Disciplined Approach

Whenever a Popular person does something good or bad , there are thousands to follow him. If he tosses up a cigarette and catches it right at his mouth, it carries a "stylish" tag among his admirers and people may even attempt to do the act, claiming that they do it without a single failed attempt and aim to repeat it for winning a guineas record. Many of us have seen youngsters repeating the bike rides shown on TV ads with the front wheel lifted up! Though there is a statutory warning in TV ads that these acts are carried out by experts and should never be attempted.these guys are shown stopping the bikes at the edge of a steep rock,beyond which is a deep valley. Imagine the fate of the person (may be one in a million) attempting to do it and inviting death or serious injury. Hence it is obvious that statutory warnings help very little. Writing about the danger on liquor bottles and cigarette boxes does not appear to draw the attention of those who fall prey to such habits.

Media coverage of harmful acts add fuel to the fire. Almost the entire Media is playing a double standard by writing/showing the hazards on one hand and inviting ads on the other hand. A Newspaper which joined to condemn the atrocities on women announced a contest recently on "Valentine Day" . It is known for publishing pictures taken on  the day every year. It should realise its responsibility to the society and refrain from encouraging youngsters in the path that may mislead them.

Religion is nothing but the one which guides to show the right path. People may interpret the word as they wish. In India , cricket is called a "religion" and a cricketer is called "God". If you raise your voice against such descriptions, you are labelled as a fundamentalist and an intolerant person. It is not known why a sport which makes the players as millionaires should be described as a religion. It may delight the viewers but does it serve the mankind?

There were times when an actor who did the roles of the mythological characters was deemed as God! When the film industry opened the gateways for advanced photography and enhanced Technology , it could  only help them in scenes that involved Horror& Romance leaving the value and the moral of the story far behind.  The messages that used to reach the people some thirty years back are no longer there. Perhaps they may also describe this as a great transformation and call it as a Religion that delights!

Then came the situation when controversial topics were chosen to remain different from others. People remained silent and will continue to do so as long as the tolerance limit is not breached. When the showman accuses the society and lashes at the faith of the people, he may imagine that he has the freedom to express his views.  The society rubbishes his views even when he says that the Gods we worship are nothing but stones. If he rubs salt to the injury, people loose their patience and start opposing his views. He is mistaken if he thinks that People do not exhibit tolerance and harmony. On the other hand he should maintain dignity and stand as an example for harmonious relationship. There is no point in blaming the public after causing irreparable damage to their belief.

There are many ways to help the World if a person is enjoying an image among his followers.  Unfortunately neither the media not the Political system is ready to make use of the benefit of being popular. The orientation towards money and evergreen greediness make them deviate from the noble path, unmindful of what happens to others. The  code of conduct is mandatory for anybody who approach the public in any form. Any violation to the path may irk the citizens on some day or the other and the price becomes very heavy. Discipline is underlined by all religions as of primary importance that adds value to life. It may otherwise be considered as a boundary that protects people from indulging in wrongful activities. Even the routine is prescribed by Shastras to engage the people well inside the boundary. Poking the nose into other's boundary tends to affect the unity in diversity. The need of the hour is to mind one's own business.

Speak to Preserve the Language

Can the potential to grow the Life Style be detrimental for the culture and Religious faith? It seems so. It is like a huge tree which can uproot solid structures. It does not stop there. It goes upto the grass root level to do away with one's mother tongue as well.  Though it sounds strange, it is happening . I was watching a short film on You Tube,forwarded by my friend quite recently. It was all about the possibility of Tamils loosing not only the culture but their language consciously.

When the British ruled India, Lord Macaulay was of the opinion to introduce English in the region. He suggested to give the Indians the book,"Robinson Crusoe" which could  teach them Grammar together. They believed that it could be the step to delink the many languages of the states of the country with a common language and replace them with English. Since education is looked as a source for livelihood, it became unavoidable to learn a global language right from Primary schools.

