Oh god!!

My friend, a staunch atheist, once asked me if I pray. "Why?", I wanted to know, knowing fully well that an affirmation or negation to this innocent sounding question would inadvertently drag me into a full fledged argument. And for obvious reasons, I wanted to avoid it. But the friend persisted. Very cautiously I said that I may not be religious, but as a matter of upbringing, and also to drill some cultural sense into the kids, I do pray. Instinctively I knew that I had dug my own grave. So much for trying to sound intelligent!

"You know, when I was a kid", began the friend, "I believed that Santa Claus existed. But as I grew older I began doubting. And now of course I don't believe that he exists. So we can safely infer that when a child begins to doubt the existence of Santa Claus, he is maturing. But when a child questions the existence of god, why is it not considered maturity? Why is the child reprimanded for asking such questions and dismissed as being silly?". Fumbling for an answer, I said that maybe kids require belief in god to be moral, not knowing that this innocuous answer would spiral into something big. "Really? Oh come on now!" the friend continued, "I don't agree with you that kids need god to be moral. Morality can and does exist without god. I think that it is psychologically devastating for a child to grow with the belief that one needs to do good, not because it is good, but because god says so, or because god is watching or because god will punish. Now it is up to the parents to justify why something is good or bad. Parents, I believe, need god to escape this justification."

I did not know what hit me. Not the one to give up easily, I persisted that man requires god for solace and even if it is a primitive concept, god still has a very strong hold on mankind. The  sermon became louder now. "I am not concerned whether primitive man required god or not, but in this century, we do not require god for morality or any other explanation. Rationality is the only key. Primitive men, to an extent, had an excuse. We don't!" I was standing there dumbstruck, not knowing where to look. Words were finding it difficult to flow out of my mouth. In a bid to change the topic, I muttered, "its looking cloudy. Do you think its going to rain?" The friend shoots back, "God knows!!"

Ramdev Baba's Sat(thi)yagrah

Yesterday I got an SMS which read " 40 lacs people  have registered for Bhrashtachar mitao Satyagrah with Swami Ramdev Ji, so far. What about you?" It further mentions a toll free number on which you are supposed to give a missed call to support  the cause. Of course, it is quite fashionable to support a cause, whether you really care or not. (I still have not given a missed call. Old fashioned me!) And even more fashionable to start a cause! Looks like everybody is jumping into the Satyagrah bandwagon, after Anna Hazare's success. Its like a sudden enlightenment or I suspect (how mean I can be!) it is a trump card for getting more popular with the junta. And the poor common man! His hopes and aspirations rise, only to nosedive after the brouhaha ends. For the time being it looks like we are geared for change. But then its back to business after the uproar dies. Well.... what can poor you and me do? We are aam junta after all, who has forgotten how to vote!

Coming back to the SMS, my funny bone was tickled after reading it. Why? I could not quite understand how Ramdevji is going to tackle or lessen corruption by holding Satyagrah. Let me make a wild guess. Maybe, this andolan will prick the conscience of our netajis and they'll swear to come out clean; Or maybe they'll donate all the wealth they have fleeced from us, for the betterment of the nation; Or they'll give up their crooked ways and lead a spartan life; Or the corrupt person at the grass root level will give up this life of sin and become a yogi; I can rattle off a long list of guesses.

But then I was rudely shaken when my friend yells "shut your trap and give a missed call to that goddamn number. After all, this is a golden chance to do something for yourself".
"Yourself!", I muse.
"Yes, you know what? Participate in this Satyagrah of Medha Patkar......,"
"Ramdevji", I correct.
"Yeah, whatever," says the friend, carelessly, "click photos, take video and upload it in a social networking site. Just imagine! how popular we will get."
"But there'll be many like us", my ignorant voice blurts.
"Arre, just create a small controversy there, and the media will be after you for some sound bytes. Isn't it a good idea?", asks my intelligent friend.
Good idea or not, I don't know. But all this has given me a bad pain in my neck. So I'm off to the nearby mall to buy Ramdev Baba's DVD for tackling neck pain.

First time blogger with no excuses

Hello! I am a first time blogger and I am just learning the tricks of good blogging. I've been itching for some time, say around 100 years or so, to write, but not been able to. There are a list of excuses which I would love to share and also play the blame game. Sharing eases the burden off your shoulders and blaming makes you feel so good. But some sense that is still left in me (good or bad) prevented me from doing so. So here I am, writing, without unloading the weight i'm carrying, without complaining.... phew! Tough job, I must say. My alter ego is fuming! "Just one teeny-weeny nasty remark", says the devil. I chose to ignore. But for how long?

Well, psychologists say that it is a general tendency in humans to look out for some excuse. It keeps one sane, brain in perfect working condition (to come up with new excuses) and promotes the general well being! So, with all these benefits in the offing, I must be crazy! There is no dearth of excuses one come across each day. Late for a meeting? Stuck in a traffic jam... Lost a bet? Lady luck is angry... Cannot complete a work? Was busy with something else.... Cannot do something in life? Its my fate... can't fight fate, you know.......... Isn't it amazing how the human brain works up innumerable excuses, each one a shining example of original creativity? If only it is put to some other use, humanity would be doing a lot of constructive activity. "Well then", asks a friend, "why didn't you start writing blogs before?" "Well..." I say "I am so stuck with house work, kids, their exams, social obligations.....  blah! blah! and more blah! " The friend understands. But God knows why the devil is smiling!