SWASTIKA

Today, April 20th is the birthday of Adolf Hitler. His warped theory of Aryan supremacy is largely responsible for the situation leading to second world war and subsequently world politics from then on. He was a gifted soul, who utilised his powers in world domination. The well oiled Nazi propaganda machines are all so (in)famous; be it his mesmerising speeches, Hitler Youth, SchutzStaffel (SS), Gestapo, SD... all had its potent symbol of power in Swastika. As Hindus and as Indians one needs no introduction to Swastika (卐) , the very symbol which the Fuehrer used for his Nazi propaganda. Since Hitler and Nazism, Swastika has been construed as a hate symbol, and is now taboo in the Americas and Europe. Even yesterday, some "white-supremacists" vandalised a muslim tomb in France by spray painting Swastika on them. White folks apart, millions and millions of people of Indian origin widely use the symbol in their various rituals. Western world (read: white people), this blog is especially for you.

Swastika, is NOT a symbol of white-supremacy and hate.

It has its roots in Sanskrit, and earliest symbols were found in relics more than 7000 years old(history), and it is a very common symbol in Hinduism(mythology). Swastika is from "Su", meaning "good being" and "asti" meaning "to be" and hence Swastika means "well being", "lucky charm", etc.


Swastika could be found (historically) in almost all parts of the world. It is extensively seen in India even today, where it is common practice to draw the Swastika to represent anything auspicious. The variants in drawing the swastika means the evolution of the universe (pravriti) or the involution(nirvriti), and it represents Brahma, the creator. It is extremely holy in Hinduism, and it is used in temples' sculpture, religious and other scripture, rituals, and a host of other things associated with Hinduism. Swastika has also extensive uses in Jainism and Buddhism, and is also found in various other sects and cultures across the world. Before Hitler corrupted the sanctity of Swastika in the eyes of the western world, Swastika was a potent symbol even in white Europe.

Just to show how blind and ignorant people are, banning Swastika from the west is paramount to saying the holy cross of Christ too, should be banned- as members of the dreaded Ku Klux Klan (KKK) exterminated millions of "coloured" people tying them to the holy cross and burning them. The treatment and attitude toward Swastika must be different to that of the Holy Cross as the perpetrators were of their own religion while Swastika did not have any relation with Hitler on religious ground and it has represented goodness and universal humanity all over the world. Even if the world holds these symbols of Christianity on the ground of their use, still Swastika can not be held responsible in the same way as them. One horrific event in history should not wipe out thousands of years of harmony, humbleness and its good faith.

Though Nazism is still recent and remains fresh in our memory, it is time that people are educated to see beyond Hitler and his legacy. Lets hope that the true meaning of this universal symbol of well being and goodness would be restored in the western world.

FRIDAY THE 13th

Friday the 13th- here it is. Paraskavidekatriaphobia (what?) has a meaning to exist because of this day. It is the fear of Friday the 13th. It is not a frequent occurance, with usually just 1-2 instances per year of 13th being a friday. On a more common note, triskaidekaphobia the fear of just the number 13 still plagues many poor souls.

As superstitious as it remains, the origins of this bugaboo is also very obscure. In the last supper Judas was the 13th guest, and Jesus was crucifixed on Friday. Eve gave the "forbidden fruit" to Adam on a friday (highly specious), and many other stories still keep the fear alive. King Philip IV had many Knights Templar arrested simultaneously and later executed on Friday, October 13, 1307- and it is believed by many that this started the fear of the day.

From being an unlucky day, it has evolved into a day of horror and ghosts. There are quite a few movies and books based on Friday the 13th day. Many high rise buildings in Europe and North America do not have a 13th floor and there are sometimes no 13th street/avenue in cities. The superstitions assume alarming proportions in terms of misfortune- like a black cat crossing your path, breaking the mirror, spilling salt, walking under a ladder... these can be catastrophically disastrous for you. 13 people at a dinner is an ill-omen (death would occur within an year), the earliest reference to this can be found in the Hindu religion, as it was later with the Vikings. The 13th stage of life was death, according to Egyptian belief(but it was lucky, or so they believed). THe British Medical Journal in 1993 also published a report, which proved with "conclusive results" from extensive tests, that Friday 13th was indeed bad for your health. Interesting!


