Ramayana is not just a part of our ‘itihasa’ but a part of our civilizational conscience. Though it is said that there are numerous versions of ValmikRamayana is not just a part of our ‘itihasa’ but a part of our civilizational conscience. Though it is said that there are numerous versions of Valmiki’s Ramayan, people in different regions of this land have broadly accepted one of the three versions viz., Original Valmiki’s epic, Kamban’s version and Tulsidas’s retelling. Despite these numerous versions having differences in sub-plots and interpretation of incidents, none of them alter the purport of the epic or tweak around with what Valmiki conveyed in the original. Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish Tripathi is one such retelling which interprets the Ramayana through the lens of the present worldview and without harming the base intent of the original.
One of the problems parents and elders today face in narrating our ‘itihasa’ to children is that, the children would have heard or seen a version through various mediums which reduces their interest or hearing or reading it again. The challenge remains to retain the interest of the present young generation and future generations in our ‘itihasa’ and the epics without making it monotonous or boring. Just imagine handing over a Ramayana book published by Motilal Banarsidas or Gita Press to a adolescent. No disrespect to these great institutions, but how many adolescents would be interested to read it? The animated or caricatured versions available today too suffer from the same problem i.e problem of keeping people interested.
In my opinion, Amish has cracked this problem through innovative narration and ornate imagination wherever the original allows him to. The biggest achievement of the author is that though he manages to keep the reader engrossed in his fast-paced and interjected narration, the substance and intent of the original too gets conveyed. For example, the imagined conversations between Rama and his brothers during their Gurukula days and after that appear at several places in the book, builds each of the brother’s characters in the readers mind which is in perfect concert with the image conveyed by Valmiki. Conversations of state-craft between Rama and Bharata, debate between Rama and Sita over duties of King and Queen, etc., are a pleasure to read. Likewise, the details of the way the four brothers were tutored in the Gurukula may seem as a defilement of the original but it finely fits the traits brothers needed later in life to confront adversity and unfavorable situations. There are a few imagine instances, like the rape of a sworn sister of the four brothers, that seem completely out of place while reading but fits into the overall narrative the author aims to achieve.
The persona of each character is built carefully over a several chapters which is in congruence with their revered traits. Through hypothesis, Amish Tripathi reasons out as to why each character turns to be as they are. For example, he tries to answer how and why did Rama become a ‘Purushottama’? Why did Rama choose to be ‘Eka Patni Vratasta’ despite not being the norm then? Why did Lakshmana revere his brother as he did? How could Mantara wield such influence over a queen of a kingdom? Who was Ravana, bereft of his wizardly characteristics, and why did he become a dreaded king? The author wishes to answer such questions throughout his interpretation.
I wouldn’t say that it’s a MUST READ or a classic but it certainly tells how well one could interpret Ramayana in the our current worldview. Given the ‘modern’ approach Amish has attempted with the Ramayana, it is sure to burn a few hearts who swear by the original. The puritans are right in their concerns that such interpretations might make our epics susceptible to digestion or could dilute its importance in the next generations. While such concerns are legitimate, IMO Amish’s deft handling of his narrative does not give much scope for such incongruent interpretations.
Overall Review: Who should read? – Youngsters and those who wish to read Ramayana in a new perspective; Those who wish for a easy read of the Ramayana. Whom its NOT meant for? – Whoever deems the original should not be tinkered with; Puritans who prefer a deep reading of the original. What goes in favor of the book? – Gradual building of the characters, fast paced and interjected narration gives a ‘filmy’ feel while reading; Attention to details. What goes against? – Few unnecessary plots that could have been avoided. But cant dictate author’s imagination; At places seems as though it has been written keeping the film version in mind. Nothing wrong with that though....more
Study of native cultures world over and the way many of them lost out to a dominant culture has one thing in common. Barbarism and deceit of the overbStudy of native cultures world over and the way many of them lost out to a dominant culture has one thing in common. Barbarism and deceit of the overbearing religions, namely Islam and Christianity. Until the advent of these two religions, there are very few examples of civilizations being wiped off by force. Yes, civilization do adapt, evolve and even transform over centuries. But Islam and Christianity turned natural evolution into forced acceptance, obviously with the use of force, deception and subversion. The focus of this post is the native American nations and their tragic story of their civilizational obscurity forced by the Christian Europe.
