVID-19 spread even before you have symptoms from it. India is currently in stage-2. It won’t take long before it reaches stage-3. The result would be disastrous and would hunt us for ages. Why?

Population of India: 138,00,04,385 people
If only 0.001% is affected we have: 13,80,005 patients
That is 1,90,440 people with severe cases (13.8%)
And over 55,000 critical cases (4%).

India has around 10 hospital beds per 10,000 people while the global average is 30 beds per 10,000 people (Italy 34). We have around 70,000 ICUs(2008) and ~4000 ventilators. Once they get filled... all critical patients, flu or not, will die.

Over 50,000 people can end up being dead if just 0.001% of population is affected. This virus has the potential to affect 60% of world population within a year.

The graph below is not the real number. It is the number based on people tested. The real number would be worse.

REF: https://covidout.in/

Can we let it die its natural death? Yes, but at a high price. We would end up infecting billions and killing millions. And that is not a one time process. Viruses mutate, and COVID-19 is already mutating. Which means that surviving this one does not guarantee survival from its next generation, and then the next. Herd immunity is not the solution.

So what can we do?

Not often do we get the opportunity to save the world by staying at home. It is a rare opportunity that we should not miss.

Complete lock down, not the soft ones like Italy, but a stringent one can cut the transmission rate to almost nil. That would give us time, and time is gold. Why?

Sure we cannot lock ourselves for months and let the economy die. Good news is, if we act now, it won’t take months. With government help, within weeks

We can develop faster testing method, conduct massive testing and quarantine potential candidates.
We can train people to identify symptoms early and isolate them.
We can educate people on personal distance, mask wearing, hand washing and disinfecting spaces.
We can also build more facilities for treatment.

By flattening the curve we can make sure that the hospitals are not running out of their capacity.
It will give us time to know our enemy and eliminate it with minimum casualty.

Social distancing is not just a theory, it works. Check the simulation by Saptarshi Das

REF: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/saptarshiprofile_socialdistancing-modeling-simulations-activity-6647500610230988800-2px6

REF# https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-the-hammer-and-the-dance-be9337092b56

As we slowly release the restrictions after a month, we walk out into a new world. More hygienic, less mass gatherings, stricter travel regulations…but life will go on and slowly even the economy will recover. And maybe by then we would have a medical breakthrough.

Hopefully this new world would be a better world where we realise the value of life and nature. Hopefully we will slow down and take a break from the rat race. As we accelerate the Global Warming and melt the polar ice, as we keep spreading into remote corners of the globe, we never know which new and deadly creature is lurking in the dark.

COVID-19 just a mild warning. We better learn.

For the moment, stay at home… save thousands of life!

REF:
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/
https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca
https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-the-hammer-and-the-dance-be9337092b56
https://theprint.in/opinion/current-rate-india-30000-covid-19-deaths-may-no-hospital-bed-june-data/385386/?fbclid=IwAR1xO3W9EgL3GcYyxw2Niq4N5Sih3yhFEnYgWgFy1hOB9-PVVbL_bqpSzQc
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/govt-preps-for-spike-in-covid-19-cases-okays-plan-to-make-more-ventilators/story-uOd5YFyqSGun0FeUf0JzCO.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738307/
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MED.BEDS.ZS

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

Compassion - The Future World

2019-12-15T20:16:00.002+05:30

In a future world of greater population, limited resource, global warming, and technology threatening our jobs, the risks are global. They would need global solutions. Is there solution to our global problems?

Human brain is a complex mass of tufu-like protein that guides us through our life. Information travels faster than any F1 car inside our brains. It acquires, processes, interprets and stores information, while creating prejudices and biases. Every thought and memory that the brain generates is a complex process that uses several parts of the brain. Science is yet to unravel it’s mystery. What we do know is that it has evolved over millions of years from a rather humble beginning.

The reptilian brain was the first to evolve. It controls the vital functions that help us survive, including heart rate, breathing, body temperature and balance. The basic instincts like hunger, thirst, survival and desire to procreate is rooted in this primitive brain. In other words, it controls our desires. The main structures of reptilian brain are brain stem and cerebrum. Reptilian brain represents our nature. In nature the fittest survive. Indians call it ‘prakriti’, which is guided by the rule of the jungle ‘matysa nyaya’. According to the rule, big fish eats small fish.

The next part of the brain that evolved is the palaeo-mammalian brain. Its main structures are hippocampus, amygdala, and the hypothalamus. This part of the brain gives us emotions and binds us together. Morality and empathy comes dominantly from the mammalian brain. It makes sure that even the weak survive, as long as (s)he belongs to the same group. Rule of ‘prakriti’ changes to rule of ‘sanskriti’. Sanskriti is culture, or a set of social rules that defines a group. The group can be a tribe, a religion or a nation. Matysa Nyaya is now modified to big (read powerful) groups eating (exploiting) small (weak) groups. According to the new rule, a small fish in a big group has more chance of survival than a big fish in a small group. Empathy is the glue that helps the group bond strongly.

The connection of empathy is created through mirroring as discussed in the last post. We are less empathetic towards people we consider as ‘others’ who does not mirror our ideas and expressions. If empathy is the factor that helps creates groups, and you are empathetic towards people you can relate to, then empathy is limited by the Dunbar number. It is the suggested cognitive limit to the number of people whom you can consider as close and relate to. For most humans it is close to 150 individuals. Stories like religion or nationalism can loosely bind a bigger group, but it is not the strong glue of empathy.

Neo-mammalian brain (or primate brain), i.e. the neocortex, is the latest to evolve. Our cognitive abilities and intelligence is derived from this part of the brain. The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) of neo-mammalian brain is involved in all executive functions, ability to plan, decision making, expressing our personality, aligning our thoughts and actions with internal goals, and moderating social behaviour. Basal Ganglia, also part of neo-mammalian brain, store routine, repetitive behaviours, and thoughts. Habits are stored in form of thousands mini-programs or maps which helps brain go on autopilot and save energy.

Neo-mammalian brain gives us the ability to change ourselves. I must mention here that the three parts of the grain is a simplification, but a good analog. We have done enough research to understand the limitations of our brain and know our cognitive biases. While bigotory, racism, sexism etc still exists, we are slowly getting over it. The laws around the globe are more liberal than they were a century ago. According to Steven Pinker, the world is more peaceful that it ever was. But, how can we get better?

We can create a better world if we find a way to be compassionate about everyone else irrespective of the group they belong to. If we use our PFC to set a goal of being compassionate, and practice it consciously everyday then it becomes a mini-program that gets stored in our Basal Ganglia. One can become compassionate by practicing.

All cognitive information gets stored as memories called engrams.The way we act and think results in biophysical or biochemical changes in the brain and other neural tissues. By visualising a particular outcome or goal that you seek changes your brain. It makes you more positive and increases the likelihood of the outcome. Positive faith leads to positive results through placebo effect.

According to Indian philosophy actions leave behind mental impressions in our minds, called samskara. Samskara affects our future actions and thoughts. That is Karma. Compassion and kindness is contagious and can be rewarding. When you give compassion, it comes back to you.

If we want a better future, we need to erase the borders and create a compassionate world. Compassion not just for fellow beings, but also towards other species. It might sound too idealistic at the moment. A democratic world was once idealistic too. We have changed, and we will keep changing.

The future world would be very different from what it is today. Next time when you think of someone, try consciously to forget about the identity of the other person. That person may belong to a group that had exploited your group in the past, that person might be from another country that you now consider your enemy. Forget all that identity and think about compassion. That person might still live in the medieval era of bigotry. That is not a good enough reason for you to turn into a bigot too.

As the old cliche goes, be the change you want to see in the world. We have moved from prakriti to sanskriti. Now it is time to move towards global citizenship - vasudhaiva kutumbakam.

REF

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3839944/

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/334/6061/1358.full?rss=1

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28655877

https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qqcRGagyEuAC&oi=fnd&pg=PR13&ots=-ON2X3Fgvz&sig=QylIP4w-Y2kfam0GgaJGKhnHyt4&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

https://www.amazon.in/Neuroscience-Coaches-Insights-Benefit-Clients/dp/0749472375

https://swarajyamag.com/culture/understanding-the-vedic-model-of-the-mind

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engram_(neuropsychology)#cite_note-1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samskara_(Indian_philosophy)

https://vasudaikakutumbam.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/vasudhaiva-kutumbakam-%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%B5-%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%9F%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%82/

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

How did Buddhism Die in India?

2019-12-12T21:11:00.001+05:30

When I visited China and interacted with the locals I realized that most of them still think that Indians are mostly Hindus and Buddhists. They were shocked to hear that there are only around 9 million Buddhists in India that accounts for less than 1% of India’s population. China has over 25 times more Buddhist than the country in which Buddha was born. That was certainly not the case in our historical past when the land was indeed dominated by Hindus and Buddhists. What happened to Buddhism in India? How did it die?

LEFT VERDICT: Hindus destroyed Buddhism.RIGHT VERDICT: Muslims destroyed Buddhism.

Like with most debates, there is no simple answer to why Buddhism died in India. There is truth and propaganda in both left and right version. The downfall cannot be attributed to a single factor.

Buddha was born to King of Kapilavastu, sometime between 2,600 and 2,400 years ago. The wealthy prince realized that all his wealth was not going to prevent him from the miseries of illness, old age, and death. Even the power of being the king does not give him control over his own body or mind. So, he left his wife and kingdom to find salvation. Some may blame him for leaving his family. We don't really know what actually happened. Even if he was wrong, one must not forget that he was not wise yet. He went away sacrificing everything in search of wisdom.

According to the Buddhist texts he renounced his wealth, power and wife at the age of 29 years to become an ascetic after seeing the miseries of old age, disease, and death. Gautama was desperate for a solution to the miseries. He met many sages, but none could satisfy his quest. Hungry, weak, and frustrated, he sat under a pipal tree in Bodh Gaya (Bihar) to meditate—to know the absolute truth. According to Buddhist texts the descendents of Mara, the demon of delusion, tried to torment him while Gautama was on the verge of enlightenment. Gautama vanquished the armies of Mara. On the eighth day of the twelfth month under the papal tree, the once prince named Gautama transformed to Buddha, the awakened one. He exclaimed with joy,

‘How strange! Every human being is capable of getting this enlightment, but for their clingings of false thought’.

From there, he went to Sarnath, where he gave his first sermon. Buddha was against the Vedic rituals, superstition, caste system, metaphysics, miracles, and priest crafts. He never wanted to create another religion, but only teach people in need about compassion and humbleness.

Buddha’s disciples were mostly educated and wealthy Brahmin priests, Kshtriyas and merchants, who were looking for peace. Buddha did not distinguish between different social classes, and he did have followers from humble backgrounds like Sunita the sweeper and Upali the barber. However, his philosophy was such that it attracted mostly the wise and wealthy. The poors were probably too used to sufferings. Buddhism grew after the death of Buddha. Kings like Ashoka, Milinda and Kanishka turned a local philosophy into a global religion. Ashoka helped the religion spread across India and Sri Lanka.

Some Hindu kings did promote Hinduism favourably, the same way Buddhist kings like Ashoka and Kanishka favoured Buddhism. Rare occasions of persecution of Buddhists by more orthodox Hindu rulers cannot be discarded. According to Buddhist texts like Asokavadana, Pushyamitra ruthlessly persecuted the Buddhists. His ministers advised him that only by destroying Buddhism could he become more famous than Ashoka. Pushyamitra attacked and destroyed 500 monasteries, burnt down the Buddhist scriptures and killed all the Buddhist monks he could lay his hands on. Some scholars are of the opinion that his aggression against Buddhism was due to the alliance of Buddhist monks with his Indo-Greek rival. Buddhism survived the attacks of Pushyamitra and soon revived to become one of the most dominant religions in world. Buddhism flourished under Milinda and Kanishka. These foreign rulers settled in India and were impressed by Buddhism. They got converted and helped Buddhism reach far corners of Asia. It was during their rule that Buddhism spread to China.

The Gupta Empire marked the revival of Hinduism, but at the same time, other religions like Buddhism and Jainism also flourished. Many Hindu gods found their way into Buddhist and Jain texts. Buddha himself was given the status of the ninth incarnation of Vishnu in Agni Purana. According to it, Buddha created a non-Vedic path purposefully to divert the mighty Asuras from the Vedic ways to ensure that they are thrown to hell, helping Devas regain power. Foreign rulers like Milinda and Kanishka came to rule India but later became influenced by Buddhism. These stories of Puranas were probably reflecting those sentiments. However, most Hindu texts were silent about Buddhism, reflecting the tensions between the two groups.

The White Huns gained more control of Western India after the fall of Gupta Empire. They were particularly harsh on the Buddhists. White Hun king Mihirakula, a Shiva devotee, destroyed many Buddhist sites. A new cult of Tantric Buddhism evolved from the dying Mahayana Buddhism. Such esoteric form of Buddhism had its roots in the teachings of Nagasena and his disciples. It became more popular in the 8th century, popularized in different placed by groups of wandering yogis called Mahasiddhas (great adepts). Tantric Buddhism became very popular under the Pala Dynasty of Bengal. Palas were patrons of Buddhism. Universities like Vikramshila and Nalanda flourished under the Palas.

Buddhism did revive for a short time under the great king Harsha. Harsha, according to Hindu texts, drove away the Brahmins from the religious council held in Kannauj. They fled to Deccan from where they staged a comeback under guidance of Brahminical philosopher and Mimamsa scholar Kumarila Bhatta. Over the years Buddhism evolved into different sects that were often at conflict with each other. The Buddhist sanghas became corrupt and faced a tough competition from the rejuvenated Hinduism.

Buddhism gave emphasis on life of monks, and was difficult for an ordinary householder to follow that path. Buddhism also lacked a personality like Sankaracharya to unite and promote their faith. Sankaracharya declared that Upanishads already contain everything that was good in Buddhism. Buddhism declined as many Buddhists started to follow Adi Sankaracharya. Hindu scriptures also started negative propaganda against Buddhism. It was written in Manu Smriti that ‘if a person touches a Buddhist … he shall purify himself by having a bath’.

Hinduism started receiving support from the crown. In South, the Pallava Dynasty favoured Hinduism and Kanchipuram, a popular Buddhist Center of learning, turned into a Hindu holy site and the royal capital of Pallavas. In Bengal Buddhism received a major blow under the rule of Sena dynasty. Sena Dynasty was from Karnataka who migrated to Bengal and replaced the Pala Dynasty in 1174CE. Vijayasen was the first ruler of Sena Dynasty. His son, Ballalsen, consolidated the kingdom. He was an orthodox Hindu ruler under whose rule Brahminism strengthened in Bengal and Buddhism was discouraged. Many Buddhists fled from Bengal to Sri Lanka. Some of the Buddhist Tantric Yogis who stayed back simply adapted Shiva-Tantra elements of Shaktism to survive. This resulted in the mixed Saiva-Buddhist cult of Bengal.

The main reason for the downfall of Buddhism was not political or religious, but the mere fact that Hinduism managed to adapt better with time compared to Buddhism. This was the reason why Buddhist monasteries lost Royal Patronage. Any religion needs the support of the crown to flourish. Over the years, Buddhism lost that support and Hinduism became the preferred religion of the crown.

According to Indologist Johannes Bronkhorst,

‘Brahmanism offered, apart from supernatural protection, lots of practical advice to rulers: how to organize society, how to run their kingdom, etc. etc. Buddhism, still during the early centuries of the Common Era, offered nothing of the kind…Buddhism had no vision of society and of how it should be run’.

In an era when fights between neighboring kingdoms were common, message of peace and non-violence became irrelevant to the crown. By the time tantric Buddhism became popular in Bengal, it was too late. Buddhism was already weak when Islam arrived in India.

The final nail in the coffin of Buddhism in India came during invasion of Islam. Islam was enemy of ‘But’, or idol worship. While Buddha was against idol worship, idol worshipping and rituals became common in Buddhism over centuries. B. R. Ambedkar writes,

‘Before Islam came into being Buddhism was the religion of Bactria, Parthia, Afghanistan, Gandhar, and Chinese Turkestan, as it was of the whole of Asia. In all these countries Islam destroyed Buddhism’.

After Shahabuddin Muhammad Ghori successfully defeated the Indian kings in the west it opened up the floodgates. Turks went on to conquer Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat under leadership of Qutub-ud-din Aibak. The Chalukyas soon recaptured Gujarat, but the rest remained under Turk control. The raids led to the destruction of many villages, along with the Buddhist universities of Nalanda and Vikramasila. Many Buddhists fled to Nepal and Tibet. When the monasteries (vihara) of Bihar were raided, the monks were mistaken as ‘shaven soldiers’. All of them were slaughtered. The invaders called the whole country ‘Bihar’ after the looted viharas. That’s how the modern state of Bihar got its name.

It is said that during one such raid Bakhtiyar attacked and burnt down the famous Nalanda University in 1197-1198CE. India lost a huge amount of its literature as one of the oldest and largest libraries of the world was burnt to ashes. According to some historians Nalanda University was already in ruins because of the internal rivalry between Hinayana and Mahayana sects of Buddhism. Bakhtiyar probably destroys another Mahavihara that was inside the fort of the local king. Tibetan monk Dharmasvamin visited Nalanda in 1234CE and is said to have found a 90 years old monk still residing there and teaching a group of students. But the religion of peace had already died in the land of its birth.

One cannot deny or hide history. Let's accept that there were persecution of men of one religion by some kings of rival religion. There is blood is everybody's hand. No once can claim that we are pure and 'others' are violent. But one must not forget that Buddhism and Hinduism coexisted under most of the powerful kings of India. Peace is in coexistence.

"Sarveshaam Svaastir Bhavatu,

Sarveshaam Svaastir Bhavatu,

Saveshaam Poornam Bhavatu,

Sarveshaam Mangalam Bhavatu,

Om Shanti, Shanti Shanteeh"

"May health abound foreverMay peace abound foreverMay complete abundance abound foreverMay auspiciousness abound foreverOm Peace, Peace Peace."

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

A CASE FOR EMPATHY

2019-12-08T11:00:00.003+05:30

From ‘I think therefore I am’ era we have landed into the post-truth era of ‘I believe, therefore I am right’.

An interesting experiment was done on two apes. The moment one ape took out food to eat, the other one received a shock. After some time the ape who was receiving the food preferred to starve in order to avoid harming the other ape. Empathy is product of evolution, and is probably rooted in the neo-mammalian brain that generates emotion.

You feel empathetic towards people you can emotionally connect to, and experiments have shown that the best way to connect is through mimicking. Psycologists have named it ‘mirroring’. When an infant listens to cry of other infants, (s)he starts crying (Marvin Simner, 1971). Adults mimics too, albeit unconsciously. We all know how contagious yawning is. Its called unconscious synchrony, or herd instinct.

Mimicking is a survival mechanism, the same genetic expression that helps flock of birds to fly in formation and move towards the same direction. We constantly mimic when we are talking to others by adapting our body languages, tones and even accents to the person we are talking to. Human beings are social animals and mirroring helps us bind together. It also helps us to be empathetic because similar behaviour makes us seem familiar, feel comfortable and helps us trust each other.

Our perception of the entire universe, which includes every human being you know, is an interpretation of our brain based on the information it receives through our sense organs. Humans use themselves as the reference point to create perception about others. In other words, one needs to project oneself into another individual. Empathy gives us the ability to do that. Experiments showed that we can correctly predict others and thus be empathetic towards others when our mental sate is neutral or same as the other person. We miss judge people mostly when our mental states are not similar.

Interestingly, chimps mimic yawn too, but only when a member of their own community yawns, and not when they see someone from the other community yawn. Call it racism. Sherif and Tajfel’s 1954 experiment showed that it was very easy to divide people into ‘us’ verses ‘them’. The experiment supported the Realistic Conflict Theory which says that intergroup hostility can arise due to conflicting goals and competition over limited resources. In a study participants were shown a video of people being injected with a hypodermic needle. The participants showed more neurobiological activity (indicating empathy) when the injected person was of same race. We mirror those who we consider as ‘us’ more than those we consider as ‘others’.

