Necessity, Gandhi And Invention

                             NECESSITY, INVENTION AND GANDHI

“Hind Swaraj” published by Mahatma Gandhi in 1909 continues to be relevant and draw attention even today. The book has become a sort of benchmark in politico-philosophical discourse in India. There are many thoughts advanced by the Mahatma in the book that are difficult, rather impossible to follow in the modern day. Such as that the railways are not necessary. Let us not judge it on the face value. Gandhi himself frequently used the railways. The basic point is to understand if any limit can be fixed for the human needs?

Tolstoy is often referred to as Mahatma Tolstoy in India. Mahatma Gandhi was deeply impressed by him. In one of his famous short stories he brings the reader to face the stark truism that what a man really needs is just a small piece of land for his burial. The majority of Indians is cremated rather than buried and doesn’t need even that. Yet, we have come to live in a social atmosphere where ‘Per Capita Consumption’ has become the yardstick to measure progress.

Seen from this angle, India is and will be considered a backward nation, unless it reaches parity with the US, UK or Japan in terms of per capita consumption of energy, coal, steel, wood, water etc. If there were 20 million computers in the US and the same number in India, it would still be called underdeveloped as eighty percent population would not have this toy of the new age. Ditto with the mobile phone and similar gadgets.

The countries of the Northern Hemisphere face long spells of cold weather. One can understand their need for heavy warm clothing. But when a warmer place like Colombo or Chennai starts emulating them then does it not become a matter of concern? In India a lot many people think nothing about wearing a three-piece suit even in hot summer days. There is any number of college teachers that wouldn’t take a class without sporting a tie. In my town I see that even in government schools, where children come mainly from poor families, wearing tie has been made compulsory. No responsible politician or bureaucrat or newspaper is bothered about it.

Of late, two inventions have come in vogue in India. One is the ‘Inhaler’ for Asthma and another is the road fly-over. The two have a direct connection with the increasing number of automobiles on roads. The smog generated by diesel/petrol is responsible for the increase in incidence of Asthma and therefore the use of the inhaler. Frequent traffic jams have generated the demand for building of fly-overs. But was it all that necessary for India to have so many automobiles? More vehicles have meant more expenses, more crowded roads, more pollution, and consequently more wastage of time and more diseases. If only we were little more careful, we would not have so much necessity for these inventions.

Similar is the case of water. Does anybody has the idea that how much water goes waste in the WC system. In the name of necessity we waste precious water and then invent grandiose schemes to bring it to the cities from long distances. The city of Indore cheered when it started getting water from River Narmada, more than a hundred kms away. But the scheme brought real happiness to contractors, builders, suppliers, officers and politicians. Now plans are afoot to bring Ganga water to Delhi from faraway Tehri Dam. It will also bring happiness to some more people who matter. But should not we stop and ponder if the invention of the Water Closet (WC) was really necessary or there is an alternative to it!

I recently saw in Japan that sofa set or dining table is not a necessary fixture in an average household. For sleeping a foldable bamboo mattress is preferred to a cushioned bed and tea or supper is usually served on a low-height teepoy. How about us! I presume that at least one tree per household is killed for providing furniture in India. Additionally, it occupies precious space in the house. Such furniture items might were invented to fulfil some specific needs, but over the times it has become more of a prestige point than a real necessity.

My article was intended to open discussion on mobile phone and computer. But I digressed. A few days ago I read somewhere that the persons who spend long hours with computers slowly start suffering from sexual disorders. If the research in this field is to be believed than an absurd question may be asked whether the computer could be used in India for population control! May be people will soon start exchanging SMS jokes about this!

The computer technology has brought a new trade opportunity in the form of ‘Call Centre’ to India. Thousands of young Indians working in them stay awake throughout the night as they observe working hours according to US Standard Time. They seldom see the light of the day and survive on junk food like oily pizzas. This life style is giving rise to depression and other disorders. The mobile phone users are also getting regular warnings about ailments seldom heard before. This is a peculiar situation. Invention of a machine is supposed to bring comfort in the human life but in these cases it has brought only misery. Why is it so?

I realise that gadgets like mobile phone or computers are here to stay. I myself have started using them. But I wish to ask several questions about necessity, utility and desirability of the gadgets. Such as when the day would come when every household, if not every person, will have a computer? Obviously, this will remain a distant dream even after a hundred years. In that case, what would be the impact of social division created by the machine?

