It’s election time for India

Rahul Gandhi (left) and Narendra Modi: Battling chieftains
Photo from: en.wikipedia.org

Come 7th April, India, the largest democracy is going for voting. Placed 7th by geographical size and 2nd by population, India has got its election process equally extensive and complex. The voting would continue till 12th of May along 35 regional provinces (28 states and 7 union territories). Voting, one of the cardinal democratic rights would be enjoyed by 814 million people – a figure far above the total voters of the US and Europe. To reach the climax – the much awaited results – you have to wait till 16th of May, when the whole world would know about which party would rule India for the next five years. In India, parliament elections began in 1957 and the upcoming is the 15th.

According to the Election Commission of India, general elections this time would be held along 543 Parliamentary Constituencies. Along with this, elections would also be held to decide upon governments in three states including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim. 

Indian elections stand tall, owing to its mammoth proportion and highest levels of democratic values. This, along with the geopolitical as well as strategic significance of the country, gets the world’s eyes hooked on Indian elections and their results. 

Ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by the Indian National Congress (Congress) and the main opposition, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the principal contestants. 

A past story

The Congress holds the record of being the single party to rule India for the longest tenure. The party could rule India alone – without any alliance - during 1957 and 1962 under Jawaharlal Nehru; and in 1967, 1971 and 1980 under his daughter Indira Gandhi. In 1984 and 1991, congress once more got the majority to rule the country without any other’s support, owing to emergence of sentimental waves – during the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi respectively. 

Elections in India provide the best chances for its people to hold the whip hand and lash at erring politicians. For example, after imposing a period of emergency that curtailed freedom of all sorts, in 1977, Indira Gandhi’s Congress was reduced to a minority. Indira and her son Sanjay couldn’t even get votes enough for receiving back their procedural deposit money! In 1989, Rajiv Gandhi and his allies were sent to opposition benches after the explosion of Bofors scandal pertaining to defence purchase. 

Till recently, the Congress party used to boast that whenever their party was denied of a single party mandate, the country was left with unstable governments.  Their argument is but substantiated by evidences.  In 1977, 1989, 1996 and 1998 governments led by other parties toppled before completing stipulated five years. Many of them fell down even before a year. 

Alliances

A bold alternative to the Congress monopoly for stable governments was given in 1999 when AB Vajpayee completed a five year term forming National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of likeminded parties with his BJP in the lead. Thereafter single party rule in India became a story of the past. The Congress too changed its strategy in favour of alliances, and it worked well. In 2004 and 2009 Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) succeeded in completing their stipulated five years with Dr. Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister. 

On the battle grounds of 2014 general elections, the UPA’s major strengths and major weaknesses emerge out of this past ten years of its rule. Strengths are the divergence and vibrancy of progress its rule could bring in for preparing well the country to take the pathways of the new century. Weaknesses are the unbridled corruption and allegations against its leaders. Naturally, when stained with corruption, no progress can shine. Incumbent Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh; and the UPA chairperson and Congress party president, Sonia Gandhi, many among their ministers and some leaders of their regional factions are all shot with one or other allegations by the opposition. Such allegations got a natural acceleration ever since the drumbeats of elections began audible.  Hence the long rule the Congress and its UPA had made in the country has become boon as well bane for them. When elections make merits and demerits of parties a subject for public debate, this becomes more important. 

All optimistic

However, with the prominence of young Rahul Gandhi, son of Sonia Gandhi and the late Rajiv Gandhi, in the election fray, the ruling Congress and its UPA seem to have got a bit invigorated. With youthful Rahul’s leadership the party looks forward of removing the mud already splashed over it. With strong Narendra Modi as its Prime Minister candidate, the BJP and its NDA are also racing with added energy.  The BJP’s enthusiasm is based on the fact that Modi’s Gujarat model of governance is secretly praised even by its enemies. Some of the opinion polls held since 2013, though very much controversial, are also seen tilted in favour of the NDA. 

Arvind Kejariwal: Name reckoned
Photo from: en.wikipedia.org

As in every general election, this time too there are new entrants showing their strength. Emergence of Aam Aadmy Party (AAP) is an example. In fact, the AAP’s seeds were sown during an extensive campaign against corruption recently unleashed by a pious leader, Anna Hasare. The campaign gathered huge public support and could set a major national agenda against corruption growing in horrific proportions. ‘Mr. Cleans’ of the anti corruption campaign later got together under the leadership of Arvind Kejariwal – a product of Indian Institute of Technology - to form a political party – AAP. By name, the AAP is meant as common man’s party. The AAP’s win in recent state elections in Delhi, the capital region of the country, has become a bolt from the blue for the major parties. 

