Is it time now to invent a NEW God ?

Isn’t it time we invented a new religion? Of the major organised religions that exist today, the last was founded almost 1,500 years ago. Before that, a new religion emerged every 500–1,000 years; yet for many centuries now, no new major religion has emerged to capture the imagination of billions. Isn’t it strange? So don’t you think, readers, it’s time a new religion was invented, and along with it, a new God!

A casual argument with friends a year ago sparked my journey into reading the religious texts of the world’s major organised religions. My main reason for reading religious texts was not to imbibe their religious discourses, but to understand their key tenets and the need for multiple religions, most proclaiming to have their own God/s, guiding their specific groups of followers. Various religions, along with their unique Gods, came into existence at different periods of human history, originating across different geographies. Christianity and Islam, two of the three major Abrahamic religions & Buddhism have more precisely defined dates of origin than other religions such as Judaism and Hinduism. While Christianity emerged in the 1^st century AD after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, historians believe that Islam originated in the early 7^th century, founded by the Prophet Mohammad, more than 500 years after the advent of Christianity. Buddhism was founded around 2500 years ago. Judaism and Hinduism, on the other hand, are considered much older religions, dating back over 4000-5000 years.

As human beings evolved over the centuries, so did religions. Some of my key observations on reading various religious texts were as follows:

• Gods of earlier religions acted as local deities, guiding and leading members of particular tribes/communities. The subsequent gods started engaging with larger groups of humanity. Their followers started propagating and spreading their coverage through conversions, with some religious teachings being interpreted narrowly, such as that infidels were to be banished from existence.

• While all religions encourage a direct personal relationship with their God/s, identifying God in various forms, they broadly have the same key philosophy – encouraging Good and defeating Evil. However, over centuries, differences in interpretations of good and evil arose among follower groups, aligning with their personal goals and agendas. 

• Gods of some religions have been quite prescriptive, laying down detailed dos and don’ts of religious & social practices, expected to be strictly adhered to by their cohorts. While reading these religious texts, I initially wondered why God would go to such lengths to describe minute details. At times, it sounded more like a reading of an individual’s rights and obligations in Society, akin to a country’s constitution. Then I realised that, given the times and the context of the origins of religions, it was necessary to bring social order to the prevailing chaotic societies. Thus, religions were largely shaped by the needs of their time. Each religion arose in moments of social upheaval, offering order, meaning and identity, thus partly performing the functions of the modern State.

• While appreciating similar values & teachings of different religions, there exist major differences in some of their key tenets and belief systems, such as divine revelations, path to salvation, concept of re-birth, day of Judgement, monotheistic vs polytheistic, etc.

Multiple religions originating at different times played an important role in giving their followers an identity and purpose, as well as bringing order to their interactions with others. However, one of the major fallouts of the multiplicity of religions has been that they have divided people into various sectarian religious groups, each trying to prove its superiority over the others. This led to multiple religious wars and persecutions as witnessed across centuries. Events like the Crusades, Jewish persecutions, European wars of religion, Sunni-Shia & Hindu-Muslim conflicts, etc led to the killings of millions of people in the name of religion. The Gods gave us Order, but this also led to Destruction.

In the 21st century, many of the functions once fulfilled by religion are now being carried out by the State. Several issues dominant today, such as climate change, global inequality, identity fragmentation, unending wars, and artificial intelligence, were unimaginable to ancient prophets. Existing religions struggle to address these modern-day realities.

In an age of fractured divisions, what humanity truly requires is not a multiplicity of competing gods, but ONE unifying God — a symbol powerful enough to bind ALL humanity together, compelling all mankind to confront and conquer our shared crises as one.

What the world now requires is a religion of Humanity and a God of Compassion and Equality — one who binds humanity together, not divides it. A God who does not give static commandments, but dynamic principles that adapt to current societal challenges. A God who does not demand blind obedience but is willing to incorporate scientific logic and advancements. A God who unites Spirituality and Science, Earth and Cosmos, Human beings and Machines.

Some of the Core Values this new Religion must include:

• Empathy towards all Mankind
• Gender & Social Equality
• Service to Community
• Seeking rather than Following
• Promoting Ecological balance as a moral duty.

So, dear readers, don’t you feel it’s time a new God is now needed? Of course, it won’t be easy to invent a new God. It will be a huge risk. The existing religions will not easily accept a new God; they will use their entire might to denounce the new God. Every earlier religion, when created, brought with it innumerable risks and persecutions.

But then isn’t risk the essence of progress?

To invent a new God is not blasphemy; it is tradition….

Mukulism : A Point of View

The changing FACE of WAR

History will remember the recent war between India & Pakistan as a clash between Drones, Missiles & Air Defence Systems…

Yes, it can be called a “war” as the two countries’ armed forces clashed, though neither of their forces physically entered each other’s territories on land, water or air. The world witnessed a new form of warfare, supported by advanced technology and artificial intelligence (AI). An aerial war wherein both sides launched a barrage of drones and missiles at each other, without violating the International Border (IB) or fighter aircraft entering each other’s airspaces. This conflict witnessed the first drone and missiles battle between the two nuclear-armed nations.

In the early hours of May 07^th, the Indian air force in a precisely calibrated military campaign hit 9 terrorist locations, as part of Operation Sindoor, to avenge the murder of 26 innocent lives by the terrorists in Pahalgam. More than 100 terrorists, including some high-level targets, were eliminated during this aerial operation.

Just when the SCALP (air launched cruise missile having a range up to 550 km) were to be launched from Rafale fighter jets from within the Indian airspace, the Indian armed forces showed a remarkable display of strategic ingenuity by initiating an advanced deception campaign, launching 2 types of decoy drones to deceive the Pakistan Air Defence Systems (ADS):

• Banshee : Decoy drones used to mimic the radar signatures of fighter jets
• Lakshya : Indigenously developed, high-speed pilotless target aircraft to simulate fighters/cruise missiles

These decoy drones tricked the Pakistani radars, prompting their air defence system to engage and reveal their positions. The Pakistan armed forces activated their Surface to Air Missile systems, firing on these drones, believing them to be fighter jets. This started their false narrative of having shot down some of our Rafale jets, whereas in reality, they had downed the unarmed decoy drones. This operation highlights the strategic superiority of the Indian armed forces and their ability to integrate the unmanned drones into the broader air strategy, a critical factor for their success. Alongside SCALP, India also deployed HAMMER (air-to-ground munition with a range of 70 km, also known as a glide bomb) & HAROP (long-range unmanned loitering munition), key elements of its long-range precision strike arsenal.

In response to the above, even though the Indian strikes were solely to take punitive action against the terrorists, the Pakistan army launched Operation Banyan al-Maurus (a verse from Quran, meaning “Solid wall of lead”) against India. Starting the night of May 7^th, Pakistan resorted to various unmanned aerial weapons such as Drones and long-range missiles. Over the next two days, around 1000 drones were launched, including drones provided by Turkey (Asisguard Sognar). Apart from the swarm of drones, Pakistan also deployed missiles (Fatah II – ballistic missile having a range up to 400 km, Abdali – a short-range ballistic missile, Shaheen – a medium range ballistic missile, Chinese-made air-to-air PL-15E missile etc) targeting not only military installations but also multiple civilian areas, Hindu and Sikh religious sites, including the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Fortunately, due to the high battle preparedness and superior strategic planning of the Indian forces, none of the enemy drones and missiles reached their target or caused any major damage.

To counter the influx of multiple drones & missiles, India leaned on the Air Force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), a robust network linking long-range surveillance radars, signal intelligence nodes and ground-based air defence platforms for real-time threat assessment and response. Upon target designation via the IACCS, the multi-layered counter-drone and air defence system, comprising anti-aircraft guns and surface-to-air missiles, swung into action, including:

• L-70 :  40mm anti-aircraft guns used as a short-range defence system, originally developed by Bofors, subsequently indigenously upgraded  
• ZU-23 :Short-range air defence, a twin-barrel 23 mm anti-aircraft gun used to protect from close-range aerial attacks
• Pechora : A medium-range surface-to-air missile used to intercept low to medium altitude targets
•  Akashteer Missile System :An indigenously produced fully automated and integrated advanced Air Defence Control and Reporting system, Akashteer is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system capable of intercepting aerial threats at ranges of about 25 km. In the conflict, the Akash system proved to be the hero of air defence systems
• S-400 Sudarshan Chakra :A long-range surface-to-air missile system capable of engaging multiple aerial targets for distances up to 400 km. It provides a robust defence against aircraft, drones and missiles, both cruise & ballistic. S-400 is said to have intercepted the Shaheen missile launched by Pakistan

In a powerful counter-strike, India reportedly fired  15 BrahMos missiles (a long-range, over 450 km, supersonic cruise missile known for its high accuracy, capable of carrying a conventional warhead weighing up to 300 kg) on May 9-10, targeting key airbases in Pakistan.