Unknown person or animal were threat to our hunting and gathering ancestors. We still feel threatened when encountering ‘different’ beings. Decety and Jackson’s study show that when you encounter people who you consider as ‘other’, you are less likely to feel their pain and emotions. They write in their paper, ‘Shared neural representations, self-awareness, mental flexibility, and emotion regulation constitute the basic macrocomponents of empathy, which are underpinned by specific neural systems.’ To be empathetic you need to connect with the other person. William Ickes’s experiments show that it takes at least 30 minutes of being together to connect (Everyday Mind Reading by William Ickes) with a stranger.

With the rise of social media, humans are loosing the ’30 min’ face to face connect. It is easy to bracket someone as ‘other’ in the social media when you do not have to see the other person face to face. Once you add a tag to a person, that stays even when you meet (h)er/im. This, along with ‘confirmation bias’ based on the huge amount of information (including misinformation) in the internet, can easily give rise to polarised world view. From ‘I think therefore I am’ era we have landed into the post-truth era of ‘I believe, therefore I am right’. Building empathy in the age of technology and internet is not something we have evolved for, and hence we need to train ourselves for the future.

Right supramarginal gyrus, part of cerebral cortex, is that part of our brain that recognises lack of empathy and helps us correct it. It helps one look at the world from the perspective of others. Our brain’s neural circuitry is not rigid. Every thought and action creates new neural pathways and changes our brain. Our brain can be hacked, and it can even be trained to become empathetic.

Stories helps us get connected to different perspectives, and thus become more empathetic. To be more empathetic you need to create positive story in your brain about the other person. Travel, creativity and collaboration can make us more empathetic. One way of increasing empathy is to force yourself to be in other person’s shoe. When you are angry on someone, first calm down, curb your ego and reduce your emotional defensiveness. Be open to diverse opinions and try to find the common things that you share with the other person. Understand the problems (s)he might be facing that led to (h)er/is judgement.

Experiments have shown that mindfulness based stress reduction programs have changed the brain by increasing the density of grey matter in regions related to 'learning and memory processes, emotion regulation, self-referential processing, and perspective taking' (Holzed et. al, 2011). There are four stages of practicing empathy everyday. It starts with imagining and then practicing compassionate thoughts about loved ones, followed by self, then about a neutral person and finally ending with someone against whom you have a grudge. Practicing empathy this way is known to reduce stress leading to a healthier and happier life.

How many people can our brain be empathetic about? Should we focus on compassion rather than empathy? Need a different post for that!

REFERENCE

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/journalism_and_the_power_of_emotions.php
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/the-neuroscience-empathy
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/compassion-training.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S092549271000288X
https://www.jneurosci.org/content/33/39/15466
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15537986
https://www.amazon.com/Age-Empathy-Natures-Lessons-Society/dp/0307407772
https://www.amazon.com/Human-Swarm-Societies-Arise-Thrive/dp/0465055680
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realistic_conflict_theory

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

Decoding Gandhi Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

2019-11-30T19:05:00.002+05:30

Part 1: The Assassination

Part 2: The Beginning

Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Part 4: The Practical Man

Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Part 6: The Miracle

Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

‘It has been my experience that I am always true from my point of view, but am often wrong from the point of view of my honest critics. I know that we are both right from our respective points of view. And this knowledge saves me from attributing motives to my opponents or critics. The seven blind men who gave seven different descriptions of the elephant were all right from their respective points of view, and wrong from the point of view of one another, and right and wrong from the point of view of the man who knew the elephant. I very much like this doctrine of the manyness of reality. It is this doctrine that has taught me to judge a Mussalman from his own standpoint and a Christian from his. Formerly I used to resent the ignorance of my opponents. Today I can love them because I am gifted with the eye to see myself as others see them and vice-versa.’ - Gandhi

One needs good IQ to justify criticising Gandhi, and a good EQ to love him. Legends like Tagore and Netaji had both. While they differed in their opinion, Tagore named him ‘Mahatma’ and Netaji addressed him as ‘The Father of the Nation’. It is only people who are both low in EQ and IQ, who can truly hate Gandhi. Gandhi once said to his confused followers,

‘My language is aphoristic, it lacks precision. It is, therefore, open to several interpretation’.

His words and actions are not always easy to understand. That’s the reason some people thought that he was too religious Hindu, while others thought he was anti-Hindu. Some considered him a lover of Dalits, while others thought that he was their enemy. He was indeed a riddle to many. For some Britishers like Churchill he was also a pain. Churchill mocked Gandhi as the Half Naked Fakir for the dress he wore and expressed his disappointment as Gandhi did not die in the hunger-strike. Gandhi wrote to Churchill in a letter dated 17th July 1944,

‘ I have long been trying to be a fakir and that naked - a more difficult task. I, therefore, regard the expression as a compliment though unintended’.

Gandhi had a brilliant sense of humour. He once met King George V in London wearing his usual attire. He was later asked what the king said about his attire. Gandhi replied ‘What could he say. He was wearing enough for the two of us.’ Another time someone asked what he thought about Western Civilisation, and his witty response was, ‘It is a good idea’. Without humour Gandhi would not have been able to survive the struggle. He himself confessed, ‘If I had no sense of humour, I would long ago have committed suicide.’

Alongside humour, he was also a very serious man whose strict principles could be hard to live by. There were eleven vows which were considered almost mandatory for those living in his ashram. They were: Truth (Satya), Non-Violence (Ahimsa), Chastity (Brahmacharya), Non-stealing (Asteya), Non-Possession (Aparigraha), Labour (Sharirashtrama), Control of Palate (Asvada), Fearlessness (Abhaya), Respect for all religion (Sarva-Dharma-Samanatva), Only use indigenous products (Swadeshi), and Removal of untouchability (Asprishyata Navaran). The strict principles led to friction between Gandhi and his son Harilal. He once confessed that his greatest regret was his inability to convince two people: Jinnah and Harilal.

As a young man Harilal was deeply involved in the freedom movement. Between 1908 and 1911 he has been arrested 6 times. This earned him the nickname ‘Chotte (Little) Gandhi’. When he was 23 years old, he wanted to go to England for higher education and become a barrister. Gandhi himself had to fight against many to go overseas. The irony was that Gandhi was now against it. He did not want his son to get spoilt by Western education. Unfortunately, his opposition became the reason why his son got spoilt. In 1911 Harilal revolted against his father and renounced all family ties. He had problems with his wife, abandoned his children, became an alcoholic and gambler. Harlal started trading imported British clothes when his father urged the nation to boycott foreign goods. Even that business collapsed. Gandhi tried to make a saint out of his children and set example to the nation. He himself evolved over time, but Harilal was not given the time to mature. He broke under pressure. People must have always compared him to his celebrity father and reminded him what a failure he was. That would have left a deep psychological scar in his mind. In a letter Gandhi even accused Harilal of raping his own daughter. He wrote,

‘Manu is telling me number of dangerous things about you. She says that you had raped her even before she was eight years and she was so much hurt that medical treatment was also to be taken’.

The Father of Nation failed as a father.

After his death media and politicians left no stone unturned to turn Gandhi into a saint. Richard Attenborough’s 1982 epic film took it to a new level. With such a pure image any imperfections became easily visible. Quite naturally Gandhi’s critics, like G. B. Singh and Dr. Tim Watson, started screaming to prove how bad a person he was. Time has made Gandhi more human.

Gandhi was not a saint. He was an ordinary man who was put through extraordinary situations. Facing injustice from a powerful force, he did not accept it like most men—he revolted. Sometimes he was right and at times wrong. He was orthodox, discriminating towards the blacks, he was too religious, he was strict with his children, and he had flaws—like we all do. But what makes him different was that he stood for what he thought was right. He followed his heart and was not afraid to correct himself when he knew he was wrong. He did change his views about Africans, his religious beliefs evolved, and he constantly improved himself. He was a shy person who was afraid to speak in public but had the magnetic personality to attract millions of followers.

There were thousands, and sometimes millions, of followers who came to watch Gandhi. They would thought and chant his name at the sight of him. Thats how much people loved him. But the moment he would rise his finger there would be pin drop silence. Thats how much people respected him. Only because of Gandhi, the freedom movement reached the poor and illiterate mass instead of being a monopoly of few foreign-educated lawyers. He brought in a new method of satyagrahya that taught the world about nonviolent protest. It is for these reasons that he is, and will remain, one of the greatest heroes of the world. To understand Gandhi we must follow what the man himself said,

‘See me please in the nakedness of my working, and in my limitation, you will then know me.’

One can tell, based on what he wrote in 'Why I Killed Gandhi', that Nathuram Godse viewed his life's mission as a duty "above all to serve Hinduism and the Hindu people," a commitment that drove him through the ranks of the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha as, what he calls, a "soldier under the Pan-Hindu flag." His grievance against Mahatma Gandhi was that the latter appeased Muslims and was thereby responsible for the Partition of India. The truth, however, is that Gandhi strongly opposed the Partition, believing it contradicted his vision of a unified India, and sought to prevent it, though his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.

Godse supported this claim by citing Gandhi's support for the Khilafat movement and instances like the Moplah Rebellion, the alleged attack on Arya Samaj, the separation of Sindh, and his 'pro-Pakistan fast,' all of which Godse considered pro-Muslim policies. Gandhi made mistakes, but not all allegations made through a neutral lens. Compared to the communal ambitions of the Muslim League, secular policies of Gandhi and Congress, and the opposition to Hindu Rashtra, appeared as appeasement to Hindu hardliners. India survived after independence because Gandhi’s values of tolerance and secularism survived. In Pakistan, where it did not, the outcome of religion based nationalism is obvious.

Godse’s anger peaked during the Partition riots when Gandhi's perceived support for Muslims in places like Noakhali (and protection of figures like Suhrawardy) "made his blood boil." The truth is, Gandhi saved a lot of Hindus by visiting Noakhali.

Direct Action Day, declared by Jinnah on August 16, 1946, led to widespread communal violence, especially in Calcutta. Communal violence then broke out in Noakhali, Bengal, where Hindus were brutalized in retaliation for the Great Calcutta Killings. Homes were looted and torched, families were encircled and trapped in flames, women were assaulted and raped, and many Hindus were forced to convert to Islam, wear lungis instead of dhotis, and attend mosques.

It is easy for an ordinary Hindu to get angry and go on a hate-killing spree in revenge. Only Gandhi could have the courage, and the power, to think of stopping such brutal violence with non-violence. Amid the swords and guns, Gandhi arrived on a "peace mission” with his walking stick, choosing to live among the local people without distinction of religion, staying in villages, holding prayer meetings, and emphasizing unity by even reciting from the Quran. His presence unsettled the rioters.

One wonders what kind of charisma a frail, almost naked, old man can have that made the violent protestors scared. Some of the Muslim rioters came to him in shame and sought forgiveness and allowed reconverted Hindus to return to their traditions. Survivors recall Gandhi preaching in simplicity, with his words translated into Bengali, and his influence was such that violence subsided and peace lasted long after his visit. Angry Muslims mobs listened to him because here was a man who did not call them monsters, but suggested they were taken over by a situation that made them behave monstrously.

Fundamentally, Godse was enraged that while Muslims were killing Hindus and Sikhs during the communal violence, Hindus in India were not allowed to retaliate, leading him to conclude that Gandhi was unequivocally anti-Hindu. This conviction culminated in his determination to assassinate Gandhi and "prove to him that Hindus can also be intolerant."

While critics accused him of being appeasing toward Muslims, survivors and participants, both Hindu and Muslim, remember his miracle in Noakhali, and the legacy he left behind. The proof of Gandhi’s success was in the lack of violence that followed in Bengal, in contrast to what happened in western India where he was killed before he could work his magic.

While Gandhi consistently opposed untouchability, he defended the varna system. He was a conservative Hindu, and sometimes superstitious. He wanted to reform varna system and believed different occupations, including those of Brahmins and Dalits, were spiritually equal if dutifully performed. Here I agree with Ambedkar, who condemned caste as a system of graded inequality that required complete abolition, not reform.

But at the same time Ambedkar sought separate electorates to secure Dalit political autonomy, just like Jinnah wanted for Muslims. The main clash between them was due to the 1932 Poona Pact when Gandhi’s fast forced a compromise. Separate electorate would have only divided India further.

Gandhi is simultaneously attacked and venerated by varying groups for contradictory reasons. For some (Dalit, African, BLM activists), he is perceived as a symbol of racism and oppression; for others (activists opposing religious intolerance or environmental destruction in India), his methods and ideals are still inspirational. Mahatma Gandhi's legacy is complex, making it easy to fool the masses into hating him, and even killing him.

One can debate that many of Gandhi’s decisions were questionable—some because of his conservative mindset, others to protect the Brand Gandhi Image. As Sagan writes: "Thomas Jefferson and George Washington owned slaves. Albert Einstein and Mohandas Gandhi were imperfect husbands and fathers. The list goes on indefinitely. We are all flawed and creatures of our times. Is it fair to judge us by the unknown standards of the future?"

Gandhi was not as intelligent as Tagore or revolutionary as Bose. But he stood by his principles till the very end, and saving Brand Gandhi was important because:

1. It united the masses:- The British had two strengths in India: the Indians in the Army and the poor laborers. Bose united the British Indian Army against the British; Gandhi did the same with the poor masses. The majority of Indians were illiterate and poor, lying at the bottom of the pyramid. They did not care who was at the top. Everyone would exploit them anyway, be it kings, zamindars, upper castes, or the British. The nationalist leaders were literate upper-caste individuals, unable to connect with the masses. That’s where Brand Gandhi came in. The brand had to be protected at all costs because without the idea of Gandhi, the masses would go back to ignoring the idea of India, just what the British wanted.

2. It made the world see us:- Gandhi realized that Indians were no match for British firepower. "We can’t win a battle by fighting them with guns and bombs." So we needed to fight them with our smile and show the world who the devil was in this war. To get the attention of the liberals and humanitarians of the world, Brand Gandhi was critical. One wrong move and your whole credibility would fall apart. And without a strong brand, no outsider was going to look at India’s struggles.

Brand Gandhi might be more important to India now than the man himself.

Gandhian values were in stark contrast to the image Pakistan. Without it, the hardliners are easier to criticise. On the world stage, the "Gandhi brand" provides India with "soft power," projecting an image of a nation founded on moral principles, spiritual depth, and an unwavering commitment to peace. This helps shape global perceptions and goodwill.

That’s why Brand Gandhi is still relevant, probably more than the man himself.

Back to the Beginning

References:

http://indpaedia.com/ind/index.php/Mridula_Gandhi#.E2.80.9CI_requested_Bapu_to_allow_me_to_sleep_separately.E2.80.9D
https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20130617-mahatma-gandhi-experiment-sexuality-manuben-discovered-diaries-763997-1999-11-30
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/thrill-of-the-chaste-the-truth-about-gandhis-sex-life-1937411.html
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/01/gandhi-celibacy-test-naked-women
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-45469129
http://www.gandhi-manibhavan.org/activities/essay_elevenvows.htm
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1264952/A-new-book-reveals-Gandhi-tortured-young-women-worshipped-shared-bed.html
https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/gandhi-the-man-with-a-great-sense-of-humour/862449
http://www.gandhi-manibhavan.org/activities/essay_elevenvows.htm
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/aug/10/india
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harilal_Gandhi
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mahatma-gandhis-letter-accusing-son-of-raping-his-own-daughter-up-for-auction-in-uk-562069
https://www.amazon.in/My-experiments-truth-M-Gandhi/dp/9387585204/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0/260-3639262-6869921?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=9387585204&pd_rd_r=0d8cd17a-f987-4ec5-b9b0-525309023c06&pd_rd_w=f604U&pd_rd_wg=gzvz9&pf_rd_p=21bbdc4d-873b-48c5-a88a-70e643377944&pf_rd_r=AAQ1BZ6DZ5G5QH5EEW3Y&psc=1&refRID=AAQ1BZ6DZ5G5QH5EEW3Y
https://www.mkgandhi.org/bapumymother/bapumymother.htm
https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/an_atheist.pdf

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

Decoding Gandhi Part 6: The Miracle

2019-11-30T15:11:00.002+05:30

Part 1: The Assassination

Part 2: The Beginning

Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Part 4: The Practical Man

Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Part 6: The Miracle

‘I find myself all alone, even the Sardar and Jawaharlal think my reading of the situation is wrong and peace is sure to return if partitioning was agreed upon . . . the future of independence gained at this price is going to be dark.’

After the end of World War II Mountbatten found himself in a country where civil war was inevitable. All Britain wanted was to leave India before it started. India was divided into so many groups, not just in terms of language, religion, and caste but, more importantly, politics. Russia was already sponsoring the Communist parties bringing India into the radar of USA. Jinnah wanted a separate nation for Muslims of India as they felt insecure in India dominated by Hindus and Congress. Ambedkar favored partition, acknowledging the huge differences between two communities. He wanted a separate constituency for untouchables who were victimized by the upper castes. The far-right Hindu groups like Hindu Mahasabha were against INC’s pro-Muslim attitude and at the same time opposed partition. The Sikhs wanted partition of Punjab instead of getting clubbed with a dominant Muslim province. INC opposed partition of India and rightly tried hard to represent all communities and all castes in a not so right way. Though everybody wanted freedom, there was no common consensus to earn it. Mountbatten wrote to British Prime Minister Attlee:

‘The scene here is one of unrelieved gloom. . . . The Cabinet is fiercely divided on communal lines; each party has its own solution and does not at present show any sign of being prepared to consider another . . . unless I act quickly I may well find the real beginnings of a civil war on my hands.’

It was no wonder that Britain wanted leave India quickly, and the only way to do that was partition. Reluctantly, Jawaharlal and Jinnah agreed with the plan. Only Gandhi was still against it. He said, ‘I find myself all alone, even the Sardar and Jawaharlal think my reading of the situation is wrong and peace is sure to return if partitioning was agreed upon . . . the future of independence gained at this price is going to be dark.’ The immediate future was one of the darkest indeed.

One-fifth of human race (400 million people) got freedom on 15 August 1947. Gandhi was not there to celebrate it. He was in Kolkata, trying to stop the riots. It was not the freedom he fought for. Nor was this freedom due to him.

There are debatable articles that quote British Prime Minister Atelee, when he was asked about the reason for leaving India, as citing various reasons,

‘The most important were the activities of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose which weakened the very foundation of the attachment of the Indian land and naval forces to the British Government.’

When asked on the contribution of Gandhi, ‘Attlee’s lips widened in a smile of disdain and he uttered, slowly, putting emphasis on each single letter “mi-ni-mal”’. There is no solid proof that he actually said that. But even if he did, he would not be far off. This was not the freedom he was fighting for.

Here it was the Sikhs, in other places it was the Muslims or the Hindus, but the victims of this brutal form of revenge and counter-revenge were inevitably women. The few who survived had their hands and breasts cut off, genitals mutilated, or the name of their rapist tattooed on their body.

It was August, and monsoon was yet to arrive. The hot Indian summer of 1947 was also a lot drier than usual. The weather probably reflected the dark evil that engulfed the mind of Indians. A large group of Muslim women were stripped not just of their clothes but their soul and paraded naked in Amritsar as violent mobs of Sikhs raped and murdered them. Few women managed to survive the ordeal, only because of some brave Sikh men who hid them inside the sacred Golden Temple. Sikhs were avenging the March massacre where the Muslims in Pakistan raped and murdered the Sikhs. Here it was the Sikhs, in other places it was the Muslims or the Hindus, but the victims of this brutal form of revenge and counter-revenge were inevitably women. The few who survived had their hands and breasts cut off, genitals mutilated, or the name of their rapist tattooed on their body. If they survived to cross the border in one piece, there were pimps waiting to gift them one of the oldest professions in a man’s world: prostitution. It was the lucky ones who died because a life worse than hell awaited the ones who survived. A very conservative estimate by the government of India suggests that 83,000 women were violated during partition. Gandhi was grief stuck by the events that were unfolding. He said on his birthday,

‘I have no desire now to live for 125 years. Today you must all pray to God either to take me away from this fire or to grant good sense to India. I had never been so downcast in any of my numerous fights with the British. But what am I to do today with my own kith and kin? People try to kill their own brothers nowadays. I don't want to live to see this fratricidal war.’

