Fearmongering.

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty

Those who thought civilization has conquered fear should think again. By killing the dinosaur, tiger and other animals and keeping the hapless ones in our zoos and making them fun exhibits the same people guiding civilization definitely thought fear was overcome.  By controlling all pandemic epidemics we thought fear was gone. The fear of war too has now been made less horrific. But terrorism has revived all myths of fear. The Covid 19 ( corona virus) however has taken us back to our primal fears of death. After the atomic deluge in Hiroshima mass death  became the most fearful thing that could happen to man. But now most countries have WMD (weapons of mass destruction) as  'deterrents'. Attack by brute force whether planned or accidental however, cannot be ruled out despite civilizational efforts. The United Nations, however, has proven effete- at best it is a debating club and at worst a financial burden  on nations. Fear perhaps, cannot be eradicated however man tries to muster courage. Fear is the beginning of wisdom but modern fear may not grant time to ponder, cogitate, analyse and devise counters. Today fear is like denatured rain, may fall on any human space.

But more than the fear of death by virus or atomic weapons a new fear grips the world now. The fear of fake news which many fear mongers manufacture out of thin air. Lies are spread at lightning speed by the new technological toys in our hands. Lies certainly are more exciting than truth or facts. If I say the Taj is a magnificent monument, it may not excite anyone, for almost everyone accepts the Taj Mahal  as a monument of beauty and also as a heart warming symbol of love. But if I say after all the Taj is a mausoleum  built by a ruler exploiting a dominated population, there  will be excitement. The statement is not a lie or truth, it is somewhat different from the unarticulated feelings of most people. The statement, however, innocuous it may be suddenly stirs up the nerves of controversy for which people have time. Who made the statement? If it is a Hindu, the conclusion  immediately will be that it is a 'hate speech'. It is meant to offend the muslims. The pomp of the Mogul Emperor is challenged and mocked at by a non-believer. This is a mischievous communally charged statement.... and so on. The social media will start buzzing and others will join in to create chaos. In fact any statement that one makes about a public figure, monument or person it will go viral in the social media. You may ask why should someone's statement is discussed at all? If people in a free democracy are free to express their opinion let them speak, why twist the statement and squeeze out communal juice out  of a statement ? This will happen because people would see religion in it. And religion is the greatest  dividing factor in the world.

But how to explain fearmongering taking out a meaning out of nothing? In India the Citizenship Amendment Act has been passed  to give citizenship to the persecuted minorities of the neighbouring Islamic countries. CAA is an Act to give citizenship to others  and it has nothing to do with the present Indian citizens. But lies were spread to create fear in the minds of a community  which challenges the government by illegally occupying a public road in Delhi in the name of saving the 'constitution'. The lie of Indians losing citizenship is so potent a truth for the organisers of the protest that they are not prepared to accept any assurance by any authority. How to explain this? Perhaps lies are more trustworthy and people decide their course of action on those lies, sacrificing values of their own as well as those of the communities of the country. Also they flout laws clinging on to the lies.

Drona in the Mahabharata heard that his son Aswasthama was dead.  He asked others and also Krishna, who said cryptically "Man or elephant Aswasthama is dead".  After hearing that he gave up his arms and was killed. Now the question is why didn't he enquire whether man or elephant had died? Krishna truthfully said about the death of Aswasthama, the elephant. But he added the lie about man, Awasthama. The lie was accepted by Drona. Man immediately believes lies and acts. ISIS motivated the people to die for religion with lies. Man is prone to believing lies with which he fearmongers. The social media is now a convenient medium to spread lies which lead to disastrous consequences. Social media users become town criers of lies. The sinister hidden evil in man comes out to create lies not to save life's dignity but to destroy human goodness. Fearmongers sadistically enjoy the crisis they create by their lies. If the Internet is not regulated by strict adherence to civilizational norms lies will develop a life of their own and vanquish truth to submission. Fearmongering be damaned.

The Wooden God

Water came up to your threshold

your Twenty Two steps drowned

your flag was torn you know why

your people blew apart in the dark

houses became burial for children

but your enigmatic smile unfaded

you sat on the gem stone, as if

nothing is wrong with your world.

People burn lamps day and night

your lidless eyes never blink

prayers , supplication appeals

flow around your demanding notice

but do you ever work or bother

what your children live for and how

storms, hurricanes, famine, festivals

go on yet you never meet the fates

of people you created fatefully.

Now get ready for revolt

shouts of down down will drown

the prayer songs and jingle bells

know your world or see your place

leave us as orphans or Father us now.

