City and Civilized Society and Their Rise and Fall

 

Mumbai in 1670

 Vasco de Gama after wining the war at Mahim Fort, sent his solders in Mahim Village, to massacre the passing villagers on the streets. He just wanted to terrorize the people.  Later the missionaries followed him to preach ‘Good News’.
 Later Mumbai was given in dowry by Portuguese Royalty to British Royalty. Where is Portugal? Where is Great Britain? Where is Mumbai?

City is a Symbol of Centralized Power

City, primarily, is a symbol of Centralized Power in Civilized Societies, since its inception. What V Gordon Childe, archaeologist, calls 'Urban Revolution' is the birth of Civilization some 5K years ago.

The rise and growth of Civilization also goes with Urbanization, which is City as a human habitat.

Since then city has become a parasite on its region for its sustenance. In the Modern Times, the so-called Global Cities and mega-cities have spanned their dominance over lands even beyond their immediate regions, far and wide, even across their sovereign borders, across the continents and oceans. They manage this aggression by remote control from the Board Rooms in mega-cities.

Civilized society, as is known, is based on the division of labor, social hierarchies of the ruler and the ruled, classes/castes, or the Classless society and the Underclass. Even in democracies in historical times the slavery did exist. Here Democracy is misnomer.

In recent times democracies did go for colonizing, by various means, weaker nations, now called Third World. In 5000 years indeed Democracy has not come of life.
However, in India the unarmed Buddhist monks, in 200 BC, colonized other countries by religious thought of nonviolence.

True Democracy

How could any civilized society practice democracy in true sense? It possible only when 'the People are the Means and Goals’ for the well-being of all the living beings. Only then democracy is possible. Neither the means nor the goals could be economy, technology, market, exchange rates, foreign affairs... blah, blah, blah. State is only a facilitator.

In spite of the presence of all the institutions to manage society, the chaos and strife never ended. It will never end if the mindset of a power oriented society does not end, and accept democracy in total.

To bring this change, needs introspection by the power-classes. Here the writing of constitutions, acts and laws are useless. Perhaps, a beginning of process to Decentralization of Power would help.

There is no escape from chaos until the responsibility and right to equitable distribution of resources should be rested on the shoulders of the Collective (what we customarily call Civil Society).

The End of the City

The size of The Collective, therefore, must have Human Scale. In other words, it will be the 'end of the city' as a human habitat; it is inevitable. With Information Technology this is not impossible. The obvious factor is, it should begin simultaneously at the top and the bottom rungs of the collective.

This is not a Utopia. It is being practiced by aborigine communities (cohesive collectives) for millennia: There is a lesson to learn for the present consumerist societies that splurge finite resource that belong to all living beings – the inmates on the Earth.

In the past, the feudal powers promised security to the subjects of their material life, and the religious powers promised salvation - Moksha - after death.

Now these are replaced by the governments (by design or default, the corporate powers) promise physical security, and science with machine-money-market, the new clergy class, promise happiness.

Post Script

The young people, who begin their homes, generally begin by taking loans.  We are speaking about our great urban middle class. They buy a house by taking loan. They would acquire gadgets, furniture, furnishings… etc. by taking loans. This is called 'lifestyle'.

Happy are those who receive fat inheritance from their old parents!

When the young begin their adult life, they are past their spring-time – youth – in building up their career. Where does this debt-trap end in the rat-race of life-sucking competition, in the saturated market?

They acquire training for their careers on the assembly-lines at educational institutions. However, they hardly have any life-supporting skills, either from the institutions or their families, during their youth. Hence, even for common cold they run to the experts/specialists. This is called Third Ecology, which is outside Natural Ecology.
What a mountain-high ego!
Who is supposed to think of posterity?

Remigius de Souza | Mumbai | 17-09-13

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

LIVING IN FOOL’S PARADISE

LIVING IN FOOL’S PARADISE

Once conditioned by the system
Subjected to a quarter century
Of rigors of the mass schooling
It is not easy going, easy keeping
Aflame awareness
In the cyclonic waves turbulent
By the anarchist housekeeper
One tends to buy time
In the memory (of events, images)
In future (projecting hopes, images).
Transient is but Time;
Remi is racing with Time.

Mumbai
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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Civilization Trap In Our Era

Civilization Trap In Our Era
by Remigius de Souza

(CIVILIZATION TRAP was originally published in the Fourth World Review (FWR) | Editor John Papworth | Nos. 133 & 134, 2005, UK, p 16. The archives of FWR issues are available on http://www.4thworld.co.uk . This is an updated version.)