The operation, carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF), targeted 11 of Pakistan’s major airbases, reportedly knocking out nearly 20% of their air force infrastructure. It delivered a significant blow to the country’s air defence network and military infrastructure, compelling the Pakistan army’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) to call up his Indian counterpart on May 10, requesting for an immediate ceasefire of hostilities, which was agreed upon.

The 100-hour conflict highlights the changing face of future wars; more wars are likely to be fought in the air rather than on land. It underscores the need for robust air defence systems and the effectiveness of precision-guided missiles. It also highlights the importance of advanced technology and AI in modern warfare to counter various aerial threats, including drones and missiles.

Strategic ingenuity and advanced warfare technology are key lessons for the world to take away from this conflict. Also, the objective of the war must be clear; wars must be won quickly and decisively with superior military capabilities.

Mukulism: A Point of View

DR Congo – A Well-Endowed Conflict Zone

Decades of conflicts in DR Congo over its rich natural resources have hindered development, leading to vast suffering for its population…

• The recent escalation of violence in eastern DRC has resulted in a serious humanitarian crisis.

• More than 100 people killed over the past 10 days. Another 1000 injured.

• Decades of internal clashes led to displacing 7 million people internally and forcing another 1 million to seek asylum beyond the country’s borders.

In my earlier article, I highlighted the genocide and deadly conflict currently ongoing in Sudan, which the world seems to overlook (for the article visit my blog mukulism.wordpress.com). In this article, I highlight another major humanitarian crisis brewing in Central Africa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of the most conflict-ridden regions in Africa. Here again, the international community doesn’t seem to pay much attention.

Recent reports indicate that the rebel group M23 has seized control of Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC. Home to more than two million people Goma plays an important role in the country’s economy and administration.

DRC – A well-endowed Conflict Zone

DRC, with a population of around 120 million (per capita gdp USD ~600), has a wealth of natural resources such as gold (some of the purest gold in the world), tin coltan etc, rare earth minerals essential in the manufacturing of modern technology such as mobile phones, drones and batteries for EVs. The wealth under DRC is still estimated to be USD 24 trillion awaiting extraction. Over the years, exploitation of these resources has led to extreme bloodshed as local rebels, regional armed groups and foreign actors fight for control. Most of the gold from DRC is smuggled illegally across the country’s border and sold mainly across internationally making the source of its origin difficult to trace.

The country’s resource richness has been its greatest curse, exploited earlier by its colonial masters – Germany & Belgium, and subsequently by various vested groups.  The resource-rich eastern region of DRC is home to over 100 armed groups fighting for power, ethnic dominance and control over mineral wealth. This led to major destabilization, with the majority of its population mired in poverty; 60% living below the poverty line. According to a UN report, decades of clashes between the Congolese armed forces and various non-state armed groups have caused unprecedented levels of humanitarian crises displacing 7 million people internally and forcing more than 1 million to seek asylum beyond the country’s borders.

The DRC has been rocked by conflict for over 30 years, since the 1994 Rwandan genocide, an ethnic conflict between the majority Hutu community and the upper-class Tutsis, which resulted in the killings of nearly a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus in just over 100 days. When Tutsi-led forces fought back, almost 2 million Rwandans crossed into Congo, including many extremist Hutus who were guilty of perpetuating the genocide, as they feared reprisal. Tensions between Hutus and Tutsis have since repeatedly flared in eastern DRC, where most had settled.

Rwandan authorities accuse the extremist Hutus who fled to DRC of perpetrating genocide and allege that elements of the Congolese army protect them and that they pose a threat to Rwanda’s Tutsis.

The current conflict is rooted in the spillover of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide into DRC and the struggle for control of Congo’s minerals. At the heart of the crisis is the resurgence of the M23 rebel group led by ethnic Tutsis in DRC. DRC leadership claims that M23 is a proxy of the Rwandan government trying to gain control over the country’s rich natural resources.

Who is M23

In 2012, a new rebel group emerged in DRC from within a former Congolese Tutsi insurgency group which earlier had joined the DRC army under a peace treaty signed on March 23, 2009. The new rebel group claimed that the government had violated the treaty and was unwilling to implement the peace deal. The group inspired its name by the date, “the March 23 Movement” or M23.

M23 leadership, dominated by ethnic Tutsis, a minority group in eastern DR Congo, claim to fight to protect their community from attacks by armed Hutu militias.

M23 has been waging a low-intensity war against the Congolese government for over a decade. Things came to a head in 2023 when peace talks between them broke down and since then the rebel group has been capturing land in the resources-rich eastern DRC, Goma being their latest prize.

The DRC government claims that the M23 group is a proxy for Rwanda striving to gain control of the country’s rich mineral resources, especially in territories bordering Rwanda and Uganda. The Rwandan government however denies any involvement with M23 and claims M23 to be an internal problem of DRC.

Current Situation

M23 has recently captured Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC. Goma holds strategic importance as a region containing vast mineral resources that remain largely untapped. After taking over Goma, the rebels are reportedly moving south towards another major town called Bukavu, intending to take over the country’s capital, Kinshasa. Goma and Bukavu are border towns across Rwanda, thus strategically important for Rwanda in supporting the M23 rebels.

This escalation in the conflict has resulted in thousands of people fleeing their homes to escape the violence. According to the latest UN report the recent fighting over the past 3 weeks has caused a humanitarian crisis, leading to the displacement of 400,000 people adding to the already high number of displaced people in the region.

More than 100 people including 15 soldiers from the peace-keeping forces in DRC have recently been killed in this violence and another 1000 injured.

Call for Action…

International groups such as the United Nations have warned that the violence can escalate into a wider regional conflict. Unfortunately, to date, apart from calls to stop the violence and its condemnation, the international community has not taken any concrete action.  Here again, the rich mineral resources of DRC seem to be its curse, with most external actors having vested interests in the region and are not interested in disturbing their apple cart. Also, most of the key Western countries have their respective allies in the African continent which restricts them from taking any adverse positions against them eg Rwanda is a strategic ally of America, France and the UK, with these countries providing billions of dollars of annual aid to Rwanda, who in return assists them in their economic and security interests in Africa. 

The UN Security Council unfortunately in the recent past has demonstrated its ineffectiveness in controlling global conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine and the Middle Eastern wars. Given its composition, it is unlikely to take any concrete action to control the violence in DRC. Regional bodies like the African Union struggle due to a lack of resources and the region’s complex web of armed conflicts, to be able to play any key role in controlling conflicts in its member countries like Sudan, DRC etc

Whatever may be the vested interests, the Western powers having strategic and economic interests in DRC must come forward and show much greater resolve, otherwise, the current conflict may lead to a major regional humanitarian crisis, escalating further the suffering of the Congolese people.

It will be a shame if the international community once again fails to take concrete steps to control the violence in DRC !

Mukulism: A Point of View

Why is the world IGNORING Sudan?

The two ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East have eclipsed the sufferings of the people of Sudan…

• More than 25,000 people killed in direct violence (many more due to diseases, lack of health facilities and starvation). 12 million (~1/4^th of the country’s population) forced to flee their homes since the civil war broke out in April 2023.

• Over the last 20 months, Sudan witnessed the largest-ever displacement of people in the world. Sudan’s current state has been declared the largest humanitarian crisis ever recorded.

• “Destruction, Displacement, Diseases and now Starvation are everywhere in Sudan”, says Dr Tedro, head of WHO, after visiting the country. He further said that the “attention of the global community was really low and urged the mainstream media to give more coverage to Sudan”.

