Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
thin veneer
there was a bar. people there, foreigners and indians alike. drinks, laughter, companionship; these things were natural and welcome. two small dogs playfully chewed on hands, feet, bags, bangles, all were welcome into their maws. beers, wrapped in newspaper, the ultimate stealth covering, surrounded our table. multiple tongues flowing, english spoken with a score of accents over Richard D. James. suddenly there is no music. lights are turned off, indians hunker down. they know.
confusion reigns among the westerners. 'are we getting kicked out?' 'shit, i'm not done with my beer.' nothing seems to be happening. sitting in the dark, giggling, there is no tangible reason for the darkness. i mean, its only 12.30! the police are coming, we're told. we wait for the moment to blow over. i joke about feeling like i'm back in college. not quite.
suddenly, four khaki cops are there. striding around, imperious. they hold the traditional indian police stick, a seemingly quaint convention from the past. things escalate rapidly. there is shouting at the owners, the workers. indians we are hanging out with are grabbed, shouted at and then slapped, hard, in the face. we start yelling, 'stop, those are our friends!' an indian is released from police cluthches, another grabbed and pulled by his lapels. they don't look the police in the face. they are questioned, and respond or not, the only answer is being slapped in the face. we are told to disperse. the workers tell us to get out of there, that its ok. we protest, 'this is fucking bullshit man, they can't just hit you like this.' 'its ok, just go.' many leave. a few of us cluster together, watching as the cops leave with one man, press marching him down the cliff road. we decide to follow; as western tourists, we have somewhat of a free pass with the police, it becomes a far more serious encroachment if they hit us. because we don't have dark skin.
we follow, but they are moving too fast. they don't stop when we yell at them. disappearing into the darkness we chase after. at this point, its too late. we find them, and they've beaten the shit out of this guy with their quaint sticks, no longer so innocent when covered in human blood. the worker from the bar is surrounded by his blood, his arm looks broken. he is in bad shape, but manages to escape when we finally get close enough. the police run off, unwilling to face such a large group, now inflamed with anger. they pretend to chase off after another 'rule-breaker'.
returning to the bar. an indian tells me, 'the police are mad because there are so few tourists. when there aren't many tourists we can't afford to pay baksheesh (bribe money) to them.'
fucking horrible.
confusion reigns among the westerners. 'are we getting kicked out?' 'shit, i'm not done with my beer.' nothing seems to be happening. sitting in the dark, giggling, there is no tangible reason for the darkness. i mean, its only 12.30! the police are coming, we're told. we wait for the moment to blow over. i joke about feeling like i'm back in college. not quite.
suddenly, four khaki cops are there. striding around, imperious. they hold the traditional indian police stick, a seemingly quaint convention from the past. things escalate rapidly. there is shouting at the owners, the workers. indians we are hanging out with are grabbed, shouted at and then slapped, hard, in the face. we start yelling, 'stop, those are our friends!' an indian is released from police cluthches, another grabbed and pulled by his lapels. they don't look the police in the face. they are questioned, and respond or not, the only answer is being slapped in the face. we are told to disperse. the workers tell us to get out of there, that its ok. we protest, 'this is fucking bullshit man, they can't just hit you like this.' 'its ok, just go.' many leave. a few of us cluster together, watching as the cops leave with one man, press marching him down the cliff road. we decide to follow; as western tourists, we have somewhat of a free pass with the police, it becomes a far more serious encroachment if they hit us. because we don't have dark skin.
we follow, but they are moving too fast. they don't stop when we yell at them. disappearing into the darkness we chase after. at this point, its too late. we find them, and they've beaten the shit out of this guy with their quaint sticks, no longer so innocent when covered in human blood. the worker from the bar is surrounded by his blood, his arm looks broken. he is in bad shape, but manages to escape when we finally get close enough. the police run off, unwilling to face such a large group, now inflamed with anger. they pretend to chase off after another 'rule-breaker'.
returning to the bar. an indian tells me, 'the police are mad because there are so few tourists. when there aren't many tourists we can't afford to pay baksheesh (bribe money) to them.'
fucking horrible.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Gora
Sucharita summoned up all her mental strength to remain alert and firm. 'Aren't you a member of some party too?' she asked.
'I am a Hindu. Hindus are not a party after all. Hindus are a community. So immense is this community, it is impossible to express its essence by confining it to any label. Just as the ocean can't be described by its waves, Hindus can't be described as a party either.'
