A STORY OF BIRTHDAY BASH

A Story of Birthday Bash (Meta-fiction)

By Remigius de Souza

THERE IS AN INCREASING TREND of celebrating birthdays of children at junior schools and at homes, particularly in cities. This, of course, is presently prevalent among the elite class and English-medium convents/missionary and other schools. It is almost an unavoidable ritual.

It was perhaps started at missionary schools imported from abroad or perhaps from Hollywood-Bollywood-Tellywood. It is now customary. Even it is followed for the grownups.

My parents and we the children, coming from peasant families, were spared from this custom. We never celebrated anyone’s birthday then, or none in our native village. None suffered Identity Crisis. Now it is initiated at age one year. I fail to understand its logic.

Identity Crisis

Perhaps it helps to build-up one’s image, individuality, personality, identity or ego? It may be one of the instruments to prepare a child for the forthcoming judgements and comparison in her/his every walk of life.

Perhaps it gives an opportunity for the elders for celebration in otherwise fragmented / mass society; a sense of identity. Children are fully involved in learning — reading books and writing copybooks: talk-talk, read-talk, write-talk, copy-talk, and perhaps once in while think-talk.

They are hardly exposed to learn any other life-supporting skills for self-sustenance until they are adults, or even middle aged. That’s in the elite class.

Particularly in the recent times, the birthday bash must have come handy to bribe the generation of the unwanted, those born after the world-wide family planning campaign. It perhaps also helps to cover up the guilt of adding to the world population. Is it a consolation?

It comes as an easy package to assure the children, who have lost social contact in the stress and strain of urban life. Besides they are also spared from all other possible manual work and skills as a promise of better life by their ambitious parents.

The children, as they grow up, would capitalise on their talk-talk skills acquired at the successive classrooms. More the talk-talk skills acquired at successive stages — school/college/university — better is the income? No wonder the planning, expertise and equity at social levels are in shambles, not only in India but all over the world.

We have heard, the wealthy sometimes celebrated their birthday at sixty by ‘Tula” —  weighing gold or silver or eatables such as ‘Laddus’ equal of their body weight and distribute it among the well-wishers and their subjects.

Proverbially, the age sixty also marks a beginning of second childhood, or the beginning of fading ‘Buddhi’ – intellect/intelligence, or the drooping learning curve.

For centuries we have been celebrating Krishnashtami, Buddha Jayanti, Mahavir Jayanti, Isu Jayanti (Christmas) and others, Jayanti means victory day. They are the great souls. Their “Think-Act-Talk” is synchronised.

Then recently came state-sponsored birthdays: Gandhi Jayanti, Children’s Day, Teachers’ Day, and Ambedkar Jayanti etc. usually in the form of public holidays.

The role of the Government and/or Market

In our Nation, the Agency started campaigns, such as 'HUM DO, HAMARE DO' – We two, ours two. Thanks to the Managers of people's welfare could not reach the masses – royt – in our magnificent cultural diversity, as usual. The slogan failed, like our Public Distribution System (PDS) of Essential Commodities.

Omnipotent Omnipresent Market now supplies Event Managers for every occasion from birth to the final destination (undertaker!). Of course if you are ready to splurge!

Recently I saw Bollywood’s Big B's Birthday Bash on the KBC episode on a TV channel! Very sexy! Amazing feat! A trendsetter!

Who am I?

For me the birthday is very important date. Over the years I have been filling-up hundreds of form, which are mandatory, issued by several establishments.

Sometimes I have to prove even ‘who I am’ by showing an identity card with my photograph issued by another establishment. That’s in real life.
“Who am I?” has been the eternal question before man; but that’s for the philosophers to bother.

A child feels elated – a king for the day. We continue to blow up the candles ten, twenty sixty… times to be forgotten. It is a make-believe world.

Remigius de Souza
04-11-2002 (updated: 01-11-2012)
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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Entertainment Explosion 2

24x7 Entertainment Explosion - 2

by Remigius de Souza 

MOSTPEOPLE* would say, ‘music is their hobby’, which may not mean they play musical instrument or sing. Invariably they hear music on some or other electronic gadget. Forty years ago, there took place a ‘great’ event, but it was not reported in the media, didn’t pull a crowd.

A young music lover Mr. Khadpekar, a student of architecture, invited Pundit Kumar Gandharva to perform solo concert at Ahmadabad. Punditji’s immediate reaction was, ‘No Ahmadabad. The crowd there appreciates music by thunderous clapping during the recital.’ However, after the explanation he readily agreed.

A small group, perhaps less than fifty, some of them from Baroda (now Vadodara), came to attend the concert. The event took place on an open platform at the premises of the Ahmedabad School of Architecture.

Punditji requested to shut the mike and the (loud) speakers. Seeing the uneasiness among his listeners he assured it was perfectly alright for him, and that they would enjoy it better. They were worried because they knew that one of his lungs was removed, and it would be strenuous for him without the ‘sound’ system.

Now it was direct contact between the singer and the listeners, mouth to ears. It was a unique experience, mostly available to private “baithak” – gatherings.

During his recuperating years he was forbidden even to sing. During that period he moved across Malava, Madhya Pradesh, listening and collecting folk songs. He was touched by the simple folks and their traditional music of Malava. He had turned the disadvantage into an opportunity. And a new Indian classical music emerged.

Punditji was generous, open and accessible, a teacher in true sense who could learn even from the humble folks. Indian classical music too was touched by the inimitable maestro. I personally was touched by him and the event that left a deep lasting impression on me.

FEW DECADES LATER, I was at a party hosted by a friend while in Bangalore. Typically there was music on an electronic gadget. At some point I said it is not music but only its replica that dissipates energy. Shankar Kanade protested. I said, ‘This is only a reproduction, which has lost its original quality, howsoever advance a gadget or technology may be.’

Though I did not remember the above event, I perhaps was prompted to say this by my subconscious. Such reproduction or representation is a virtual reality. It is just as a word ‘tree’ or a picture of a tree is not a reality. It may perhaps help someone to recall, depending on one’s perception of the ‘real’ sound, the ‘real’ event, the ‘real’ environment where it takes place; otherwise it is an object without soul – a mere technology.

In his later years Punditji had taken to teaching ‘Bhajan’ when he was acutely aware that his pupils were not getting to the meaning of the words they sang and thus singing remain as technology – a skill.