Sudan located in north-east Africa, with a predominantly Muslim population of around 50 million is the third largest country on the continent and endowed with vast gold reserves. As is common with most African countries gifted with rich natural resources, their population usually remains poor. Decades of political instability and conflict in Sudan hindered development and created stark inequalities. Being a nation that has witnessed a maximum number of attempted coups (19) in Africa since gaining independence from the British in 1956, Sudan has also been targeted by various sanctions over the past 30 years by the Western world for various human rights violations. All this makes Sudan one of the world’s poorest countries; the recent conflict has further worsened things.  Thousands of people have been killed (including civilians) and displaced in Sudan since the start of the war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF).

RSF in its earlier avatar (Janjaweed) was formed in early 2000, consisting of Arab militia to fight the non-Arab rebels in Darfur (the Darfur conflict). The Janjaweed was responsible for carrying out brutal atrocities including mass killings and ethnic cleansing activities against the non-Arabic rebel groups. In 2013, this group of militias was converted into the private security force of the country’s President getting the name of Rapid Support Force.

In 2019, the leader of Sudan’s army Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhaan and the head of the RSF, Mohamed Dagalo (Hemedti) jointly staged a coup to get rid of the despotic President Omar al-Bashir, who had controlled Sudan for almost 30 years. A mass public uprising against the authoritarian rule of the President triggered the coup by the two generals. After the successful coup, an interim government led by the above two military men (with Dagalo acting as Abdel’s deputy) started governing Sudan. Soon however they started having disagreements on which direction the country should take and the proposed runway towards democracy. One of the other main sticking issues was the proposed timeline to include the 100,000 men of RSF into the army, who would then lead the new force. Subsequently, the two power-hungry men later fell apart and the two factions began to fight, plunging Sudan into darkness. Shooting between the two sides started in April 2023 in Khartoum (capital city) and swiftly escalated in different parts of the country, ballooning into a full-fledged civil war.

Both warring sides are backed by influential foreign State (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, Ethiopia) and Non-state actors, each having their own economic and strategic motives. The conflict has also seen the involvement of foreign mercenary fighters from across the Central African region from countries like Chad, Niger, Mali etc who have joined the fight to share the plunders of the country’s gold reserves.

The people’s revolution, resulting in the 2019 coup was expected to lift the Sudanese people from the throes of autocracy and steer the country towards democracy. Instead, it has led to further devastating the lives of the common Sudanese people, plunging the country into chaos. Twenty months of warfare has killed more than 25,000 people in direct violence (many more have died due to diseases, lack of health facilities and starvation), severely damaged the country’s infrastructure, displaced millions of people from their homes and pushed millions to near famine situations. To save their lives, hundreds of thousands of Sudanese have fled into the deserts and to other countries like Egypt, Chad, South Sudan etc. Recently in December 2024, the International Rescue Committee declared the situation in Sudan to be the largest humanitarian crisis ever recorded

As per a WHO report, much of the country’s healthcare system has been devastated, with over 100 attacks on healthcare facilities leading to significant casualties among health workers and patients. Per food security experts, half of the country’s population is facing high levels of acute food shortage and requires urgent food aid. Unfortunately, both warring leaders have been accused of war crimes including attacking civilians and weaponising humanitarian and food assistance to the local population. After twenty months of civil war, Sudan is suffering the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, which if not controlled is likely to get much worse.

While Sudan is mired in a deadly conflict, the majority of the world seems indifferent or unaware of the existential humanitarian crisis that the common Sudanese are undergoing. With other major global flashpoints that presently exist, the world doesn’t seem to want to get itself much involved with the woes of the Sudanese people OR is it due to the Race and Colour of the Sudanese people?

Whatever their reasons, the international community must immediately stop ignoring the plight of the Sudanese people and urgently wake up to their existential challenges. Institutions like the United Nations and African Union, backed by America must play a much more significant role in finding a pathway to reduce the suffering of the Sudanese people and work with the warring factions in a more meaningful way to arrive at a peaceful settlement to the civil war. They must urgently deploy sufficient food and medical aid and offer a ray of hope to the Sudanese people. America must use its leverage among its allies in the Middle East & Africa to enforce an arms embargo against the supply of arms by external actors to either of the warring parties. 

It will be a shame if the world once again FAILs Sudan !

Mukulism: A Point of View

Is Pakistan headed towards an “Arab Spring”?

Whoever forms the next Government, it is crystal clear that Pakistan military has lost the elections …

It is said that even though the Pakistan military has never won a single war, it always wins the country’s elections; except for the one held last week. This is the first instance wherein the peoples mandate has been so strong in favor of a candidate (read Imran Khan) and his party (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, PTI) whom the military establishment tried very hard to keep away from the current elections. As I write this article, it still needs to be seen which party or coalition of parties forge the next government, it is clear that the Pakistan military has lost these elections, both morally and psychologically.

In Pakistan, the election process has always been as farcical as it possibly can be in a democratic country, where election results are usually pre-determined. This has been mainly due to the military’s deep influence on the politics of the country, ever since the country’s formation. The military’s stranglehold over Pakistan’s politics can be observed from the fact that since the formation of the country, no prime minister has ever completed a five-year tenure whereas three of the military dictators managed to rule the country for almost a decade each.  In November 2022, in a rare admission the then army chief General Bajwa admitted that Pakistan’s military had meddled in the country’s internal politics for decades. In his farewell speech the General promised that henceforth the army would steer clear of interfering in Pakistan’s democratic functioning. However, the next army chief General Munir either did not hear what Bajwa had said or did not want to pay any heed to it. In less than 14 months the military’s shadow and its involvement has been so evident not only over the country’s 12th general election process, held last week, but also over the runway leading to these elections.

Imran Khan, once a poster boy of the military establishment, whom the military propped up into becoming the Prime Minister in 2018, slowly turned into a pariah, as he unsuccessfully tried to assert himself over the military leadership. He was politically dislodged from his position in April 2022 and all efforts since made to keep him and his party away from the current elections. This included putting him and many of his partymen behind bars, his party denied its election symbol and being barred from the polls. Imran Khan, himself is currently serving time in prison for various charges, including corruption (14 years), leaking State secrets (10 years), abetting violence etc. Even his marriage to his third wife has been held illegal under Islamic law and both sentenced to 7 years each in jail for the same. The conviction for most cases was given at a speed which will put most judiciaries to shame.

On the other hand, the military establishment made peace with the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif (three-time former prime minister) leading most political analysts to believe that the election outcome had got predetermined. Incidentally, he is the same Nawaz Sharif who till recently was staying in exile in the U.K. as earlier his relationship with the military had fallen apart.  There is a history of Nawaz Sharif repeatedly being brought back by the military at intervals whenever found convenient. Since being recalled from the U.K., all earlier convictions against him were swiftly overturned, clearing his glide path back to power.

Little could the military establishment have envisaged the enormity of the mood amongst the masses in support of Imran Khan and his party throughout the country. As the election symbol was denied to PTI, its members contested as independent candidates and the results went overwhelmingly in their favor, in spite of no campaign rallies. This despite serious concerns raised by various observers about the fairness of the election process and allegations of vote rigging at various booth.

The final results as declared by the election commission, post much delay in declaring the results leading to allegations of rigging, put the independents backed by jailed Imran Khan, in the lead with 101 of total 264 contested seats in the National Assembly.  The party (PML-N) lead by Nawaz Sharif came second with 75 seats, lacking a clear majority but being the single largest official party.  Pakistan People Party (PPP), led by the Bhutto’s has been able to garner only 54 seats.  As coalitions talks and horse-trading is currently in progress between different parties and some independents, street protests have been called by PTI and other smaller parties over allegations of rigging and an unfair election process. PTI, thru their independent candidates has also claimed victory and has declared its intention of forming the next government.

The way forward..

Going by their numerical strength, the two large parties, PML-N and PPP would be in a position to form a coalition government, however this will be contrary to the mood of the people and the mass mandate given by the population to Imran Khan’s party backed candidates and could have the potential of a civil unrest & uprising amongst the country’s population in a highly polarized political environment.