Sabita Sahu

I Protest

I do not live in a sealed world

no signboards are on display here

I spread  the message of equality

in gender, religion and politics.

If you raise evil eye

on her rising breasts

I protest.

If you bar her from temple

for her procreative fluids

I protest.

If you imprison her

in your routine duty

I protest.

If you treat her as a slave

rape her without her consent

taking her for granted

I protest.

If the old age home is

the address of your parents

who made you

what you are

I protest.

But if you discount my entity
throw at me your lamplight laws

I'll rise in my fury

as the new climate to

blast your towers of glory

and spit fire on your eyes,

forgetting my role

you have assigned to me:

No, I am Nature in uniform

respect me as I am.

Sabita Sahu

Jungle Jamboree

 Prafulla Kumar Mohanty

Jungle is the lungs of the world as fertility is the heart of the earth. Nature creates beauty, grace, symmetry and also chaos in artistic  fashion to display the variety  and plenty of life forms. But the Jungle is the primal creation containing her entire assets of insects, reptiles, canine, bovine and human to celebrate Nature's grace in a razzmatazz -  as if the creation of vegetation and movable life  is in a ceremonial dance and song of celebration. Nature has created the jungle for oxygen, food for all and also space to grow and expand. Trees stand like "greenrobed senators" to cogitate hermit like how to maintain harmony out of a plethora of voices, noises and sounds. The wild beasts too are a part of the jungle. The tiniest insects, the bulkiest animal - elephant- the strongest- lion, tiger- the wiliest fox and the most intelligent man- all are in the jungle living together with fear, joy hunger and alertness. Each species has different taste, habit and way of life. The birds sing and soar, the monkeys sit on the branches, tigers  are on the prowl, the deer and other fourleggeds steer clear of the wild and get domesticated by men who  use them to get more out of life. Each creature irrespective of size, shape and intelligence fends for life in its own way. But man being more comfort loving and capable of group strength tried to harness the beasts for his own use.  No creature except man cuts the jungle to burn wood or to build shelters. He watches  the dance of the peacock in the morning while the birds sing the morning prayer to the maker, the other animals watch with gleeful eyes. But man greeds for  the plumes and devises weapons. The dark night in the jungle is eerie, made more mystical by the cricket while the lovelorn chataks whine. But man is  awake to kill the mighty beasts for his bonfire.

Jungle has its own life. Like a rustic maiden decked with wild flowers  and leaves it sways in the lapping wind of spring in rhythm with the tuneful choir. In the rains the trees stand mute like waiting lovers looking at all sides and in winter like standing corpses wait for funeral , for the June sun. The animals follow the mood of the jungle and run, pause and stay still. At times like the town crier they announce the oncoming of danger, running away to temporary lairs. But man ignores all those moods of the trees and animals and plans and plots for his security, comfort and the luxury of the fruitioning trees, denying a share to others. Nature has no meaning for him. He tries to learn the language of the birds and beasts, sun, moon  and stars and thinks of conquering them all. He eats his jungle mates, entraps them to submission, nets the birds and drives away the others from their rightful habitation. He clears Khandab Forest for agriculture, for the Maya palace and for villages and cities. 

                    

Man became powerful by trading the jungle kingdom. He ate and sold the meat of other animals to the other jungle eaters everywhere. He built houses- not wooden cabins only, large Buckinghams. He also killed and exploited men who were less intelligent and weak. He invaded kingdoms for cows, for water, for  nature's womb resources- gems, oil, gas and fossils. He multiplied, grew, reached the top of the Everest, crossed the Atlantic. The dinosaur  became extinct, the tiger, lions, rhino are all now endangered species. It's man who is now the master. Jungles are now gone - almost. The Oxygen forest near Brazil, the lungs of the civilized world was burnt. The Australian Bushfire alarmed man but undaunted he moved on. His knowledge of the world was used as the  engine of destruction. He can now destroy the planet in three minutes- the time it took to create the earth after the Big Bang. He has poisoned the air. New York, Beijing, Delhi all are now chocked. In winter and rain his concrete jungles are buried under snow, drown under water. Ebola, Zika and now Corona sink his heart. He ignores the warnings of fellow men who are Scientists; calls conferences to rescue the jungle which he has replaced by steel and concrete. Big guns don't agree. Some leader says forests are our only resources; we will make furniture, paper, rubber and anything that our fancy takes on. Man has already made holes in the Ozone layer. But how does he care? He blames the others of destroying nature. He argues what if the rose is gone, see our paper roses. What if the air is poisoned, we have our air- purifiers. Our masks can protect us. Our medicines are like ambrosia, we will attain immortality. Our roof gardens give us beautiful flowers and oxygen. We can eat  artificial meat, milk and pills for hunger. We can. We will and shall go on.

