Ethics, Manners & Etiquette - Leaf - 1

Life and its related activities have become a habit for human beings. This habit eventually makes man careless and overindulgent. Much of the requisites that go to notch up a pattern of hassle free life have been diluted by unscrupulous people in their bid to get past life of crime and unscrupulousness.  There is need to stem the down slide to the ivy of life, for which we need to adopt a positive approach, enhanced respect for human beings and simultaneously strive towards a healthy formation of life.  These are criteria which can redeem a world deprived of sanctity and value to regain its lost dignity.  A penitent world must atone for its crude ventures through an honest introspection followed by rectification of man’s guilt. Where did the world go wrong so much that man failed to act right?

Life is a two-pronged testimony which carries an everlasting message of eternal consequence. A one-time acid test in the form of life could be a boon or a blow to man’s aspirations in this life and the life to be.

Human beings may view life in a trinity of ways namely, as a divine grace to have become the elite of God’s creation, as a means to cherish human life with all its happiness and last but not the least, as a bargain in return for a heavenly bliss in the life to be. 

Human beings are conceived, given birth, reared, educated, married and then settled in a lucrative career or business as the case may be. They lead cozy lives with families and acquaintances. However as they advance in age they retire to a calm and sedate life till death does them apart. Prior to leaving the world, they would have ensured their children of positions similar or a couple of levels up the ladder of fame and achievements. The process of survival continues in this fashion till posterity. 

Death is an inevitable end and all creation must submit to this finale. Death renders man wretched and at the mercy of the supreme and infinite fountainhead of eternity and divinity, where he would have no one to plead for on his behalf. All glory, fame and achievements relished by man during the course of life shrink to an ambiguous past. Man might have during his lifetime brushed past a life of comfort with scores of human beings attending to him at his beck and call.  However, in the court of divine majesty his voice and only strength would be his past life, over which he would have by such time lost access too.

Indeed, formation of life is vital for man because it acts as the decisive factor for the aftermath.  None of the vane aspirations which man encounters in this life can spruce up his skeleton that goes up the pyre, to make even a iota of sense in the eye of the creator.  All the vain successes that man aims to achieve will be reduced to nothing without proper formation of life in letter and in spirit. As a matter of fact, all of man’s formative years, right from childhood till old age, might have been grudgingly molded to achieve mean possession of wealth, marital bliss and material happiness.  Unfortunately, these do not count in the sight of the Almighty. Formation of life demands a high level of morale, dignified standards, altitude in attitude and an impeccable character. A ‘Leaf-1’ in this direction comes to you under a new supplement to “Ethics, Manners & Etiquette”. 

Creation of an endless universe with a blue planet oddly suspended from nowhere in the zenith, flanked by scores of heavenly bodies in the form of stars, planets, moons, satellites etc. made no impact on the young minds, when as students they were told that the earth is slightly slanting with its north pole inclined towards the south.  What did it matter if the earth had an axis imaginary enough for the scientists to claim a discovery?

Apparently, such hard to digest truths and cumbersome facts would not so much as even amuse a world of nonchalant young minds for whom frolicking and experimenting with individual aptitudes make better sense in a world of carefree adolescence. Moreover, it is a universally acknowledged fact that no amount of cajolery or enticement can kindle curiosity, arouse enthusiasm or light up the capricious minds of youngsters whose only passion, among others, would hinge on a sumptuous treat with dainties and delicacies to sweeten their tongues! 

But with a no holds barred nuclear world positioning itself threateningly to drag humanity in to extinction, what is a kindergarten stuff like ‘Ethics, Manners & Etiquette’ aiming to crack? Obviously the old nuts! That the much published and parleyed about spherical globe is falling flat on standards and principles!  This could pose a dilemma if not a cause for alarm, since the safety of the universe, humanity and life in general would reflect handsomely on one’s ability to handle people, society and the world with élan. Moreover, the pronounced manner in which the world is gradually discarding norms of decency and discipline goes to suggest that there is need to intensify efforts to sharpen one’s attitude within the framework of “Ethics, Manners & Etiquette”.  Incidentally, these golden traits which go to piece out a life of righteousness are either becoming defunct or extinct altogether.

Looking at the present scenario and the way things stand as of now, do we draw an inference to ascertain as to where the equations went wrong, how the permutations took a leap forward? What instigated a handful of misguided elements backed by stray nations to take the centre stage in getting the battle lines drawn, in an affront to all norms of propriety and decency? And what went through the minds of these diehard murderers of modern day world to resort to annihilation of innocent human beings despite stiff resistance from the rest of the world?    

The message is loud and clear that when it comes to life and death, the world is ominously divided. Sadly so because the long vigil observed by human beings for bringing about a lull in the wake of two successive world wars only met with frustrating and defiant backlash by religious fanatics in the form of ‘extremism’ under a newly invented call for ‘jihad’.  All attempts by man to buy peace and bring about a period of serenity and tranquility were nipped in the bud by a bunch of wayward elements in connivance with few stray nations who engineered the call to make religion an irrefutable hood, jihad a plank and martyrdom an excuse to wipe humanity off the globe.

In effect, the long drawn out era of turmoil by way of conquests and aggressions, years of uprisings, bloodshed, battles, wars and persecutions all of which badly mauled a delicately knit web of human achievements only provided an impetus to an altogether new radical obscurantism which pervaded a hitherto beleaguered world. There was therefore, nowhere an occasion for man to even subtly cherish a semblance of respite from an overwhelmingly shocking disillusionment by a cross section of the populace. These and a string of related developments widened the gap between nations and people, bringing in to focus the great chasm of a divide which could, in all likelihood, culminate in a showdown by the two opponents namely ‘the righteous nations’ on the one hand and the ‘extremists’ on the other.