Imperialism, the new and more powerful enemy, had shifted our focus from our old foes. Now that the giant was slayed, the old wounds surfaced once more. Muslim extremist groups, Sikh Akali Dal, Hindu Mahasabha, and the likes fuelled the violence. Over 12 million people were displaced from their homes and had to migrate across the border with death chasing them at every step. It was the largest mass migration in human history. Around a million died in the process. The riots that began in Bengal took the most brutal form in Punjab. These were the two states partitioned by Radcilffe line. In Punjab the Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims were evenly spread unlike in Bengal where the Hindus were dominant in the west and Muslims in the east. That made it that much harder to cut Punjab into two half. Bengal, which had already experienced partition, got its boundary declared couple of days before Punjab. This aggravated the violence in Punjab. More importantly, Bengal had Gandhi. It was in Bengal that Gandhi became a saint because it was in Bengal where he performed a miracle.

One could hear the resounding cries of ‘Hindu Muslim Ek ho’, ‘Jai Hind’, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ in the streets of Kolkata.

When India leaders were celebrating Independence Day, Gandhi was taking a difficult journey through the riot-stricken areas to calm people down. He first went to Bihar; and from there, he traveled to Bengal, which had been the heart of communal violence for a year since Jinnah declared Direct Action Day. Gandhi’s plan was to be with the Hindus of East Bengal during the partition. His plans changed when the terrified Muslim leaders in Kolkata invited him to stay with them. They assured him that if there was no riot in Kolkata, there would be no riot in the rest of Bengal. If the Hindus of Kolkata did not harm the Muslims, the Muslim-dominated regions of East Bengal would not harm the Hindus. With that assurance, Gandhi went to Kolkata and stayed in a Muslim house. Angry Hindu mob shouted at Gandhi, telling him to go back. They blamed him for supporting the Muslims and were asking for the blood of Shaheed Suhrawardy, the Muslim leader and ex-chief minister of Bengal. Gandhi brought Suhrawardy forward with a hand placed firmly over his shoulders. The crowd asked if he took the responsibility for the killings of Hindus last year. Surprising everyone, Suhrawardy accepted the blame and said that he was ashamed of it. By accepting his mistake, he won over the crowd. Soon there were Hindus and Muslims hoisting the Indian flag together amid the huge cheer from the crowd. On 15 August, Kolkata became the city of joy. The fairy tale did not last long as within a week violence returned. The old man, who had already distanced himself from politics and considered by many as a spent force, decided to go on a fast until people stopped killing one another. The city calmed down once more. Leaders from all faith came to him and put down their weapons and pledged not to fight. One could hear the resounding cries of ‘Hindu Muslim Ek ho’, ‘Jai Hind’, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ in the streets of Kolkata. Lorries, buses, and taxis filled with Hindus and Muslims drove around the street, shouting the slogans of brotherhood. Bengal survived because of the old man’s miracle, but Punjab was not that lucky.

Seventy-year-old Gandhi started his journey towards Punjab to do what he did in Bengal. Meanwhile, riots spread to Delhi, breaking Gandhi’s journey in between. The emotionally charged Sikhs and Hindus migrating from Pakistan attacked the Muslims in Delhi. Fearing for their lives, the Muslims ran away to fortified places like Jama Masjid and Old Fort. A frustrated Jawaharlal warned people through radio, ‘We are dealing with a situation analogous to war, and we are going to deal with it on a war basis in every sense of the word’. Gandhi visited the hospitals to meet all victims. He requested Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs to stop the violence so that he could continue his journey towards Punjab. When violence did not stop, he resorted to another fast. Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh leaders came together and pledged to stop the violence. Gandhi broke his fast. Delhi, however, did not calm down like Kolkata. Two days later, there was an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Gandhi. Gandhi ignored the attack and kept meeting the people in Delhi. The life of innocents were more important than his own. On 30 January, ten days since the first attack, Gandhi began his fateful walk towards the prayer meeting ground. His destiny awaited him.

Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

Decoding Gandhi Part 5: The Sex Maniac

2019-11-30T13:00:00.002+05:30

Part 1: The Assassination

Part 2: The Beginning

Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Part 4: The Practical Man

Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Gandhi blamed his lust for the tragedy.

Gandhi got married at a very young age. While his wife was pregnant his father fell sick. Gandhi was unable to give attention to his wife as he spend a lot of time taking care of his father, messaging his feet. One night his uncle took over from him. Getting a rare opportunity he went straight to his room where his wife was. The young couple had sex that night. Later he came to know that his father has died, while they were having sex. The child born later also did not survive. The incident left behind a dark impression in his mind. Gandhi blamed his lust for the tragedy. Now he wanted to end that lust by controlling it. It was only in South Africa, when he was 38 years old, that he took the vow of Brahmacharya, i.e. to conduct consistent with Brahman or eternal conscience. It is a spiritual path that includes abstinence.

'I am a Super-atheist' - Gandhi

Gandhi was a religious man more than a politician. India’s freedom was important to him, but more that that he cared about the welfare of people. He was a social reformer who was dragged into politics rather unwillingly. According to Gandhi, politics divorced from religion or social reform was of no use. His inclination towards religion began when he was in England. It was in his second year when Gandhi read Gita for the first time. He started reading other religious books as well like The Light of Asia and was impressed by Hindu philosophy. He realized that superstition was not part of Hinduism. In later, life he fought hard to abolish all forms of superstition from Hindu religion. His devotion became stronger in South Africa after experiencing Boer War and the Zulu uprisings. There he was also influenced by his Christian and Muslim friends who wanted him to get converted to their own religion. Because of his friends he became familiar with Bible and Koran. Tolstoy’s ‘Kingdom of God’ left a lasting impression in his mind. Gandhi considered atheism as denial of self. Logic cannot help one understand existence of god as god was beyond comprehension. But Gandhi was a man with a broad mind that was always evolving. He once believed that ‘God is Truth’, but it did not satisfy him. So he evolved to ‘Truth is God’. After many interactions with his atheist follower Gora he even went on to call himself a super-atheist. Gandhi was also a practical man. While he himself was a theist, if atheism 'served to stop communal hatred and riot’ he would not mind the community turning towards atheism.

‘most dangerous, semi-repressed sex maniac’

While living a simple spiritual life of non-violence and poverty came easy to him, he found abstinence very difficult. Gandhi had an unusual sex life. C.P. Ramaswami Iyer once told Mountbatten that Gandhi was the ‘most dangerous, semi-repressed sex maniac’. His obsession with Brahmacharya developed from the childhood experience he had during his dad’s demise. In 1906, when he was still in South Africa, he took the vow of chastity. In India, Gandhi was involved in the much-controversial Brahmacharya experiments. In this weird experiment, he slept with the naked ladies, which included his personal doctor, Sushila Nayar, and his grandnieces Manubai and Abhaben. Gandhi believed that

‘one who never has any lustful intention, who by constant attendance upon God has become proof against conscious or unconscious emissions, who is capable of lying naked with naked women, however beautiful they may be, without being in any manner sexually excited’.

Gandhi tried hard to attain that perfection. But his unwilling “nocturnal emissions” kept reminding him that that he was failing. Sometimes he even blamed his imperfection for the troubles India was going through because of the Hindu-Muslim riots. While in Bengal during the riots he told Manubai,

‘We both may be killed by the Muslims, and must put our purity to the ultimate test, so that we know that we are offering the purest of sacrifices, and we should now both start sleeping naked.’

Gandhi advised newlyweds to stay celibate for the sake of their souls. Even Jawaharlal Nehru thought that such views of Gandhi were ‘abnormal and unnatural’. Jawaharlal’s wife, Kamala, however, was very much influenced by Gandhi. In her later life, she abstained from sex, much to the dislike of Jawaharlal.

Gandhi’s own men, including Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Nirmal Bose, disliked the Brahmacharya experiment and urged him to stop. But Gandhi was adamant and even frank about what he wanted. Gandhi’s reply to his critics was ‘If I don’t let Manu sleep with me, though I regard it as essential that she should, wouldn’t that be a sign of weakness in me?’ Manu’s diaries throw light on the kind of effect the experiments had on her. She was devoted to Gandhi and was not forced to stay in there. Manu wrote, ‘Bapu is a mother to me. He is initiating me to a higher human plane through the Brahmacharya experiments, part of his Mahayagna of character building. Any loose talk about the experiment is most condemnable.’ The relation she shared with Gandhi was like ‘Mirabai who lived only for her Shyamlo [Krishna].’ Manu was standing beside Gandhi when the latter was shot. She was shocked. She wrote with dark void filling her heart,

‘As the pyre was lit and Bapu’s body was consigned to the flames, I wanted to sit there forever. It was all a bit difficult for me to accept; only a few days ago Bapu was with me, now I am completely lonely, completely helpless.’

Gandhi’s methods might have been weird, and may be even wrong, but he was not a ‘sex maniac’ as many try to project out of political malice or colonial prejudice. He did not lust for sex. He wanted to end that lust forever.

Part 6: The Miracle
Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

Decoding Gandhi Part 4: The Practical Man

2019-11-18T21:05:00.005+05:30

Part 1: The Assassination

Part 2: The Beginning

Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Part 4: The Practical Man

‘Go and work. Work solves your difficulties.’

During the non-cooperation movement in 1920 some students complained to Gandhi that khadi (Indian handwoven cloth) clothes were costlier than foreign clothes. Boycotting foreign goods are only going to burden the poor. Gandhi had a simple solution to that problem - ‘wear less clothes’. From that day onwards Gandhi renounced dhoti and kurta and wore just a langot. He became the ‘half-naked fakir’. Gandhi was a very practical man who believed in simplicity and led by example. Once an interviewer came to Gandhi and explained his problems in detail. After listening patiently he replied, ‘The fact you talked so long on the problem shows you have not understood the problem’. The interviewer was shocked and confused. So Gandhi clarified, ‘Go and work. Work solves your difficulties.’ Gandhi measured ideas and theories by testing them practically, and not by intellectual debates. That was the reason why he was so successful and it was easy for the mass to follow him. He had a simple vision - Poorna Swaraj (Total Self Governance). His mission was Bharat Chhodo (Quit India), which he wanted to achieve through non-violent means like satyagraha and non-cooperation.

Yet, it was Gandhi, who led thousands of Indians to march towards Dandi without a single act of violence.

Non-violent methods were not simple. Saints and scholars like Buddha and Mahavira has tried to make the world understand it’s meaning. But, none of them could bring the concept of non-violence to the large number of illiterate mass of India like Gandhi did. It is difficult for people to sacrifice their ego and suffer physical pain at the hands of an oppressor, and still protest. It is easy for people to misunderstand non-violent methods. Gandhi ultimately paid the price of that ignorance. Yet, it was Gandhi, who led thousands of Indians to march towards Dandi without a single act of violence. One must note that Gandhi was practical even with non-violence. Once an activist named Gora wanted to dissect a frog to teach heartbeat to the nurses in Gandhi ashram. The nurses protested, as the method was against Gandhian principle. When the matter was reported to Gandhi he said, ‘Dissect the frog, if that is the only way to explain the heart-beat.’ Gandhi had witnessed Britain’s ammunition power first hand. He knew that India cannot match them in an arms combat. He chose non-violence only because he thought it would be more practical.

The British apathy frustrated INC and they were finally ready to go on the aggressive path. Tricolor Indian flag with the spinning wheel in middle was hoisted in Lahore, independence pledge was read out, and 26 January was declared as the Independence Day, or Poorna Swaraj. Gandhi called for the civil disobedience movement, which included non-payment of taxes. He also launched salt satyagraha with Dandi March on 12 March 1930. Many, including Jawaharlal, ridiculed the idea of protesting against British salt monopoly instead of bigger issues. But Gandhi knew well that bigger political concerns do not connect to the masses. He was more concerned with issues of the poor in order to bring them into the movement of civil disobedience. It was a huge success. Thousands of Indians were put behind bars, including Gandhi, for making illegal salt. Ghaffar Khan, with over 50,000 followers, joined the movement to fill in for those who were put behind the bars. After Ghaffar Khan’s arrest thousands more gathered to protest. The British police were ordered to open fire on the peaceful protesters. Over 250 people were killed, but the protesters stood firmly in front of the bullets without any violence. Even the bullets failed this time.

After all key leaders were arrested, 76-year-old Abbas Tyabji and Gandhi’s wife, Kasturba, followed Dandi March with the Dharasana March; and after their arrest, Sarojini Naidu took the lead. Women, for the first time, became actively involved in freedom struggle of India. American journalist Webb Miller published the atrocities of British rule against nonviolent protests and helped turn the world opinion against the British rule in India. Time Magazine declared Gandhi as ‘The Man of the Year’ in 1930. Webb had immense respect for the naked fakir. He used to carry a cigarette case, and in one of his meetings with Gandhi, the latter promised to sign it only if he never smoked again. Webb Miller maintained his promise till he died. Even after the massive protests, the salt tax was not reduced. The movement, however, united the Indians and also managed to get the support of the world for India’s cause. Gandhi was released from prison and was called to a round table conference, the first time for an Indian as an equal. It was not much of a success though.

‘Gandhi should be allowed to fast to death’

After Britain’s failure to guarantee India complete independence post the World War, Gandhi launched Quit India Movement in August 1942. He gave the ultimatum: ‘Do or die’. It was a moral dilemma for many Indians who hated the Nazis for killing the innocent Jews and the Romani people. The Romani people were a group of Indian-origin migrants who left India over 1,000 years ago. At the same time, the Indians could not support the arrogant British, especially after the bitter experience of World War I. The British government was quick to suppress the movement, especially because Japan had already invaded Burma and were closing in on India. Over 100,000 Indians were imprisoned, including Gandhi and all top leaders of Congress. On 9 February 1943, old but still strong, Gandhi went for a 21-day fast in jail. The British Raj was unmoved, and Linlithdow wrote, ‘Gandhi should be allowed to fast to death’. All preparations were made for his funeral, and an ambulance was left on standby.

‘Do you know how much it costs every day to keep you in poverty?’

Ref: http://d1u4oo4rb13yy8.cloudfront.net/juvpxlncpg-1454007728.jpg

Ref: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwihw8agk_TlAhVYzjgGHXZ0AB0QjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FKASTURBA-Mohandas-Karamchand-Newspaper-February%2Fdp%2FB015D9KXEK&psig=AOvVaw3zBVuWn4RlD8IrZe_xgcLy&ust=1574179752913918

Gandhi was temporarily released to meet his ailing wife. She died on Gandhi’s lap. The was the only day people saw tears in Gandhi’s eyes. Despite the dire situation, he did not allow doctors to give her penicillin, a Western medicine. Once she was given beef stew by doctors without permission. Gandhi being religious, didn’t like it. Instead, Gandhi and his followers were singing devotional songs near her deathbed. But Gandhi was convinced to take quinine when he had malaria soon after. It shows his human nature. May be he realised his mistake when his wife died. May be he knew that his death would make it easy for Britishers.

Long back, Gandhi said that it was difficult for someone to be his wife and only Kasturba could manage it. She did it till the end. How could he allow Western medicine to save the life of his wife? How could he betray the image that he created for himself?

It was not easy being Gandhi, and it came at a price. Poetess Sarojini Naidu once jokingly questioned her friend Gandhi, ‘Do you know how much it costs every day to keep you in poverty?’. Gandhi had no reply because he knew.

Heavy security followed Gandhi wherever he went. When he stayed with the Dalits, there were disguised congress men who stayed around him. Even Gandhi was not aware of them. Gandhi preferred to travel in third class compartment of the train. But, as Jinnah once said, his first class travels were cheaper than Gandhi’s. There were millions of people flocked up to catch a glimpse of the man even when we was travelling. The railways had to schedule special train and book the whole compartment for him.

"Gandhi was more that a person, he was an idea that bound the nation."

Ref: https://www.freepressjournal.in/

Despite the expense, Gandhi did all he could to reduce the burden. Once Gandhi was travelling with Manuben. She booked two full compartments, one for Bapu, and other for all the luggage they were carrying as there would be lots of people who would come and visit Gandhi. When Gandhi came to know he was furious and said, ‘This is what is called blind (undiscerning) love. You do know that to save me trouble the Government offered me a special train if I did not want to go by 'plane. How many trains would be held up and what a lot it would cost to run a special train? How can I tolerate it? I am very cost-minded….Now the only way of repentance is to remove all the luggage into this compartment and to request the station-master to see me at the next station.’ Gandhi was more that a person, he was an idea that bound the nation. How else could the millions of Indians follow him?

Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Part 6: The Miracle

Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

Decoding Gandhi Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

2019-11-06T20:19:00.005+05:30

Part 1: The Assassination

Part 2: The Beginning

Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Gandhi returned to India in 2015. It was during the First World War when Gandhi became actively involved in Indian politics. The war had no relevance to India, but even then, she sent more than 1.1 million armies, whom the world forgot. Over 60,000 Indians died fighting someone else’s war. Not just men, India also sent horses and other animals and over 100 million pounds to support the British. Quite contrary to British feeling that Indians would take the opportunity to revolt, majority of Indians remained loyal to the Crown with a hope that the British Raj would be kinder to them and grant them their demand for home rule once the war was over. The reluctance of the British government to give India self-rule after the war, along with the worsening of her economic condition, led to frustration among the youths. Young Indians took to the path of violence to get rid of the Raj. Few members of Indian Army were disgruntled with the British for treating them like slaves and secretly supplied arms to the extremist groups in India. The occasional incidents of violence by nationalists in Bengal, Punjab, and Maharashtra led to the enactment of Rowlatt’s Act in March 1919. It gave British government the authority to arrest and imprison any person suspected of terrorism without warrant or trial. Gandhi criticized the act and on 6 April he began his first satyagrahya on Indian soil against what he called a ‘black act’. He was arrested immediately while proceeding to Delhi.

Gandhi ji in 1918. Source Wiki

Immediately after Rowlatt’s Act was passed, Dr Satyapal and Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew were arrested in suspicion of spreading terrorism. Huge crowds gathered in front of police station, demanding their release. Panicked, police fired at the mob, killing several protesters. The angry mob went rampant, attacking British officers and killing three in the process. A European teacher was also attacked, saved only by few Indians who hid her under a table. Gandhi had to call off satyagrahya due to these incidents of violence. He called the Satyagraha as ‘premature’ and as a ‘Himalayan miscalculation’. Tagore wrote an open letter to Gandhi addressing him as ‘Mahatmaji’ for the first time. He wrote,

‘You have come to your motherland in the time of her need … to lead her in the true path of conquest… Freedom can never come to a people through charity…We must win it before we can own in…I pray most fervently that nothing that tends to weaken our spiritual freedom may intrude into your marching line…’.

For the first time Indian freedom movement got a face that attracted Indians from all spectrum of life. Both Hindus and Muslims, from scholars like Tagore to tribals, higher and lower casts, everyone respected Gandhi. The tribal group Tana Bhagats became followers of Gandhi and took active part in his satyagrahya. The modern Tana Bhagats still believe in Gandhi’s philosophy of ahimsa and wear khadi clothes, dhoti, and Gandhi cap with a tricolour flag on it. Similarly, when Gandhi stayed at the Firangi Mahal, all Muslim families abstained from cooking meat during his stay out of respect. Hindus and Muslims joined hands and chanted ‘Hindu-Muslim Bhai Bhai’. The frail man who was once scarred to speak infont of public, turned out to be the nemesis for the Great British Empire.