Quote: 

"…misapplied science has brought to the world's richest virgin lands a desolation compared with which the ravages of all the wars in history are negligible", (Jacks and Whyte, 'The Rape of the Earth').

MIGHTY CIVILIZATION AND EMPIRES have vanished, however, people prevail. Huge species like dinosaurs vanished, bacteria prevail.

But Industrial Civilization, from ‘Jenny’ to ‘Dolly’, monopolizes resources of the earth that belong to all the living beings.

It seems Industrial Civilization is in a great hurry to wipe out all living beings including 'other' humans (who don't subscribe to industrialization).

It takes on a role of God-the-creator to create enormous wealth and enormous waste with tools of science and technology, economy and market.

It, of course, shall vanish by its “over-specialization”, whether in big nations or small nations or societies. It is the lesson of history.

Thankfully, ‘the majority of the world still sustains outside the capitalist /socialist economy’, says Shanin, sociologist, in an interview (Teodor Shanin, How the other half live| New Scientist | 03 August 2002 | issue 2354, p 44). However the industrial civilization, through its puppets, tries hard to bring them into its dragnet.

It has created enormous number of institutions to control almost every aspect of living of an individual and the collective, which causes to end up loosing their autonomy of decision-making and action, therefore, their identity.

'Identity Crisis' is the result of mass type of civil society that reflects in today's worldwide unrest and in various forms of violence.

It is apparent in five autonomous functions of the living: Work 1, Leisure 2, Health 3, Learning 4 and Propagation 5. These functions are given by Mother Nature to all the living beings – from bacteria to plants and animals, including humans – to sustain. Morally there is no authority – an individual or an organization – to control these autonomous functions of living-beings – mosquito or man.

Now Industrial Civilization has taken over these functions, from the collective and an individual, of course, to capitalize for power and profit, through legal means.

Unfortunately, for example, the doses of 24x7 non-stop opium of Entertainment, called Leisure Industry, do not work! (A Great Epoch flies at a Tangent)

Some recent Examples:
WORK: 1. Farmers Strain to Hire American Workers in Place of Migrant Labour,but no takers for brown collar job in the US (Kirk Johnson | New York Times | October 5, 2011)
WORK: 2. UK unemployment total hits 17-year high (BBC NEWS, 16 March 2011)
HEALTH: Trillion-dollar brain drain: Enormous costs of mental health problems in Europe not matched by research investment. (NATURE | 4 October 2011 | Issue 478, 15)

Read More>> Michael Jackson is an epitome of great epoch

These are few recent stories of highly industrialized and wealthy nations. What could be imaginable condition of the Third World Nations?

Religion of science-technology, which is not universal phenomenon, failed to bring promised salvation to entire humanity globally or locally!
 
And the experts, who work in their boxes of specialization and have blinkered view of the world, find no answer/s.

In such a situation, can I be autonomous? Not until I reflect upon what I eat and wear and patronize, and why; until the end of all rationale beyond the most publicized term ‘Global’. Then there is possibility of creative action/ inaction. That’s what “Local” means.

--------------------------------- 

Quote:

...the social and finacial development which is called 

the industrial revolution. — H. G. Wells, 

A Short History of the World. 1922.

(Read: development 'of/in' inequality — my correction )

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

These Offspring of Kali

By Remigius de Souza

Image 1: Ma Kali (Detail), Photo - Poulomee Das

  Kali - Goddess of Destruction and Regeneration,

is one of the three expressions of Shakti or Energy.

The other two are Lakshmi - goddess of sustenance

and Sarasvati - Goddess of Learning.

I jump on an incoming evening seven thirteen train
to secure a window seat.
As I open 'Leaves of Grass' the first line noticed,
declares, 'Sing on there in the swamp' in
the 'Memoirs of President Lincoln'.

An urchin occupies the seat next to me
With harmonium on her lap;
Her fingers wide apart, search for a pitch across
on the bars, high low, high low,
from maintain picks to deep seas.

She settles on a pitch appropriate to the crowded train
in motion, plays a pop movie song.
On the threshold of sprouting youth, her dark face
And full eyes glowed divine grace;
She is sound personified.

Her wards, two little sisters, one recites the songlines;
The other with tiny folded hands;
They appeal to the softer edges of weary home-going crowd;
They, not belonging to the mundane, remain
Untouched by hostilities or sympathies.

