Superstitions!

Another drawback in the Indian society ...not just in the Indian society, but in almost all the countries. Almost the entire world is attacked by a very fatal disease. It is called "Superstitions"! When are people going to change? Till when will people believe in Superstitions?

Is something going to happen if a black cat crosses the streets before one leaves to go to some job? Is there anything wrong going to happen if someone sneezes while someone is leaving somewhere? These superstitions are not prevalent in every part of the world. There is one superstition, which is probably prevalent in all parts of the world. It has been rotating within the world for centuries together. Yes, you guessed it right - it is about ghosts.

A soul of a person is probably not going to harm any living person just because the living person had a dept unpaid to the dead person, or had done some harm to the dead person or his/her family. We perform ceremonies to keep the soul in peace. Do you think it really helps in keeping the soul in peace?

There are many people we come across in real life. I have come across many people who regularly perform ceremonies so that the soul of the dead person rests in peace, and so that the soul blesses them. But they will invariably turn out to be persons who undergo a lot of pain after the death of the person. If the soul was really pleased with all the ceremonies being performed for its peace, won't the soul bless the performer of the ceremonies? After all, the soul is considered to be nothing but the person himself, who is not in his body (whose body is no more). And, any person would indeed be happy if he/she comes to know that people are praying for his/her peace. In that case, the person would surely reciprocate with love and gifts. And in the case of a soul, it would surely bless the person, will it not? Then, in spite of the blessings given by the ghost or soul, why is the person suffering?

It is natural that the widow of a person suffers a lot of rituals and after-effects of the death of her husband, that too in the Indian society which is pretty backward regarding these issues (though it has improved in many places).
It is natural for children to miss their parents.
Many such atrocities happen.
But why do people believe in ghosts?

Some people say they have experienced ghosts. Well, it may be just an imagination that they have got due to fear ...or it may be real. No one knows whether it is true or fake. No one knows whether stories about ghosts that have been revolving in and around the globe are rumours or facts. But why do people who have not experienced ghosts also believe in them?

If people have proof or experience about something and they believe in it, then it is fine. But if people just start believing in what others say, it is a superstition!

There are so many of the habits we call as superstitions. Some may make sense, while some may not. If we get things clear, we'll feel much better if we do why we're doing things.

There is one superstition to which I'd like to give an explanation (a simple one):

It is said that some tragedy will approach a person who walks under a ladder.

Why is it so? The explanation is simple. When someone walks under a ladder, it is possible for the ladder to fall in the person. Or, if someone like a painter (wall-painter) has climbed the ladder, and if the wet hands of the painter who is holding the paint bottle slips, the paint container may fall on the person, or if it doesn't slip, it is possible that a few drops of paint fall on the passerby.

If something from a great height, falls on a person walking under a ladder (a person walking at ground level), it may even lead to the death of the person. So that is why it is said that it is unlucky to walk under a ladder.

Now I hope you will not go under a ladder because of the reasons I've stated above, and not because there is an ancient superstitions says that it is unlucky to do so.

There is another very ancient superstition (not too common in India).

It is "13 is unlucky".

I found the explanation on this website: http://www2.islandnet.com/~luree/silly.html

The explanation was:

If you count the original Christian gang with Jesus as 1 and go up Judas is 13 and he betrayed Jesus






I also suggest you to go through the website given. It has explained many superstitions very well.

I hope all the countries stop or at least reduce the belief of superstitions!

Friends, lets take an oath now ...if we're going to believe in some habit, we need to know the reason behind it. If we can't make any sense out of it, and if we feel it is just a belief due to some co-incident that had probably taken place long back, let's not believe it.

The oath: We will know the reason of whatever we're doing. If we don't know the reason, it's a superstition and we'll drop it!


PS: If a small child is reading this: if you don't know the reason why you're having a bath, why you're brushing your teeth or why you're doing your homework, then let me tell you ...all that's not a superstition! Ask your parents to patiently explain why, and you'll do it very efficiently ...that too out of your own interest ...not because your parents or teachers ask you to do something!

Doing something? Do you know the reason?

If you don't, find out! ...and then decide whether you'll do it or not!

Jaihind

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Have we got independence?

Has India got her independence?

From the British, we got it, but when do we get our independence from our own country people who are now terrorists???

We say happily, "We have got our independence on August 15, 1947 , and so we are celebrating this day as our Independence day."

Yes, the freedom fighters really did a very very great job.

We also proudly say "I am a brave citizen of our country", "I am an Indian", etc. But true Indians were those who fought for our independence from the British, and those who are still fighting for our independence from terrorism. We call those who fought for freedom from the British as 'freedom fighters', but the current freedom fighters are doing a greater job of freedom fighting---the army people who fight for freedom against terrorists, who attack anyone at any place at any time without any information. Though these people are given respect, and sometimes even treated as the 'real heroes' (which is something they really deserve), they are generally not considered to be as great as those freedom fighters who fought for independence form the British.