The entire globe is in the grip of a menace which ought not, under any circumstance, be taken lightly. Man has the potential, the will and the divine backing to surmount all manmade problems.  Overcome he must and that too intelligently and gracefully!

Sounding the alarm is no viable a solution! The world must counter the existing trend. In order to achieve this, man needs to set a process in motion. There is no dearth of options with the Almighty, but man as the ultimate beneficiary of life, needs to, of his own, evolve a way out of the mess. A moment of contemplation would do even the devil a plethora of good.  Unfortunately the devil’s attempt to do good unto himself gets thwarted by the evil within him, hence his prod at man.

Should the world plunge headlong in to a conflict that can have serious repercussions for world and humanity to the extent of risking its very existence?  Or should the intelligent beings maneuver a diplomatic solution to bring the naïve elements around to a common standpoint through reason and logic?

The imaginary axis on which the security of the world and the human beings rests has a slant that never was upright enough to face the creator who authored the balance of creation. The crux of the problem is not feminism or sexuality, not profanity either and definitely not religion. For the moment the security edge veers round to a critical area of deficiency namely attitude. 

Man’s slant tends to be imaginary and attitude flexible when it comes to gaining an edge over others, for a gain or a profit.  In order to snatch a favour he would even crawl on all fours. But for claiming an undue favour he asserts his unknown self to project himself heads above others.  In such instances, he acknowledges no age, capability, intelligence or even worship and spirituality.  This tantamount to outdoing one’s ignorance or bargaining for what world cannot give. The present day world is thus facing a gigantic dilemma where the axis has suddenly disappeared for good.  It is here that the focus of the world has been concentrated to all of a sudden!

“Ethics, Manners & Etiquette” starts with “Silence, simplicity and steadfastness of resolve”. It must be borne in mind that Silence is Eternity – Creation is Time - and – Man with a soul the image. When all three merge in to one, they form the Eternal & Supreme Being God.

Life is an experience, a very precious one too. And this experience becomes a fountain of knowledge for human beings.  The knowledge so acquired becomes the essence of a person’s worth.  But once this life ebbs out of a person, he loses his worth and the knowledge with it.  If a person does desire to attach any importance or worth to his life, he must put his knowledge to right use within the span of his lifetime.  In order to do this or to achieve one’s worth man needs to adopt certain norms in his day to day life. If neglected, he would run the risk of endangering first his own self, the society and the world. Consequently, life might as well become a war of attrition and man a torn wreck, human or otherwise.

As time progressed, the universe too aged.  It traversed the length and breadth of millions of years to the delight of man and his descendants. Nevertheless, it maintained the balance set in motion by Almighty Himself.  Despite encountering enormous hurdles on its voyage to attaining a full-fledged, fully populated and scientifically advanced epoch in creative history, it traced for itself a path unto destiny designed through divine will.  So did man who inherited the grandiose of a universe, and endured in succession the pitfalls and frailties of human life. However, he failed to stick to his steadfastness for long. His faith dithered, attitude wavered and circumstances found him impatient even with his contemporaries. Although he stood the ground and proceeded on to rear up his descendants, generation after generation, he could not take the world along. He failed to maintain the tempo, per force having to take in his stride the intricacies of a vitiated and badly mauled up atmosphere, surroundings, human beings and a world maligned to fall apart in the thick of deceit, fraud, jealousy, arrogance and selfishness.  These and a host of other factors made his task of mastering the art of interaction with fellow beings, born and bred on the same planet, difficult. His attitude gradually turned sour, interaction crude and his overall reaction extremely poignant.  As a result, the level of spirituality too dipped to levels of unfathomable depths. On the face of it, the one criteria that emerged as a saving grace was man’s intent to survive. Survive, despite a string of odds to the contrary like volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires, asteroid hits, global warming and a long list of such compelling developments. These and such other catastrophes did not deter man from climbing the ladder of success in succession. The chain of successes, discoveries and inventions made him a force to reckon with. 

It may be recalled that for billions of years the universe lay enveloped in darkness till God the Eternal Spirit brought time and infinity to a standstill. The dark void then ceased to exist and the resplendence of divine glow submerged the dark universe. God then infused His own image and spirit in to the physique of Man.  He called him by name ‘Adam’.

The initial act of creation of man was followed by a sequel whereby God put Adam to sleep and out of the stillness of silent slumber, removed a rib from his side to shape woman, whom he gave to Adam as a companion. He called her ‘Eve’.

Through the centuries, the women category managed to rise to be the centre of attraction in a world of peevishness and boredom. By virtue of their gait, appearance and soft spoken ness, females managed to bolster their image as well as clout in a world of feminism which could otherwise have suffered an all time low with male populace monopolizing most disciplines in life. Women thus managed to command considerable respect both from among themselves as also from males. Would one attribute beauty alone as the key aspect which placed females distinctly apart from the males? No doubt such an argument might gain acceptance but more than the beauty what places them apart is their attitude. 

In a reckless world of hate and crime man needed to be reminded off and on, on the one only sublime lesson that God Himself wanted to teach the world namely ‘silence’ by means whereof He kept aloof from His creation for millions of years enabling man to abide by the gift of free will endowed by Almighty on his creation. Thus was coined the age old maxim namely “Speech is silver but silence is golden” by the learned men of ancient times.  Even though this masterpiece of knowledge settled down in the depth of men’s hearts, it was very seldom made use of by the not so perfect human beings.  So sublime was the lesson that human beings miss the fragrance of it only after they have had their say.  Yet, when life starts weighing down over daily chores how human beings wished that God had relieved them of their frailties.  But even in such a situation, howsoever worried they may be, whatsoever problems they may have in hand, the hapless humans take time off to look up and say “God help”.  Thereafter, there was a feeling of relief that they had placed their woes at the feet of the Almighty.  Then they took a deep breath and went on, quite relieved that whatever miseries they might come across would have to be faced in life, for there is no other way but to endure them till the end.  They least complained about the problems of their life to their neighbor, they did not smash their heads in despair because in the ‘silence’ of their hearts, they knew that there is a super human being up there to watch safe all.  This is the first lesson God himself wanted to teach us – ‘silence’.

