“Indifference is a great sin than hatred”… so said the humanitarian advocate for the poor and helpless, Mother Theresa, who if alive would have celebrated her 97th birthday on Sunday 26th August. A day earlier Goanet – a debating group of the Goan Diaspora completed 13 years. Surely, the weekend that went by had two dates in history which underline the need to connect and communicate – a message of great urgency in an increasingly polarised and intolerant world.
Wikipedia defines debating as a formal method of interactive and position representational argument. In online debating on websites like Goanet, the exchanges travel the entire range from being researched to opinionated, angry to comforting, personalised to ganging-up, hurt to hope, old wounds to new dreams. The churning, created by the exchange of well thought out points and counterpoints, helps facilitate a broader understanding of an issue, situation or even an attitude.
There are so many dimensions to any issue. And more often than not, we stand positioned in a stationary manner and hence see a singular dimension. However when we share our opinion, somebody else can confirm or dispute our prejudice by sharing another dimension. Besides there is opportunity to shift one’s own position and perspective… and thus develop new dimensions.
It requires courage to allow people to differ on matters that are divisive, but initiates like Goanet have had moderators who have displayed the abilities and the attitude required in a thankless job. And to their credit, they have allowed the worst critics to have their say. Critics of the online debates point out that a lot of hate and anger gets thrown up as old prejudices indulge in name calling and abuse. But like Mother Theresa said “indifference” is an attitude we need to overcome to reach the hurdles of hatred which can be scaled by the approach of love and understanding.
A debate starts with differences but it can eventually move to becoming a discussion that explores the varied dimensions of the topic. The journey from conflict to consensus needs communication, not attitudes of indifference. We only, must ensure that we are not disagreeable when we disagree because the intent of every debate should be to “express” rather than “impress”…
Shed the indifference by sharing perspectives in the debate
“Develop new dimensions” to overcome prejudices of hate…
Regards
Pravin
Monday, August 27, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
THE FOURTH DIMENSION
My father, K. N. Sabnis would have been 90 years old today, if he were alive. Although a simple man with practically no riches, the generosity of his helping hand has ensured a legacy of goodwill for all of us. Over the past 13 years, since his demise, I learnt more about his behavioural traits from the various people he had connected to.
One such person is a college principle and a well reputed educationist. He told me about an incident when he took part in programs of All India Radio. My father was a program executive there. One day, while sharing ‘chai’, my father casually asked him about his family. Upon realising that he was the eldest child in a struggling family, my father advised him to skip the radio programs and instead concentrate on his studies and career. He said, “First afford, then indulge… family first, flair later… life first, lifestyle later.” The man followed his advice and did very well for himself.
It was the same with my brother who possessed exceptional playing skills as a cricketer. My father, though a cricketer himself, insisted that my brother concentrate on his earning career. My brother did exceptionally well for himself compared to his other equally talented playmates who tell him, “you, did the right thing at that time...” My father would say that the greatest gift that we can give some one (and ourselves, too) is not money or presents... it is the gift of time.
Time is considered to be the fourth dimension. We must develop this dimension, first by understanding its value and consequence and then by looking at the larger picture. When we complain about lack of time, more often than not, it is just a case of getting tangled in unnecessary or non-priority tasks… the first priority is family, the next is career and then comes community, which is actually the larger family …
A famous analogy compared the time of life to the passing of sand through an hourglass. The sand at the top is associated with the future, and, one tiny grain at a time, the future flows through the present into the past (the sand pile at the bottom of hourglass). The past is ever expanding, the future is ever decreasing… but the future grains become amassed into the past through the present…
Between the ‘urgent’ and the ‘important’, time is all about prioritising
‘develop new dimensions’… the future needs planned connecting…
One such person is a college principle and a well reputed educationist. He told me about an incident when he took part in programs of All India Radio. My father was a program executive there. One day, while sharing ‘chai’, my father casually asked him about his family. Upon realising that he was the eldest child in a struggling family, my father advised him to skip the radio programs and instead concentrate on his studies and career. He said, “First afford, then indulge… family first, flair later… life first, lifestyle later.” The man followed his advice and did very well for himself.