As Pakistan continues to struggle from a deep economic crisis on one hand and is grappling with rising militant violence on the other, a political victory without the outcome that the military had scripted, may turn out to be more bitter than sweet…

Mukulism: A Point of View

How Indian are the Romanies?

Was Charlie Chaplin, a self-proclaimed Romani, of Indian origin? What about great artists like Pablo Picasso & Elvis Presley….

While the world has significantly progressed over the past century, there exist some communities, scattered across the globe, who continue to remain alienated & live on the fringes of the society due to religious, racial or social prejudices and persecutions. To name a few, the Rohingaya muslimsof Myanmar, considered to be the most persecuted community across the world, the Yezdis of Iraq, whose men were mass murdered by the ISIS militants over their refusal for changing their religion, their  women kidnapped, sold and raped, the Kurds spread mainly across mountainous regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria & Turkey, who in-spite of promises made by various super powers have still not been given their own homeland, the Baha’is in Iran, who get persecuted due to their religion. Another such alienated & persecuted people are the Romanies (Roma) or Gypsies as they are commonly referred.

While I have earlier written about the Rohingayas and the Yezdis (scroll my blog for the articles) I dedicate this article to the Romani people and provide a brief background on who they are and their connection to India.

Who are the Romani people…

All over Europe, North & South America, Australia and parts of Africa and Asia are found people who refer themselves as Romani and maintain a language and culture which sets them apart from the rest of their countrymen. While being scattered across various countries, majority of Romanies are found in Central & Eastern Europe. They are not a single homogenous population and their outwardly body features differ from place to place, yet they maintain many aspects of the same culture, speak dialects of the same original language and share same genetic material in their biological makeup.

With an overall population of around 12 million (some estimate 20 million) these people are more commonly referred to as Gypsies, much to their dislike, especially in the Western world where most people till date seem unaware of the Romanies real identity or origins and usually treat them as “hands off” people.

Most Romanies in Europe continue to be alienated from the mainstream society, lead a marginalized, impoverished and nomadic life, have lower health & life expectancy, poor living conditions and earn money usually by being entertainers, fortune tellers or metal workers.

According to an editorial which appeared in a British newspaper The Guardian in 2000 “the Romanies are perhaps the most singularly disliked ethnic group in the world”.

The India connection…

Linguistic and genetic evidence suggests that the Romanies originated in India, in particular from the northern region of Rajasthan & Punjab. The connection of the Romani people with India was established as late as the middle of the 18th century in Holland, when accidentally it was discovered that the Romani language had many similarities with Sanskrit. This discovery led to linguistic and genetical studies which established their connection with India, them being genetically most like the Rajput population of Rajasthan. Though there are some earlier studies which describe them as belonging to the lowest social class of India ie Shudras.

The migration of the Romani people out of India took place around the year 10^th century C.E. (some believe it was 5th century onwards). There are different theories why the Romanies moved away from India, one being that they were gifted by an Indian king to the Shah of Persia as musicians somewhere in the 5th century. Another being that the first wave of migration took place when emperor Alexander took blacksmiths from India to make weapons. A recent theory suggests that it was the Seljuk Turks, who were instrumental in taking the Romanies out of India as captives after defeating the Ghaznavids (followers of Mahmud of Ghazni, who had earlier repeatedly invaded India during 1000 – 1027 C.E.) and brought them to Turkey (Byzantine Empire).

Many Romanies initially worked as “serfs” for the feudal lords and later started being held as “slaves”. As foreigners and non-Muslims, they started being considered as “property” by the Ottomans and were subject to the whims of their owners, who had complete control over all aspects of their lives. Enslavement of the Romanies continued for over five centuries. According to estimates, half of the Romani population at that time were held as slaves.

With the expansion of the Ottoman Empire towards Europe, the Romanies were carried along with their armies to Europe either as troops or as servants serving the troops or accompanying the Turkish population.

How has the Western world treated the Romani people…

When the first Romanies arrived in Europe towards the end of the 13th century, there already existed an “outsider” population in Europe – the Jews. The Jews were then a disliked community in Europe and for similar reasons – no country of their own, different religion & language, prefer keeping to themselves, practice endogamy – the Romanies started getting treated by the Europeans with suspicion and hostility. The first Romanies in Europe were wrongly associated with Islam and seen as enemies right from the beginning. Various theories started floating around the Romanies, some propagating that they were descendants of Jews who had remained hidden for years in caves, others thinking that they were due to inbreeding of Egyptians, Ethiopians and cave dwellers. Others did not think of them to be a separate ethnic group but considered them to be a mix of people made up of the criminal fringes of different European societies who deliberately darkened their faces. Almost half of them were enslaved on their arrival in Europe mainly in the territories of what is now Romania.

Within a short space of time, laws were formulated in different European countries to restrict the movement and treatment of the Romanies. In 1417, the first anti-Romani law was issued in Germany with many more to follow. In 1568 Pope Pius V banished the Romanies from the realm of the Roman Church and in 1721 Emperor Charles VI (Roman Emperor) called for the extermination of the Romanies everywhere in his domain. In Spain, Hungary and colonial Brazil it was illegal to call one-self Romani or to speak the Romani language. In England and Finland, it was even illegal to be born a Romani. For this reason, many a times the Romanies preferred to keep their origins & identity a secret, claiming to be of Greek or Italian descent.

Towards the 16^th century the first lot of the Romanies were shipped to America out of Europe to work as slave workers in plantations. At present there are estimated to be one million Romanies living in America leading a marginalized life, living on the fringes of the American society

The greatest tragedy to befall the Romanies was an attempt to eradicate them as part of Hitler’s plan to have a “Gypsy” free Europe. Romanies were the only other population other than the Jews who were targeted for extermination on racial / ethnic grounds. The Nazis destroyed over half of the Romani population in Nazi occupied Europe during the Holocaust years, 1.5 million per some studies. Sadly, the United Nations did nothing to assist the Romanies during or following the Holocaust.

The continuous racism, discrimination and alienation over centuries by the main stream western society has led to the miserable conditions that most Romanies continue to live in today, as their most marginalized ethnic minority – the ghettos, high unemployment and crime rates, begging etc.

What lies ahead for the Romanies..

Over the past 5 decades there has been some work being done to create more awareness of the Romani people in the Western world. India has also been trying to do its bit. The world collectively however needs to do a lot more to assimilate these people into mainstream societies.

In 1971, the first World Romani Congress was held in Britain, part funded by the Indian Government in which representatives of some twenty countries attended. Indian links have been much more emphasized in subsequent similar gatherings. These meetings have been instrumental in the achievement of Romani representation at the United Nations. In 2001, Romanies from a number of European countries visited India to work together with Indian administration to create a statement making clear the relationship of the Romanies with India. In 2016 the then Indian External Affairs Minister Ms Sushma Swaraj called the Romanies “Children of India”, while inaugurating a three-day International Roma Conference and Cultural Festival in New Delhi.

If things are to improve for the Romani people, it is vital that the attitudes of their fellow countrymen significantly change towards them.  As Vaclav Havel, an author, poet and first President of the Czech Republic said that “a country’s treatment of its Romani population would stand as the litmus test for tolerance & human rights throughout Europe”.

While doing my research on the Romanies and the treatment meted out to them by the Western society, I could not but make a comparison on how India treated the immigrant groups who had come to India during their troubled times eg the Persians (Parsis) and the Jews, with India welcoming them with open arms. Today these communities are not only well integrated with main stream Indian society but have made significant contributions for development of overall society.

Mukulism: A Point of View

Nature VS Nurture

What determines our Temperament and Personality? Is it inborn OR acquired? Is it Nature OR Nurture…

I go around advocating to people that “Human Beings are products of the Environment and the Propaganda that they grow up in”. As kids we imbibe a lot of habits and thoughts by observing the behavioral patterns of our parents and the surroundings that we get constantly exposed to. These observations get stored in our young impressionable minds, which later on get used as reference points, going a long way in shaping our overall personality and ideologies.

It is said that in North Korea, when a child is still in the mother’s womb, the State’s propaganda machinery starts propagating to the fetus that the King is their God. As a result, the child comes out of the mother’s womb believing that their King is God. This belief lingers on and gets further strengthened from cradle to grave, by the constant propaganda machine. Such is the power of the external environment and the propaganda on the human brain.