Alas, the way man gave a twist to history is quite reminiscent of the golden age of creation and a carefree life in Paradise. How after many million years of human survival through several ages beginning Stone Age, Medieval Age right up to the present day age of computer and technology, how a cleavage of ideology within man’s core aspect of spirituality forced a section of the populace to thunder their wrath upon innocents sending thousands in to areas of irretrievable domain! How a narrow leaning by man to hammer down individual priorities forced an ambiguous thrust on hapless humans, thus bringing about an eerie culture of extremism! How come man failed to see eye to eye with his creator? Can man summon as much courage to witness the horrendous atrocities being heaped upon his own brethren in the name of the very creator who vouchsafes the entire universe? Humanity has passed through a long history of narrowing mentality which had the potential of destruction despite a chain of creative achievements in Science and Technology.  A peep in to history will suffice to make a judgment on man’s acts of naiveté inflicted on his own brethren!  Do we take a retrospective glance in to history to find out what transpired when?

The world leaders and heads of state went in to a huddle as bodies of scores of human beings both wounded and killed started flooding hospitals and mortuaries inside the US.  Agonizing pain, anger and defiance was writ large on the faces of people who stood straining their necks to avidly buy in to the news of the first ever mayhem wreaked by an orchestrated gang of terrorists.  The entire nation was outraged and the world aghast at the audacity of a handful of misguided youths playing havoc with lives of innocents, that too right at the heart of and in to an intellectually renowned edifice viz. the Twin Towers.  The gory incident set the tone for a show-down by the world against the perpetrators of crime; the world termed the move a ‘War on terror’. That was about the lingering image and aftermath of 9/11. 

The treacherous thrust and conspicuous brute force with which the extremists sought to demoralize the world through an attack on World Trade Centre only aggravated the resolve by the world  to root out the menace of extremism at all costs.  Consequently, the so called war on terror turned out to be a power game by both sides viz. the impulsive instinct discernible in the scores of thoroughly brainwashed youth lining up to face suicidal mission and the collective resolve by a determined world throwing their weight in to one whole in a bid to rid the world of extremism.

Where in the world is a whole universe heading for?  First man brought in democracy that gave people a right to air their views, hammer down their demands and stand up to higher-ups in a show of defiance tantamount to flouting all norms of discipline. Apparently, it amounted to peasants rising to be kings.  Gradually, such clamor for achieving people’s rights eventually got transformed in to a free for all tussle between haves and have not’s, weak and the powerful, people and the government, each unable to contain an urge to transform a demand for an otherwise assumed right in to a spate of devastation and mayhem. In short, mob playing the role of high heeled judges as though assuming the world to be at their beck and call. Close on the heels of democracy came Law & Judiciary followed by a honking media as if owning a license to blare out all that occurs or are uttered, at times even blowing incidents out of proportion.

The media apart, the focus has now shifted to the internet. An area free of all hazards which gives a free ride to people of all walks, to yell their unholy judgments in the manner they desired. As a matter of fact there is no dearth of sites on the net for those aching to yell hoarse any and all abusive comments the manner they desired, on any topic that suited them best. And the individual writers freely providing ample opportunity to these morally polluted muscle-wielding traders of utter nonsense to proclaim their views unleashed.

A free democracy has brought the inevitable upon a world of innocents.  Provocative comments rebutted with equally provocative remarks are traded freely on the assumption that the world was approving their judgments.

In the meantime, a process of reconciliation started ages ago between India and Pakistan has remained unresolved. Each side abusing the other and assuming that one has convinced the lapses of the other; as a result there has been no forward move to a peace process started long time ago.

In the meantime, extremism took the Indian sub-continent too by surprise and the confronting parties are unaware of what needs to be set right first, the border dispute or the extremist strikes.  Where the mob considered one particular section as their enemy, the fellow community confirms that they have nothing to do with the incidents being carried out by their fellowmen.

Then came about a 26/11.  Things got aggravated and instead of bringing to end a conflict of views and news, people just kept humming away their own side of frustration. In the melee, Ajmal Kasab, one of the extremist elements nabbed during the shootout in the 26/11 came to take the centre stage and all the ire is now directed against him.

Incidentally, there is no let up in the outrageous comments against one side or the other. To leash the mob fury on the net is nearest to impossible. Man needs to bear in mind that the world is running behind time. People have lost their morale and standard of ethics.  Man has lost control over man and life moves on with one group indulging in devastating acts while the other looks on in utter dismay.

Enough harm has been done to vitiate the atmosphere, the society, the nation and the world.  But there is more to follow.

It should be borne in mind that while the Law & Judiciary was fiddling with case files pertaining to 15 years or more, the 26/11 took place. So that meant another file added to the archives of human indulgence. Will man ever learn reason?

Mikhail Bakunin is forthright in his assertion when he averred that “to revolt is a natural tendency of life? Even a worm turns against the foot that crushes it. In general the vitality and relative dignity of an animal can be measured by the intensity of its instinct to revolt”. Do we see essence of reason in his statement?

Enough harm has been done in the name of chat and rights. It is time to bring the world around. The surest and safest way to achieve this is “Silence, simplicity and steadfastness of resolve”.