One of the outcomes of my reading Michael Punke's 'Revenant' and the corresponding brilliant movie starring De Caprio, was a renewed interest in the history of native inhabitants across the world. While Punke's work is known for its gripping story and narration, I was looking out for a more focussed work that recounted the disappearance of the native people from the American mainstream. A discussion on the plight of native americans in a online forum led me to works of John Myers, Britt Albert, HB Carrington, Henry Fritz etc.,'Bury My Heart at the Wounded Knee' by Dee Brown appealed most as it was the most comprehensive account of the period during which the natives lost not just their territory, but their entire civilization. My initial apprehension about it being an academic tome was confuted by the time I was through the first 2 chapters. I rate it as the best work on historiography of a peroid and of specific people I have read.
Atrocities of the early evangelists, Knights templars, maurauding early Islamic hoardes comitted upon the native people they converted wherever they set foot on, are brushed aside by contemporary historians and media by bracketing them as uncivilized age-old barbarism. However, it only continued in newer forms where gun replaced the sword, cartridge replaced the arrow and methodical infantry/army replaced unorganized 'barbaric' hordes. While we read about economic and industrial boom in Europe and America, rise of the Japan under Meiji, Germany under Bismarck, American civil war as part of world history in our schools, our syllabi nonchalantly missed an important chapter in history viz., the genocide of native americans whose timeline spread across several decades. What started as a systematic campaign in the 1820's to gain more territory for rail roads and settlements, by the time it ended during the 1890's, more than a million natives had lost their lives and those alive were confined to one small territory. People of the First nations to whom once the entire continent belonged to, were reduced to a mere 0.9% of the American population. The 3 decade period between 1860 and 1890 saw brutalities and massacres committed upon the native Americans by the 'civilized' Europeans never witnessed in their history and to the effect that they were left crippled as a civilization for ever.
In Dee Brown's own words the 30 year span between 1860 and 1890 'was an incredible era of violence, greed, audacity, sentimentality and undirected exuberance....'. This 'undirected exuberance' of the American establishment saw the annihilation of the Sioux, Dakotas, Tomahawks, the Navahos, Cheyennes, Apaches, Shawnees, Arapahos, Lakotas, Tetons, Kiowas, Comanches, and many other first nations. As a cruel reminder of their heinous act and as an act of mercy, the establishment named their military toys after these very nations whose people were ruthlessly slaughtered by the same military decades ago.
Dee Browns work initially seemed to be a chronicle of events with academic references but as I read through, it was impossible to put it down. The reason being, Brown's work is also a biography of many First nations, lifestory of their leaders, contemporary history of America and a saga of treachery, cruelty and violence perpetrated by the establishment itself. Several facts that have missed the mainstream education & media has been laid bare by Brown's work.
Follow the images which lays bare the machinations of the American administration, brutality of their infantry, nexus between the oil exploration firms, rail road corporations and the government in hoodwinking the gullible natives to cede their land in agreements that were never adhered to. The battle at the Wounded Knee resulted in the massacre of men, women and children at the hands of the American soldiers. Today America preaches 'human rights' to the world. Uness we 'reverse the gaze' we will contiunue to play second fiddle to them.
Fathom this: Apostle of human rights Abraham Lincoln ordered the execution of thirty-eight Dakota Indians for rebellion but never ordered the execution of Confederate officials or generals who were responsible for the massacre of the hundreds of Dakota men, women and even children. The American-Indian relationship was also a issue that even Abraham Lincoln neglected and many native american historians accuse him of being complicit in the ruthless expansion drive. In another instance, the Homestead Act and the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 signed into law by Lincoln, helped precipitate the construction of the transcontinental railroad, which led to the enormous loss of land, natural resources, as well as the loss of lifestyle and culture, for many native Americans. Human Rights under Lincoln anyone?