At some given time in history, man (or woman) invented the script, followed by the wooden type and then the printing press. In the early age tree bark was used for writing of books. It was replaced by the writing paper. This immensely benefited the society, as it became possible to preserve the treasure of knowledge. But in the process, those who could not read or write were left out from testing the fruit of collected knowledge. A vast chasm got created between those who could write and those who could not. Those who were able to write started controlling destiny of those who could put only thumb impression. Was it not the reason that ledgers of moneylenders were burnt in Naxalbari? (Here readers may remember the scene from the epic film ‘Mother India’). Moreover, those who could not buy books were also by default denied access to knowledge as printed.

This has created a situation where a political system like Democracy has been reduced to the position of a wage slave of the elite. This is the reason that the demand to de-franchise illiterate masses is raised again and again. If the capability to buy books and knowledge of letters can create such a divide then just think of the scenario likely to emerge in the future. There may come a day when Bill Gates will prepare the voter lists of India and all candidates in the elections will be his customers!

Inventions will continue to take place. It is in human nature to explore new horizons. But we need to ask ourselves that to what extent an invention might serve interests of the mankind and the world. The explosion of the atom bomb had fascinated eminent physicist Rutherford. New inventions and new gadgets often enchant us- the common men and women. The important thing is to remember that a machine is to be used only as a mean in a judicious way. We should not allow it to become our mission, our purpose, our end, and our destiny.

Note: This article is being published on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. If we are interested in exploring the dichotomy between necessity and invention, then there is no better touchstone than the Mahatma’s thoughts.

Written and translated by Lalit Surjan

Published in Deshbandhu, Raipur on 2^nd October 2003

This article may be circulated among friends and reproduced in any form.

Necessity Is Mother Of All Inventions?

                   NECESSITY IS MOTHER OF ALL INVENTIONS??

We were told from our school days that necessity is mother of all inventions. Like ‘Pen is mightier than sword’ this also used to be a main topic for essay writing in both the major languages- Hindi and English. This adage appears to be true when one sees practical application of many an inventions in our day-to-day life. From the humble matchstick to the aeroplane any number of inventions have been put in the service of the mankind. Yet, the adage may not pass the test in each and every case. For example, do we need the atom bomb or for that matter, sword, rifle or hand-grenade?

In order to accept these weapons as useful, it will be required to cast a new definition of necessity. It will have to be linked with the human nature. It will have to be said that a weapon of mass destruction like atom bomb is necessary if only to assuage the ego of a handful of people who dream to rule the world. In other words, ninety-five percent ordinary peace loving people do not need weapons. It is the necessity for the demons in the garb of human beings.

Then, perhaps it will need to be said that the invention of ‘nail-cutter’ was necessary for clipping the nails of the animal called human and make him appear civil and decent. As has been said by Hajari Prasad Dwivedi in his famous essay ‘Why the nails grow’. But where is the tool that may cut the hidden nails of those who have sold out their souls to Satan? It appears for a moment that the society can never escape from the dilemma of good and bad and the both will run side by side. But then another thought strikes me. What was ‘SATYAGRAH’ invented by Mahatma Gandhi if not an effective weapon to fight injustice!

Well, it is not my intention to delve in the realm of high philosophy. I am not qualified for it either. What I want to discuss here is inventions like TV, computer, cell-phone etc. that have become part of our daily life, particularly in the life of the urban elite. One who does not posses these gadgets is called a backward nowadays. It will be interesting to know not only their impact on the society, but also to understand that to what extent these inventions were generated by necessity.

Mobile phones have become commonplace in the country. They have replaced the pager, which remained in vogue for a short-lived period. A few years ago when in my wisdom I advised my Mumbai representative to acquire a pager, his laconic reply was that even the peons no longer used it. The message was clear. Either provide a mobile phone or let it be as it was. I cursed myself for my ignorance and being out-of-sync with the day. After all, I had assumed the humble pager to be a valuable invention.

But today, even the mobile phone has lost much of its sheen. Like many more things, it has become yet another simple object in the life of millions of Indians. It is no longer important if you own a mobile phone or not. The notable thing is the model of the handset. The costlier with added features is always better. Even if many features have no practical use. I want to understand that to what extent it is fulfilling a need, and to what degree it has become a status symbol!