Its naivety is AAP’s major challenge, especially while the matter comes to deal with diverse political issues. For example, after being chief minister of Delhi for mere 49 days, its leader Kejariwal resigned owing to a difference of opinion with the Governor. Thus others got a chance for criticising the AAP as politically incompetent and immature. The party’s candidates are already in the fray in almost every constituency. Hence one should wait and see its influence.

First time

For the first time, during the upcoming elections, electronic voting machines would contain the option, ‘None of the above’ (NOTA). If political parties force people to vote for infamous candidates, voters can press ‘NOTA’ button. This button has hence prompted political parties to give extra care on their candidates’ credibility. Also for the first time, 11844 Non Resident Indians (Indians living abroad) have enrolled for a chance to vote. Quite interestingly, over 11000 of them are natives of Kerala, a state well-known for its excellence in literacy and political awareness. 

In India democracy is as vast as the three oceans encircling the subcontinent. Political parties form the vessels that float on. There is no bar on freedom of expression; you can sail to any extent. Myriads of media in the country – English and vernacular; national and regional; print and electronic – enjoy full freedom and play a critical role in ensuring a free and fair pole.  In the fuming political debates, allegations will be there, alternatives will also be there. The Election Commission is playing a judicious referee, who ensures dignity and high morale of democracy.

Political parties, their actions and motives are already well sifted and weighed in the conscience of exactly 814.5 million voters of India. On the Election Day, they would express their ultimate will through a right push on the button of their exact choice in the voting machine. 

- K.P. Sivakumar

Shaken hearts and a ‘handshake’

This article was published in The Ethiopian Herald on 20 March 2014. 

This photo of the missing Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777-200ER that went missing on 8th March 2014 was published in www.thehindu.com yesterday. The photo was stated as taken by Laurent Errera on 26th December 2011 at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport, France. 

Usual evening chat at our home was almost over. Yet we friends had something grave to share between.  We wanted all of us to be wary of recent glitches of Air India flights. We were possessed with a long list – all newspaper reports. If once it was a piece of tiles covering the aircraft was separated and flew into the air; another time there was a problem of some other sort; then there was an untoward skirmish between the crew and passengers... Majority's opinion was not to opt Air India until its lost repute is regained. But anti Air India comments awakened the chauvinist in me. I made a futile attempt to save the prestige of India’s official carrier. Mine was a common man’s attempt to keep intact the prestige of one’s country. It was an ant’s effort to save the elephant’s dignity. Alas! I could not get even my wife’s support!! Akhila sided with the majority and made a stubborn conclusion that as long as such reports continue to appear in the media, Air India should not be our first priority. With a good sleep in the night, chauvinist in  me went for its usual hibernation.  

One week prior to this discussion, we also heard the news of a co-pilot hijacking an Ethiopian Airlines flight on its way to Italy and landing it at his own in Geneva. The hero of this high drama, after making a rope dive himself from the cockpit of the landed aircraft surrendered before the security personnel and right away sought a Swiss asylum. Later he was adjudged mentally devastated out of his intimate uncle's demise. 

Hardly a couple of weeks later, the shattering news of Malaysian Airlines’ missing flight hit us. The Malaysian aircraft has become a painful mystery. Wherever people with sense exist in this world, the incident continues to be a patch of sorrow in their minds.

I’m more or less a big nothing with technology. My major familiarity with technology these days is limited to driving a car or operating my laptop, mobile or at the most some household gadgets. An induction cooker in the kitchen extremely mesmerizes me. But the reports over the missing aircraft continue to provoke many technological thoughts even in my lay mind. Thanks to myriads of news that appear. 

How large a gap the space-age technology has got to let that flying machine elude! All surveillance mechanisms were annulled before the MH370 got its 239 people onboard land over a thoroughly anonymous tarmac!! 

I always had a conception that the space-age technology has already put the entire world, the skies and the depths of seas under its scrupulous surveillance mechanisms. While reading some defence publications about how Saddam Husain was spotted precisely at his hideout, I thought of a world of no more hideouts. When pilotless ‘Drons’ bomb terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and when a ‘ruthless’ Osama was knocked down accurately by a ‘righteous’ Obama, my humble imagination drew the picture of an inescapable and inevitable mesh of technology that has already been spread over humanity. 