We who take pride in our ancient past have a lot to learn from the way the native American nations lost out to the dominant forces. The civilizational war is still on at various levels. We are fighting battles everyday. One hopes that we learn from the mistakes other native people committed and try not to repeat them....more
I was in my first year of engineering in May 1997 when the rematch between Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue was held in NY. Being novices in the field of I was in my first year of engineering in May 1997 when the rematch between Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue was held in NY. Being novices in the field of Comp Science, we were very enthusiastic to know each and every happening in the world of computers. I remember those discussions we used to have in the hostel mess and in college, intently following the Chess matches between a Human genius and a super computer. We were both shocked and amazed when Garry Kasparov lost and Deep Blue was declared the winner. We thought for ourselves and opined that Computer Science has indeed a bright future 😇
Reading 'Deep Thinking' was a journey not just into the past but also a lesson in how to adapt to changing times in the present and future from the man who has seen machine intelligence from up close.
'Deep Thinking' is a work that anyone interested in technology and AI must read. Kasparov was one of the greatest chess players and Deep Blue was one of the greatest chess engines. Understanding both can give the perspective we need on humans and machines and Kasparov has done just that with this book. It was a journey into the past, mirror to the present and a glimpse into the future. Go ahead and buy a copy blindly. I assure that you will not regret 👍
We might hate Communism and Communists, abhor their ideology, scorn and mock them. But many of us have wondered how Communism captured the imaginationWe might hate Communism and Communists, abhor their ideology, scorn and mock them. But many of us have wondered how Communism captured the imagination of the world, what it meant to those who adhered to it in the initial days and what were its basic principles which endeared to people across many countries. Not everyone has read Marx and Engels in entirety or studied dialectical materialism, historical materialism or their roots. How much of the laws of Dialectics do we understand, and what does Cartesian dichotomy has to do with Reductionism which forms the basis for Marxist world view is something we have to ask ourselves as we critique Marx.
P Kesavan Nair attempts to provide a overview of what entails Marxist thought, roots of Marxian concepts and has also criticized Marxism, Communism, Socialism and their antecedents in this 'Apostate on Communism'. Having all these at one place is certainly handy and serves as a reference.
Bertrand Russell evaluated communism and disapproved Marx and foretold a scenario of 'absolutism' and hegemony of top leaders which came true years later. "Whether in China, Russia or East Europe, the practice of communism resulted in the absolutism of party leaders and their personal gains", writes Kesavan. This is true and is a trait of communist rule anywhere in the world. One great reference I found in the book of failed communist experiment in Russia was 'the apology tendered by CPSU at the collapse of the Soviet Union...'. The note (Google!) makes a interesting read and details how concept of 'all people' shrank into the proletariat as the Party became central committee and the committee was dwarfed into the politburo. Common people just adhered to whatever the politburo decided with no say in any affairs of the state whatsoever. The dictatorship of the politburo was so ghastly that: - In 1918, within two months of the declaration of revolution, 15,000 people were condemned to death. - During 1932, in the famine that followed the collective farming experiment failed and as a result 6 million people perished. - 7.2 millions people lost their lives in the purgation process initiated by the Party. 7 million men were put into slavery through 'Gulags'. - In China, cultural revolution resulted in the death of 10 million common people. - Millions were killed under Pol Pot in Cambodia and Vietnam - Scientists like Gregory Mendel were repudiated as his science of genetics did not conform to laws of Dialectics.
Each chapter focuses on subjects like science, dialectics, philosophy, history, economics, and analyses the various influences on Marxist view of each subject. For instance the author establishes how Historical Determinism was the outcome of the scientific determinism of Newtonian physics. Its interesting to read the critics who were present at the time of Marx and Lenin who had provided ample evidences of the failure and futility of determinism of Newtonian physics. Yet, the Marxists stuck to it and caused untold miseries. Writing of Marxist economy, author shows the influence of western classical philosophy, economics and political science on Marx when he came up with his model of economics based on 'Theory of Surplus Value'. Influence of Capitalist economists like Adam Smith, Ricardo and Robert Owen on Marx was complete. Both model of economics work on the surmise that nature is to be ravaged endlessly to satiate mans endless greed. No caveats and no checks.