The Time atomised; there is no yesterday, tomorrow neither.
The concert moves to the next compartment.
They have not lost either their fragrance of innocence
Or dignity of untimely adulthood,
In the energies creative to sustain.

The last straw of hope, yet for the Post-historic
Civilization of exploitation
These offspring of Kali, until they open
The Third Eye imminent
To make way for regeneration.
* * *

Image 2: Ma Kali, Photo by Poulomee Das

(Written, 1980s)
Notes 1: 21st century is witnessing uprisings of the poor at many places. This has been happening in the past, but now it is simultaneously a Global Action, as a result of Global Oppression by invisible tentacles of invisible global Capitalist Powers.
2: Images 1 and 2: Photographs by Poulomee Das show Head (detail) and the full form of the deity – Kali – made by the traditional Bengali artisans.
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© Remigius de Souza. all rights reserved.

Seeds of Hybrid-Cultured Mass Society

Seeds of Hybrid-Cultured Mass Society

Hybrid seeds of food-grains came much later. 

By then industrialization had successfully bred the hybrid culture through the assembly lines of mass education to produce mass society in the First World Nations, now named the (virtual) Global Village.

The result: "hybrid culture of mass society" who have no posterity ― no community, like hybrid seeds that have no second/third generation crop. 

Peasants must buy seeds for next crop from the markets. 

The culture of mass society characterizes its loss of autonomy to think and act on their own; now it is decided by the visible/invisible rulers.

No wonder, for the likes of the Gandhi, the Schumacher, the Thoreau… there are no takers on the assembly lines: no germination, no posterity.

They rest in peace in the archives, except for occasional ‘quotes’ in discourses by pundits and politicians.

They are already a part of the past, like socialism, radical humanism, modern, post-modern, Art Nouveau… but no action.

"Hybrid Culture of Mass Society" ia a milestone in the five thousand year old history of Civilized Society!

(04.07.05)

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Nold Egenter on Twilight Zone (poem)

Comment by Nold Egenter

Nold Egenter, architect anthropologist, posted his comment on my poem, Twilight Zone. on my facebook on 7 August 2010: His contribution enriches my perceptions on culture and civilization. I gratefully acknowledge his sharing by publishing his comment here.

Dear Remigius,
reading your Twilight Zone Poem I get the impression that there is a strange and mysterious affinity among us! Having lived about 10 years in Japan trying to understand its cultural roots I came to feel that there is some sort of basic world view which can be called aesthetic, or what you call twigh-light, "a window of a cell", a journey "on the border of day and night", "in the community of the Earth and stars".

I think it is a full fledge world in which contrasting units are harmoniously perceived, a tree for instance with leaves moving in the wind, its trunk and roots being anchored in the ground. I think it is a world view which sees all things in similar ways as composed of contrasting parts forming a harmonious tension.

I suspect that this was a very primordial "aesthetic" world view, which to some extent could survive in what we call art today or architecture, but, in its essence and its original significance as forming a harmonious world is no more really understood. It seems however, that one can assume that it was something of profound meaning in many cultures of the world, e.g. YinYang and Daoism in China, Om in Ancient India, Ma'at in Ancient Egypt, 'coincidence of opposites' in European Middle Ages, and so on. As an aesthetic world, this world also was of a highly spiritual quality.

But then something happened - which had to do with the formation of civilisation. The harmonious structures developed in the early agrarian sedentary villages were spatially blown up by some peoples who 'smelt' the power which could be made with these provinces of villages by superseding them, using their own str...uctural conditions on a higher level of states with similar centres now as large monumental sanctuaries, palaces, for kings and their social elite.

I am somehow intensely working on this topic at the moment, trying to understand how culture (not cultureS!) really evolved. Am reading books on Mespotamia and Egypt with the hypothesis that culture evolved in Neolithic villages in the sense above and then these harmonious "islands" were overrun by mad power-freaks Alexander "the Great"-style and that this is the history we are still in.... It is a fairly mad world, in fact, if one really starts to understand its "mechanisms".

All the best for today, Cordially,
Nold Egenter

7 August 2010  

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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Civilisation Trap in the 21st Century

GREAT CIVILIZATIONS AND EMPIRES have vanished, but people prevail. However Industrial Civilization, from ‘Jenny’ to ‘Dolly’, monopolises resources of the Earth, and seems to be in great hurry to wipe out all living beings including fellow humans, to earn powers and profit.