But the Malaysian aircraft has devastated those technology towers of my layman imaginations. The missing aeroplane has taught me that the technology’s mesh is too large at least for a big jet to zoom into a world of obscurity. 

'Handshake' 

Even after the civilian air control room lost transponder contact with the aircraft, the Malaysian military radars could spot the flight as flying far above the heights told for it! Even after the Malaysian military radars lost a clue of the aircraft, there was satellite named, Inmarsat that was collecting beeps from the flying aircraft. The satellite was just sensing a partly functional transponder flying in the sky. Many speculate that the transponder system of the missing aircraft was partly made inoperative by someone in the aircraft. No location was recorded, no human voice was received, but the satellite continued to sense the flying of a plane at an interval of each hour or so. Such hourly connection between a flying aircraft and a remote satellite is known as ‘handshake’, a newspaper quotes US scientists. 

What a satellite’s ‘handshake’ could offer in search operations? When the satellite establishes a 'handshake' with a moving aircraft, automatically its radars twist/turn in the direction of the aircraft’s position to make it either receive a message or send one. In case of the missing Malaysian flight, no message was sent or received. But the ‘handshakes’ repeated at every one hour or so. Now the scientists can check at which angle and how many times the Inmarsat’s antenna turned to establish 'handshake' with the missing plane. This would give enough information to know where in this vast sky was the aircraft when it was sensed by the Inmarsat. 

The scientists have already prepared two broad arcs based on the antenna positions of the satellite. One arc begins from northern Thailand and ends somewhat over Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan; the second arc begins from Indonesia and ends over southern Indian Ocean. See, how extensive the matter is!

If the flight has sunk into the sea, it is already time for the remnants and human bodies not tied with seatbelts to float over. Had the flight being engulfed by Indian Ocean, the vastness and the undercurrents would be among the biggest challenges.  Now the speed, force and direction of the sea currents should be analysed to make estimates about probable position of debris. 

Reports say that shortly before the plane disappeared, its Co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid said with a conspicuous calmness ‘all right, good night’. Was the calmness prelude to a catastrophe? Behind the mystery curtains, could there be something to smile? Something to swab the tears? 

News articles on the missing plane is elevating our thoughts over the skies and lowering at times into the depths of vast oceans...! Ashore, in reality, I’m perplexed... Which science would finally spread an arch of solace for the aching hearts!! 

K.P. Sivakumar

Washington’s ‘Yayati myth’

Devayani is a character of Indian mythology. She lived even before legendary ‘Pandavas’. She was married to King Yayati and had two sons – Yadu and Turvasu. Yadu was source for ‘Yaduvansh’ in which Krishna was born. 

The mythological Devayani had trouble with her servant, Sharmishtha. Sage Shukracharya, while giving her daughter Devayani in marriage to King Yayati, also gave a strong warning to the latter: never share bed with servant girl who would be there as Devayani’s dowry. Hence Sharmishtha lived in a distant hut. But in later course, it inevitably happened that Yayati fell in secret love with the servant girl. They also got three sons: Druhyu, Anu, Puru. Later when she knew about this, Devayani was shattered. Shukracharya in a rage of fury cursed Yayati to lose all his youthfulness and fall aged. And the curse worked. A devastated Yayati frantically ran and requested each of his three later sons to exchange youth with him. Nobody heeded except Puru, who gave his youthfulness to his father and became aged. Untimely aged, Puru became the King. 

Over thousand years, Yayati enjoyed all worldly sensual pleasures. When he came to know about the futility of such lasting enjoyments, he gave back his youthfulness to Puru and received back his old age. He went into a forest in total renouncement to reach the almighty. 

Today, ironically, a servant lady became the source of trouble for Dr. Devyani Khobragade, Deputy Consul General of India in New York. Led by her servant’s complaint, the USA is behaving to Dr. Devayani like Yayati, in full hegemony and glamour. Every action has a reaction, India proved admirably by stopping all special priorities and preferences for the American emissary institutions and individuals. Now no more canteen sales with US embassy in Delhi; no more priority on Indian roads for US embassy vehicles; and no more ‘big-boss’ treatment on Indian airports for US embassy staffs. Else, why should these rubbish special priorities among countries? Why should some countries be such ‘sacred’! Dignity should be equal, unless enmity spoils the sport.  

