MAN: THE SOCIAL ANIMAL

Ever since humans started dominating mother earth, we have been referring to ourselves as the social animals. But are we social enough to be called social animals. I feel that almost all the qualities that we have to call ourselves social have been found among animals too. Some qualities that animals have can never be found these days among us, HUMANS. Even then, we say we are superior to all these animals.

Here comes the need to define social. So wat does Wiki have to say about social?

Wiki : It always refers to the interaction of organisms with other organisms and to their collective co-existence, irrespective of whether they are aware of it or not, and irrespective of whether the interaction is voluntary or involuntary.

So, points to note include:

1. Interaction of organisms

2. With other organisms

3. Collective co-existence

Dont animals also satisfy these conditions? So, shouldn't they also be called social?

We have seen co-existence among animals. We see cows and crows together. We see hyenas and wild animals together. Isn't all this co-existence? It certainly is.

Then, what is the next significant difference? Is it the family concept that has evolved among humans? If it is so, the same has evolved among animals too and we can see that they still have not broken up into the nuclear family system. But we have. We can see elephants walking along in groups with a leader and then elephants of various sizes.

Next point to argue about is the knowledge and intelligence. Well, i feel that it requires more knowledge and intelligence to survive in the forest than to live peacefully in the city. They need to hunt for daily food. There is no water facility available for them to take water from. They need to remember the route to get their water. Aren't the animals better in this too compared to us?

Well, there are a lot more points which can be mentioned here like the loyalty that animals has once we take care of it properly. This cannot be found among us, humans. There is no greed for money among animals. They dont kill unless they are hungry but man kills so as to sell the meat to someone else and earn. Well in all these cases aren't animals much better than us?

Whenever we see animals fight, it will never be for money or property. Animals fight only when the question of survival comes. They fight for the basic requirements like food, water, or a mate and not for anything else. But, humans, we fight for everything from a small safety pin to a big aeroplane. Which seems more civilized and social.

Last point that i would like to mention here is the fact that, the only major positive thing about is humans is how we have evolved from the cave men to tech freaks of today. Except perhaps for this transition, we cant be called social and deep within us, we are still the same animals.

So can we at all be called superior to animals?

Can we be called social?

We can be called social and civilized only if we change our behaviours, only if we improve ourselves. Until such time comes we are still only ANIMALS.

NEWSPAPERS

Everyone of us likes to see a newspaper in the front of our doorsteps everyday morning as soon as we get up. The fresh smell from the newspaper. The sharp folds in the newspaper. Ah! What a site in the morning. Steaming hot coffee and newspaper who doesn't like it?

Now, moving on to the serious part about this, what about the news inside these papers? In a recent issue of business line, i was shocked to see the front page was blank. On closer scrutiny, there was a small box in the middle of the page, which had some advertisement of a company. Well, has the quality of papers gone down so much that the front page, which has to contain the main news, is being sold to companies for the purpose of advertisements?

I recently did another activity. Took out a 30 cm scale and measured the area in which news and classifieds or ads where there. To my surprise, it was almost 50:50. Well, this means we as citizens are paying approximately Rs. 4 for a NEWS paper from which we expect news and we get only Rs.2 worth of news. Is this why we need these papers? If its for advertisement then why do we have to buy newspapers? Isn't the television enough?

Now, moving on to the quality of these news, that is even more pathetic. Well, lets do a simple analysis:

Take any of these news:

1. Santhosh Madhavan the god man

2. Bob Woolmer the Pakistan Coach's death

3. The Mthoot murder case now

4. The 26/11 Mumbai Blast

or any other equally sensational issue. The news in the paper will be like this, starting from the next day to which the incident occured:

1st day - A half page news with headings in red color, or white color in black background and the heading size almost 2 inches with a big color photo of the subject in the first page

2nd day - A quarter page news having 3 or 4 columns normal size headings and no photo in the first page.

3rd day - An even smaller column with smaller headings in a corner of the first page.

4th day - The same size column but news shifted to second page

5th day - No news about the news. it just vanishes.

Well, i too agree that as new news come, the importance given to the old news have to reduce. But, as they have delivered the news to us, they have a duty to keep us informed. Take the case of Bob Woolmers death, does anyone know what is its state now? Or the death of the CM in the near past. Does anyone know the truth about it? Well, what to say about this scenerio?

Anyway, i feel that the quality of newspapers these days have gone down. We, as readers and subscribers of the same have to demand better news reporting and follow up of news.