Gandhi often said that he is not a politician, but a man of religion and a social reformer. Politics divorced from religion had no use for him. Gandhi was a staunch Hindu. While he challenged superstition and did have a modern outlook, he was not able to break away completely from the orthodoxy in which he grew up. Gandhi saw in industrialization a hidden evil that tied men into a vicious web of the materialistic world. The promise of science, technology, and prosperity were illusions that threatened not just our nation but also the souls of our men. Running blindly after Westernization made our youth lose their identity.

Wearing English clothes, learning in English-medium school, working in industries controlled by British masked as modern and liberal and which Indians were proud of were only created for the profit of our oppressor. British advertised the so-called ‘modern’ attitude because it bred industries, like the Manchester clothes. These industries made a huge profit by selling costly products in India while the ‘out of fashion’ indigenous industries suffered. In this culture, both consumer and worker became a slave to the machines controlled by the big industries in Britain. It was a culture that promoted suspicion, hatred, racism, and exploitation. Such industries only ended up making us poorer. Gandhi called for the renunciation of everything Western. He wanted complete non-cooperation with the government. Gandhi advocated following a simple lifestyle and using indigenous products. Chakara, or the spinning wheel, was the symbol of such simplicity. Gandhi started the chakara agitation, inviting all Indians to spin the wheel and make India self-sufficient. Rabindranath Tagore, one of Gandhi’s greatest admirers, criticized this extreme view.

Gandhi ji spinning Chakra in late 1920s. Source Wiki

Tagore started the reorganization of Indian villages long before Gandhi returned from Africa. He was educating the villagers and promoting agriculture, cotton, and village industries. Tagore himself wanted to get rid of the British Raj and was an adherent follower of nonviolence. When he found that the young patriotic minds were leaning towards violence, and especially after Khudiram and his friends killed innocent European women, he distanced himself from the movement. Some called him a betrayer. But that did not change his mind as he was against ‘blind nationalism’. According to Tagore, those who uphold the ideals of nationalism are the most conservative in their social practice. It becomes more problematic in a country like India where there is a physical repulsion between different castes. To Tagore, renunciation of everything Western, including science and technology, was stupid. Saying everything Western is bad is as ridiculous as saying everything Western is good. While to Gandhi poverty was a virtue, for Tagore, it was a problem that we needed to get rid of. Chakara, to Tagore, was not a symbol of progress but of poverty and everything that was wrong with India. According to the poet,

“Western science should merge with eastern spirituality to create a complete society that is without the self-created borders”.

Nationality, to Tagore, was the root cause of our problems, not industries. Nationalism threatens humanity as it ultimately promotes exploitation of one country by another. Colonization is rooted in the idea of nationalism. The two world wars were enough proof to support Tagore’s thought. Hitler was a product of extreme nationalism. Non-cooperation movement was doing exactly that by creating hatred for everything Western. The poor were forced to buy khadi clothes that were more expensive. Students were told to boycott English-medium schools, thus hampering their education. Tagore was against the idea of youths blindly following a cult and losing their ability of reasoning. In the eyes of Tagore, ‘what India most needed was constructive work coming from within herself’. In poet’s words, he wanted an India ‘where the mind is without fear, head is held high, knowledge is free and world was not broken into fragments’.

Indian customs, like caste system, bind a person to a specific duty chosen by one’s ancestor. It helps in gaining labor but kills the free mind by binding one to repeat the same job over and over for ages without question. Such mind always required a ruler or a saint to tell them what to do, and hence, such minds can never be free. Tagore saw the same ignorance in the blind followers of Gandhi who ‘follow him like rats’ without questioning. Gandhi himself became a cult. Sarojini Naidu once said that it cost a lot to keep Gandhi in poverty. The protection he required to continue with his simple way of life was a costly affair. It was symbolic and necessary, as the freedom struggle required the mass of India. The chakara was part of that cult that Tagore did not like. Tagore firmly said,

‘Lest I should be a party to the raising of the charkha to a higher place than is its due, thereby distracting attention from other more important factors in our task of all-round reconstruction.’

Gandhi ji and Tagore

Gandhi replied to Tagore, assuring him that there was nothing to fear. Gandhi had a lot of respect for Tagore and often asked him for advice. He used to call Tagore Gurudev. Gandhi explained that he was not trying to build a China Wall between East and West. He was protesting against forceful cooperation rather than voluntary cooperation based on mutual trust and respect. Gandhi disagreed with Rabindranath about the students’ education. According to him,

“training by itself adds not an inch to one’s moral height and that character-building is independent of literary training. I [Gandhi] am firmly of opinion that the Government schools have unmanned us, rendered us helpless and Godless”.

Non-cooperation with the bad is as important as cooperation with the good. Gandhi went on to say, “I am certain that it does not require ages for Hindus to discard the error of untouchability, for Hindus and Mussulmans to shed enmity and accept friendship as an eternal factor of national life, for all to adopt the charkha as the only universal means of attaining India’s economic salvation and finally for all to believe that India’s freedom lies only through non-violence, and no other method.” Tagore was still not convinced, so when Gandhi said, “Everyone must spin. Let Tagore spin like the others. Let him burn his foreign clothes; that is his duty today. God will take care of the morrow” Tagore was quick to reply,

“The charka does not require anyone to think; one simply turns the wheel of the antiquated invention endlessly, using the minimum of judgment and stamina.”

Tagore wondered why a person with skill to do better things would waste his talent in spinning a chakara. Tagore did not want India to become isolated from the rest of the world. Instead, he believed in fluid borders of countries where every country learned from the other and grew together. Both Mahatma and Gurudev were right in their own way. Despite the differences, both continued to have immense respect towards each other.

Part 4: The Practical Man

Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Part 6: The Miracle

Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

Decoding Gandhi Part 2: The Beginning

2019-11-03T23:42:00.001+05:30

Gandhi was also very, very shy. He trembled when he had to speak in public, and often, someone else had to read his speech on his behalf.

Part 1: The Assassination

Part 2: The Beginning

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2nd October 1869 in the coastal town of Porbandar in Gujarat. His father Karamchand Uttamchand Gandhi served as Diwan of Porbandar. His mother, Putlibai, was from Krishna bhakti-based Pranami family also from Porbandar. She was the third wife of Karamchand. Putlibai and Karamchand had four children, of whom Mohandas Gandhi was the last. Putlibai had strong influence on Gandhi, who was a restless kid who loved twisting dog’s ears. Gandhi came from a conservative family. He was a little boy of 18 when he dared to go against his people who threatened to outcaste him, by crossing kalapani and sailing to England with a dream of a bright future in law in 1888. His mother permitted him to go abroad only after he promised her three things: no meat, no alcohol, and, most importantly, no sex. Gandhi agreed. He was also inspired by the new vegetarian revolution in England. Not having alcohol also had its own advantage, especially when Gandhi was called to the bar at the end of his course. There were two bottles of wine for a group of four. Since there was scarcity of non-drinkers, he was always in demand. Everyone wanted him so that the rest can have better share. While he kept his first two promises easily, it was the third that seemed most difficult. There were times when he came very close to breaking the most important vow. First time it happened in Portsmouth and second much later while sailing to South Africa. But each time, he managed to stop himself before crossing the limit, even though it meant dirty thoughts and sleepless nights.

Gandhi in England
REF https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/ZBRp4G4izTCiSDzRvdUsCJ/Mahatma-Gandhi--Experiments-with-eating.html

Gandhi was ashamed of the fact that he was married at such a young age and even had a kid. His first child was born when he was just 15 years old, but survived only for few days. Like a coward, he hid the fact that he was married when he was in England. He finally confessed to an old lady who loved him like a son and was looking to engage him with a young British lady. Gandhi was also very, very shy. He trembled when he had to speak in public, and often, someone else had to read his speech on his behalf. It was in his second year when Gandhi read Gita for the first time. He started reading other religious books as well like The Light of Asia and was impressed by Hindu philosophy. He realized that superstition was not part of Hinduism. In later, life he fought hard to abolish all forms of superstition from Hindu religion. He also began to like English customs and dresses. Gandhi survived England and came back to India after three years, only to hear the news of his mother’s demise. It was kept a secret from him so that it did not affect his studies.

The Indian episode wasn’t a happy one. His shyness prevented him from becoming a successful lawyer. His relation with his wife, Kasturba, was also not amicable. There were times when he made her life miserable. Later, he did realize his mistake and even had the guts to acknowledge it in his writings. It was from his wife that Gandhi learnt nonviolence. In 1893CE he got an offer from Dada Abdulla & Company and went to South Africa, where the third phase of his life began.

Gandhi was surprised to see the poor condition of Indians in Africa. Indians were often insulted by the Englishmen, who addressed them as Coolie or Sami. They were quite oblivious to the fact that Sami, which came from Swami, meant master. Gandhi was thus called the ‘Coolie barrister’. Not all Englishmen were rude to him. There was one gentleman who fought with the guards and allowed Gandhi to travel with him in first-class train compartment, generally reserved for the ‘whites’. He even ate dinner with many Europeans in Johnson’s family hotel. But it was the racism he faced in South Africa that prepared him for the battle in India. He had to fight to keep his turban on while inside the court. He was once thrown off the first-class compartment despite having legal tickets just because he was a ‘brown’. In the same journey, Gandhi was beaten up after he refused to sit on the floor of a coach for which he had tickets. He was also denied to stay in many hotels because of his skin colour. He was once pushed and kicked by a guard for walking on a footpath, barred for nonwhites, at night.

Gandhi was a well-educated barrister. If he was treated like this, he wondered what would be the condition of the poorer Indians. Once his work in South Africa was finished, he was preparing to leave for India. In his farewell party, he chanced upon an article in the newspaper. It was about a bill before the House of Legislature, which, if passed, would disallow the Indians their right to elect the members of Natal Legislative Assembly. That changed his plans, and he decided to stay back and fight for justice. He started to study the condition of Indians in South Africa in detail. Gandhi put in effort to make Indians aware about cleanliness and educate them. He promoted unity of Indians despite the differences in language, religion, and caste. While Gandhi was worried about his countrymen, he did not care much about the native Africans whose conditions were even worse. Gandhi firmly believed that the Indians, having a richer civilization, were superior to the natives and deserved better treatment. He founded Natal Indian Congress in 1894, which fought for the rights of Indians in South Africa. Gandhi came to India two years later to get support from Indian political leaders. His popularity attracted many enemies, mostly British. He was attacked by mobs when he returned to South Africa but somehow managed to escape.

Gandhi in South Africa
REF https://qz.com/india/1471361/the-indian-diaspora-in-south-africa-is-about-so-much-more-than-gandhi/

‘how completely you have taken possession of my body. This is slavery with a vengeance’ - Gandhi

Gandhi, who was to become the symbol of non-violence, encouraged recruitment of Indians when the British were fighting Boer war in 1899 and again in 1906 against the Zulu kingdom. It is during this time that Gandhi met Pingali Venkayya, a geologist who would later design India’s flag.

During the wars, Gandhi came to realize the power of British Army. He knew it would be futile for the weak countries to fight the British with arms. It was there that he got the idea of nonviolent resistance, or satyagrahya. He applied his new weapon of non-violence for the first time in South Africa. He was immediately put behind the bars. It was in the jail where he had interactions with the native Africans, helping him erase his prejudice against them. Experience was helping Gandhi evolve into a better man, preparing him for the Indian adventure. Gandhi met the rich German-born Jewish architect Hermann Kallenbach in 1904 and became very good friends. Kallenbach donated his farm to Gandhi, which became a shelter for the satyagrahis (the nonviolent protesters). It was named Tolstoy Farm. Gandhi admired Tolstoy’s policy of non-resistance, and was influenced by Tolstoy’s ‘A Letter to a Hindu’. He wrote a long letter to Tolstoy inviting his attention to the ongoings in Transvaal , South Africa.

Gandhi is said to have written to his German friend the following lines, ‘how completely you have taken possession of my body. This is slavery with a vengeance’. The lines have widely been misinterpreted and taken as a proof that Gandhi was gay. Being gay is not a crime, it is a personal choice. Even though none of Gandhi’s letters to his German friend had sexual connotations, his critics use it as a tool to defame him. Gandhi had more supporters than critics. Gandhi’s new method of satyagrahya found support back home and funds started to pour in. Amongst the list of doners were Sir Ratan Tata, Nizam of Hyderabad, INC, and the All India Muslim League (AIML), along with many others. Gandhi succeeded in uniting Indians of different class and religion and successfully tested his concept of non-violent protests. He finally returned to India in January 1915CE, beginning the fourth and final episode of his life.

Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Part 4: The Practical Man

Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Part 6: The Miracle

Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

Decoding Gandhi Part 1: The Assassination

2019-11-03T18:08:00.001+05:30

Part 1: The Assassination

‘I did not hate Gandhi, I revered him because we both venerated much in Hindu religion, Hindu history and Hindu culture, we both were against superstitious aspects and the wrongs in Hinduism. Therefore I bowed before Gandhi when I met him, then performed my moral duty and killed Gandhi.’ - Godse

The riots and violence had took its toll on Gandhi. It was not the freedom he wanted. After a long discussion with Sardar Patel about the situation he walked towards the raised lawn behind Birla House for the regular multi-faith prayer. The discussion carried on longer than usual and Gandhi was ten minutes late. The frail man walked supporting himself on the shoulders of his grandniece Manuben and Abhaben. Hundreds of people were waiting to catch a glimpse of Gandhi. As the two ladies helped Gandhi manoeuvre through the crown, someone yelled ‘Gandhiji, you are late’. Gandhi slowed down his pace, gave an annoyed look, and then walked ahead. At that moment another stout man in khaki dress pushed his way through the crowd and came right infront of Gandhi and bowed down. Manuben tried to shove him aside and shouted, ‘Bapu is already ten minutes late, why do you embarrass him?’. The man pushed her hard and then fired three (or four?) shots at Gandhi. The sound of the pistol deafened Manuben. She saw smoke all around. It took her some time to realise what just happened. Through the smoke she saw Gandhi fallen down in Abhaben’s lap. There was blood all around. Gandhi’s hands were folded as he uttered, ‘Hey Ra…ma! Hey Ra…!’

Mahatma Gandhi, standing, with his arms around two female relatives, in New Delhi, India, ca. 1947. REF: https://www.upi.com/Archives/1948/01/30/The-assassination-of-Mohandas-Gandhi/2538113714024/

'See me please in the nakedness of my working, and in my limitation, you will then know me.' - Gandhi

Godse was a young man born in a Brahmin family. He became an activist in RSS and Hindu Mahasabha. He considered Gandhi as anti-Hindu. Gandhi’s fast to release the final payment to Pakistan that was frozen after the Kashmir war was a proof that Gandhi was still very influential in Indian politics. Godse killed Gandhi to stop the laters influence that he considered was detrimental to India and Hindus. Godse said, ‘I did not hate Gandhi, I revered him because we both venerated much in Hindu religion, Hindu history and Hindu culture, we both were against superstitious aspects and the wrongs in Hinduism. Therefore I bowed before Gandhi when I met him, then performed my moral duty and killed Gandhi.’ Hundreds of people stood frozen unable to believe what they saw. An American diplomat, Herbert Reiner Jr., rushed forward and grasped Godse while the gardener Raghu Nayak pinned him down. Soon other started to pounce upon Godse and started to beat him up. The Royal Indian Armed Force men managed to arrest him and take him away before the crowd lynched him.

The trial of persons accused of participation and complicity in the assassination at the Special Court in Red Fort Delhi on 27 May 1948. Front row, left to right: Nathuram Godse, Narayan Apte, and Vishnu Ramkrishna Karkare. Seated behind, left to right: Digambar Badge, Shankar Kistaiya, Vinayak Savarkar, Gopal Godse, and Dattatraya Sadashiv Parachure. REF: Wiki

Gandhi was carried into the house by men. Due to the chaos after the attack, it took ten minutes to take Gandhi inside. By that time he had already lost a lot of blood. No doctor was available to treat him immediately. Manuben and others recited Gita beside Gandhi. Half an hour after the attack, on 30th January 1948, Gandhi breathed his last. The Statesman editorial wrote on 1 February 1948,

“Numb with sudden tragedy, the people of India mourns their dead leader whom they lately hailed as Father of the Nation. They seem conscious as yet mainly of their loss and the love they bore him. Hearts overflow. But on many lips are questions. What does this calamity portend? He who in many past crises has been there to interpret, to counsel, to lead, is gone.”

Godse went to court with his head held high without any sign of remorse. He proudly gave his last speech, “If devotion to one’s country amounts to a sin, I admit I have committed that sin. If it is meritorious, I humbly claim the merit thereof. I fully and confidently believe that if there be any other court of justice beyond the one founded by the mortals, my act will not be taken as unjust. If after the death there be no such place to reach or to go, there is nothing to be said. I have resorted to the action I did purely for the benefit of the humanity. I do say that my shots were fired at the person whose policy and action had brought rack and ruin and destruction to lakhs of Hindus.” He was the first person to be hanged in Independent India.

Tagore wrote a poem named 'the Child' in 1903, as if he knew.

THE PILGRIMS are afraid.

The woman begins to cry, the men in an agony of wretchedness shout at them to stop.

Dogs break out barking and are cruelly whipped into silence broken by moans.

The night seems endless and men and women begin to wrangle as to who among them was to blame.

They shriek and shout and as they are ready to unsheathe their knives the darkness pales, the morning light overflows the mountain tops.

Suddenly they become still and gasp for breath as they gaze at the figure lying dead.

The women sob out loud and men hide their faces in their hands.

A few try to slink away unnoticed,

but their crime keeps them chained to their victim.

They ask each other in bewilderment,

'Who will show us the path?'

The old man from the East bends his head and says:

'The Victim.'

They sit still and silent.

Again speaks the old man,

'We refused him in doubt, we killed him in anger, now we shall accept him in love,

for in his death he lives in the life of us all, the great Victim.'

And they all stand up and mingle their voices and sing,

'Victory to the Victim.'

Both Gandhi and Godse died to achieve what they thought was right. For both them their mission was above their life. Gandhi cared more about individuals than a group like nation or religion. For Godse, the community was above individuals. Was Gandhi right, or was Godse right? The name Gandhi attracts a wide spectrum of emotions. Some regard Gandhi as a saint, a mahatma, who showed the whole world that battles can be won without violence. Einstein said, “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood.” Yet Gandhi had his fair share of critics. He has been labeled as a 'bastard bania', ‘sexual weirdo’ who slept with his young grandniece, and there have been protests against building his statue in London. He has been called a racist and has been accused of being in a homosexual relationship with a German bodybuilder. Gandhi has been accused by many as too religious Hindu, and others as anti-Hindu. While Gandhi fought for the outcastes (dalits), Ambedkar, a dalit, was his most fierce critic. The Father of Nation was not a great father to his own son. Subash and Gandhi parted ways, and yet Subash had immense respect for him and called him ‘Father of Nation’. Tagore and Gandhi had their own differences, but it was Tagore who named him Mahatma. Gandhi’s image is varied and contradictory, and intricately linked to the image of India. He once said, 'See me please in the nakedness of my working, and in my limitation, you will then know me.' To understand India one needs to decode the enigma of Gandhi. That is what the next few posts are going to attempt.

Ref: https://scroll.in/article/696615/farewell-mahatma-an-alternative-history-of-gandhis-assassination

Part 2: The Beginning

Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Part 4: The Practical Man

Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Part 6: The Miracle

Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

Legend of Alexander

2019-10-31T23:00:00.001+05:30

Alexander the Great Mozaic (Wiki)

After a day of acclimatization for the oxygen starved high altitudes of Ladakh we started our long drive towards Dah to meet Alexander’s kin. It was a hot sunny day and we had to stop 5 kilometres short of Dah. The heat from the scorching sun has melted too much snow, raising the height of water in the river to dangerous levels. Indus, the mighty river that Alexander once crossed to enter India, has overflowed and blocked our path to Dah. But it happened to be our lucky day.

