neerajshrivastav.com
All about what I do

I always had the inclination to smoke. When in school in Kolkatta, there was this sweet cigarette. It came in a red box. It was actually a candy, red-colored at one end symbolizing a burning cigarette. I chain-ate it with style. The pattern became so repetitive that father banned it. I think, later the Government banned it too.

Addictions will find options. I took to cannibalizing our cotton-wool stuffed mattress. A little amount of wool rolled with paper served the purpose. This time there was real smoke. I never inhaled the smoke or suffered those rasping coughs. You see, I was trained on that candy-fag Simulator.

The flip side was, I couldn’t smoke openly.  The fear of some rascal reporting this to my parents was immense. Besides, this was my “Other Life”, meant for myself and me alone.

Afternoons were the best time. With my siblings in school or somewhere, father at work and mother in siesta, I caught my moment. A few puffs were all I required. You see, children are happy with small things.

Cotton-wool being a constant, part of my exercise was experimenting with paper. Newspapers were the worst. It burnt fast and created smoke and smell. At that time, magazine papers had a different feel and texture. My favorites were The Illustrated weekly of India or Dharmyug (Hindi Weekly), both defunct now. But their paper smoldered. That was my requirement. The wool-cigarette exercise continued for some time till that novelty died.

During School, I never had the courage to approach a shop for a real cigarette. College was the same. None of my peers smoked. Also, being in love, I was more into body-building.

Then Damania Airways occurred. For a while I was a good boy doing good job. But Smokers were everywhere. In fact, it was a culture shock for me. Till then, I had only seen lady-villains blowing smoke in black and white movies. But in the Airline, girls with fag between their manicured fingers and exhaling smoke tentatively is common sight.

But frankly, I wouldn’t smooch such women. Not that I get it readily, but smoke-layered tongue smells putrid and it’s a turn-off. I am like that Forest Gump, who rejected sex by a fagging women and said, “She tasted like cigarettes “.

Later, I went one up on Cigarettes. I tried Cigars. While Cigarette can open doors, Cigar opens the ceiling. It’s simply – spiritual. The aroma and taste of raw tobacco and the volume of crisp smoke entering the lungs are exhilarating. The body, mind and soul all pay their respects. It’s like a twenty gun salute.

But Cigars need time, effort and expenses. It’s like the “Other Women”. Whereas, cigarette is a house-wife. I go back to it for companionship. I have love and hate relationships. Sometimes I stop talking (quit) but my prodigal “wife” (the fag) always wins me back. Often we have sex in the evenings. Yes, Sex! Smoking while drinking is like sex with your wife. In either case, when finished, you roll over and sleep.

I tried marijuana once and I assert that it’s suicidal. To be a vegetable after the act is not fun. Also, Hookah (water pipe) is cumbersome and restrictive. Smoking signifies freedom and it should mean so.

I strongly believe that raw unadulterated tobacco is the best. Those mild, ultra-mild and menthol are harmful as they contain additives. Then what next?

I want to smoke pipe. Oh! How I love that genius – Sherlock Holmes, blowing into that trumpet like pipe. I know, that’s what made him who he is. But I don’t know how to go about the rituals – Stuffing tobacco into that bowl and lighting it. I need a guru.

Anyone there!!

Share on Facebook

Today is my Birthday. Time to recall some past which forever stays with the present.

Celebrating Birthdays in school was fun. That day was marked by leniency – I could wear my best clothes, the teacher, purposefully, didn’t call out for me to answer hard questions and no punishment. That day, I really went to school with a vision and a big-packet of sweets to give me temporary-company.

When the teacher announced the Birthday Boy, I stood tall before the class, coffer in hand, and all my mates sang “Happy Birthday to You, May God Bless you….”. This ended with claps, loud enough, to announce the occasion to the whole school. I felt like a Star.

Then the class yearningly waited for me to arrive at their desks. Two to each one was the ratio. Leftovers were intended for best-friends, which on that day, surprisingly, grew in numbers.

The pleasures of giving is astonishing. This feeling gets implanted and it’s essence is life long. Once initiated, you tend to repeat the motions just to relive the moment.

Collage, as it its nature, changes things. Although I had many friends, there was only one, significant and thoughtful to give me gifts and cards.

You see, I never celebrate my B’days at home. There is puja and sweets. And that’s that. The thought of inviting friends home is beyond the capabilities of my house. Not that we cannot afford. But my parents are un-welcoming, my home unfurnished and my mother can’t handle the cooking.

