Constitutional morality trumps Social morality: "Three 77" to "Free "77""

I wonder how  LGBT community had been  bearing the brunt of criminalization for their sexual orientation for so long. The community which has root in "Ardhnarishwar" and sustained long acceptance in the Indian society fell prey to "Victorian morality". The British law transmuted into IPC 377 criminalised the carnal intercourse calling it unnatural (and colonising other was natural, hypocrisy at best!).

But, irony is that this community lived on margin even after Independence. Everybody relished political freedom but LGBT still remained chained in 'biopolitical power' of the state. Perhaps, Who could know this pain better than famous philosopher Michel Foucault who was himself a gay and understood this phenomena closely. In his books, "History of Sexuality" and "punishment and discipline", he opined about the 'biopower' with state which could dictate the sexual behaviour of an individual. Here the very 377 is, perhaps,  the manifestation of the same assertion. Even choosing of this number "77" was a cruel joke for the community to remind them always that this number resembled to their physical orientations.

Today, in the landmark judgment, the same Supreme Court corrected its 2013 judgment and unanimously affirmed the right to life and liberty of this wretched section. Now,point is who will take the responsibility of this long injustice? The state overpowered by conservatives, or so called natural moralist? Who will compensate the irreparable cost for thier ostracization for more than a century and half? Elizabethian ilk or our colonial mindset still having hangover?

We are yet to realise what cost this community is paying or have already  paid.The collective social morality of ours, so called mainstream, have deprived them of any sort of education, good health, or just a bare minimum respectful employment; therefore forced them to beg on traffic signal/train compartment or live in ghettos or find a livelihood in brothel. And,  this in turn have been annoying us, so called elite conscience keeper of Indian society.

Though our constitution makers aptly prescribed "sex" can never be a ground for any sort of discrimination, succeeding political leaders could not think meaning beyond the binary of male and female. Even conservatives who keep on referring culture and religious texts could not recall then that our sanskrit( Dev vani) literature well recognises third gender( Neuter , Napunshak ling).

 Even Dr. Ambedkar,  the main architect of the Constitution was obsessed mostly with caste atrocities, though he did aver " the contradiction" India was entering into. He vouched, "On the 26th of January 1950, we are going to enter into a life of contradictions. In politics we will have equality and in social and economic life we will have inequality. In politics we will be recognizing the principle of one man one vote and one vote one value. In our social and economic life, we shall, by reason of our social and economic structure, continue to deny the principle of one man one value. How long shall we continue to live this life of contradictions? How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue to deny it for long, we will do so only by putting our political democracy in peril. We must remove this contradiction at the earliest possible moment or else those who suffer from inequality will blow up the structure of political democracy which this Assembly has so laboriously built up."

Though this community was never so empowered, neither in number nor otherwise to revolt against society or state, the simmering undercurrent could not be suppressed long. The solution was bound to come from the Constitution itself, only it was the appropriate time awaited to see the light of the day.

 Nevertheless, we couldn't mean Ambedkar's assertion beyond caste consideration and women backwardness.Perhaps the competitive politics of vote bank could not ever let political leaders imagine about this LGBT as vote bank. Even Shabnam Mausi Bano, a Transgender legislature of Madhya Pradesh(1998-03) unprecedentedly risen on political scene, could not scale up her success in politics for Queer community. Today, the disparate 2.5 million population may not even constitute any  substantial political force, yet, can India as an emerging modern society afford to ransom this section any longer in the 21st century when the concern for human rights, minority rights  and more is at its acme? Perhaps, No.

The SC, today, emphatically accepted, we owe a lot to this section, any furtherance of this law is indefensible and a slur on our collective human conscience. Though it was lately realised, the custodian of our constitution, judiciary started to hint wayback in 2009, thanks to Delhi HC and Naz foundation,a civil society. Later, NALSA judgment and right to privacy case paved the way for " achhe din" for this section. Hope, clash for credit shall not start among political vultures.

