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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Crying FOUL on Corruption

Post the unprecedented people support to crusader Anna Hazare where the yuppies, puppies, rich, poor, middle class and the entire spectrum of Indian society came together to give a resounding “NO” to corruption, we slowly and surely have the political class and so called opinion makers trying to queer the pitch on the necessity of the Jan Lokpal bill. First, we have politicians and so called intellectuals trying to read too much into the statement made by Anna on the development in Gujarat and Bihar. We have the Sarabhai’s shouting about how human rights have been trampled and there is no development in Gujarat. Looks like the big industry houses are stupid to commit Rs. 15 lakh crore in the vibrant Gujarat summit held this January. This caused so much concern that the UPA Government has let the income tax goons loose on the Gujarat government asking for details of proposed investments. Is the income tax department within its rights to ask for such information? That is a separate question – but it defies logic and does not look like anything other than an instigated attempt at harassment. If an opposition government has to face such nonsense God save the common man!

Now we have politicians coming out of the woodwork like worms and stating that why are politicians being targeted? Will civil society run the Government? Why not bureaucrats and other civil servants? Doctored CDs are cropping up to try and discredit members of the Lokpal panel, and the dirty tricks department of all political parties have suddenly been activated to tarnish the reputation of panel members. This was bound to happen as the stakes are too high - the prize is getting one’s finger into the budgetary pie of a fast growth economy. The blatant loot of the nation will have someone questioning and prosecuting those guilty – that has hithertofore been the lot of the ordinary citizen – never that of the politician/bureaucrat! That is slowly beginning to happen – wouldn’t that scare the crap out of you if you were from that class of people who were on the loot! I betcha it would! So why blame these cry babies?

The moot question still needs to be answered – why target politicians? My answer is if the head has cancer what can the body do? This question may be answered by – the people elect the politicians – so they are to blame in a democracy! That is fair. But is there a screening process or an educational entry barrier for candidates? We do not have a process to have basic clean candidates at the outset – because that would completely derail the gravy train. We have degrees being bought, honorary doctorates being handed out as freebies to people who do not even have basic education – so a lot of stuff needs to change before things in tomorrows’ India improve.

It is easy to blame the other guy ALWAYS. The change needs to begin with oneself. Have you stopped slipping that fifty buck note to the traffic cop who caught you for jumping lanes/signals? If not, then you need to change first – no point just talking. YOU NEED TO BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO BECOME.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Murti Darshan, Dandi – March 27, 2011

We checked out of the hotel at around 8am and after breakfast decided to go to the Dham for ‘darshan’ (view) and then to the Ashram. We reached the Dham at around 9.30am and sat down for meditation (we were told not to take more than 10 minutes). We paid obeisance and sat down cross legged for meditation. The energy was very high and I could feel a tingling sensation from the moment I sat down with my palms open. The tingling sensation started from the fingers and through the palm into the rest of the body. A sense of peace pervaded and after ten odd minutes we opened our eyes, took holy water as ‘teertha’ and came out of the meditation hall. A lady devotee had asked me to make certain enquiries at the office, which I duly did and sent a text message on the information she required. One of our companions had an errand to do for the ‘sahitya’ center in Mumbai, for which we went to the Navsari sahitya office thereafter. We reached the office and took whatever was given to take back to Mumbai. As we sat in the car, one of the devotees in the sahitya office told us to go back to the Dham and pick up something which needed to be taken to Mumbai. So we went back to the Dham and one the way we waved out to the person who gave us the parcel as he walked on the road. I had a feeling that we may see him on our way back from the Ashram. We went back to the Dham and picked the parcel for Mumbai and then left for Navsari station, to pick up some peanuts which were requested by Mumbai devotees. I bought them and then we left for the Ashram.

We reached the Ashram at around 11am and after registering went to the Meditation hall where the new idol (Murti) was kept. We got front row seats and as we paid obeisance to the deity, I looked up and saw it – it was saw beautiful that I just kept looking. It is golden in color, with PP Gurudev looking askance with his head slightly tilted to the right with a beatific smile on his face. After taking in an eyeful, I sat down for meditation to absorb the energy flowing from the idol. The moment my eyes closed, I felt cool vibrations, the tips of my fingers started tingling immediately and I sat thus for about 45 minutes, before my eyes opened again. The energy was palpable and was flowing continually.

I again paid obeisance to the idols and then paid my respects to PP Gurudevs ‘paduka’ and stood in silence absorbing the energy from the idols. I stepped slowly backwards, exiting to the main door walking backwards all the time, chanting a mantra in my mind continuously. My companions also stepped out after me after which we went and sat in the cool silence of the new meditation hall. The hall is very big, approximately 18000 square feet in area, large enough to have at least 5000 devotees seated for meditation! After spending about half an hour in silence and solitude, we went for the Prasad lunch. We took our coupons, stood in line and partook in the Prasad. After this we left the Ashram for Mumbai at around 1pm. On the way as we passed the sahitya office, I saw the same devotee walking on the road, whom I expected to see, I waved and gave him a broad smile and then we drove non-stop, except for one halt for re-fuelling and reached Mumbai in four hours flat.

All in all a wonderful experience – looking forward to going back soon!