The American indecency to Indian diplomat has brought to my mind two names: Immanuel Wallerstein and Peter Berger. Wallerstein conceived the World-System whereas Berger elucidated World-construction. 

According to World system, the so-called Third World produces and supplies raw materials and the so-called First World manufactures prolifically using these cheap supplies; and market products with hefty prices. So perpetuates the First World. The so-called Third World also creates huge source of cheap labour for the so-called First World, who cleverly alters its immigration policies so as to ensure that there is enough supply of cheap labour. This system creates ‘big-brothers’ among world nations. Decency, democracy, secularism, socialism, and market - everything revolves round the will of these ‘big bosses’. The decency you may learn at your primary class won’t be the one told for these big bosses! They would behave like ‘unclad emperor’; and you should praise their celestial costumes!  

Berger through his interesting idea of ‘world construction’ elucidated nicely on the ‘egg-chicken’ riddle related to human societies.  ‘Society or man was first?’ Society is a product of man; whereas man is in turn a nice product of society. Society was there before a person’s birth. Society prevails even after a person’s death. Still, society is designed and made by persons – through norms, values and systems conceived by individual members. Thus originate capitalist societies, theological societies, and communist societies. Hence it comes that countries like India, Ethiopia, the USA are all creations of man. 

Considering the above two aspects, I don’t want to criticize the USA, the country, for the thoughtless attitude towards a diplomat. Instead the world-view and disposition of the USA as a country is bridled by a handful of individuals, to whom my apprehension is. Criticism is upon those who steer power to decide how USA should behave in front of the world.  With their latest approach towards a senior lady diplomat, these individuals have definitely blemished the US celebration of being a repository of all democracy, egalitarianism, civil rights and social decency. How could they be such crazy disfiguring their own country’s glory, like this!

Twice interrogation even to former president of India; confiscation and questioning of Bollywood superstar... Such intolerable, inexplicable misbehaviour is always followed by ‘regrets’ and ‘apologies’. These would only tarnish a country’s image – the practitioners should know. 

Such acts have no place in American popular perceptions. Enlightened majority of America uphold the ideal of ‘give respect, take respect’. America was opulent of guiding luminaries who genuinely stood for values. After the Second World War, some of the US troops were stationed in India. Then a section of racially ‘exclusionist’ Congressmen introduced ‘literacy test’ for sifting and keeping away Asian immigrants especially from India and China. Then president of the US, Roosevelt wrote to the Chairman of House Committee on Immigration stating that ‘Statutory discrimination against Indians now serves no useful purposes and [is] incongruous and inconsistent with the dignity of both our peoples’. Annual quota of 100 for Indians, was just a beginning. 

Since 1960s, by virtue of non-racial immigration policies, more and more Indians reach the US. Indian immigrants now shine as the ‘model minority’ there. Considering these shining terrains of truths and the huge lot of popularity Obama has got among Indians, the recent incident is a sheer mismatch.  Who would teach that ‘misbehavior to a Deputy Consulate General would serve no useful purposes and damage the dignity of both countries’? Obama, won’t you, please? 

It’s already time that countries that play the role of Yayati, enjoying all the wealth and bounty of world’s resources should exhibit more prudence in their behaviour. There should not be always a Puru, who would sacrifice his wealth and health for Yayati’s well-being. Devayanis should get legitimate consideration, also.  

Tail end: After knowing about the recent Indo-US emissary issue, one of my Ethiopian friends exclaimed why an excellent leader like Obama hadn't yet resolved the issue. Due to my inward love for Obama I replied “Obama must not have known this yet”. And that made my friend laugh aloud.  

Butterflies

(A story based on imagination that doesn't have any real life contexts or individuals)

It was on a full moon night that Alok gave last kiss to his love, Anamika. Their saga of love was full of obstacles and challenges, as usual with majority of lovers. If caste was the issue for old members of the family, lesser assets possessed by Anamika’s parents, was the chief concern for parents of Alok. In a traditional north Indian village, these were more than enough to set ablaze all canopies of love that youngsters build. Alok received double brunt – from both the families. Alok had to receive physical assaults at least twice from the uncles of the girl; and had made narrow escapes from attempts to his life more than twice. Thanks to Anamika’s timely scoops on her uncles’ plots that significantly saved Alok’s life. Then, how could it happen that their kisses ended on that full moon night? Death. Unexpected demise of Alok. How did he die? It was a snake bite. If to say precisely, that night he was returning after planting several sweet kisses on her love’s cherry cheeks and receiving back enough over his eyes and chin. He was just imagining Anamika and humming his favourite Hindi song, when he got the snake bite. But who knew it was a bite from a ferocious viper! 