We came to know from the locals that there is another region where the so-called ‘Pure Aryans’ live. We took a difficult curvy road, up the mountain, to reach the Sanith village that consisted of only 24 houses. The people here look and speak a language different from the Ladakis. These Western Ladakhi people belong to Brokpas or Minaro tribe and speak archaic Shina language. They can be easily identified by their flowery headdress. They prefer to call themselves ‘pure Aryan’ whose ancestors were part of Alexander’s lost army.

My driver insisted that they speak Aryan language that is a mixture of Hindi and English. Interestingly, though he understands both English and Hindi, he cannot decipher their language. Genetic studies done on the people of Brokpas or Minaro tribe show only a faint Greek connection. As we saw earlier, ‘Aryan’ is not a race, rather a linguistic division. Whatever their origin is, our romanticism with fair skin helps this little isolated tribe with tourism. Being ‘pure Aryans’ did not bring tourism; rather it was tourism that made them ‘pure Aryans’.

Brokpas

Alexander III of Macedon was one of the greatest kings of the ancient world. His father, King Philip, was a great soldier who carved out a powerful army. His mother, Olympias, was a fierce tribal princess who kept snakes as pets. According to rumours, Olympias was struck by a bolt of lightening and was visited by the king of gods, Zeus, when she was pregnant. Hours later Alexander was born. Born under the sign of Leo, the king of beasts, Alexander was destined to achieve greatness. In a single decade he forged an empire as large as the ones Roman Empire accumulated over centuries.

Alexander in Persia

While many tribes have entered India over the ages, Alexander is considered as the first king to have crossed the Indus. There are lots of myths surrounding the legend of Macedon. Thousands of years ago, when the gods walked with the mortals, Indian saints unravelled the mystery of immortality. The magic was found in the juice of Soma plants, growing in the banks of the great Indus River. Alexander the Great, known locally as Sikander, came to know about it and wanted to find it so that he could rule the world eternally. In his voyage, he befriended a local person who was guiding him towards the secret and sacred place. After a point of time they parted ways to make the search quicker. One day, accidentally, a dried fish fell into a spring from the hand of Sikander’s friend. To his surprise, the dead fish came back to life and swam away. Sikander’s friend realized that he had found the fountain of life, also known as Aab-i-Hayat. He drank from the magical spring and told the soldiers to inform Sikander. By the time Sikander reached, the magical spring vanished along with his friend. Sikander’s dream remained unfulfilled, but his friend became a legend. His story can be traced back to the Gilgamesh epic, the Alexander romances, the Jewish legend of Elijah and Rabbi Joshua ben Levi, and even the Koran. He is known by many names. He is al-Khadir or Khwaja Khizr of Muslims, and Uderolal or Jind Pir of Hindus. He is the immortal prophet whose abode is a green island in the Indus River. With a long white beard he rides along the banks of the river on a pala fish, helping people in trouble.

Khwaja Khizr

In 326BC Sikander became the first western king to cross the Indus River. He allied with the king of Taxila (also called Takshashila), Ambhi Kumar. That alliance was one of the reasons why Taxila University survived Sikander’s onslaught. Sikander’s men saw the university, the ‘like of which was not seen in Greece’. With help from Ambhi, Sikander built a bridge across Indus River. However, his confidence was shattered the moment he crossed into India. Sikander did manage to win against the resilient smaller Indian border tribes called Asvakas but only after a tough fight. The Asvaka women took up arms and fought alongside their men. They preferred a glorious death to a life of dishonor. Sikander was wounded in the fighting. The Macedonian army slaughtered the entire population of Massaga and Ora. However, Sikander’s soldiers were tired after the long and eventful journey away from home. They were now facing the most powerful empire they had encountered so far. With a small army, he easily defeated the mighty Persian Empire. However, he faced his toughest opponent in the form of Puru (Greek Porus), a ruler of a small Indian kingdom. The huge Indian war elephants and their superior weapons, like the two-metre bow, made the army of Puru formidable despite their small numbers. Sikander’s strength was his tactics and battle plan. He had no shortage of supply in the fertile Indus plain and maintained a continuous shipment of equipments all the way from Macedonia.

Alexander’s bold and unexpected move to cross the river at peak monsoon tilted the balance of the war in his favor. The Macedoian king marched across the river at night with 5,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry, leaving behind major chunk of his soldiers and one person dressed as the king to deceive Puru. By the time Puru came to know about this unexpected move it was late. He assumed it to be a ruse, and send his son with just 2000 cavalry and 120 chariots to counter the attack. That was the blunder that cost Puru the war. Puru’s son died in the battle but not before wounding Sikander and killing his enemy’s favourite horse. It was still a moral victory for Sikander’s men. On hearing the news of his son’s death, fuming Puru attacked Sikander with his main force. After a long and fierce fighting Sikander managed to win the Battle of Hydaspes, but not before it left his army devastated. It was the costliest battle fought by Sikander’s men. Sikander was impressed by the bravery of Puru and asked him how he should be treated. Puru replied, ‘Like a king’. Alexander asked again if he had anything else to request. Puru explained, ‘Everything is comprised in the words, like a king’.

Puru accepts defeat

On the east of Ganges, India’s most powerful kingdoms were ready to take on Sikander. Sikander retreated, fearing a valiant attack from the joint forces of Nanda dynasty of Bihar and Gangaridai Empire of Vanga (which could well be the same empire). According to the writings of Greek authors like Megasthenes and Ptolemy, Gangaridai was the most powerful empire in India at that time. They maintained an army of ‘20,000 horses, 200,000 infantry, 2,000 chariots and 4,000 elephants trained and equipped for war’. Ruins of the empire have been excavated from a small village called Berachampa, just ~35 kilometres from Kolkata. It was probably the biggest army in the world of that time. Sikander’s army was homesick and was in no mood to take on their biggest foe. Fearing mutiny in his own camp, Sikander had to turn back disappointed without fulfilling his dream of conquering the world. The return journey happened through water instead of land. The ships sailed in the late 326BCE from Jhelum and Indus to the Arabian Sea. The downriver journey took six months due to the constant attack from the riverine people who have heard horrible tales about the conqueror of the world. One of the arrows stuck Sikander in the chest. He succumbed to the wounds around three years later.

Alexander the Great Receiving News of the Death by Immolation of the Indian Gymnosophist Calanus - Jean-Baptiste de Champaigne - 1672, Ref - Wiki

Once, while in India, Sikander asked a group of Jain philosophers why they were ignoring the great conqueror. The philosophers replied, ‘King Alexander, every man can possess only so much of earth’s surface as this we are standing on. You are but a human like rest of us. . . . You will soon be dead, and then you will own just as much of the earth as will suffice to bury you.’ Jainism was a dominant religion in Western India at that time and the wise monks impressed Sikander. He was especially fond of Calanus of Taxila, who criticized Greek philosophy with his sharp logic. The king took him to Persia as a teacher. At an age of 73 years Calanus decided that we was too weak to live anymore. The harsh weather of Persia took a toll on his body. The naked philosopher self-immolated himself, despite dissuasion from his legendary disciple. His last word to the king was, ‘We shall meet in Babylon’. But Sikander has no plans of going to Babylon. As fate would have it, that is where one of the greatest king of the world breathed his last. For the Indians, Sikander’s adventures were just a minor skirmish at the borders. Sikander did not leave behind much impact on Indian culture and thus hardly finds any mention in the contemporaneous texts. However, he did leave behind a porous connection between east and west through which art, science and culture diffused slowly over time. It is through the same border that a series of invasions took place.

Alexander's Empire REF : http://murugan.org/research/gopalapillai.htm

Reference

https://www.amazon.in/Journey-Survivors-000-Year-History-Sub-Continent/dp/1482873354

Also Check Out: 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

Is there Free Will?

2019-10-21T18:42:00.000+05:30

In this age of information, we are constantly being bombarded with data that affect our perception. Often times, the media persistently project a single story that gets imprinted in our brains, leading to prejudice. A country like India can be thought of as very unsafe for women. US could be thought of as a precarious place where you might get shot down the moment you land. People from Nigeria might be considered as tribal, even though Nigeria has perfectly modern cities. Once we are anchored to a particular way of thinking, it becomes very difficult to get rid of the prejudices. We often fail to comprehend that our opinion might be just one of the thousand possible stories that we have never heard. The single stories themselves may not be wrong. But, it is just a one-sided story. Truth is multi-faceted. Is our future multi-faceted too? Or is it that we do not have any free will?

"The problem of free will is not about the lack of choice or determinism, but about the way we choose."

Scott Adam’s 2004 Dilbert cartoon aptly says, ‘Free will is an illusion. People always choose the perceived path of greatest pleasure.’ Do we have free will? One would have thought that science has already solved this problem. Quite surprisingly, it hasn’t. It has only changed the way we look at the question. No more do we think that we are at the mercy of some higher powers. The problem of free will is not about the lack of choice or determinism, but about the way we choose. We may like to think that we are in control of our life, at least till we get married! Unfortunately, most of the things that happen to us are outside our control. I did not choose when, where and to whom I was born. I did not select my genes. And in all likelihood, I will have no free will about my death. My looks, my gender, my religion and nationality were predetermined. However, all these factors had a strong influence in determining who I am today. My genetics determines my nature, and my family determines my nurture. This means that we can never have complete freedom of choice. Random events along with our nature and nurture limit the choices we have. Having said that, there are a lot of things that are within our sphere of influence, like the way I want to colour my hair, the profession I want to be in, choosing my partner or when to have a baby. Even the choices that are in our control are influenced by external factors, especially our family. Rich people will have a different set of options than poor people for the same problem. Often our parents and teachers influence our career and thus the profession we choose. Choosing your partner is not just a one-sided decision; the other person needs to agree as well. When to have a baby, and sometimes even what colour you want your hair to be, is often a decision that you make along with your partner. How much of free will does that leave us with?

"We are a very negligible part of the entire universe. If the laws of physics guide everything in the universe, including the birth of the galaxy and origin of life, then why would our thoughts, or we for that matter, be any different?"

Let us ignore all the external factors for the time being and say that only you decide what to choose. When I started having thyroid problems, I noticed that I lost my temper very easily. I became a different person. It made me realize that a lot of what we are depends on the biochemical that flow in our body. These, in turn, depend on our brain. This is well documented in the case of Phineas P. Gage. In 1848, Gage suffered a major accident and lost a part of his brain. The loss of that particular part of the brain, prefrontal lobe to be exact, turned a cheerful well- mannered gentleman into a self-destructive habitual liar. Similar cases have been observed with other individuals with damaged prefrontal lobe. The prefrontal lobe, we now know, controls our emotions. Recent studies in neuroscience indicate that our thoughts could well be a product of biochemical algorithms written in our brain.

"We often fail to comprehend that our opinion might be just one of the thousand possible stories that we have never heard."

How we behave and react to situations depend more on the structure of our brain rather than the situation itself. Take for example the feelings of fear, anger, lust and love. They are the same all around the globe because they stem from the genetic make-up of our species and those feelings results from secretion of same biochemicals. When we are threatened, our brain releases adrenalin and cortisol that create the feeling of fear. Lust is governed by dopamine while the feeling of love by oxytocin. These chemicals are not any different for an African or a Chinese or a European. These chemicals can even be released artificially by intake of drugs or stimulating the right part of the brain through electrodes. We will have the feeling, corresponding to the part that is triggered, without any reason for feeling the same. What if the choice you are about to make is guided by your brain’s chemistry, determined by your genes and memories that you have no control over, following all the rules of physics that are fixed? We are a very negligible part of the entire universe. If the laws of physics guide everything in the universe, including the birth of the galaxy and origin of life, then why would our thoughts, or we for that matter, be any different?

This begs the question, where is free will? An interesting experiment was done almost 35 years ago by Dr. Benjamin Libet. Libet’s Experiment demonstrated that the unconscious response precedes, and potentially cause conscious or volitional decisions 300 milliseconds before you actually take that decision! If our unconscious mind is deciding for us, then it puts some serious doubts on our free will. Are we mistaking randomness for free will? The experiment received widespread fame and critics. May be our conscious mind has a veto power. May be, the way the experiment was conducted had flaws. Even then, we cannot disagree about the fact that absolute free will is a myth.

A 40-year-old man became addicted to child pornography after he developed tumour in the or bitofrontal cortex. Once the tumour was removed, his addiction vanished. Similarly, Charles Whitman, a 25-year-old loving husband suddenly turned into a mass murderer. The cause was a large tumour that pressed down his amygdala, a part of the brain that controls emotion. This brings us to the dilemma of justice. Who do we blame in such situation, the person or the tumour? Every decision we take is in some way affected by our genes, the way we were brought up, and any changes or damages that may happen to our brain. Some might argue that it is the non-conscious process in the brain that drives all our actions. While we can never be completely free, I would like to believe that we are not completely helpless about deciding our future. Or, at least my brain would want me to believe that. While the biochemical inside our body affect our behaviour, our behaviour in turn can affect the chemicals. With help of the right lifestyle, we can change the way we behave. With the help of medical treatments we can cure thyroid problems or tumours. I sincerely hope that it is not the apparent chaos which gives us the illusion of free will.

"We can go to the extent of saying that our perception is more of a hallucination than reality."

The way we make sense of the world depends on the way our brain receives information coming through the sense organs and make stories. In truth, we cannot sense anything directly. All our perceptions are indirect, with the help of proxies. We can go to the extent of saying that our perception is more of a hallucination than reality. One might say that our sense organs do a pretty good job of replicating the reality in our minds. That is why my interpretation of the world broadly matches yours. The Taj Mahal is the same for all the people who have seen it. Its beauty might be just in our brain, but the physical reality of the Taj Mahal has to exist. There must be a fundamental reality that is beyond the boundaries of our mind. What if we all are biased in the same way? We have evolved together and almost have the same genes. Since our brain is similar, our understanding has to be similar.

Then there are a lot of things that we assume should match, actually does not. Different people interpret the same thing in different ways. Some may observe details, while others see the big picture. Some people have brains focused on facts, while others may be more imaginative. There is no right or wrong way to make sense of the universe.

Even fundamental things like time and space are more mysterious than we think. Experiments in quantum physics are destroying the very fabric of our known comfortable world. And, it is not just at the micro scale. New experiments are replicating the weirdness of quantum world in macro scale. All possible realities might exist, and we just happen to remember one at a time. May be in one of the universes it is Schrödinger who is in the box and is both dead and alive till Dr. Cat opens it. The single universe of Classical Physics might be the simplified story that our brain writes. Does the Heisenberg uncertainty give us free will? It is more of a hope. The arrow of time works both ways in physics. If all possibilities exists and at all times....then each and every possibility is already fixed.

"All possible realities might exist, and we just happen to remember one at a time."

From the Book 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

5 insults that changed Indian History

2019-10-17T23:00:00.001+05:30

The events happening around the world might seem like chaos and majority of them might appear to be insignificant. But all insignificant events have the power to create a small change on the initial conditions that can result in a significant outcome of history. This is known as the butterfly effect. Simple insults and pranks have resulted in overthrowing of empires and formation of global religions. Modern politicians are frequently locked in the war of throwing insults at each other. Slaps are making big rustle in Indian media now a days. From Gauri Khan to Shahrukh Khan, from Kejriwal to Sharad Pawar, all of them have been in the news for wrong reasons. Here are five slaps and insults that have changed the history of India, and of the world. One can never know about how things would have turned up if the past was a bit different. Some of the interpretations below might seem a bit stretched. With history there is always an alternative narrative. But, who knows?

1. An Insult that created one of the largest Empires of India

It was 3rd century BC. Alexander’s army were creating havoc on the other side of Indus. In Magadha, on the bank of Ganges, was the heart of the mighty Nanda Dynasty. Their reputation was enough to break the confidence of Alexander’s brave men. Dhana Nanda was the king at that time. He wanted to recruit a learned brahmin to run his charity centre. A dark and shavy brahmin entered the king’s court to apply for the position. The court had nine seats lined up on either side of the throne. Eight of them were meant for the princes, and one for the most learned brahmin. Without asking for permission, the dirty looking brahmin promptly sat on the ninth throne. When the princes asked him to step down, the brahmin refused. He said that he was the most learned Brahmin in the kingdom. He was ready to debate and prove his skill. If he lost he would step down. An angry Dhana Nanda ordered his men to drag the ugly brahmin out of the court. The soldiers pulled him by the turf of his hair and threw him out. The Brahmin, named Chanakya, took an oath “I will not tie my tuft of hair until I uproot the whole Nanda dynasty and establish dharma in Magadha. Rulers like you have spoiled Bharat. The tuft of hair which you arrogantly pull now will be like a serpent which comes back to bite you.” It indeed came back to bite them. Chanakya groomed an young kid named Chandragupta, and together they would destroy the Nanda Dynasty. It would be the beginning of Mauryan Empire, and a new era in Indian history. This would also be the beginning of cultural exchange between Indians and Greeks, changing East and West forever.

CHANAKYA

2. An innocent slap resulted in the spread of Buddhism around the globe

Chandragupta ruled for 24 years before leaving his throne to his son, Bindusara. Bindusara consolidated the Maurya Empire and ruled for 28 years. His son Sumana was groomed as the future king. One day young Sumana slapped the baldhead of his father’s chief minister as a prank. That small mistake would change not only his destiny but also that of the world. Radhagupta, the angry chief minister, realised that a man who does not respect others would never be an able king. He allied with other ministers and turned them against Sumana and in favour of another son of the king named Ashoka. When Bindusara heard that Ashoka was conspiring to kill him and seize the throne, he sent him away from their capital Pataliputra to govern a faraway land in Ujjain. It was here that Ashoka fell in love with a merchant’s daughter named Devi. Devi was an adherent follower of Buddhism, and it is from her that Ashoka learned about the religion. Meanwhile, there was a rebellion among the Taxilans. A sick and unsuspecting Bindusara, on the advice of his chief minister, sent his able son Sumana to curb the rebel. The king’s health was deteriorating. Bindusara immediately sent the news to Sumana and requested him to return as fast as he could. Radhagupta’s men purposefully delayed the news. It was Ashoka who got the news early and was able to reach Pataliputra before his brother. The king died soon after, and Ashoka declared himself as the new king. On hearing about the treachery of his brother, Sumana marched with his army to get back his throne. It was Radhagupta’s turn to return the prank, and this time it was more lethal. An artificial elephant was created with an image of Ashoka riding on it. A hidden ditch was dug around it as a trap. On seeing Ashoka, Sumana attacked it will full force but fell into the ditch and was killed. Ashoka became the new king of Magadha. Ashoka made Buddhism his state religion and invested a lot of money and effort to promote it in and outside India. If not for Ashoka, Buddhism would have never spread to China and there would have been no necessity to popularise printing. If you take away that one little child’s play from history, and with it the entire history of Buddhism, the world would have been a lot different.

ASHOKA

3. Arrogance that overthrew the Mughals

At their peak Mughals were the most powerful rulers in the world. It was during the time of Aurangzeb (ruled from 1658 to 1707) that the rein reached its greatest extent. The powerful king had one small problem down south. The problem had a name - Shivaji. Shivaji, the Maratha King, was once called to Aurangzeb’s court with the promise of being given royal favours. Shivaji was persuaded by Jai Singh and was assured of protection. Shivaji came to the king’s court but felt insulted and went out of the court protesting. According to the Marathas the Mughals insulted Shivaji by treating him like a man of low status, while as per the Mughal authors Shivaji was rude to his king and misbehaved. The Rajput account mentions that people respected Shivaji, before he came to Aurangzeb’s court, for his bravery. But after the audacity he showed in the king’s court, people started praising his courage even more. Shivaji’s behaviour infuriated Aurangzeb, and he was persuaded by the nobles to imprison and probably kill Shivaji. Shivaji came to know of Aurangzeb’s intentions and managed to escape with his son, disguised as saints. Jai Singh might have helped him in the escape. After a lot of struggle and lucky escapes, Shivaji made it to Rajgad. Letting Shivaji escape was the biggest mistake the Mughals made. Aurangzeb remembered the mistake on his deathbed 50 years later. Shivaji’s coronation took place on 6 June 1674CE. He started printing his own coins, thus declaring independence from the Mughals. The Marathas would go on to replace the Mughals as the most powerful rulers of India.