Now,  it's time to go beyond constitutional morality. The  herculean task is to align social morality with this new reality. Various fears unwarrantedly raised need to be assuaged by collective social will and  by showing the society bigger picture. We have to increase our space to accommodate  them well in all spheres. We have to understand even so called  "natural order" is not above humanity. Every evil becomes banal and common sense when practised for longer as we  had "sati" and else, but we did overcome. We have recognised human right of each, so is this case now and "sex" is the most fundamental need in even Maslowian need hierarchy, so how can they be deprived for any more moment . And, they are just asking for their expression in their own world.

A tribute to beloved Vajpayee ji from "teens of the new millennium"

It happens rarely in a nation's political life that the demise of a leader evokes so much emotion across the nation, across the political spectrum. And, that also for whom who organizationally affiliated to a party representing the right most end of politico-ideological continuum. It must be unprecedented in  comparison to a pan India appeal for Gandhiji, an individual All -in- One.
Sir, we, the teens of new millennium,  started to develop the political consciousness when you were leading the troubled , chaotic coalition after a 'stable hiatus' of sri Rao period. This period engendered a lot of "national curiosities" in blooming minds.Perhaps ,this period of 13 days, 13 months and 'desired 13' years was an era of last political churning having reminisces of "Nehruvian consensus" which you epitomized to give even oppositions an equal space.
Our political formative age took shape by each of your act whether it be bold  "operation Shakti- Buddha smiled again" , 1998 nuclear testing defying westen hysteria or giving befitting reply to pakistan in 1999 Kargil war. You dared to come out of "hesitation of history" and filled vigor in the entusiasm of growing teens who could take pride in their leaders. Your "jai jawan , jai kisan , jai vigyan" sloganeering paved path for technological rise which got manifested in IT boom and later our recognition as nuclear tech power giving way for desired NSG waiver. we  truly found an apt  leader in you to lead our country in the new millennium when high aspirations were rushing among all of us.
Sir,your enthralling speech making capability enchanted everyone. You unique way of taking long pause is still mysterious. Your pause gave your lovers to take 4-5 sips of tea hurriedly without loosing the thread of speech in shrilling whisper of lips and hot tea; you made political commentators to bet with each other for what would be your subsequent lines; you confounded oppositions to speculate what you will dwell upon; you made budding teens like us think that radio/TV got technical snag, but you were just strategizing what to speak so that all get proven otherwise in their calculations. Sir, it was the most hilarious part of your personalty.
Sir, you were epitome of temperance even amidst polarisizing incidents such as Gujarat riots, Parliament attack etc. happened in your regime. Your enunciation of "Raj Dharma"  was itself a clarion calling insertion in the political lexicon which must keep on guiding politicians for generations to come.
Sir, you gave the call of "shining India" ,it  raised high hopes for even  people at the bottom of pyramid by Gram sadak yojna ,Antodaya yojna and ambitious Golden Quadrilateral to connect farmers/rurals ending "bichaulia" who hindered the farmers' produce due to lack of connectivity.
Sir, even pakistanis too have high words for you despite your affiliation to the party which they may never want to come in power. Your "lahore Bus journey" in 1999 ," Agra summit" in 2001, "composite dialogue" in 2004 et al make them believe that you did make sincere effort to invoke bonhomie between two. This is when residual grudges of kargil war, nuclear testing in thier backyard etc. were residing in their minds. Sir,Your calling of " insaniyat, kashmiriyat and jamoohriyat" even made disgruntled  kashmiris believe that you were the best PM so far.
Sir, you led ministry of external affair wayback post emergency period, troubled 1970s reminisces, when cold war period was in new ascendency after a brief détente. Later, in 1994, PM sri Rao chose you to lead the team ,defending the allegation of human right violation, in J&K at the UN ,by pakistan, despite you being then on the other side of political table . Sir, we doubt present political dispensations will even imagine about such gestures. We feel you were the last column of such stature in our political history.
Sir, we, as a school going teenager ,used to be frequently asked whom we idolize the most as a living national figure. Most of us were invariably falling for Kalam sir. Sir, it was you who gave us such a beloving president who inspired young generations relentlessly.
Sir, you are physically no more with us but your political wisdom laced in poetic verses will always reverbate across the Indian sociopolitical space and beyond. Perhaps, you are needed the most today when there is increasing abdication of Raj Dharma, Coalition Dharma, and Manav Dharma.
Sir, now most of us are in late twenties or early or mid thirties, prepared to embark on your footprints, we miss your "moral compass" to look upon always. May you rest in peace,sir!!!