When in college, Simon, my bench-mate, invited me to his place in Malad for all our three years in college. It was heartening see his parents and friends all join in the revelry. I could never reciprocate. This must have appeared strange to him. I know.

After college, Job took over. Now I was suitably loaded but emotionally hungry. What is denied cames back with re-inforced arrogance. I invited all my colleagues and hit a nearby joint. When the organization is small and people young, everyone finds time.

Purnima near Parle east Station was our favourite. Two benches were joined and we sat conferencing over drinks, dinner, ice-cream and paan thereafter. The bill was bomb but I hardly cared. This ushered in my B’day the way I wanted.

It still continues. Location and friends change with time. But I am at it. Still achieving, still pursuing to drink the wine of life!

Share on Facebook

There is a scene in the movie “Paan Singh Tomar”, where Paan Singh is in a police station with his certificates and medals trying to explain to the Police Chief the significance of his collections.

Now, the police chief does not have the advantage of Wikipedia. But we have. That is how, we know that Paan Singh Tomar was in the Indian Army and won several sports medals for India before he changed profession to Dacoity and died by it.

The biographical movie is enacted excellently by all actors. Irfan Khan is delicate and precise. He enters your soul through a niche which he only knows where to find.

There is a scene which points out the urban attitudes towards rural complexities.

Through “connections”, Paan Singh is able to get a high officer visit his village and arbitrate a land dispute. Unlike Paan Singh, the “Officer” is smart. He goes “thus far and no further”. The way he slicks away identifies with the Metrosexual Man.

Did Paan Singh have choices? What were his options?

Here, the movie points to an acceptable social behaviour. A scene shows Paan Singh proud of his bandit relatives never caught by the police. The “Paan Singhs” of this world reside in that context. Moral of the story – Be careful of old-age traditional pride. It entraps.

There is one more significant scene which defines our attitude to sports. Paan Singh, a trained army-man, cannot fight a war because he is a sports person. If the facts are true, the sports is used to impart distorted values. So Paan Singh exits an institution with set beliefs which does not survive his native environment. This takes us back to the first paragraph!

Stories are made up of bad judgements. Visit any corporate canteen. The most gossip are on big screw-ups. The movie, Paan Singh Tomar is also one such case. To us, metrosexual, Paan Singh’s life was “riches to rags” story. But to Paan Singh, it was “business as usual”. And the director achieves to show this.

Share on Facebook

In one of my earlier articles (Lokpal), I had doubted if Lokpalies would actually survive. They did not. They were outmaneuvered, outplayed and undone by our Politician.

Lone wolves are no match against Pack of Killers. Team-Anna may be a Select Team, but they are up against the Team-of-Teams – The Parliamentarians. Team Anna underestimated the mindgame of the “collective wisdom of the house”. Anna tried to beat it through ”age-old” divide-and-rule. He targeted a party. Strategically, he was silent on the remaining equally corrupt parties. He had his reasons. But it didn’t work.

Parliament or Casino, The House Always Wins. It will be delusional to think otherwise. From Outside, it seems, they are at war. But don’t doubt their fraternity. When threatened, they will gang up.

Let’s not concentrate on Anna’s mistakes. At best, we will derive subjective and biased reasons. Let’s focus on Government’s Tactics. There is much to be learnt just by following the experts.

Last August, when Anna grew poison to sting the MP’s, the government drafted a bill with booby-traps. The idea was to Milk Anna’s Poison. Very smartly, it allowed the investigative powers under Lokpal but took away other points. Anna took the bait and dug his fangs. 

He went on an indefinite fast for – PM under Lokpal, Lokpal & Lokayukta in the same bill and Citizen’s Charter. Now, when we compare these inclusion with the loss of CBI in the final draft, his fast in August seems like excersise in futility. You see, the Government won the First Set.

Many think, Anna’s crusade was too much. In fact, the Government was relentless. Between August to December, Politics played at its best. One by One, they sullied every member of Team Anna. It was encounter killing without guns. The Government didn’t allow them to catch their breath. Sibal’s spade and Digvijay’s ditch sealed many a fate. The Government won the Second Set.

When your opposition is powerful and also uncompromising, the only way to deal with him is to drain his resources. Students of History would know how the Russians defeated Napoleon and Hitler just by Tactical Withdrawal. The Government did the same. With time, Team Anna was Losing Steam and Stature.