SHIVAJI

4. A slap that created the Empire on which the Sun never Set

Decline of Mughal power adversely affected trade as roads became infested with thieves and pirates. Murshid Quli Khan, the Nawab of Bengal, declared himself independent from the Mughals. Murshid was born in a Brahmin family but was sold to a Persian nobleman. He lived his life in Persia before joining the Mughals in revenue department. Aurangzeb appointed him as the dewan of Bengal in 1700CE. After Aurangzeb’s death, he became the de facto ruler of Bengal. His liberal rule led to peace and prosperity. It was the beginning of independent Nawabs of Bengal. Young Siraj-ud-Daulah became the Nawab of Bengal in 1756CE. When he came to know about British ploy against him and fortification of Fort Williams, he attacked and seized Kolkata. Over five dozen captives were locked up in a cell meant for just six as a temporary arrangement. Unfortunately, they were kept there overnight due to miscommunication. Forty-three captives, including few British women, died inside the cell that has been named black hole. European media exaggerated the news and created a perfect opportunity to settle the matters. Robert Clive sailed from Chennai with his army to recapture Bengal. He first attacked and defeated the French who were supporting the Nawab in Chandernagar. The British then attacked Siraj in Plassey on the banks of Hooghly. Siraj lost the battle even before it began as few of his own men conspired against him. Siraj once slapped and imprisoned the wealthy banker Jagat Shet after he refused to give him a loan of 3 crore rupees. Jagat Shet was the most powerful banker of his time, and had a lot of political connections. East India Companies official historian Roben Orme described his as 'the greatest shroff (money changer) and banker' in the known world. Jagat refused to be one of Siraj’s oppressed subjects. Angry Jagat, along with Omichund and Mir Jafar, allied with Robert Clive. The betrayal made it an easy win for the British in what was supposed to be the most decisive battle in the history of the world. A slap once made Buddhism a dominant world religion. Another one helped British dominate the globe. Siraj managed to run away but was caught and murdered. British Empire might have never spread to Bengal and rest of the world if not for that slap.

MURSHID QULI KHAN

5. The insult that divided India

Jinnah was one of the brightest political leaders of India. He studied in a madrassa in Karachi and was trained as a barrister in Lincoln’s Inn. He was the youngest Indian to be called to the bar in England. Jinnah was working towards Hindu-Muslim unity and was part of the moderate faction of Congress. By the time Gandhi joined INC, the moderates had become weak and Jinnah was left alone. He joined All India Muslims League (AIML) to bridge the growing gap between the League and Congress. Jinnah did not like Gandhi’s over-religious approach to politics and the mass hysteria he created. To him, ‘politics is a gentleman’s game’. After his wife’s death, Jinnah settled in London with his daughter Dina. That would have been the end of his political carrier. When he heard from his friend that Jawaharlal said ‘Jinnah is finished’, he returned to politics and to India with vengeance. Jinnah and his party AIML started their campaign for partition. The new country would be called Pakistan, meaning the land of pure. It also had the initials of Punjab, Afghan, Kashmir, and Sindh. To achieve this objective, Jinnah brought himself close to the British government. Jinnah's revenge led to bloodbath during partition of India, the repercussions of which can be felt even today.

JINNAH

Do you know of any small events that have triggered big historical events? Comment below.

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

Author of 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

History of Indian Cuisines

2019-09-21T17:19:00.002+05:30

Did you know that Indians used to eat alligators (the references probably meant crocodiles) but not potatoes and tomatoes? How did so many of Indians turned vegetarians? Why was beef prohibited?

Hunters and Gatherers

Cave painting, Bhimbetka

India has a diverse culture, and not surprising, the food habit varies with it’s geography. Having a long history of assimilation of different cultures, Indian cuisines have also evolved over the years. Before the agricultural revolution people all around the world were hunters and gatherers. Hunting for meat was a common practice among Indian hunters and gatherers too, as evident from the pre-historic rock painting. Archaeological studies have shown that hunters and gatherers died more healthy than the bodies unearthed of the agricultural people. This is because the farmers diet was restricted to the grains they cultivated. Hunter and gatherers had a balanced diet from the meats, fishes, and the different fruits, nuts and vegetables they gathered. The native fruits of India includes mango,banana, orange, tamarind, jackfruits and Indian blackberry (also called jamun, from which Jambudeepa probably originated). Some Indian tribes, like those living in the islands of Andaman, have remained largely unchanged since the great coastal migration. They live in the forest and depend on hunting, fishing, and gathering. The tribals still use primitive bows, arrows, and spears to hunt. They love pig meat but hate to eat birds or deer. Honey is their favourite dessert. They hardly wear any clothes but are fascinated about their ornaments. The tribes of Andaman are yet to invent pottery and use hollowed wood as containers.

Farmers

As the earth got warmer, some of the hunters and gatherers turned to a quasi-sedentary agricultural lifestyle. Our ancestors tamed the wild and laid the foundation of our modern civilisation. This phase is known as the Neolithic revolution. The transition was not a sudden revolution that happened around 10,000 years ago. It was a gradual change occurring over thousands of years. Earliest evidence of agriculture comes from Ohalo II site in Middle East dating back to 23,000 years ago. Full-scale agriculture started much later, independently at different places around the world. Agriculture did not result in an immediate population growth as its benefits were offset by deaths due to malnutrition, disease and warfare. Evidence of early transition has been reported from north-central India. State Archaeological Department excavated a mound in Lahuradeva, Uttar Pradesh, in 2006. The mound was believed to belong to local goddess Samai Mai, who helped them with good harvest. The villagers were not far off. Excavation unearthed one of the earliest evidence of agriculture that started 9,000 years ago. Rice cultivation still dominates this part of India. Evidence of early agriculture has also been found from Mehrgarh where it started independently. The early tillers practiced shifting-agriculture. It is still practiced by some tribes of Northeastern India, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh. The local vegetables includes karela, cabbage, egg plant, okra, pigeon pea, cooking banana, onion, etc. Along with agriculture, they started domesticating livestock. The first evidence of domestication is found from the Middle East dated as 11,000 years old. It probably started in India during similar times. At that time India’s population was estimated to be around 100,000 people. Sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs were common animals that were domesticated. The quasi-sedentary lifestyle gave people ample time for art and craft. Art and craft led to trading, and the money from trading helped in the growth of Harappan Civilisation.

Early City Dwellers

Harappan Canal used for Irrigation

The roots of the civilisation was planted 8000-9000 years ago. The big cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-daro emerged around 4600 years ago. Burials of Harappan site contains personal jewelleries made of beads and shells and pottery containing food for afterlife. The food found in the burial sites gave indications of what these people ate. Wheat and barley were staple diet and different types of bread were made from wheat. At least four varieties of wheat have been found from Harappan sites. Pulses like chickpea, masur, mung and horse gram were also important as foods. Recent studies (1, 2) indicate that rice cultivation began during Harappan Civilisation far earlier than previously thought. They used ‘multi-cropping strategies across both seasons, growing foods during summer (rice, millets and beans) and winter (wheat, barley and pulses), which required different watering regimes’. The grains were stored in large granaries. From the huge quantities of bone one can estimate that beef, buffalo, mutton, turtles, tortoises, gharials and fishes were common in their diet. The people of Harappan Civilisation might have been the first ones to enjoy the delicious kebabs and tandoori dishes as evident from the tandoor ovens in their homes.

According to a paper published by Dr. Anindya Sarkar in Nature in 2016, the Harappan civilisation continued to flourish even after the decline of monsoons around 7,000 years ago. The crop patterns shifted from large grained cereals like wheat and barley to drought-resistant small millets and rice. The later crops has lower yield and thus in the later stages of Harappan Civilisation the large central storages were replaced by individual household based crop processing and storage system. According to Dr. Sarkar, this might have resulted in gradual de-urbanization rather than a collapse. As the cities started to get decentralized, the western sites were abandoned, and the population started to move towards east. The people of Indus had to interact with those living in Ganges plain, incorporating their culture, pottery, and language. After a bold experiment with urbane lifestyle they turned back to more stable agriculture. They diffused with the rest of India, but their journey continued.

Vedic Era

According to the latest genetic study there has been an influx of people from Pontic Steppe after the decline of Harappan cities. The new guest mixed with the locals and started a new Vedic culture that was agricultural, pastoral and philosophical. Vedas are ancient Indian scriptures that were probably conceived 3000-3500 years ago. Salt was rare and expensive. Spices were also limited to mustard, sour citrus, turmeric and long pepper. Along with the regular rice, wheat, vegetables and dairy products mentioned earlier, meat was a common food. Rice was mostly boiled, while sometimes they were fried as well. Ghee and vegetable oils were used to fry the food. Vegetable oils were made of sesame, mustard, safflower etc. Animal fats from fish, pig, alligator, bear and ass were also used. The texts mention more than 250 animals, of which 50 were fit for sacrifice. Meats of various animals like cattle, sheep, swine, deer, fowl and tortoise were sold in the market. Birds and fishes were also common. Epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata depicts the life of Kshatriyas who consumed rice with meat. Sita’s favourite dish was rice with deer meat, vegetables and spices. During Dasharatha’s yajna to beget sons many dishes of meat, like mutton, pork, peacock, and chicken, were served. The Pandavas ate meat and rice while in Kaniyaka forest. Charaka, a principal contributors to Ayurveda of 3rd century BCE, considered meat as nourishing. He recommended deer, goat, hare, rohita fish, tortoise, parrot, quail, partridge, peacock and even alligator. Sushrutha, Indian Physician of 7th century BCE describes beef as pavitra (pure). Even Maharishi Yagyavilkya is said to have enjoyed tender beef. However, like with most things about India, there is no one law that fits all. Some sections of Vedas specifically opposed killing and consumption of cows as they give birth to new life. Even killing of all forms of life have sometimes been discouraged as all forms of life has soul.

Buddhist Era

Sanchi Stupa by Ashoka

Jains and Buddhists have left a strong influence on Indian food habit, especially in North India. While rice, wheat, pulses and dairy products were still a staple food there was more variety in the spices like ginger, cumin, cloves, a sour myrobalan, and vinegar. Some of the spices, like black pepper, arrived from South East Asia. The Greek influence that started during Alexander’s time, also left its influence on Indian food, and vice versa. That is a reason why there is a lot of similarity between the two cuisines. Olive, lemon, zucchini spices, garlic and other herbs such as oregano, basil, mint, fennel and thyme common in our food are some of the influence left over by them. Coming of Sakas and Kushans from Iran also had it’s impact. Most of these new rulers turned to Buddhism. Buddhist principal of non-violence has led to decrease in meat consumption in India. Buddha opposed ritual sacrifices, but was not against occasional meat eating if the animal was unintentionally killed. Vegetarianism became common in Ashoka’s time (3rd century BCE), as he made Buddhism his state religion. Ashoka wrote in his edicts that no living being must be slaughtered for sacrifice or festivals. Cooking of meat that was common in the royal kitchens was also almost stopped during his rule. While most of Indians still consumed meat and fish, the Buddhists and Brahmins became strict non-vegetarian. Sacrifice of cows and eating beef became prohibited during Gupta Period (4th-6th century). Later, during Shankaracharya and Ramanuja’s (8th century) time animal sacrifices were replaced with sacrifice of vegetables and animals made of flour. According to 11th century Iranian scholar Al-Biruni, cow was an animal that was used for travelling, carrying loads, in agriculture, for milk and dairy products, and even the dung was used as fuel and manure. he thought that economic reason led to prohibition of cow meat consumption. Because of its usefulness, cow was also considered holy.

Islamic Era

Islamic conquests left a drastic influence on Indian cuisine. Eating pork became less common as it was prohibited in Koran, and thus discouraged by the Muslim kings. Non-vegetarian diet got restricted mostly to mutton, chicken and fish, while Kshatriyas still hunted wild animals like deer. The Arab traders brought coffee, hing (asafoetida) and pista to India. Timurid Dynasty enriched our food with relishes like meats with cream and butter sauces, dates, nuts, and sweets. The Slave dynasty was followed by the Mughal rule. Almonds, biriyanis and pullao, samosas, baked breads, cream, rose water and kababs was added to India’s already diverse menu list.

New World Influence

The cuisine of India and the world changed after Columbus set foot in South America and Vasco da Gama reaching India six years later. Before then Mayan and Inca Civilisations were like in a different planet. Their language, culture and food habit was different from the rest of the world. A lot of things that are very common in Indian kitchen today were missing from the kitchens few centuries ago. It is difficult to believe that papaya (Central America) guava (Peru) chilli (from Chile), potato (Bolivia Peru), tomato (Mexico, Peru) and maze (Mexico) were amongst the things that were missing. They all came to India from Latin America because of the slave trade. Our cuisine was enriched through the blood and sweat of the slaves working for the profit of European companies. Even paneer might have been a later Portuguise-Bengali invention. While some historians have provided evidence of Paneer in ancient text, others have considered the evidence as not sufficient. According to some historians, acidulation of milk was a taboo among Hindus, and only later in Bengal was it introduced by the Portuguese.

Variety is the Spice of Life

India is a melting pot of different cultures. Earliest migrations happened ~60,000 years ago from Africa. New set of hunters and gatherers arrived 12,000 years ago from Iran. Later, pastoral people from Pontic Steppe came. Alexander was the first western king to have crossed the Indus. After the decline of Mauryan Empire, the Indo-Greeks invaded the western part of India. The Indo-Greek rule was followed by a series of invasions by the Indo-Scythians, Indo-Kushans, Huns, Turks, Afghans, Mughuls and finally the Europeans. They all left their mark on Indian cuisine. When we enjoy the samosa, we must not forget that the concept of samosa was brought to India by the Mughuls, and the potatoes (along with chilies and tomatoes) stuffed inside it by the Europeans from Peru, and some of the spices that make it so yummy came from Southeast Asia. Variety is the spice of life, and we would have missed the spice without all the intermixing. The vibrant colorful India is a legacy of that diversity. We can either choose to remember the bitter fractions of our past and fight or celebrate the uniqueness of our non-uniqueness. Our great diversity gives us this magnificent opportunity to show the world how to live together in peace and harmony.

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Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

Author of 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Rakhigarhi Woman and the Peopling of India

2019-09-10T22:43:00.001+05:30

The genetic study done on Rakhgarhi fossil is finally out. The link for the two new papers are given below:

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/365/6457/eaat7487.full

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(19)30967-5

To summarise....here is the latest story on peopling of India (considering that the major chunk of this interpretation comes from a single lady in a possible multicultural city)... lets try to fit this puzzle piece by piece...

Puzzle 1 BEFORE THE ERUPTION: 

There may have been pre-Toba migration into India, but that has not left behing any significant genetic imprint.

Professor Korisettar would think otherwise. Similar stone tools have been unearthed by him below and above the Toba ash from few places in southern India like Jwalapuram. Middle Palaeolithic tools of 77,000 years old were excavated from below the Toba ash and of 35,000 years old above it. Without fossils there is no way to say they are Homo sapiens. Even if there was an older migration of Homo sapiens from Africa, and even if a lucky few survived the Toba eruption, they did not survive for long as our deadly ancestors were on their way.

Puzzle 2 AFTER THE ERUPTION:

Soon after the Toba catastrophe, the first notable flush of migration took place from Africa. It was called the Great Coastal Migration. This group of people started from East Africa and probably crossed the Bab el-Mandeb, a narrow strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. Then they rapidly migrated along the coast of Indian Ocean to reach south-eastern Asia. This process of migration is not a single journey, but a collection of short expansion from one place to another over generations that took thousands of years. 

One of the reasons they stayed close to the coast is the harsh cold climate inland during the ice age. Whenever the climate warmed up these people moved inland following the rivers like Indus. This more sophisticated group of Homo sapiens replaced the ‘original Indians’. Some of the more adventurous migrants took the sub-Himalayan route, while rest kept following the coast.  Few of the decedents of this new group of ‘Indians’ (will call them ‘early Indians’, distinct from the ‘original Indians’) then moved towards Southeast Asia and Australia.

Study of genetic data from Indian population reveals that modern Indians share 70 to 90 percent of their mtDNA halogroup with the ‘early Indians’. mtDNA comes from mitochondria, which we get from our mother, and hence it traces the path of the female lineage as males do not transfer the DNA of their mitochondria to their kin (apart from very rare cases). Similarly, the Y-chromosome is transferred from father to son, and traces the male lineage. Interestingly, only 10 to 40 percent of Y-chromosome halogroup comes from the ‘early Indians’.  The tribes of Andaman are closest living people belonging to this group. The contribution of the later migrations to our gene pool is mostly from the males. 

 Puzzle 3 BEFORE HARAPPA

The last Glacial Age lasted from 29,000 years ago to around 14,000 years ago. The dry coldness of the ice age that had forced humanity into the caves for thousands of years was melting. Out of the caves, into the land, human beings warmed up to new challenges.  the earth got warmer, some of the hunters and gatherers turned to a quasi-sedentary agricultural lifestyle. Our ancestors tamed the wild and laid the foundation of our modern civilisation. This phase is known as the Neolithic revolution. 

According to the new studies there was a 'second' (there must have been many such phases over such long time that might not have recognisable genetic imprint at the moment)  phase of migration in Western India of Iranian hunters and gatherers around 12000 years ago. This is before agriculture was invented in the fertile crescent. They mixed with the locals, probably invented agriculture independently, and then went on the built the Harappan civilisation.

Evidence of early transition to agriculture has been reported from north-central India. State Archaeological Department excavated a mound in Lahuradeva, Uttar Pradesh, in 2006. The mound was believed to belong to local goddess Samai Mai, who helped them with good harvest. The villagers were not far off. Excavation unearthed one of the earliest evidence of agriculture that started 9,000 years ago. Rice cultivation still dominates this part of India. Evidence of early agriculture has also been found from Mehrgarh where it started independently. The early tillers practiced shifting-agriculture. It is still practiced by some tribes of Northeastern India, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh.

 After the decline of Harappan Civilisation these group moved east and south and mixed with the indigenous people and forming the Ancestral South Indian group, or ASI...

Puzzle 4 AFTER HARAPPA

No civilisation can grow forever. Every civilisation has its weak points. Harappan Civilisation had many, especially the over dependence on monsoon and trading. The seed of the civilisation that was planted 9000 years ago in places like Mehrgarh, Bhirrana and Rakhigarhi have finally reached a saturation point. With the predictable monsoons becoming unpredictable, and the fall of key trading partner Mesopotamia, the weak points were giving away due to the burden of rapid urbanisation and growing population. The experiment with civilisation cannot be considered a failure as it survived for thousands of years. The Early Harappan civilisation lasted from 7500 to 4600 years before present. The peak of the civilisation was between 4600 to 3900 years ago. The record of the Mature Harappan phase can be found in the fortified cities of Kalibangan, Banawali and Rahman Dheri. The late Harappan phase lasted from 3900 to 3300 years before present. The rivers were drying up and the main trade partner Mesopotamia went into decline post Sargonic conquests. The demand for beads and shells collapsed rapidly. In Chanhu-Daro (Sindh, Pakistan), a Late Harappan site, hundreds of abandoned semi-finished long-barrel carnelian beads were unearthed. These once precious items, that were the primary drive for the local economy, have suddenly lost their worth. In Mohenjo-Daro a skeleton has been found in a street, called as Deadman Lane by archaeologists. There are many sites that have been completely abandoned. These are signs of stress in the late Harappan society indicating collapse of civil order. 

