Democracy is THE Freedom to USE one's Brains!

This ‘piece’ is dedicated to Gen Y and for  Gen Z, both for whom I am happy dedicating some of my TIME today)

My dear 'Many Playful  Brothers' and 'Many Matured' Sisters,(Read Younger to me, some exceptions either sides, I LOVE them All – As "Life is a Package" isn't it?)

Read and enjoy  the ’The Hindu’ column -  Conversations with the Self - Click the following link:

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2010/09/13/stories/2010091351040300.htm (OR) http://www.ttsrinath.com/articles/Self/Conversation%20with%20the%20self.pdf

Re-read and 'Munch' the INFERENCES, AND then 'inhale' the learning RIGHT NOW, this magnificent 'nugget-of-wisdom' given to us by Shri.Dr.T.T.Srinath(TTS), an ‘institution’ by himself today. Comes across as a 'savvy-sage', a ‘doyen’, a rare 'gem', we HAVE amidst us -  WHO, in an 'Outstanding career'  wearing many ‘hats’ - Has ‘shared and  cared’ for many 'humans' - From CEO's to his car-driver and his family as well! Drink from the 'Ocean of Gyana' @   http://www.ttsrinath.com/articles.htm if YOU WANT, especially the one's on Self-Management, Organisation and  Entrepreneurship should you further WANT to quench your thirst of SEEKING ‘knowledge’ from PURE sources!

Let me share four ‘real-life’ SITUATIONs NOW, where people have USED / MISUSED Democracy! Read on…

1^st Situation

The Scene: IPKF in Srilanka, Late 1980’s – TRUTH narrated by my ESSAR colleague Capt. Banerjee(Ban) who served as an Army Captain, fighting the LTTE. Well, the ‘real’ story is, when his soldiers captured a house, where, supposedly, the family of local LTTE head was staying. His friends(YOU MAY LIKE to call them ANIMAL-like later!) in IPKF were “eyeing lecherously” and “lusting" for the beautiful fiancée of the said LTTE leader, in the house. My friends in Srilanka had also earlier shared atrocitites commmitted by IPKF to the Tamil women in Srilanka when all they were supposed to do was peace-keeping! I FELT few perverted souls having tarnished our glorious armed forces. Folks, here goes the climax. Take a DEEP BREATH…! After some days, during a bitter fight, my wonderful friend Capt. Ban was SAVED from a “gory” DEATH by the same LTTE leader - As a favour of Capt Ban. being very stern to his men NOT to touch any women-folk! There were ‘landmines’ all over them and our friend was saved, his friends too were, thanks to Capt. Ban’s value systems and using his creative brain that instance! Shall we salute Capt. Banerjee NOW, wherever he is NOW. AM doing. RIGHT NOW. I haven’t met him after 1997.

2^nd   SITUATION

 I wasn’t inclined in LEFT brain activities, I suppose. Always wanting to ‘Take the road less travelled’ The Destination was only sometimes sweet. The journey was beautiful, though, all the time! Can you do yourselves a favour  or after some time?- All of Gen Y and Gen Z MUST Watch the Tamil movie “Maaathi Yosi” – with friends. Available on the InterNET. ‘Google’ through!. I want to watch with you ALL in any class of theatre! – Lot of LIFE lessons!)

For our Final Year Engineering project work, ‘we took the road less travelled’. Being a production Engineer - Instead of doing the normal machine shop related Final Year Project, our TEAM did something NEW, in those early ‘computer’ times in 1988. We developed an inventory software in C/Dbase and applied in a REAL LIFE situation with REAL data from a Textile mill in Madurai. During the ‘Viva-Voce’, one of the highly “Left Brain” dominated “EQUATIONS” professor stopped us during mid-way (I haven’t entered the scene, then) and remarked “This is NOT what is required of a Production Engineer – You may REDO”!!! TRUST me, one of my studious mate almost “pissed in his pant(s)” and he was always in the top 5 in the class. The other ‘class topper’ friend of mine, who developed the marvelous software looked at me to take over.

REST is history, folks – ‘Yours Truly’ gave a quick summary  and THEN gave a punching BLOW, producing the ORIGINAL letter from the Textile Mill ‘MD’, which acknowledged that THE Software developed by these Students of REC, Calicut would save Rs.20Lacs/annum! Big amount those times,isn't it? We not only convinced ‘A doubting Thomas-like’ Dr. Prof. .X, but stood first in College – in Project assessment! Many did do back-breaking and ‘beautiful masterpieces’ as well  - in machine shops. But we were awarded FIRST!  (However, I shudder to think if we had to REDO after one year!  Out of 5 guys in our project batch 3 would have gone NUTS, for sure!)

3^rd SITUATION

Recently a Church priest in the US,(US, they SAY, the “epitome” of EXTREME democracy and “epicenter” of ARROGANCE!), proclaimed that he’s going to organize burning ‘The Holy Quran’. Thank Almighty, President Obama intervened! Surely as  President Obama opined, there would be MORE joining the MOVEMENT against America had the priest DONE what he WANTED to do! Isn’t it? 