The immediate need for man is to come out of the reverie he is in, set aside his self complacency, and don a positive approach through ‘Silence, simplicity and steadfastness’. It is crucial to bear in mind that every word, deed or act would spontaneously invite a reaction from the other. Even a casual say once uttered to satisfy one’s impulse would meet with a response which could go either way, ignored or received in good part or with a retort that could wrong the ego of either of the individuals.  As such, it is vital that the world gave a serious thought to utterances lest the issue became a point to be regretted at a later stage.  It goes without saying that as long as the former is conceived in the right direction within the ambit of balanced perception and keeping general good and the well being of the universe in view, the reaction would not tilt the balance.  Otherwise it is disaster for the world, humanity and God.  Yes for God as well for then the gain of life changes hands. Therefore, it is crucial that we adopt a dual approach to seal any recurrence by first balancing our say, our action as also our reaction before passing on our mind or message at the court of another.

We discover scores of anomalies, in individuals, in the society we live in and our lives as well. Primary among them being, our temptation to overact or react to trifles, even if they never caused any injury. May be a slip of the tongue or an un-intentioned ‘bullshit’, a comment by way of humor, a frustrated retort or even an impatient frown. Unfortunately, we use different yardsticks for different people. We are low in “Ethics, Manners & Etiquette” and carry an extremely impatient ‘ego’ which might appear a stumbling block for those with whom we come in contact. We deliver homilies extolling lives of virtuous men, living or dead. But really, do our hopes, expectations, exhortations and the world of good we intend to project for others to follow carry the desired thrust? How we go about holding profiles copied to perfection but drawn from someone else’s imagination and holding certificates issued by men who might be worse off than ourselves in terms of righteousness with the sole intent to impress upon people who mattered! In retrospect, have we retreated in to our real selves to find out if we have undergone the required formation to place ourselves in a position to deliver? Can we rectify our tendencies, our advances or our utterances by adding a pint of sugar in to other’s lives, with a refined approach, calculated wording or an appealing smile? The sweeteners known as ‘smile’ could remove all ailments. If adopted, the world might take a leap forward!

Man makes light of even the weightiest of initiatives with least regard for the well-meaning intentions.  This amounts to outdoing one’s ignorance and bargaining for what the world or even God would not deign to give.  Man reacts hastily, sleeps over issues, procreates matters, and formulates replies to get back ready to trounce the opponent who least suspects these behind the screen maneuvers.  Then, armed with ready-made replies the former gets set to confront the opponent only to find the efforts go awry when cast. The reaction does not coincide with the well intentioned gestures of the latter. As a result provocation reverses by the latter. Both come under the grip of impulsiveness and the matter gets precipitated with a not-so-accurate an action that trounces the former to seal his fate. Both go down with none gaining an edge.

In a world diminishing in attitude and standards of morale, human beings have developed a penchant to physically possess, snatch or hold sway over tangible goods, benefits, territories and areas in abundance beyond human need and capacity to possess. This disposition has got man transformed in to a creature with instincts akin to Satan. As time progressed in to centuries, this instinct to possess took a sudden turn for the worse absorbing with it a farfetched stigma to annihilate human beings having no other course to prove their point. However, it only proved these killers and marauders to be losing a battle of conviction with no one, not even the ones professing their faith hastening to their rescue. It is proving the point that no man can claim victory by undoing God’s own creation through destroying life in entirety. Man’s instinct has thus become a farfetched dilemma to act supreme with intent to belittle human beings by outdoing ignorance. Man has thus become a hostage to man at the hands of satan.

Curiously though, with all the gruesome atrocities giving man sleepless nights, should one accept life as measuring up to a cheap hangover of fate to befall man when he least suspects or is it all a hallucination? A dig in to reality might provide the answer. Imagine for a while one such horrendous element getting trapped by way or an earthquake or similar disaster and ending up with a massive wall of earth shutting him out of any form of rescue by human beings and confined to a dungeon of death and destruction. If in such a state, Almighty Himself stole up to him and offered the saving grace of a choice to make, to either live a thousand years but in that very state and situation, or to die an instant death, what would his choice be, life or death?

Man submits to life on the plea of enjoying an uncertain life, a wee bit of comfort, a bagful of wealth, a company of relatives and friends accompanying him in life, which if snatched by fate, he would but opt for the pain which we name death.

Formation of life demands a certain degree of maturity, a realization of one’s aptitude and a conviction which should surpass the opponent’s thrust.  To this end one needs to own the right say at the appropriate time. Till then hold on to your ‘Silence, simplicity and Steadfastness of resolve’.

Why harp on the same theme namely ‘Silence’? Silence amounts to stretching a moment for reflection, contemplation or to regain the tempo.  Either way, it amounts to a pause or suspense! Silence may be at will, deliberate or forced upon but provides one with a chance to listen to another, to analyze the existing version or for a larger perspective for taking a peep in to how the world around us intends to react.

Silence has the capacity to deliver but not the age or experience. To succeed in areas of competition, one must cultivate a vibrant and emphatic attitude which can convey a strong and positive say across without thrusting one’s ego on another. It is here that the triplets namely ‘Ethics, Manners & Etiquette’ come in handy for transforming a down to earth human being in to a successful person.

A spirited silence can rout your opponents and drag them on to back foot.  It can reverse the thought process of critics, leaving them gasping for breath. Silence would leave the staunchest of hardliners in the lurch, with loss of composure and utterly confounded!  What need you further to launch your show of attitude under “Ethics, Manners & Etiquette?

