Caste based politics-India's Cancer

I don't know what would have been Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's reaction had he been alive today. But I can definitely say that caste based politics wasn't something which Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar espoused for. The so-called messiah's of the backward castes have made these castes a permanent vote bank for themselves. I can say with assurance that this is not something which Dr. Ambedkar liked. The inital reservation for SCs & STs for a period of 10 years was something logical & understandable.
Our constitution makes it abundantly clear that the people will not be discriminated on the caste lines. But under the garb of backwardness, these messiah's have been fooling the people for petty political gains.
If the people are backward then it is due to economic reasons & not because of their caste. Even if reservations are necessary then it has to be done on economic grounds. Why are the economically challenged upper caste people not given reservation? Why are the financially rich lower caste people still given undue benefits? Why caste is the parameter for measuring backwardness?
I believe these politicians have got to do nothing with the backwardness. They have reduced the so-called backward castes to a mere voting generating machine for themselves. If there has been a historical injustice to lower castes then counter-injustice to upper caste can't be the solution. Mandal politics has seriously reduced the importance of meritocracy. If everything were to be determined by caste then no need to worry for business because you can follow only your traditional caste business.
It's high time that we turn our blind eye to this gross injustice. The messiah's of backwardness have disturbed the social cycle & made injustice a commonly accepted phenomenon.
It's time to think as one nation, one people. I don't understand why we are still driven by the century old caste based diktats.
It's the time for new india to rise above such illegitimate discrimination.

The Forgotten Art of Disagreeing

Either a person will disagree or he has ceased to think. Two human beings having exactly the same opinions on every issue is something very rare, almost impossible. Differences of opinion is a proof that we still have a functional brain.
We often face a situation wherein we disagree on a certain issue. Divergent opinion always gives us an opportunity to revaluate our opinion. It gives us an insight as to where we may have erred. I firmly believe that respecting a divergent opinion compounds your respect in your opponent's mind. Changing your opinion after re-examining it will not hurt your ego but will compound your respect.
Having said all that, a fact cannot be denied that disagreement on certain issues is a reality. Disagreeing with someone is not an issue but the method of conveying it is a major issue. Just to blindly disagree with someone reduces the authenticity of your opinion. Your worst ever disagreement can be conveyed in the best possible language. It is this eloquence that makes the difference. To refuse a request is not wrong but to display your ego while refusing it is something wrong. To disagree on certain issue & to take it at a personal level are two different things. We may disagree with certain views of a person but atleast respect him.
Blindly opposing something without examining it can only create damage at both the ends. To all my friends & foes, I may disagree with your thoughts & opinions but I very much respect you as a person. I expect this respect to be mutual.
An opinion can be criticised but a person cannot be criticised for just a divergent opinion. Think over it!

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam

Movements, Agitations, Demonstrations, Strikes, Wars, Insurgency, Unrest, Emergency, Infiltration, LOC Violations, etc. the list goes on & on. Such heavily loaded words & terminologies often reverberate in television studios & so-called intellectual discussions. These words are of no use to a common 1BHK householder with 2-3 Lakh package, ofcourse, with all the VAT, CST & TDS, etc. These words add to the misery of such individuals. All the great monarchs & kings with all the grandeur & respect that they commanded were finally made up of what HINDU ideology calls it "PANCHTATVA". We all are made of these PANCHTATVA & will finally leave this earth leaving ashes.
The beginning of 20th century saw a sporadic rise in the concept of nation-building. It saw rise of feudal & autocratic powers. In the name of nation building, most of the feudal powers have shown to the world the ugly side of mankind. While everyone espouses for a strong nation but that 'holier than thou' feeling creeps in.
In this process of nation building, we have forgotten the HINDU ideology of 'VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBHAKAM'. A HINDU is a true HINDU only if he believes in true secularism not sickularism. No one enjoys riots & chaos. The feeling of world being a single family can occur universally only if it is reciprocal. I firmly believe that every nation has the right to safe-guard its interest but infringing upon someone else's interest is absolutely uncalled for. HINDU ideology always espouses for 'world as a single family' concept. But espousing this concept doesn't take away our right to protect ourself.
If all the nations, religions, castes, ethnic groups, minorities, embrace this concept then definitely conflicts can be avoided & resolved amicably. But the only point is that this feeling has to be universal & reciprocal.
While I am no big person that my comments can make a difference but I write this with only belief that someday 'VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBHAKAM' will become a reality.
With all my ideological differences I will like to quote a saintly person Mahatma Gandhi who said "World has enough for everyone's need not for everyone's greed". This statement summarises entire concept of 'VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBHAKAM'.

