THOUGHTS: Demonitization of Vedic Currency - PART I

“Violence is as Hindu as curry” - Wendy Doniger writes in her book “On Hinduism” page 136 in context with her description of classical Hindu India as, and I quote…

“Classical Hindu India was violent in politics (she forgets to mention that India was the only country which never waged war towards any other country in its history), in its religious practice (and she gives examples like animal sacrifice, ascetic self torture, fire walking, swinging from hooks in the flesh in the back… and so forth but she conveniently forgets to say that her examples are as ritualistic practice not a common social custom of Indian masses), in its criminal law (she again conveniently forgets that the last seven to eight  hundreds years, India was occupied by Moghuls and British people so can not be said that its Indian Law - though I have other examples like Winston Churchill deliberate massacre of millions due to his apathy as millions died due to starvation because of him) but I just couldn't stop laughing when she says that perhaps at the very heart of it (Hindu Violence) is climate, with its un-durable heat and unpredictable monsoon…

Though I have other issues with her, including her sad interpretations of Vedic Scriptures, I will go on to other examples how our ancient Vedic currency is being short changed by supposedly great intellectuals. 

Nirad C Choudhuri - a Bengali Intellectual and author of best selling book ‘Autobiography of an Unknown Indian (1951), who in his dedication of the book says…

“Because all that was good and living within us (Indians)

was made, shaped and quickened

by the same British Rule.”

                                             

But British and western Intellectuals were not the only one who demonetised Vedic Currency, there were the likes of Shaykh Bhavan in Moghul Court (a Brahmin, converted to Islam and because of his back ground, was consulted in cases of Sanskrit interpretations), proclaimed that the Atharva Veda allowed Hindus to eat beef in some cases and permitted burial of the dead instead of cremation.

Shashi Tharoor @ Hindu Lit Festival 2017 Chennai

However the British were more organised in demonetising the Vedic Currency. Few weeks ago, I met Shashi Tharoor at Hindu Lit Festival, where he specifically claimed (and I agree with him absolutely), that they not only colonized India but also colonized Indian mind.  The Manu Smiriti was written 2000 years back but the Native Indians never gave it any importance in terms of the social life but British systemized it.  Through their law commissions, numerous censuses every ten years from 1871 or so and educational doctrine. As Shashi Tharoor explains in his book “An Era of Darkness”, where he quotes Nicholas B Dirk from his seminal book  ‘Castes of Mind”…

“In fact caste was just one category among many others, one way of organizing and representing identity.”

In India, at the time, no one was really bothered about the Smriti, written by Sant Manu centuries ago. It was never considered as an important aspect of their day to day life, but British Raj ensured that the poor Indian colonised people are boxed into one of those categories. And, as they pushed forward their education system, which as Macaulay pointed out. "should be a channel to produce clerks to serve the British masters" began with missionary zeal. British Raj ensured that the Indian mind was far more colonized than the India as a country. Unfortunately somehow it still continues to produce such slaves to his / her masters voice…

And that’s exactly what worries me more. The present day Westerners / Indian Guru’s who are writing so called best sellers because it is camouflaged as an ancient Indian mythology and scriptures. But more often than not, these are full of wrong translations and ‘Mythya-logy’, which provides a vast breeding ground for a disconnect with the young Indian minds off the beauty and reality of rich Indian heritage and culture… I am sure that if they do read it some times, they will find amazing source of inspiration like Manjul Bhargava, Fields Medalist (Considered to be a Nobel Prize in Mathematics) who got inspired by a shloka given by his grand Father in Jaipur, to write his PhD Thesis.

I also hope that this ongoing demonetization of Vedic Currency is curtailed through concerted efforts of people who have are watching this wrong turn of tide. 

Well my fight against the tide goes on and I continue to appeal to youngsters to connect with our ancient heritage and culture, some time through my posts, workshops and occasionally with my books like "Songs of the Mist" sharing the Bhagwat Gita essence, 'sugar coated with a fictional love story of heart break and pain' (as Deccan Chronicle pointed out in its write up about me and my book sometime back) and get inspired. 

Even if you are not able to understand the deep philosophy of Indian thinking, written in those ancient scriptures, please do read them to have a first hand experience of the logic and language on your own as the beauty of the language alone will be a source of inspiration to change your lives. 

And to those few of my friends, who are fighting for this cause, wish you all the best and hope that you are able to inspire the young generation to at least give our heritage a chance instead of being disillusioned by the Mythya-logy.

__

Shashi 

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

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 Bigamy - An Evolutionary Process      Aghoris: Believer with Reza Aslan - CNN                  

The Purpose - Language has the power to change you...!