If this is the case, then why are siblings born to the same set of parents, exposed to similar environments differ many a times from each other, in their nature and outlook? When I compare myself to my brother, I find that we are more apart than close in some key personality traits. To explain this phenomenon, Psychologists differentiate between Temperament and Personality.

Temperament refers to traits that determine how an individual reacts to the world. The traits of temperament are inborn with a genetic link, biological based behavioral and emotional patterns that are observable from early childhood and remain during one’s lifetime. There are broadly said to be nine traits of temperament: Activity intensity, Biological rhythms (eating, sleeping, toileting), Sensitivity levels, Intensity of Reactions, Adaptability, Adjustability, Persistence, Distractibility & Mood. It is important for parents to, early on, try to comprehend the key traits of their children’s temperament by observing and understanding their behavioral patterns and help them develop their overall personalities. Individuals too, having observed their own temperament traits, can try to consciously project the positive aspects of their temperament, making themselves more socially adaptable & acceptable.

Personality on the other hand is a complex ‘salad’ of multiple observations and experiences that a human being goes thru during his life. The word “personality” stems from the Latin word persona, which refers to a theatrical mask worn by performers to play roles or disguise their identities. Personality evolves and is amenable to change, a large part of it being created unconsciously thru “impressions” accumulated over time. Personality describes the unique patterns of thoughts, feelings, reactions and behaviors that distinguish an individual from others. It is a product of both biology and observations.

Some say, Temperament is the foundation and Personality the building…

One of the key personality traits in individuals is Extroversion VS Introversion or simply put “Is the individual an Extrovert or an Introvert”. Extroverts are “outward-turning” enjoy frequent social interactions with large groups, feel energized after spending time with other people. They are talkative, gregarious, display more energetic behavior and tend to have larger egos. Introverts are “inward-turning” tend to be thought-oriented, more reserved, enjoy meaningful interactions with smaller groups, have low social energy and feel recharged after spending time alone.

On a lighter note, you will prefer to invite extroverts to your “fun” party but will reach out to introverts for solving your problems. All human beings exhibit extroversion and introversion to some degree, but most of us tend to have an overall leaning for one over the other.

Many a times Introversion is mistaken for Shyness. Introverts are not necessarily shy whereas shy people are introverts. Shyness comes from a fear of social disapproval, stemming from lack of self-confidence whereas Introversion is a preference for quite environments and solitude. If Introverts desire, they can by some effort move across the continuum towards Extroversion over time. I, myself, am much less of an introvert now, than what I was during the first half of my life.

Society, at times becomes biased and mis-judges the capabilities of introverted people, leading to a waste of talent and energy. Most children are taught from their childhood by parents and teachers that being sociable and outgoing is necessary to achieve heights. Many parents almost sound apologetic about their kids being Introverts. This needs to change!

World history suggests that introverts brought about revolutionary changes which would not have been possible without them. Two names that immediately pop up in the mind are that of Mahatma Gandhi & Rosa Parks. The start of the Civil Disobedience Movement in India which led to the colonizers exiting in 1947, was laid on June 07, 1893 when a shy & reticent Gandhi refused to obey orders and was forcibly removed from a whites-only carriage of a train in South Africa.  In 1955 had the timid & soft-spoken Rosa Parks not had the courage to say NO to the bus driver who ordered her to give her seat to a white passenger, the sustained bus boycott movement in America that inspired mass protests and speeded the pace of civil rights reforms, would not have got ignited.

Susan Cain, author of the book “Quiet” says that introversion is not a “second-class” trait, both introverts and extroverts enrich society. She gives examples of some well-known introverts such as Isaac Newton (had he not been sitting alone in contemplation under the tree, the apple would not have fallen on his head), Albert Einstein, J.K Rowling, Steven Spielberg etc. Susan further says that some of the most effective leaders have been introverts such as Charles Schwab, Bill Gates, Brenda Barnes, CEO of Sara Lee and James Copeland former CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

Management guru Peter Drucker writes that among the most effective leaders he encountered over half a century, some were ultra-gregarious and others locked themselves in their offices. While choosing CEOs, Board of Directors should be careful in choosing candidates who focus on building organizations and not their egos.

To conclude, part of our personality is inborn, a gift of Nature and a significant part of it evolves based on how we are Nurtured. Parents must early on, observe the key temperamental traits of their children which will assist them in developing their children’s personalities. They must also remember that they are under constant observation by their children and their own behavioral traits would largely influence the future personalities of the child.

It is also important that all individuals understand the different traits of their personality and try to project the positive traits to become more socially adaptable and acceptable.

Finally, we all need to acknowledge that Introverts are no less than Extroverts. Both have their own positives and in their own way both make significant contributions to the Society.

Mukulism : A Point of View

Climate Change: A Runway to HelI

Fifty-one billion tons of greenhouse gases is what the world adds to the earth’s atmosphere each year! Zero is what we need to aim for..

“Humanity must Co-operate OR Perish. We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator”…. Antonio Gutters, UN Secretary General, COP 27

 “By polluting the oceans, not mitigating CO2 emissions and destroying our biodiversity, we are killing our planet. Let us face it, there is no planet B”…..Emmanuel Macron, President of France

 “You say you love your children above all else and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes.”…Greta Thunberg, Climate Activist

Quotes & Procrastination seem to have become the hallmark in the global fight to save the world from the disasters of global warming. The world is currently more concerned about the Russia-Ukraine war rather than saving the planet’s future, most countries busy fighting inflation & increasing military budgets. Guess, how the increased military expenditures are likely to be funded? You may have guessed it right, most likely from allocations made towards fighting climate change. Climate action has become a key collateral victim of the Russia – Ukraine war. Countries like Germany have once again resorted to burning coal for generating electricity with Russia restricting gas supplies.

Unfortunately, the recently concluded COP27 lays down no clear pathway towards achieving the preferred global warming limit of 1.5% Celsius agreed in the Paris agreement of 2015. India is the only G20 country that is currently on track to achieve its pledge towards climate change.

The recent catastrophic floods in Pakistan killing 2,000 people, rendering homeless more than 2 million causing colossal economic loss to the country, the summer heat waves in Europe, extreme weather conditions in China; all are linked to climate change. These and other similar events during the year are emblematic of future challenges for the world to the worsening impact of climate change.

Insufficient action over decades has resulted in greenhouse gas (mainly carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) emissions continue to rise, resulting in the earth’s atmosphere now close to 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer than it was during the late 1800s. The ten hottest years in the earth’s atmospheric record have been during the last eleven years. Some climate activists have even built “10 years to disaster” models depicting that humanity is only ten years away from the tipping point of catastrophic climate change.

The urgent need of the hour is not Quotes & Outlays but time bound Outcomes, before the clock shows that time has run out.

Ironically, countries contributing least to greenhouse gases are most vulnerable to climate changes e.g. Pakistan and the African continent contribute less than 1% & 4% respectively of global emissions but are among the most impacted regions. On the other hand, America & Europe have cumulatively contributed more than 60% of overall global CO2 emissions over the past 2.5 centuries.  40% of current emissions are contributed by 16% of the world’s richest population, staying in nations far less impacted.

What is Climate Change: Causes &  Consequences

Climate change refers to long-term increase in weather temperatures and changes in weather patterns. Since the 1800s, human activities have been the prime driver for climate change primarily due to burning of fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil. Fossil fuels are made of carbon that is stored underground due to plants that died millions of years ago getting compressed into coal, oil or natural gas. Burning of fossil fuels generates greenhouse gases that act as a blanket wrapped around the Earth trapping the Sun’s heat, causing the average surface temperature of the earth to increase.

Fifty-one billion tons of greenhouse gases is typically, what the world adds to the atmosphere every year, constantly raising the atmospheric temperature. Over the past century, global temperatures have risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius, close to the maximum desired increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Global warming leads to mass scale destruction thru melting of glaciers, rising sea levels, intense flooding, catastrophic storms and hurricanes, droughts, water scarcity, forest wildfires, air pollution and declining biodiversity. Nearly 9 million people globally die every year due to air pollution caused primarily by burning of fossil fuels. Many more die or rendered homeless and penniless due to catastrophic destruction caused by global warming.