Sometime ago, a beautifully produced advertisement of a mobile phone company was shown on TV. It pictured the Indian village woman using the mobile phone. A trade union friend after seeing this advertisement commented “Now the husband will call his wife to know where she was only to get the reply that she was at the river five kms away to fetch a bucket of water.” See the irony of it and tell me what do you think of it.

I also started using a mobile phone two years ago. But even today I am not sure if I really need it. You are busy in a meeting, get a wanted or unwanted call midway and become disturbed. I am reaching the conclusion that if you have to call some one then it’s okay. But in case of an incoming call it is unnecessary, rather bothersome on nine out of ten times. It mostly comes in use only because it’s a toy in one’s hands to play with.

A number of my friends have found a new application of the mobile phone. They send jokes, greetings and verses through SMS. They are modern day citizens. I find it hard to answer to their messages. I lack the ability to remember either jokes or verses. The mobile phone companies also untiringly use SMS to advertise their new services. I consider it best to ignore them.

Big cities are served by more than one company. I am flooded with SMS from these companies exhorting to use their network no sooner I have arrived in the city. Just like the hawkers in a flea market. On the other hand there is any number of places not yet connected either with this facility or my service provider has no access to the local network. In this situation the handset stays inside my travel-pack like a useless piece of luggage. Though if necessary it can always be used as an alarm clock.

I have almost a similar experience with the computer. A few months ago, a computer was installed on my table. Now my room looks more glamorous. Perhaps my visitors are duly impressed by it. I now ask for e-mail ID from my acquaintances instead of postal address and pity the friends who are still without a computer and give them unsolicited advise to get one at the earliest.

Yet, even after several months I have not been able to decide if this gadget was necessary in my life. It is okay that it has enabled me to enlarge my contacts through out the world by means of e-mail, but it is debatable if it was all that necessary. I get a lot of unwanted mail on my computer and may be; recipients of my mails also find my e-mails unnecessary and unwanted! E-mail might be useful in many cases, but I can see some of its drawbacks. Like you can communicate only with e-citizens proficient in English. There are many technical complications and financial expenses involved if one wants to use Hindi or any other Indian language. And then the computer post is not as cheap as the good old postcard.

We are already past the third year of the new century. Computer revolution has very much arrived in India. The million-dollar question is that how many people can afford to use this new invention. A desktop with basic features is priced at around Rs. 35,000.00. More money is needed to install more features. Its running cost is also considerable. Who has this money?

It can be argued that cyber-cafes have opened up at every nook and corner, even in smaller towns. But how many people can afford the user-fee. A petty twenty rupees for one-hour use is beyond the reach of millions. Then, how many of them understand English? This harsh reality is creating a chasm in the world. It is now being divided between the computer-literate and the computer-illiterate. Those who live in the world of computers are now called ‘Netizens’. The rest are citizens. Perhaps not even that. What I see is that the most of netizens are blissfully unaware of the world beyond cyber-space. Or that they just don’t care!

Written and translated by Lalit Surjan

Published in Deshbandhu, Raipur on 25^th September 2003

This article may be circulated amongst friends and reproduced in any form.

 

Gandhi & Computer

                                                                                      

An interesting discussion took place the other day in a chat with friends. The topic was- would Mahatma Gandhi use the Internet and computer had he lived today. My simple reply was- Yes! Bapu would certainly use this new technology. I elaborated- Though he wrote against the railways in “Hind Swaraj”, he never hesitated in using it. When his mentor Gopal Krishna Gokhale advised him to undertake a study tour of India, the Mahatma took the train to tour through the length and width of the country. Later, he also used this mode of transport extensively in his mission to educate and arouse the people of India to fight against the colonial rule. As a person with a simple life style Gandhi was making optimum use of his precious time, and at the same time was using the cheapest mode of travel.

Looking from this angle, I feel that he would not hesitate to use the computer. The person who was known to save a single pin and use the smallest slip of paper would rather feel happy to use this paperless technology. The time saved by using it might also have impressed him. Yet, I suspect he would have raised certain doubts about the computer as he did about the railways a century ago. Gandhi using cold logic would definitely want to know that for whom and to what extent the computer was necessary and useful. He would not be overawed by the fast pace of development taking place in the field of information technology. On the contrary, the foremost thought on his mind would be that how best this technology could serve the larger interest of the society.