It was chiefly due to the poor standard of education, people began opting for the convents though it was not affordable. Some schools set the platform for spreading the religions of the west simultaneously by asking the students not to wear the cultural dress of the region and disallowing them from speaking the local language. This was the first and most important dent received and people became helpless and succumb to the situation.

The Government did nothing except to organise World Tamil Meet to boast that they are the real protectors of the language. Sanskrit was mercilessly thrown out of the schools only to target a section of the Public. It was called as a"dead language". Who prevented them to have Tamil as a compulsory language of study atleast upto school level? Does the Government realise the fact that thousands of students who come out of schools in Tamilnadu do not know how to read and write the language? What steps have been taken to plug the dangerous trend?

Yes. The danger is at the door steps. Many parents prefer their children to address them as "Dad" and "Mom" instead of "Appa" and "Amma". It starts from there. Slowly the conversation gets switched over to English as they assume that it gives them a better status. They never attempt to teach their children the local language at Homes. The film I referred above beautifully portrays how the tradition and the language is completely lost when you settle abroad.

I do agree that there are many families who train their children at Home both within the country and abroad. At this stage I want to express my disappointment as this is not enough.  While I am happy to note that music and dance are taught mostly by ladies during their stay abroad, I am yet to hear the news that the language is taught from alphabet level to young lads. Can "Tamil Sangams " in other states of the country and abroad spend more time on this?

Since Sanskrit is primarily used for conducting religious worship, a day may come when Tamil may also face the same fate. Since a large part of Tamil Literature is meant for religion, people should show interest to preseve it by encouraging the next generation in that direction. Can n't the children be taught during their vacation? To start with, the parents should shed their notion that it is inferior to speak in local languages. They should change themselves first before trying it with their children. How often the parents take time to tell the next generation about our customs and practices?

Be it Sanskrit or Tamil, you need to tell the next generation what it means and how important it is when you recite a stanza or a Hymn. Blind repetition simply does nothing. During my recent visit to a Temple on a Pradosham day , I was immensely happy to note young students reciting Vedas. When I had a chat with them after the event, I came to know that they learn Veda and Agama for six years. It was my turn to ask questions at them. I asked them to narrate something about "Pradosham". I was shocked to see them blinking. Their teacher was not there. It reflects the quality of training received by the students. My friend went on asking more questions at them. I knew they were taught very little the meaning of what they recite and the significance of the religious events. This is the reason why Sanskrit was neglected  as the teachers thought that one should read "Bhashyam" for learning the meaning of the verses. It may be correct. But you should know atleast the basics of what the vedas/Agamas convey.

You may wonder why this post is written for Tamils in English language. The reason is obvious and narrated in this post itself.

Responsible Freedom

I read with interest an article on "Responsible Freedom" recently. The author is a HR professional. His thoughts on "freedom at work" may be extended to other areas as well. With the World Dynamics changing , he advocates flexibility in the organisation to retain talent. The call has thus become necessary due to changing requirements. Now the question before us is why such Micro and Macro surveys should be confined to business circles. Is it because the employees want more and more - more personal attention and their voices to be heard and responded to and they want it to happen "Now" ? Is it not aggressively played to arrest attrition and translate business goals into  direct action? Employee development has become the key area everywhere. The multi-fold growth in business challenges has asked for complex changes to remain proactive. We need to groom people to undertake enhanced responsibilities in all areas of work.

Freedom does not mean "do what you want". It provides an opportunity to express , interact ,suggest and share the views/ideas within a framework. It encourages inputs that are innovative and morale boosting. When we apply the Business principles to Religious Freedom, the results are not encouraging. It is disappointing to see people take liberty to misuse the freedom they enjoy. Only when the legal fraternity alerts them that their action amounts to libel or slander, they realise their mistakes. To believe or not may be entrusted to the individual. But then it is not clear how atheism is allowed by Law where people are allowed to  spit venom on others. If someone keeps calm on being attacked verbally or through any media, it is taken for granted that one can go scotfree even after throwing rubbish on somebody. Some politicians are known for issuing statements against some communities who observe extreme tolerence. The statements are the outbursts to divert the attention of people. They refrain to do it only during Poll time.