Some sections of the chapter 'Is Marxism Scientific' is almost hilarious as the author shows how hard the Marxists tried to stick to their pet theories despite advances in quantum physics and genetics which demolished every pet theory they had on science. 'Marxism is not science but a belief system', writes Kesavan and says 'it can be seen that neither its principles not its categories have changed'. This is true and there has been no single successful model of a communist government. While China claims to be Communist, it follows market capitalism throwing Marxist economics out of the window.
The crux is in the final chapter called ' The Red Religion' where the author questions that if Marxism is not science, what is it? "Marxism is a western though. It is a continuation of western classical thought. Though atheistic, Marxism is a branch of Judeo-Christian culture.", write Kesavan and dedicates the rest of the chapter to establish this. Intolerance towards other belief systems, adherence to determinism, absolutism, absence of self experimentation in Judeo-Christian beliefs are very much prevalent in Marxism too. Bible was a revelation. Marx wrote Das Capital in the comfort of the British Museum without even stepping out to interact with the workers, capitalists or the feudal lords. Paul Johnson had once said that Marx had not set his foot even once in a factory, mine or any production institutions. Its safe to conclude that result of Marx's mental faculty is nothing more than a revelation to those who adhere to his principles.
Marxism at the most has created yet another class of elite intellectuals who have no clue about the ground realities but are well perched in government, media and institutions of repute which can influence the thought process of common people. Does it ring a bell? Yes, their successful Indian experiment! Author concludes as much and writes why stages of social revolution is bound to fail due to its inherent contradictions.
The book is more of a initial reference but a much needed one. Text is replete with grammatical and spelling errors. Repetitions of sentences and ideas are a bane through the book which a reader must endure. Proof reading the material, if at all happened, has certainly failed. Nevertheless, the nitty-gritty's can be neglected in view of the gravity of the subject dealt by the author. The Bibliography section offers good reference material on Marxism and related topics. A wonderful effort overall.
My earlier read critiquing Marxism was 'God that Failed' by various authors. The book was compilation of the authors personal journey into Communism and the reasons they forced themselves out of it. Authors included Louis Fischer, André Gide, Arthur Koestler, Ignazio Silone, Stephen Spender, and Richard Wright. As I read Kesavan's 'Beyond Red', I could recall and relate the reasons quoted by these authors on why they quit Communism or why it did not work as intended.
IMO, a must read for those interested in Marxism, philosophy of communism, alternate world views and general politics, history & economics....more
The first time I heard about RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) was during my engineering college days, mostly during a quiz competition if my memory seThe first time I heard about RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) was during my engineering college days, mostly during a quiz competition if my memory serves me right. Like most, I too had a romanticized view of intelligence agencies and espionage, mostly because of our exposure to Ian Fleming novels, James Bond and espionage movies. This view continued for long until a few years ago when I read 'Spycatcher' by James Wright, a former MI5 officer. The moles within, inter-agency rivalry, bureaucratic shackles, political interference, were all laid bare by Wirght in that book. I naturally searched more about our own RAW, MI, IB and all I got were newspaper reports which mostly talked about the intelligence failures leading to 1962 debacle, Kargil war, Samba Spy ring, Rabinder Singh case and likewise. It was then I wondered how does our intelligence apparatus really work and who are the people to run it on a daily basis.
These doubts remained as almost nothing is freely available about RAW and hardly anyone writes about RAW even in newspapers except circumstantially. I felt that I knew more about how CIA or MI6 works, given the extent to which they have been written about in books, articles and monologues. That is not the case with RAW. RAW is out of purview of the media (for right reasons), is not accountable to the parliament/cabinet and not even under the scrutiny of the CAG. While this absolute autonomy has its positives, there are lot of negatives too.