Punditji is no more. The cassette tapes of his music attached with copyright as well as the cassette players that played his music have gone to dumping yards. However Punditji’s monumental tribute to Malava’s folk songs continues to reverberate in the ears; it’s universal beyond global.

In the name of music we patronise ‘leisure industry’ (the term is an oxymoron) at a price. For that matter work – any work – comes at a price. If there are no singers, why not listen to the air, water, plants, birds… children, if there is little ‘nature’ still left in our environment? Why not dance to its tunes?

Leisure, opposite to work, is absolutely free, anywhere, to anyone irrespective of one’s status.

The millions of folks – the tribal and peasants – enjoy leisure actively, not by passive activity of watching Virtual Reality on electronic gadgets, all over India. They practice it not only during festivities but also during their daily chores.

On account of leisure the Industrial Civilisation is bankrupt and pauper.

Leisure conserves /restores energy: Leisure arrests entropy.

See previous post:
24x7 Entertainment Explosions

CRICKETFRENZY IN INDIA-- A page from dairy 2003

Note: The word, 'mostpeople', was used by poet E E Comings in Introduction to his collection of poems.
Remigius de Souza | 25-05-2007
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© Remigius de Souza, 2007

Booming Bamboo Feeding the West

Booming Bamboo Feeding the West

Key Words: West, here, refers to regions where bamboo doesn't grow or isn't cultivated. Bamboo, a wild grass, cannot be subjected to mass farming like wheat / rice. Feeding, in Indic cultures, is a verb for 'serving food' means, 'increase', which is by giving food it increases; it does not reduce. After eating, the guest says, 'God bless you', not 'thank you' as in English custom. Even the converted Konkani Catholics say, 'God bless you' keeping with the cultural tradition.

When I saw BBC news, ''Booming bamboo: The next super-material?', I was delighted.  I thought 'where does the sun rise today'! But after reading I wouldn't know to cry or laugh. Only my remaining disillusion vanished.

Bamboo artisans in Mumbai: Living with Dignity

Today, may it be democracy or dictatorship; both are under obligation of the visible-invisible capitalist powers. Unless these powers get a jolt like 'Arabian Spring', they may not learn the lesson.

Till now bamboo has been called, "Poor man’s persons' timber". The capitalist, they having enjoyed the taste for power and profit, overnight christened bamboo as, "timber of the 21st Century".

Under this sugar-coated name, the neo-colonialism is revealed in every word of this article. Is 21st century a magic wand?

See through the language of this story! It measures the bamboo production in 'dollar', and not 'tonne', not 'land', not 'life' of 'peasant-the-producer'! You never know when 'dollar' will slide down, and the bamboo producing peasants may face starvation! Such hypocrisy!

In the ad-world a lie repeated umpteen times may be sold as a truth by Goebbels’ propaganda, but it may not work forever is also true. The down-trodden notice it at once.
You never know when 'dollar' will slide down, and the bamboo producing peasants face starvation! Such hypocrisy!

Let us take example of our democratic nation.
From Nehru-era until now, who – any person/s, expert/s or pundit/s – spared a thought to the peasants in the country's six lakhs villages, then about 40 crores, now 100 crores, when and how, would they be able to build, manage and maintain the roads, bridges, schools, colleges, banks, industries etc. facilities in their villages by themselves?

Corporate Aesthetics of Hedonism

Or do they, submit to fate and continue live, ages after ages, as subjects or second class or the ‘Underclass’ of respective contemporary governments, forever?

Association of bamboo and villagers & aborigines is ancient. In the BBC story if there is anything new, it is the introduction to capitalize bamboo for mass production by the Industrial Society, where bamboo does not grow. That's all!
Mass production means 'centralization of power', whether by the state or the corporate. The corporate are known for their skill to capitalize anything — air, water, plants, animals, birds; blood... even poverty of the 'Other' — for profit and power.
Colonization obviously is followed by monopoly, market manipulation, intellectual property rights, scarcity... What happens to low-cost Housing, after Food scarcity, in the Third World, the Fourth World (of aborigines) and the Fifth World (of the displaced and marginalized due to development projects) worldwide?

The west is famous for making tool of economy to create great wealth and great waste.
There may be a number of products of lifespan, which is not even that of a rice plant. In no time there come new models in market. Old products go in scrap.

A paddy plant gives back fifty grains, but not even its speck goes waste, it turns into organic manure. And after daily meals, the crumbs or leftover is sent to birds, animals, ants-insects. These are our rural unwritten 'Standards'. Our government, however, always goes after Global Standards.

THE ATTRIBUTE TO DESIGN IN NATURE

“In whole organisms, randomness structure is uncommon. Everything seems finely tuned by brutal rigours of natural selection. There are no spare limbs to be found and hardly any dispensable organs. This forced economy of organism design has always limited the use of bodily form as evolutionary timepiece" (Martin Jones, The Molecular Hunt, Penguin 2002).

There is a saying, 'money goes to money'. How does it happen?
Capitalism has singular objective, money: Money is the 'means' and the 'goal'. When means and goal are one, a project is fulfilled.

Bamboo artisans belong to low-caste in India: Living with Dignity

For any democratic government, if its 'means' and 'goals' are 'People' for any project or objective, then only true progress is possible. Science, technology, currency... are merely tools without tangible value.

Bamboo or its grove is most virtuous icon of healthy community among plant world. It is friendly to all the living beings. Its equanimity is impeccable. Humans domesticated many grasses, such rice, wheat etc. in the ancient times, but bamboo did not need it. Bamboo – the eternal plant – belongs to sainthood.

For the advanced arrogant human societies, and their puppets (among many countries), there is never enough to learn from – Srishti – Mother Nature.
A note accompanies the BBC article:

‘There are as yet no international laws governing sustainability of bamboo plantations.’
The First World loves Laws, as if unaware of Natural Justice. Do the First World societies recognize that ‘Justice is above the Law’?

Bamboo: Image by BBC New

BBC story calls bamboo a 'green gold'. Siddhartha Jataka compare bamboo or bamboo-forest as "Cat's eye". Jataka stories, which date back to 300 B.C., are 550 in numbers and has mentioned bamboo and bamboo-forest more than hundred times. 

Read›› Booming bamboo: The next super-material?