Remember, a good listener attracts a keen friend, renders an atmosphere of congeniality and also assists in forming a circle of like minded people. However, in order to cherish an everlasting friendship one must have within him a sublime attitude, an unblemished morality and a sophisticated mode of ethics. Silence conforming to such a formula, where impulsiveness can be kept at bay, can supplement friendship. Friendship draws like minded people around.  Winning over a friend does not warrant an ability to influence others; rather friendship gives one an opportunity to broaden one’s outlook, enlarge one’s vision and provides with a soothing relaxation to mind.  But in order to achieve a celestial friendship, one ought to have the capacity to translate attitude in to words for which one needs to repose trust in ‘Silence, Simplicity and Steadfastness of resolve’. This segment of life deals with the oft forgotten and sidetracked topic viz. Ethics, Manners & Etiquette. ‘Ethics, Manners & Etiquette’ can garner friendship or enhance one’s reputation at public places.

Before tracing our footsteps towards ‘Friendship’ there is need to base ourselves on a firm footing namely ‘attitude’. Let us not forget that friendship accords us a plank, an opportunity to theme our lives on and a circle to rely upon.

In order to get acquainted with right people at the right place and in right numbers, it is necessary that you uphold a morale that should speak for your personality. Always project an image that should appeal to those around. When people are about, you need to ensure that you project a clean image in you.  At the same time ensure an image appealing to your colleagues especially your friends. But take care to seal this projection of yours within the minds of those around you, so as not to be construed as an ostentatious gesture. Rather, make it spontaneous by sharing the image with others. Impress upon people your unique image but keep within limits. And of course avoid bragging.  Let not your image allow harboring ill will or hatred for any one who may have not acted the way you would have expected.

Everyone cherishes a desire to ascend the ‘Pinnacle’. It is within arm’s reach.  Why dig holes in to pockets when things come superficially cheap? Tarry not!  Be not an enigma but trace your answers to your entire dilemma in the next supplement of ‘Ethics, Manners & Etiquette’.

The writer is a Roman Catholic hailing from Kerala (a state known in India as ‘God’s own country’). His forefathers converted to Christianity after the arrival of St. Thomas, the Apostles of Jesus Christ, who set foot in Kerala in 53 A.D. That was nearly 250 years before Constantine was converted to Christianity and Christianity accepted worldwide as a Religion in 300 A.D.

A HUGE STRIDE BY THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

The Indian National Congress or INC holds an unenviable record of having achieved a stunning victory for which it was formed. Constituted on 28^th December, 1885 the INC committed itself wholeheartedly to enlist the support of natives with a specific purpose namely, to emancipate the nation and people from the clutches of foreign rule. As a sequel to this development, the national tricolour went up the mast at Lahore on a cold morning of 26^th January 1930. The unfurling of the flag was carried out by none other than Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru himself.  That very same day INC was declared an independent and separate entity entrusted with a unique purpose of steering the nation out of a turmoil borne out of alien rule and domination of their motherland. 

No individual, group or society, least of all the very natives themselves, would ever suffer their motheland to be held under fire or allow it to be gradually engulfed in to a conflagration.  This could not only jeopardize the rhythem of life for people and their descendants but was also fraught with serious repercussions for posterity.  Exploited and stripped clean of its colour and gait, the nation could no longer tolerate subjugation at the hands of foreign power which, in effect were intruders in to their motherland. Hitherto much had been sacrificed by way of dignity and lives.  Alien laws were thrust upon a people who were yet to earn a right to possession what to speak of freedom of breathing peace.  Centuries passed but to no avail.  The claimants to a land they were born and bread of were compelled to move around with fetters fastened to a yoke of suppression endured by them for centuries.  Indeed, when it came to living a life of their own, they were barred beyond torturous fetters. 

It was therefore, imperative that India which saw much bloodshed including toll of lives of people entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding lives, territories or reputation of rulers, emperors, dynasties and kingdoms with hardly a breathing space within their own motherland made one last ditch effort to drive foreigners away.  This certainly called for a massive struggle for freedom and the entire nation was therefore, on their feet to snatch back or retrieve their motherland.  That was in the year 1857 when a spirited struggle for freedom from foreign rule gained ground and soon the rumbling started being felt beyond the periphery of closed doors and offices. It was then that a ray of hope seemed visible to a people groaning under age’s yoke.  What would otherwise have been deemed to be a farfetched dream for a nation that was struggling to be counted as an entity in a world of advancd knowledge, education and technology, all of a sudden came alive in unison, with vigor and determination to wrest control of the land from foreigners.  In a final thrust under the able leadership of eminent intellectuals and renowned men of caliber and under a newly constituted symbol namely the INC, a novel identity was established and people unitedly strained every nerve to the extent of embracing martyrdom and fought single handed setting aside all differences arising out of colour, creed, culture or language.

INC took the lead in the struggle which got a boost as Mohanadas Karamchamd Gandhi made a spectacular headway with his non-cooperation and civil disobedience movement through a massive and gigantic weapon namely “Non violence”. 

No amount of weariness, hungar, scarcity or desolation could deter the invigorated and determined mob from procrastinating on the one only and immediate aspiration uppermost in their minds viz. liberation of motherland. This way everyone equivocally and under the able guidance and astute stewardship of a triumvirate namely Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammed Jinnah took on the British rulers unmindful of what could have befallen their fate if per chance the then ruling elite came down heavily on them to quell the violence or set at naught their one only and common goal of freedom from foreign rule.  The people of India eventually realized that the stars were looking up and a goal they were after was well nigh and within their sight.  What was needed was a blind following of a leadership which professed vision and determination for reaching a culmination under an armed struggle of national importance.