Controlling Infatuations

Every individual is inflicted by emotions. It is very natural to have emotions & not having them is being abnormal. It is this emotional bonding which makes core foundation for all the human relations. As an individual we are also attached to non living substances forget friends & relatives. All the emotions compounded together form a dynamic equilibrium.Everyday there are instances where we are angry, sad, happy, etc. but the equilibrium in us maintains the emotional balance.
Teenage-an age characterised by emotional imbalance. The upsurge of hormones coupled with a pressure peer group worsens this equilibrium. We all have infatuations which no one can deny. It is part & parcel of growing up. While most of us happily & temporarily enjoy this momentary phase of so-called LOVE but I am afraid that some of our friends get carried away by this. If love stories & couples were to be made at the age of 14-15, then I don't think our parents & teachers were fools to stop us. But that innate control over this temporary phase is the most important thing. There are much more important things in our life. Getting trapped in this web of temporary emotions doesn't pay. Equilibrium in emotions is the most important thing. Don't fool yourself into believing something which doesn't exist. If there is real substance in your love then it will remain even if you don't follow it. God has designed certain tasks for certain ages. This is not the age to get swayed away by temporary emotions. This is the age to build career & do great things.
IF IT'S YOUR REAL LOVE YOU NEED NOT FOLLOW
AND
IF IT IS NOT YOUR LOVE YOUR FOLLOWING WON'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Think my dear friends.
I am writing this with fully sense of responsibility & thinking a hell over it.

Darwin's Law in Social Context

Violation of any natural law increases the social entropy. Some laws don't have a domain like science, arts, commerce, sports, etc. Universality is the trademark of such laws. Newton's law of action & reaction OR law of motion & inertia are equally applicable in all aspects of life. Some social transformations or events which prima facie seem impossible can be explained by such laws. The arabic revolution in the past 1-2 years of Egypt, etc. can be explained by action reaction theory. Prima facie it seems impossible that a monarchical rule of 30 years can be overthrown by 11 days of struggle.
Darwin's famous Theory of Evolution has two major laws "SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST" and "STRUGGLE FOR EXISTANCE". A person is born as an individual & dies as an individual. While some are naturally born in conducive environments (rich people) others have to adapt themselves & struggle to maintain themselves in the everyday evolving world (poor people). Howsoever, one may be rich but at the end everyone has to struggle. Every individual thrives to uplift himself or atleast maintain a status quo. Even the rich class suffers from an anxiety & the greed of more money & power. Our struggle is the proof of a natural universal law governing the entire universe. We, in our individual capacity maybe defying some notions & traditions but at the end, it is the nature which decides our sustainability & success. The real cause of this entire exercise remains unanswered by the highest intellectuals. But we arrive, we live, we struggle, we perish. Ultimately, even the most powerful person just turns out to be nature's yet another product.
As Swami Vivekananda puts it "Even stones, trees, etc. come into existence & perish. If you have come over here then leave some mark behind". While the supremacy of Darwin's Law remains unchallenged but as we are already into this game of life, lets leave some mark behind. Our everyday struggle is our mark of respect for the nature. Our struggle ensures the continuity of the universe. Our movement to prove nature wrong within limits itself proves the supremacy of the nature. But our illegitimate actions against the law of natural justice can undo us within no time. A tsunami OR a earthquake doesn't discriminate between the rich & the poor nor does it discriminate the boss from an employee.
STRUGGLE DON'T REBEL.