Comment: They will buy carbon credits by planting bamboo by proxy in the Third World Countries at cheaper rates.
 — Remigius de Souza


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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

'Tentacles' of Octopus Remi: Art in Metafiction

'Tentacles' of Octopus Remi: Art in Metafiction
By Remigius de Souza

"Srishti – Mother Nature – has Plenty to share; Nothing for sell; Nothing to buy. That is 'Reunion with Mother Nature' – Srishtiyoga." (SRISHTIYOGA July 7, 2011)

‘Tentacles’ | Remigius de Souza| 1987 | water colour or paper

Octopus Paul the Predictor one day suddenly came in limelight.

What was the cause? It predicted results of the World Cup 2010. That took the First World Nations by storm.

Twitter was crowded by twits that blocked the site for few hours! Such a craze... blind faith! That too from so-called advance societies! Amazing!

A European nation was even ready to buy that animal.

'Tentacles', Remigius de Souza's self-portrait, was published on Net but none was moved. Not even his friends!

Remi generally doesn't look into mirror. Because he notices 'octopus' in the mirror! What then could be his misery while wandering the streets of Mumbai metropolis?

He notices millions of people (his aborigine and peasant kinfolks) in the glass-clad multi-storied buildings mushrooming in the concrete jungle. But that never stops Mumbai!

Octopus Paul was a baby, lost to its community and natural habitat. After a few months it died. Relieved!

Did anyone ask Octopus Paul the predictor before it died, "When will this modern Industrial Civilization, which has become powerful within few centuries, vanish?" We have not heard.

Oh, what do you ask! The very strength of the powerful is their weakest point. There is a mythological Indian story of Bhasmasur that repeats again and again.

In reality the mighty industrial society has gone — if not dead, decayed — with the octopus.
 
In this self-portrait, 'Tentacles', Remi notices himself swallowing Natural Environment by his tentacles spreading and reaching across regions far and wide.

Call it his misfortune or his fate of unwanted share, or call it a ruthless criticism on Industrial Civilization. Words, images, movies, myths, scriptures, prophets, avatars... all tools to earn (power and profit) and/or entertainment! Does it make any difference?

Remi, however, laughs at himself at his cost.

NOTE: 1. As we write this post, there comes news about, Shuttle Atlantis docks with space station for last time! What a relief for the hungry masses of the world!! Better late than never!!!
2. Remi doesn’t watch cricket, hokey, football or such events as well as Olympics, World Cup etc. for he believes that any game must be played for leisure, and such mass events consolidate the centralized powers.
3. I have corrected some errors and edited this post. I request the subscribers to please bear with me. Thanks!


Mumbai Metropolis on Google Map

View Larger Map


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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Anyone for brown collar job?

Is there anyone for brown collar job? (metafiction)

Brown collar job means farming – agriculture etc. – as an art.

Farming is a highest form of art; a compound of art and science; the beginning of biotechnology (current biotechnology, now, is in the safe custody of intellectual property rights); and constant contact with five primal elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space, as some Indians believe.

However in the Age of ET-IT who would be ready for such a job, in India? Today 'mostpeople' [1] prefer white collar or blue caller job; job that pays cash and perks! Who does need to work that feeds! Haven’t their forefathers made enough estate!

Who does wish to toil in soil-muck, sun-rain-cold? Soil has become ‘untouchable’ in the age of progress and development, and the farmers are non-entities.

"Farming is best, Commerce is medium, Service is low"

When was it we often heard this idiom? Our nation, then, was on the threshold of Independence. What dreams did our toiling peasants may have had seen?

Water Woes –1: Taxing the life of the displaced Indian peasants in Mumbai

Today, however, we notice a different scenario. The farmers are debt-ridden, some chose to commit suicide, they are left without literacy and appropriate education for six decades, their life-line – land – is legally acquired for the benefit of the First World India.

Water Woes –2: Taxing the life of the displaced Indian peasants in Mumbai

They are getting displaced from their ancestral homestead as a price of India’s progress and development. Millions of displaced villagers move to cities, megacities in hordes. You could notice them in towns, cities and mega-cities in the slums and along transit lines.

Field days for commission agents

And now commission agents, pimps of progress, have a field day to make hay, and to reap profits in free trade and globalized market. From the farms to the end-users, the farm-products go through a chain of brokers and sub-brkers.

Now, we hear, it is alleged that even employment in bureaucracy has 'extra' earning according to the status in the hierarchy.

Bureaucracy everywhere

As a result bureaucracy has penetrated from schooling to institutions – not only governmental institutions but also other public and private, social and political organizations. It has entered even in the ancient institution of 'family': it is worth investigating the break up of family, which has been the unit of community (i.e. a cohesive collective), most essential for democracy.

Alienation of the educated

The root cause of 'alienation of the educated' is in the mass education started by the British. Any changes subsequently made in the prevailing education system in the independent India have been superficial by knee-jerk reaction, which do not take account of the culture of plural mass (sic) society.

“Pangira” – Marathi movie exempted from entertainment tax

'Pangira' is a recent movie in regional language, Marathi. It is about the plight of farmers. It is more of a documentary, though it has a story based on a Marathi novel by Mr. Vishvas Patil. Maharashtra government obviously has exempted it from entertainment tax.

The movie ends with a gory event – police firing on agitated farmers, killing several of them. Such violence is a typical in movies and reality.

Unfortunately, the movie ends at an event where it should have started! Firing and killing the farmers is not the end / answer to farmers' plight. This story / movie has missed an opportunity provide creative alternative to the system.


This reminds us of a novel by Sarat Chandra Chatterjee, 'Pather Dabi' (The Demand of the Road, 1926), based on armed uprising for freedom of India. It was banned by the British. The ban was lifted after Independence. The book ends with constructive creative option in precise words. We quote a specific paragraph near the end of novel:
Sarat Chandra Chatterjee wrote about 100 years ago [2]

“... from now onwards to serve village is my only solemn vow. Once there was such a time that village was life of our agrarian country Bharat. Village only was her bone-vein-blood. Today that village is on the way of destruction, the elite leave village and come to a city, from city itself they wield power upon village and from there they do exploit them. If they have any relation it is only this, none other. May they not keep? But until now the farmer who provided them with food for belly and cloth for body, that same farmer today is starving, is illiterate, and is haplessly on the way to death! Now onwards I shall devout myself for their welfare. Bharati also has agreed to help me wholeheartedly in this work. Now we will open school in villages. if need be, she accepted to teach children moving from house to house. My sanyas is for the country - not for myself, doctor."

