An Alien Value System…

Time and again when I am served a cup of tea on my office desk, I make an attempt to thank the person who serves it to me as a part of her work…. Why should I or somebody like me should thank a person for doing something part of their work for which they paid for?

Someone may advocate that thanking all the time may not be required!

What am I doing when the security person wishes me in the morning ,the very first thing happens to me in any working day as I come to the office…..am I ignoring him and rush through the office?… Am I too numb and cold to wish him back? ….or am I generous to wish him back with the same gratitude and humanness?

I believe that the value system of me (us) deeply in a declining phase as I link all my reactions towards others based on the subjective judgment to a person’s material wealth, professional status and of course the educational qualification and so on…. What a strange attitude of practicing discrimination even to keep simplest values like paying respect and reciprocating with humanness and kindness…

In the office space I hardly smile at someone from another department or from different floor. Neither an attempt to talk nor an attempt to know their names even though facing them every now and then walking across the stairs.

It raises sensible questions in me … Am I keeping those simplest values am taught about? Whether my value system has aliened? Even if I am not mindful of those values? Why I haven’t seen somebody keeping those values with me? I am hopeful of getting answers soon? Or will I alien further more?

I can hear someone telling that in the global village and global economy, whether values are worth talking!

In the process of my thoughts I remind about something once my master told ,In the celebration of life the most important are those end values not the mean values! Let me hold something of those! And let me not alien further more!

Arther.C

A slap on my face!

I am staying in a typical Bachelor’s room situated on the second floor of a house, a single room with an attached bath, having a separate stairs to go from the ground floor. People who stay in the ground and first floor will come to the second floor terrace for two reasons

1. To keep Prasadam for the crows in the morning .I think sometime why I am not a crow, even crows will get sympathy; bachelors are untouchables even now especially when they stay alone!

2.To hang their wash for drying.

All these times somebody will accompany the other as both the above duties are performed mostly by the Ladies (Guys don’t get angry as many of us do these works to pacify our ladies).

Those are the times when I use to see somebody on the terrace I felt like living in a Country Side …all other times felt being lonely in a Jungle.

But that little happiness of seeing people too eroded from my mind, as no one was interested to talk or smile at me. Now a day I am not Bothered and not even Interested to know who is coming and going, it is not going to be any different.

There are no expectations for me from my Neighbors. I understand that they too not going to anticipate anything from me. No trust, No expectations, No basic respect and Anticipation, No Ray of Hope for any kind of relationship further. I amuse at, whether something called a Society exist only in Clubs, Temples, Churches, Masque and Guruthwaras. Here lanes and streets are made up of buildings not peoples. Only drainage system connects each house Neither Trust Nor Hope and Brotherhood. A strange thing for a person like me from a mini town with people of caring, loving and courteous. Adoptability is our strength as a bird from a rural flock. Lonely roaring is not going to be difficult at all. Alright let the lament stop here…

It was a Sunday morning, my biological clock was two hours behind the Indian standard time, and there is always one hour difference between my waking up from sleep and getting up from cot…..

I should get ready fast so that I can attend the church for Sunday service at 10 am….

After finishing the crow bath, got ready in no time…

As I was sitting on the chair to put my socks and shoes…somebody approached my room door and was looking inside…..

I looked up and she was there, a Smiling Beauty.

I asked her what is your name. She said Ananthra…with a smile in her face like a sunflower….

I said my name is Arther Paul, like a Parading Army Officer with a Ginger Face…

She Exclaimed! Woh! Beautiful name!

I asked her what is the meaning for her name as I am hearing a name like this for the first time….. It means Sweet she said…..

Then she asked for the meaning of my name…I was named after a Saint Paul according to the Holy Bible I replied……

I asked her what standard are you in and is it holiday nowadays….

She said that she is in Third Standard and it is Thasara holidays…Now my face started brighten up…..and asked her how many are there in her home ,what is her father and all….the conversation went on like that…

As the conversation progressed further, like a conventional person as she was looking like a north Indian, I asked this question “Are you a north Indian?

Ananthra replied, “I don’t know I am an Indian” that’s what I know…..

I shocked and surprised by the answer ….then suddenly she said she is going and ran fast with an innocent smile …

I do not know whether Ananthra answered knowingly or unknowingly ….A typical, conventional Indian like me...It was like A Slap On My Face…what realization we all should have for beyond being south ,north this and that identities is INDIAN !

Discrimination and favoritism on the basis of regional and linguistic basis is condemnable and disgustful …..In knowledge based society…..

I have consciously made a decision that when I meet somebody next time I should not ask questions something like this… and whenever I see somebody I wish to see through the wisdom and eyes of Ananthra…..what about you my friend…..