Anyway lets hope for the best

Vande Mataram

OFF THE ROADS

i was recently travelling through mavoor road and was walking through the footpath. i heard someone sounding his horn. i turned back to see what it was. There was a person in a bike who wanted to drive through the footpath. even after knowing that it was not fair, i let the person go. i still dont know why.

we can see a similar situation wherever there are humps on the road. if there is a hump and there is a small gap, we can see bike drivers taking there bikes through that small gap risking their lives plus the lives of civilians.

why is this hurry for people?Its like people have time for everything else but not to obey the traffic rules. funny world isn't it? The policemen who have to look at this are more concerned about people not wearing helmets and seat belts, while the people who are wearing HELLmets are riding through footpaths.

Another incident which recently happened was that, a goods auto had hit a brand new indica car. These guys were quarreling about the expense of each. To my shock the auto driver had stopped his vehichle right in the middle of the road and he was standing on the road side and quarreling. There was neither a policeman nor a normal civilian there who tried to tell the auto driver to be gone with his vehichle. i had to stand in that traffic for approximately about 45 minutes.

Question ourselves as to whether we follow all the traffic rules properly. If yes, react to these. God has made mankind able to react to such instances. So react and change the situation. Lets do it now.

Vande Mataram

THE MALL CULTURE

Recently, i had been to Cochin for a CA students conference. The valedictory function of the conference started on Saturday, the 22nd of August, at 5 pm. i had gone there with 4 of my friends. As soon as the valedictory started i heard a hissing sound from my right and saw my friend trying to call me. Friend asked my "Why should we sit for the Valedictory function? Lets skip it and go to the Oberon Mall". This is where it starts.

I decided to stay till the valedictory function got over, and asked my friends if they wanted to go before the function got over to go ahead with their plans. But, they waited and after that they left the place. I stayed back for a few more minutes to talk to the chief guest and other dignitaries. After that i too left and caught up with them at the mall.

The mall had all kinds of shops ranging from cloths, books, shoes and what not. Nice place to go shopping. i wanted to buy only a pen and few chocolates. My friends got into a cloth shop to buy some dress. I stood near the entrance chatting with a security guard over there. His name was Sasi. He didnt mind chatting with me at all.

I started chatting with him casually asking about him first, then asking how the sales were etc. After chatting for 5 minutes i asked him if the youngsters that are going into the cloth shop or any shop for that matter purchase anything? He smiled slightly and replied, majority of the youngsters who go into these shops come out empty handed only. Why so? Is it because the prices over there are high? i guess not.

After this i went inside looking for my friends. There were 2 guys in our group who were from Cochin itself. i chatted with them and they said they had been to the mall many times, but they hadnt purchased anything from there. They had gone to the mall so as to look at the girls who come there. Girls are roaming around over the mall too. Dont know what motive they have.

Recently in Calicut, in our own very dear Focus Mall, the supermarket called spencers got closed. Why? Naturally, the cost that they might have incurred must have been more than there revenue. Here comes the biggest question. If these people cant get the expenses that they incur from the sales that they have why should they have a shop there? Thus arises the next question. If no person wants to have a shop there, why have the malls there? In this scenerio, there are malls that are being build in our country without any proper analysis of the situation being done.

i feel a scheme has to be implemented where by only people who declare what they want to buy from a mall shall be let into the mall and that too for a time that is specified. Or else, the youth of today who are to guide the nation in future will waste there time in the unproductive malls just like i did on saturday.

Let this blog be a cause for some change atleast in the minds of the next generation.

Vande Mataram

A SPEECH EVERY INDIAN MUST HAVE READ

WELCOME ADDRESS - Chicago, Sept 11, 1893

Sisters and Brothers of America,

It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.

My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."

The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me." Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

For the audio of this, pls visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxUzKoIt5aM

VANDE MATARAM

MERA BHARATH MAHAN

All of us may know that:

India's National

Flower: Lotus

Animal: Tiger

Bird: Peacock

Song: Vande Mataram

Sport: Hockey

Father of the Nation: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

But look at the scenerio nowadays in India. The flower Lotus is used only for worship in temples and in the flags of BJP. No person in India ,when asked which is his favourite flower, will say its a Lotus.

Taking the situation of the national song, Vande Mataram, it is A.R.Rahman who comes to our mind and not the original one by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. The young generation loves the fast music and the fast beats.

The times of Dhyan Chand, Balbir Singh etc is over now. It is Sachin Tendulkar, Dhoni etc who rule. With all due respect to the greats of the game of cricket, isn't it our responsibility to make sure that the game of hockey ,which gave us our first gold medal in olympics, is on par with cricket???