Politicians, Gangsters or anyone who has an interest to protect will close ranks. Business interests tend towards cartelization. The Police must join hands or die. You are, either part of the Loop or the Noose.

Politics finally noosed Anna. Most of Winter session of Parliament was lost on walkout’s. The remaining was lost on discussing crap like Black Money. Finally when the Big-Bill was brought, it was drained out and sick as Anna. The Government won the Match.

But all is not lost. If there are no one in the stadium it does not mean no one’s watching the match. Sympathisers are silent activists. They speak through the Ballet.

Share on Facebook

Confucius said, “Wisdom by reflection is noblest, by imitation is easiest, by experience is bitterest”. As life goes on, people do encounter bitter experiences. Well, Wisdom always seems to arrive by the next flight.

So let us reflect on a matter while we wait at the arrivals for Ms. Wisdom.

Quite frankly, I don’t understand all of the intricacies or mechanics which drives the Aviation Industry. At best, we can make assumptions based on observations. Aviation Long-Timers, through bitter experiences, do get the benefit of perspective. The idea is to check out patterns of behavior.

You don’t need to be an expert to make some basic judgment calls. In a company, any staff will have a fair idea how that company is doing. Information many times starts as gossip and grapevine. By the time you call it fact, it’s already old news.

So, Kingfisher Airlines is going through bad times. It’s not that suddenly something happened and part of it crumbled. An infection starts with discomfort, then a pain and finally erupts into a pussy boil. That’s the time when Commentators and industry Sooth-sayers show up to concoct reasons. They love the festering wound and visit it often with fistful of salt.

Many economic and financial jargons are rattled to explain the cause of failure. Yield, GDP, Cost etcetera etcetera are thrown in to cook up a reason. It’s called Chutneyfication of Complications.

And all of these have happened before.

Aviation Industry Long-Timers will remember Damania and East west. They both had distinct attributes similar to the “King of Good Times”. Both started with extravaganza and lost steam midway. High “this” and Low “that” (fill your own economic jargons here) – were the reasons cited for their closures.

It is true, that since Wright Brothers, Aviation has never been a lucrative business. Many Foreign airlines have failed. They either ran dry or were driven out of the market through competition. 

But India presents a strange case where airlines have failed due to simple complacency. Businesses pick up the aviation tab to preside over a bankruptcy. Or are we wrong.

Let’s explore further.

I have an assumption which I believe firmly. A top-end businessman always knows what he is doing. He has enough resources to help him understand. Sure, there will be business setbacks. His recruits can always be Re-Orged. But when a business wastes away through callousness – that’s the point we need to concentrate.

Take East West Airlines. When Damania had two Aircrafts, East West had multitudes. This was a time when Travel cost was high, Fuel cost low, competition weak and seats full. Yet, I still wonder what happened with all the revenue. After East West went down, Damania arose. It too sold its stake to NEPC and exited. After a brief run, Skyline NEPC folded. The Neo-Airlines of the nineties and did not make it till Y2K.

The pattern reeks of some modus operandi.

East West Airline started in 1992 went public in 1994. Shut shop in 1996.
Damania Airlines started in 1993 went public in 1994. Sold to NEPC 1995.
Re-christened as Skyline NEPC, it issued a rights issue of shares in 1995. Shut shop in 1997.

All the above High Flyers went public in great hurry and exited similarly. They were not Air-Taxi or Airline Operators. They were Fly-by-Night Operators.

Kingfisher Airlines started in 2005, went public in 2006. Wants to shut shop in 2011.

By the law of patterns, Kingfisher has already extracted its quota by 2009. Time to say goodbye! Let the Government cuddle the crybabies – Air India and Kingfisher.

What will happen if Kingfisher fails?

The aviation industry will take a hit. Its natural law – a sinking “Industrial” ship will consume many in its wake. Job Loss notwithstanding, it puts enormous pressure on employees of other similar industries. It will erode employee value and their perceptive bargaining power. When an alternate is eliminated, the employee is caged and compromised.

Many feel, the elimination of competition is good for business. Yes, indeed it is. It’s good if you are at the taking-end of the Business, not when you are at the receiving-end.

When East West failed in 1996, we in Skyline NEPC were happy. By 1997, we were holding the proverbial begging bowl and took refuge in other airlines at half our earlier salaries.

Raising an Industry is like raising a child. But raising an aviation industry has mostly been like raising a spoilt brat by the super-rich. The lacuna is in the conceptions and cloaked intentions. The only policy they have is Exit Policy.

