Positive is Power

Our life is really like the roller coaster. One has to come across many challenges, hurdles, ups and downs as well as the cheerful, happy, jovial side of the life, to know – what really is life? Or why I am here? Or what life is all about, that some people say it’s worth living…

We always try to curse the cosmic forces conspiring against us, when there are any difficulties strewn along our path. But instead of that we should try to bring forth the optimistic side of our life. Whatever is happening on this planet and in our life is a feature film and we play the role of the protagonist. In almost all the films, the hero or the heroine is shown to come across all the challenges and difficulties, which are eventually overcome, and they come out victorious. So, in that manner we should think that we will also overcome any thorns crossing our way.

Only the man with the right attitude and positive thinking can succeed in their life. The song of the soul is – “I am the master of my heart. Nothing can damage me but myself”. Even if one is entangled in the worst possible situation, one must not think of the problems but the solutions. Happiness is first an attitude. In fact, an optimist is never mentally sick. That is what the father of modern science, Sir Williams Osler said, “The cure of tuberculosis is more on what the patients has in his head than what he has in his chest”.

We can’t shut our eyes from reality. But the proportion of sorrow and joy is not much different from that of day and night. You can’t prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head but atleast you can prevent them from making nests in your hair.

I believe whatever happens, it surely has as reason or significance attached to it….and it’s definitely for the good.

By Aparana Chauhan

Pluralism in India

India is the world’s most complex and comprehensive pluralistic society. The country harbours a vast variety of races, tribes, castes, religions, languages and customs. Pluralism in a society is presence of multi religious, multi ethnic, multi lingual and multi cultural categories. It is the cultural diversity that is India’s pride on the world map.

India has always been a pluralist people, even when it was an essentially Hindu civilization. Hinduism is most diverse religious tradition in the world, with its Vedic, Tantric, Shaivite, Vaihnav and other sets, both ancient and modern. It also provided the ground for the Buddhist, Jain and Sikh traditions. It spawned perhaps the greatest diversity of spiritual teachings globally.

The unique feature of the Indian life style is its unity- in – multiplicity. And to strengthen this unity, our constitution makers in their wisdom ensured a secular, democratic and cultural framework protected and guaranteed by law. Despite the diverse role played by the colonial power over two centuries and the handiwork of extremists and politicians who represent vested interest essentially, almost all communities live here in harmony.

Indians are connected through the profound and creative cultural symbols of identity and communication, food, ritual, clothing, music, dance, craft etc. In other words we connect through the pluralistic fabric of the society. Pluralism does have many practical problems too and it is not all smooth sailing in any pluralistic society.

In the third world countries, the failure of the nation to deliver the needs and aspirations of the people have made pluralism the major source of tension, conflict and violence. In an increasing number of cases, cultural minorities are converting themselves into political minorities in order to seek recognition and protection of their distinctive identities. Witness the history of Kashmir or the ethnic group in Manipur; or the power of ULFA in Assam.

The challenge therefore is to manage pluralism without giving up the goal of national integration and without further emasculating the state. Cultural pluralism can be best managed by the democratic framework.

By Aparana Chauhan

Hey Ram!

It is utterly disgraceful when Lord Ram name comes into a negative limelight as a prime story of mainstream media. The all hue and cry started with a petition by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) questioning about the existence of Ram, the most sacred Hindu god venerate by millions. With obvious reasons ASI petition created a nationwide furore, fuelled by all the newspapers and 24 hours news channels. For them it was a scoop, which they couldn’t afford to miss, albeit of its grave backlash.

In India whenever boiling controversy erupts, politics has to play a part. Ram setu controversy is also not an exception from the immediate history. The Hindu fanatics suddenly got a job to execute after a long pause. Eventually, Hindus were feeling insecure (that miracle also credited to our media). The ruling party with the fear of loosing votes fabricated some defensive moves. To gain the last ground, government to convince the DMK over realigning the sea link in a manner that doesn’t breach Adam’s Bridge or “Ram Setu”.