According to a paper published by Dr. Anindya Sarkar in Nature in 2016, the Harappan civilisation continued to flourish even after the decline of monsoons around 7,000 years ago. The crop patterns shifted from large grained cereals like wheat and barley to drought-resistant small millets and rice. The later crops has lower yield and thus in the later stages of Harappan Civilisation the large central storages were replaced by individual household based crop processing and storage system. According to Dr. Sarkar, this might have resulted in gradual de-urbanization rather than a collapse. As the cities started to get decentralized, the western sites were abandoned, and the population started to move towards east. The people of Indus had to interact with those living in Ganges plain, incorporating their culture, pottery, and language. After a bold experiment with urbane lifestyle they turned back to more stable agriculture. They diffused with the rest of India, but their journey continued.

4000-year-old Harappan Civilisation woman did not have a particular DNA called R1a1. What is so special about this gene? This gene is common in ANI population, who received it from the pastoralists of the Central Asian Pontic steppe region, the grasslands located between the Black Sea and the Caspian. ANI is dominant in the modern North Indians. This would mean that there was another phase of migration from Iran into India after the decline of Harappan Civilisation. 

Puzzle 5 MUNDA MYSTERY

This piece is related to the Austro-Asiatic group. The people speaking Austro-Asiatic language are found in both India and South-East Asia. What is the connection between the Indians and South-East Asians? Around 117 million speak Austro-Asiatic tongue. In India they live in Andaman-Nicobar, Chota-Nagpur (Munda) and North East India. This language is distinctly different from the more commonly spoken Indo-Aryan or Dravidian language. Austro-Asiatic group is genetically identified from the Y-chromosome lineage (for example O2a1-M95 if you are really interested) found on both sides of the Bay of Bengal. There are two way of explaining this distribution. Either the group originated in India and then spread towards South-East Asia and Australia. Or, alternatively, the group originated in South-East Asia around 20-40,000 years ago, within the population of people who went there during the Great Coastal migration. There was a later backflow of this group into India around 10,000 years ago, just after the Last Glacial Maximum. Some studies suggest a later migration around 4,000 years ago. Whichever story one likes to believe in, it is certain that there is an intimate relationship between the Indians and South-East Asians, a connection that will last well into the modern era.

Puzzle 6 MODERN INDIANS

Modern Indian population is a mixture of ANI and ASI, though ANI is still dominant in North and ASI in South. We are made of all those migration events, and can hardly claim to be pure race....like no one else in the world. The free mixing, however, did not last long. Caste system became rigid around 2100 years ago and people stopped mixing freely....This corresponds to the time of Saka invasion, later followed by Kushans...

There have been migration into India of different groups of people from the West, and also from the East. Whether Aryan language was brought into India, or spread from India can be debated, but not the diversity in our genetic pool. I am sure there must have been mixing of different cultures that resulted in rise of ancient India and its achievements. India assimilated the knowledge of the migrants at different phases and in turn contributed to the global knowledge. We can see the exchange of ideas in the similarity between Indian and Iranian mythologies. Indian Asura was Ahura for the Iranians. The enemy of Vedic people was the god of the Zoroastrians of Iran. Interestingly, Daevas, which sounds like Devas, are the enemies of Zoroastrians. Daevas originally meant the shining ones. Later, Daevas became younger gods or wrong gods. The English word devil has its root in the word Daevas. The cultural exchanges and migrations have made the sub-continent a melting pot of different genetic pools leading to the colourful diversity of India, something we must proudly celebrate.

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

Author of 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

EAT YOUR MEAT: NO REGRET

2019-09-09T22:43:00.002+05:30

We are born naked, wet and crying… and then things start getting worse. But, no one said that life is fair. On second thoughts, life has a weird sense of humour. It is equally unfair to everybody. Which kind of makes it fair. So, when a lion hunts and kills to stay alive, it is kind of fair if not lovely. What is however unfair is to call a lion aggressive because it ate a scared dear. Lions are aggressive not because of what they eat, but because of evolution. The genes that care for the life of a deer went extinct out of hunger. But the amazing thing is that, they are actually very peaceful, much more than some of the herbivores.

If you think elephants are peaceful, you have never seen a wild elephant in a jungle, or an angry rhino. Can you guess how many Indians were killed by tiger in the last 5 years? Around 200. How many did elephants kill? 1713! Do you know which animal is the most lethal killer? Hippo kills more than lions, leopards and crocodiles every year in Africa. It is a myth that eating meat makes you more aggressive.

One might argue that humans are different from animals. To prove that, different experiments have been done globally. They proved that the likelihood of consuming meat resulting in aggressive behaviour is same as the chance of getting raped because you are wearing a mini-skirt. There are people who think both of them are true…. however, truth is that there is no correlation. What some of the researches did find however is that short temper is associated with deficiencies of omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium, zinc and Vitamin B12. Some of these deficiencies are actually linked to vegan diet.

I have no intention to turn everyone into a meat eater. There is nothing wrong in becoming a vegetarian as long as you take care of your deficiencies. Agricultural revolution is the root cause of our food deficiencies, and the related disease. Archaeological studies have shown that hunters and gatherers died more healthy than the bodies unearthed of the agricultural people. This is because the farmers diet was restricted to the crops they grew. Hunter and gatherers had a balanced diet from the meats, fishes, and the different fruits, nuts and vegetables they gathered. Paleo-diet might be the best diet for our body.

A strong argument in favour of vegetarianism is the brutal killing of animals. The argument has some validity. Animals have feelings and plant don’t is however just excuse. Who are we to say that plants do not deserve a moral standing? Jagadish Chandra Bose showed that plants are sentient beings. They do not like being eaten. They do get scared, they scream and warn their neighbours when a giraffe starts eating them part by part. To defend themselves they become poisonous. They even warn their friends, who turn poisonous too. The fruits are not meant to attract you, but it contains food for their children. That is why some fruits are poisonous. Plants do not have nervous system like we do, nor does it have the neurons to think like we do. That does not mean that they do not think. They think the way they do. Plants have their own ‘nervous system’ that is a complex network of excitable tissues carrying electrical signals. The bioelectrical field might be a primary source of learning and memory. Yes, plants know what you did last summer. They can even see, hear, smell and respond. What do we do to these sentiment beings after harvest? We chop them, cut them into pieces, and burn them. And we do not feel a thing for these poor creatures just because they are different. We have genetically modified them so much that they have become unhealthy, just like the chickens in the farm. We have made them fat, just to have more of them. The domesticated plants cannot even reproduce by themselves naturally. Their inability to run away or scream is not an invitation to have them for dinner. Our morality is misplaced. Morality is just a cultural construct. It varies from culture to culture. Just because two opinions have different concepts of morality, it does not make one of them right.

The only reasonable argument in favour of eating vegetables is environment. The amount of water and farmland used to maintain a livestock leaves behind a large carbon foot print. Cows and pigs are the most environment unfriendly. It will help the environment if we reduce consumption of red meat. It will help the environment if we manage the amount of fishing and maintain balance. It would help if we feed chickens their normal food that contains proteinaceous insects rather than grains. It would be more kind if we stop painful slaughter of animals. But going vegan is not going to save the world, but only delay the calamity. Food habit is not the core problem, it is the growing population. We have bred worse than rabbits. It is that habit which needs change. Going vegan and having a lot of children to increase the future food consumption is not going to help.

If you are a vegetarian it might be difficult to accept that, you might even get pissed off. I know that feeling since i got pissed off when I was lectured on why vegetarian diet is heather and morally better. There are two things most people don’t like: number one is to change, and number two is the way things are. Most of the time we do not like to change the way our own group behave, and we hate the way things are with other groups. American psychologist Joshua Greene calls this behaviour the Tragedy of Common Sense Morality. It is easier to care for people who are similar to us, rather than those who are different. Contrary to the popular belief, experiments have shown that it is our emotions, rather than reasoning, that drives our moral judgment. With respect to most controversies, we have already made up our opinion, and only use reasoning to backup our claim, rather than rejecting it. Such ‘confirmatory’ reasoning makes us fall for propaganda, be it in favour of vegetarianism, or against it. There are studies that show plant based diet can be good for health, like prevent cancer. Then there are studies that show otherwise. We prefer to believe the study that only fits our prejudice. Tragedy of Common Sense Morality results in heated debates in the modern polarised world. Conservatism vs Liberals argument has spread like a viral from west into India. Lets not spread the virus of food habit debate here too. Be it veggies, be it meat…eat what you want to eat. Be it veggies, be it meat…eat what you want to eat.

P.S. This article was written after I was lectured on why Vegan diet is good, based on pseudoscience logic. I have nothing against any particular form of diet. Its a personal choice.

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

Author of 5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

The 'Prince' who Slapped the British Officer

2019-09-02T22:38:00.003+05:30

It was a regular day at Government College of Art & Craft of Kolkata on the morning of 8th December 1930. There were over 11,000 students in the college, majority of whom came not from Kolkata but from other parts of the Presidency, especially East Bengal. 16 year old Barindra Chandra Nag, a talented art enthusiast, came to Kolkata from Dhaka to study in the arts college. He was staying at his uncles house. Mukul Chandra Dey was the principal of Government College of Art & Craft of Kolkata at that time. Under his influence Indian identity was established in the arts taught in the college, which was otherwise British controlled. At a time when nationalism was spreading like wildfire, an arts college could not be left behind. The rising sentiments against colonialism often created minor friction between the Indian students and the British Officers. On the fateful day of 8th December a British officer insulted seven young students inside the campus of Government College of Art & Craft of Kolkata. Barindra Chandra Nag, my maternal grandfather, was one of them. In the heat of the moment, he and his friends gave a tight slap on the white face of the arrogant officer. As he turned red out of embarrassment and pain, he instructed his men to catch the rebels. All seven of them ran in different directions, but not before deciding to meet soon at the Howrah Station.

It was the same day when three men, Benoy, Badal and Dinesh Chandra Gupta, decided to take matters in their own hands. ‘Operation Freedom’ was launched in the same year to protest against the police repression in different Bengali jails. The three young men were after the brutal oppressor Col N S Simpson. The attacked was planned at the heart of Kolkata in Writer’s building. Dressed in European attire, they came out from the shadows and fired at the police officers. Simpson was shot seven times, three of which hit his head. The trio escaped to the second floor, but was soon surrounded by the police officers. It was a short bloody fight in which the three managed to injure many British officers. As they were running out of bullets they decided to commit suicide. Badal died on the spot, Benoy died in the hospital, and the lone survivor Dinesh was hanged on 7th July the next year.

As the police were busy in Writers Building, my grandfather and his friends quietly gathered at Howrah Station and hopped into the first they got hold of. They had no money with them, but after some persuasion they managed to get tickets in return of their wrist watches. Only after they got hold of the tickets did they realise that they were headed towards Chennai, where their life was going to take a new turn. Their names were already rusticated from Government College of Art & Craft of Kolkata. It was difficult to get admission again. Once the dust of settled down, they went to Shantiniketan to meet their Principal Mukul Dey. But Mukul Dey refused to enrol them back. Disappointed they returned to Chennai, hoping to get enrolled in the Madras School of Arts and Crafts. Debi Prasad Roy Choudhuri, a famous sculptor and painter, was the principal the college. Thanks to him Barindra Chandra Nag got another opportunity to chase his dream of becoming an artist. While not actively involved in revolutionary activities, he was never quite out of it. Once while returning back to Kolkata he was arrested by the police. They mistook him for his elder brother Prafulla Chandra Nag. Prafulla Chandra Nag was an active arms revolutionary, and was wanted by the police. The looks of the two brothers were more similar than their names. It took a lot of convincing and involvement of his mother to get him out.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose took Chennai by storm on 3rd September 1939. Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar had invited Netaji to Chennai. Thevar was a colleague and supporter of Netaji from their Congress days, and now a leader of All India Forward Block. When Netaji addressed the public, over a thousand people gathered to listen to the ‘Lion of Bengal’. Within a short time my grandfather became popular in his new college in Chennai. Because of his white complexion his friends gave him the nickname of ‘Prince’. Prince was assigned the duty to paint a welcome poster for Netajiby the Bengali community. At the bottom of the poster was written a word that caught Netaji’s eye. It said ‘Probashi’, meaning ‘emigrants’ since they came from Bengal to Chennai. Netaji called my grandfather, patted his back for the lovely poster, and then politely requested him to replace the word ‘Probashi’ with ‘Bharatbashi’, or Indian. At that very moment Prince realised what Netaji was trying to do. He was trying to unite the whole of India by erasing the regional boundaries. That was his secret magic to free his motherland. The Prince, who once slapped a British officer and escaped, died a free man. He was not alone. There are so many small incidences of revolutions, threats and slaps on the white faces that made the British Government scared to stay in India any longer. They all contributed their little bit to make India free. The secret magic of Netaji was working.

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P.S. I GOT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS BIT OF OUR FAMILY HISTORY FROM MY MOTHER

In the Land of Pharaohs

2019-07-06T15:38:00.000+05:30

Two things comes to your mind when you think of Egypt: Pyramid – the wonder of the ancient world, and the blue river along whose bank a great civilization flourished.

According to Arab legend when God created nations it gifted it with counterbalanced qualities. Syrians received intelligence with fatuousness, Iraqis got pride for hypocrisy, and Arabs had good health in return for hardship. To Egypt he gave abundance at the cost of humility. Cleopatra VII Philopator (51 BC – 30 BC), the beautiful and charming queen of the mighty Egyptian Empire, was anything but. That would turn out to be her Achilles heel. Cleopatra managed to keep her empire together despite troubles from different quarters by forging powerful alliances through love, lust and war. It took an empire mightier than her to eventually trounce her. With the victory of Rome, the great empire came to an abrupt end. There are rumors that before Cleopatra committed suicide she unsuccessfully tried to help her son Caesarion to escape to India. On virtue of being amongst the oldest civilizations on earth, India and Egypt share an ancient connection. The Indian king Ashoka the Great mentions about Egyptian King Ptolemy-II in his edict. While Mahatma Gandhi and Saad Zaghloul shared the common vision of gaining independence from British Imperialism, Abdel Nasser and Jawaharlal Nehru shared the vision of Non-Alignment Movement to keep powerful nations at bay. With such a close-knit connection between the two nations, it was no wonder that Egypt was at the top of my bucket list.

Egypt is not known as a safe place for tourists, especially after terrorists slaughtered few tourists decades ago. Terrorism still exists, and there was an attack in a church couple of weeks before our travel. However, all these attacks are in no-go zones, away from the tourist places. There is heavy military security, which makes the tourist spots as unsafe as New York, London or New Delhi. The presence of militaries with machine guns might feel intimidating at times. I had a good friend and ex-colleague who live in Cairo with his wife and daughter. He assured us that there are no security issues in the places we plan to go. I trusted him. Thank Amun, I did! Egypt has always been one of my dream destinations, and I exultantly landed in Cairo International Airport on the winter of 2017 with my wife and six year old daughter. My daughter has already read about Pyramids, Pharos, and mummies. She was excited to be able to finally meet them. As we drove from the airport to our hotel through the bustling city and maniac street with the sound of the constant honking mixed with Azan reverberating in our ears, I felt the ancient connection at once. With a population of around 1.95 crores, this chaotic city is no different from Delhi. There was a mixture of ancient and modern architectures all round. As you drive through the downtown you will find plenty of brick walled houses that have not been painted, as these unfinished houses do not need to pay taxes. Just like Delhi, there were cars that did not follow lanes, and people who did not care about zebra crossing. The only difference between Cairo and Delhi was that there were donkeys on the road instead of cows. We reached Steigenberger Hotel in the evening and settled down for the night.

The next day was a big day as the oldest and the only remaining Seven Wonders of the Ancient World awaited us. Before boarding our car I went to the nearby back to exchange our currency and get Egyptian pound. US dollars are in high demand in Egypt, and go to the bank to get good rates. Our guide was waiting for us in the car. I would recommend taking a guide, without whom you would be lost amidst the giant piles of stone protruding out of the vast desert. There is also another advantage of taking a guide. He will save you from the unwanted attention of the local hawkers and camel drivers. Be careful about not letting anyone click your photo. They might charge you for it. The guide, however, would know the best photogenic spots.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of the three pyramids, and is also known as the Pyramid of Khufu after it’s creator Pharaoh Khufu (2589-2576 BC). The first thing that strikes you is the size and the age. It’s bigger than you thought. How on earth could a group of people build a 146.5m tall pyramid almost 5000 years ago? It took around 20,000 skilled labors, working for over 20 years, to put together 2.3 million blocks of stone to build what was then the tallest man-made structure anywhere on earth. No one could build anything taller for the next 3,800 years. The second most famous pyramid is the pyramid of Khefre built by Khufu’s son (2576-2552 BC). As you wander through the marvelous piece of architecture in the land of abundance, you wonder why. Why did someone attempt to build something like this?

All pyramids are built on the west bank of river Nile at the site of setting sun, which has been associated with the realm of the dead. It is possible that the ancient Egyptians believed that the pointed shape of the pyramid helped launch the soul of deceased pharaoh directly into the abode of Gods. There is a common myth that there are mummies inside the pyramids. The pyramids are part of the Ancient Kingdom (2686–2181 BC) when the process of mummification was not yet invented. There are plenty of archaeological remains in Giza to take your entire day. Some of those worth mentioning are Pyramids of Queen, Pyramid of Menkaure, boat pit, tombs, temples and the solar boat museum. You can also enter the Great Pyramid, for which you need to buy tickets from the ticket office. Do get your ticket early as it is only restricted to few hundred people a day. One thing you cannot miss once you are in Giza is the Great Sphinx. Sphinxes are mythical creatures having body of a lion and head of a human. This particular one is said to have the face of Pharaoh Khafre, the king who ordered to build it with lots of pride. The Mamluks later destroyed the pride when they invaded. After having lunch in Giza with the view of the pyramids, we went to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It has breathtaking collection of Pharaonic antiquities, from statues, jewelries to even mummies. You are not allowed to take photographs in the special chamber where the mummies are displayed. One of the popular attractions here was the grand exhibition of the collection from Tutakhnamun’s tomb. These are now being shifted to the Grand Egyptian Museum that is planned to open in 2020.

Day three was the last day of 2017, which we kept for city tour. First we visited the Citadel of Cairo where you will also get to see the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali. The view of Cairo from the citadel is spectacular. Far away in the horizon you can see the pyramids peeping out behind the busy Cairo city.

Our next stop was Coptic Cairo, part of old Cairo, which encompasses the Babylon Fortress, Coptic Museum, the Hanging Church, The Greek church of St. George and many other Coptic churches. It is believed that the Holy Family stayed this area with Baby Jesus.

We spend the New Year’s eve with the family of our Egyptian friends in the lively El Moez Street with busy markets on either side. This is a good place to buy souvenirs if you can bargain. The special day called for a special dinner. Our friends took us to the Koshary Abou Tarek Restaurant, which served authentic Egyptian cuisines. Koshary is a must try if you visit this restaurant. Other local foods that are must try are hawawshi, fatteh, sayadeya and besarah.

At the first sunrise of 2018 we flew from Cairo to Aswan for a three-night cruise on River Nile. Herodotus said that Egypt was the gift of Nile. Without the river, there would be no Egypt. She drains almost 10% of the African continent. Nile, the longest river in the world, has influenced the culture of Egyptians. In fact, it created it. The Egyptian calendar is based on the three cycles of Nile. Each cycle, named Akhet, Paret and Shemu, consists of four months of 30 days each. Akhet is the flooding season, Paret is growing season and Shemu is the dry harvest season.

We took lunch in our motor ship and then went for the felucca ride. It started as a relaxing ride passing by the botanical gardens and mausoleum of Aga Khan. There were boats of all shapes and sizes around us plying their business of fishing, transporting goods, ferrying locals, and luxury cruises. Our way back was against the strong wind the sailor maneuvered the felucca like a pendulum by tilting it to almost ninety degrees. As the boat swung left, we hurried with our hearts in our mouth towards the right, and then back towards the left when it swung the other way. Only later did we realize that he was having some fun with us innocent tourists, trying to paint some unforgettable memories that I still relish to this day. We returned to our cruise ship in the evening to sail for Kom Ombo.