Men's sociobiological power: Rape an invented tool to terrorize women's world

    Men's sociobiological power: Rape an invented tool to terrorize women's world
Susan Brownmiller, in her  celebrated book, "Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape" writes that men have invented "rape" as a tool to intimidate and put women  under perpetual fear. The very developed fear psychosis is so deeply entrenched that women fall prey to every masculanist demand. Ironically, she further asserts, everybody extracts 'puritanical pleasure' out of rape like episode in which  even media too capitalize on  by giving sadistic detail to serve masculanist mental pervertness.
The present mayhem going on after Kathua, Unnao or even recent past of Badayun and Nirbhaya is to create only a transit tremor and with passage of weeks things will get settle down as usual. But, only advantageous section would  be "political entRAPEneurs after polarizing the society on the line of religion,region ,caste and idiotic ideologies. So much discussion about rape and aftermath mudslinging on each other  will only trivialize the graveness of the issue. Sadists will slide away making sexist remarks such as  short skirt , late night outing, women are meant for sexual subjugation etc. like leacherous logic.
The sustained fuedal patriarchal mindset and excessive soap opera analysis followed by no fundamental change in either behaviour or attitude will only cause "Banality of evil". Here,Hanna Arendt, a political commentator, cites that such banilty episode trivializes the graveness of crime as there happened reckless persecution of jews  by Nazis during interregnum war period without any societal sanction. Therefore, here too, such  repeated mindless act of politicization of rape will make the issue weak, and there would be no strong sociopolitical sanction rather patriarchal perverts will cash in the occasion to flex their malicious masculine muscles to sound louder.
The history is self evident and replete with the examples of rape as a tool to tormentize the society and state. Whereas Chengiz khan made it a regular affair during his winning spree of  various kingdoms, Tamur left no stone unturned in furthering his brutality by the act of raping hapless fairer sexes. Even, present act of war is not breft of war crimes like military rape where women/ girls in the war zone have been regular"fetish fodders" of terrorists and miltaries.
Cynthia Enloe, a strong feminst voice, in her shrilling account " Banana, Bases and Beaches" has talked about  plantation women workers, women at miltary bases, and diplomatic wives who serve mostly  forced bodily need of  their male counterpart. And, this in turn only institutionalizes the rape culture which is well visible in Afghan war, ISIS act, Middle East crisis and even sporadic reporting from our North -East and J&K insurgent regions where Armed Force Special Power Act ( AFSPA) is sometimes made an alibi  to do such inhumane ghastly act.
In fact, the act of rape has been used as a tool not only to tormentize that female individual but also to ransom her whole  family as we see it very often  on our silver screens  when villains do so reflecting our societal reality. The very taboo attached with this bodily sanctity is so high that most of girls/ women bear this outrage in silence. Recent compaign of self confession "Me too" brought this dark story at fore, though it was reflection of  minuscle representation.
In last few years high reporting of Dalit rape, Minority rape like cases go beyond the normal criminal act. These are to highlight the biopolitical power of the state( party in power) and its affiliated  fringe machinaries which make every effort to discipline the deviating sections like minorities and dalit who have got increased political numeric clout amidst fractious electoral calculus. In this context invoking Michael Foccault would not be unwarranted who has understood well the " biopower" of the state and its legitimate/illegitimate machinaries which try to control the behaviour of the population. In kathua case, it is alleged that police and party( few individuals) at dispensation were involved to do this inhumane dastardly act. They wanted to send a chilling message in the valley to make it tow the line of raucous extrimist fringe group with alleged tacit approval of parent party. And, also the very aftermath of this reflect the underpinned gory picture where there has been further use of state muscle to threaten the concerned guardians and supporters of the victims.
Despite all these cacophonies and media melodramas , the outcome and learning is not going to be very different unless we really stand together to save the humanity honestly. Each such incident should not be responded as others problem but should be seen as if meted out  to oneself. I will advocate here for tweaking "Gandhian Talisman"- each action/reaction of ours must be to conform  how it would impact us if we were  at victim place. True empathy and respect for humanity can only bring behavioural change. And , a sense of stakeholdersip in each event in the society can only bring each of us out of our comfort zone because today's others problem may be tomorrow ours.