 It takes the role of god-the-creator to create enormous wealth and enormous waste with tools of science, technology, market and economy. That too, of course, whether in big or small nations or societies, shall vanish, by its “over-specialisation”.

Thankfully, the majority of the world still sustain outside the capitalist / socialist economy, though the industrial civilization, through its puppets, tries hard to bring them into its dragnet.

It has created enormous number of institutions to take control of almost every aspect of personal and the collective living that end up their autonomy of decision-making and action, therefore, identity.

In such a situation, can I be autonomous? Not until I reflect upon what I eat and wear and patronise, and why, until the end of all rationale beyond the most publicised term ‘Global’. Then there is possibility of creative action/ inaction. That’s what “Local” means.

(21.06.2005)
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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

TWILIGHT ZONE (Poem)

Twilight Zone 

Twilight (Image source: Internet)

A window of a cell – an eye on the world
moves on and on, on the wings of clouds, 
a journey on the border of day and night
in the community of the Earth and stars. 

Here one can’t even touch nor is there
a room for trivialities of theories 
of trade, politics and philosophies,
and of the earthlings who don’t belong 

to the Earth and the Sun, living on 
self-deception and squabbles blown 
out of proportion, work–work–work,
work to leave glorious ruins behind.

The gods, god persons live on preaching
a hope of salvation, raise monuments
by blood-shed by the earthlings bonded 
perpetually to the chains of chaos. 

Blessed are the earthworms far away
from the public eye; they don’t make
scriptures or monuments out of their
shit to the legacy or lead Life astray.  

Blessed are the earthworms

-- Remigius de Souza

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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Centralized Power Unlimited

Aryans, when came to India, assimilated the locals - the aborigines – in their society as a "service class" or "Shudra caste", whatever conflict - wars - they must have had. Many tribes retreated into forests. Later the Shudras were given the stigma of "Untouchable castes" by the higher caste. Typically any civilized society is based on hierarchy; hence, it is neither democratic nor republican.   

In modern times, there is a poetic parallel to this phenomenon. Louise Kahn, US architect, described his buildings: 'there are "served spaces" and "servant spaces".   

Indeed, it is typical of civilized societies! This must have been happening since the rise of "Urban Revolution" some 5000 years ago (Now scientists say it may be 6000 years before present), that is, in other words, the rise of Civilization or civilized societies, who also must have invented institutionalized religion/s.  

Now there is an idea of “Global Village” – having fast travel and communication links, initiated by the new form of centralized power, a section of civilized society, invisible yet real, like air that we breathe: the Global Capitalist Corporate Class. This, of course, is a culmination of Industrial Civilization. 

 Architects, city planners, so also other professionals - like scientists etc. merely belong to "servant spaces" - service class - the Neo-Shudra, living on the periphery of Global Village; no doubt they are duly patronized with funds and awards. But they have no say in the affairs of the Capitalist Corporate Class; they don't make even a dent. Even sovereign States turn stooges.  

The “Bhopal Gas Tragedy” is one of many unique examples of the Power of Capitalist Corporate Class. For example: Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima-Nagasaki, Chernobyl disaster, Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Partition of India – Pakistan, The Holocaust, Tiananmen Square Massacre, and one that I witnessed in my teens – the killing of 105 demonstrators in Mumbai during Samyukta Maharashtra Movement, by Morarji Desai Government of former Bombay Province.Could India safely handle forthcoming ambitious Nuclear Energy Project for the so-called civilian purpose (Read capitalist Corporate Class of the First World India)? 

Perhaps we may have to wait for another War of Mahabharata - a "civil" war? Of what use could war be? No war has ever been successful, and never will be, to deliver elusive justice humans and the living beings.  Could "I" change my "civilized" mindset, which is more difficult than war? Or should we wait for the bubble to burst! 

 
Centralized Power Unlimited: Anyone, an individual or an organization, of any credibility, that takes any outrage on this invisible power does not make even a dent. But everything adds to its consolidation.

While writing this text my every tap on the keyboard of PC, I am aware, adds to its consolidation. Whatever I write vanishes into the wave of "VIRTUAL REALITY". It is only one of many, many weapons created by the power hungry - profit hungry Capitalist Corporate Class - local or global! 


Notes: 1. Image - "Tentacles", self-portrait by Remigius de Souza, depicts himself as devourer of environment. 
 