'If Hindus are not a party, why do they resort to party politics?'
'When you try to kill a man, why does he try to defend himself? Because he has a living spirit. Only a lifeless stone would lie passive in the face of all assaults.'
'If Hindus take for an assault what I understand to be my faith, what would you advise me to do?'
'I would urge you that, since what you consider your duty is a painful assault on the great entity called the Hindu community, you must ponder very carefully whether there is some delusion or blindness within yourself, and whether you have contemplated everything from all angles, in every way. It is not proper to cause such a great disruption, taking the customs of one's own party to be the truth, through sheer force of habit or out of laziness. When a rat begins to nibble away at a ship's hull, it goes merely by its own convenience or natural instincts; it does not realize that boring a hole through such a great refuge will cause far greater harm to everyone else than the little bit of ease it will gain for the rat itself. Similarly, you too must consider whether you are thinking only of your own party or of humanity as a whole. Humanity as a whole - do you realize the magnitude of what that signifies? How diverse are the natures, tendencies and needs that it encompasses? All human beings do not occupy the same position on the same trajectory - some confront mountains, some face oceans, others open fields. Yet no-one can afford to remain idle; everyone must move on. Do you want to impose your own party's sole authority upon everyone else? Do you wish to turn a blind eye, imagining there's no diversity among human beings, that everyone is born into this world only to enlist with the Brahmo Samaj? Those brigand races who believe it's best for the world if they vanquish all other races to extend their sole empire, who are too arrogant about their own power to admit that the distinctiveness of other races is of priceless benefit to the world, who spread only slavery across the world - how are you people different from them?'
For a moment Sucharita forgot all her arguments. Gora's voice, deep as thunder, swayed her entire soul with an extraordinary force. She forgot Gora was arguing about something, aware only that he was speaking.
'It is not your Samaj alone that has created the twenty crore people of Bharatvarsha,' Gora continued. 'On what grounds do you seek to utterly flatten out this vast Bharatvarsha, by forcibly seizing the responsibility of decreeing which course of action is suitable for these twenty crores, or which beliefs and practices would ensure sustenance and strength for all of them! The greater the hindrances you encounter in your impossible attempt, the more angry and disrespectful you will feel towards your own country, and the more your contempt will alienate the very people you wish to help! Yet, the Lord who made human beings so diverse, who wishes to preserve this diversity, is the very One you imagine that your worship. If all of you truly believe in Him, why are you unable to recognize his decree? Why does pride in your own intelligence and your own party prevent your from accepting its significance?'
Observing that Sucharita was listening in silence without trying to offer any reply, Gora felt sorry for her. He paused, then continued in a gentler tone:
'Perhaps my words strike you as harsh. But don't view me with hostility as a member of the enemy camp. Had I perceived you as an enemy I would not have spoken to you at all. It pains me to see your natural broad-mindedness confined within the limits of a party.'
Sucharita's face grew flushed. 'No, no,' she protested, 'don't worry about me at all. Please continue what you were saying, and I shall try to follow your argument.'
'I have nothing more to say. View Bharatvarsha through your natural intelligence and natural emotions. Love Bharatvarsha. If you see the people of Bharatvarsha as non-Brahmos you will distort their image and regard them with contempt, and constantly misunderstand them. You will never get to see them from the perspective that allows one to see them whole. The Lord has made them human; they think in many different ways, act in many different ways, follow many different beliefs and customs, but underlying all this is a basic humanity; within all this is something that belongs to me, to Bharatvarsha, something that, when viewed from a true perspective, will pierce its outward shell of pettiness and incompleteness to present before us the vision of a great, noble entity. It is infused with the spirit of long endeavour; in it I can see the ancient sacrificial fire still burning amidst all the ashes, and I have no doubt that this fire will transcend its pretty location in place and time to cast up its flame at the centre of this earth. The people of this Bharatvarsha have been saying many big things for a very long time; they have accomplished many great tasks; even to imagine that all that has become utterly futile is to show disrespect for the truth, and that itself is atheism.'
Sucharita had been listening with bowed head. Now she raised her head and asked:
'What are you asking me to do?'