A road map is to be drawn on how best we treat people honestly and improve their capabilities. Justice delayed is inferred as the inability to punish wrong doers on time. How often the Villagers gather to discuss the issues connected with their Temples? Does the Executive officer of the Temple calls for a meeting to discuss the status and share with them? Recently,the HR&CE dept had organised a training camp for Archakas. We do not know whether it served the purpose. Mere talking may not help in a big way. You need to demonstrate that you care for them. Efforts are to be taken to persuade that the Work culture and environment will be taken care of. Have we ever thought of providing shelter, education and Health care for them? The number of uninsured Priests ,if collected, may be alarming. The society has simply provided them the freedom to live and nothing more!

It should not be mistaken when we point out that Philanthropy is not totally addressed to poor sections of people and dilapidated Temples. We agree that they have the Freedom to donate as per their wish. Our sincere request at this stage is they can extend their generosity towards the downtrodden people and Temples in rural areas.

"Think before you write" is one of the messages we get from Mahabharatha. When Ganapathi asked Sage Vyasa to dictate the verses without interruption, the Sage agreed to do so if Ganesa gets the meaning of each verse before writing. People unnecessarily land into controversy by drawing sketches of Gods and Goddesses which naturally wound the believers and irks them a lot. Once the boundary of Freedom is violated, such events are likely to happen. It is better to anticipate the consequences and stop well before the limit.

Freedom of speech need not be extended to criticize the faith of others. We have heard a politician saying that his party is not a Mutt. While he has the freedom to tell that his party is supreme , his needless reference to Mutt is unwarranted. Practicing Responsible Freedom will prevent such utterences. He may show his opposition to  the policies of other parties without tresspassing into the freedom of others. Hence the Law makers should take appropriate steps to provide Freedom which can  protect the rights of people to enjoy it in the right spirit. May the spirit of Freedom attain its true meaning to make the Democratic principles more meaningful. This is exactly we mean by Responsible Freedom.

For Comments only

A fellow Blogger became upset recently on seeing someone copying the Photos without seeking permission. Even the watermarked Photos are not spared. As far as I know, no blogger refuses permission if somebody is keen in copying some photos publshed earlier. Blogs are normally written after spending many hours in gathering information and taking pictures in person. Naturally, the time and money involved should be appreciated and acknowledged before making use of the available information freely through internet. The basic courtesy is missing and it thus amounts to stealing.

I happened to go through a blog in which my earlier post was simply copied along with pictures and pasted without acknowledgement. The wrong doer apologised later after receiving my mail. It can be ignored if the act is done unintentionally. But such mischiefs are often carried out  with least regard for the original work.

It is with the good intention that we invite all suggestions and criticism under "comments" section of each post. Healthy criticism is required to correct the wrong views/errors and it will always help to know what others think. Although there is an option to receive comments with restriction by passing through the Moderator, we invite viewers to publish their comments freely about the post.
Few months back, a call Taxi operator had written in the comments section of my post, all about the Tariff for different types of cars he operated. It had nothing to comment about the post. Hence I had to delete it immediately with a message that the platform was not meant for commercial usage
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Quite recently, the comments section received the web address of a  local Newspaper , inviting the viewers to browse the same. In this case also, it had no reference to my post. If people think they can get free publicity through the comments section of the blogs, they are mistaken. Such entries will be deleted instantly. Moreover, it becomes a strong case to make use of the other option by passing all comments through the Moderator. If people are treated with dignity and open mind, the recepients should reciprocate suitably to honour the Trust reposed by the blogger. There could be some Bloggers who will not allow this unnecessary interception  and take steps legally to contain the encroachment..