Unfortunately, the people living on economic fringes have the maximum to loose. Majority are marginal farmers & the poor living in under-developed countries, who cannot endure the economic burdens caused by severe droughts and floods.

What activities produce Greenhouse gases and how could they be reduced

Below is a breakdown of key human activities, grouped under five broad categories, producing greenhouse gases and contributions:

How we Produce things (mainly plastic, cement, steel)	31%
How we Generate electricity	27%
How we Grow & What we Eat (plants, animals)	19%
How we Move (vehicles, planes, ships)	16%
How we keep Cool & Warm (air-conditioning, heating, refrigeration)	7%

From the above, one would observe that almost all human activities result in producing greenhouse gases. Items like plastics, steel, cement, oil, their by-products touch almost all aspects of our lives including the house we stay, vehicle we drive, medicines we consume, soaps & tooth brush we use etc. The type of food we eat and the way it is grown too result in emitting greenhouse gases. Some people may be surprised to know that many livestock burp and fart methane (methane being ~ 25 times as potent as CO2 at trapping heat in atmosphere), raising livestock for dietary habits thus add to greenhouse gas emission. Deforestation is another major reason for global warming.

As nations progress, the more above activities increase, resulting in higher greenhouse gases. While it is important for nations to progress to uplift maximum number of people out of poverty, it is critical for the world to focus collectively on reduction of greenhouse gases with the ultimate aim of reducing it to zero.

The world runs on power, without it the world cannot really survive. As nations develop, the demand for power goes up. The single most important weapon in the fight on climate change is production of cheap, reliable clean power (thru non-fossil sources such as solar, wind, hydro, nuclear). This is partly because production of fossil fuel power is not only a major contributor to greenhouse gases but also because zero carbon power can be further utilized in  de-carbonizing lot of other activities i.e. how we produce & move things.

Global efforts need to be urgently coordinated to develop technologies to produce and transport reliable and cheap green hydrogen and green ammonia to become the future fuels to replace fossil fuels. Nations need to take coordinated & time-bound measures to facilitate the early transition from fossil fuels to green hydrogen and green ammonia

Global research and development needs to focus towards invention of technologies that assist in capturing greenhouse gases before they mix into the atmosphere, simultaneously inventing new processes of manufacturing & moving things that reduce / eliminate greenhouse gases.

As laid down in the Paris Agreement, signatory countries need to determine their individual plans, called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) towards reduction in their national emissions and adaptation to the impacts of climate change. 2050 is the target date for net zero emissions to keep global temperatures rise capped to 1.5 degrees Celsius

Is the World doing enough to combat Climate Change?

Paris Agreement lays down that developed countries need to take the lead in providing financial assistance to countries that are less endowed and more vulnerable. Not only because the developed economies have the resources to do so but also because they have been the main carbon emitters leading to the current crises. Are these countries doing enough?

The short answer is a clear NO

UNEP points out that the developed members of G20, who collectively are responsible for ~75% of greenhouse gas emissions, are nowhere on track to meet their climate targets. These nations have not even fully funded their annual pledged contribution of USD 100 billion towards assisting developing nations in their fight against climate change. Financing is required for both climate change adaption and mitigation. Direct public investments in R&D is one of the key requirements to fight climate change, but governments are just not doing enough of it. Per various estimates, government funding for clean energy R&D requires USD 22 billion per year, America which is by far the largest investor in green energy research spends only around USD 7 billion per year.

All governments had earlier agreed to “phase down” burning of coal which is the dirtiest fossil fuel. Ironically burning of coal continues to be on the rise globally.

Climate change needs head-on tackling in a globally coordinated and time bound manner, with each nation doing its duty responsibly. Global solidarity as witnessed during tackling of Covid, needs to be repeated in the fight towards climate change. Besides the nations and its policy makers, private industry needs to equally participate and finance this fight, as they are major contributors to carbon emissions.

India is currently the 3^rd largest emitter (after China and America) of CO2, though its per capita emission is lower than the world average. In its recent updated NDC during COP 27, India committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP (a measure of the amount of greenhouse gas emitted per unit of economic activity) by 45% (earlier 33-35%) by 2030. It also confirmed its pledge of generating 50% of its electricity from non-fossil fuel by 2030. Its target date to reach net zero emissions however remains at 2070

How can each one of us contribute towards this fight?

While the Governments and the private corporations MUST do what is required of them, each one of us individually need to contribute by becoming Climate Change Warriors. All we have to do is slightly alter our habits & lifestyles and collectively we will be able to contribute significantly towards this fight.

Some easy steps to follow in our daily lives…

• Reduce usage of Plastics. Say No to single use plastics
• Put off electricity, air-conditioning, heating when not required
• Install LED bulbs
• Shift to organic farmed foods
• Alter dietary habits to reduce consumption of meat & dairy products
• Shift to electric vehicles
• MOST IMPORTANTLY choose LEADERS who demonstrate firm commitment  towards Climate Change

Mukulism: A Point of View

Iran UNVEILED

Could this be the ARAB SPRING moment for IRAN….

There are yet no visible signs of the protest movement led by women in Iran slowing down despite the brutal and violent crackdowns by the Iranian security forces.

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian girl had been visiting family members in Tehran (capital of Iran) during September. She got arrested there by the local morality police for allegedly violating Iran’s HIJAB law (a law introduced in 1979 as an aftermath of the Iranian Revolution requiring women to wear coverings in public spaces). Witnesses claim that the police severely beat her leading to her death three days later in a hospital after slipping into a coma. Amini’s death in custody sparked an outpouring of public grief and outrage in Iran that has evolved into a mass movement, leading to deaths of more than 150 people over the past 40 days or so. Amini’s death has catalyzed one of the largest and most sustained uprisings in Iran in a generation, mobilizing thousands of supporters, both locally and globally.

Amini’s death became a “tinderbox” moment ready to ignite for Iranian women protesting against the tightening control of the government over their lives, especially against the hijab law. These protests if not curtailed have the potential of overthrowing the Islamic regime of Iran. Some parallels can be drawn to the death of the fruit vendor in Tunisia, sparking the Arab spring in 2010, engulfing much of the Arab world, overthrowing many of their regimes.

This is a period, which could determine the future of women’s rights and freedom in Iran. While it is highly encouraging to see the Iranian women fight for their rights after being subdued over many decades, it is also worrying that should the Iranian regime be successful in cowing down the protesters, an even higher subjugation for the Iranian women may follow.

For those of my readers who may not be familiar with the cause of the  pent up frustration and anger which has been building up within the Iranian women over the decades, let me take you  back a little in time. Since Iran’s 1978–79 revolution, when the clerics led by Ayatollah Khomeini took control of Iran, the Islamic Republic relegated women to a second-class status under Sharia and the strictures of the Iranian constitution. Immediately preceding the revolution, Iran was ruled by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah (King) of Iran. During his regime, the Shah initiated many economic and social reforms with the aim of rapidly modernizing the nation. His policy of “westernization” of the conservative society however proved to be his death-knell. The revolution was a backlash by the clergy against the modernization and secularization efforts of the Shah, who was perceived by many to be a “puppet” of the West. The Iranian revolution led to the replacement of the secular monarchy of the Shah by a Shia theocracy led by Ayatollah Khomeini, bringing about a new social and religious order within the nation; relegating women, withdrawing their rights & imposing strict restrictions under the new social order.

Soon after the revolution, the Islamic Republic began to enforce dress codes on women, wanting to control how women dressed in public, banning tight-fitting clothes, bright colors, and makeup, insisting that women cover their hair. Women who disobeyed faced harsh punishment, including lashes and jail sentences. Authorities prevented women whom they perceived were in non-compliance with the dress code from entering government offices, banks and from using public transportation.

Coming back to now, women in Iran, especially young women, seem to have had enough of subjugation and are now openly rejecting the requirement to wear hijabs along with the social order that the Islamic Republic sought to impose on the country.  Many videos are circulating on social platforms showing women setting their headscarves on fire and cutting their hair in public to chants of “Woman, life, freedom” and “Death to the dictator”. Men and teenage boys are also participating in large numbers and backing the demands of the women.