Ideological Commitment VS Ground Reality

Being committed to a particular ideology gives a moral direction to your thoughts & actions. While the applicability of the ideology in the contemporary times can be debated but the benefits of a particular commitment cannot be denied. The inconsistency in our thoughts & actions reflect our partial or total commitment deficit. But as the times change no particular ideology can have complete applicability nor do they become irrelevant. The perfect art of living is achieved by striking a perfect balance between your commitments & the ground realities.
Many great men on this earth have failed in their endeavour solely due to their rigid principles & their efforts to uphold them. In the eyes of a common man it can be called a failure. But for those committed individuals it is that moment of pride when they have testified their commitment to their ideology against odds. Getting materialistic titles & objects maybe the aim of the majority but it is in achieving that eternal peace from within that matters. It is about facing yourself in front of the mirror. It is about being accountable to yourself. It is about holding your head high. Tasting materialistic success may be the attribute of a ideology less person but the real enjoyment lies in that sacrifice when you pay heaviest of the prices to uphold your principles. Being committed to your ideology may not make you popular but it gives that sense of self-existence.
While I am not that committed but I believe that ultimate commitment to a ideology irrespective of ground realitiy is beneficial for an individual if not for the people around him.

Perception-Not an Iota of Truth

Perceiving is believing. We all comprehend & believe certain things which do not exist in reality. Perception is the image of certain actions which you have taken in the past or of the words which you have spoken in the past. An individual can create an image but perception is an onlookers' creation. A vast majority of people spend their whole life trying to shed off a perception while rest others spend their life trying to create a perception. Perception is not necessarily a reliable indicator of the real persona.
Many people become victims of their perceived personalities. Especially the people who are active in public life, become the beneficiary or the victim of perceptions. The real person behind the created image can be judged only by those who know the real natural instincts of that person. An articulate speaker necessarily doesn't imply that he is an avid thinker. To express certain thoughts & to propound certain thoughts is all together a different phenomenon. The difference between kathni & karni  can be compared to image & perception. Some people have ideological opposition within themselves. So even the perceivers are confused about the real persona.
Dichotomy in ideologies often inflicts our political class who are driven more politically but less ideologically. However, there are few distinguished political personalities who are driven ideologically. But even they exhibit ideological inconsistencies.
Creating or destroying an image is much easy than creating or destroying a perception. The best test to assess ideological consistency is to gauge the difference between image & perception.
While I am too young to touch such subjects but I feel such discussions in long run can help us create & debate the real persona rather than debating preceptions.

EGO Vs SELF-BELIEF

In my opinion, there are few aspects of human behaviour which are very difficult to comment upon. But in our day-to-day dealings, we forget to observe ourselves. We don't understand as to when do we cross the limit. A very thin line separates self-believe/self-pride from ego. While trying to assert the superiority of our view-point we often tend to disrespect the counter-point. It is very human to get emotional when your core ideology is challenged. Trying to maintain calm at that point of time while respecting the counter view is what Statesmanship is all about.
The human weakness of self-righteousness often inflicts the ideological committed personalities. But a spokesperson of a particular ideology becomes statesman when he overcomes the disease of self-righteousness. Most men never attain that state. Most of the issues are created by such semi-cooked ideological personalities. While I admit to the fact that I get offended when my ideology is challenged, but I believe it is still the maturing phase for all of us.
The most cruel form of ideological incompetency is getting personal with someone when you harbour ideological differences. I can claim to be fairly isolated of this vice.
But Ego & Self Belief are two things which are yet so close & yet so far. It's in the ultimate interest of the society that we accept ideological differences & move along.

Handling Gross Ideological Differences

Ideologies, make or break a person. Unity in diversity is the enshrined principle of our constitution. But that diversity is not about language, food, clothing, etc. It is about gross differences in the attitudes towards common situations. Intolerance towards poles apart ideologies reflects your incomplete faith in your ideology. I always believe that your ideological opponent gets weakened by your indifferent attitude towards his ideology. Having ideological differences is a proof that god has created minds which function in different ways. We need to respect that differences.
Simple day-to-day instances reflect your ideology quotient. For example, if you believe that reading book is better than watching a movie then to criticise someone for the latter option reflects your ideological inconsistency. Its about striking that perfect balance between defending your thoughts & not disrespecting the other. Its about criticising the view but respecting the person. To take ideological differences at personal level reveals your incomplete faith in your own ideology. I always try to defend my ideology but there is a very thin line differentiating defence & offence. An offensive ideological opponent never deserves any reply. Ideological difference is something to be cherished about & not to be intolerant about.
OPPOSE IDEOLOGICALLY RESPECT PERSONALLY!