Every year lakhs of science graduates come out of universities; some of them are biologists or botanists. Most of them end up doing clerical jobs. Their learning in science disciplines does never leave the laboratory and come "down to earth"!
Notes:
1. The term “mostpeople” is used by poet E. E. Cummings referring to people who don’t practice creativity.
2. This quote is translated from Marathi translation titled “Savyasachi” by the late B. V. Varerkar, and not from the original in Bengali (pages 399-400). It is only for information in simple language.

Related to this post

• Indian Schooling | 11 April 2007
• Politics of Literacy in India: Challenges of 21st Century | 13 January 2007
• Farming and the Politics of Education in India: Challenges of 21st Century | 09 January 2007
• One Step Quantum Leap in Education | 04 March 2007

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Anahad Naad is Primal Sound or Supreme Silence

 (This is a revised article; I have deleted the previous post.)



“Anahad Naad” (in Indic languages),as far as I know and understand, means “Primal Sound” or “Supreme Silence” that is contained in “Srishti” – Nature. I suppose, all living beings are capable of hearing / listening the Primal sound. It seems to me that the potted plants on my terrace do hear / feel my compassionate or hostile thoughts.

One, however, particularly in modern urban habitat, may not hear the Primal Sound by the sense organs of ears. Even skins can feel the vibrations of sound. (I have tried to explore some of it “Senses and SenseAbility 5: Hearing” in my series of articles on Senses on this blog.)

I once read information about science that it has discovered ‘music in sand dunes’.
I am also informed that (traditional) Indian farmers say, "Water goes to sleep, and Water wakes up". Just information, such as this, does not help to listen or perceive "word" by land and water without being in tune with nature, though.

Artists, folk and classical artists, particularly musicians – vocalist and instrumentalists – who follow “Naad-Yoga” by riyaz – regular, rigorous practice – may have ability to listen / perceive Supreme Silence. And of course, the aborigine tribal, too, who live in the close proximity with the elements. The aborigine tribes (and animals) of Andaman Islands ran to safer higher grounds before the last tsunami reached the land; it is already a known “story”.
 

 Hearing by ears 

In today’s context: We, who are accustomed to hear by ears but sometimes fail to listen, become aware of Supreme Silence when volcanoes erupt and the earth tremors, by thunder storms and lightning, hurricanes and tsunami, when mountains rise and land is submerged. 
We become aware only when the weak, meek and silent people’s uprising in revolt causes mighty civilizations and powers vanish. Silence does not mean weakness.
I have heard that the complex letter or word “OM” has power of “Big Bang”, whoever may have had real experience; we don't question.

God may be a concept for some. However, Srisihti - Nature - is not a concept. All that one need to perceive Srishti - Nature is to follow “Srishtiyoga – Way of Nature” or the Communion with Nature.  

The photograph shows a Warli tribal sings while playing his string instrument. All tribal – men and women – dance and sing collectively and individually.

QUOTES:

I add following quotes from “KATHA UPANISAD with Commentary of Sankaracarya”, Translated by Swami Gambhiranand (Publishers: Advaita Ashram, Mayavati, Himalayas).

Note 1: The word or letter or symbol - "OM"

“This letter (Om), indeed, is (the inferior) Brahman (Hiranyagarbha). And this … letter is (Om) the supreme Brahman. Anybody, who, (while) meditating on this letter, wants any of the two, to him comes that.” — Sloka: I.ii.16, p. 53. 

Sankaracarya comments “...For, of them both this letter (Om) is the symbol...” (p. 54).

Note 2: Five Elements and the Senses

Translator’s Note 1, which elaborates Five Elements, in reference to Sankaracarya’s Commentary, “...How is the thing to be known very subtle? That is being said: Now, then, this earth is gross, developed as it is by (the principle of) sound, touch, colour, taste, and smell; and it is an object of perception to all the senses. So also is the body...” (Sloka: I.iii.14, P.79-80).

“Earth is possessed of five qualities ? smell, taste, colour, touch, and sound; water consists four qualities beginning from taste; fire of the next three; air of the next two; and space of the last one. It is difficult to translate the word akasa. Vedantasutra defines it as the element that provides space and sound as its quality” (Note 1, p.80).

(I am neither a scholar of Sanskrit, nor an authority on Scriptures of any religion including Christianity, nor on Spirituality. My series on “Senses and Sense-Ability” refers to a living on gross level. However, where does the Element "akash" (usually called space) dwell in the body? How do we attend the sense of hearing, besides other senses? How do we hear the so-called "Inner Voice", if we ever hear?)

Please do write if anyone knows or feels otherwise about “Anahad Naad”.

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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

LCM-8: A great epoch flies at a tangent…

LCM-8: A Great Epoch flies at a Tangent

The process to find “Least Common multiple” (LCM) in the arithmetic of practical living does not end here, but continues. It is simple because the “means and end” are one and the same; I am the means and I am the end; there are no intermediaries, no rituals, no rites, or age-gender-status bar. It is unconditional.

2
The search stumbles upon it: the epoch of the Industrial Society flies at a tangent… to nowhere, or perhaps, a limbo, because of its audacity and arrogance. At an elementary level the tangent is rooted and established, not in the ancient times, but in the beginning of civilised societies. It goes with same conventions, their meanings and sources, in times and places, with local variations in form, context and content. It seems Civilization has not come of age yet.

3
For example, In Indic civilisation there has been concepts such as, four ends (or goals) of life (for man): “dharma” (religion), “artha” (wealth), “kama” (wants and desires, also sexual desire) and “moksha” (salvation or liberation). How do these survive and now beeing practiced in real life is only a matter of speculation for the collective, and introspection for an individual among the faithful in today's fractured society.

4
Epochs after epoch have come with new bottle for old wine (of feudal power); in the modern times the driving force of the tangent wants to bend even Nature by its tantrum. Then what about Darwin, Freud, Marx, Gandhi? Eugenics is already on the agenda.

5
Like any civilised society, Indic civilisation also established the social division of labour and hierarchy in four varnas: “brahmanas” (priests and teachers), “kshatriyas” (kings, warriors and administrators), “vaishyas” (traders), and “shudras” (who provide service to members of the other three varnas). In the course of time shudras were attached with the stigma of untouchable. Over millennia these varnas or castes have incresed in numbers of castes, sub-castes, sub-sub castes, like ameaoba, or in contemparary times, like the specialised services in the industrial socity, which is already reaching a decadant state.

6
Now in India, and perhaps elswhere also, new hybrid-castes are emerging, among rulers, professionals, pimps etc. Some call them dynasties. Well, they too, like hybrid culture gain seeds, don’t last more than a couple of generations. Because the volatile market forces create demands and supplies of new actors.

