Arrogance of Numbers

Numbers are wonderful for mathematicians, also for politicians.
Democracy has added colour (importance) to numbers. To win one
has to be numerically more (could be by proxy or some high tech
means) on EVM. But, people get confused as number somewhere
is despised. That is how numbers (albeit, natural numbers)
play such subtle roles. A country (unfriendly) wishes to
overrun the other just by number (of people/ bombs/ war-heads/
terrorists). Numbers one can create, make or purchase.
It's only simpletons who only counts numbers like a kid writes on
it again and again on a slate to make it fat only without a change
in its numeric value. A disgusted child of those days, later
grows up to tame the numbers. Taming of numbers is a game of
wises played on stock,law making houses, corners and cross roads
of life. Stronger your muscle better you a number tamer.
Our rulers are no less in it. You can tame the world as long you
have arrogance of numbers? The arrogance of numbers made Duryodhana mad,
plunged Dhritarasthtra to pitch dark and made Bhismha lonely
on the bed of arrows.

Arrogance of Numbers does not make the world - world
rests on 'subtle of Dharma' Is Democracy the only answer?


Hrushikesha Mohanty
29th Nov. 2010

India and 'I'

It was Cool morning today after Kartik Purnima.
We here in doyens colony where I live, are lucky
to have a sprawling colony with 1km stretched straight road well
suited for sahari health walks. I always prefer very late night walk.
But today, I came out in morning to see a scene which is not very
uncommon in India - peeing by road side. But, it was disgusting
to see a young guy on track suit doing that. From the arrogance
of dress, I guessed he must be manager in a IT company.
My colony hosts many of them. They prefer to be here on rent, for
the colony is very near to IT hub of Hyderabad Gachhibowli.

It struck, is really India changing? If changing for what? Even
an educated and prosperous guy is so uncivilized.

Seems, India is for 'I' i.e IPod, I20 and IMax. And that is the reason why there
are so many problems; we have not still learnt to say
'we'.

Ofcourse, scam is a different issue, still it has something to do with I.
I don't care!

Hrushikesha

SILENCE

Silence brings out beauty of life. One when engaged in self-search,
turns silent for rest of the world. That's why a silent person is
revered. Do you count me stereotype? You are right on your own rights!

I remember, how threatening is silence in childhood schooldays when
I heard, 'pin-drop silence'. For a post-colonial churned out like me,
being inclusive- for many of us, anything told in English, turns so important.
So, also silence! And for that many of us including me are praised
- 'what a nice guy! Look at him how cool sitting without even a
slice of sound.' Actually, I was silent that time and now even like many,
for not being engaged in bigger truth in life, (if exists than market)
but for simple scare. Well, I'm not alone. There are many like me.


In times of 'Mahabharata', it's disturbing to understand why Vishma Pitamaha'
was silent in 'Kurusava' the court Kuru King Duryoadhana at the time when Draupadi
was going through Talibanic treatment in full public -the court itself.
Unfortunately or fortunately or coincidentally there were no such media
as we have today. Well, if you are too much market oriented like we do
with cricket having IPL etc. you can think of a reality show on
'Kurusava'.

I was making this proposal while sipping tea over a lengthy afternoon on
a holiday. This I always prefer adopting new habitat leaving my village
where the time was at my side for chatting, atleast that time; though many
point out that village has already changed. I reluctantly agree as I don't
find so when I visit my village for getting ample of simpletons around me to
chat and chat and chat.

Anyway, the act of chatting in market economy is never social as I'm used to.
Any chat, without return is waste. So, for chatting I bring out topic that
atleast hypothetically promise returns. Coming back, I proposed a reality
show on 'Kuru Sava' emphasizing heavy return on each episodes of reality show.
Good thing, there will not be many dialogue as SILENCE is the reality there.

Somebody, rudely shook me telling - it was old rotten idea. In reality,
there is pervading SILENCE that leads stealthily, particularly this is
for the land of Rishis- India.
Here, you keep SILENT till being bitten wholly by termites and then you
write an EPIC. Don't you see being written off-and-on now?