Arther.C

This is why rich get richer and poor get poorer

In case anyone wants to try to comprehend the scale of corruption in our Motherland, 70 lakh crores is $1.4 Trillion ... Latest update after Swiss Bank has agreed to disclose the

• Funds &. Our Indians' Money - 70, 00,000 Crores Rupees in Swiss Bank

• Yes, 70 lakhs crores rupees of India are lying in Switzerland banks. This is the highest amount lying outside any country, from amongst 180 countries of the world, as if India is the champion of Black Money.

• Swiss Government has officially written to Indian Government that they are willing to inform the details of holders of 70 lakh crore rupees in their Banks, if Indian Government officially asks them.

• On 22-5-08, this news has already been published in The Times of India and other Newspapers based on Swiss Government's official letter to Indian Government.

• But the Indian Government ha s not sent any official enquiry to Switzerland for details of money which has been sent outside India between 1947 and 2008. The opposition party is also equally not interested in doing so because most of the amount is owned by politicians and it is every Indian's money.

• This money belongs to our country. From these funds we can repay 13 times of our country's foreign debt. The interest alone can take care of the Centers yearly budget. People need not pay any taxes and we can pay Rs. 1 lakh to each of 45 crore poor families.

• Let us imagine, if Swiss Bank is holding Rs. 70 lakh Crores, then how much money is lying in other 69 Banks? How much they have deprived the Indian people? Just think, if the Account holder dies, the bank becomes the owner of the funds in his account.

• Are these people totally ignorant about the philosophy of Karma? What will this ill-gotten wealth do to them and their families when they own/use such money, generated out of corruption and exploitation?

• Indian people have read and have known about these facts. But the helpless people have neither time nor i nclination to do anything in the matter. This is like "a new freedom struggle" and we will have to fight this.

• This money is the result of our sweat and blood. The wealth generated and earned after putting in lots of mental and physical efforts by Indian people must be brought back to our country.

• As a service to our motherland and your contribution to this struggle, please circulate at least 10 copies of this note amongst your friends and relatives and convert it into amass movement.

• Make an attempt to write to Prime minister of India, to instigate him to act formidably.

C.Arther

Pleasant Surprise

As you are passing through this passage, you will come to know that the surprise is from the west and it is worth mentioning as it has happened through the net.

The other day when I was browsing through the net I went into a link of Citizen Commission on Human Rights of United States of America (www.cchr.org). Many accidental unexpected searches will end up in some good findings. At times we start to search for something and end up finding something else of irrelevant things which we feel equally happy about it.

One horrifying dull image welcomed me into the site and the pop up icon appeared got my attention, and which reads like this “Avail free CD of Making a Killing: The Untold Story of Psychotropic Drugging.

It was an award winning documentary film .As being a Pharmacist myself and my grandma is taking such medications, fully aware of the consequences she faces due to those psychotropic drugs ,I was curious to get the CD and know more(Only because it is free!). Anticipating for nothing, keeping in mind that I may or may not get it. I filled in the application with my postal address and mail id. I did not have any expectation that the CD should come to me as it has to come from US and of free of cost. My conventional Indian mind set peeped and said, just things won’t happen that easy with a simple request…what can happen with a single mail…or a single word said or unsaid…pessimistic way of looking into everything!

Even big processions, protests and human cry may not get a bit of attention here...when the population is about 120 crore …who cares if a 200 died of swine flu and a 50 died of a boat mishap or the flood took hundreds of souls year after year and the road accidents take lives every day.

No one seems to care or dare to ask a question. No one feels comfortable to ask right questions .Fear of lose is overpowered the pleasures of gain…anguish all the way…

Almost 10 days latter I was pleasantly surprised to get the CD in good condition, packed with care and elegance, personally addressed to me with a covering letter thanking my interest and encouraging me to introduce the same to my friends and requesting me to write for more number of copies if I would like to distribute myself.

The film is worth watching and better to be informed about the other side of the drugs, the side effects ….and how marketing drive the approval and sale of such drugs…even in the country where the regulations are stringent…..

Salute to the US way of educating common people…and Indian way of ignoring common interests and playing the world renowned game the Blame Game!

Arther.C

Is It worth Boosting too much?

It was 7th October 2009…6.45 in the morning…….woke up with yawning, opened the door to get my bed coffee...Yes there is the day’s news paper…it was so fresh and rejuvenating the first sip…I mean the first news…. “Chemistry Nobel for Indian born scientist Venketraman Ramakrishna”….rushed through all other news more of flood affected area photos and relevant news and Karnataka governments appeal to the public to donate for relief work…that appeal is being appearing almost every day since last ten days or so …even though I empathize with the people who affected due to flood, lost their loved ones lives, dream built shelter, hard earned belongings, testimonial and sympathize for them for the turmoil they have to undergo before things get normal to them.