As I started speaking in public forums, after my first book Songs of the Mist's publication, I realise how hard it is to speak from the podium. I never had a problem talking to my team members across office table and in annual meetings, where the gathering used to be large as well, but you were quite sure that you will be received well as after all they are colleagues. But believe me, talking to people who have just come to listen to you, leaving their far more important work at home or office. They do expect you to give them something to think, make it worth their while as you come up on stage.... 

Haiku Workshop in Delhi University

I have had heard many public speakers, politicians, business and religious leaders speaking from stage and some of them impressed me. Over a period of time, I realised that most of the speakers were there for a purpose. They had something to talk about, to share, to make people understand where they are coming from. Behind each great performance there was a purpose, a thought or an idea that needed to be conveyed to the audience and it took me some time to realise that the reason, I published the book for, is essentially my purpose to talk about, share with young generation. And that's when I started speaking without the accompanying hesitation that comes with public speaking. Now I had a reason to get my message across.

Chief Guest Address at Tata's High Range School in Munnar

The Message: The Language alone will change you...

As I was finishing my book, I had dwelled deeper within our ancient scriptures, specially Bhagwat Gita, as its essence 'Karma Yoga' was the underlying flow of the lives my protagonists like Ashutosh, Ayan, Anishka etc. More and more people, specially youngsters I talked to more I realised that they are not reading these books. In our childhood, Amar Chitra Katha, Pancha Tantra, Chanda Mama, Stories of Mahabharata, Ramayana, Jatak Katha's were the stable diet of growing up. Now with the advent of smart phone, What's App groups, Texting, Memes etc. these stories were taking a back seat and reading was becoming confined to small little screens of smart phones. 

Click here to read an excerpt

So I wrote a love story, where through all the heart break and pain. The Deccan Chronicle headlined when talking about my book as "Bitter Pill with Sugar Coating", which is exactly how I shared the essence of Bhagwat Gita for the young generation. And I continue to talk to the young generation about the need to go back to our ancient Heritage and culture and read those amazing work of arts and literature as I believe that even if the deep thought process hidden behind seemingly obscure ancient language does not make any sense to them at this stage of life, the language alone has the power to make a difference in their lives. So I keep talking about it in almost all my workshops, presentation and lectures. 

Writing Workshop at High Range School - Munnar

Slowly I started conducting workshops in Chennai, Delhi University as well as in schools like Tata's High Range school in Munnar Kerala. With just one purpose, to inspire young generation to reach out to these books, Bible, Koran or Bhagwat Gita and get benefitted from it.

But over the period of almost a year after my book was published, I have realised another important aspect of language... 

It changes you as well...

The brain is like, to give you a mordern example, is CPU of the human form. And it works on two operating software - The Logic and the Language. So for me, writing and its essence, the language has the power to slowly work on 'within' and make you perform better. The more you practice, the more perfectly the software works. For me, it creates an awareness as in meditation.  I keep telling my audience, students that Haiku writing has become a kind of Mantra Chanting practice for me over the years. 

As I keep working on inspiring some aspiring authors in these school and colleges, I am learning as well. The young generation provides me with the spark that is essential to keep my ageing mind to break free from the shackles of time as well. Seeing those young, enthusiastic and confident youngsters, interacting with them opens up grey folds of my brain and look at the world differently. As I cajole and push them across to write good works of fiction which will stand the test of times, I am pushing my limits too. Each day, I have a blank sheet of paper that needs my reverence and respects in well formed thoughts and ideas and new awareness. As I grapple with words in my mind, the blank spaces needs and demands the most precise and aesthetically formed words following each other in a sentence, concise paragraphs and fully fleshed out characters in the most realistic back ground and that my friend is a meditation. It has changed me over the year and I am sure it will change you as well. 

At Delhi College of Arts & Commerce

__

Shashi 

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

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Writing Fiction                              

CHENNAI COLORS IV: Inculcate passionate-curiosity to write about art - Dr. Anita Ratnam

 Colour of Chennai is somewhere between red and orange...

(This series is about amazing and creative people of Chennai....)

A refreshing early morning chat with Dr. Anita Ratnam, a highly respected performer, writer, speaker and arts entrepreneur and culture mentor, set the tone of this edition of Chennai Colors, as she picked the color ‘Arakk-Munjal’ – a hue somewhere between ‘Vermillion and Mango Orange’ as the color of Chennai. The spiritual significance of turmeric and vermillion as auspicious, full of reverence and passion is the color of Chennai and I couldn’t agree more as having witnessed, first hand for 2 decades the beautiful temple festivals, the month long Marghazhi cultural events and the fan frenzy for music, theater and movie stars.

 

Dr. Anita Ratnam at Hindu Lit Festival - pic by shashi@2014

It was a pleasure to talk to her, arranged by Ms. Pallavi Gandhi of “Apparao Gallery” which is presenting a lovely series of lectures on “Writing For The Arts”. The series have been conceptualized with an objective to create a group of writers who will support the art, culture and heritage of the country in writing platforms available currently.