The spookiness can be quite something, as it did in the following story. One hundred years ago, the British government sought to quell once and for all the widespread superstition among seamen that setting sail on Fridays was unlucky. A special ship was commissioned, named "H.M.S. Friday." They laid her keel on a Friday, launched her on a Friday, selected her crew on a Friday and hired a man named Jim Friday to be her captain. To top it off, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage on a Friday... and was never seen or heard from again!\


If it gets spooky on friday the 13th, it get to pure horror on saturday the 14th! Dont believe me? Check out THIS movie... The pictures on this blog by the way, are REAL pictures taken by me in a corn field sometime back. Comments on the pictures are welcome!

Before you go, dont look beneath your seat.

NORTH EAST INDIA

For many people, north-east India remains an enigma. All we know is upto Assam. Or Asom (did you know it is now officially called Asom and not Assam?). For all those who are in the dark about our uttar-purva Bharath, here are some facts.

ARUNACHAL PRADESH - Itanagar
Famous for its mountaneous landscapes, the name translates into "land of the dawn-lit mountains". Major part of it is also claimed by China, and they refer to the disputed land south of Tibet as Zangnan. There is also another LOC or Line Of Control here, disputed by India and China.

ASOM - Tezpur
Pre-Independence Assam was a large state which broke off in the 60s and 70s into Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya. Insurgent rebels are fighting for their "freedom" and do have a separate control and way of life over many areas. Asom is noted for its tea estates, oil reserves (the largest oil reserves in India), and forests. Kaziranga and Manas wildlife sanctuaries are declared as world heritage sites. It is also famous for its Rhinos.

NAGALAND - Kohima
Did you know that Nagaland is one state in India where the official language is English? Their lifestyle significantly differs from the rest of India. Christianity accounts for 90% of the population and the largest of churches of Asia are found in Kohima. Even after granting statehood after a bitter fight with the Naga tribes in 1963, insurgency has since re-erupted demanding greater autonomy.

TRIPURA - Agartala
A predominantly Hindu kingdom, Tripura traces its history and culture back to the mythological era of Mahabharatha and the Puranas. Tripura is rich in cash crops and a wonderful history of tradition and culture. Teeming with temples and heritage, Tripura too had its share of insurgency problems with the rise of National Liberation Front of Tripura, and others.

MIZORAM - Aizawl
It has a literacy rate of 89%, the second highest in India- yet it is grossly neglected. "Freedom fighters" have been active in this erstwhile union district of Assam, then a union territory and finally given full statehood status in 1987. The city of Aizawl was bombed using fighter jets by the government of India in 1966 to quell insurgency- the first and perhaps the only instance where Indian government used army to attack its own territory.

MEGHALAYA - Shillong
Literally meaning "the abode of clouds", Meghalaya boasts of a rich flora and fauna- it has 2 national parks and 3 wildlife sanctuaries. Meghalaya is nature personified, with forests and mountains all over. Cherrapunjee, the world's rainiest place is located in Meghalaya.

MANIPUR - Imphal
The tricolour as we know it today was first unfurled on Indian soil on April 14, 1944 in Moirang, Manipur by Colonel Malik, of Indian National Army (INA). The game "POLO" originated in Manipur, which the British took to other parts of the world. Allied forces defeated Japan and Subash Chandras Bose on the outskirts of Imphal which is one of the turning points of the second world war in the eastern front. One of the major Indian classical dances, Manipuri originates from Manipur.

SIKKIM - Gangtok
After a referendum in 1975, the independent kingdom of Sikkim chose to unite with India. It todays stands out as the least populous state, but rich in its geographical diversity and cultures. Nestled right on the mighty Himalayas, Sikkim is home to a mountaneous menagerie of peaks, most notable among them being Kanchenjunga, the highest peak in India.

One thing about North-eastern states is understood. They are all in some way or the other plagued by the ingurgency problem creeping. Why is this happening? Is it because the Indian government is neglecting the north-east? More of this would be understood if we take the historical account of events. Tripura for instance was a independant monarchist state which merged with India in 1949. It was however affected heavily by the partition of India, when Hindu Bengalis migrated to Tripura- a move which heavily reduced the proportion of native Tripuris. Many insurgent factions rose against the Bengalis, and thus a problem was created which is active till this day.

Nagaland's Naga tribes share a deep socio-economic and political similarity with Assam, and current situation in Nagaland has its roots to over 150 years in history. Largely under oppression initially under Myanmar and later the British (who also converted most Naga tribes to Christianity), Nagaland remained a part of Assam after Independence. Nationalist ideas rose among the Naga tribes who demanded their ancestral property and rebelled against Indian government to separate from Assam. After much military and diplomatic intervention, Nagaland was declared as a Union territory in 1957. Statehood was officially declared in 1963, to appease the Naga tribes. However, violence and internal conflicts amongst the tribes have since erupted in the 80s and 90s.