Point to be noted. Jet airways started in 1993, went public in 2005. I admire the promoters. For jet Airways Emergency Exit is only in the aircraft.

What will be the best Solution?

If the government steps in, they will do great service if they use the Satyam Model of recovery. Get rid of the present promoters and appoint a team of eminent industry leaders to re-org the company. The resources of Kingfisher has been found wanting. But Government can muster the best resources from cross section of industries to start a turnaround.

Einstein said it – Problems cannot be solved at the same level at which it we created them.

Share on Facebook

We know this famous story – The Blind men and an Elephant. The story is on six different characters at six different positions having six differing point of views about an unknown scenario.

As children, we were amused when Blind Men described an elephant as a rope or a wall etc. We loved the “Wise Man” who, as a passerby, helped those blind men know the “whole truth”.

The story depict arguments and a settlement. But no solution! The “Wise Passerby” makes a guest appearance, promptly settles the argument, thanks to his gifted-sight, and disappears backstage.

The “Passerby” is called “Wise” because he saw the elephant as a whole. He was able to convince those Blind Men that the sum total of their argument equals an Elephant.

What-if the “wise passerby” said it’s a Camel. Pillar and rope etc. can apply both to Elephants and Camels. And the “wise” can concoct explanations to delude the differences. But it’s not wise for the “passerby” to go against the tide. If you see, the “Passerby” was “wise” because he knew that the readers of the story know it’s an elephant. So, it’s always “wise” to side with the majority. Or be dubbed – The Seventh blind man.

This story creates three problem-groups. One, the “reader-group”, the mass, the WE, who already know the whole truth but can’t participate in the solution. Two, the ”blind-group”, the others, confused idiots. Three, the “wise-group”, the powerful all-knowers who pass expert comments favourable to “our satisfaction”.

Sure, the arguments of Blind men were silenced. But with no blind-men the wiser! Since no solution was attempted the problem persists to this day. The “passerby” acting as “wise” still pass “judgments”. Look, the ‘Wise passerby” knew before-hand that it’s an Elephant, therefore rope plus wall plus etc. will ultimately be made to equal an elephant. Hence individually held positions are acceptable if that agrees to what the “wise” think as right. Here, the story projects arrogance.

Can this story be retold differently? What-if, the “Wise passerby” chose a different approach. Look, the men were blind but not lame. If they couldn’t see, it doesn’t mean they can’t move to explore. The Blind men listened and bought the “Elephant Theory” from the “wise passerby”. They would do better listening to some wisdom instead!

The “wise passerby” could have said to the six blind men to relax and swap places. So, each of the six will be exposed to the other five positions. Instead of passing “judgment” which left the blind men fixed to their own point of views, the “wise passerby” could have added some wisdom and made the blind men and the readers “see” reason. Hence a workable solution is to have individuals agree with all stated positions. And, no “One” the wiser!

Share on Facebook

Some things happen for disturbance. Things like WikiLeaks, RTI and Jan Lokpal. WikiLeaks is an expat, but RTI and Jan Lokpal are home grown terrorist groups. They assault the government. It is said, more than Five Lakhs RTI applications were fired in Maharashtra in 2010. Similar Lakhs are boasted in other states. Besides increasing workload, these non-state actors have instigated vested interests to run for cover. The best remedy is to kill the activists. Someone’s doing a good job.

While RTI is a bomb, Jan Lokpal is a missile. Terrorism has improved. Instead of petty skirmishes, they have launched a full blown legislative war. Some citizens have suddenly realized that they can make some miniscule differences by gathering in a field. The rest watch the drama on TV and update their knee-jerk thoughts on Facebook or Twitter.

You see; half our life time is spent listening to FM Radio in traffic jams. The other half is spent holding the mobile to our ears. Either ways, we can claim to be expert listeners. When two senses, tongue and ears, has succumbed to recreational hijack, what about our eyes?

After a lifetime in a Jam when we see the cause of it, we take detours like herded sheeps. We have no emotions left to express, when we see workers pouring sand and dust to cover the potholes. We know it’s not gonna work. One shower and the landscape is back to normal. Our thoughts and emotions too follow the same beeline – It’s not gonna work!

Change should always happen elsewhere. We are good. We are what we are. One must see the glass half full. I’m OK, you’re OK. Nothing should disturb our snail-pace. We are used to two Hours in Traffic. That’s our gym. Without workout, we don’t feel like working. Travelers of buses and trains need sauna too. That’s the exercise of life.