He is now prepared for the new choir of the jungles which he has created . When unseasonal rains come he will dance in the bunkers. When snowflakes fly in the air and tower tops disappear he can sing with oboes in sealed AC halls. His frozen food will outlast the long untimely winters. If the temperature touches 80 degree centigrade he can fly on the mooncrafts to Uncle's craters. The new Jungle Jamboree is about to start. The ahs wohs  will now come to deafening pitch, he will  listen to taped music which will make the  cadavers take capers in the air. No  no , no  deluge, the new Jungle Paradise without breath, taste, smell - only a grand jamboree of eerie  silence.

Remake Me

I am not born to

flow like a rivulet

collecting canker and dirt
in smelly choked flow

losing my energy

on rocks and stones.

Why didn't you make me

Saraswati reborn in grace?

I would have flown

long and wide winding

bending, feeding man

for long centuries moving

towards the glow

of civilization.

Birds, creepers would have

grown big and forest like

vast fruity bountiful,

but you have made me

a lingering half stream dying

before knowing my end.

I am not dead yet

still lingering in the desert

you created around me

I am still pure, sweet and limpid

come bathe in me and see

how I will make the desert green

my immortal flow will compel

you to shift your abode

covering me on either side.

Sabita Sahu

Religion in India is Divisive

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty

Religion is the opium for  the damned - said Bernard Shaw. But hardly anyone agreed. Centuries have gone by. Science and rational ideas have changed many a mindset. Despite Descartes and Secularism blind faith has swept the world. Superstitions and ritualistic practices have enslaved men and women of all faiths. Temples and Mosques are destroyed only to be built again. The aggressors and believers in different faith systems come to a clash for which any odd thing is provocation enough to fight, kill and burn the works of centuries. Countries where the population believes in one religious faith do not have any real conflict to worry about. Those are states with one God regimen. The others are theocratic states where minorities lose their identities in no time. The Muslims and Christians never see eye to eye on anything. The clash  of Civilizations is an unpalatable reality in the modern world.  The Islamic State , inspired by religious persuasion, has during the past thirty years, done more harm to civilization than wars. Hatemongers roam the world without fear. But India is in an undeclared crisis after the creation of the Islamic State of Pakistan - a state carved out of greater India in 1947 along religious lines. The British for their own amusing mischief supported the two nation theory and made partition of India a Trozan Horse of a parting gift. India a Hindu majority state has more than 16 percent of Muslims and the two communities are never at peace with each other. Religion instead of being a uniting factor has now become a dividing energy which is more carnal than spiritual. The world too is in a state  of unease only because of religion. Should we now not question the veracity of religion? Does man need religion today.

Religion is a system of moral practices inspired by human incomprehension of the  larger world of nature around. Since the human condition is so very painful religion promises to relieve that pain. The limitations of man, his weakness, fear  and uncertainties of the morrow have an assured counter in religion. A passive surrender to an Almighty gives some confidence to face the real challenges of life. But the Gurus or the interpreters of religion do some clever fearmongering only to collect a large number of supporters  and use them as a power group. This power starts with spirituality but practically it becomes a political power to consolidate empires. During the last two centuries science has given man more power to heal and kill.  These gifts of science too are now used by the religious 'dictators'. The state, even if it is democratic exploits the beliefs of the people by adaptation or promise of protection.

Therefore we see more temples and mosques, longer queues in temple, more faith business and more money for the states. All our places of religious worship are all veritable hotels. The temple cities are tourists hubs. And now modern night life is created in a big way  to attract more tourists. Is it ever possible to separate religion from our socio- political life? Could we isolate the Vatican, the Kaba, Jagannath temple, Ram Mandir from the state management ethics of present day politics? The answer is No. But what is the reality, especially in India?

India stands divided by votebank politics for the groups of different faiths fight for power-not spiritual but political . India being a democracy religious freedom is guaranteed by the constitution and that freedom is exploited by power groups. All parties agree that religion should not be mixed with politics. They swear by a secular Constitution and practice votebank politics. The majority in Indian population believes in the Constitution, freedom of choice and expression and free market economy. But the political minorities create all confusion. Religious identity of  the turban and topi has made the Indian society chaotic. All institutions, the police, bureaucracy , courts of law and other branches of civil administration, even the army is powered by religion. Politicians openly support religious groups and everything is questioned on religious lines. Is it now time to think of "banning" all religions to private spaces?