The Unwanted Comparison

It is not new for the Government to  shield itself behind excuses of laughable nature so as to avoid disturbing questions on its failures. It is a known fact that the country lacks proper sanitation which can be one of the reasons attributed to the spreading of some diseases. But there can not be a satisfying answer if someone pulls up the Govt towards the inordinate delay in providing adequate toilet facilities even after 65 years of attaining independence! In fact Mr Bill Gates recently came forward to help those village dwellers who are left to remain backward by the various Governments of the past. While many things such as Mobile phones are extended to the villagers in the name of uplifting their lifestyle, very little has been done towards Hygiene  In other words, rural India is allowed to think about Mobile phones rather than the need for Toilets.

To make up the failure to meet the Rural needs, the Government comfortably takes shelter under irrelevant comparisons and try to divert the issue to be in the good books of the bosses. It is now the turn of the Central Minister saying that there are more Temples than toilets (vide Times of India dt 8th October,2012). This controversial statement has sparked off debate and invited criticism from Political parties and followers of the religion.

Can the Minister explain the Nation what prevented the Govts to  provide basic amenities to all villages for more than six decades? Can he vouch for good Hygiene in all the Urban areas which threatened at times with Dengue, Malaria and Cholera? Why is the dirty drainage overflowing at many places in the cities? What concrete steps have been taken for eradicating mosquitoes ? He must be aware of the huge piling up of garbages in the cities and burning them in open that causes breathing problems. Let him first prevent the entry of Industrial wastes into the rivers totally before trying to be evasive. Does the Government bother about the massive removal of sand from rivers for construction purposes? Why is that it remains silent when rocks are blasted to pave way for the rich to make more money. The Minister should try to stop indiscipline among various quarters instead of making statements taking for granted that it would not invite public ire.

Municipal bodies simply take over the land adjacent to places of worship and build Toilets. Due to horrible upkeep of the Toilets, people are left to use the surrounding area as open Toilets. It is also evident in places around Bus stations  and Train Terminals and people are allowed to move amidst the filthy places!!

Nowadays it has become a fashion among Politicians to unnecessarily tease the majority community in matters which are totally unconnected with religion. The comparison between the number of Temples and the number of Toilets in the country is deplorable. History has been proving time and again that such remarks can arise only from the Politicians to hide their inefficiency under the carpet. Faith to worship can not be compared with rural practices. Let the Govt solve it if it has the ability. Let them learn to respect  all religions equally and refrain from making irresponsible statements.

Restructure ASI

The Archaeological Survey of India's proposal to take over the Sthalasayana Perumal Temple at Mahabalipuram has few takers. The apprehensions are many and understandable. An archaeologist may be of the view that the take over will provide room for proper maintenance and preservation of the site by following their own standards. Unfortunately the ASI has not demonstrated its mission to meet the expectations. Maintaining a Temple is not similar to maintaining a park. ASI is known for putting up its blue board at the entrance, appoint some curators and watchmen at the site and seldom take care of the rituals.

The ASI should classify its activities based on the purpose for which the structures have been built. They can not equate a Fort/ Palace with places of worship. It is observed that both are treated alike as the organisation go by the age of the monument only. Hence the arrangements are similar whether it is a Fort or an excavated site or a Temple.

The next question that comes to our mind is whether ASI is keen on maintaining a garden or maintaining /preserving the site. A place of worship requires a garden inside its premises that  bears flowers, leaves,fruits etc which are used in the daily rituals of the Temple. What we find at ASI maintained Temples is a beautiful garden having a carpet of rich green grass all around and trees with unusable flowers. Though it may give a good look and please the visitors from abroad, it fails to serve the religious purpose for which the shrine stands.

An archaeologist may cite examples of Cambodian temples where the sites are protected from encroachment for a distance of 2 km. The situation here is different. If you try to remove the encroachments from the vicinity of the site, people gather and form an association and start protesting by blocking traffic on the road for which the Government succumbs. The politicians on the other hand are waiting for the opportunity to hit the central Government at the right time. They are also least bothered about the conduct of rituals and maintaining the Heritage.