2. Image - "Law prevails - Justice Buries":  Photograph used in the graphic above is by Pablo Bartholomew. (Source - Internet). I use this picture like Mahabharata has been re-wrtten many a times until now!.
Pablo's photograph (protected by Copyright) is an Icon not only of Bhopal Gas Tragedy but also of the poverty stricken Indian - children and adults, dying by malnutrition decease and hunger, farmers committing suicide, the displaced and marginalized; all due to lopsided DEVELOPMENT POLICY in India, no doubt under invisible forces of Centralized Powers. Pablo gets an award for his photo, ironically proves, and consolidates the Powers: a proof of my cynical view above! Twenty-five years on, the Government now thinks of making another law!! 

3. It is said that the US society is classless, the rest are Underclass, such as ghettos and (Red) Indian Reservations. In India there is a "ruling minority", they could likened as 100 Kaurava princes The large majority of almost 80% are treated as second class citizens, who could be compaired with 5 Pandava princes in exile.
---------
Remigius de Souza

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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

CIVILIZATION: A Smallest Poem on India

.. CIVILIZATION: A Smallest Poem on India which may be true for the whole world... 

Civilization, painted poem by Remigius de Souza, Mumbai

On the Gandhi Birth Anniversary Day (October 2, 2000) many NGOs in Mumbai organised a procession that was culminated   into a public meeting on national integrity at August Kranti Udyan, Govalia Tank.

We are patriotic to land and waters and all living beings (beyond a handheld palm-size map of the country).

We hail Environment + Ecology + Energy bestowed by the unwritten ancient Law of Nature, which is larger than all human artefacts, may they be arts and sciences, religions and philosophies... 

We are aware all boundaries are vulnerable to change through history of civilized societies, and even in the History of the Earth.

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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

The Planet in balance

Isn’t it better while speaking on personal, collective and institutional matters to keep it on objective level instead of getting sentimental? Institutions occupy major part of our personal and collective life in space and time. It is often noticed people bring in personalities in the matters of institutions rather than looking at the issues in the larger context of ground realities of people, land and waters.

This is not healthy either for an individual or the collective for holistic growth; growth on all the planes – "Work, Leisure, Heath, Education and Propagation";  growth in quality not in quantity as is in industrial mass production, whereby to have firm roots in self-sustenance and self-reliance. Institution is a faceless entity, an instrument which needs overhauling, servicing and even replacement.

Look at the family! It is an ancient institution, which is not a faceless entity alike the institutions established by civilised societies. Family, therefore, also community, appears in other species as well as among humans. Family is breaking up in modern times: orphans, the destitute women – widows – the aged, the singles, and the single parents. It is inevitable fallout of industrial society. What is the point in shedding tears on the dead and the dead matter?

If industrial society needs babies science and technology can help. It could go for cloning, while annihilating, through several means and for several reasons, millions of humans and other species. One of the reasons is endless consumption (and waste) for profit and power. Until recent times there have been intellectual clones (or zombies? Or morons?), earning their daily bread by discourses.

Now, physical clones are started, beginning with plants and animals. Clones have neither pedigree nor posterity. If any sense(s) – sensuality – that is characteristic of ‘natural’ beings is still left in them, then any clone could mate with another clone at fancy, like picking up ready-to-eat-food packets at departmental store or supermarket. No side effects, no after-effects! As and when felt the clones will produce more clones also at labs.

They (the clones) also will die faster than ‘natural’ humans like the broilers born in incubator, if not by killing each other, either for ‘fun’ or ‘revenge’;
Come rising temperature, green house effect, depleting ozone, melting glaciers... either by industrial society, or by Acts of gods; 
And even if the intellectual hominid continue to profess the Future, to make their dough for the day; 
Or even if human species vanish like other species in the Past:
The Planet, without remorse, remains in Balance.

Remigius de Souza    
11-03-02(07-10-09)
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 © Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Song of an aborigine in our times

By Remigius de Souza

Image 1: Bhills celebrate Holi Festival

In our ancestral Land and Waters
I am not a residue or a by-product,
of this monstrous civilized chaos
that challenges at every breathing
the honour and dignity of humanity.

We aren’t depressed or dejected
by our lack of wants; for us
Life rises above all artefacts.
Every breath is indeed an occasion
in deed for celebration
of Life forever to Rejoice

despite the chaos around so base.
It falls free at its own equations
and impositions, the notorious
and famous; all are about to be
washed off in time through
the floodgates of anonymity.