'Nothing,' asserted Gora, 'I only say that you must understand that the Hindu faith has tried to nurture people of many attitudes, many views; in other words, the Hindu faith alone has acknowledged people as human beings, not as members of the same group. The Hindu faith accepts the illiterate as well as the learned - and not just a single facet of learning, but the growth of knowledge in many dimensions. Christians don't wish to acknowledge diversity; they say there's Christianity on one side and limitless destruction on the other, with no shades of difference in between. Because we follow those Christians, we feel ashamed of the diversity of the Hindu dharma, failing to recognize that Hinduism strives to perceive the One through the medium of the many. Unless our minds break free of the fetters of Khristani learning, we cannot claim the glory of understanding the true nature of the Hindu dharma.'
It seemed to Sucharita that she was not merely hearing Gora's words but seeing them manifest before her eyes; she felt Gora's contemplative gaze, fixed upon the distant future, merge with his words. Forgetting all shame, forgetting herself, she raised her eyes to Gora's face, which glowed with the intensity of his emotions. In that face Sucharita saw a power that seemed to realize the greatest resolves through its own spiritual energy. She had heard many philosophical discourses from many learned and intelligent members of her community, but Gora's utterance was no mere discourse, it resembled a new creation. It was so tangible that over time it could dominate one's whole mind and body. Today Sucharita beheld Indra, the kind of deities, armed with his thunderbolt; as the words forcefully assaulted her ears, shaking the very doors of her heart, she felt flashes of lighting dance through her blood from moment to moment. She no longer retained the strength to determine how far her opinions coincided with Gora's.
'I am a Hindu. Hindus are not a party after all. Hindus are a community. So immense is this community, it is impossible to express its essence by confining it to any label. Just as the ocean can't be described by its waves, Hindus can't be described as a party either.'
'If Hindus are not a party, why do they resort to party politics?'
'When you try to kill a man, why does he try to defend himself? Because he has a living spirit. Only a lifeless stone would lie passive in the face of all assaults.'
'If Hindus take for an assault what I understand to be my faith, what would you advise me to do?'
'I would urge you that, since what you consider your duty is a painful assault on the great entity called the Hindu community, you must ponder very carefully whether there is some delusion or blindness within yourself, and whether you have contemplated everything from all angles, in every way. It is not proper to cause such a great disruption, taking the customs of one's own party to be the truth, through sheer force of habit or out of laziness. When a rat begins to nibble away at a ship's hull, it goes merely by its own convenience or natural instincts; it does not realize that boring a hole through such a great refuge will cause far greater harm to everyone else than the little bit of ease it will gain for the rat itself. Similarly, you too must consider whether you are thinking only of your own party or of humanity as a whole. Humanity as a whole - do you realize the magnitude of what that signifies? How diverse are the natures, tendencies and needs that it encompasses? All human beings do not occupy the same position on the same trajectory - some confront mountains, some face oceans, others open fields. Yet no-one can afford to remain idle; everyone must move on. Do you want to impose your own party's sole authority upon everyone else? Do you wish to turn a blind eye, imagining there's no diversity among human beings, that everyone is born into this world only to enlist with the Brahmo Samaj? Those brigand races who believe it's best for the world if they vanquish all other races to extend their sole empire, who are too arrogant about their own power to admit that the distinctiveness of other races is of priceless benefit to the world, who spread only slavery across the world - how are you people different from them?'
For a moment Sucharita forgot all her arguments. Gora's voice, deep as thunder, swayed her entire soul with an extraordinary force. She forgot Gora was arguing about something, aware only that he was speaking.
'It is not your Samaj alone that has created the twenty crore people of Bharatvarsha,' Gora continued. 'On what grounds do you seek to utterly flatten out this vast Bharatvarsha, by forcibly seizing the responsibility of decreeing which course of action is suitable for these twenty crores, or which beliefs and practices would ensure sustenance and strength for all of them! The greater the hindrances you encounter in your impossible attempt, the more angry and disrespectful you will feel towards your own country, and the more your contempt will alienate the very people you wish to help! Yet, the Lord who made human beings so diverse, who wishes to preserve this diversity, is the very One you imagine that your worship. If all of you truly believe in Him, why are you unable to recognize his decree? Why does pride in your own intelligence and your own party prevent your from accepting its significance?'
Observing that Sucharita was listening in silence without trying to offer any reply, Gora felt sorry for her. He paused, then continued in a gentler tone:
'Perhaps my words strike you as harsh. But don't view me with hostility as a member of the enemy camp. Had I perceived you as an enemy I would not have spoken to you at all. It pains me to see your natural broad-mindedness confined within the limits of a party.'