India on wheel: Plight of Homeless

        Perhaps, we all may not empathise well with persecuted Rohingyas, homeless Palestinians, ostracized Srilankan Tamilians, and asylum seeking Tibetans but the trials , tribulations and traumas they undergo can well be felt  while we travel  by train either in waiting list or without ticket(under forced circumstances). This group or individual, I will call "refugees on wheel", feels the same sort of "microcosmic brunt" which those real life refugees do (in loose sense).
       Though Railway itself is a "running  mini India on wheel"  which reflects the Indian ethos( tangible as well as intangible) in all sense whether it be implementation of affirmative action for needy section to ensure justice or reflecting myriad of  diversity or all way "administration on  wheel", the underpinned dynamics on its journey is itself awestruckingly mesmerizing . It is true replica of India's "kaleidoscopic composite culture" where people are set on to be  entwined  with common goal to reach their destination while establishing  "live brotherly bonhomie".
       However, amidst all such "hunky-dory" story there is a section which seems to be frightened, scared, insecure, deliberately humble, meek, overt generous in its all way behaviour. It is none other than "refugees on wheel". Why are they so? Because they want to be received/embraced well, accepted easily among well settled fellows  and given a little piece of berth to rest their restless bumps. The hanging swords of black coated inspectors( TTE) keep on wracking ticketless individuals` nerves. A lot of thoughts rush in their mind to just survive the journey let the comfort journey be aside.
       Ironically, waiting list individuals(counter ticket) pay the same much amount still are  maltreated or seen as untouchables, outsiders, intruders. They are seen suspiciously, and can easily be pointed out for any material loss in the compartment. They are at receiving end throughout the journey.
      They are found to be helping others to just create conducive environment so that there be theirs sustained acceptability. I remember, during my one winter vacation, I was coming(in waiting) from Nagpur to Patna ,throughout the journey, teaching an overtly eager parents`s  slyly unwilling 10th standard child about future engineering prospects, though I was myself confounded with my choice after 4th semester( when my honeymoon period with mathematics got over, math was the reason to choose engineering..haha). 
      Similar situations (but on serious note) can be drawn for  the real life refugees too, who are at receiving end for any deviant development in their vicinity. Recent, Rohingya refugees like  episode and unleashed stories thereafter reflect the gruesome plights they undergo. They crave for a respectable physical and humane space but bear the brunt of military brutality. They deserve the same space on earth as any other individual does for just being a human but world is over blinded by the notion of nationality, sovereignty, citizenship which undermine their peaceful existence. Unlike the  train there is vast space and possibilities to be accommodated on territorial terrain still they are doomed to die on margin. 
      Here, drawing parallel of real refugees with those on wheel would be oversimplistic and even trivialization of their complexities .Our limited/ bounded compassion for such sections have not pushed us beyond a limit of "armchair advocacy". 
      These refuged sections are vulnerable to be engulfed in all radical rousing terror activities. They are easily branded to be aligning the lines of all miscreants/criminal syndicates like berthless or ticketless mortals who are  mostly first to be pointed on for any mishaps.
      However, miseries of real life refugees are found to be further aggravated when there is invocation of "communal colour". The very notion of clash of religious/ethnic civilization has exacerbated their problems when there is rising case of selective "cleansing". Thanks to the  intact moral mooring of  our Indianness which is yet to be muddied by such  malicious malices  and hence, no such primordial sanction during our train travel. Our Gandhi might have faced it ( thrown out of train despite relevant class ticket) owing to his tanned colour and  their "racial arrogance" but such inhumanity is yet to be crept in moving "MinIndia".

What are the major factors which lead to corruption in India?