I welcome people who generously donate. But still it is heartening to know that most of donated clothes were fit only to be disposed and burned and the foods were sent gone straight to the ditches….cant blame the people alone as they have to keep in mind their Dewali purchase and budget…

Are these wealthy politicians donating anything apart from making request to public during these times of misery? The answer is a clear no. they release all their black and white money only during the time of election to buy the voters and vow them…Eventhough they know how to rise funds from industrialists for their election expenditures,they don’t want to explore that resource when people are in real need…..they knew this resource of corporate funding is for their time of election….this anger took the yawning away, warmed my blood a bit …..

When Amrithia Sen got Nobel Prize we excited as because he was an Indian born American. When Kalpana Chawla went to space we exclaimed as she was also an Indian born American. …the same way we are happy about Venketraman Ramakrishna …He made all the Indians feel proud! Being an Indian born American!

Whether they could have reached to these feats if they lived and worked in India. The country obsessed with individual performances and high commands. In our system individual islands of excellence wont come together to make a brilliant team to achieve great heights whether it is sports or research.

We may tend to forget the fact that these indigenous Indians gone to those heights only because of their collaborative efforts and support from the foreign land…they went to make a living …a decent living …and out of which these honors are coming….

They realize and testify the wealth of knowledge we have…in our country…do we realize and recognize our fellow colleagues potential ?.Instead of competing among ourselves if we collaborate …then indigenously we will achieve such honors.

I think it is premature and not worth boosting too much….

Still we have to learn to make effective teams to work collaboratively to achieve great things….let us wont take undue credits and live in fantasy...Knowing the best are yet to come from the west!!

Arther.C

No Horn Please

The more we change the more we remain the same. Is it true! The frustrating travelling of just two kilometers up and down from office to room every day brought in me the above famous quote of someone. I anticipate the future will face the problem of insufficiency of very basic and essential freedom and necessities. Pure air, hygienic water, sound sleep, genuine love, and peace of mind, true happiness and joy, trust worthy brotherhood and friendship and good health and on ….all basic things may come with a prize tag! The moral now to keep is not to take anything for granted!

Sooner than later time will come people prefer walking to save time rather wasting time on the roads amides heavy traffic…bicycles may be brought back…as it is a healthier way of commuting…as emails get delivered much latter than the postal letters ,due to network traffic, the delivery is not reliable and are not confidential…

We may start write letters to communicate faster, safer and to keep it confidential….due to the scarcity of electricity people will keep aside their laptops and desktops and work with paper and pencil…using mobile may be considered as a bad habit as compared to smoking and drinking…and de addiction centers may creep up to treat them…and so the specialist doctors on this subject…internet addiction may get capital punishment?….

As I was held up in the traffic on a flyover near Mukunda theatre …my fancy thought evolved around some funny ideas like that….I asked one local person to know that the flyover has been build since four or five years now… I wonder at the government’s foolish futuristic view and the blind vision about something called future. The engineer who might have drawn the plan and constructed it, we may have to warrant him to go up and down in the traffic for his life time…what a narrow plan! He has planned, proposed and executed.

Amides all this agony there comes a siren of an ambulance…no one seeming to pave way…this is quite common in this city that the ambulance get stranded in the suffocative traffic and narrow roads .Commuters might have been saturated with the horn sounds so as not to distinguish a siren of an ambulance…things and ways of their own is important than somebody’s life…and the lives of someone around the victims…what an insensitive, irresponsible commuters we are! ….

It looks like as if we are saying to the ambulances …please do not make noise and No Horn Please!

C.Arther

We Can Make A Difference

A small act of kindness will not go waste…when we show wheat ....will reap wheat only…law of nature is formidable.

what ought to be done to bring a change in a system may be a mounting task…but still taking a small stone out of a leap will make a difference…the light which I hold need not to show way for the entire world …it is still worth the light if it guides the person next to me…..in the human history meaningful acts of small magnitude have brought difference of great magnitude and anticipated changes….our sensible actions need not to be the reactants for a reaction ….still they can be a catalyst to initiate or stimulate a process…

What a great difference it can make an act of smile …an act of Applause...Or a pat on the shoulder….a small recognition will take our fellow friend, kid ,boss or even subordinate to great heights…..are we going to make the small act for a meaningful change…..

Equally a small act of negligence and deviation will make things worse and put people hostile…….

….a small act of carelessness….a small act of lethargy…..a small hole in a flying parachute….put life and relationships in risk

Bunch of these small acts make what we are and what our life is….

As Aristotle said ….you are what you repeatedly do….let us do the small act of kindness, love, care, appreciation,,,,,,

A small act may bring a great difference in our lives……

we can not pretend our self something great…

We Are What We Repeatedly Do…

Arther.C