Sucharita's face grew flushed. 'No, no,' she protested, 'don't worry about me at all. Please continue what you were saying, and I shall try to follow your argument.'
'I have nothing more to say. View Bharatvarsha through your natural intelligence and natural emotions. Love Bharatvarsha. If you see the people of Bharatvarsha as non-Brahmos you will distort their image and regard them with contempt, and constantly misunderstand them. You will never get to see them from the perspective that allows one to see them whole. The Lord has made them human; they think in many different ways, act in many different ways, follow many different beliefs and customs, but underlying all this is a basic humanity; within all this is something that belongs to me, to Bharatvarsha, something that, when viewed from a true perspective, will pierce its outward shell of pettiness and incompleteness to present before us the vision of a great, noble entity. It is infused with the spirit of long endeavour; in it I can see the ancient sacrificial fire still burning amidst all the ashes, and I have no doubt that this fire will transcend its pretty location in place and time to cast up its flame at the centre of this earth. The people of this Bharatvarsha have been saying many big things for a very long time; they have accomplished many great tasks; even to imagine that all that has become utterly futile is to show disrespect for the truth, and that itself is atheism.'
Sucharita had been listening with bowed head. Now she raised her head and asked:
'What are you asking me to do?'
'Nothing,' asserted Gora, 'I only say that you must understand that the Hindu faith has tried to nurture people of many attitudes, many views; in other words, the Hindu faith alone has acknowledged people as human beings, not as members of the same group. The Hindu faith accepts the illiterate as well as the learned - and not just a single facet of learning, but the growth of knowledge in many dimensions. Christians don't wish to acknowledge diversity; they say there's Christianity on one side and limitless destruction on the other, with no shades of difference in between. Because we follow those Christians, we feel ashamed of the diversity of the Hindu dharma, failing to recognize that Hinduism strives to perceive the One through the medium of the many. Unless our minds break free of the fetters of Khristani learning, we cannot claim the glory of understanding the true nature of the Hindu dharma.'
It seemed to Sucharita that she was not merely hearing Gora's words but seeing them manifest before her eyes; she felt Gora's contemplative gaze, fixed upon the distant future, merge with his words. Forgetting all shame, forgetting herself, she raised her eyes to Gora's face, which glowed with the intensity of his emotions. In that face Sucharita saw a power that seemed to realize the greatest resolves through its own spiritual energy. She had heard many philosophical discourses from many learned and intelligent members of her community, but Gora's utterance was no mere discourse, it resembled a new creation. It was so tangible that over time it could dominate one's whole mind and body. Today Sucharita beheld Indra, the kind of deities, armed with his thunderbolt; as the words forcefully assaulted her ears, shaking the very doors of her heart, she felt flashes of lighting dance through her blood from moment to moment. She no longer retained the strength to determine how far her opinions coincided with Gora's.
Friday, December 4, 2009
my love is creamy
One thing has bothered me since I've been in India. A great disturbance in my mind, driving me to distraction, leaving my very soul parched. Here where cows hang out like drug dealers on the city streets, their udders swinging heavily, (the drug dealer udder is a well-disguised fact) it seems like it should be easy to find a glass of milk. Not so! One can't simply approach these cows and start chugging and pulling; these are ladies after all, and must be treated with respect. A procedure, a code must be followed, permission asked of cow and owner. These things take time, one can't stress these Hindu cows. I need it now though! Enter the milk parlour.
What a treasure trove of goodness! Like a child in a candy store, I approached the milk parlour, naked milk greed on my face. Here is my power, my god. I feel as if I'm a young droog, drinking my ultramilk straight from the breast, filling myself with its strength. Milk madness overwhelms me and I order the almond flavored milk, guzzling it down in a trice. So many flavors to sample, I'm flooded with possibility. Small bottled god, you are my salvation. Straight from the cow.