It is the day when India is free of terrorism, and it is the day when India is compeltely a peaceful country, and it is the day when India is filled with non-violence prevailing all over when we should say ''India is a free country''

So, when is India going to be a free country?

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Racist attacks on Indians in Australia

The recent events of racist attacks on Indians in Australia have been really tragic. My point of view about all this is, that when there are so many opportunities right here, in India, what is the need to go abroad for higher studies? Yes, I agree that opportunities may be better in other countries. Australia may be a better country for studies, likewise many other countries may be better in may things. If India is good in one field, then other countries may be good in other fields. Every country has plus and minus. So, it is the duty of a country to welcome other countries as 'guests' and treat them well, and send them back to their native country 'happily' after their work is done. This is something that has to be done by every country. But yes, we must be careful as well ...we can't let another 'one country rules over another' trend to flourish again ...I also don't feel that any country has such intentions.

I found the info about the topic on the website of merinews - the power of people, very nice. Here's what the website says:

THE RECENT attacks on Indian students studying in Australia have attracted global attention. This rabid cultural and racial menace has attracted worldwide condemnation. One Sravan Kumar Theerthala was hit with petrol bottles by some unidentified teens while he was reading book in his house at Melbourne.

Baljinder Singh, another student from India studying in Melbourne, was robbed and stabbed in his abdomen. Both are struggling for life in hospitals. Sravan’s condition is reported to be very critical, he is still in coma.

In a separate incident, four students were attacked and burgled by racist elements in Australia. One Suketu Modi, a businessman from Surat, was attacked in train by a group of students when he had gone there for IT business. According to student’s organisations, these racist attacks have been taking place in Australia for quite some time; most of them went unreported. According to a report, about 20 racial attacks on Indians have taken place last month in Sydney alone.

Australia, interestingly, is not the only country where rabid faces of racism have been raising heads. Such dastardly incidents have been taking place in countries like UK, Germany, France and some African and Gulf countries.

This incident has raised a very perturbing question, which every one of us would like to ponder about and like to find consolable if not acceptable answers.

Reasons of such attacks: It is too simplistic a proposition to categorically brand them as acts of criminal or opportunistic activities as uttered by Australian High Commissioner and DCP Melbourne, John McCarthy. The former has, however, not denied that some racist elements might have been involved in what he called Shameful criminal acts.

If not the global society, Indian civil society must quest reasons behind it; after all why Indians are being attacked everywhere? It seems that the existence of these vestigial racial elements even in cultural, plural societies does have other hidden reasons apart from ostensible causes. Chagrin does not prevail in Australia; and even Australian media lamented only after vociferous diplomatic and societal protests at home.

Economic: India has written stories of astounding success in economic fields; thanks to flooded brilliant young brains in fields of science and technology, management and other frontier areas. Our IITs, IIMs, and plethora of business and other schools have produced best brains in the world. The campus selections by MNCs and TNCs over a couple of decades have been a matter of concern to the students of those countries, which have been destinations of our ‘smart English speaking IT-BPO guys’ for obvious reasons. Many of them feel that their job opportunities are being eaten up by Indians. Many guys working in MNCs and TNCs in countries like the US, the UK, Australia, Germany and a host of other such developed countries have faced similar acts of discrimination. Many of such incidents go unreported for simple reason; as the victims have to run from pillar to post once FIR is registered.

Student community particularly do not like to be involved in legal wrangles because they think that they have come here not to fight legal battle but to complete their studies and make careers. They are also tormented by the lackadaisical, callous and sometimes, ignorant attitude of police. For instance, in Australia, the police did not act till the matter was blown out of their capacity to hold. According to Forbes; about US$ 13 billion is spent by Indian students abroad annually. Australia alone has a US$ 15.5 billion business with foreign students and as many as 1 lakh Indian students study in Australian at present.

According to an estimate about 8.3 lakh Indian students are studying in countries like the US, the UK, Russia, France, Australia, etc. Needless to say, those going abroad for higher studies belong to affluent class of the society. The number of High Net Income (HNI) individuals in India has swelled for some years. Like many other areas, the lopsided development in the field of education has created a dangerous in-equilibrium. The affluence of these students studying abroad or working guys, who earn handsome salaries in MNCs, betrays in their lifestyles and attracts opportunistic activities by teens, who have been already suffering from a sense of inferiority complexes. These complexes find expression in such opportunistic acts blended with racism.

Sociological and educational: With the passage of time, the colonies have gained independence from colonial powers. The European countries are finding their erstwhile colonies rubbing shoulders in gatherings at International forums. The sense of hatred unconsciously precipitates in their mind and find expression in such abhorable acts of racial attacks. History has tough us to be proud of our past. Their past had been excellent but future is full of intense competition which extra-individualistic. In the present global financial regime, every one, may it be individual or nation, has to find a place for itself not on the basis of its past but on the basis of its present.