It was the same with my brother who possessed exceptional playing skills as a cricketer. My father, though a cricketer himself, insisted that my brother concentrate on his earning career. My brother did exceptionally well for himself compared to his other equally talented playmates who tell him, “you, did the right thing at that time...” My father would say that the greatest gift that we can give some one (and ourselves, too) is not money or presents... it is the gift of time.
Time is considered to be the fourth dimension. We must develop this dimension, first by understanding its value and consequence and then by looking at the larger picture. When we complain about lack of time, more often than not, it is just a case of getting tangled in unnecessary or non-priority tasks… the first priority is family, the next is career and then comes community, which is actually the larger family …
A famous analogy compared the time of life to the passing of sand through an hourglass. The sand at the top is associated with the future, and, one tiny grain at a time, the future flows through the present into the past (the sand pile at the bottom of hourglass). The past is ever expanding, the future is ever decreasing… but the future grains become amassed into the past through the present…
Between the ‘urgent’ and the ‘important’, time is all about prioritising
‘develop new dimensions’… the future needs planned connecting…
Monday, August 13, 2007
CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE
The flag flying full mast on Independence Day, to the full-throated singing of our national anthem, ensures the further reinforcement the concept of freedom as an externalized concept. Eloquent speeches induce elevating thoughts in puffed up chests full of hollow cheer. It is emphasized that we are “free” today due to those valiant martyrs who laid their lives so that our nation could live. But, is that all what “freedom” is all about?
Being “free” is a personal prerogative. It is imperative that for the sake of freedom – and hence, not only, in body and mind, but more importantly, in behaviour, we must clarify our attitudes towards our nation. We may insist that we are a patriotic lot, yet our patriotism is reflected more often in our emotions during cricket matches than in our day-to-day actions as law abiding citizens. We can easily rattle off the problems but fail to be part of the solutions. The strewn garbage and disorderly traffic are just two parameters to judging patriotism. Once somebody remarked that we treat our country as “our father’s property”… I intervened to disagree, “we treat it as somebody else’s father’s property!”
Once at an interaction with a former foreign services officer, nobody was asking him any questions, so I set the ball rolling by asking, “How do you project the image of India to the foreigners?” If I were asked the same question, I would have waxed eloquently about our great heritage, history, culture, etc. etc. But his answer was an eye-opener… He said, “We project India as the land of the white revolution (milk), green revolution (agriculture), telecom revolution….”
We depend on the dimension of a distant past to justify our pride in our nation… But if we connect to the real achievements that are going on, then we will feel genuine pride in connecting to the present dimension developed by Baba Amte, Anna Hazare, Nasima Hurzuk, Kiran Bedi, P Sainath and so many others. Further on we need to identify our role in scripting the future dimensions of India 2020 as articulated by Kalam.
May every Indian be a role model for others as a sincere citizen, as an enterprising entrepreneur, as a sensitive and responsive human being, and as a leader who leads by example. On every surface we walk… to every person we meet… in every situation we encounter… may we develop new dimensions in our role in nation building!
Love for our country should never be an occasional intention…
India will be best served when we “develop new dimensions”!
Regards
Pravin
Being “free” is a personal prerogative. It is imperative that for the sake of freedom – and hence, not only, in body and mind, but more importantly, in behaviour, we must clarify our attitudes towards our nation. We may insist that we are a patriotic lot, yet our patriotism is reflected more often in our emotions during cricket matches than in our day-to-day actions as law abiding citizens. We can easily rattle off the problems but fail to be part of the solutions. The strewn garbage and disorderly traffic are just two parameters to judging patriotism. Once somebody remarked that we treat our country as “our father’s property”… I intervened to disagree, “we treat it as somebody else’s father’s property!”
Once at an interaction with a former foreign services officer, nobody was asking him any questions, so I set the ball rolling by asking, “How do you project the image of India to the foreigners?” If I were asked the same question, I would have waxed eloquently about our great heritage, history, culture, etc. etc. But his answer was an eye-opener… He said, “We project India as the land of the white revolution (milk), green revolution (agriculture), telecom revolution….”
We depend on the dimension of a distant past to justify our pride in our nation… But if we connect to the real achievements that are going on, then we will feel genuine pride in connecting to the present dimension developed by Baba Amte, Anna Hazare, Nasima Hurzuk, Kiran Bedi, P Sainath and so many others. Further on we need to identify our role in scripting the future dimensions of India 2020 as articulated by Kalam.