7
We don’t deny or accept any of them, and take a drop, or a jump, from the flying tangent down to Earth. The series on “LCM” does not claim to any hypothesis, or any theory, any discovery, or theology. It does not guarantee any salvation in this life or after Death.

8
Despite the destruction of their autonomous functions – work, leisure, health, learning and propagation – granted by Nature; despite the destruction of natural environment-ecology-energy on which all the living beings sustain; despite denial of food-shelter-clothing that are facilitated for all living beings by Nature, the millions/ billions continue their struggle to sustain, and fight the invisible terror: This is the mainstream India/ world. Could the Nature’s Law be restored? It is not a matter of mass movement, or any Charter by the UN, but only by internal realization and change.
- - -

(Links to Previous Posts: 1. Arithmetic in Real Life, 2. Dharma or Fundamental Law by Nature, 3. WORK - Breaking the Mind Block, 4. Leisure - Perpetual Crave for Rest, 5. LCM-5: HEALTH - Forgotten Nature Within and Outside, 6. LCM-6: Learning to Learn,
LCM-7: PROPAGATION or Survival of the Species



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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

LCM-7: Propagation or Survival of the Species

Arithmatic of Life

LCM-7: PROPAGATION or Survival of the Species
1
Propagation, hopefully, now, is not an outcaste subject from the public discussion in the polite society, in the times of world population explosion. We take it because it is one of the five autonomous, vital intrinsic functions of all the species.
2
Among humans there are some eunuchs, some impotents/ barren. Some of them certainly must have discovered their creativity in arts, not in Atom Bombs, which you can’t call a Creative Work!
3
Propagation, among mammals, is generally connected to male-female genitals, yet the “uterus” and “breasts/udders” besides other vital parts that relate to propagation. In the modern times of aesthetic hedonism, even some of the educated women need to be told, “Breast feed the babies; it is healthy”.

Mother Godess

4
The organs of propagation give “Sex-Sense” and “Mother-Sense”, both, which is giving birth to and bringing up the offspring. There are matriarchal communities among humans too, not only elephants. There are worshippers if Fertility Goddess, just as those who worship “Lingam”. When “sex” (a function of a species), when identified as “need”, which is rather a “want” like all other “wants” of civilised societies. It results in perpetuating prostitution. Among the aborigine communities there is no prostitution.
5
Some government functionaries, politicians and bureaucrats, here in Maharashtra, have been toying with an idea of “sex education” in the schools, so that their families are spared from educating their children in the matters of “sex”? Indeed, the Authority does not want to spare even your personal domain! What a noble concept!

Water lettuse

6
Nature, just as has created various species, so also the designs for propagation. Some fish give birth by their mouth, some lay million eggs. Cow gives birth to a single calf, dogs and cats produce litter (their eyes are closed for first few days). Deer’s calf starts to jump and run soon after birth. Koel lays eggs in crow’s nest. Water lettuce (See: Illustration) multiplies in numbers like amoeba.
7
The designs of propagation also indicate the life span, the numbers, and the survival rate of various species. Some species live for few minutes/hours, some for years. Grasses, wheat, rice live for few weeks, a banyan tree lives for more than hundred years. In the natural environment, the life span of different species, their possibility to survive, and their numbers are interrelated, to maintain ecological, environmental and energy balance. (Big fish eat small fish.)
8
By the extensive use of modern chemical insecticides, the insect population is increasing, because they develop immunity to chemical insecticides. This of course is according to Nature’s Law for the “protection to species”, to keep ecological balance. Humans, particularly the industrial society intervenes Nature’s schema at an unprecedented rate. Whatever may it result in sooner or later; Nature is ruthless unlike gods in whom humanity believes.
9
Greed of capitalist Industrial Society has reached to such enormous heights that it has assumed a role of worst predator since the beginning of time. It does not only annihilate plants and animals, defile land and waters and air on which all living-beings sustain, but doesn’t even spare its own species – humans – directly or by proxy, under some pretext or other – religion, energy or Peace – for power and profit.
10
Vasco de Gama with his army attacked Fort at Mahim in Mumbai. He won. But he was not satisfied with the victory. He went along the village streets, and butchered the peasants just to terrorise them. On his heels the missionaries came with the Good News. Columbus did similar thing when he found the “new land”. And what about the British Rule? Jallianwala Bagh massacre is enough of an example. The story does not end here.
11
The late Mr. Morarji Desai was trained in the Indian Civil service (ICS). He was no lesser democratic person. He shot dead 105 unarmed demonstrators during the Movement of Sanyukta Maharashtra. He was indeed a Khadi-clad pseudo-Gandhian. Since Independence of India there have been many similar examples.
12
When the powerful annihilate, trample, exploit, suppress, marginalize and displace the poor and the downtrodden, Nature’s Fundamental Law empowers them to propagate for the survival of the species, thus the population grows.
13
“The World Population is exploding” is a lie, big lie like that of Joseph Goebbels, propagated and repeated a million times by the powerful and their puppets, to fool the world, to hold their powers. They don’t have any ethical obligation either to fellow humans or the posterity. Altruism then is only an idea to earn tax rebates, and for living room talk.
14
The real life India, however, presents a disturbing picture. Bride-burning, dowry-deaths, sex crimes, gender atrocities and discrimination… take place, where the victims are women. Besides there are other atrocities that relate to religion, castes, language, regional territories, sharing resources… which of course are initiated by the powerful. The society fails to resolve them.
15
With the so-called progress and development, wealth and means are our Nature-given Senses becoming blunt?
_ _ _

NOTE:
(1) In all the discussions I do not stick a gender to the word “Nature”, just as “rta” – Sovran Good – is not an adjective but a noun, unlike God who is attributed male gender? Nature manifests in and around us that we can witness with our senses and intelligence.