Any idiot causing deviation is Draconian. We need not know what he wants. He sits on a fast, gathers mankind and swears to change the system. He wants to make a Quasi-governmental organization. By the way, Quasi is a terrorist from Afghanistan. This “Quasi” is planning an assault on our Gyms and Saunas and our snail-pace. We have to avoid this. Or else, we will be forced to commute without exercises. Worse – we will be on time.

Enlightened souls must have a humanistic approach. If bribes stop, hawkers will be history. Then where do we buy Cheap Crashable Helmets. Despite our snail-pace, we enjoy jumping signals. Another good reflex-exercise! Now that too will have a cost. We can’t pay a bit and escape. We have to pay in full. Also, we can’t afford a house now. When everything is white, we might as well live in a tent – like Gaddafi!

Any systemic change will increase the cost of living. It is economically and financially deplorable. Lokpal threatens to address all levels of administration. And we have to suffer the overheads. Like VAT, we will now have LPT – Lokpal Tax. Anna can fast. Heck, we need a drink or four in the evenings.

We don’t need a monopoly-system. We need a Hoi Polloi System. A Lokpalic-Biryani. All Draft Inclusive. Confusion begets Fusion. From each according to his fancies, to each according to his desires! Shakespeare was lying when he said – “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”

In fact, our sweetest song is this which tell our real thoughts;
“The old order must prevail, un-yielding its place to new,
And MAN fulfils himself in many ways,
Lest one good custom should deform the world.”

Long Live our Status Limbo.

Share on Facebook

There are for and against opinions on both sides of the Lokpalic Divide. Some like it hot, some like it cold and others not at all. Preferences are subjective and situational. Are you the-Effected or the-Affected? We always love to hit hard but try to soften the blows coming at us.

Let’s visit the situation room of those Effected by the Big-Bill. The room is full of grim looking individuals who look as if their vacation is over. Incidently, the crowd has politicians from all hue and color. At the back-end, politicians do not like beign identified with ideologies or agenda. They all have one Mantra. Make hay while luck shines.

To become a politician is not easy. To stop a politician is also not easy. At the highest level, politicians are adept to steal a Cloud from a Thunder. Commoners can keep thundering while the Cloud drops profitable rain on political turfs.

Today is a bit different. Their bales of hay is threatened. They are all in a huddle. Hell hath no fury like politicians cornered. They are brainstorming how to Kill-the-Bill or Bell-the-Bill. Politicians have escape routes from all known threats. They build that into their Bills. Now the Big-Bill is not “Their Bill”.

For Lokpal to beat the odds and come out trumps will be a mind-game. Jan Lokpal has challenged the skill-set of our politicians. The strength of the opposition indicates the level of destruction this bill can bring. Jan Lokpal is drafted with range and depth. It encroaches all levels. It’s like a fully loaded smart phone. Lokpal might not exercise all its options, still it has the potential to do so. And what possesses potential can go kinetic anyday.

Politicians are only Dwar-Pals (Gate Keepers). They want Lokpal to skim the surface. Because, below the Political Level, there are innumerable institutions, a plethora of entrenched bureaucracy. A kind of Inner-World. It’s like Termites forming complex networks which can beat Western Union Money Transfer. You see, most of the fight in political circles is to safe-guard this pipe-line. Once breached, everyone has to surface.

I can see the onset of a new fear called Loko-Phobia – Fear of Lokpal. It will affect not only the politicians but also our behemoth bureaucracy. In fact, Lokpal will affect bureaucracy more than the politicians. A veteran politician leaves no fingerprints. The same cannot be said of our babus who play with paper. And Lokpalis are expert with paper.

Lokpal will suffer a difficult birth of a problem child. It’s not a premature birth but a complex delivery of a mother already near menopause. Our neglected system has developed plaque. To cure we require drilling to its depth. Simple brushing won’t help.

Share on Facebook

This has happened before. Started by Gandhi, followed by Martin Luther King, Lech Wałęsa and Nelson Mendela. The means adopted were similar, Non-conformance through Non-Violence.

I had written on Lokpal when the crusade had started. Now I feel to re-visit the theme.

We will start with someone who started it all. No it’s not Gandhi. It is Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862). He published an Essay – On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. This crisp piece has radical thoughts backed by some logic. Gandhi was impressed and he wrote a synopsis in his Newspaper “The Indian Opinion” and started his own Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930.