I assure you of my loyalty
to reach back in antiquity —
our spirits are ready to spring
O, my kinsfolk, in aboriginality.

Image 2: Bhill aborigine damsels’ impromptu dance

Image 3: Bhill aborigine damsels’ impromptu dance

 

NOTES:
Image 1: Bhill aborigine tribe celebrate Holi Festival
Image 2 and 3: Bhill aborigine damsels’ impromptu dance at time of maize crop gets ready.
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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Maroon Veil

Maroon Veil

Maroon silence covers
Thousand hundred wars
And the emperor cried of his bloody hands.
I fight with an unrecognized enemy
That is in maroon veil.
My enemy goes on multiplying
Like an amoeba within me
That I don’t recognise myself anymore –
Me a fractioned self into innumerable
Amoebae to fight against
Under a maroon veil:
Maroon is the war
Maroon is the threshold
Of day and night:
I hide myself under a maroon veil.

* * *
17-10-1969
Baroda (Vadodara)

(I wrote this composition during my stay in Baroda (now Vadodara). Then I was the witness to communal riots, exploitation of the scheduled caste and the schedule tribe in Gujarat State. The gender atrocities were very common, such as dowry deaths. It was no more a peace-loving State. However, what I witnessed then was only a tip of an iceberg, or the beginning of the unrest/atrocities/riots that followed in three decades. )

Also please see link: My Enemy within Me

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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

MY ENEMY WITHIN ME

My enemy within me

The enemy within rises
To soaring heights
Through nose, eyes, ears,
Scull, belly, penis…
Through the pores of my skin
Amounting to thousand sculls...

My enemy within – but he is mine –
Whom I embrace for lifetime
To rid of my enemy within
Only once perhaps
When I enter death
Death an unknown region
Beyond living consciousness
Is the only hope led by the fire –
The path of struggle – destruction
To open the gates of Death.

* * *

17-10-1969
Baroda (Vadodara)

(I wrote this compostion during my sat in Baroda (now Vadodara). Then I was the witness to communal riots, exploitation of the scheduled caste and the schedule tribe in Gujarat State. It was no more a peace-loving State. But what I witnessed then was only a tip of an iceberg.)

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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Guinea pig-culture Farming: Homage To 20th Century

Guinea pig-culture Farming: Homage To 20th Century by Remigius de Souza

Life is larger than arts and sciences
Trades, philosophies, all the religions.
But for us our Ego is larger than Life
Coated in diplomatic polite benevolent words.

We have turned our subjects – living entities –
Into letters and numbers and formulae
Taught by the Standards, decoded by systems
Dividing – grading – degrading – selecting.

Dependants though we are, craving for
Physical liberties, not knowing how
Dependant they are on whom we depend
After decades of Information Education.

Living on borrowed memories we equate
Cost of our living standards with price
Of Labour and Love and Life of others –
The unassuming, of no-account entities.

Our subjects live in virtual reality,
Move in virtual time, romancing
On borrowed time in cyberspace…
What about liberated intelligence?

Yet, we indulge by decree, in designing
The Standards for others on our models
Though utterly ignorant we may be, says Remi
Of the Price of Labour, Love and Life.

-----
Remigius de Souza
January 21-25, 2001


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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Prayer Power and Global Climate Warming

Prayer Power and Global Climate Warming
by Remigius de Souza

IN THE REALMS of Terra Incognita Indica, sages and saints for centuries acclaimed Sahaja-Dharma – natural intrinsic Dharma – of an individual that is beyond and above any Authority, Institution or Agency. Dharma upholds spirituality / religiousness, even if one may be theist or atheist.

Prayer Power

Prayer when becomes Work
Nature becomes ugly liability.

Work when becomes Prayer
Nature becomes supreme serenity.

(Nature, here, that is inside and outside both.)

Global Warming

WITH THE RISE of civilised societies, there also grew elite classes of rulers and clerics i.e. institutionalised religions, which believed in gods or non-gods, where the rulers assumed the role of incarnation of gods, coroneted by the blessings of the class/ caste of clergy.

Ever since, the history has been witnessing chaos, conflicts, exploitation in the name of sovereignty and/or in the name institutionalised religions and their respective gods. However, ironically, the great civilisations and the empires (until the last century) vanish, and People prevail.

As the civilisations advanced, of course in technologies, with new, newer weapons of war of domination over and exploitation of the weaker, the underclass, also emerged.