The first lecture on the series is by Dr Anita Ratnam on ‘Writing to Promote, Present and Market the Arts’.

Date and Time: 29th Aug, 2015 from 2PM to 5PM

Venue: Apparao Gallery, KNK Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai.

Registration Required to attend

Email: events@apparaoart.com or gallery@apparaoart.com )

____________

A Brief Note...

Anita Ratnam - Classical and contemporary dancer and choreographer

Dr Anita R Ratnam, based in Chennai (Madras), India, is highly respected as a performer, writer, speaker and arts entrepreneur and culture mentor.  She has been described as an "intersectionist", whose work weaves the many disciplines of dance, theatre, spoken word, ritual, archaeology, dramaturgy and women's issues. For over 40 years, her distinguished career has witnessed over 1300 performances in 37 countries. Her formal training in Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam and Kathakali has given Dr Ratnam a distinctive movement vocabulary that she has named NEO BHARATAM - a contemporary Indian kinetic situated on a mature body. Using voice, singing, Vedic hymns, drumming, contemporary mythology and devised movements, her acclaimed choreographies include GAJAANANA, DAUGHTERS OF THE OCEAN, SEVEN GRACES, MA3KA, A MILLION SITAS and NEELAM.

Dr Ratnam's  background as a television producer in New York City (1980 to 1990) as well as her educational qualifications in Dance, History, Theatre and Women's Studies  (MA and Phd) have made her a popular speaker for diverse audiences.

 

Poem by Dr. Anita Ratnam @ Website

Curtsy: Anita Ratnam, To read more, please click here…

_______

…and our discussion started with talking about her lecture and the present scenario of writing about Arts. She began with the basic theme of her lecture is writing about the Arts in general, focusing on visual aspect of art in terms of new writers.

“As a society, we do things that are told to us by peers, parents and guru’s. We lack deep engagement with performances that we go to, which do not help. We are groomed in the era of impossible youth and beauty through Movies, Shows and events etc. and do not go beyond that.” – Dr. Anita Ratnam

She says that it’s mostly the looks or what one is wearing impresses the novice in the field. But this ‘Body part syndrome’ as she called the fixation, does not help when we are watching an artist perform. We should go prepared for a performance. One should do a little homework on the background of the artist, the art and the particular performance to understand and appreciate it. In the age of Information and Google, it’s does not even take more than few minutes to do this. Some of the performances do not have the usual entertainment quotient of mega shows and film and star based events, so to do justice to such performances and the performing artists as well as to our own time, we need to have awareness about the art.

Image Hindu Lit Fest - By Shashi @ 2014

“The most important factor in writing about the Art, one has to have a ‘passionate-curiosity” – Dr. Anita Ratnam

For the new artists, performers, writers Dr. Ratnam feels that it is required that we understand our cultural heritage, our roots to understand the nuances of any performing arts and more importantly to enrich our lives. Her own formal training in classical dance forms has helped to bring in new dimension, flow and energy into her productions and performances.

She feels that the new writer should read, read a lot. Get in touch with our heritage and culture as it stretches our imagination. The blockbuster Movies like Bahubali has taken their inspirations from heritage; epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana will never fail to fire up your imaginations. Even Jataka tales, Amar Chitra Katha will give you something to ponder and think about, to work on, to perform. The sense of humor is one aspect that is missing from stage performances and one can very well find it in these stories and be inspired.

Image @ AnitaRatnam.com

Another source of learning and inspiration cultural reviews and reports on the dance performances, by important foreign publications, see how they are expressed and what makes them beautiful and great in the reviewer’s opinion.

As we moved on to talk about the way people in the western countries discus and promote artists through documentaries, movies etc., she felt that the Artist in India has to become human first. Most of the people show and want to show their perfect side not the ‘chipped – nail – polish’ side. An artist has to expose their vulnerable side to make a worthwhile film or documentary, which does not happen in India. Secondly there is no market for these types of projects in India, so only few do it on their own, which is not sustainable.

“There are no movies or documentaries but hagiographies in India. There are great artists in India but lot of mediocrity too”. – Dr. Anita Ratnam

And then there is the other side, e.g. places like Chennai, which is home to excellent artists but only handful infrastructure available for performing arts in the city. Most of them do not even have necessary or sufficient equipments for a modern production.

This needs to change. Probably the lectures like the one I am going to give at Apparao Gallery, will get more and more people to start writing or talking about the artists and their performances, which will help to bring in the change.

Finally I leave you with an amazing performance from her latest production 'A Million Sitas', from youtube, curtsy Chella Vaithinathan.

Hope you have enjoyed this series of Chennai Colors, please do join in to hear her lecture at Apparao Gallery if you are in Chennai on 29th Aug, 2015.

__

Shashi 

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

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Anita Guha                                                          Chithra Madhavan