Even not Alok, who was in a romantic thrill thought he got wounded by some thorny plants that was fencing a leading zamindar’s vast property. He washed the wound with soap water, but the blood was still oozing. In front of the sweet memories he had with Anamika, no pain was a pain. He just wrapped the wound with a piece of cloth and went to bed. Before sleeping he deeply concentrated on Anamika. He practices this deliberately before sleep. He needed sweet dreams in which his darling heart alone comes as a heroine and no other mundane thoughts disturb those alluring moments. Not sure whether he started dreaming or not, in the mid of the sleep, but he was taken to the castle of death. Alok’s mortal body became simply an object for death rituals. He became an agonizing memory for poor Anamika... 

Image courtesy: www.fanpop.com

In between, a very significant thing happened. Alok’s soul left his body and was liberated into the air in the form of a gentle breeze. When the breeze touched red roses in his garden, it became a globule of pale red colour. When it passed over freshly bloomed jasmine, it gathered all the scents of heaven. When Alok, sorry, the globule met the rising sun in the morning, it received a celestial sheen. Right at 8am the globule with all its sheen, shine and enticing scent reached ‘Christ Mission College’ on the side of Sraavan Sarai. It hooked itself over a bright sunflower and remained there... In fact it was the garden spot where regularly Alok used to wait for Anamika; and now the former’s soul is waiting... No she’s not coming. The globule looked at the college clock: time is already 9am – making it evident that Anamika won’t come to college that day. 

Then the globule went afloat in the air and travelled like a spot of light to all places where Alok used to wait for Anamika – cafeteria, tuition centre, bus stop, her close friend Jollin’s portico... But nowhere was a hint of Anamika. 

That night as usual in the moonlight, Alok’s soul, the shining globule went to Anamika’s house. Her beastly uncles were crowded on the veranda. While passing them the globule hit the nose of one of the ferocious men. Suddenly Alok’s soul reversed and waited for an angry reaction. But the man was there as if nothing has happened. Alok’s soul could understand that in the form of soul, nobody would see him or experience him. He, the globule,  entered the front hall and turned to Anamika’s room. It was closed. The globule tried to give gentle hit over the door... but without any effort it could pass through the thick wooden doors. Then Alok’s soul did understand that no obstacle is an obstacle in front of souls!

Anamika was lying on her right side, crouched and clasping both her hands between legs. She was trembling lightly and her hair was unusually disordered. Her eyes were bulged, reddish and overflowing. Alok’s soul didn’t need another second to note that she’s is in deep grief.  

The soul went near Anamika and waved gently all over her face, eyes, nose, red lips... There was no reaction! Alok’s soul was in utter distress. It could not leave Anamika in that pathetic state. It needed the old Anamika, who only knows to smile at Alok, tease at Alok and make petty quarrels with Alok. But  now what is happening! Anamika lying on bed on a moon lit night, not sleeping, but weeping!! Alok’s soul could learn another lesson: communication can be between souls, but not between human beings and souls. 

Souls react to situations far faster than human beings.  In no time, Alok’s soul got into Anamika’s body. It examined all the corridors of her mind, all the annals of her memory, all the entangling meshes of her thoughts... There Alok’s soul found one of her most painful experiences – death of Alok; another thing found was one of the most cherished wishes of Anamika – to join Alok!   Inside the intricate settings of Anamika’s mind, Alok’s soul was utterly confused for a while. If Anamika should join him, she could do that only in the form of a soul... If that happens, her life ends in this present form... Should I do it or not, should I steal her soul out of this mortal body or not... Finally Alok’s soul took a decision: it would enjoy seeing her in her present body and in this present world. In no seconds, Alok’s soul came out of her love’s body. Gathering all celestial shine and grace, it lulled all over Anamika’s face, especially over her cheeks. 