The history also witnesses the rise of institutionalised ‘no-God-religions’ and the weapons of war, colonisation, globalisation, market, economy, and convenient laws of the state that may rule and deliver judgements but not Justice; all these add on the already existing chaos.

All the religions and hypothetical systems, which rule, promise protestation of life, happiness and salvation during life and/or after Death (now, in the clones, perhaps).

All humans are subject to emotions roused by their senses, virtues and vices, strength and weaknesses handed over by their grooming and orientations; the more powerful the greater their insecurities.

However, the so-called modern, powerful advance societies have succeeded in organising vice/s on mass scale at global level to the effect of mass murder of Land and Waters and all the Living Beings.

Despite all the hullabaloos raised by these societies on the issue of Global Climate Warming, indeed it is trivial before this crime. To cover up their own crimes on mass scale these societies hold responsible the whole of humanity for global climate warming.
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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

I am the predator – I am the prey

I am the predator – I am the prey

Standing outside of these pages
I also watch myself who writes,
I am exposed, inside these pages.

Every statement in these pages
That I make mercilessly boomerangs
I am the predator – I am the prey

~~~~
© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Tribal Holi on Good Friday, 21-03-2008

Tribal Holi on Good Friday, 21-03-2008
Remigius de Souza


Holi festival and the Cult of Tree worship have animistic origin. The tribal of India have been celebrating Holi festival and Tree worship even before the emergence of civilised society. Indic societies have assimilated both, which are attached with various meanings and rituals.

Holi festival goes on for five days with dancing, singing, drinking toddy, arranging marriages, fishing at village lakes, visiting fairs etc.

Such coincidence of Holi and Good Friday on same day takes place at intervals. A Catholic priest once told me of an event that took place a couple of decades ago, a true story.

The missionaries had invited the new Catholics of tribal communities in North Gujarat on Good Friday that was also the day of Holi. Nearly 5000 Catholic adivasis – aborigine – reached the place.

In their traditional way they – adivasis – prepared for the feast; they cut bull and prepared food for 5000 people for the occasion. The priests and nun were stunned by this coincidence, as Good Friday is the day of abstinence and fasting.

Any the priests and nuns couldn’t do anything about it but participate. I wonder what would happen today! There is more than what meets the eyes!

22-03-2008

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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

The Great Indian (Realty) Bazaar -2

The Great Indian (Realty) Bazaar -2
By Remigius de Souza

The kidney transplant racket by the doctors is one too many. How many and what other professions / occupations do indulge in such a black trades to make money at the cost of the poor, helpless, hapless, illiterate, the ignorant of the elite ways people?

How many do indulge in legal as well as illegal means market ― flesh and souls, land and waters, minerals and fossil fuels, plants and animals, to name a few ― at the cost of large anonymous majority people to mint money? It’s just for their unsuitable greed for power, profit and pleasure.

By claiming India an underdeveloped / developing country, it is the First World India thrives at the cost of the people in the Third World and the Fourth World ( of adivasi – aborigine people), by whatever means: beg, borrow or rob.

The words, ‘Democracy’ and the latter added ‘Socialism’ (why add such a tag? Isn’t democracy enough?), which remain dormant in the constitution, or are talked about to have an intellectual kick? The status quo is maintained to keep the social – economic – political disparity by denying, in the first place, equitable distribution of relevant education and the resources – tangible and non-tangible or natural and economic – to the large majority.

The kidney transplant racket is one of the many, reported or not reported, instances in this vast nation; a steps to annihilation of the poor. It is typical of militarily and economically advanced societies worldwide; the history is witness to it in other times and other continents.

However, they now notice the great lies, hollow slogans of development and progress, the glaring disparity (at that compares with that displayed in Bollywood / Tellywood exhibition of extravaganza and violence, in virtual reality, though with limited accessibility) maintained by the status quo of the Agency.

Yet, Democracy is rising; its sparks are flashing. The great uprising is due sooner or later. The People (not the population numbers favourite of statisticians) shall prevail, not only in India, but all over the world is history is witness. They shall come like a tsunami.

Sri Krishna says: “… Sambhavami yuge – yuge” – I shall reincarnate in ages after ages. In this age, however, a billion reincarnations!