Mizo tribes a Mongloid-Chinese race migrated to India in the 18th and 19th centuries and occupied the foothills. Factions between various tribes and then oppression by the British, Mizo tribes accepted autonomy after independence-only to revolt later. Their fight for a "greater Mizoram state" gained ugly proportions with Indian army bombing Aizawl in 1966. Mizo hills area was converted into a Union territory in 1971, and was made a state in 1987, ending the hostilities.

An independent kingdom, Manipur was dragged into conflict between Thailand and Burma. British defeated Burma in 1891 and annexed Manipur into the British empire. Manipur also saw grim battles in the second world war in 1944-45, between allied forces and INA. After Independence, Manipur became an independent kingdom once again, only to be joining India in 1949 as a C state. It became a union territory in 1956, and a state in 1972.

Arunachal Pradesh was a bone of contention for both India and China. The McMahon line drawn separating it from Tibet was believed to be the border separating the two nations. But China claiming soveriegnity over Tibet, refused to accept the border as it contended such a border could not be drawn with China's consent. Situation worsened after independence, and the formation of People's Republic of China, and it resulted in the Sino-Indian war of 1962, and barter trade ties with Tibet were severed after the war. India and China operate on a line of control.

Tribal insurgency is perhaps the least in Meghalaya, though it is plagued with problems of infrastructure and basic amenities. Assam on the other hand is the mother state under which other kingdoms were formerly a part of. As the main north-eastern state, rebels and insurgents are also found here, each fighting for their own autonomy. Most notable factions include the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Bodo militants.

All the erstwhile kingdoms/princely states have some issues with "independence"- for most of the Indian masses, this problem is only evident in the case of Kashmir. Whereas, the north-eastern states are completely ignored. They hold a magnitude of rich natural beauty and wealth- only left to ruin by sheer neglect. When I look at the attitude of the general Indian public towards the people from the north-east, it is no secret that we don't consider them as "Indians". This is chiefly due to the fact that they mostly comprise tribal people and areas; and the fact that they dont quite "look" like Indians. Isn't it time that we take more notice of them? Or else we might have to pay a much serious price. You know what I am thinking about.

ALL FOOLS DAY

Person 1: Hey, I got fooled into believing that my dog died today.

Person 2: Ha ha ha... how silly of you. I would never believe anything said on 1st April.

Person 1: Yea, right. But actually my dog did die, and I made a fool of myself by not believing the news. So I got fooled... by myself.

Person 2: Are you trying to fool me here?

It is that time of the year where people try to pull a fast one.

You should know, conning is a daily routine for many all round the world. BUNTY & BUBLI, the bollywood hit of 2005 is a good example of con-men, though some stunts are too much. BLUFFMASTER is also on a similar theme... April Fool's day apart, we have been tricked many times. Atleast, I have been tricked. I got tricked when applying for my passport once (the tout/middleman absconded with the money), our rickshaw-waala (when I was very young) escaped with money again, I got adulterated petrol in a "PURE-FOR-SURE" petrol pump (my bike showed a whopping 20 km drop per litre), our TV repairman tricked us by installing some "foreign parts" in our TV, and was never heard of again. Our TV was in worse shape, and our wallet lighter. Well, there are many more instances of me being conned, and I dare not venture into more of those. So, cheating is rampant in our society. No denying that.

So, you know why APRIL's fool day came into effect? It was a desparate attempt long time ago by people like me (who have got cheated/fooled/conned...) to get back at our perpetrators. Of course, you cannot hunt them down, but we vent our pent-up feelings by trying lame practical jokes, and other grey lies to fool a gullible person. So April 1st was chosen as the date (birthdate of the founder, who has requested anonymity in his death will) during the first ever meeting of FCA (Fooled Citizens Association) in 1878. The word quickly got around, and today it is known all over the world. But beware, there are rumour mongers lurking all over the internet, and nothing more so as it is seen here, which tries to trick us into believing the events and circumstances leading us to fool each other on April 1st. But dont get blinded by such attempts.
Now that we have figured out the reason for this day(who cares anyway), it is much fun to fool somebody. Ah, the joy of seeing others get fooled...! But equally disgusting is to be fooled.

So, be on your guard.