(2) Illustration: Mother Goddess:
A 35,000-year-old ivory carving of a busty woman unveiled Wednesday, is believed to be the oldest known sculpture of the human form. Whatever way the scientists may interpret this artefact, there wasn't any civilised society, and possibly there was matriarchal system, which still prevails among many communities. And particularly the aborigine communities continue to worship Mother Goddess or Fertility Goddess. (Source: Mumbai Mirror, Dated 15 May 2009. See Link)

(3) Illustration: Water lettuce, a floating aquatic plant: Once after moving among the tribes of the Dangs, I came down to Songad, on Surat–Bhusaval Railway line. I climbed up the hill nearby, where there was a fortress. In the campus was a pool of water, almost covered with the water lettuce, a floating plant, which I saw for the first time. It looks like rose flower with dark green petals. At the same time a Bhill reached the place. He came walking nearly thirty miles to collect some of these plants for medicinal or as nutrient for his pregnant daughter who had come for her delivery, as is the custom. Adivasis – the aborigine – have a wealth of knowledge flora and fauna, which may not have been recorded. Later on I saw the plant in a village pond in Vasai taluka near Mumbai. (Graphic by the author)

(Links to Privious Posts: 1. Arithmetic in Real Life, 2. Dharma or Fundamental Law by Nature, 3. WORK - Breaking the Mind Block, 4. Leisure - Perpetual Crave for Rest, 5. HEALTH or Forgotten Nature Within and Outside, 6. Learning to Learn
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

LCM-6: LEARNING TO LEARN

Lowest Common Multiple-6 : Learning to Learn


Learning, as we know, begins when the child is in the womb. S/he cannot see, but can listen to the sounds in the surrounding environment: mixer-grinder, washing machine, radio-TV...traffic; singing... sound of running water. She can feel mother’s emotions, and the touch and warmth of the oceanic womb.

2
There are familiar stories from Epic Mahabharata: Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, learnt about “Chakravyuha”, strategic circular maze formation of army in war, while he was in the womb; Ashtavakra learnt Vedas while in womb, from his father’s recital. We have a saying, “musician’s child cries in tone”.

3
Ekalavya, a youth of Bhill tribe, learnt and excelled in archery himself – by self-access. When Dronacharaya, his absentee guru, demanded his right hand thumb as his fees, he promptly cut it off and gave. Little though may be known that the Bhill tribe do not ever use their thumb in
archery, in his memory, to this date.

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4
Mother elephant knows where the water sources are during the days of draught, and shows them to her herd. Honeybees hunt new sources

for miles; their social organisation and communication system are unique. A spider builds its web at strategic places (otherwise it would go hungry). Weaver bird finds places safe from the predators to build his nests.

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5
In India 900 million peasants (some of them languishing in the slums in urban India) have been using their five intrinsic autonomous functions, for three needs – food, shelter and clothing – with the help of Nature-given Seven Senses – hearing, smell, sight, taste, touch, sex and intuition – for their survival (survival, says J. Krishnamurti, means living sanely). They had no access to Sanskrit – gods’ language – or to scriptures or Vedas, which were monopolised by Brahmin caste. Such monopolisation of education continues.

6
The kings, feudal lords, emperors, nawabs, landlords, usurers… exploited the peasants to extract their meagre earnings (in kind) for their luxuries and powers. Their exploitation was limited to religious, social or economic effects, until the British Rule came.

7
The British Raj brought new and most powerful weapon of exploitation, not only of the land and waters, but also of the people, i.e. the Industrialisation, which is shrouded by the concept of “social and economic development”. It destroyed their personal autonomy, which had survived for thousands of years.

8
Independent India’s government, following blindly the model established by the gora sahib, only expedited the process in the name of development and progress. It brought also new laws of development etc. to take over the people’s resources, but without appropriate means of Rehabilitation of the people, in the changed political-economic-social environment. The people were subjects before the white man came, now they are objects, to be manipulated at will.

9
India’s variety of natural environment has resulted in a great cultural variety too: food, shelter, clothing, arts, languages, literature… It is simply amazing. One lifetime is not enough to comprehend and assimilate it.

10
However, the mass education system, besides other institutions, imposed by the white man, and followed by the successive Indian Governments, of various brands and colours, for the past sixty years, are moving towards monoculture that mimics western values and life style.

11
And the Indian culture that I just mentioned is on the brink of extinction along with the traditional wisdom of people, their accumulated knowledge of land and waters, and the skills developed through many generations. No. We are not talking about Vedas and sacred scripture; they are in the safe deposit vaults of the elite castes and classes.

12
Certainly there are many well-intentioned do-gooders: social workers, missionaries, non-governmental organisations, of various colours, brands, ideals, dogmas, with their political, cultural, religious agendas, working among the people.
13
However, all of them want to “teach” blah, blah, blah… the people. (All their life they learnt through books on the assembly line of Mass Schooling.) None of them is ready to “learn” from them, from the people themselves, to find, “How did they survive for millennia”, instead of from the scholarly treatises and books of history.
14
They – the do-gooders – don’t quastion themselves, “if they are stripped of their degrees and doctorates, their credibility and social hierarchies, would they be able to sustain themselves with their knowledge in the same natural-political-economic-social environment?” in my opinion they follow double standards.

15
They, the do-gooders, come from Indian elite class/castes and foreign countries. What is their credibility? They are learned, resourceful to raise money; they have strings at the authority. They distribute doles in cash–n–kind, but not the “democratic justice” even within the accepted (constitutional) norms. But one thing they can’t do is to remove the parasite that is savouring the people.

QUOTE:
'The distinction of "educatd" from the "uneducated" is merely technical. It is no longer of degrees of consciousness but more or less of information.' - Anand Coomaraswamy

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Illustration:
1. Engineer's Safety Key, the author of graphic is unknown. The text is by Remigius de Souza.
2. Weaver bird's nest - a study: Even animals have intelligence,; only we cannot measure it.


Links to previous posts:
1. Lowest Common Multiple ,
2. Lowest Common Multiple-2: Dharma by Nature,
3. Lowest Common Multiple-3: Work -Breaking the Mind Block,
4. Lowest Common Multiple-4: Leisure - Perpetual Crave for Rest ,
5. Lowest Common Multiple-5: Health - Forgotten Nature Within and Outside,




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

LCM-5: HEALTH

LCM-5: HEALTH - Forgotten Nature Within and Outside

HEALTH means healthy body and mind. Health means absence of illness, disease. Health does not mean medical care. Indian traditional medicine recognises the body – mind connection; if one is healthy the other is.

2
Work and Rest, likewise the Environment too, influences our physical and mental Health, for good or bad. We are conceived in our mother’s womb which is ecological niche provided by Nature. No sooner the breast feeding is stopped and/or outside food is started, innumerable bacteria start to make the child’s gut their home. Some of them are helpful, some harmful. But we can’t stop outside food. What food and how to feed it is our problem.

