AHAM BRAHMASMI

God is a man made hypothesis. With the growth of civilisations over many millennia, most of the unexplainable things were put in the ‘God’ box. None objected  when told, “that’s the way God wanted it”. Initially people saw God in thunder and lightning, then, in reptiles and animals and thereafter in fellow spiritual beings.  

 

Some smart people started introspecting life, the reason and purpose of it. Whatever they understood, they started explaining. They pointed out living as the response to one’s own activities and behaviour. The cause and effect theory, the life response theory, the action reaction theory etc. came to be explained. Those who did the explanations came to be viewed as prophets, seers and spiritual heads. And they taught how to become realised. As time went by centuries, some of these people got placed by the followers into God position. Those who followed such “Gods” came under the group of religion and communities. Postulations propagated by the so called “God” became the law (God’s saying) and followers accepted it without question. The faithfuls went on to blindly believe these postulations as the only truth and those  propagated by others as the ‘wrong ones’. The right and the wrong started getting seen from the prism of the religions that each was part of. 

 

The ‘Gods’ could not sit inactive (if so, what ‘God’?!) so those mighty, representing the God within the community (the priest, clergy, the kings & the rulers) went on taking his name for all sorts of self-made judgements & justifications and had them pronounced  as the Gods’ discretion. Fear, uncertainty, adversity and unknowns were used effectively by these ruthless middlemen to keep the people under control. Poor gullible, vulnerable but hopeful people! 

 

As the civilisations progressed, as the people numbers increased, resource mobilisation started (as homes came into being) and as people became urbanised, the self centered-ness increased and social behaviour such as love, compassion, empathy, helpfulness etc., diminished. 

 

But God went on becoming more active and more powerful through the middlemen leaders and they created the instances of hatred through their pronouncements of the  good and bad. The logic and reasons went to dogs, and selfishness, intolerance, nonacceptance prevailed and fatwas (in all religions) came to be pronounced. 

 

So where is God? 

 

He is in heavens (a place beyond the clouds). It is such a freaky place. Depending upon which faith is followed, the place have dancers, virgins, houris,  angels; all living in eternal bliss, drinking nectar, aided and monitored by the Chitragupt’s & St. Gabriel’s. It became an unseen but hopelessly  hopeful place for the men on earth. Earth came to be viewed as a transit point where one spends some time before reaching eternal abode of heaven ! 

 

However did anyone ever try to find the God while being here? The majority didn’t bother! While lots of people are waiting to reach the heavenly abode to be with God, a few tried to see the God here. As he contemplated the scriptures & philosophies, as he found the inference & insights, as he observed behaviours & actions of others, as he saw the life responses happening to his fellow being;  he understood  the action-reaction and the cause-effect. This realisation gave him peace. And he searched further.....

 

And as he started managing himself, it slowly dawned on to him that his God is within him. It resides inside him and makes him behave with love, compassion, empathy, positivity, altruism, helpfulness and happiness. All these feelings, he realised as nothing but the manifestations of the God within. The more he behaved in this manner, the more Godly he became. His thoughts went into higher planes, he became calm, contented and happy. In his fellow beings he saw God and his respect for them went up manifold and in their collective welfare he rejoiced. And, as he realised the meaning of his existence, he said, “Aham Brahmasmi” and he called out to his fellow beings; “tattvamassi” 

THE CHEMISTRY NOBEL PRIZE - 2020

 The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 was awarded jointly to Emmanuelle Charpentier (Institut Pasteur, Paris) and Jennifer A. Doudna (Univ. of California, Berkeley) "for the development of a method for genome editing."

They have discovered one of gene technology’s sharpest tools: the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors. Using these, researchers can change the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms with high precision. This technology will have revolutionary impact on the life sciences, particularly in cancer therapy and of curing inherited diseases.

While the award is for chemistry, it could be viewed from multiple disciplines of science; biology, physics (genetic engineering) & chemistry as there is quiet a bit of overlap of multiple science streams in this discovery 

While Nobel price was bestowed with a positive intent  on the possibility of curing diseases and bringing out disease free humans), definitely there is a negative side, the misuse of this technology, something that the world started worrying from the time Watson and Crick discovered the human genetic code. 