At the daybreak Alok’s soul went inside a beautiful butterfly’s body. Inside the butterfly’s mind and thoughts, Alok found an enticing abode. What a life was it! From one flower to another, one garden to another... And whenever needed, just getting into Anamika’s body and enjoying an extraordinary experience of meeting his love! Thus a soul got literally a soulful sojourn.  Time was passing like a cascade. The moon continued waning and waxing. On one full moon night, Alok saw Anamika peeping through her room’s window. The butterfly that was invaded by Alok’s soul was not nocturnal. It was sleeping, bringing together its angel wings, bending together its limbs into a narrow cluster and adeptly clinging itself under fragrant leaves of a plant. Without bringing the least disturbance for the creature, Alok’s soul came out and flew as a bright globule to reach the red lips of Anamika. From that day onwards, this became a practice on almost all full moon days. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

Alok’s soul had already lived in innumerable butterflies. Anamika got married to Harichand, a handsome, well-off gentleman. Sometimes Anamika would stay at her husband’s home when Alok’s soul would follow her. She became mother of two brilliant kids. Even at her husband’s home, Anamika used to peep out into moon lit nights. And Alok’s soul would reach her lips. Years passed like this. Age drew mischievous cripples on Anamika’s face. Harichand is already dead. Children are married and settled in some foreign land. By now Anamika is a grandmother, too. 

Anamika’s natural death came on a dark, rainy night. When her soul got liberated, it was at first carried away by a cold breeze. Then it was hit by three rain drops. It got a tryst with Tulsi flowers before getting into the form of a shining, graceful globule – the soul globule! Myriads of rain drops reflected the shine of that globule and the dark of night was turned into full of lights. Like a piece of iron to a magnet, Anamika’s soul was drawn to a red rose where Alok’s soul was taking a respite within a butterfly. Anamika’s soul invaded the butterfly and met Alok’s soul. Thus the cute little butterfly’s tiny mind became a big world for the meeting souls. Between souls, there is no hugging or kissing. What would generally happen is souls see each other, identify each other, join, mix, merge and transcend together.  

While transcending out of the butterfly’s body, the sleeping insect seemed a bit disturbed. It fluttered its wings and flew into the light of Anamika’s house. There it landed on the dead body of Anamika kept with all ritual mourns. On seeing the butterfly on the corpse, some hushed: “see the butterfly... how it could come at this time!: The listener added: “May be the soul of Anamika”. Hearing this, two giggling globules hovered over and made an eternal transcend into thin air.  

- K.P. Sivakumar

Tintinnabulation for 11 12 13!

Nothing particular comes to mind for blogging this day. 

Still, how could I elude easily this special day without etching it on my Incredible Injera! 

Hence these jottings...

Especially while I am devoted to approaching exams... 

Ever since childhood I am getting this reminder: 'Don't keep things for the last moment, study lessons on time and be free while exams approach'. 

But in my life, I could never enjoy exams in such a way!

Yesterday evening Dr. Rajeeb Roy came and shared a new English world: 'tintinnabulation'. 

With all excitement of grabbing that fresh word, he explained the meaning to me: "a ringing sound". 

Over a cup of black tea, I chatted mechanically with him. The thoroughly new word, made no much tintinnabulation in me... 

Ringing in my mind was exam bells. Swirling in mind was something, sorry, Slum-thing!!

Dr. Rajeeb came just a few minutes after I could learn about the phenomena of slums from one of the lessons of Urban Sociology. 

Slums are part of both developed and developing nations - and even communist countries are not devoid of this most degraded living environs. 

What causes slums  - East side of Chicago and Dharavi of Mumbai?

What leads to Linfen slum in China?

Why slums are thus levelers of world nations???

Wait before I ferret out some information from my text books. 

It's exam time!! Dear readers, provide me your good wishes...

Respectful tributes for Mandela...

Image courtesy: retronaut.com

'Incredible Injera' bows before the precious ideals left behind by this great teacher, this African Gandhi!

Yohanis, the believer

(Contexts and characters of this story are imagination of the author that have got no connection with any real life contexts or characters.)