4^th Situation

Hope you all remember recently, HOW, one of the top Naxal leaders ‘Col.Azad’ was murdered by THE “police” after being escorted for peace talks!!! (With Swami Agnivesh as mediator!) Do you think, by this “double-cross” and “stabbing at the back” method and tactics, adopted by the current Indian Cong led Govt, would BRING PEACE? This may not be relevant for you and me, for NOW. And do remember folks, Naxalism is spreading-wider in India across over 10 states, spreading FAR and wider, in many forms and shapes, thanks to decades of “Exclusive Growth” being followed and practiced in this wonderful ‘Mother India’, EVEN NOW. 

INFERENCES, FEELINGS and SHARINGS about all ABOVE SITUATION(s):

Capt. Banerjee in the 1^st SITUATION, my awesome ‘project leader’ Shri. B.Viswanathan and ‘Yours Truly’ in the 2^nd ,President  Obama in the 3^rd, Agnivesh to an extent in the 4^th have ALL used their benevolent and creative RIGHT brain to FLOURISH - to come out of the SITUATION, with gains on all FRONTS.  They have also used their ‘Analytical’ LEFT brain, though, only to a lesser extent! Capt. Ban COULD have allowed those animals and himself also to “prey”(Sic) on Thamizh women in Srilanka, I could have shouted at the professor or could have kept quiet like other mates of mine,  President Obama could have kept quiet (Token of acceptance!) and Swami Agnivesh would not have taken the risk, for human good! Am not sure if he would or other ‘Spiritual Statesman’ or ‘Living learned Sages’ would EVER mediate with the Naxals on behalf of the Govt? Who are the losers? You and ME. Of course. HOW? Will blog Later. Some may take the ’juice(s)’ in this blog and may not even read that one.

On the contrary, Dear, People like Capt. Ban’s army of “SOME Animals in Humans” – (Read SOME soldiers in IPKF) in the 1^st Situation, that professor who nearly KILLED all of us ‘mentally’ with his “ONLY Analytical reasoning”, devoid of any creativity in the 2^nd, the Church priest in the 3^rd , the Indian Govt and the Police force responsible for “murdering” of Col. Azad in the 4^th have ALL misused democracy. THEY NEVER used NOR were taught to use their CREATIVE and benevolent  RIGHT brains, I suppose – As MANY of us still have the colonial hangover! “Folks, the BRITS left us for GOOD, 63 years back!”

  

“WHAT is Democracy”, THEN, Ravi?         

1.        Is it Freedom of Speech alone?
2.   Is it freedom to flaunt/hurt with our newly found wealth or wisdom in this ‘Kaliyug’? (which according to me  started after World War II)
3.   Is it the freedom to burden women-folk with many chores – from ‘Kitchen to Kaasu’ (Money)?
4.   Is it the FREEDOM to STOP anyone achieve their WANT through “ubiquitous rules”(Sic) and “archaic regulations”, arrogance or ignorance?
5.   Is it AVOIDING or IGNORING the ‘elderly’  and the ‘deserving’ NEEDY?
6.   Is it parents or elders pampering young children’s minds, thrusting upon them TO DO without understanding WHAT their wards WANT?
7.   Is it spending “mindlessly”- from ‘tech gizmos’ to tutorials?
8.   Is it  dis-respectfully, in arrogance or ignorance ALWAYS “disagreeing-agree” OR WORST plainly (without thinking) ‘agreeing-agree’?
9.   Last but not the least, Is it ONLY “Exclusive Growth” as we see in some parts of the world, including “shining” India (in parts though?)

 “Any thing more to ADD to the above LIST”, Ravi? I don’t know. One may fathom more.  SHARE them.

All I’m SHARING is  - READ and CHERISH the Topic and THE HEADLINE NOW.  ‘FEEL IT’, ‘DO IT’ and ‘LIVE IT’, if YOU WANT.

Before signing off, according to the learned, “Democracy is simply the Freedom to use one’s brains” - The CREATIVE Right brain in particular. Our “over-used” LEFT brains need to be ‘Quietened’ and THE ‘benevolent’ and ‘Creative’ RIGHT brain activated fullest. May I further add that “Democracy is all but ‘Inclusive Growth’ and that it allows people to gently ‘agree-disagree’ most of the time or sometime OR  sometimes ‘agree-agree’ on SOME or MANY things. NEVER ‘disagreeing-agree’ on ANYTHING.

Cheers to ALL who read AND SHARE this ‘piece’ with anyone relevant. NOW, Ravi is performing a ‘WAKA WAKA’, with ALL of YOU, ‘wonderful’ Gen Y and Gen Z. Love YOU ALL. Un-conditionally.  As YOU are. And, if am destined, ALL of us together will do a ‘WAKA WAKA’ one-day, technology helping us to do from wherever we are!!!

Note: Ravi is enjoying his democracy, and hence grateful to Almighty to be born in ‘Mother India’, this birth. In the Next one, also Don’t wish to be born anywhere - May be in BHUTAN, where they talk and ‘trying-to-walk-the-talk’ - Of ‘Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH) and NOT ‘Gross Domestic Product’(GDP), we all have mastered! More on that later…

A wonderful and HAPPY weekend to all you ‘wonderful’ SOULS. Like the I ones, I am fortunate to ‘witness’ last week, during the 4-day programme, at Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai

Anbudan (With Unconditional Love)

Ravichander Venkatraman