I looked forward to another - as we only chat and chat.


Hrushikesha Mohanty

Follow the Greats

17th Nov. 2010

We always tell- Follow the Greats! Is a common one-liner heavily laden with
both moral and social responsibility? Mainly, for commoners as it's believed
they don't or can't distinguish but prefer to follow Greats' footsteps. In
our epics, that to in any culture there are Greats as if purposefully carved
out for these commoners. Commoners also so piously agree with these Greats.
Inafact, from childhood they are so told. If you see, practically this is
a workable thumbs rule. Possibly, for that the rule was being followed.

Always, each culture (now, aproximately synonym to country) seeks to add
new Greats to the list of Greats. Like, we have added M.K.Gandhi etc.
This is done, to make the list compatible to the present time. Reasonably,
well thought action. Isn't it?

As the time passes, seems the definition of Greatness changes. Particularly,
in current time. Let's narrow down the scope to our country. On asking,
kids to spell out name of Greats of today, they get thoroughly confused.
May be in this contemporary world, a word like 'Purushotam' well let me
not be gender biased 'Narotam'has no meaning. We don't think our (political)
leaders great, not acharyas (teachers), not dhanatwaris (doctors), not
litterateurs not not .... I have not talked of commoners as we see them
not entities - just dumb followers. In haste, I should mention that atleast
for vote sake we don't do that being a functional democracy / anarchy.

Coming back to Greats' greatness, we now-a-days resort to a technique
of refinement. We say he/she's good in so and so but not so in this.
He's a good doctor but not good parent. He's a good professional but
not so in politics. This makes me believe a person is like a composition
of many distinctly different elements and to be great in each dimension
is not possible. Then judging a wholesome Greatness is an outdated quest?
You will, atleast I will agree to consider this scheme of evaluation is
too hard like judging the difference between 'erring' and 'wrong-doing'.
I will prefer to leave it to a linguist. Well, it is a dichotomy to look
into slices of a person when for convenience we look for globalisation.
Still, for a meaning of Greatness, I agree to narrow down the scope to
the field of operation. Like, I will say a minister is great if he is
doing his ministerial portfolio in a great way, so for a doctor,
teacher or for anybody in his/her profession. But, can we say a
doctor great if he's inhuman? Can you say minister great if he/she's a
liar even if is a great performer. That's a big question. Isn't it?
That's the confusion.

Here, I remember an episode happened to me. In school my father asked,
'how did you do in today's Math exam?' I replied, 'Did well in Geometry
and algebra.' Father understood what it meant. Similarly, like me, many
in this country understand what and who is Great to be followed.
Not getting anybody? It's perfectly OK if you are following media
everyday. Neither done wrong nor erred. Scratch your head for semantics;
and the best use of semantics is to serve for the self.
Then you are the Great, found a Great - that's the moral of today's
world but not to be followed by commoners for better life and bright
tomorrow.

Hrushikesha Mohanty

Yak

The Poem 'Yak' published in Nabapatra,
Sept-Oct 2010 issue. This magazine is
published by Odisha Cultural Academy,
Rourkela, Sector 5, Rourkela - 2. The
editor of this magazine is Sj.Debendra
Mohanty. The magazine is in its 48th year
of publication and well known for its
social sensitivity. He can be contacted
at 0661 - 2641 053.

The poem Yak has got lead during my visit
to Gangtok where for the first time I saw
Yak in life. Till then, I like many only knew
'Y - for Yak,' what a rhythmic childhood learning!
Seeing the simple and benign creature I got
amazed at their painstaking life - a compromise
with life like many of our people strapped in poverty
leading a resigned life.

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE FOR BETTER VIEW

MishiBaKu BinduTie Hoie

The poem "MishiBaKu BinduTie Hoie"
- "To Get Merged Being a Point"

has appeared in 'Sagarika' Odia Magazine
October 2010.

This is the first poem of 'Aparahna' -
the third anthology of poems scheduled
for release in 2011.

Please click on it better image.

Thanks for your reading
regards Hrushikesha