Gandhiji assumed the leadership of Indian National Congress as President during the year 1921. Prior to his arrival on the Indian scenario the mahatma had successfully led two revolutions in South Africa to the delight of natives there. His arrival on the Indian scene was seen as a refreshing light in view of his educational background which enabled him to communicate freely with the British rulers. He actively participated in a Satyagraha in support of indigo farmers at Champaran and followed it up with another successful campaign against enhanced taxes and revenues imposed at Kheda in Gujarat. As President of INC he decided to revamp the organization with special focus on setting up offices in remote areas of the country. Simultaneously, he also outlined principles of Satyagraha whereby the membership of INC  started growing larger day by day.

Even so, there were teething problems which needed to be resolved major among them being factional hurdles with a random few among the activists resorting to extremist agenda.  Men who personified extremist tendencies within the consortium of people from all walks of life were Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal among others, who manifested tendencies which failed to match non-violent policies followed by Mahatma Gandhi. 

Apart from a host of varying perceptions that posed a major challenge to braving the onslaught by British government in power, was the diverse culture that separated two warring religious majorities namely Hindus and Muslims whose rivalry had not abated for many centuries.  However, such internal vibrations could not in any manner pose hurdle for a nation that was beset with a dilemma of immense magnitude namely a hijack of its administrative machinery by foreign powers. Such indigenous problems could not in any manner deter the Indian National Congress from establishing a foothold firmly within farflung areas of an undivided India. Mahatma Gandhi was in full control of the outfit and party as its President, as well as fully competent to take on the British through his peace initiative and diplomatic strategies. Incidentally, the formation of INC and subsequent agenda followed by reforms set forth by Mahatma Gandhi had a chronology of events unfolding to the delight of an exuberant crowd spilling on the streets at the mere call of Mahatma Gandhi. 

Riding high on the waves of an enthusiastic nation and an exuberant crowd ready to fall in the line of fire for the liberation of their country, Mahatma Gandhi sought to firmly establish his move against British by specifically working against caste differences, untouchability, poverty and religious and ethinc boundaries.  Although India was a predominantly Hindu nation, yet INC had within its membership people from every religion, ethnic group, economic and linquistic class.

There were surprises too for the INC as the newly appointed Viceroy to India namely Lord Irwin publicly favoured a dominion status for India and pushed for the issue to be discussed threadbare in London during 1930 and 1931.  However, neither of the conference could achieve a result beyond a halt on the question of religion.

Driven to the wall by an indomitable agitation by a high pitched populace and maddening crowd of undivided India, the British were left with no option but to bow before the wishes of natives and order a retreat.  Mahatma Gandhi achieved the impossible to the delight of a nation already plundered of its enormous resources and wealth.  The INC succeeded in achieving its end with resounding success and a jubilant Indian National Congress rode in triumph to the present day Parliament House for a victory celebration.  The calendar proclaimed it as the 15^th day of August, 1947.  This way a nation was born out of the exploited culture through centuries of foreign rule.

The last Viceroy and first Governor General of independent Union of India namely Lord Mountbatten announced the partitioning of the British Empire in to India and Pakistan under the Independence Day Act, 1947.  On 26^th January, 1950 India became a secular and democratic republic whereby a new Constitution was adopted.

The exit of British rule hearalded a new era in the archives of Indian history.  Not only did it throw open trade, industry and indigenous culture to flourish at the hands of natives, rather it even set the pace for progress and development of a by now partitioned India. However, all credit ought to go to the Indian National Congress which consortium of indigenous personalities made freedom a reality and set about by guiding the teeming millions of this vast sub-continent under the able guidance of those very architects of Indian Liberation movement.       

For achieving independence, the INC held behind it a whole nation of enthusiastic men and women, dedicated to the core. That was during the forties.  Save for a few stray, scattered and insignificant number of opposition groups endorsing certain outdated, mutilated and uneven views and strategies that too concentrated mainly in the North, the entire nation was wholly united under one banner of forging a path towards the zenith of achievements. Indian National Congress became a force to reckon with and the party so projected became a symbol of oneness for many decades thereafter.

A pause is needed here!  One must not lose sight of the fact that the period of struggle was one of dedication, mutual trust and perseverance.  There is need also to remember that it was essentially an age of submissiveness not of compulsion which earned the nation a spectacular success. There was an air of Godliness, an environment of cooperation but above all there was a ray of faith, hope and charity within the minds of one and all.  It was a period when people realized the need to foster charity for one another – Charity that chimes out of a Christian refrain and which fosters love for one another. Till the time British ruled the nation, there was a monitoring apparatus namely ‘Faith – Hope & Charity’ for suppressing tempers arising out of high handedness by one group or the other be it even Hindu Muslim riots or similar uprisings.

The British left the country but left behind a legacy as well which was attributed to Christian charity that kindles within people of diverse faiths and culture a sublime sense of godliness or charity for one another. Incidentally, the refrain went on to inspire the nation and people for few decades thereafter till it faded in to a quagmire of ‘Hindustan’.  However, there is need to remember that a sense of brotherhood can seep in to people’s conscience only if they set aside their differences with regard to faith and worship, which in a society of diverse beliefs and religious cultures it amounted to asking for too much. The end result was that an enduring communal harmony was loath to come about.

In essence, it was that very same Christian refrain which bound people together and which ultimately rewarded the nation with what has hitherto been nurtured by the Indian National Congress or for short the Congress Party for imparting a human touch to people both young and old.  However, the multitudes or the masses outside Congress Party have long since forgotten the bind that kept them together for many centuries.

Immediately after achieving independence the mob which was uptill now united under one struggle till the time India was partitioned asserted its fragility of mindset, culture and reasoning.  To a people that fought together in an environment of Christian charity a new nomenclature was imposed by a people who knew no broad perspectives. They started indulging in grabbing and depriving their neighbor of what ought to have been the due of others by right.  Close on the heels of a hard fought battle for independence and in an environmnent of diverse people, culture and religion was fastened a new yoke of individuality namely ‘Hindustan’  This divide exposed a people that were corrupt to the core. It exposed the mentality of a majority who were starving for a new culture namely ‘corruption’.