3
Now, environment is not only natural environment, but also the manmade environment – social, economic, political, and habitat. The places where we live, work, move, our means of travel, and how safe (unsafe) are the air, water, food that we continuously consume, and their quality and safety to our health, are holistically parts of our environment. Which Authority can give guarantee of their safety?

4
In brief, we cannot separate Environment, Ecology and Energy from each other. Unfortunately the professional and pundits, politicians and traders, the State and its policies continue to keep them apart, and wage wars of words, or of arms. Environment is not merely a climate change, or depletion of ozone, or melting glaciers in polar or Himalayan regions... These are effects used merely as populist propaganda, to divert the attention from the real reasons of how this situation has come about and accelerated since the rise of Industrialisation, to hide the truth by the vested interests of the “powers” and the “power-hungry”.

6
They assume that rest of the humanity is dumb. Isn’t it funny? Even the animals intuitively understand environment. Birds and bees migrate seasonally. During the recent tsunami in Asia, the animals were the first ones to run to safety at higher places, their senses being alert.

7
Of course, the villagers and the tribal are very sensitive to environment, because it holds their lifeline. But like plants and animals, they too are feeble before the invisible powers, whether there is democracy or dictatorship. Recently a visitor to Andaman – Nicobar islands informed me the tribes in Nicobar were least affected by the tsunami, because they, as well as animals moved towards higher grounds. (See: (1) “Tsunami Warning Systems of Aborigine Tribes”, by Manmohan Melville (2) News)

8
In the present circumstances social–political–economic disparity and inequality is so extreme among regions, that the people, the so-called masses, are tongue-tied, their hands and feet are shackled. They work hard. But their labour, toil is not a mindless activity: It is an intelligent action, contrary to what the educated class, with blinkers on, believe.

9
There are a few individuals and institutions, who try to do something about the masses and the environment. Though they are well-intentioned, and despite their size and resources, their standards are, qualitatively and quantitatively poor. They lack holistic approach in the first place. Hence their efforts are like “managing the herd of sheep while riding on camel” as the Marathi saying goes here. Of course, a faceless entity called government, too, is not an exception.

10
But when the entire civilised society including the educated urbanite, has been a victim of the poisoned environment, how much and what anyone can expect? Their efforts amount to “curative” measures.

11
What are the effects of prevailing environment not only on our physical and mental health, but also on Work, Rest, Learning and Propagation must be studied, a bit by bit, regularly, by each one, individually. There is only one option left, which is to observe with attention our daily living. It adds a lot of fun / live entertainment, also. In this, I must remember there is no authority, no power, over my health, other than myself. The same rule goes for all my other intrinsic functions and my needs (food, shelter and clothing) over which I have autonomy granted by Nature.

12
Lack of wholesome Rest would not only affect our other intrinsic functions but also the Health of body and mind. How far these situations help us in Learning? The illiterate have no access to what is happening in the farther world; even the media is biased. The literate don’t practice their literacy. The educated are ignorant about other compartment of disciplines than theirs.

13
Birds and animals, however attractive some leaves-flowers-fruits may look, keep away from them, boycott them. Whether they get this knowledge by intuition or mimetic pool or from watching the clan is a different matter. They have no gurus, no scriptures, and no institutions. The nature and their intelligence are their gurus. Perhaps we my make them our gurus.

14
How helpless is this human animal?
What is the “Lowest Common Multiple” in this story?

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(Links to Previous Posts: 1. Arithmetic in Real Life, 2. Dharma or Fundamental Law by Nature, 3. WORK - Breaking the Mind Block, 4. Leisure - Perpetual Crave for Rest

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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

LCM-4: Perpetual Crave for Rest

Lowest Common Multiple -4: Perpetual Crave for Rest

Rest is for the body and mind that get tired by Work. However, our internal organs – vital but invisible parts of the body – heart, brain, lings, veins etc continuously work; they can’t take rest, hence they need to remain healthy.
2
Heart, kidney etc organs are removed from the body and kept alive by providing energy artificially during the transplant surgeries. Indeed, what I call my, mine... But what is mine? Not even heart! But what do we do to keep them in Health? This is directly related to Environment, Ecology and Energy: our home and habitat, our food and clothing, our work and lifestyle and how we perform our intrinsic functions. We shall explore this in the following post – Part 5.

3
Rest could come in several forms: sleep, leisure, entertainment, satisfaction... Joy.
Persons of different ages or constitutions may sleep for more or less period of time. Children may sleep for nine to eleven hours, while old people may have five to eight hours of sleep.

4
Therefore, even while awake we may need rest, in form of leisure. Hence body and mind should not be used for any productive (economic) work; that’s leisure. This period of time should be spent without any purpose, in peace, that is, not even a thought about the past or the future. Only watch, look at, be aware of the immediate present the NOW (Krishnamurti), wherever one may be, without applying likes – dislikes – dogmas – judgement.

5
But mind keeps constantly fluttering. Particularly those who are accustomed to the fast urban lifestyle, would go mad if they have to sit quiet. That is why they carry noise-making gadgets even when they go for picnic to a forest. Perhaps they suffer from “peace-phobia”!

6
For some the post retirement period, which creates a void in their work-life, is a very delicate situation. If they have never taken Rest in their earlier life, what else could happen? For the old there is canned “Satsang” – religious discourses – available in the market.

7
And, surely some people want to avoid physical as well as mental work for all the possible time; that’s their idea of comfort and/or luxury. Instead what they might prefer is entertainment all the time, to keep occupied. Certainly market provides many gadgets. Canned food, canned milk, canned water, and similarly there is canned “24x7 Entertainments” i.e. caned games, canned music, canned dances, canned cinema, canned pornography… readily available.

8
All these gadgets lead a mind to “Virtual Realty”, which proves to be intoxicating: Opium of Modern Age, which Karl Marx may not have ever dreamt!

9
Modern urban lifestyle has taken divorce from the nature – nature outside and nature within – in spite of the advancement in sciences. External nature is polluted: toxic gases, smoke, dust, noise, heated concrete jungle, piped water, and by some chance holy basil – Tulasi – planted in a tin/plastic box in a gallery hanging on a baluster, and the rickety trees/shrubs in concrete boxes along the road pavements.

10
Internal nature – heart, lungs, brain, stomach, uterus… are absent from the mind.
Even while eating and drinking, to fulfil our basic need, we gossip, discuss business matters, watch TV; or press a button and hundred Mallikas are dancing and singing in chorus on a screen! What a supplement to Food! What is this? The buddy says, ‘I love dance and music.’ Exactly like kings and nawabs of yesteryears: One at home, hundred at harem. We hardly attend to eating: What we eat; how we eat; what for we eat? Same goes for the other senses.