Lastly the Nobel prize recognition is a sweet revenge for Charpentier & Doudna, though they did the discovery, the patent of this genetic technology is held by someone else and that we call the ‘game of science’

WHY ‘QUAD’ IS IMPORTANT TO INDIA

QUAD started in 2007 as a security dialogue between 4 nations; US, Australia, Japan & India. Its focus was on South China seas, where Indian Ocean meets the Pacific Ocean, the waters where China always showed its aggression. The QUAD initiative was the brainchild of the them Japanese Prime Minister, to be a counter to the Chinese aggression. Due to geopolitics, this initiative went dormant by very next year. 

Post cold-war era, unbeknown to many, China was building up as a global super power (including military). 25 years later, with autocratic Xi Jinping at the top, its aggressive expansionist capabilities have come out in open. 

Having seen, what was feared had happened, the dialogue got rejuvenated in 2018 & it again became an active endeavour between the 4 nations to protect the nations (and ally’s) on the brim of South China Seas, 

Later to 2015, India tried to cosy up to China and its top leaders have had many public shows of the the ‘second honeymoon’ (first was between Nehru & Zouh Enlai in 1950s) but all that had ended now with the fiasco at Galwan, Ladakh.

An active QUAD is a strong deterrent to Chinese expansionist ambitions. The oceans had always been a focal point, both in peace & war; and jointly balancing them, can take care of any aggression. 

It is time, India went into QUAD in full hog.

THE FARMER’S BILL

Lot had been written about it now. And agitations abound, across the nation. If it was a simple matter to oppose, the noises would have died down by now. But, why is the fight spreading and why the highest of courts is approached against its implementation? 

Touted as the mother of all reforms in agriculture, it is supposed to be LPG of agricultural economy. Funnily this is exactly what both the BJP and the Congress promised in its election manifesto, in 2019. So why should it be viewed so negatively by Indian farmers, and that forced Akali Dal to come out of the ruling NDA alliance?

First, of course, is the resistance to change. And the fear, uncertainties and doubts about the bill’s proper implementation. The well rooted APMC system in the big agriculture states like Punjab, Haryana, UP and MP Is made redundant now with the bills. These states, who used to collect mandi taxes to the tune of 3-5000 crores per annum that enabled them to give free electricity and water to the farmers, are losing it (and if that happens, there would start another huge agitation). And above all, agriculture is considered as a concurrent subject in our constitution, of the federal structure of the country, is now taken over by the centre! So, there is politics in it too. 

Middlemen, mandi & state aside, farmers truly worry that the centre is taking away the minimum selling price protection and feel that a liberated market for agricultural produces will be taken over by the corporates who will push down the prices, bringing financial troubles to farmers.

There are exponents speaking in favour of both sides. So, it is very difficult to arrive at what will happen post its implementation. But if demonetisation of currency by the government is any indication, then there is some reason behind the  farmers worrying.  

DEAD HATHRAS GIRL SPEAKS

Is born dalit my sin? 

It is my parents who willed

I dreamt to be rich 

And a life, having no end !

No poverty, I asked for 

I wanted a good life 

Folks said, ‘go cut the grass’,

Feeding cattle, for us to live

Four men attacked me at work

Bullies, men of upper cast 

Wanting fun and sex at my cost

Chastity, dignity and life, I lost

None bothered, my story gave 

High TV channel rating

All the noise will die down 

Fearing the power’s onslaught 

I know fully well now, the

Country seeks no daughters,

Yes, no dirty dalits too!

Both dispensable, easily, anytime! 

Dead I am now, killed

By men’s brute powers 

And burnt alone by night

Why do I get treated thus?

HUMAN IMMUNITY MECHANISM

Immunity is our body’s ability to fight the virus and bacteria that are harmful to it. It comes in two ways; inborn and adaptive.

Inborn immunity is the innate ability of the body to quickly jump at protecting it against the intruder. It is a set of ever ready and ever vigilant cells that attack  the intruding pathogen instantly, to kill it, mostly succeeding but failing at times as the intruder may come in large numbers and its intensity, much higher. 

Adaptive immunity is what the body acquires as it goes through the infection. Adaptive immunity comes from two types of white blood cells; T & B.

T cells detect the molecular details of the pathogen and based on it, produce a targeted response on the intruder to kill it. T cells also manage and control the early attack by inborn immunity which is called ‘cytokine storm’. Excessive response of the cytokine storm can destroy the lung tissues, thereby creating acute respiratory distress, leading to short supply of oxygen to internal organs, resulting in multiple organ failure and possibly death. 