Quite elementary though because left to themselves the ‘Indian populace is adept at grabbing enormous resources including wealth left behind by the British.  Fortunately though, after the British left India all the fortune of wealth and resources came to them in abundance.  It was like raining divine manna straight out of the heavens. People neither expected nor were they worthy of such bounty bestowed on them with so hot a fortune, that too in abundance. Individuals and groups prospered, development soared all around, education gave them a boost and they the Indian masses came to be acquainted with what extra comfort and luxuries the world had in store for them. Resultantly, people started stepping up their ambitions till finally an ecstasy of having attained a hard fought freedom receded in to the horizon of a fading memory.  And in its place emerged a sudden jolt which made people and individuals disagree with one another. 

The well to do and more influential among the ones that inherited large fortune started exhibiting a show of arrogance.  These many started antagonizing the good that was being carried out by the dedicated men and women of yesteryears. A split was imminent because the more arrogant ones began to find loopholes within a system so carefully nurtured by the INC.  The long and short of it all is that with democracy throwing up a multiparty set up, there was room enough for unscrupulous people to hide their monstrous visage and assert their individuality through manipulation at various levels.  This way there came about a division among people, in their views, attitude and above all a psyche that promoted extremism of a political kind namely ‘corruption’.

A state of disagreement began to creep in and divisions started showing up in a people who reverted to perversity and corruption.  A new found craze to rename places started goading the minds of a people who were lavishly bestowed with unexpected wealth, luxury and comfort. A state of extravaganza made them lax in their commitments and blunt to the responsibility they took upon themselves through a Constitution which merely became an instrument that ensured the setting up of government which was to gift them a life of comfort while the government danced to people’s tune for serving their ends.  The new set up prompted the masses to scale heights above the elected government unmindful of the role they were required to perform.  In short a period of unscrupulousness and corruption took the nation by surprise. 

A nation that was an outcome of chaste dreams nurtured by its national leaders right from Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru onwards followed by his daughter Late Smt. Indira Gandhi and thereafter, her son Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi in sequence, and as cherished by worthy leaders of a large nation, became objects of smear campaign let loose by mean and narrow-minded people of little fame. 

Rather than upholding a sublime gift of independence achieved through hard fought struggle by the Indian National Congress was squandered away for mean objectives by people and elements that had their own irons in the fire. Parties grew up in numbers and leaders who gained a voice among restless and unscrupulous elements started flourishing to dictate terms to a government and people of eminence, as a result of which the government including dedicated and prominent people  of eminence had to succumb to dictates by these hoodlums in their bid to make a niche for themselves at the cost of the nation, its people and the lofty ideals for which the nation stood.  India which acquired a dedicated and charismatic leader in Smt. Sonia Gandhi was not spared either, rather even she was pelted with aspersions at will by people who managed to head a party or group, to the detriment of her own reputation as also of the party and folks she herded all through right from Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi’s demise.  All these made a dent in the image of a nation that was already at its zenith of achieving recognition among world powers.

Despite all odds, a dedicated Smt. Sonia Gandhi held on to her position in the interest of the nation and party.  All the glory and reputation achieved through years of struggle withered away due to selfish and partisan attitude by people whose only outlook was to achieve personal fame.  Howver, Smt. Indira Gandhi was resolute in her struggle to uphold values and reputation of the country.  In order to create a nitche for themselves each in his own narrow way chose to slam outright the Indian National Congress, its leaders and people within the government. The outcome of this fall out by narrow minded elements is what the present day parties portray in the break away groups under the style of BJP, RJD, BJD, BSP, DMK, ADMK and what have you?  These parties and people under similar outfits are presently basking in the shade of their own petty and mean minded interests not trustworthy for a nation that is galloping towards an age of superior glow and resonance.  The very nation which grouped under the Indian National Congress to carry the nation forward has broken away for self esteem and self projection on account of their mean minded attitude.

The present day parties and leaders who merely promote themselves under the guise of ‘politics’ are poles apart from what the leading figures of yesteryears had expected of them and for which they had laid down their lives. The unknown author of the quote “some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only suffer want” says it all!

Immediately after achieving independence, the nation had to occupy itself with national priorities which included among others to tame people into subordination, shed their barbarity and streamline a process that had to equal standards of an already advanced world.  But even as the process of chalking out remedial measures to set the wheels of the nation on rails, the country was overtaken by the threat of an ominous war that loomed large in the horizon, precisely the next door neighbour. 

If therefore, Indian National Congress be epitomized as the elite of the honest and righteous people who steered the Indian subcontinent then, then there is more than reason for the people to repose their faith in the one only consortium of like minded people (read INC) who have hitherto strained their every nerve to make India a vibrant power to take on the world. Incidentally an independent nation that managed to survive many devastating catastrophes, menacing wars, threatening civil strifes and shattering internal confrontations is due to celebrate its platinum jubilee a decade or so hence, all of which go to the credit of the Indian National Congress.  The INC has consistently served the nation keeping in mind the interest of diverse regions, communities and people.  However, spreading canard or alleging aspersions on people who dedicated their lives and service for the people and nation is by itself an act of extreme discourtesy. 