11
Market is smart! It first creates our tastes and needs, then comes to our help, like God, in our pleasures and the pains. Some suggest, ‘change in work is leisure’. That’s again Work – physical or mental or sexual. This is indeed cheating.

12
Dance, singing, music, play, games, walk in the ambiance of nature – alone or in a group – are also forms of wholesome entertainment. Rest means to stop dissipation of energy. (Switch off the TV. Take it or leave it.)

13
In India, however, not all are yet the slaves of Virtual Reality like the urbanite. They neither need weekly holidays of Sundays nor the gadgets for entertainment, like white man, like the urbanite.

14
The Third World India and the Fourth World India are rich in folk traditions: arts, crafts, dances, music, folklore are in abundance and in variety, in all regions. There take place in hundreds of fairs, feasts, festivals, pilgrimages which people attend in thousands. Their schedules, set by traditions, are remarkable. These synchronize with their farming schedules, religious rites and rituals. The places are usually near rivers, lakes, seashores, mountains, groves, deserts… in close proximity of nature.

15
And the First World India is out to drag them in the market web of so-called progress and development, no matter even if they are marginalised and displaced , in the name of “common good”.
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( Links to Previous Posts: 1. Arithmetic in Real Life, 2. Dharma or Fundamental Law by Nature, 3 WORK: Breaking the Mind Block )

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NOTE:
(1) The illustration above: "Bhills celebrate Holi Festival" by Remigius de Souza.
“To live in harmony with nature” does not merely mean “external" nature but also in harmony with “internal nature” i.e. to live up to five autonomous intrinsic functions endowed to all living beings. Tribal do not suffer from the split personality of newfangled humans, and their community is not a fractured society like capitalist industrial society.

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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Lowest Common Multiple -3: WORK

Lowest Common Multiple-3: WORK - Breaking the Mind Block

Eight Hours by Ricardo Levins Morales

WORK is one of the intrinsic functions endowed by NATURE to all the living beings. Work implies both, physical and mental work. Work expends energy – physical, mental and energy derived from nature in various forms.
2
Why work?
Nature must have planned this function for humans, like all other species, to sustain themselves, to make them able to fulfil their “needs”.
3
Food, Shelter and Clothing are the three – only three – needs of humans; the rest implied to be needs are only “wants”, which are transient, changeable, or dropped. Nature has created sufficient resources for the sustenance of all the living species, including humans, therefore, for their needs – food, shelter and clothing, therefore, no one, an individual or an institution, is authorized to intervene in these fields.
4
For the species other than humans, Nature provides designs that are as unique, varied and in abundance as there are species. Some have wool, some have shell, some eat soil (earthworms), some eat honey, some are herbivorous, some are carnivorous… some thrive on blood. Work is a must to fulfil three “needs”: Food, Shelter and Clothing (as needed).
5
FOOD: For this need, broadly, the following works are involved. To raise grains-fruits-vegetables, or take them from nature, prepare or cook if needed, eat (this too is work), cleanse utensils etc. In all the aspects of WORK, the body and mind work concurrently.
6
Just imagine, how did the humans domesticated wild plants of grains and vegetables and fruits, ten thousand years ago. The civilized society and its division of labour, godpersons and sex-workers as well as Incarnations and Prophets did not exist then.
7
In WORK, intelligence (i.e. intellect plus senses) operates. Inevitably, intuition awakens and develops with the use of senses. During Work, the success and failures and difficulties that arise help the function of Learning – education and learning to learn – is fulfilled.
8
Senses evoke emotions, which too are form of energy, if used creatively, bring Joy – a form of Rest; otherwise loss of energy, destruction. Work makes body and mind stronger, intuition to grow, and become more able, and together help to keep Health.
9
Human invented tools for ease, and machines to increase production. Why, when and who felt the need (sic) to produce more than the “needs” is another question. There still are communities who don’t produce more than their “needs”. To produce more than need is called “wants”. And only “power” and the “power-hungry” have the “wants”.
10
Millions of villagers and the tribal work hard. But their labour or toil is never a mindless activity: It is an intelligent action, contrary to what the educated class believes: It is vocation.
11
It is machine in modern times, on the contrary, that brought mindless activity; to keep the body occupied, i.e. occupation, and perpetual boredom to mind, which craves for excitement – 24x7 Entertainment. Hence illness to both, mind and body: Loss of Health. The “mechanical” personality penetrates the collective consciousness of other sections of mass society.
12
In the place of five/ ten/ hundred/ hundreds… of persons, a single person works with the help of machine; it is denial of autonomy granted by Nature, of those people. It also destroys ecological balance. (City, for example, as a form of habitat, started by the civilised societies, symbolises the centralised power. Hence “city” denies one’s autonomy over “Shelter”, likewise, “Food" and “Clothing”.)
13
It, also, affects all the intrinsic functions of humans and all other species. It brings their very existence to annihilation. For example, if one large tree is cut from the virgin forest, hundred other species of animals and plants are either destroyed or displaced or affected. The loss, however, cannot be recovered by monoculture plantation. It is sacrilege.
14
By consenting and obeying the “Powers” and the “Powerful”, all the citizens of so-called civilised societies are going the way of entropy. Even the so-called dumb animals and plants can see and understand this inhuman act, only if we could understand their language!
15
Without holistic view, we cannot comprehend or imagine what calamity the agrarian society of India must be facing. Is this what we call “Democracy”, “Development” and “Progress”?
16
It is important to keep counterbalance or equilibrium, not only between the physical work and mental work, but between all the functions. Otherwise there shall be inevitable fallout: Pay the bills for medical, legal etc. services; Make new laws; Leave 300 million Indians "below poverty line"; Keep 400 million Indians illiterate!
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Note:
(1) more on "shelter" see “Housing: Shelter as Basic Need”, and on "architecture and planning" see Architecture and Biodiversity in India (my published papers).
(2) Illustration above: "Eight Hours" by Artist: Ricardo Levins Morales | quoted by Anders Hayden , "Sharing the Work, Sparing the Planet: Work Time Reduction, Consumption and the Environment" (Paperback)

(3) Links to Previous Posts: 1. Arithmetic in Real Life, 2. Dharma or Fundamental Law by Nature
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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.