I AND MY WORDS

Generally I avoid recommending books to read, for being a bibliophile I believe it is very cruel to add on to the mental burden of other voracious readers. However, I had tweeted a short list a while back. This list in my opinion is a must read for all those Indians who have lost out on their identity thanks in much to the deep influence of western liberal thought, leading to the marginalization of original Indic thoughts. These writings are across various times, but are real, original contributions to a truly Indic thought, and if  we really need to prepare intellectually for future battles, we should be familiar with what we are going to fight. The order does not rank the books in any way; it is just a function of my ability to recall names.  So here is the list. I will not explain the reasons for exploring them; I leave it to the discernment of readers to judge by themselves the merit of the list. Gora by Rabindranath Tagore Ghare Baire by Rabindranath Tagore Parva ...

Lord Ayappan Swamy's Temple in Sabarimala (Courtesy - Sabarimala Temple) With the ongoing brouhaha over the entry of women into lord Ayappan Swamy's temple in Sabarimala, Kerala, one can only see how the Supreme Court of India has repeatedly reinforced what can only be called an apartheid regime concerning the Hindu majority of India. Temple control has been a very touchy topic for many Hindus, and state administrations have usurped control of most temples across India, and the traditions involved with the traditions are being trampled upon with little consideration repeatedly by governments pretending to be secular or by hordes of deracinated judicial officers who have zero understanding of tradition and of the concept of sacred, since the Commonwealth civil law that is applicable in our country is deeply rooted in Judeo-Christian traditions, and wrongly perceives the relation of the temple and the state to be same as the Church and the state. Such is the deracination...

In March of 2014, an incident had taken place in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, that had made a huge splash across newspapers. A bunch of Kashmiri Muslim students were 'suspended' and 'charged for sedition' because they deliberately cheered Pakistan's victory. They raised pro-Pakistan slogans and had deliberately provoked other students into a brawl. Much sympathy was splashed across the media by our eminent journalists on how students need to be counseled and such harsh measures were unnecessary. Cut to 2016, and we are witnessing a case beyond proportions. Only the scales have tilted. A bunch of Kashmiri students in Srinagar deliberately provoked non-Kashmiri students after a cricket match that India lost. The offended students decided to take a peaceful march out in response carrying the Indian tricolor. What has happened since is a matter of utmost concern. Kanhaiyya Kumar dominating headlines for the utter garbage that he keeps speaking, and the conspiracy of s...