We have recently observed the Gandhi birth anniversary. On this occasion, while using computer, Internet and cell phone, I ask myself if these gadgets have any substantial utility for the common people. I also think about the flip side of this new age technology. While watching a particular TV ad of a mobile phone service provider one might feel happy that a rickshaw puller, a tea-stall waiter, a kiosk attendant- all have become empowered by owing a cell phone. But the very next second the punch line of the ad comes as a hard slap on the face. The sentence in Hindi implies that the mobile phone is so cheap that every tom, dick and harry can now own one. Thus, while this ordinary daily wage earner is looked down with derision in social status, the profiteers have no compunction in manipulating him for acquiring a toy that might not have any real use for him. This is the bitter truth of life.

Besides the cell phone, false necessity is being created for similar gadgets through advertising and marketing tricks. But the matter is not limited to product promotion or sales. It goes beyond that. The way the new technology is tearing up the social fabric is a matter of grave concern. The I.T. has been so much glorified that no debate is taking place to discuss its negative aspects, neither in the public sphere, nor at the governmental level. Every now and then, some incident of abuse of new technology would come into light. More often than not, innocent teenagers would be involved in the incident. There would be some hue and cry for a few days, media would exploit it as juicy news to improve its rating, and than it would all be forgotten. There would be hardly any concern for the basic issue. This is something akin to ‘Art for Art’s sake’ philosophy. They appear to tell that technology should be autonomous of the society and social values.

It appears that the present day governments too subscribe to this view. In India the government has made a clear departure from the Nehru era concept of social applicability of science and technology. Let us try to recall what was the policy statement of the government when television was introduced in India some four decades ago. Similarly, what were the objectives behind launching Satellite Instructional Television Programme (SITE) by the ISRO in 1975, and what has been its fate? What we see today is that even the state owned TV, in its eagerness to earn more and more profits, has become a poor carbon copy of the privately held channels. This is an unfortunate development.

When in the mid-eighties Rajeev Gandhi invited techno-wizard Sam Pitroda to return home, the objective was clear- to take basic telephony to the remotest parts of the country.  Sam Pitroda did not fail the government. He developed a telephone exchange, which could give flawless service in the heat and dust of Indian villages. It was a unique achievement like the Amul Dairy of Dr. Kurien or the Konkan Railways of E. Sridharan. In all these cases these technocrats knew that they were rendering some very useful service to the society. From the rural telephone exchange we have advanced to half a dozen mobile phone service providers, and the communication setup of the country has been gradually handed over to the commercial interests. Now whatever claims may be made about the benefits accruing to the villages and the villagers, the main target is the urban populace.  The cell phone and its whole array of services has become a medium to massage its ego, fulfil its wild fantasies, and give a certain amount of sadistic pleasure.

Ditto with the computer. It is ultimately a costly technology, which can be used for the social good, but this is not happening. The much-proclaimed E-Governance remains still a pipe dream; whereas the E-Commerce and E-Chaupal (village square) run by corporate houses has become a reality in no time. The low-priced Simputer is still in the experimental stage, whereas the ever-increasing number of cyber cafes and cell phones is satisfying the lust of the urban and semi-urban people, mainly the young generation. All told, the I.T. has become the playground of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich- the filthy rich. A poor man may also join the league if prepared to bait his hard-earned money. Those who have devised this game will most likely not come the harm’s way. But the road ahead is fraught with danger for those who, driven by greed, are taking part in this game.

In this scenario we will do well to remember that this new technology arrived in India when traditional life style and value system were already on the verge of collapsing. The shrinking employment opportunities in the village, exodus to the cities, unplanned urbanisation, profit-orientation of education system, and breaking up of the joint family are some of the reasons that came in the way of imparting proper and so necessary guidance to the new generation. The generation gap has always been there, but these days we see total lack of communication between the two. If the young generation is attracted to these fancy toys, who is responsible for this, we must ask ourselves this question.

Written and translated by Lalit Surjan

Published in Akshar Parv October 2005 issue

This may be reproduced in full or parts without prior permission.