Isolation-Falsely Implicated Phenomenon

Man is a social animal. This is the first sentence of every civics textbook & in all the grades. While socialising is a pivotal feature of human society, it is a fact which cannot be denied. Socialising, often booms out of the fear of isolation. There are very few people who are high on social quotient & have natural socialising tendencies. The vast majority of others develop this art as an instinctive reply to the fear of isolation. But the most important question out here is "WHY FEAR ISOLATION? "
Isolation has been conferred as something demonic in nature. Isolation, in my opinion helps you to discover the you in yourself. I think isolation is that state wherein, you have the freedom to pursue yourself endlessly. With no social compulsions, you touch the new pinnacles of your persona. I have realised & experienced the wonders of isolation. It develops within you that inner strength to face the world at large without buckling under social compulsions. It helps to develop that core ideology which can resist the winds of ideological brainwashing. You can defend your view points with that severity which your opposition can never think of.
But despite my bias towards isolation one cannot forget the natural instinct of being social. If you have infinite strength to grow in isolation then it can also make you surrender to the society. You can lose that inner strength if you aren't able to withstand social pressures. But to see isolation as a complete demonic manifestation will be an insult to few individuals like me who have experienced its benefits.
While acknowledging its pros & cons, it ultimately depends upon how one perceives the circumstances rather than the actual circumstances.

Trap of Mediocrity

You can't succeed if you aren't driven by your aspirations. Well, this sentence may sound like some rhetoric of a motivational speaker but the actual substance to this sentence is far more than what we perceive it to be. The difference between so-called successful & unsuccessful people is their uncanny heart-burning desire to succeed. We all begin our aspirational stories with the slogans of meritocracy but most of us fall in the trap of mediocrity. There is a very thin separating mediocrity & meritocracy. Instant success kills the burning desire in a mediocre person or instant failure deters the mediocre person to pursue his dreams further. By aiming for small & instant success we often miss the larger picture. I don't believe that there is an ocean of difference between an ordinary & extraordinary person. But its that small difference in speaking, an extra element of grace, a perfect shade of perfection, an holistic approach to a simple issue that creates the big difference between them. Being mediocre is natural but defying that is what creates the marvel within a person. I don't think that all men are born great(though some are) but its that shear desire to reach the pinnacle that separates the jewel amongst the stones.
Burning desire for success, may not necessarily give you success but it will definitely give you that deep sense of satisfaction. An inner satisfaction that no amount of thrusted greatness can give. I also believe that being over-ambitious without being practical about the ground realities can be the greatest reason for disappointment. Having more ambition is as good as gambling big. With higher ambitions your probability to succeed also decreases proportionately.
Ultimately its all about being satisfied from within. Mediocrity or No-Mediocrity, its all about what you think you are doing right. Mediocrity is a worldly term used to describe certain parameters but it's that shear inner self belief that matters. I try to follow only one thing. By doing so I may have erred in worldly terms but I am able to stand myself in front of the mirror.
The thing which I follow is
"DO WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS RIGHT
DON'T DO WHAT YOU PERCEIVE IS RIGHT"
I hope you get the difference.

Decoding Success

Only those succeed who aren't afraid of failure. While a whole lot of such inspiring quotes hardly transform into substantial success. But many who attempt to follow this end up being bullied by innumerable failures. As I write this, I feel I am grossly incompetent to comment on this subject as I have seen only one side of the coin-failure. Success doesn't have a complex einstein type of formula but it has that majestic touch of simplicity. I don't think that complex brains with rocket science can succeed as much as a person with some determined set of ideas. We often believe that thinking too much can simplify the matter but it often complicates it. Similarly, writing & speaking about success complicates its achievement.
Success in my definition is "PURSUING AN IDEA RELENTLESSLY". The gradation of success can be done on the basis of the extent upto which you are able to pursue an idea.
Without writing much on this subject, I believe that you & me must hit the ground running without wasting time.
Work! Work! Work! Work!