Why not we propose to initiate the Education Dept to include lessons on Preservation of culture at school levels. The text books merely give information of who built the structure and when.  Is it not our duty to tell our children not to deface the walls and maintain the holiness of the shrine?  How many watchmen of the ASI maintained Temples have taken care to remain alert always and watch what others are doing? Are they not keen in going after the foreigners for their own benefits? Do they drive out the beggars who create nuisance to our guests from abroad?

It is very easy to advice not to use cement, steel etc for renovating the old monuments. The ASI should  desist wasting its resourses for maintaining the gardens inside the Temples. They should rather spend the money for plastering the structures with lime and extend support to other Historic Temples as well. They suggest not to use paints that may harm the structures. Instead they should demonstrate what chemical treatment can be given to root out the plants and trees that have come up on the structures. They should spell out how to kill the threatening trees in the towers of the shrines without disturbing the originality. ASI has a Science Lab in many regions. They can coordinate with the officials of the state board that governs the Temples by jointly arranging seminars with the help of reputed scholars in the field.

Without much talk on who has to govern the Temple at Mahabalipuram, decision has to be taken by which the glory of the Temple is preserved without compromising the traditional rituals.  Maintaining Red Fort and Mahabalipuram can not be one and the same. The ASI should take note of this before  taking over  any religious place in any part of India.Probably, restructuring the ASI to meet different needs is desirable at this stage.

Irresponsible Journalism

Most of the Newspapers , Magazines and TV Channels act irresponsibly forgetting the Primary commitment of being the guardian of the general public. Their reports should never give room for anybody to follow a wrong example. Unfortunately the media focuses the immoral acts and project them with graphics to attract the viewers. It becomes a rude shock to the entire nation once they view live telecast of a shameful act or a newspaper focussing unethical, illegal events and giving captions that appear to glorify the wrong doers.

A leading Newspaper has reported the extradition of an U.S. based antique dealer in connection with the theft of idols from the Temples of Tamilnadu. The paper has published a picture of the dealer with a caption, "God of all Smugglers". The reporter should mend his language that the prefix given to a smuggler is properly worded. "How he did it and "How was he caught?" should be left to the Police rather than revealing everything in public which can misguide many people to repeat the crime by altering the action plan . Above all, the Newspaper has given caption to the entire story as " India must auction all antiques, says Kapoor." Who is Kapoor to suggest auction of the treasures of India? Why is his unhealthy comments given so much importance by the Newspaper by making the irresponsible comment as the title of the story? The paper further reports that the dealer was fond of Idly,Vada, Sambar . Alas! What a downfall for Indian Journalism!
 
The public is not only interested in the capture of anti nationals but also to recover every item that has been smuggled out of the country. It is funny that the accused argues that his business to sell stolen idols was not illegal!  It merely exposes the loopholes in the Legal system of the World. If the law is not stringent, smugglers will take advantage of it and mere formation of economic offences wing will not serve in a big way.

HR&CE appears to be least interested in preventing the thefts when they plead shortage of manpower. All they do at present is the removal of Panchaloka idols from unsafe places and keep them safe somewhere away. One wonders what could be the role of the Union Government in preventing the thefts.

Each Temple should be given protection on par with the museums. A check list has to be issued to all executive officers of the temples to ensure the safety of the idols. A safety audit has to be conducted across the state to ensure the strength of the boundary wall, the main doors, locking arrangements, emergency lights and alarms , security at the main entrance, safety of ornaments  etc. Mock drills are be arranged to create awareness among the villagers to get training in case of any emergency.

Instead of publishing boxed items on crimes, the Press should rather come out with an action plan of calling for a corpus fund to establish all measures for the protection of antiques that belong to the Temples. We keep the fingers crossed as no newspaper is prepared to set an example for others to follow. The Journalists should therefore act sensibly and try to alert the public in a proper way instead of describing the offender as God. It may mean "Supremo" to the Press but not to the devotee.