With no one looking into the workings or RAW or monitoring its officers and activities from outside, lot many lacunae have crept into its system which has made it less effective. For example, its so top heavy that it pulls down the entire institution with its weight. This is detrimental during times when quick decisions have to be taken. The people within do not want to correct the fault-lines as the present system works for their individual benefits. The success stories of RAW is more due to the individual brilliance of few officers and men (agents) and less due to the system itself. The above is the gist of the book 'India's External Intelligence - Secrets of RAW' by Maj. Gen. VK Singh.
Maj. Gen. VK Singh, a former army officer who served in the army for 35 years was deputed to the RAW as Joint Secretary, Technical Division with responsibility of Signal Intelligence (SIGINT). His tenure in RAW gave him the first hand experience of its working, its strengths and weaknesses. Given his rich experience in the Army Signal Core, he was the best judge to point out the lacunae in RAW's apparatus and suggest ways to rectify. However, as he found out during his tenure, the top-heavy organization had become a victim of its own red-tape. Since the system was working to suit their individual benefits, the officers in prominent position showed least interest to rectify the system.
Some of the examples of corruption he quotes generates great amount of loathing in us. The case of an officer siphoning off funds to his 'source' in Europe which later turned out to be his own daughter who was pursuing her post-graduate studies in a top European university, shows how few used RAW's autonomy to their own benefits. The author also quotes numerous examples of corruption in buying much needed equipment, wherein top officials favor a particular company for promised kick-backs. Such cases ought to be known by the parliament and public and the cases cited by the author actually jeopardize the nations security.
Hence Maj. Gen VK Singh, in his work has strongly advocated bringing RAW under the ambit of the parliament and making it accountable, both in terms of accounts and activities. Accounts of RAW are not even audited by CAG despite several cases of corruption and illegal usage of funds by its officers and staff members have been recorded. In the garb of maintaining secrecy and autonomy, several of its officers are involved in illegal activities and are susceptible to 'honey traps' and other enticement by foreign agencies. Yet, RAW activities are not monitored by anyone. Here the author advocates setting up of a supervisor committee on the lines of USA's Senate Select Committee on Intelligence or UK's Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, which not only keep a tab on the activities of RAW but also enables it to work in coherence with other intelligence agencies.
A primary fault-line with our intelligence agencies is the inter-agency rivalry and ill-will. The disastrous effect of this is clearly explained by Maj Gen VK Singh through several instances where the deciphering of received data was delayed as one agency refused to share information with another agency. The bizarre instance where different agencies had their own separate antenna at the same place monitoring the same lines, expecting same intelligence only to avoid passing of info to each other is unforgettable.
The author takes the trouble of explaining his role, working of each divisions within RAW, roles of responsibilities of officers in the organization in detail. At many places in the book, he also highlights the positives and negatives of several officers and staff members. While at times it gets cumbersome to read, it is important to know such details if one needs to know the faults within RAW.
The book has more to it. The chapters on history of RAW, Rabinder Singh episode and intelligence mechanism in India are must reads for anyone interested in espionage and intelligence gathering. Each chapter has an aim and narrates a specific episode or instance in which he was involved. These chapters provide in-depth view of the working of the organization.
Let me state that the book is not designed to give a negative or despondent view of our premier intelligence agency nor that seems to be the aim of the author Maj Gen VK Singh. This work is a much needed mirror to the organization which is mandated to protect the citizens of the country. With the genuine faults highlighted, if & when corrected will only enhance the organization's reputation and accomplish its stated goal of citizen security.
The book is NOT a romanticized novel of the Ian Fleming or James Bond mold with stories of agents involved in filmy or heroic acts. Hence the book is certainly not a 'easy' read but surely an important read for anyone interested to know how exactly RAW works and how to correct its negatives.
There are many officers and agents in RAW who risk their lives so that we live in peace. Such hundreds of unnamed, faceless officers and agents are our nation's real heroes. Their sacrifice will surely be worthwhile if the fault-lines within the organization brought out by Maj Gen VK Singh are heeded and duly amended....more
Prashanth Vaidyaraj
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