Everest: Again And Again

                                            EVEREST: AGAIN AND AGAIN

Today is a memorable day. Fifty years ago, on 29^th May 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgey had reached on Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. It was an extra-ordinarily thrilling moment in the mankind’s victorious march. The world is celebrating golden jubilee of that historic occasion for last several days. Special material is being published in the journals on Mt. Everest. To re-enact the past, a large number of expeditions have been taken up in this season with renewed enthusiasm. A 16-year Sherpa girl reached the top and created a new record. She became the youngest person to attain these heights. A Japanese mountaineer made another record. At the ripe age of 70, he became the oldest person ever to reach on Mt. Everest. A successful expedition was conducted by a group of 5 Indian Army personnel. In the meantime, an interesting story has come to light through a new book published by Major M.S.Kohli, an Everest veteran. We now know that Major Kohli was serving the Indian Army as a spy in the Himalayas. What could have been a better cover for conducting the task? Amongst all these heart-warming stories, one comes across unseemly debates about whom really reached first on Mt. Everest, and who should be given credit for this feat. In this huge pile of news stories two items were quite worrisome. One that the pristine beauty of Mt. Everest and of its approaches was being marred due to garbage and rubbish littered around by the climbers. Another was that nouveau riche people, who have hardly any love lost for the mountains, were joining the expeditions in large numbers with an eye on the fame that their money could buy.

One of the two heroes of 1953 is not alive today. Sherpa Tenzing Norgey passed away many years ago. But it’s heartening to note that in this festive atmosphere all has duly and richly remembered him. His achievement is a matter of pride for the sub-continent. Though, Tenzing was a Nepalese, India always treated him as her own. For a long time, he served as the Director of National Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeeling, and taught the youngsters to live fearlessly and accept challenges in life. This may be recalled that ever since his return from the expedition, he got immense affection and support from Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. Sir Edmund Hillary is still active defying his age. The Govt. of New Zealand did a very sensible thing some years ago, by appointing him as High Commissioner to India. A relationship of deep love and affection between Sir Edmund and India & Nepal has developed over the years. He refused to consider the Everest victory as his final mission. Readers may remember that after that he once lead the Ganga expedition, too. But the beauty is that he has moulded his achievements into a life filled with profound human concern. Hillary is running many a programmes for the welfare of the Sherpas living in the shadow of the Himalayas. Not many people know that there are 27 hospitals and a number of schools being run under his guidance. He is also conducting several job-training programmes for their well-being. One feels grateful to Sir Edmund Hillary for his concerns and philosophy of life.

The mankind has always yearned to break new grounds and attain new heights. It is in his nature. In the modern times, Hillary and Norgey are among the brightest examples of this inherent quest. I tend to remember so many other names, stories of whose deeds fill our hearts with joy and thrill, and inspire to do something new and good in life, like Yuri Gagarin, Valentina Tereshkova, Neil Armstrong, Rakesh Sharma and now Kalpana Chawla. The persons of my age may also remember “Lyka”- the very first creature to orbit the space, a trusted friend of man. None of the above-mentioned was either a spiritual Guru giving discourse on meaning of life, or a philosopher deliberating on the question of relationship between life and cosmos, nor a statesman steering the course of nation and society, and nor a billionaire with the inflated notion of holding the universe in his palms. They all were ordinary people, living an ordinary life; but aren’t the meaning of life, secrets of the cosmos, direction of the society and the power to hold the world self-evident in what these people have achieved?

Think of it, what does a person need in this life? What is there to life after fulfilling basic requirements of day-to-day existence? There are a big, very big number of those who are content to live an eventless, mundane life. They are happy people, who don’t look beyond their own existence. Then are a big number of those for whom the ultimate meaning of life lies in amassing wealth and power. They are pre-occupied all the time with selfish desires of name, fame, sensuous pleasures, and even salvation. To fulfil their dreams, they show false dreams to others. But when asked if the mankind has made all the progress on the strength of these tow categories, reply will be an emphatic NO. Those who have remained confined to their respective circles, big or small, are no doubt part of the larger picture, but their existence has never been a fount of inspiration to human civilisation.  If we have made any progress over last several thousand years, it has been achieved only due to those who dared to come out of narrow confines, who refused to be blind-folded forever like the ox in the oil-mill, and those who chose to go on uncharted paths. I would like to quote a few lines from my favourite poem by Robert Frost- “Two roads diverged in the woods/ I took the one, less travelled by/ and it made all the difference”.