B cells produce the antibody, a protein that sticks on viral particle, binding it and  blocking it from entering our cells, thus, stopping the infection on its track. 

Antibody in the blood peaks during infection and wanes, as the infection recedes. However, a waning antibody doesn’t mean that our immunity is low and we are susceptible to infection. T & B cells retain the memory of the infection and the the memory cells continue to stay in blood. If another infection starts on the body, memory cells charge up to produce a new bunch of antibodies to fight it

What a fantastic defence mechanism our body has!

SCIENCE, SEX & SEDITION [Revisiting the ISRO spy scandal of 1994 - an individual understanding]

 This reading could give some reasonable clarity on:

 1.     What actually caused the ISRO Spy Scandal in 1994?

2.     How people are sacrificed to protect the deep State secrets?

3.     Why Kerala Press and media was/is not objective in its reporting?

4.     How could a serious but unconnected case make strange political connotations?

5.     How arrogance bring about one’s downfall?

 

Due to limited global sanctions against India on account of its un-allowed indulgence in Atomic energy sector, the country faced many difficulties during 1970s and beyond. Thus, Indian space and atomic energy institutions and establishments weren’t allowed to procure or avail high-end technology gadgets & knowhow from outside, making it the reason for India making its own super computer and reaching self-reliance in harnessing the space and atomic energy technologies

As a part of it, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was denied the know-how of cryogenic engine technology, an integral part of India’s advanced GSLV project, which otherwise would have come from Russia, that stood as a stumbling block to the progress of nation’s space research programs. 

To overcome this, with the blessing and permission from the powers that be, Indian scientists used some clandestine methods to gain access to this technology from Russia, of course, with the Russian establishment closing its eyes. The act was to bring some of the second rung space scientists from Russia and work with them at Trivandrum labs of ISRO (with VSSC, LPSC and other bull-work of the space research happening in Trivandrum). Nambi Narayanan, being the leader of the research project at ISRO, was entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the scientists here at TVM that included their work, stay, food, entertainment & Vodka (remember, they were Russians !). He was allocated unaccounted funds for that. The scientists were staying in Trivandrum as tourists. 

Nambi Narayanan (NN) was one of the reckoned top scientists in ISRO at that time, the face of the cryogenic technology and the blue eyed boy of the bosses. Naturally, things had gone into his head and many times he was showing this off, making more enemies than friends within, something that had resulted in him getting ostracised from fraternity, after his downfall. 

Naturally, these Russian scientists were here on clandestine mission for helping India acquire the cryogenic engine technology. Staying in guest houses and hotels, they were getting deprived of the physiological necessity of sex. Hearing it, and in order to keep their spirits high, NN decided on to organise this service for them in Trivandrum. 

During those days (80s & 90s), Trivandrum had been the Switzerland for Maldivians, having direct flight connection. Most of their health issues were resolved in Trivandrum hospitals like Cosmopolitan, GG, SUT etc. Some of the impoverished but smart ladies from Maldives also came in and utilised the opportunity to make money by providing sex to locals and the tourists coming to TVM. Mariam Rasheeda (MR) was one such person and her ‘handler’ was Fouziya Hassan, another middle aged Maldivian women. MR  by then had acquired  star reputation as one who provide more bang for the buck, and a very co-operative professional in the trade. 

MR, based on the invitation from NN’s connect, started giving the required services to the Russian ‘tourists’, on high periodicity, and she was very talented. She knew she was servicing some real VVIPs of the State, under the knowledge of Police & top officials. 

It is only genuine to surmise that the then Kerala Chief Minister, K Karunakaran and some key Police officials had known the story, at least vaguely, and the reason for the Russians staying in Trivandrum. 

All was going well but an incident brought the plot into the open. MR went to the office of the Special branch Police to get her Visa extended. As she had established good traction with the powers in police by then, (it wasn’t the first time that she was extending her Visa) she behaved little arrogantly with Mr. Vijayan, the police officer there. Vijayan could not appreciate her arrogance and he not only didn’t give her the extension but went on to check her antecedents and things started falling into the open, in bits and pieces. 