What a treasure trove of goodness! Like a child in a candy store, I approached the milk parlour, naked milk greed on my face. Here is my power, my god. I feel as if I'm a young droog, drinking my ultramilk straight from the breast, filling myself with its strength. Milk madness overwhelms me and I order the almond flavored milk, guzzling it down in a trice. So many flavors to sample, I'm flooded with possibility. Small bottled god, you are my salvation. Straight from the cow.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
An eggplant-shaped truth
Greetings from Bangalore! IT capital of India, this city has a great relaxed feel, helped most noticeably by the beautiful weather here. Unbelievably, its almost cold here at night! Wild. Bangalore is really big, but there are a few main areas that are of most interest to travelers. The MG (mahatma Gandhi) road area has a ton of shopping, bars, clubs and restaurants in a fairly compact area. Next door is the large lovely Cubbon park, great wandering here. The High Court and State Central Library are in the park itself, while Karnataka's central government building, the Vidhana Soubha is across the street. Bangalore is busy, but not teeming with people like Mumbai was. Traffic, as always, is heavy and pollution is bad, but the charm of the city and its people is undeniable. It has been really easy to meet people, even on the street. Why, just the other day I met a man outside the park. We exchanged ritual pleasantries, shared a nice walk and conversation together and he even propositioned me at the end! I was flattered, but was already late to meet up with my couchsurfing host, and had to crush his dreams.
I am surfing here with this guy Dev, a software programmer who is trying to become a professional photographer. Really cool guy, he agreed to host me when my original host had to fly to Mumbai on short notice to meet with a client. The Bangalore couchsurfing network is really well-developed, met a bunch of them at this club (called, hilariously enough, Couch) for their weekly Wednesday meet-up. Really great people, friendly and open, but also, quite obviously, a close-knit community of friends. It was quite the experience, definitely something I want to be a part of wherever I may live in the future. The nightlife in this town is great, although by law all bars and clubs have to close by 11.30. While this is a drawback, it just means people go hard from like 7 till close, really squeezing all they can out of the partying scene.
Before Bangalore I was in Bidar, in the far northern corner of Karnataka state. There is a really great old fort up there, still in the process of being opened to the public. This place was huge, surrounded by a 6 km long wall and accompanying moat. Its free to get in, but you can give a guide a small tip to get showed around the locked areas of the palace, so I was able to check out the Raja and Rani's private quarters and meeting areas, as well as some of the underground sections where gunpowder was stored. Really fascinating place, and a great walk out from the city to get there, like 5 km, so a really good chance to see a small Indian town close up.
I picked up a book the other day by Rabindranath Tagore, India and Bengal's premier man of letters. The book is Gora, a work about Bengal in the late 19th century that examines the emerging nationalist movement from the eyes of an orthodox Hindu man. Tagore is a really amazing writer, profound emotions and otherworldly sights co-mingle in the minds and discussions of his characters. Here is a true image of Bharatvarsha, one that seeks to bring all the disparate elements of Indian society together into a unifying whole of disunity. Paradoxical, yes. But quite moving and beautiful at the same time. Highly recommended.
I am surfing here with this guy Dev, a software programmer who is trying to become a professional photographer. Really cool guy, he agreed to host me when my original host had to fly to Mumbai on short notice to meet with a client. The Bangalore couchsurfing network is really well-developed, met a bunch of them at this club (called, hilariously enough, Couch) for their weekly Wednesday meet-up. Really great people, friendly and open, but also, quite obviously, a close-knit community of friends. It was quite the experience, definitely something I want to be a part of wherever I may live in the future. The nightlife in this town is great, although by law all bars and clubs have to close by 11.30. While this is a drawback, it just means people go hard from like 7 till close, really squeezing all they can out of the partying scene.
Before Bangalore I was in Bidar, in the far northern corner of Karnataka state. There is a really great old fort up there, still in the process of being opened to the public. This place was huge, surrounded by a 6 km long wall and accompanying moat. Its free to get in, but you can give a guide a small tip to get showed around the locked areas of the palace, so I was able to check out the Raja and Rani's private quarters and meeting areas, as well as some of the underground sections where gunpowder was stored. Really fascinating place, and a great walk out from the city to get there, like 5 km, so a really good chance to see a small Indian town close up.
I picked up a book the other day by Rabindranath Tagore, India and Bengal's premier man of letters. The book is Gora, a work about Bengal in the late 19th century that examines the emerging nationalist movement from the eyes of an orthodox Hindu man. Tagore is a really amazing writer, profound emotions and otherworldly sights co-mingle in the minds and discussions of his characters. Here is a true image of Bharatvarsha, one that seeks to bring all the disparate elements of Indian society together into a unifying whole of disunity. Paradoxical, yes. But quite moving and beautiful at the same time. Highly recommended.
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