Iran’s government is responding to these protests with brutal force. As I write this article, I note that another protester a young male celebrity chef was reportedly kidnapped and beaten to death by the Islamic police.

The protests have attracted global attention, and solidarity demonstrations are being held in many cities across the world. Much more still needs to be done by people in power especially from the western world including global celebrities to bring global attention and focus on the cause and the fate of the protesters. Much more must be done by the global community not only to highlight the plight of the Iranian women but to highlight global suppression of women in general – both social and economic, particularly in the developing countries.

On a personal note, Iran always brings back fond memories to me, it being the first foreign country I visited at the age of fifteen, immediately after finishing school. During those days, my father, an engineer, had taken up a two-year work contract in Iran and I along with my mother, had gone to visit him. As a young boy, I was fascinated with the large & clean streets of Tehran, their large shopping stores, the friendly local people and their eagerness to speak in broken English with foreigners. Two images that remain etched in my mind about Iran are 1) the apple cheeked beautiful Iranian women 2) beer (instead of water) being served during those days in the local inter-city buses of Mercedes make. It pains me now to see the current state of that country and its people, both on the economic and social front.

Only time will tell what the future holds for the Iranian women. Whether force will be able to douse the heightened emotions of the stifled women OR the protesters will be able to shake the shackles of the Islamic Republic. Stakes are high on both sides. The Iranian women are fighting for their rights and freedom, whereas the Republic is trying to intimidate the protesters to ensure continuation of the theocratic regime.

Mass protests led by the common folks in autocratic regimes, if not controlled early on; usually have the unfortunate fate of ending up either in a Tiananmen Square like situation OR an Arab Spring like situation. Let us hope that Iran does not have to go thru either of these two paths. History though suggests that when women are on the front line, mass movements are more likely to succeed.

On another front, are we likely to witness similar protests by women in Afghanistan? The women there are also going thru similar challenges as their Iranian counterparts, ever since the Taliban took charge of the country. Surely, they must be getting inspired by their Iranian sisters and closely following the protests…

Mukulism: A Point of View

The Six Schools of Traditional Indian Philosophy

Why is it that when we think of Philosophy, we think of western philosophers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle? How many of us are even aware of the various schools of traditional Indian philosophy?

Greek philosophy laid the foundation to what is today European thought, western philosophy, art, even science and politics. Western philosophy is now common worldwide and names like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle well known.

While the 5^th & 6^th century BCE produced some great philosophers, Socrates & Plato in Greece, Confucius and Lao Tse in China, Buddha and Mahavir in India, little is known that for hundreds of years before that India was the center of thoughts of philosophy and spirituality. In the words of Max Muller “If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered  on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions, I should point to India”. In appreciation of the complexity of Indian philosophy, T S Eliot (amongst 20^th century’s major poets) wrote that the great philosophers of India “make most of the great European philosophers look like schoolboys”.

Arthur Schopenhauer, eminent German philosopher called Upanishads (ancient Hindu texts) “the production of the highest human wisdom”.  Some of the other renowned global philosophers  and writers who were influenced by Indian philosophy were Ralph Waldo Emerson (the American essayist, philosopher, poet who led the transcendentalist movement in 19^th century), Leo Tolstoy (great Russian writer), Aldous Huxley (English writer, novelist and philosopher), Rudolf Steiner (Australian philosopher) etc

India is the place where philosophy was born centuries ago. In India, religion has never been a belief system but always been an inquiry into what is true. Hindus have always known to be “Seekers”. Answers to some questions ancient Indian philosophers were in pursuit were:

1. Who am I (am I Body, Mind, Intellect OR am I something else – Consciousness?)
2. What are the various elements of Matter / Nature (Prakriti)?
3. What is MY relationship with the elements of Matter / Nature (Prakriti)?
4. What is the path to achieve Liberation (Moksha)?

Unfortunately, centuries of outside rulers followed by British colonialism led not only to the destruction of the top Indian educational centers but also of the ancient texts along with the Sanskrit language, leading to the death knell of Indian orthodox schools of philosophy. Even in contemporary India, philosophy is not a subject taught commonly in Indian universities and has very few flag bearers. Consequently, today very few Indians are aware of the depth and diversity of ancient Indian philosophy.

In this article, I am making a limited attempt for my readers to highlight the basic awareness of the various schools of ancient Indian philosophy. In subsequent articles, I will take a slightly deeper dive into each of the schools and highlight their different approaches and nuances. Some of the teachings of these traditional schools of thoughts may not be relevant any longer in the modern world, it is however important to know the advanced thinking of our ancient sages, keeping in mind the context of their times.  By no account, am I an expert in this field, my attempt being only to bring out some awareness of the depth and diversity of traditional Indian philosophy for my readers.

The basic concepts forming the cornerstone of various Indian philosophical thoughts were – Consciousness (Atma), God (Ishvara), Matter (Prakriti) & Actions (Karma) and the interaction between them, with the common goal to discover the path to attain the highest bliss by man i.e. Liberation (Moksha). While the religious lives of most common people during ancient times was dominated by a pantheon of Gods, the various schools of philosophies went about their own pursuits, far removed from religious demands.

Various schools of orthodox Indian philosophy got grouped under two categories a) Astika (theistic); six traditional schools of thoughts which accepted Vedas as supreme scriptures – Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa & Vedanta. These schools taught the nature of the Soul and its relation to Prakriti (Intellect, Ego, Mind, Matter etc) and thru that the path to Liberation. These schools believed in the existence of God with the exception of Samkhya & Mimamsa (which did not explicitly mention God). They all however accepted the authority of the Vedas. b) Nastika (atheistic); three schools – Buddhism, Jainism & Carvaka. These schools did not draw upon the Vedas but lay emphasis on other thoughts.

The six Astika schools:

Samkhya (dualistic philosophy) is the oldest of the orthodox philosophical systems in Vedaism. Founded by sage Kapila it espouses dualism (exist independently and simultaneously) between Purusa (Consciousness, Atma) and Prakriti (Intellect, Ego, Mind, Matter etc). As per Samkhya philosophy, Prakriti is devoid of consciousness and can only manifest itself as the various objects of experience for the Purusa. In the Samkhya doctrine, there are 25 elements (tatvas). These elements are Purusa, Prakriti, Intellect, Ego, Mind, 5 sense / perceptive organs – eyes, tongue, ears, skin & nose, 5 (motor) organs of action – voice, hands, feet, reproductive & excretion organs, 5 subtle elements – sound, color, savour, touch & odour and 5 gross elements – earth, water, light, air & ether).

Samkhya theorizes that Prakriti is the source of the world and all the other elements (tatvas, except Purusa) evolve from it. Samkhya also postulates the idea of three qualities (gunas) present in all matter – Sattva (goodness, illumination), Rajas (passion) and Tamas (ignorance, darkness). Human experience is an interplay of Purusa-Prakriti. All three gunas are present in everyone and everything. It is the proportion of the gunas, which is different. The interplay of these gunas defines the character of someone or something and determines the progress of life. Every person uses first his external senses, then he considers with the Mind (Manas), then he refers the various objects to his Ego (Ahamkara) and lastly decides with his Intellect (Buddhi) what to do. There are eight manifestations of the Intellect – Virtue, Knowledge, Dispassionateness, Superhuman power (and their opposites)

Samkhya   advocates that on realization arising that Purusa is distinct from Prakriti; absolute freedom arises. Exact knowledge consists of the ability of Purusa to distinguish himself from Prakriti. The end of the bondage of Purusa to Prakriti leads to an exhaustive removal of suffering. Aloneness (Kaivalya) is the path to the highest state of bliss, promulgated by the Samkhya philosophy. Originally, Samkhya was not theistic, had no reference to God and was against ritual practices, but later in confluence with the Yoga philosophy, it developed a theistic variant

Yoga (mental-psychological-physical-meditation system), a school emphasizing meditation, contemplation and liberation. Sage Patanjali was the proponent of this school and his text found in the Yoga Sutras. Yoga philosophy got closely aligned with the Samkhya philosophy, but was theistic. Unlike Samkhya, Yoga philosophy advocated that there is one Supreme God (Purusa), who is above all other. Patanjali lay emphasis on the complete control and mastery of Chitta (mind, ego & intellect) thru a self-disciplining process of concentration and meditation. Yogic techniques control body, mind & sense organs, thus considered as a means of achieving freedom (Mukti). Yoga distinguishes seven major branches – Raja (meditation) Yoga, Jnana (knowledge) Yoga, Karma (deeds) Yoga, Bhakti (devotion) Yoga, Tantra (spiritual) Yoga, Mantra (japa) Yoga & Hatha (asanas) Yoga.