The economic hegemony of the US is all set to nosedive. The American Tsardom in financial market is likely to be over. The global financial crisis (GFC) has bashed the US, the pain of which is still emanating. Asian giant China has purchased US$ 1.3 trillion worth US Treasury Bills. A sense of chagrin prevails in USA, what a travesty; once lender has become a borrower. The Chinese export juggernaut into the US has changed the entire economic power structure. Protectionist measures taken by the USA and host of developed nations have these social and psychological dimensions also. The sense of frustration is obvious in younger minds because their economic future is not as secure as it had been decades ago.

Ethical and moral: There is no denying the fact that economic development in India has changed our lifestyles and cultural traits to a great extent. Still then, our social, family, and religious ethos, which have deep roots, have not eroded to the extent of disappearance. Religious tolerance and non-violence are still way of our lives. When our boys go abroad we preach them to be adherent to these ethos. In spite of state of attacks, students in Australia decided to take out a peace march rather than taking to streets. Normally such incidents meet violent backlashes. But the kind of restraint, which has been showed by Indians in Australia and abroad, is suggestive of the fact that ethos of non-violence and satyagraha are still alive in our soul and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi are inculcated in our way of life. These characteristics of ours have been taken by many nations as timidity and cowardice. After all, what explains when two teen attacked four students and went un-retaliated, physically they could have not only been overpowered but thrashed also.

Progress and affluence of students studying abroad do manifest in their lifestyles, which tempt these racist elements to attack that serves twin purpose; on the one hand they snatch something from them and on the other it satiates their hidden desire of inferiority complex.

Role of embassies: The role of embassies in this regard has particularly been callous. According to reports available in public domain, hundreds of such attacks have taken place on Indian students in different parts of the world. When the students approach the authorities in embassies, they are treated with callous and cool attitude. This has emboldened the morale of such lumpen elements, who indulge in acts of such vandalism and at the same time, it leaves students at the mercy of their fate. In this case also, the Indian Embassy could take up the issue only after matter was reported in Indian media and the prime minister and External Affairs Minister talked to Kelvin Rudd and Julia Gillard in strongest possible diplomatic over tune and conveyed their frowning over the issue. This approach of our diplomatic babus needs to be changed.

To sum up, we can say that these incidents are rooted in sociological, economic, historical and ethical soil of developed cultural, pluralistic societies. The lasting and amicable solution therefore can only be found in the roots and not in stems.

Source: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15771339

How did you like my post? Please post a comment.

Jaihind

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A talk about India's current status

Let’s have a talk about today’s state of India’s status.

LITERACY

It is unfortunate to say that after 62 years of India’s freedom, in the 21^st century, that though literacy has improved in India, there are still villages, where illiteracy is prevailing. As per 2001 Census, the overall literacy rate of India is 65.38%. The male literacy rate is 75.96% and female literacy rate is 54.28%.

Please visit: http://www.iloveindia.com/population-of-india/literacy-rate.html to know India's literacy rate (i.e., source for the survey results is the website mentioned above)

GARBAGE

It is unfortunate to say that after 62 years of India’s freedom, in the 21^st century, that not all Indians have been educated about garbage disposal. Even if trash cans have been provided people have the habit of littering garbage anywhere. We find garbage lying exactly in front of a dust bin. People are not yet educated about the infection that can be caused by open garbage. Garbage not disposed in the right way can cause so many diseases.

POLLUTION

Due to a wrong way of garbage disposal in some places (such as Burning of certain garbage), pollution and Global Warming has also been increasing.

Why does all this take place?

This takes place because most of the very few Indians, who are educated about Garbage disposal, pollution and so on, are not bothered to educate other Indians who are not educated about all these.

Why does this take place?

This takes place because not all of the very few Indians who are educated about these stuff bother about other Indians. Every person wants to earn their life, keep their family and themselves happy ….though we say, in our Indian pledge ‘All Indians are my brothers and sisters’. They don't realise, that if these issues are not attended to, their future generations may be in great trouble.

There are many things to be appreciated, and many things to be corrected. As Indians, we should correct the wrong things, and improve the good things to make India a better country. So first, we need to learn things properly, and not just say that '...' is right, just because we feel '...' is right, even if '...' is not right.

Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached

-Swami Vivekananda

Jaihind

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26th Jan

26th Jan, in India: Today is India's republic day, the day when India's constiturion came to force. I am proud being
an Indian.

Happy Republic Day, Indians!

Jaihind

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Hello!

As I was just thinking of about the title of this blog, the words 'An Indian' struck my mind. It struck my mind all of a sudden like a 'spell of magic'.

First, I'd like to tell you who I am. I'd like to do it in a simple manner - by just telling it in ONE sentence - "I am a patriot, a photographer (I guess I am good in it!), a passionate singer, soft in nature, with a helping mind."

In this blog, I'll be writing posts about India, including draw-backs and appreciations of India.

I'd be very happy to listen from you as well.

"Don't just be readers; be writers and repliers as well!"

I will be back here, very soon!

Jaihind

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