Image courtesy: http://1.bp.blogspot.com

The priest shouted once more: “Demons get away from this girl’s body...I order in the name of Jesus!” The solemn crowd of the girl’s relatives obediently reciprocated, “Amen!” But the girl fell fainted into the hands of Yohanis, her brother. The priest sprayed holy water over the girl’s face and she slowly opened her eyes. As usual, thanking the priest, the crowd got out of that shabby spiritual healing centre. While getting out holding his younger sister Meseret for the twelfth consecutive time out of the healing centre, Yohanis was thoroughly despaired. His conscience reminded him once more: “Believe... she will be cured”.  “God has given wings to angels, not to these believers to fly over all troubles”, Yohanis was thinking while walking two kilometres through the rouble-road, carefully carrying his exhausted, enervated sister. Again his mind gave the answer: “Believe... you will get wings”. 

*      *     *     *     *

In last two years, Yohanis saw his younger sister becoming hysteric at least 14 times. All these started when she passed out of the high school. Whenever she shows symptoms, the family rushes her to the spiritual curing centre, where she would faint at the stubborn mediation of the priest and blink open her eyes at the sprinkle of holy water. Then the entire family would heave a sigh of relief and return, refurbishing their belief in the divine. 

After the day’s ordeal, Meseret is now peacefully sleeping. She must be too tired. How brilliant, agile and diligent was she! Since the very day she got admission to the higher secondary two years back, she has been doing part-time jobs. In Ethiopia, there is nothing unusual of students working and earning money for their education.  Every morning Meseret distributed milk to some restaurants and houses. She would earn 6 birr each morning out of this. 30 days would provide her 180 birr. In the evenings she would become a sales girl in the village’s only shoe shop. There are no much shops or offices or commercial establishments in her village. The only extravagant landmark of that small town was confined to that shop named, ‘Best Shoes’. One can procure not only shoes, but overcoats, jackets and cosmetics – almost all Chinese.  After school, she would reach the shop at 5pm (11pm according to Ethiopian way of counting time) for duty and would work until it closes at 8.30pm (2.30pm according to Ethiopian way of counting time). Through this she could get 5 birr plus dinner on days of her work. That means 150 birr if she worked 30 days together. The morning services and the evening sales work together used to provide her a total of 330 birr a month, which was worth an amount for her needs. 

*      *     *     *     *

Everything went awry in the little girl’s life when her 52-year-old shop owner grew a lust for her. One night, he wanted her to stay with him. She continued unheeding the owner’s demand for two days. The third day proved the worst in her life. When the power went off, the owner put the shutters down and approached a trembling Meseret. Her throat became dry and no more cries came out from that frozen feeble human body. As the man became a beast, power came with a blast. Entire shop was in fumes and smoke... something was burning.  People started shouting from outside. There was a short circuit and the entire building was in flames... Someone broke open the shutters, crawled into the shop, pulled, dragged and threw Meseret out on to the road first; and thereafter the shop owner... Partly clad girl got huddled, covering her body with hands and bending her head towards her breast. She was profoundly shivering. Yohanis came running. When he came to know about the whole story, he lost all self control. In a frenzy, he kicked the shop keeper thrice – one to make him fall flat and two heavy stamps over the chest of the fallen man. Not over, he gathered a piece of charcoal and wrote boldly over the shop’s name to read “Beast Shoes”. He gave his own coat for her sister to cover her body. He gathered her towards him and both of them went back. Meseret’s first hysteric expression was on the next day of this ghastly incident.  And the agony repeats then and now. 

*      *     *     *     *

Thinking all these, Yohanis was sitting at the shade of the cattle shed, when his mother Herut’s compassionate touch over his head brought him back to this world. “Oh boy, come on, take some food”, Herut’s words were drenched in love. When he stood up, the calf came running and started drinking its mother’s milk. Yohanis was about to ride it away, but Hirut stopped: “No, no... let the calf drink as much milk as it needs”. Yohanis said, “But mother we need to sell milk to our regular customers. If the calf...” before he could finish, his mother added: “Yes, yes, today let it be not the day for our customers, let it be a day for our little calf”.  Heruth is a mother who valued compassion more than commerce. Holding Yohanis on his right hand Herut went inside. Inside, the home provided a cool setting for Yohanis. The mother has always been a healing touch for his burning heart. On the table was a glass of thick home-made curd mixed with local spices that Yohanis always loved to have. Two daboos (ball-shaped bread) and a little of smashed egg were also served to him. While enjoying mother’s care, Yohanis got that inward call: “Believe... nobody knows you better than your mother”.  Like a goddess this mother has been nurturing the two children ever since their father left them marrying another lady. 