Hillary and Norgey did reach atop Mt. Everest, but what did they achieve by it? There was no hidden treasure on the peak; no rare jewels were to be found there. But their expedition did serve to unfold a number of hidden meanings. Who could have better understood the meaning of being alone on the top than this duo? Isn’t it in-built in the pains suffered in a difficult journey on a rough terrain that a life isn’t exactly bed of roses? Doesn’t an arduous journey undertaken by two persons- one a white-skinned sahib from New Zealand, another a poor labourer from a small village in Nepal- prove that after a point, nation, religion, language, colour of skin, and gender, all lose their relevance? It would rather be more correct to say that they are always irrelevant and meaningless, but such journeys help us to see them still clearly. What else this successful expedition did was that thousands of young persons were encouraged to shed their fears and hitch and go out to explore new horizons- From Norbu, Kohli, Ahluwalia, Bachendri Pal and santosh Yadav to this sixteen-year-old girl. Let it be remembered that this story dates back to the era when there was no Guinness Book of Records. Those early explorers were quite different from those who undertake such missions for material gains. Mt. Everest expedition was not a game sponsored by a TV channel or a liquor company. There may be momentary thrill and self-satisfaction in the gimmicks being performed these days and new records being set everyday, but the seed of inspiration is not there. The way these games are shown on TV screen leads in no time to boredom and indifference. The acrobatics showed in a circus look more real and lively, perhaps because the anguish of life is evident in them.

Today we salute Sir Edmund Hillary and send him our best wishes. We also remember Sherpa Tenzing Norgey from the depths of our hearts, and would like to hope that young people not only in India, but also all over the world will take inspiration from this saga. If there is any meaning of this golden jubilee day, it is that young ones should say good-bye to despair and dejection; and putting aside all differences of race, colour, language, gender and nationhood should strive to conquer hitherto unreached summits of human civilisation.

Mt. Everest may inspire us, again and again.

Written and translated by Lalit Surjan

Published in Deshbandhu, Raipur on 29^th may 2003.

                            RAIPUR: A BRIEF HISTORY

Raipur, one of the five major cities in erstwhile Madhya Pradesh, became the capital of the newly created state of Chhattisgarh on 1^st November 2000. It’s an old city, its documented history going back to February 1402. In ancient times Chhattisgarh, also known as Dakshin Kosal, was ruled by the Kalchuris. It is believed that Rai Bramhadev founded the city of Raipur in the latter half of the fourteenth century, when the dynasty was in decay and had started branching out. However, there is collaborative evidence that the city was in existence at least for another three hundred years before this period. Budhatalab- the grand old manmade tank in the city is estimated by hydro-geologists to be almost one thousand-year-old. Then is the intriguing fact that there are ancient temples dating back to 10^th/11^th century situated in all four directions each some twenty kms away from the city-Centre of the present day Raipur.

The oldest settlement of Raipur was on the banks of River Kharun, where again there is an ancient Shiva temple. Now known as Raipura, it’s an independent village, chiefly inhabited by fisher-folk and potters. The second phase of the city is known as Purani Basti- literally meaning the old township. This township, at least its major part, was perhaps inside the walled city in the past. The ruins of the wall were visible till the early Seventies. The fortress has gone but the Purani Basti has retained its Old World charm to a very large extent. There are old houses and badas of the pre-cement period, some of them built a hundred or two hundred years ago. There are meandering lanes and bye-lanes where people talk with you only in Chhattisgarhi- so distinct from Hindi. Then there are old temples like Mahamaya Mandir, Dudhadhari Math and Nagridas Mandir. Mahamaya Mandir was built around the 15^th century and Dudhadhari in the 17^th century. In this part of Raipur is also situated the old Kho-Kho Talab with its beautifully built separate bathing Ghats for man and woman. The development of the old township roughly corresponds with the Maratha rule in the region.

The third phase of the city was broadly developed in the 19^th and 20^th century almost simultaneously with the British Raj. This is the main residential and business district of the present day. In this part of Raipur are several monuments and functional buildings of the colonial era, like the Kaiser-e-Hind Darwaza erected in 1877 to commemorate Queen Victoria taking up the title of “Empress of India”, old Town Hall built around 1890, octagonal old museum and so on. In this area Swami Vivekanand spent two years of his early childhood. Raisaheb Bhoot Nath Day- the first Indian head of the National Library also lived in this city, so as Pundit Ravi Shankar Shukla- veteran freedom fighter and the first Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

Raipur is a growing city. It has been the commercial capital of Central-East India for almost a hundred years ago. There are two universities and many other educational institutions in the city. It has many amenities one would like to see in a modern city. It also suffers from the same ills that have infected other major cities in India. Till late Sixties there were 130 tanks in the city. Only thirty remain today. The rest have been usurped by the construction Mafia, if I can say so. Though Raipur has become the state capital, it hasn’t brought any welcome change for the common citizen. There are plans afoot to build a new capital twenty-km east of Raipur. That shall be the newest phase of development of the city, relegating the past into obscurity.