We are quick to jump here and add that – well, the British were Foreign Powers. Agreed, we had the rights to reject British Laws. But, did we reject British Laws? Till date our Justice System are descendent from the British. Or are we missing the point.

Gandhi, a lawyer himself, knew that the law must prevail but not unjust laws. Now, who is supposed to decide if the Laws are Just or Un-Just. A common fervor flowing in this country today is – the Parliament must decide. Yes, The Parliament must decide. Even Gandhi would agree. Because Gandhi did this. How? Let me explain.

Gandhi’s focus was Independence – Self Rule. And he used every “trick in the political trade” to achieve that aim. His “Civil Disobedience” was more towards rallying his crowd. Gandhi did many more things to arouse mass support. He made “Salt”, burnt “laundry”, went on “Crash Dieting”. Also he cleaned “latrines” and roamed around “half naked”.

Imagine you are living in Gandhi’s times and you see Gandhi doing all of these tamashas. Won’t you think he is crazy. I would. But, finally we got what we (He) wanted – Independence. The word (He) in parentheses is important. Gandhi kept his intentions within parentheses.

Gandhi, through his crusades, was actually targeting the British Parliament and influencing their Poll Arithmetic. Gandhi made many good friends but his best friend were the British Electorate. Slowly and subtly, Gandhi was influencing the area which mattered most. Such is the beauty of this Person.

Winston Churcill, the hero of the Second World war and the “enemy” of Indian Independence, was wiped out of power in the General Election just after the War. The New British Government introduced the The Indian Independence Bill in the Parliament which soon became an Act. And Gandhi had the last laugh, so to say.

So, Parliament is supreme. But it does not imply that we, who are outside, do not have any handle to control the events within. Gandhi showed us that if the activities disturbs the Poll Arithmetic, then it’s a precursor to change. Now, the question is – Can Anna do it?

If… the machine of government… is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.  ~Henry David Thoreau, On the Duty of Civil Disobediance, 1849

Share on Facebook

I wrote on Religion and I am at it again. The subject is fascinating. Religion is a powerful handle. It’s influence has mass appeal and control.

Why religion is so important? Remember the Communist Countries of Europe and Russia. For years they tried to stamp out religion in their areas of influence. But when communism fell, the first thing the liberated did was to erect the Church.

Religion is like a Bank. The Followers first invest their emotional resources in the structure and then draw from the pool. It’s similar to contributing to the growth of your family and then draw some satisfaction from it.

Family or Religion, it’s is a way of life where you are settled and travelling. You expect disturbances from within the family. You know the new-born will cry the whole night and your spouse will have tantrums. You are prepared, Hopefully! Your module “Loves” to take care of exceptions within.

But what about outside influence? A slight disturbance in the neighbour causes undesirable discomfort. You may hold big ideals, and high morals. But test your temper when someone parks his car on your parking space. A “Comfort Zone” is a zealously guarded zone. For Animals, Birds or Humans, an Intrusion invites an aggression.

So what’s happening in this world. To many of us – it’s much trouble about nothing. But to many more of us – its serious business. As long as our Zone is protected we need not worry. But the fact that their is aggression in this world indicates that some zone is breached.

Let’s figuratively cut the Map of India and transpose it over Europe and Middle East. You will find Jews in Delhi, Christians in Mumbai and Islam in Chennai – Metaphorically Speaking. And they are imposing there newspapers on each other. You might wonder why? Let me explain. 

There is a unique characteristics of these three religions. Judaism, Christianity and Islam have all erupted from the Bible’s Old Testament. And these three volatiles are too close for comfort. Many ”non-believers” find it bewildering that Christians and Muslims lay great stress on being Good-Followers. Watch some personality talk on CNN sometimes. Many well-known faces expound how being a Catholic have transformed their lives. Equally Sunni, Shia and Ahmedias etc. re-enforce to be Good-Muslims.

It’s not that Hindus are an exception. Hindus too had the same problem. Read a few Amar Chitra Katha. Our mythologies say that Vishnu and Shiva Followers cut each others throats when, in fact, both have emerged out of Brahma. Time settled this score and Hindus moved from religion to more lucrative – caste system. 

When in school we had Houses. Red, Blue,Green and Yellow. And all used to compete among each other. The Great Religions of the world project nothing different. The Game is all the same. But someone somewhere will slip. Religion tends towards dogma. There is a fine dividing line between distinction and delusion. Anyone who drops on the wrong side will shoot – Friend or Foe alike.

Share on Facebook