*      *     *     *     *

Being a psychology graduate, Yohanis was offered a teaching job with the same university from which he passed out. The university was some seven hundred kilometres away from home. Considering the sister’s pathetic condition and mother’s old age, offer from the distance was not a choice for him. “Believe, you will get what you deserve”, conscience pacified him.  Yohanis recollected the Freudian theory of displacement  - strong emotional feeling of a person is sometimes displaced onto something else – it can be individuals, things, animals or birds – upon which the person would start venting his/her emotions. Freud arrived at this conclusion while postulating his own unshaken theory of religions. 

“Can my sister displace her huge vengeance against the old shop owner onto something else so that I could have finished that object for cooling down her disturbed mind”, Yohanis was thinking. For example, had Meseret imagined an ox in the place of her beastly shop owner, Yohanis could have readily killed that ox; or he could have helped his sister kill the beast for unleashing and ending her vengeance forever. “How long should my little sister bear this torture?” Yohanis wiped off a drop of tear from his eyes.

*      *     *     *     *

It was an April night. ‘Belg’ rains have already started in Ethiopia. Forenoons are brighter but all afternoons and nights are drenched in rain. This short rain season is best for farming certain long-cycle and short-cycle crops. Yohanis was coming back from the barley field. Barley is a short-cycle crop. He was thinking of replacing Barley with Millet, a long-cycle crop next time. “Should discuss with mother” he was thinking. He walked a bit careful for it was dark and the way was full of thick slimy mud. Someone was walking in front of him. He didn’t need a second look to ascertain that the person was none other than the shop owner – the rogue that tore apart the mental fabric of his darling sister. It is this beast that prevented him from accepting a job offer. It is due to this beast that paradise was lost for their modest household. Each thought turned into fury when his conscience murmured, “Believe, the paradise is open only for the sufferers of today”. Such esoteric principles could no more pacify him. He already blew a gasket to give a heavy kick from behind to the shop owner. That thunderbolt has got the man thrown some ten feet away where face down, he landed on the mud. Yohanis stamped ten times on the back of the man’s neck before ensuring him dead. 

There was no more compassionate, decent Yohanis, who has by then became an incarnation of a devil’s devil – a devil that was assigned by the God to kill another devil. He pulled the left hand of the corpse and started running home dragging it all along the way. At the bedside of Meseret, a heavily entranced Yohanis woke up his sister: “Meseret, Meseret, wake up my sister... see this sight... see this end of our home’s demon”. Meseret opened her eyes and saw Yohanis struggling to lift the dead body of the shop owner to show her its deformed face. “See this... smile my sister... see this and smile...” Yohanis was saying utterly trembling. Yes, Meseret smiled - for the first time since that horrible day.  

*      *     *     *     *

On the day of verdict, while standing at the court room, his mind repeated its pastime: “Believe, good days will come for you”. Yohanis neglected that totally. Good days after killing a person! What else is better than bringing back a smile on younger sister’s life!! The happiest day was the one when his younger sister smiled like a full moon, overcoming the dark of that heinous experience.  He was anticipating a death sentence which he could have readily accepted. But the court sentenced just five years of imprisonment! Even today, he couldn’t understand what prompted the court not to pronounce a death sentence or at least a life sentence for this great crime. 

Later he also heard a rumour that a newly recruited young police man named Shuma, who was entrusted with the job of writing the FIR has failed miserably in making the report foolproof; and hence the court could not find ample evidence to order the ultimate punishment. 

*      *     *     *     *

Now after thirty long years, while strolling through the paths trave

rsed by him in life, two things are clear for Yohanis: one, his sister’s husband is Ato Shuma who is currently the sub inspector with the Oromia Police and two, Burtukan, the only daughter of the man killed by him, is now with him in his life journey as his beloved wife.  Frazer, Freud, devils, spirits, rituals and God of different religions of the world are now mundane jargons for Prof. Yohanis at the Department of Psychology at one of Ethiopia’s leading universities.  

While pondering over religion, Peter Berger’s paradoxes always interest him: Berger’s earlier notion was that in the expansion of science, ‘White gods and the divine are replaced fast by white coats (of laboratories and scientists)’; later same Berger postulated that religions will sustain the modernity in various forms – it won’t be monolithic, but pluralistic religion’.  Nonetheless Prof. Yohanis never needs a second thought to ascertain that life is all paradoxes. 

- K.P. Sivakumar