The next two philosophical schools Nyaya & Vaishesheka are “knowledge” based, postulating that achievement of liberation is possible only by gaining correct knowledge. Though these two schools developed independently, they eventually merged around the 10^th century, given their closely related theories.

Nyaya (school of logic / reasoning) is a leading school of philosophy within the “Hindu umbrella”. It explores various sources of knowledge, a way of leading the mind to a conclusion. Founded by a great sage called Gautama, Nyaya philosophy propagated that obtaining knowledge as the only way to liberate oneself from suffering, which results from ignorance & wrong notions. The cycle of suffering starts from ignorance & insufficient knowledge (Ajnana). Ajnana leads to a distorted / faulty view (Dosh). Dosh has four effects – a) egocentrism b) false identities & ideologies c) attraction to things, people and places & d) aversion to challenges. This results in actions leading to human suffering. This cycle carries on continuously. The way to break this cycle is to obtain insight and wisdom (Jnana). Due to knowledge, two things happen – identification of the Self with mind and body ends and Doshas

The chief concern of Nyaya is the right means (process) of acquiring right knowledge. The most important contribution made by this school to Hindu thought was its epistemology of gaining valid knowledge of sixteen different categories (Padarthas):

1. Pramana; means of knowledge; according to Nyaya, there are exactly four sources of obtaining valid knowledge – Perception, Inference, Comparison and Testimony (verbal or written)
2. Prameya; objects of knowledge; human beings need to have knowledge of twelve objects – Soul, Body, 5 Sense organs and their experiences (pleasure & pain), Intelligence, Mind, Faults, Consequences, Attachment, Suffering, Rebirth,& Liberation

(Note: Having collected the data on Prameya, obtained via Pramana, how does the data become actual knowledge? Nyaya prescribes 14 elements by which the data can become actual knowledge, as listed below)

3) Samsaya (doubt), 4) Prayojana (motive), 5) Drstanta (example), 6) Siddhanta (established truth),  7) Avayana (premises), 8) Tarka (reasoning),  9) Nirnaya (decision), 10) Vada (argumentation), 11) Jalpa (disagreement), 12) Vitanda (refutation), 13) Hetvabhasa (fallacies), 14) Chala (contradict), 15) Jati (unsound reasoning) and 16) Nigrasthana  (unfitness for arguing).

Nyaya philosophy is the closest Indian equivalent to analytical philosophy.

Vaisheshika (school of Atoms). Founded by a sage called Kanad Kashyapa, this school takes up a naturalistic approach, wherein it discusses the Universe, being made up of atoms. It accepts only two reliable means to knowledge – Perception & Inference.

Vaisheshika (particularity) philosophy postulates that the universe is categorized into seven Padarthas (objects, categories) – Dravya (eternal substance), Guna (quality), Karma (action), Samanya (commonness), Vishesh (differentiator) & Samavay (relationship between different entities) & Abhava (non-existence).

Further there exist nine classes of Substance (Dravya) – five classes of material substances (earth, water, fire, air & ether), and four non-material substances (time, space, soul & mind). Of the nine Dravya’s, earth, water, fire and air are atoms (parmanu) and are the building blocks of the world and all matter. It postulates that all objects in the physical universe are reducible to a finite unit (atom). The other categories (Guna, Karma, Samanya, Vishesh, Samavay) reside in Dravya and have no separate existence of their own. The philosophy lists down 17 gunas such as color, taste, smell etc

Similar to the Nyaya view of thinking, Vaishehika takes the view that there are three entities, Universe, Supreme Being & Individual Soul. The Universe comprises of different elements including atoms. Universe is governed thru a set of rules, not known to anybody (Adrishta). Individual Souls arrive in the universe and partake in different activities and thru this gain knowledge and wisdom. Vaisheshika believes that different experiences of the individual soul are derived from Dravya, Guna, Karma, Samanya, Vishesh and Samavay. Thru their actions (Karma) the individual souls accumulate merit or demerit and the consequences of their actions are determined by the moral law which is governed by the Supreme Being.

The Vaisheshika thought is considered scientifically the most advanced among the six schools. In fact, University of Manchester has gone to the extent of saying that some of the principals propagated by Newton had earlier been discovered by the traditional schools in India.

Mimamsa (investigation) was founded by sage Jaimini. Its main objective was to establish the authority of the Vedas. The school’s main contribution was its formulation of the rules of Vedic interpretation. According to Mimamsa philosophy, Vedas are eternal and possess all knowledge and religion means the fulfillment of duties prescribed by the Vedas. Only by acting in accordance with the prescriptions of the Vedas, one could attain salvation. Mimasa followers believed that Vedas are self-revealed texts and therefore authourless. Mimamsa philosophy did not accept God as the creator of the Universe. It regards Vedas as the only authority or verbal testimony for dharma (religious duties, rites and ceremonial rituals). Mimamsa accepted five Pramanas (sources of knowledge); Inference, Comparison, Testimony, Postulation & Non-Perception (anupalabadhi).

Vedanta (the last segment in the knowledge of the Vedas) concentrates on the philosophical teachings of the Upnishads. The Vedanta school is divided into six sub-schools, of which the two key are a) Advaita (non-duality) and b) Dvaita (dualistic).

According to the Advaita school (whose great consolidator was Adi Shankaracharya around 1,000 years ago) there is no difference between the individual Soul (Atman) and the Brahman (Universe). On the other hand the Dvaita school promulgates dualism ie existence of two separate realities (Brahman & Soul, Matter etc) independently and simultaneously. The distinguishing factor of Dvaita philosophy as opposed to Advaita is that God takes on a personal role and is an eternal entity who governs the world. Two key  sub-groups of Dvaita followers are Vaishnavites (devotees of Vishnu as Supreme God) and Shaivites (devotees of Shiva as Supreme God)

The three nastika schools:

Buddhism, Buddhist philosophy is the elaboration and explanation of the teachings of Gautama Buddha. Early Buddhism was based on empirical evidence gained by the sense organs (Perception) & Inference. Experience is the path most elaborated in early Buddhism. The Four Noble Truths act as the central doctrine of the Buddhist tradition and provide a conceptual framework for all Buddhist thoughts:

1. 1. The truth of dukkha (physical & mental suffering)
   2. The truth of origin of dukkha
   3. The truth of cessation of dukkha
   4. The truth leading to the path for cessation of dukkha

Jainism, a transtheistic religion, its distinguishing features being its belief on independent existence of soul and matter, absence of a supreme divine creator, strong emphasis of non-violence, potency of karma etc It strongly upholds that the individualistic nature of the Soul and individual efforts are alone are responsible for one’s liberation.

Carvaka emerged as an alternative to the orthodox Hindu pro-Vedic schools. It is an unorthodox school of Indian Philosophy and held Perception to be the primary and most dependable source of knowledge. For the Carvakas, Inference is useful but prone to error, as inferred truths can never be without doubt. Carvakas were skeptical about other schools of philosophy and rejected ritualism and super-naturalism. Unlike most other schools, Carvaka rejected the notion of God, reincarnation, after-world (heaven & hell), karma, authority of the Vedas and the immortality of the Soul. Unlike most other philosophers of that time, Carvakas believed that there was nothing wrong with sensual pleasure and that  wisdom lay in enjoying pleasure and avoiding pain to the extent possible.

In laying out the above, my attempt has been to provide a brief preview of the various orthodox schools of Indian philosophy to my readers. In my next few articles, I will slightly deep dive into each of the schools and discuss more of their thought process and characteristics. As said earlier, I am not an expert in this area. Those of my readers who want to get a deeper understanding on any of the schools of Indian philosophies, I would ask to please do your own research & learning and I would be happy to have discussions with you on the same.

Mukulism: A Point of View