Everything that is Indian is facing these problems, be it with music, dance, culture, food anything and everything. The western culture has influenced each and every one of us. We have become slaves of the most modern western culture. But sadly, we havent taken the positives from them though like cleanliness, public property maintenence etc. This is the human nature.

Accept what you want and forget the rest. Lets change this, i fully agree that we need to mix with the western culture, but that doesn't mean forget ours. Lets preserve ours and take what is positive from the westerners.

vande Mataram

KARGIL: WE SALUTE OUR BRAVE BROTHERS

First of all let me say, i dedicate my this post to our brothers who sacrificed their lifes for us in Kargil, to our brothers who have left their families and have gone to the army to protect our lives and to all those who are spending sleepless nights at the borders so as to make sure that we have a sound sleep.

When we hear that a few of our brave Jawans in the army have been killed, we just read or hear the news just feel sad for one minute and get back to what we were doing. But, when the Jawans hear one of us have been killed or injured, they dont feel sad but in the one minute that we wasted, they think how to avenge the damage that we suffered. This is the difference.

We have now let the responsibility of protecting our country pass on to the Jawans of our country. Well, i do not agree with this. Each of us have the responsibility. The hijack of plane to Kandahar in 1999, led to the release of a dangerous terrorist. i, do agree that civilians life is important. But, when so many of our brave brothers are risking their lives to protect us, dont we also have the responsibility to protect each other?

If the people in the plane, their family etc had been willing to sacrifice their lives for the country, it wouldn't have led to that criminals release. i'm not saying we must just simply give away our life. But, as far as sacrificing our lives for the country comes, i'm for it.

Its time the new generation take an oath. We will not succumb to the threats from people who are here to destroy our country. Whenever, i see our tri-color my heart fills with joy, with pride, and a set of emotions that i cannot describe. i know its all same with each and everyone of us. But, we need to take the next step and should and let ourselves be ordered by these criminals. Maximum that they can do to us is kill us. Let them, but we will not succumb to their pressure.

Let this be the ringtone of each of our heartbeats and then i know no terrorists, no nuclear missile, no atom bomb can do anything to our great country INDIA.

Even now my heart fills with joy when i see that i have a place through which i can spread some message that i have always wanted to.

Lets all say from our hearts ,loud and clear: JAI HIND, VANDE MATARAM

Well i dont know how many have noticed i have used the small 'i' in all places here because when i think of those who have done a lot for our country, i'm too small to be using the 'I' that we usually use.

Anyways, hope some of my readers have a changed pinion about life.

VANDE MATARAM

WALK AND TALK: What an idea sirji

A doctor shows the phone and tells the people walk when you talk. Well, just imagine if we walk and talk in Calicut. The number of gutters and holes on the road! Well, the doctors would get more patients to check. "What an idea sirji".

The number of gutters on the roads in Kerala is now more than the number of coconuts in Kerala.

MIMS hospital in Calicut, one of the best super specialities in calicut, has a very big gutter right in front of its entrance. Well if a person who has some serious heart problems goes through that road, he certainly can say goodbye to earth.

Then, there are the roads that were well laid and then along comes the water department saying there is some problem with the pipeline or some new pipelines to be laid etc. They bring the new pipe along do some digging, destroy the road and just close the pit and just get away from the place leaving the road in the ragged way. Then, the people are put to suffer. Also, the spare pipes are just left behind there, reducing the space available for vehicles to travel. These pipes then just stay there and get rusted just being left there so as to provide spaces for people to stick their posters, advertisements etc.

We, the people just grumble about this situation with our friends and close ones, not doing anything to clear this situation. We have to do something to rid our district or state of this situation.

Now is the time to quote Swami Vivekananda's saying

" Arise Awake and stop not till the GOAL is reached".

Lets do this.

Vande Mataram

WATER WATER EVERYWHERE ,NO PLACE TO WALK

Rains are back in Kerala. The nice sound of rain lashing on the windows. The grey moody days when we can see the people walking around with umbrella in their hands. Ha! what a nice scene. But along with it comes flooded roads, water filled holes in the road etc. Why so?

I recently had been to one of the busiest roads in Calicut. I was walking and when i reached there, there was no road. I could only see water flowing but ignoring that I continued walking and water was there upto my knee.

On seeing this I remembered the lines of Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his poem The Rime of The Ancient Mariner in which he says 'water water everywhere not a drop to drink'. Just like that there was a lot of water there but no place to walk. I continued wading through the water and then saw the cars and other vehicles floating on this.