May every Indian be a role model for others as a sincere citizen, as an enterprising entrepreneur, as a sensitive and responsive human being, and as a leader who leads by example. On every surface we walk… to every person we meet… in every situation we encounter… may we develop new dimensions in our role in nation building!
Love for our country should never be an occasional intention…
India will be best served when we “develop new dimensions”!
Regards
Pravin
Monday, August 6, 2007
COMRADE BUDDHA
In Zen, a Buddha (Sanskrit: awakened) is any being who has become fully enlightened. I always look forward to anyone who shares my interest in Zen stories and values. One such person was a Marxist, yet a student of philosophy. A person with depth of knowledge and yet possessed an open mind and attitude. He was my Comrade Buddha!
Narayan Desai was forty-seven years older to me. 15 years, when I first met him, he was nearly three times my age, but it never mattered. His memory was sharp as ever, his reading was immense. His exuberance towards “experiential wisdom” would put a teenager to shame. He was a freedom fighter, teacher, journalist, socialist, thinker and distinguished author. He was multi-lingual, multi-skilled and multi dimensional.
Narayan Desai was born in Pernem Goa on 16 December 1920. He completed Curso de Letras (Portuguese Literature and Philosophy) and started as a teacher at Margao. It was here that he got involved with the 'Kisan Sabha' along with socialists like George Vaz and Shamrao Madkaikar. He was actively involved in the freedom struggle for Goa .
Post liberation, he remained active with the Communist Party of India. He travelled to Russia , Germany , Cairo , Iran , Berlin and other countries as a speaker. However, it is a writer that he received greater applause. He wrote more than twenty books, all well acclaimed, including Biography of Lenin, Swami Vivekanand in 21st century, Me - a socialist, Buddha – my companion and others. He books are available in Marathi, Konkani, English, Gujarati, and Hindi. He also compiled a Spanish-to-Marathi Dictionary.
Narayan never gave up being a student. As Director of Thinkers' Academy, Mumbai, he devoted his entire life to research and writing. He kept him self abreast with the global happenings. He was one who could see the bird’s eye view of the situation as well as the ground reality. He de-emphasized theoretical knowledge in favor of direct individual experience of one's own true nature. He would say that ‘thinking and experiencing’ was the only to live. That’s the way he lived, till he died on 5 August 2007. Now he lives through his writings and in the thoughts and actions of the people he inspired.
The whole world is our space to ‘Develop new dimensions’,
Narayan Desai inspires us to acquire experiential wisdom…
Narayan Desai was forty-seven years older to me. 15 years, when I first met him, he was nearly three times my age, but it never mattered. His memory was sharp as ever, his reading was immense. His exuberance towards “experiential wisdom” would put a teenager to shame. He was a freedom fighter, teacher, journalist, socialist, thinker and distinguished author. He was multi-lingual, multi-skilled and multi dimensional.
Narayan Desai was born in Pernem Goa on 16 December 1920. He completed Curso de Letras (Portuguese Literature and Philosophy) and started as a teacher at Margao. It was here that he got involved with the 'Kisan Sabha' along with socialists like George Vaz and Shamrao Madkaikar. He was actively involved in the freedom struggle for Goa .
Post liberation, he remained active with the Communist Party of India. He travelled to Russia , Germany , Cairo , Iran , Berlin and other countries as a speaker. However, it is a writer that he received greater applause. He wrote more than twenty books, all well acclaimed, including Biography of Lenin, Swami Vivekanand in 21st century, Me - a socialist, Buddha – my companion and others. He books are available in Marathi, Konkani, English, Gujarati, and Hindi. He also compiled a Spanish-to-Marathi Dictionary.
Narayan never gave up being a student. As Director of Thinkers' Academy, Mumbai, he devoted his entire life to research and writing. He kept him self abreast with the global happenings. He was one who could see the bird’s eye view of the situation as well as the ground reality. He de-emphasized theoretical knowledge in favor of direct individual experience of one's own true nature. He would say that ‘thinking and experiencing’ was the only to live. That’s the way he lived, till he died on 5 August 2007. Now he lives through his writings and in the thoughts and actions of the people he inspired.
The whole world is our space to ‘Develop new dimensions’,
Narayan Desai inspires us to acquire experiential wisdom…
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