The most amusing part of blistering dissonance is most of the people prefer to remain ignorant about the project. ‘Underwater shipping canal project’, ‘ecological imbalance’ are not the vocabulary of ordinary Indians but ‘religion’, ‘faith’ and ‘blasphemy’ are. Everybody aware about the Ram setu but remain wish to be ignorant about questions like why ASI suddenly forced to do this type of juvenile act? Why there is no debate over the ecological imbalance, which will suppose to happen if once underwater shipping canal would be materialised? Only debate boiling up is over the existence of Ram, which is beyond debate. In a country where regions fanaticism could cost thousands of life without repentance, shouldn't government and media move cautious about the aftermath. Undoubtedly, the petition derogates the religion to an extent but to make it an issue, do only harm, if not act as a religious balm. At the time of “Ram crisis” few lines from the film ‘swadesh’ only comes into mind.

Ram hi to karuna mein hai

shaanti mein ram hai

Ram hi hai ekta main

pragati mein ram hai

Ram bas bhakton nahin shatru

ke beech chintan hai

dekh taj ke paap ravan

Ram tere man mein hai

Ram to ghar ghar mein har

Ram har aangan mein hai

mann se ravan jo nikale

ram uske mann mein hai

Why We Are Negative ?

Everyone of ourselves cursed with negative energy that prevent us to do the productive things to build an effectual way of life. Negative energy is caused by by many factors; one of the prime accused is lack of confidence. Lack of confidence is caused by our childhood conditioning. Every baby born into the world arrives with a positive brain and during the first few months of its life, receives positive inputs from its parents and surroundings. As soon as child starts to move, the positive inputs increases the ‘yes’, ‘you can’, ‘you can do it’. The infants is soon able to stand the pride of parents increases and so do the positives. Eventually, the first step is taken, the baby can walk, friends and family are quite naturally invited to share in the pleasure and soon as the baby is really able to walk, the inputs turn dramatically from positive to negative. ‘Be careful’, ‘don’t touch it’ , ‘don’t do that’ and so on. And finally the positive brain starts to no no conditioning.

Failure is another aspect, which leads to lack of confidence and eventually, tons of negative energy infuse in our system. There is seldom anyone who haven’t experienced failure in life but how you deal with it depends on your guts and gumption. And that guts doesn’t comes from a vacuum but from your surrounding and circumstances. However, if you are in a place where your surrounding pitilessly prick your wound further and shatter your mental peace, this only affects on your positive thought process.

Motivation is also an important factor for upbring yourself in a positive environ. It is a human characteristics that when we truly see ourselves in whatever form that may be, we are definitely motivated. Some says, challenge does motivated. In my opinion failure can also motivate but again that depends on individual. Besides, a definite goal is must for motivation. There are obstacles in life that slower your pace, scant your motivation but if your goal is fixed, its impossible to get distracted.

If you encounter a successful experience , you gain confidence and ‘I CAN’ saturate in your mind. Opposite of it, failure leads to lack of confidence and ‘I CAN'T'. So, thrive for success in every possible horizon.

Note: - This story is not aimed to give any 'gyan'(lesson) to anyone, this is solely written by me, for me only.

Special Relationship

It’s been quite sometime since I have developed a special relationship with books. Sometimes I feel it’s quite amazing that a mere book can fetch me so much exhilaration, far more than any modern gadget or friendly acquaintance.
What is a book? It’s part matter, part spirit, part thing, part thought, however when I look back to it, it defies definition. What I believe is, by its nature a book is loftier than most of the common objects in this world.We all know change is inevitable, thus my change of choice also seems to be zeitgeist. Over the years my propensity changed from Famous Five to Sherlock Holmes, from Feluda to Byomkesh Bakshi, from John Grisham to Amit Chaudhari, from fiction to academic. But still it remains my favourite company and tranquilizes my soul. I feel sorry for those children who engage themselves with modern gadgets and have a strange inclination to despise books as an object of boredom.To me a book is a vehicle of learning and refinement, an open sesame to countless joys and sorrows. At touch I slip into a silent world- a world full of virtual treasures, a world that promises a permanent solution to melancholy. To me books are munificent of sky of life where I can find the essence of life.In today’s “tech savvy” world, books have shown considerable demagogy.Man’s devotion and dreams, his accomplishment and aspiration, his inspiration and insight, all are stored in books- wealth to be tapped by all so desire. All humanity has reason to be proud of books, for it shows us our very best. Long live books!