In the now world one small Island country, Iceland, has demonstrated to the world that  society, civilization and political administration can be  safely made vibrant without religion. One may worship whatever faith he/ she has but it shall not be recognised in the administrative process of civilizational management and progress. India badly needs a similar political attitude. Let people go to their temples, mosques or clubs but that should not invade public space. Can the Indian Parliament pass  such a law as Iceland did? I know it is easier said than done but it must be done to save the Indian society. Science should predominate education, all religious festivals and processions should be banned, there should be one uniform civil code and no citizen will mention religion in any kind of form. The identity of an Indian should be Male/ Female and nothing else. Does anyone have the gumption to enforce it in  India?

Insanity

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty

Often people ask how can a true human being retain his sanity in this mad mad world? Whenever I hear  such a question I doubt whether the question is merely a rhetorical  expression of a confused mind or a statement made unthinkingly just to make  a conversation move directionless into abstractions. For who is a true being.  And how is this zillions year old world  mad? If the world is created to grow and move along  time's uncharted course with a purpose to reach a definite goal, the mater is different. But if this is a 'mad mad' world how could a 'being' decipher the mad elements being a part of it for some time- say a hundred or less or more years? If a being fails to retain his sanity is the world at fault or the so called being  fails  to come to terms with his reality which in any case is a partial perception of the totality as the being's movements both physical and mental, are spatio-temporally limited. One may call this hair-splitting. But is it not true  that sanity is an inner accord of all inborn qualities ? A man is born with a body ( machine) which is operated by mind and heart: The other parts are built around them to function in a rational manner . If  man is a rational animal his rationality is shaped and formed by nature- society and the unseen unpredictable happenings which shock man to ponder the energies impalpably present in the world of eye and ear. A rational man is never stuck at any point. His perceptions are seldom synecdochic.  He may generalise on particulars but does not particularize although to " Particularize is the alone mark of distinction" as William Blake opined. All particularities and generalities are sorted out by human observation and these observations are the components of a rational view of the world. This is human sanity.

What is insanity then ? When a person fails to assimilate and analyse the insanitary events and things , the incongruous and unfamiliar things into a meaningful whole related to life and experience he gets stuck at a point of incomprehension. His mind fails to control the psychosomatic system. His words, actions, movements become erratic and out of sync with what we call  normal rational behaviour. We call such persons insane, mad and lunatic. A man who fails to win the love of a woman at times goes 'mad'. People laugh at him and say - see what a fool this man is ! There are  so many woman in the  world if one ditches you, you ditch ten, well, the lover is a rare specimen. He finds his world, purpose and meaning of life in one woman. He cannot find substitutes for his love does not compromise or settle for less. Would you call him mad, insane? Was Hamlet  mad? I would have called Hamlet mad, had he eloped with Ophelia. Insanity is at times a poetic  frenzy where the world seems to be too small before his love. What will you call Harry and Meghan who have forsaken royalty to seek out their own identities? They are saner than the others. Diana was insane for she moved out of the charmed world of royalty to seek forbidden pleasures.

There are exceptional people who relinquish power and the mundane luxuries to find out their society. They have the right to ask the question with which I have begun this piece. Was Alexander Fleming insane to work in a ramshackle openwindowed room to save wounded soldiers? Insanity has different connotations. We have clinical insanity where the mind has congenital defects or induced defects because of a weak nervous system. But where the mind searches for ways and means of changing the state and fate of man and behaves abnormally we have to pause and think before calling them mad. Einstein, Nietzsche, Romeo, Dr Schwitzer and  Newton were all mad to keep humanity sane . Some politicians like Vajpayee, Churchill, Mao Tse Deng  were mad to change the society and put man on a higher order. Rousseau, Lincoln and Marx were mad but their madness was  Super-rational. They thought not of themselves but of the rest of humanity.  The creative  artists is always irrational and insane for they follow a different order of nature  to change the society for the good of man.

Sanity is a balance of contrarian values proportionately harmonized to avoid extremes either way. They never try to reach the moon, never spend sleepless nights imagining heavenly grace with their beloveds. They are homeopathic men and women who worry  how to get more from petty lives. They never dream of giving things in word or deed. They generalize like idiots to particularize and  hold he value aloft as a beacon for man is not in their mind or heart. The genius is often called insane but how true and beautiful is that insanity which gives a turn to the drab routine of history!