Lalit Surjan/ 25^th April 2004

The writer is Chief Editor of Deshbandhu and Convener, INTACH, Chhattisgarh State.

Why The Nails Grow?

                                       

At the end of the tunnel you see a flicker of light, only to realise that another tunnel lies ahead. Thus goes the caption of a cartoon that I saw in a magazine recently. As we pass from one anniversary to another of that deadly day sixty-two years ago, we are also engulfed by a sense of Déjà vu that many more tunnels are still to be crossed before we finally reach our cherished goal. The each passing year throws before us new situations, new problems and new challenges that we must face. One year it is aggression on Iraq by the almighty US, the next year it might be the threat of nuclear bomb in possession of North Korea, or the matter Indo-US nuclear deal or the potentially explosive situation in Iran. Even when we talk of using nuclear power for peaceful purpose, we know that it comes with its own set of problems, which can’t be ignored. We have only recently witnessed such a problem in the case of a minor accident in a power plant in Japan. In short, the entire nuclear issue is getting more and more complex as the time flies past.

Yet, the peace movements all over the world continue to work relentlessly for finding solutions to these grim realities. We have never let despondency take over our souls as we continue to walk on our chosen path. Deep in our hearts we know that the collective wisdom of the peace-loving majority of the world populace shall prevail ushering in the era of enduring peace very soon. We, as volunteers for peace have high regards for the common sense of ordinary men and women. Hence, our belief that the human race was able to progress from the ancient times to this far only because it had always preferred peace to violence and civility to raw instincts. If there have been aberrations on way, and without doubt there are examples galore, it has fought them with all the might at its command. As a student of literature, I find enough material in the works of our great masters to support this view.

I wish to tell you here about a major Hindi writer of the twentieth century. In one of his more widely read essays he ponders over “Why The Nails Grow”. He mulls- “It seems to me that though the nails served the man as weapons in the pre-historic days, he now wants to discard them. He no longer wants to keep the remains of the barbaric ages. Yet, I doubt if cutting nails is enough. The cruelty of the man has not diminished. The nail-bearing man of the yore has today come to depend upon the atom bomb. After all, the massacre of Hiroshima has happened only recently. But if he coolly thinks, he would know that the tendency to grow nails is the manifestation of animal instinct, and the tendency to cut them is the symbol of humanity. Therefore it would be most desirable to teach our young people that be it nails on a person, or weapons in possession of a society, it is imperative to check their growth for the sake of humanity.” The name of this celebrated writer is Hazari Prasad Dvivedi. He was a disciple of the great Ravindra Nath Tagore. This year we are observing his birth centenary.

It is such thought that keeps us walking. We want to abandon all sorts of weapons and make this earth a safer and better place to live in. We want to leave for our children a world that is free of weapons and wars, a world free of hatred and mistrust, a world free of tyrants and despots, a world free of self-appointed guardians and saviours. We dream of a world where the sun and the moon, the breeze and the waves, the snow and the grass all sing in harmony and peace reigns supreme. Let us re-dedicate ourselves this day to work tirelessly for making this dream come true.

Lalit Surjan                                                                            Hiroshima Day 2007

Vice President

All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation

 PS: I presented this speech at World Assembly Against Atom & Hydrogen Bomb in Hiroshima

"We Shall Overcome"

                                         

If asked, which song is sung throughout the world from East to West and North to South with the same enthusiasm and gusto, the answer most likely shall be “We shall overcome”. Legendary American singer and civil rights activist Paul Robeson had composed this song some eight decades ago, words and tune of which have been memorized at heart by the millions. It was used as the marching song when Martin Luther King Jr. led demonstrations on the streets of America demanding equal rights and human dignity. This innocuous song scared the US capitalist system so much so that it forced Paul Robeson to leave the country.