Moreover, most allegations are blown out of proportion to belittle that particular individual, unkindly targeted to allow hooting and clapping by ignorant street urchins, merely to elate oneself or to be projected by those very street urchins as saviors or applauded as gods or goddesses of a modern day world of crime and criminality. Yea, why not categorize these gods and goddesses as belonging to an unblemished category of divine perfection?  And these divinely appointed spirits forget for a while that those people whom they target are human being first, elected representatives next, people who dedicated their lives for the service of the nation in sequence besides being sons and daughters of the same soil as of today, sons & daughters of other human beings as well.  And for a split second these divine spirits even forget that the people they target have not deserted their posts, position, homes or the country.  What transpires thereafter is a spate of abusive gossips emerging from streets and corners of an otherwise dignified nation, with detest of the very people elected to represent the nation with dignity by the same street urchins by use of abusive reference to people who hold or hitherto held the reins of a country that millions of countrymen did elect with a mandate to govern the nation under a Constitution adopted by all on 26^th January, 1950.

Moreover, many of the allegations which do the round targeting these respectable, honest and dedicated men or women of caliber and reputation would have been blown out of proportion to hit where it hurts most.   Allegations that are seasoned, nursed to abusive limits, slept over for days to stretch them to areas of inaccessible untruth but above all jumbled up to compel a person to despair out of frailty or human finiteness.  Allegations which overwhelmingly rely on surmises, allegations which mostly arise out of casual hearsay, trumped up canard, or unauthenticated gossips.  As a matter of fact these allegations are cooked up to deliberately add leverage to gossips without any definite knowledge of what has transpired during the period of service put in by those elected representatives of people. 

These hooded elements spearheading accusations even forget that their acts solely smear the image of the nation, people or their achievements to levels of profanity and unthinkable sacrilege.  They also need to realize the sensitivity of issues which touch not only the nation, its outlook, its image and acceptability by the world but also to give due consideration to the spill over of such accusations which would not go down well with the ordinary, ignorant and uneducated people on the streets, who would least be competent to grasp the intricacies of allegations being floated by people who arrogantly exhibit a show of indisputable integrity. 

India is essentially a divided lot.  There can hardly be a consensus on any issue without allowing largesse to an opponent.  This holds equally good in all matters, be it on the streets, in business establishments or even on political platforms. As a matter of fact India is a unique country which carries with it an appaling picture of diversity in every sphere such as its culture, language, traditions, religious beliefs etc.  So why not on the issue of rumor mongering with the endangered topic called corruption?

Certain statistics stun the opposition. Some even stun the nation. However, all statistics stun the power hungry and starving lot among the opposition all. Even so, history will please the righteous citizens and people of a 1.3 billion nation who have within them the sublime truth and confidence in a government that is functioning to its very best.

INC or the Indian National Congress (1885-2012) which heads the UPA government at the Centre is the one only national party – repeating – the one only national party which has never altered its name, profile, agenda or its dedication.

INC is the only national party which has been associated with the greatest and renowned leaders of a free India since last 62 years before independence and 65 years after independence.

INC is the only national party which has never diluted its charisma, its ideology, its ideals, its dedication and its unique status be it within the party, within its leadership, within the nation or outside it.

However, the recent record breaks even the backbone of the opposition, that the communal party in connivance with Hazare, Ramdev and a few power hungry leading figures attempted to flay the alleged flaws within the government. They nevertheless, had to beat a retreat and break up in to fragments. The fragments then retreated in to the backyard of their own realm of greed and corruption to decide whether to enlist themselves under a political outfit or to wag on till the master noticed its movements.

Rumour mongering like backbiting, spitefulness and vengeance is a common vice among all people of diverse societies or groups.  However, alleging things or flinging aspersions on individuals, groups or government as have been reportedly overheard through hearsay or public gossips amount to a grave crime in a society which is bound by a government, law and judiciary.

Corruption is a state of moral perversity or eroded equilibrium which could as well be described as a hate campaign to defame someone else.  People who hoard money over themselves do so with a view to projecting themselves heads above others and the nefarious ways they achieve this end is a culmination of how base an Indian mindset can be.  Out of a culture of oneness that started during the freedom struggle emerged a vicious mindset bent on looking down upon others with scorn and detest.  And India like many other countries has joined the bandwagon with least regard for ethics-manners & etiquette or discipline in public or private lives.  In short the British held on to the Christian refrain of Charity and Love, which got transformed in to a state of animal wisdom or jungly culture. 

Corruption does not necessarily require wealth to become victim of greed. Corruption is an innate tendency to hate another in to suppression.  In effect it amounts to a liberation struggle of a peculiar kind viz. a struggle  to build up that which one gained out of someoneelse’s magnanimity and here that magnanimity refers to the decision of British to say to themselves in all humility ‘enough is enough’. 

The adage “sufficient for the day is the evil thereof” took its first ever toll after the undivided India was partitioned in to Pakistan including East Pakistan or present day Bangladesh on the one hand and an India of the present day era on the other.  

We must keep in mind the fact that only people with corrupt mentality, corrupt dealings and fully acquainted with what corrupt structure means alone would cry hoarse pointing finger at others. But people who are truly just or righteous will only think in terms of reforming a people, society or nation.  This is the one only attitude to redeeming the misguided on to a mainstream category of people. Spearheading falsehood or spreading canard about individuals is a sign of despair in their resolve to reform through peaceful means.  Law needs to catch up with such attitude which amounts to hooliganism under the hood of democratic agitation. 

The country is very much on rails and no amount of rocking carried out by the communal elements in tandem with regional parties and disgruntled elements can derail the government or the nation.  The present government under Indian National Congress has been doing the nation proud but someone needs an unbiased mind and that crucial intellect to decide and be convinced as to which way the country is developing and fast.

Much more remain to be said on Emergency, War and Corruption. They definitely will come in installments.  But never forget the fact that the nation is a crowd of more than 1.3 billion and for taking the teeming millions on an onward journey ahead, the nation must speak in one voice and be guided with one only hand namely the Indian National Congress! To be continued…………………. Cheerio, Bye!