~~~~~
Remigius de Souza
27-01-2008

© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

The Great Indian (Realty) Bazaar

Illustration: Great stone sculptures at Easter Island

The Great Indian (Realty) Bazaar
By Remigius de Souza

ON THE EVE OF REPUBLIC DAY –2008, the Great Indian (Realty) Bazaar is a reality taking shape in various ways. Bravo! A few decades ago, India was eyed by the prosperous western countries as a ‘great untapped market’. The First world India has made it accessible. See the rising (dropping at a sneeze by the great economies in the West) Sensex in Mumbai, the financial capital of India!

KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RACKET by the doctors busted in Gurgaon, near New Delhi, was flashed by TV media; along with the President’s address (I was not interested to hear her). It is reported that about 500 kidneys of some poor labourers/unemployed were bought at Rs 50-80 thousand and were sold at Rs 10-15 lakhs to foreigners (and Indians). There are several different atrocities which also now come to light.

BHARAT RATNA AWARD, for which some political parties fielded their leaders for its claim. The highest award thus became a commodity for the high profile. Of course, the Time or the Future would be the better judge of their credibility.

The irony is, we address sadhus–fakirs –sanyasis–Sufis–Bavals–saints as ‘swami’ – Master; they are not only on our tongues but also in our hearts, while kings, emperors, sultans, warmongers, money mongers, plunderers/squanderers of the land’s resources, either coming from foreign countries or at home, may find place in the history (text) books.

We have heard a story of beloved saint-poet Tukaram. Poor though he was in material possessions, he promptly returns the gifts that king Shivaji sent to help him. Like many others such as, Lalla, Meera, Janabai, Kabir, Chaitanya, Raidas, Jnaneshwar…, he doesn’t need media promotion or the State pension.

INDIA PREMIER LEAGUE materialised after hectic multimillion dollar bids, fashioned after soccer – football – basketball leagues of foreign countries. The cricketers, like horses, will run, be replaced, be rested, be shunted, come and go. The great Indian Cricket Realty show must go on, even if our children may not have playgrounds or afford to play or have one-time meal. We are indeed great patriotic people.

SINGUR: NANO PRINT – FAT WAD. ‘Tatas to pay Rs 1k cr for Singur land’ in a phased manner for lease of 90 years, to West Bengal Industries Development Corporation (8cm x 4 cm size news, Times of India, Mumbai ed., 23 August 2007, p. 21). I am ignorant of how this money shall be disbursed. What fraction will the peasant receive, once the money is in the hands of the agency? How much money shall be sucked by the administration in its pipeline?

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) materialised in knee-jerk action to quick-fix economic development. No second thought was given to rehabilitation of the peasants, not even a thought to the fertile agricultural lands. No field work. No environmental (social-political-natural environment) assessment.

Industries shall come, go defunct in time as usual, or change hands / products. But the living soil and the wild life which are important parts of ecology will be killed perhaps forever when, sooner or later, the industries are abandoned. It may take decades/centuries to restore.

Remember the great prosperous metropolis, Angkor, that collapsed by its own strength and overtaken by the forest! Remember the Easter Island that turned into desert by a civilised society! India, too, turning land into desert, soil and waters toxic. For radiation, wait until the Nuke deal materialises. And finally the annihilation of her second class citizens. Thanks to the First World India for its craze of development by aping the West. Remove the departmental blinkers that would open up ‘holistic vision’.

LEAD INDIA, a realty show, initiated by Times of India, is coming to close. Leadership is a buzzword in circulation; a frantic effort by the industrial society to hold powers over the masses which is slipping from their grip as democracy is taking deeper roots. Lead India episodes reminded us of the story of “Elephant and seven blind men”. Here, six men and one woman relishing their ego flights, along with the sponsors and judges, in the contest to chose ‘Mahanayak’ – great leader, as one after another are eliminated. What is India? Is it a palm-size map? Perhaps you could read better your fate-lines. Only Akshay Kumar, a film hero commented, “we need only leaders, no followers”.

MISSION USTAD, another realty show, to promote “End Poverty by 2015”, a slogan by the UN. It reminds us another slogan: “Garibi Hatao” – Eliminate Poverty – by the late PM Indira Gandhi; people on the street aptly converted to “Garib Hatao” – Eliminate the Poor. People are not fools. Like Bollywood/ Indipop songs, those by the Ustad – maestro – also shall come and go. Could anyone take the place of Meera, Kabir, Tukaram…? Safdar Hashmi, who sang on the streets, was murdered in broad daylight, in our times. Who is ready to face that fate? No. Not me, never, being a first class hypocrite, even though I write poetry.
~~~~~
Remigius de Souza
26-01-2008

© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.