About Me

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Cochin, Kerala, India
For all i am either the sweetest lady or the nastiest creature,depending on how i have been to them.But to the one or two who read me best, i am a weirdo.For Shalu i definitely am one,for my mother too.Nobu loves his sister dearly,yet finds her unbearable.Siddharth "thought i was intelligent",but he dons the chameleon gown now.And there is someone who simply refuses to understand me. I think i am normal, as all insanes plead...Quite a private person,I never pry ,as a rule and expect the same in return. I believe that the world would be a better place if humans had the habit of reading sane ideas, spoke less - did more, lied less - smiled more, nagged less - thought more.. It wud be still better if people respected nature, saw her power and unyielding fury,and realised that her sweetness is terrifying. Well, thats not about me, but thats what i feel!!! Back to few more points on me: i love animals.And have 3 fourlegged kids. On an unofficial basis, there are a few felines and crows too. I am passionate about my country and her culture and whole heartedly hate every maurauding element. I believe that truth will ultimately triumph, no matter how difficult and bleak the path is!

2010/01/22

Bharatiyas or Indians ?

Are we still slaves of Western culture?
I think so!
We see medical shops galore with sign boards crying out: English Medicines. I have always wondered what they are in reality! Everyone follows the bandwagon chanting  “ingaleesh” medicine.
Wondering if  we have ' French Medicines' and 'Russian Medicines' and 'German Medicines' in that case? Why are they not prescribed??
Why don’t we ever,at the least once, realize that even as the British gets credit for introducing allopathic system of treatment in India ,we certainly don’t have to tag them with the British for an appellation.
And then we refer to our own Ayurvedic system as Indian Methods!! Why just Indian?? Why dont we, at the least , one single soul , say Universal Method of treatment???
I can discern the pride we have when we refer to Ayurveda as our possession, but isn’t the treatment universal?? Just as Sanatana Dharma is universal Dharma,isn't everything that comes with it universal too???

Shankaran next door is looked down on if he owns a toddy shop, but becomes “Sir” if he enters the corporate world.There is a metamorphosis to Shankar and worse still, to a ridiculous 'Shanky'.(I personally know of a Raghunath who changed to pure 'Rags').I myself was,for sometime 'Vinzy' and 'Winey', before it degenerated into something totally preposterous.

Yuck!
How? Why?? Is a seat in a glass cabin chilled artificially by the air conditioner the parameter for Knighthood?? Since when did Knighthood become an esteemed sign of recognition for Indians, who should take greater pride in being known as Bharatiyas, rather than identify themselves with an expression designated to us ungracefully by the European imperialists.I would love to be refered to as Kumari.The term 'Madam' seems a misfit.

Why do we lap up with eternal pride the insensibly crafted educational syllabus that sings of Mahakavi Kalidasa as ' Indian Shakespeare' and Mahasamrat Samudra Gupta as 'Indian Napolean'.
In my personal opinion, we need not, forever, eternally chant Max Muller's terms. We can, for sure, since we have the freedom to do so, with all mighty right refer to Shakespeare as 'Britain's Kalidasa' and Napolean,'France's SamudraGupta'.

I will, I thought. But am I doing justice to my own culture, in that case?  
No!! I decided against it.


Do we need comparisons for a prop to sing out the glory and grandeur of our divine  culture? We certainly do not need Pythagorus and Hippocrates to affirm what Aryabhatta and Charaka blessed  us with. And we certainly do not bother, not even in the minutest possible measurement , if Narendra Modi is  denied entry into American soil.
It takes time to recognize greatness - true greatness without being scared by the Western endorsement stamp.




6 comments:

  1. Like it alot, can specially feel the power in your words, really strong and convincing. Unline your previous post this one is different, you have tried expressing your views with innner passion and practicality. Going earthy is way to go gal.

    After reading this you have inspired me to reason over " Adaptation of Life " ...
    keep it up!!

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  2. This post made me think a lot. Each and every sentence made me realize so many things. I never thought of why we call "English Medicines", "Indian Shakespeare" and the other examples that you have mentioned. Now I think and feel pity about us which includes me, you and everyone.

    This looks very different from your usual style. Here I feel the power of idea and feelings you tried to express than the power of language used. I am sure that anyone who reads this will think and defenitely realize the truth, the fact.

    Great start..Let this be the spark for a new revolution or the change that we still have not acquired since 1947.

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  3. HaHa well written post 'Vinzy' aka "Winy" . Bharathamennu kettal abhimanapoorithamakanam antharankam. Nice work. Jai Hind

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  4. In your earlier post, you captivated the readers with a nice feel of a cool beautiful thunderstorm. One of your friends even commented that until she read your poem, she never knew that thunder storms were so beautiful. Same with all the readers for sure.

    But the very same friend of yours after reading this post would surely get a feel that you are a 'Thunder Storm'yourself.....by all means...

    Great Work.........Keep blowing....with all vigor and beauty.

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  5. wow vini .... talk abt passion ..... was waitng for ur next blog ........ and this ...... never lose this genuine passion u have for things that yu truly believe in ........ keep it coming ......

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  6. You have some powerful points there.
    I liked the instances you point out.

    Indian Shakespeare is definitely a three pronged insult. To Mahakavi Kalidasa, to the greatness of Indian literature and then to Shakespeare himself!

    I think the deeper problem is that care is not taken when certain phrases are used. Medicine is medicine. Combining that with a pseudo qualification of being English creates an anomaly. Words have amazing power and start influencing our attitudes and behavior much before we realize it.

    We could cultivate a certain skill to cut these words and analyze their contents to find out if they are "word viruses" performing slight unauthorized behavior modifications on us!

    :)

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