The powers be of the deep State, who knew the actual truth, kept quiet and acted as if they knew nothing. Most important aspect was that under no circumstances the country wanted the truth to come out, because it would have created such furore across the globe, and against an existing limited global sanction, the country’s clandestine act with Russian scientist would have put it into extremely bad situation as an offender/defaulter leading to international embarrassment and higher sanctions, such as economic blockade etc.  While the truth was hidden, The Russians ’tourists’ were quickly picked up and packed off to their country. Typical case as how the deep State would act to protect its official secrets.

Unbeknown, the local police went ahead with the interrogation of MR and she spilled whatever she knew. The police registered a prostitution case with connection to senior ISRO scientists and concocted a spy story with NN and his deputy, Sasikumaran trying to sell space technology to the foreigners, luring the clients with sex from international escorts, and by taking help of some ISRO contractors. The story got leaked (?) to the press & media, and without doing any proper fact check, the media connected the itsy-bitsy pieces and came out with an international spy scandal of science, sex & sedition. It wouldn’t be an overstatement that Kerala press & media, in it’s over enthusiasm, was instrumental in complicating the story, particularly with the sex content it (as we see later in Saritha, Swapna cases etc.) See how a small sexual gratification case has become that of sedition and treason, and the role of press & media in inflating ordinary story to a larger context. 

With MR already in, in Novemeber 1994, the police arrested NN, Sasikumaran, Fouzziya Hassan & two businessmen from Bangalore; M/s. Chandrasekharan & Sharma [ISRO head office being in Bangalore, these two were engaged in supply of materials to ISRO and based on request from scientists from ISRO, they did some favours to Fouzziya Hassan in getting admission for her daughters to some premium schools in Bangalore]. They had undergone heavy physical torture at the hands of police during the interrogation (which included the local office of a  central agency, the Intelligence Bureau -IB- too). It is learnt later that the torture was such a third degree one, in order to save the life, they all signed the confession

Using the spy scandal story, some disgruntled senior members within the ruling Congress party (which always suffered from inner party politics) led by AK Antony, Oommen Chandy et al; who were looking for an opportunity to get even with Chief Minister Karunakaran, found a political opportunity to displace the chief minister, whom they hated. By somehow connecting him into the sedition scandal and with the help of media, using such imaginative, titillating stories, they succeeded in getting him to resign. They also tried to implicate IG of Police, Raman Shrivastava who was very close to Karunakaran, in the case.  All the while, notice that the deep state had been indifferent to the innocence of people.

AK Antony, the receiver of the political windfall, came in as CM in place of Karunakaran, appointed Siby Mathews IPS as the Head of Special Investigations team of the ISRO Spy case. Mathews in collaboration with the IB local head, went on the rampage with the vengeance of a man possessed (a curious case of someone more loyal to the nation than the king himself!), to implicate everyone but without solid evidence. Due to public and opposition party pressure, by the end of the year, the state police handed over the case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) who did not find any evidence in the case and the court set the defendants free. This also is a typical example of an unconnected case acquiring political dimensions, thereby destroying the political career of a strong leader of the state. In politics, you wouldn’t know where the hit comes from!

The Communist party chief Minister, Nayanar who came into power later, reopened the case with another police team. NN approached the high court which rejected his appeal, upon which he moved the Supreme Court. In 1998, the CBI submitted a secret report to Supreme Court along with the final report of the case. The confidential report purportedly listed the investigative flaws committed by the investigating officers, the then Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Siby Mathews, and Superintendents of Police K. K. Joshua and S. Vijayan. In 1998, the SC struck down the HC judgement and ordered a compensation of ₹1 lakh to all the accused

Thereafter, NN went on to file for compensation for the agonies suffered by him and he approached High court & Supreme Court as well as the Human Rights commission. From all places, high amounts of compensation orders were issued in his favour. He is still fighting a criminal case against the erring police officials requesting the Court to take punitive action against them.

Lastly, arrogance had played a key role in the negative development of the case. The first is that of Nambi Narayanan, while he was getting tortured and getting stamped as a traitor, losing his job and all the benefits associated with it & family undergoing extreme difficulties; no one from the ISRO or even his colleagues, came forward to help him. It could be said that no one wanted to be involved in this case of sedition, so they kept off. But it must also be noted that his highhanded arrogance also played a role in people not feeling like helping him. 

And for Mariam Rasheeda, had she kept her cool when she came to renew her visa, by not showing off in front of the Police officer, no one would have heard the case at all. This again is another example of arrogance bringing the downfall

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