The blue river takes a sharp bend around which the ancient city of Ombos sprang to life. The turn made it an important trading hub. Kom Ombo (180-47 BE) is a rare double temple dedicated to two sets of god. The south is dedicated to crocodile god Sobek, the god of fertility and creator of the world. The falcon god Haroeris had the north. Along the sandy beaches of Kom Ombo the crocodiles once used to sun themselves. Numerous crocodile mummies have unearthed from around the temple, which are now displayed in the crocodile museum of the temple.

After Kom Ombo we returned to our cruise ship to sail towards Edfu. But our luck ran out and the ship in front of us got stuck in the silt. It took hours for the rescue boats to dig it out of trouble. By the time the ship ot out, it was too late. We sailed overnight for Luxor. We were enchanted by the view of Nile at night as the full moon showered her light upon it. That night the river turned into a magical world. Through our big glass window we could see the glittering waters of Nile, at the bank of which were the forts and palaces lit up as if the kings and queens were still celebrating the commencement of a new year.

It was day six when we visited the Valley of the Kings. This is the sacred valley where the mummified pharaohs of New Kingdom were secretly buried. 63 such tombs have been excavated so far. To enter the tombs one needs to get the ticket from the visitor center near the entrance. The ticket covers any four tombs. Most of the tombs are same. There are extra charges for the special tombs, like Tutankhamun. In fact, Tutankhamun’s burial chamber is one of the least impressive. It became popular because the archaeologists found it before the robbers did and thus got hold of the complete artifacts, which you would see in the museum anyway. The entrances to the tombs are painted with colorful texts and illustrations from Book of the Dead. The beautiful paintings have mesmerized the onlookers for thousands of years. Other places in the world might claim to have produced beautiful paintings, but none cam claim to be this old. The book describes the Pharoah’s last journey through the 2 gates of the 12 hours of the night, plagued by nasty beings like serpents and crocodiles. Finally he arrives at the court of Osiris for confession. This it the nervous moment for the pharaoh as his heart is weighted for truthfulness and purity, as the dreadful monster awaits eagerly for the dead to fail the test. If he passes the test he would evade the torments of hell and get his ticket to heaven. Some of the most significant tombs are of Rameses IV, Ramesses III, Ramesses IX. Not far away are the valley of nobles and queens.

Our next stop was the Hatshepsut temple. This temple was very different from what we saw so far. The temple, with the rectangular pillars, looks very modern. This semi-circular temple is surrounded by mountains and is partially cut into the rocks. This first of its kind mortuary temple is dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut (1507-1458 BC), the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. She is often called the first known great woman in history of the world. She married her half brother, and after his death she claimed the throne. The walls are painted with the stories from her life, including her divine birth. Unfortunately, there was a deliberate attempt of erasing her records later by pharaoh Amenhotep II. Many of her statues were defaced.

Not far from the temple is the imposing Colossi of Memnon, the massive twin statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. From there we went to see the Temple of Rameses III. This grand temple was added to our itinerary as a compensation for missing the Edfu temple. I was told that this one is better than Edfu. This temple is important not only for the grand size and the beautiful paintings, but also for the history of rise and fall of Sea People that are depicted in the inscribed relicts.

After lunch we went to the gripping Karnak Temple (2055BC-100AD). It’s original name Ipet-Sut means ‘The most esteemed of Places’, and quite rightly so. The two rows of ram headed sphinxes on either side welcome you as you enter the temple complex.

Karnak is one of the longest active temple, and also one of the largest. It is dedicated to Amun, Mut and Khonsu. If you look closely, in some of the cealings you would still find the ancient color intact. In addition to the main sanctuary there are other smaller temples and the large sacred lake. Form Karnak we drove to Luxur Temple, our last stop of the grand tour. There was once an avenue of human headed sphinxes that connected the two temples. You could imagine the juggernaut celebrations that happened here annually during the Opet festival. Dressed up Egyptians paraded through this street carrying the huge statues of Amun and Mut to re-enact their holy marriage. This old sacred path is now being renovated. Luxor, the city of hundred gates, was the capital of Egypt from the twelfth dynasty (1991 BCE). The temple has been in use till present day. During the Christan era the hypostyle hall was converted to a church. Later, the Mosque of Sufi Shaykh Yusuf Abu al-Hajjaj was built over it.

What fascinated me about Egypt is its grandness. It is like a magical land that popped straight out of the fairy tale book. The strange world of pharaohs and their attempt of immortality, the splendid Gods, the imposing Pyramids and the vibrant temples, they are mysterious, scary and charming at the same time. It is dismaying to see the fall of the grand civilization and the struggles of modern Egypt. According a 2015 survey 27.8% of Egyptians live below national poverty line of EGP 482 (~2000INR).

But, deep in their heart they are still revolutionary. They threw out a dictator in 2011, and later removed the conservative Muslim Brotherhood who tried to restrict the freedom of minorities. My friend was involved in both revolutions as he spent nights in the Tahrir Square. Bit by bit, they are putting together the spirit of Egypt like goddess Isis who put together the pieces of her deceased husband Osiris. Osiris, the first pharaoh who united Egypt was betrayed and killed by his brother Set, just like the extremists are trying to break Egypt. The ancient fight between the forces of righteousness and chaos, between Ma’at and Isfet, still continues. Ancient Egyptians believed that both are necessary, and one cannot live without the other. It is through the fight between the two that balance is maintained not just in Egypt, but also all over the world. Our holiday has ended and it is time for us to return home. With a heavy heart we bid adieu to the land of magic as our driver drove us to the airport.

Planning trip to Egypt? Have doubts?

For details contact subhrashis.adhikari@gmail.com

All pictures copyright belongs to Subhrashis Adhikari. May be used with permission.

Short Bengali Translation in Sananda Travel:

Who were the Original Indians?

2019-03-18T21:21:00.001+05:30

The river knows, they say. Like time she flows without complain, silently observing the rise and fall of civilizations. Humans share an intimate relation with the rivers. While she quenches the thirst of these inquisitive apes and provide them with the vital fertile plains, humans make her immortal through prayers, songs and art. Human civilization is like the river. When it becomes stagnant, it becomes polluted. As long as it is active and flowing, it is graceful. Most of us want to hold on to our culture and the values of our ancestors. Being grounded to the roots is a great thing. But when does the binding force become strong enough to pull a civilization into stagnancy? Those with enough knowledge of history know that cultures and the yardsticks of morality have changed over time. What reference frame in time should one chose to plant their cultural roots? Alas, there is none. Each era has its strengths and weaknesses, as does each civilization.

Mangli is a small river that flows down the dying Aravalli Hills, seeping and snaking smoothly through the beautiful town of Bundi. As you stand at the edge of her yellow rocky bank sporadically covered with short shrubs, you could hear the burble of Mangli as she dance around and jump over the boulders and occasionally slash through the sandstones of Vindhyans. This apparently trivial river have witnessed a lot. Once upon a time, in its hay days, Mangli was a mighty river that sustained quite a large population of hunters and gatherers. These ancient admirers of her have left their mark on the banks inside the small caves that they once called home. Why they created the rock arts we may never know. It might have been an early form of writing that contained important information, may be painting was how they taught their kids, they might have been summoning the divine or simply appreciating a form of art. Whatever may have been the motivation, these ancient rock arts are a rare window to the mind of our hunter ancestors.

This particular window was once lost behind the dessert shrubs, ignored, forgotten, and left to rest in peace. Thousands of years later it managed to find a simple and innocent 8-class pass village bloke, with a passion for the past, peeping through the bushes. His name is Om Prakash Sharma, aka Kukki. Kukki’s hunt for old artefacts like historic coins began in the late 70s when he met a man who used to sell precious stones in Bundi that he claimed to have found in the hills. Kukki tried to imitate the man and found nothing as that man was a sham. As fate would have it, he found something better. He found some rare ancient coins. When he took his findings to the Delhi National Museum the experts revealed that his coins are 100 to 700 years old, with one specific one that was from 4^th century BC Mauryan Empire. For the first time Kukki realized that his passion was worth in gold, ancient gold.

It was only after his visit to National Museum in 1988 that he became interested in archaeology. Since then he have been crazily looking for more. With a little experience of artefacts he saw in the museum he found spear-head arrows, hand axes, cleavers, scrapping tools, bronze and copper age artefacts from mounds in Garada, Bhilwara, Bundi and other places. The madness turned a sweetshop owner into an amateur archaeologist who found over 103 sites, and according to him the longest rock art site in the world stretching for 35 kms. His first encounter with rock paintings started only from 12^th June 1998. Kukki is in his mid-sixties now, but even time could not erode his craving for archaeology. In his own words, ‘I am richer than Bill Gates. Gates in rich by money, and Kukki is rich by culture. Everyone has at least a bit of money, but Gates do not have the precious artefacts I own’.

We met Kukki in an unplanned trip to the sleepy town of Bundi. Unlike the rock paintings, I found Kukki on internet. Being a busy man, it is difficult to get his time during working hours. So, we met in the evening and had a long chat. He is a very interesting man who can entertain you with stories for hours. In one of his stories he met a young lady in the field while Kukki was on one of his treasure-hunting spree. A lady, who met him in a deserted piece of land as the sun sat behind the Mangli River, said hi and vanished into thin air. Kukki ran for kilometers at a stretch before fainting near a village. After few rounds of engaging stories and a bit of persuasion he kindly agreed to share his time from a packed day to show us his ‘discovery’. I, along with my wife and an over-enthusiastic 7-year daughter started the trek along the rocky banks of Mangli with Mr. Kukki looking for the ancient art. How often you get the opportunity to see the rare rock paintings away from the mad crowd, with the man who discovered it? It was our lucky day. The paintings we saw are of antelopes, tigers, bears, humped bulls, dogs, dancing men and women, hunting scenes, animal traps, various geometric patterns and one specific one that he claimed to be a giraffe. While the giraffe was not very convincing, the humped bull in site no 23 is my favourite. Who were these Pacassos’ and Da Vincis’ of the past?

The earliest known evidence of anatomically modern human comes from the remains of eight individuals who lived in a cave in Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, ~300,000 years ago. The oldest Palaeolithic tool found in India is from Attirampakkam in Tamil Naidu. It dates back to 1.5 million years ago (Ma). From Hunsgi-Baichbal Valley of Karnataka Palaeolithic tools dating back to 1.2Ma have been unearthed. Palaeolithic sites are scattered all over India, from Tamil Nadu in the south to Ladakh in the North, from the ‘aliens’ of Chhattisgarh to the petroglyphs of Ratnagiri that BBC has called ‘lost Indian Civilization’. Unfortunately most of the sites are getting destroyed due to archaeological department’s apathy. Palaeontology is an endangered science in India, and palaeoanthropology is as good as extinct. There is no national palaeontology institute in India. Amateur archaeologists like Kukki have contributed more to this field than professionals. It is no wonder that despite the large number of accidental discoveries of Palaeolithic sites, no human skeletons have been recovered. We did find the trinity: Bramapithecus, Ramapithecus and Sivapithecus. But further research confirmed Advaita’s philosophy, that they were one and the same. To many people’s dislike further research showed that they were not even our ancestors, but probably 12.2 million year old god of the orang-utans. However, there has been one discovery that did put India on the world fossil map.

Winters, being pleasant, are the field time for Indian geologists. On one such cold winter on 1982 a geologist named Arun Sonakia found a skull, stuck in the fluvial sediments, when he was surveying on the banks of Narmada River in Hathnora village or Madhya Pradesh. This is the oldest fossil that is related to humans found from the sub-continent. The fossil has been named Narmada Man. It turns out that it is a ‘she’ and not a ‘he’. And like many women, this lady too does not want to reveal her age. Most likely it is a hominid stuck between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens that lived around 200,000 years ago. Narmada Man and her likes probably never made it out of the Toba Eruption that happened 70,000 years ago. The deadly eruption created a ten-year-long winter. It resulted in an ecological disaster that destroyed most of the vegetation. The long and harsh winter decreased the Homo sapiens population of the world to just 3,000-10,000 individuals. Other hominids weren’t that lucky. Similar stone tools have been unearthed below and above the Toba ash from few places in southern India like Jwalapuram. Professor Korisettar discovered the site, and upon excavation found similar Middle Palaeolithic tools of 77,000 years old below the Toba ash and of 35,000 years old above it. But these lucky few did not survive for long as our deadly ancestors were on their way. Soon after the Toba catastrophe, the first notable flush of migration took place from Africa. It was called the great coastal migration. This more sophisticated group of Homo sapiens replaced the ‘original Indians’. Some of the more adventurous migrants took the sub-Himalayan route, while rest kept following the coast. Some of the decendents of this new group of ‘Indians’ (will call them ‘early Indians’, distinct from the ‘original Indians’) then moved towards Southeast Asia and Australia. The genes of the present day humans have significant contribution from this group of coastal migraters. The ‘original Indians’ are long dead, and their genes lost the survival battle of survival as the new generation of skilled Homo sapiens sapiens took over. Thus genetic study will only see peopling of India in the last 70,000 years, while archaeology would record a much older time of 1.5 million years. Palaeogenetic study of human remains unearthed from places like burial sites can bridge the gap between the two.

The best evidence of ‘early Indians’ is preserved in Bhimbetka caves that have more than a dozen rock shelters. The first evidence of these ancient caves was found way back in 1888. They were mistaken for Buddhist caves as every other ancient Indian discoveries of the time. Dr V S Wakankar accidentally discovered them again while he was traveling by train to Bhopal. He realized that he was looking at something prehistoric. The caves contain one of the oldest rock engravings in the world. The caves also have preserved cave paintings of different times superimposed on one another. Some claim a continuous occupation of these caves from 100,000 BCE to as recent as 1000 CE. The people who stayed there were predominantly hunters and gatherers. The type of tools they used gives an indication of the age. Around 45,000 to 20,000 years ago the ‘early Indians’ acquired the skills or making fine tools, also known as the microliths, as compared to the more crude Palaeolithic tools. The paintings also give an indication of the timeline. The paintings revealed the love of our ancestors for hunting, music, and dancing. Later drawing depicts Puranic gods like Ganesha, Shiva Linga, Nandi, Swastika, and Trishula. Quite similar to the ones we found in Bundi and Ladakh.

After a day of acclimatization for the oxygen starved high altitudes of Ladakh we started our long drive towards Dah to meet Alexander’s kin. Our luck ran out and we were stopped 5 kilometres from Dah. The heat from the scorching sun has melted too much snow, increasing the water in the river. Indus has overflowed and blocked our path to Dah. But it happened to be our lucky day. We came to know from the locals that the region where the so-called ‘Pure Aryans’ live was not very far, in a village called Sanith. We took a difficult curvy road, up the mountain, to reach the village that consisted of 24 houses where the people look and speak a language different from the Ladakis. They are Caucasians and not Mongolians. These Western Ladakhi people belong to Brokpas or Minaro (native) tribe. They speak archaic Shina language and are identified by their flowery headdress. They prefer to call themselves ‘pure Aryan’ whose ancestors were part of Alexander’s lost army. Genetic studies show only a faint Greek connection. ‘Aryan’ is also not a race, rather a linguistic division. Whatever their origin is, the mystery and our romanticism with fair skin help them with tourism. Being ‘pure Aryans’ did not bring tourism, rather its tourism that made them ‘pure Aryans’.

My driver insisted that they speak Aryan language that is a mixture of Hindi and English. Interestingly, though he understands both English and Hindi, he cannot decipher their language. The good thing is that the villagers know both Hindi and English. Which meant that they could explain to us the direction to the pre-historic rock-art in a language we understand. The roadblock was actually a boon in disguise. If we had gone to Dah we would have never found the rock-art which happened to be hidden right beside the road for where we took the sharp turn for Sanith village. There is a man-made wall of boulders on the side of the road. Climb it and move to the extreme end towards west. That's where the paintings are. Look for smooth polished surfaces, a sign that the rock surface survived thousands of years. Pre-historic hunters and gatherers flourished along the banks of Indus. They have left their mark as petroglyphs over a 150 kms stretch along the Indus bed. It is not just painting, but emotions etched on the rocks. The figures include Ibex hunting, dancing, caravan scenes etc. The sense of art and beauty, the ability to communicate complex information through oral and written language is what differentiates us from other animals. While most animals can only communicate immediate situations, language gives us the ability to add on to the past information and plan a possible future event. To dig and gather nutritious food from the ground, to hunt without claws or teeth, one needed to be a sophisticated animal. Language made us just that.

Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites

Indian pre-historic men made paints from haematite and chalcedony and not charcoal, and hence carbon dating is difficult. But, based on Rock tools found here, these sites should be equivalent of Bhimbetka (Paleolithic and Mesolithic). But there is a mix and these sites have been occupied periodically even until recent historic times. A disappointed Kukki tells us with a sigh that only because of the poor choice of paints we cannot claim the oldest rock paintings of the world. He complains how the Indian archaeology is lagging far behind. Kukki’s discoveries are left unguarded and unprotected, only marked with numbers. Probably because it was not discovered by any professional, and thus there is no glory for the babus in working for this. But Kukki is hell bent to protect his findings with his life.

Kukki believes that he was a hunter and gatherer living here in his past life. That is why the paintings found him. Despite the threats to his life from mafias who are blasting the hills into the ground for home building rocks, and along with it Kukki’s passions, he continue to protect the sites. His biggest threat however comes from innocent local children and fervent lovers who write their names in the now popular cave paintings. As he was showing us one of the sites, a group of half-naked local tribal children gathered around us. When Kukki yelled at them, they giggled, ran and jumped unto the Mangli River. They were so comfortable with Mangli, as if she was one of their own. It was their time to bath alongside their humped bull who looked no different from the paintings in the wall. I wondered, if the person who drew the humped bull in the Chalcolithic period was yelled at for spoiling the Palaeolithic paintings, would there be the site no 23. May be, the river knows.

Shekawati - A weekend destination from Delhi that you won't regret!

2018-12-20T20:40:00.001+05:30

Shekawati is a collection of small towns and villages stuck in time. Colourful wall frescoes grace the walls of the 2-3 century old Havelis. It is locally said that the term 'Haveli' comes from 'hawa' meaning wind since they are made in a way that there is good cross ventilation. It is most likely derived from Arabic word 'Hawali', meaning partition, or private space.

The mansions built in Indo-Mughal style was partitioned into different sections. There is a main gate outer gate through which one enters the outer courtyard. This was mostly for men and visitors. There might be a separate attached room from private business meetings. Then there is the second door that leads to the inner sanctum, where the women of the family lived.

The intricately sculpted doors were made of teak wood. I was told that it was one of the three most expensive kinds of wood found in India, other two being sandalwood and Bollywood. Unfortunately, most of the houses are empty or occupied by the caretakers family. The owners have moved to other cities like Kolkata for better fortune decades ago.

This place is part of Matsya Kingdom where the aboriginal Meena tribes (Meen meand fish), and is related to Matsya Avatar of Vishnu. The name Shekhawati is derived from its first independent ruler Rao Shekha. This region was once part of the flourishing old silk route. Trading made the Marwari community rich, and they settled down in this arid land. They brought good painters from bigger cities like Jaipur to paint their house with their lifestyle, culture, stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata, and a bit of erotica.

Mandawa is the heart of Shekawati, around 260kms from Delhi. The rich havelis here are surrounded by small houses that are glued with one another in a way that you can go from one end of the town to the other by jumping from one terrace to another. The romantic set up have brought Bollywood here... including PK and Bajrangi Bhaijan.

It is recommended to take a guide (300INR) since most of the havelis have their main door closed and there is no way to know if you should just open the door and step into someone's private property.

Some of the key havelis are:
1. Murmuria haveli
2. Shet Dayaram Goenka haveli
3. Golden haveli
4 Jhunjhunwala haveli
5 Chowkhan double haveli

You will get to see a lot of antique items in the houses.

Most of them charge you to enter now. The money goes into maintenance and renovation. Don't miss the Ramnath A Poddar museum in Nawalgarh, around 30 km from Mandawa where you come as a tourist and go as a friend.