What is the reason for this? Poor drainage, unplanned city growth, unpredictable amounts of rain? All these have contributed to this flooding, but we should have planned for this huge amount of rains for the simple reason that humans are cautious.

All that has been done (which is nothing) can be forgotten. Now, we need to see what can be done and need to do it. We includes you, me ,our friends and all those who we know.

Lets do it without just questioning or playing the blame game.

Vande Mataram

T20: GENTLEMAN's (now women's too) QUESTIONED

Cricket also called the gentleman's game is under threat now by the T20 format of the same.

Whenever we hear T20, 3 hours of thrill, 40 overs of excitement, 240 balls of tension and in the end 1 winner. If it is so exciting then why have the cheerleaders in there Bikini's. So, is it exciting because of the match or because of the cheerleaders?

Now there are discussions going on to get rid of tests and have only T20's and One dayers. Test cricket the ultimate test that every cricket player faces whenever he plays for the country is to be cancelled. Why so?

The red ball, the white kits everything has more thrill than the T20's. The 1st test of Ashes which England saved, 2nd test of Ashes which England won, the 2 run victory for England in the 2005 Ashes, Kumble's 10 wicket haul against Pakistan, Jim Lakers 19 wickets in a Test. All this has been in Tests and not in T20's .

Even after all this ICC want to get rid of Tests. Let all the people who love cricket raise against this and protect our Test Matches and reduce the number of T20's

Gods own country or Dogs own country

The people of Kerala pride themselves on being called the residents of The Gods Own Country. With the scenic beauty, the climate, the flora and fauna etc Kerala is indeed the Gods own country. But now ,due to the peoples behaviour, their conduct etc Kerala is almost gone down to dogs own country.

The problems which are being created include, rash driving of people, improper behaviour of persons like not maintaining the cleanliness on road, the defiance of laws etc. Also, the informative boards which have been placed to inform about humps or turns on the road, have been covered up with political parties sticker. Cutting down of trees, poaching, more vehichles resulting in an increase in pollution, the lack of action of people towards corruption and other atrocities taking place have all contributed to the same. We all know that we too have contributed to each of these in some way.

Since we are also involved in this, we cannot just blame the politicians or the people in power. We have to initiate some action. Lets all do our part to rid our state of the same and hopefully it gets back to being the old God's own Country, which the present generation have only heard of.

Vande Mataram

Love the Country Not The Party

Whenever a malayali hears of a Hartal, his face lits up with joy because of the fact that its a holiday. Well, is this the right attitude? Its time to question ourselves.

We can see a regular scenerio whereby on a Hartal day lot of vehichles being burnt down, shops destructed etc. Is this the right way of protesting? Politicians or political parties who are supposed to serve the public are causing all this havoc. As a result of this a daily wage earner loses his revenue. Is this correct? Ask ourselves whether the politicians who are involved in all this love the country or are they trying to fill themselves up? A logical thinker would have only one answer to this question.

How can i (which is small) alone solve this issue through this even smaller blog? Think about it. Let us, the people by whom, for whom the government and politicians exist, protest against these hartals. Lets not protest against these hartals by calling for another hartal. Lets protest by doing what we are supposed to do on even hartal days.

Its time we opened our eyes and reacted to all the malpractices in our country
Let us change and gradually country will too.
Lets hope for the best

Vande Mataram

Effect of Films on Human Life

We see a crowd of youngsters hanging out in front of the theatres. Its news for them. Its their favourite stars film release. Now they need to fight only for the tickets.

How influential has the film industry been in revolutionizing the thought process of us, Humans?
This is a question which has high regards these days. We see the youngsters taking a bike or car and going around the city at high speeds. Is this their own feeling or is it because they have been influenced by films? No doubt in the answer its because of the films where we see the hero taking a vehichle and chasing the villain in high speeds.

Another effect of films have been in area of love. The hero sees the heroine and immediately falls in love with her. This is the concept of love in films and we see this concept spreading on to the youth of these days. But is this love or just a feeling of greed?

As they say, films most certainly have played a very important role in the life of human beings as entertainment, spreading of information etc. But some of the films have gone to the other extent of spreading vulgarity, extremism etc. Is the second type of films required?

Films are required but unless the youth of today stop copying what is done in films and start thinking more rationally, within the next 10 years, we certainly can see a very strange world.
Lets all pray such a situation doesnt occur.

Vande Mataram