The well-known poet Girija Kumar Mathur translated this immortalised song in Hindi in the early fifties for All India radio. I learnt it in my school days then. It has acquired the status of a signature song throughout the country over the last five decades. Every now and then it may be heard- in a school assembly, in a corner meeting, in a public demonstration and even in an official function. From school kids to factory workers sing this song and get filled with renewed energy. Besides Hindi, it has been translated into many a languages of the world. “We shall overcome” has become sort of a Mantra for the people fighting against exploitation and injustice.

But as it, more often than never, happens in India, we take sadistic pleasure in defacing and demolishing the symbols that give us strength and solace. We don’t let go a single opportunity to insult Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi’s image on the Hundred-rupee note has become a code-word amongst the palm-greasers. A rubbish phrase like “Majbooree ka naam Mahatma Gandhi” (Helplessness, thy name is Mahatma Gandhi) is often used in common parlance. I have known senior Congress Party leaders reveling in dirty jokes on the Mahatma. We have met out the similar treatment to this song.

By we, I don’t mean the ordinary Indian citizen, but the powers that be in this country. The people who control the politics and economy of India have no respect for anything but power and affluence. The rest is the subject of scorn. The infamous stockbroker Harshad Mehta and his ilk represent this class.

It is the anti-societal mindset of the power elite that has recently produced a pervert version of  “We shall overcome”. A few days ago, I was aghast and deeply anguished to see a TV advertisement of “All Out” brand mosquito repellent. It showed a shot of innumerable mosquitoes singing the song during the night, and the repellent machine swallowing them. After all, what was the message of this ad? That the people are nothing but mosquitoes or that the song was fit only to be sung by mosquitoes, or that the people who sing this song are no more than tiny mosquitoes, which can be swallowed by the capitalist machine!

The advertiser may argue that it was not their intention. Or that they were just producing an advertisement in a lighter mood. The reply will not be wrong. The class that has adopted Harshad Mehta as its role model is not expected to offer a better explanation. The elite institutions of India like IIM and IIT are producing hundreds of young managers every year for running the financial machinery of this country. They excel in ten-second quiz competitions, but they have hardly any understanding of the broader realities of the country and the society. A person is just a customer, and the chart of their sentimentality does not go beyond the loss and profit!

It is not that the aristocracy of this country has chosen to ridicule “We shall overcome” alone. One after another advertisements appear on TV that denigrate finer values of life, dignity of labour, qualities of head and heart and instead glorify glamour, money and personal profits. A currently running advertisement of ‘Wheel’ detergent cake takes a dig at the humble washerman. Sometime ago, another ad-film of a washing powder depicted the washerman as an ass because he keeps company of the ass (customary in Indian set-up, ass being beast of burden).

The multinational soft drink manufacturers have smelled a huge potential in the vast Indian market. This has led to a fierce ad-war amongst the cola-companies. Such ads display an arrogant and careless attitude towards social sensibilities. One ad used three monkeys of Mahatma Gandhi, to say the least, in an undesirable manner. Another ad showed Indian scientific establishment in a poor light and questioned its research and findings. An advertisement for a cosmetic cream had the temerity to call the women having cracked heels as maidservants. And of course, there is no dearth of the ads promoting fair skin as the standard of a woman’s beauty. This is the irony of the country where ninety-percent women and men have brown skin.

This kind of depiction raises several questions. The young persons who make these ad-films, where have they been brought up - in India or somewhere else? If they have been raised in India, then what kind of education to them is being imparted? Is there a well-planned strategy in the training to cut them off from the broader realities of the country? Is it a deep conspiracy to raise an army of new wage slaves in this era of neo-imperialism? Is it that India has once again become a colony or is well on that path?

What is the responsibility of average Indian at this juncture? It may be that protests of such ads results in withdrawal of an ad here and another there, but the larger question remains that how to combat the mentality working behind it? It raises another question. Should we not take a fresh look at the educational institutions that prepare the wage slaves and the education system itself that serves to strengthen the plutocracy? Should we not start to identify other instruments as well that has given stranglehold to neo-imperialist power in this country?

It seems imperative to me in order to protect our political freedom, democracy and human dignity that we should be on the look out for the parasites that are weakening our social structure from within. The references that I have made are but a small part of the offensive launched on our society. We shall overcome, definitely, but for that we need to fight. It will not suffice to sing the song.

Written and translated by Lalit Surjan

Published in Deshbandhu, Raipur on 4^th December 2003

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