I AND MY WORDS

Pic Courtesy: Times of India News came in today  of the government going all out to woo industries willing to move out of China. While I like the effort going on and find out timely, there are a few things that people really need to ponder over as we move forward. A step back is also needed to understand just where we stand and what we need, especially with respect to potential wave of industrial expansion that we are aiming for. Market Size and Currency Valuation People in government machinery cotinue to overestimate the ability of Indian market to absorb things is overstated. Some of our best industries were really earning from exports. Textiles, auto, ceramics, pharma - you name it, the export earning is big.  Also, analysts like Sajid Chenoy and several others have regularly pointed out also that India has really seen growth in the past two decades when two factors converged: 1. Export oriented units, especially MSME sector boomed and got big orders 2. Rupee's real

Purushartha in human life is essential to the goal of moksha and mukti or ultimate freedom from bondage. To achieve the purpose, the four pillars of dharma, artha, kaama and moksha are to be attained in one’s life. The tools to enable the cultivation of the four pillars have been clearly identified by several scholars in the triage of sadhana, seva and swadhyaya, one not being mutually exclusive of the other. In all of this, the key underlying philosophy of seva or service clearly becomes paramount to the cause. The Philosophies of Dharma, in particular the Indic philosophies, have always attached a high degree of importance to service alongside devotion and liturgy. Service is an outcome unto itself, defining the manner in which we relate ourselves to the outer world. Despite the various astika (Vedanta, Veda, Advaita, Dvaita or Vaishnava, Shakta, Shaiva Siddhanta and others) and nastika philosophies (Jainism, Buddhism) that have existed around for millenia, the consensus on seva or

Headed Somewhere - Picture Credit Travel Triangle The world is engulfed by the Chinese corona virus epidemic, and it is difficult to believe predictions today that the problem will ebb away in three months. Crystal ball gazing often tends to be more accurate than expert opinion in the world, and in a world where conservatism of estimation is always favored, you can only remain under-prepared for the real situation. What is certain though is that the world will alter definitely in ways that we can perhaps not imagine, unless we look at the pre-epidemic situation to realize that globalism and globalization have proven to be a double edged sword.  Corona virus epidemic has led us to seeing visuals of animals coming out in the open and 'reclaiming wildlife'. Romanticism of a new kind is setting in about the times, and questions on the modern lifestyle are being increased by ordinary people with unparalleled frequency. While the questions would of course be welcome, the ro

जब राम मंदिर का निर्णय घोषित हुआ था, तब मन में चंद विचार आये थे। उन्हें आज यहाँ छोड़े जा रहा हूँ। ************ आज वह क्षण आ गया, जिसकी प्रतीक्षा लगभग 500 वर्षों से अनेकों लोग, अनेकों गुट, अनेकों भक्तजन कर रहे थे। वह लल्ला, जिनके दर्शन की आस में अनेकों आँखें खुलकर बन्द हो गयीं, आज अश्रुलिप्त हैं यह कल्पना कर के सम्भवतः उनके प्रभु को उनका स्थान, उनका घर अंततः मिल ही जाएगा। आज अनेकों महापुरुषों, जीवित या जीवनपर्यन्त, की तपस्या और त्याग का फल उन्हें प्राप्त हुआ है। उन्होनें सर्वस्व त्याग दिया, उनके जीवन में अनेकों यातनाएं सहीं, क्योंकि उनकी आस्था इस एक स्थान की पवित्रता में हैं। इस आस्था पर अनेकों प्रश्न उठाए जाते हैं। परन्तु क्या मात्र हिंदुओं की आस्था ही प्रश्नों का उत्तर देने के लिए है?  पूछा जाता है - मन्दिर क्यों होना चाहिए? ऐतिहासिक तथ्य को नकारने का ठीकड़ा हमारे ही सिर फोड़ना होता है। वैसे ही आस्था क्या है? क्या नास्तिकता और निरीश्वरवाद एक प्रकार की आस्था नहीं है? आप प्रत्यक्ष को नकार दूसरों के सत्य को झुटलाने का प्रयास बन्द करें, तो बहुत बड़ा उपकार होगा इन महात्माओं का। वहाँ

Nirmala Sitharaman and Anurag Thakur at Yesterday's Press Conference (source: PIB) In yesterday’s press conference via video conferencing, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in English and her deputy Anurag Thakur addressed the media and clearly stated that the aim of these announcements was to help companies and individuals to ease out worries sitting in the mind of the people with respect to various kinds of regulatory requirements. Ms. Sitharaman noted that as efforts of the lockdown to flatten the curve for the Covid-19 spread are being undertaken, she also assured everyone of an upcoming economic package. The first step however, as Mr. Thakur stated, was to ensure that the first step is taken in the direction of addressing statutory and regulatory compliance related issues. Relief on Income Tax Compliance and Regulation Deadline for filing IT returns for FY18-19 have been extended to 30 June 2020. Moreover, a reduced interest rate of 9% shall now be levied till 30 June 2

The Janata Curfew witnessed on 22 March 2020 was more than a success. Glitches here and there apart, the manner in which an entire nation chose to stand up and acknowledge the people who help it was truly unprecedented. This is a moment that will be remembered in popular history and will become a part of folklore in the years to come, and will perhaps make Narendra Modi into a tour de force, a legend in some senses. What made is very interesting to note however was the innate Hinduness of society that came out that evening at 5pm. It started five minutes earlier, but went on fifteen minutes. Whatsapp groups had already started to circulate the temple aarti bell and shankha sounds to play - not suprisingly, that was the predominant sound that people responded to with enthusiasm. The atmosphere was nothing short of eclectic. Those who have attended vibrant aartis would recall how the powerful sounds really vibrate with the aatma, making you go into a deep meditative state. People jo

Jagan Mohan Reddy and his YSR Congress party has time and again shown its keenness to prop up Christianity, which Jagan personally adheres to. However, when it comes to celebrating the native Hindu traditions of Andhra Pradesh, it seems the government develops an ostrich like mentality, and buries its head in the proverbial sand. The annual Bhadradri temple’s Sita-Rama wedding festival, celebrated on Rama Navami, has always been a sight to behold. Lakhs of devotees from across the country throng the temple in Bhadrachalam Andhra Pradesh to view this divine sight. The Jagan Reddy government has apparently declined to allocate funds for the Kalyana Mahotsavam this year, despite being a state festival for Andhra Pradesh. Speaking to a  Hans India reporter , a senior temple official was quoted that even though the Seetha Rama Kalyanam was declared as state festival, all they get is a pair of silk robes and pearls costing about ₹20,000. The temple, the official said, earns about ₹