Corruption , if taken as siphoning public fund, influencing decision to benefit few, seeking rent for public work, not doing delineated duty, moral turpitude etc.then there are many factors internal n external involved....
1. Tolerant attitude of our society, state, judiciary...being corrupt is not strong taboo...the very prevalence at all level trivializes the corruption as a menace.."Banality of Evil" ...perhaps our tolerant Hindu culture which accommodates evil, good all ...
2. Law enforcement doesn't work  as deterrent , slow criminal judicial system, executive inertia n legislative lassitude make overall law enforcement ecology weak n hence emboldens corrupts..
3. It's alleged that low salary makes officials to be corrupt..i find it an excuse... There is no indication of increased salary by 7th pay commission or 6th pc has decreased the case of corruption..
4. Lack of accountability tools like putting technology or e- governance, involvement of people as in social auditing, clear cut stipulation of people to be caught in case of deviation is not in most cases, media not active except in sensational cases...
5. The very competitive party politics on account of money use in election has caused reckless generation of black money n hence corrupt environment everywhere..
6. Ethics, morality in governance is still to be inculcated, moral code of conduct in clear cut is lacking ...grey area in civil servants' n legislatures' behaviour n its non-scrutiny causes so....
7. The rise of public private participation culture n embedded discretion of public officials have given a lot of space for corruption...
 8. CBI, CVC etc. are politicised bodies:; lokayukta , lokpal are non functional, CAG  is weak n civil society is unconcerned....

Is the beef ban a political issue in India's politics?

Aristotle rightly identified man as political animal. Politics is an arena of contestation for power share in state, governance, policy, decision making, determining course of the society.In this context, beef ban too can be said to be  a contestation between majoritarian Hindu and demographically minor muslim.

Yes, it's true that cow is a religious symbol for Hindu because of its mentioning in texts as well as in practice like godan, lord Krishna's animal,mother like treatment for its milk giving etc.However, whether it's coincident or by design that muslim use it as food like any other animal, not clear, but the very existing situation is antithetical.

This contestation has got political tone because of our communal past between hindu and Muslim.Now ,when there is competitive politics sometimes ideological and mostly for vote bank politics as by minority appeasement by so called secular parties and majoritarian mobilization by right wingers, the beef ban has become mostly political act and cow as  a political animal.

The very article 48 , a Gandhian DPSP is being interpreted as per one's own convenience, so the varied policy as per government in the state.It could have been a cultural issue and true adherence to art 48 but the very dirty politics has trivialized the issue and hence, no sight of reconciliation - a trivialization of Indian ethos...."sarva dharma sambhavah...."

Why is Nalanda important?

Nalanda is a place in Bihar, now a full fledged district having district headquarter in Bihar sharif.

it is important because-

1. it has been the greatest learning centre in the ancient time ( 5th century AD- 12th century AD) not only for India but people from rest of the world too came like chinese traveller Huen Tsang has talked about it in detail.
2. it’s been also centre for Buddhism, Lord Buddha spent significant amount of time there. Interestingly, Budhha and Mahavir were contemporary and lived in the region at the same time. Pawapuri is the place there where Mahavira got mahaparinirvana.
3. it's been also a place for the capital( Rajgriha) of the Magadha empire , so a glorious past this land is having. First buddhist council meeting held in Rajgriha itself.
4. Presently, there is a lot of emphasis on rebuilding the Nalanda university, which has got formal shape very near to the remains of the old Nalanda university. Support of south east Asian countries like Japan, china, singapore etc. have helped expedite the process of making it  the university of global status.
5. Nalanda is one of the prominent tool in cultural diplomacy vis -a- vis East Asian countries and beyond. it is helping soften aggressive china because of the religious connect.
6. Nalanda university complex after being declared as one of the UNESCO world heritage site has become a prominent tourist destination which will help accrue revenue to the state.
7. It is agriculturally important for record production(per hectare) of potatoes and the use of some of techniques like SRI which put it at the agri map of the country. In general in terms of horticulture the region has high potential.
8. Politically , it's important place being it home constituency of incumbent CM Sri Nitish kumar.
9. Here, Rajgir is a good place for eco-tourism, it’s having hot spring, flourishing mountain, mythical places like Jarasangh ka akahada, swarn bhandar, also, rope way to vishwa shanti stupa at the top hill of mountain, Japani Garden, venu van and famous rajgir cultural festival etc.
10. Geographically, it’s at mid point of two prominent cities Patna and Gaya