Look at the people targeted by this Terror strike... Leader of the Anti-Terrorist squad, encounter specialist of Mumbai police and other senior officers - The terrorists are sending a clear message...
They have clearly planned to whom to kill, when, where and what to do in India. It is simply amazing level of control and execution strength that they have displayed. It is an open challenge to the government and the officials. The bad thing is that they have been extremely successful in converting their plans to action. Where is the issue? Gathering intelligence? Taking action in spite of political constraints? Are the terrorist really getting smarter than the ones trained to nab them? In a country of more than a billions, isnt there enough eyes watching and reporting about the activities of these people?
Thing to look for is our government's attitude and way it is going to handle this crisis. The terrorists have the advantage as India is currently in the election process and the ruling part would not take any stern steps as it would loose the Muslim vote bank. Whatever is done from here on, the hunting of terrorists has suffered a huge blow and there is going to be no short term fix.
Hope none of the parties politicize this issue. Like to see some national integrity - a united face against terror. Please check some of the comments on NDTV. They represent a clear cross section of the Indian public opinion..
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Terror Attack Mumbai
Even your own pet DOG will take an aggressive position if you try to go near his food, leave alone beating or abusing. In India, we continue to tolerate these terror attacks for eternity.
Decades of the Chalta-he (its alright, let go) attitude of the Indian babus(IAS, IPS officers) and politicians have blunted our tools and dissolved our resolve to fight these infections. EVERY step of the fighting against these terrorists are reactive. Why do you allow these assholes to recuperate after you hit them? Why don't you continue to attack till they are completely eliminated?
Every time you talk of Indians being resilient and bouncing back to normal life, if breeds this compromising attitude. This has been our downfall. Pakistan which is one third our size has waged three full wars and Kargil misadventures. Because not being aggressive in this world is considered weak. Look at the West - US, UK. They seek out the source of terror thousands of miles away in Afghanistan and Iraq and wage massive wars. If you have to believe conspiracy theorist like Michael Moore, 911 itself was a planned implosion of the twin towers. And it is an established fact that Iraq never had weapons of mass destruction, even if they did, they did not possess the means to deliver it half-way across the globe to be counted as a threat. China recently crushed the Muslim rebels within its territory (while still holding the good relationship with Pakistan). Russians demolished Georgian military establishments to such an extent that it would take years to rebuild the infrastructure.
What all this proves is just one thing. Each of these country ensures the safety of their citizen, by PROACTIVELY engaging their enemy, even if that means moving troops and equipment half way across the globe. It is what defines your commitment level and resolve in solving your problems. Their actions come first and justifications come later, if at all. They don't give up until and unless the threat is completely wiped out. This is something Indians have to learn fast. What does not kill them, really DOES makes them stronger. The Anti-Terrorism-Squad, thought really well trained and equipped, are made to wait for the political and legal clearance - this is where the Indian system is slow - lacks a backbone to establish outgoing policies which go after these terror outfits. Currently though lot of the terror strikes are stopped from ever happening,obviously this does not seem to be enough.
There should be an active program to infiltrate these terror organizations from bottom up, put them on constant surveillance, go after any actionable intelligence, be it accurate or not. Anyone who is suspected to be terrorist should be tried with a specifically designed legal system - one that is a million time faster and always ends up in capital punishment. Losing a few Indians every week out of 1.1 billion of them may not be a major concern for the babus and politicians. They may be too afraid to loose the Muslim vote bank in India and not strengthen anti-terror laws. But somewhere you have to put you foot down and say THIS IS IT. For a country asking for permanent membership in UN Security council, country which is aspiring to become a superpower in 2020, a country which is aiming for the skies and stars, this is THE basic right it should start protecting - the right of innocent civilians to live.
Decades of the Chalta-he (its alright, let go) attitude of the Indian babus(IAS, IPS officers) and politicians have blunted our tools and dissolved our resolve to fight these infections. EVERY step of the fighting against these terrorists are reactive. Why do you allow these assholes to recuperate after you hit them? Why don't you continue to attack till they are completely eliminated?
Every time you talk of Indians being resilient and bouncing back to normal life, if breeds this compromising attitude. This has been our downfall. Pakistan which is one third our size has waged three full wars and Kargil misadventures. Because not being aggressive in this world is considered weak. Look at the West - US, UK. They seek out the source of terror thousands of miles away in Afghanistan and Iraq and wage massive wars. If you have to believe conspiracy theorist like Michael Moore, 911 itself was a planned implosion of the twin towers. And it is an established fact that Iraq never had weapons of mass destruction, even if they did, they did not possess the means to deliver it half-way across the globe to be counted as a threat. China recently crushed the Muslim rebels within its territory (while still holding the good relationship with Pakistan). Russians demolished Georgian military establishments to such an extent that it would take years to rebuild the infrastructure.
What all this proves is just one thing. Each of these country ensures the safety of their citizen, by PROACTIVELY engaging their enemy, even if that means moving troops and equipment half way across the globe. It is what defines your commitment level and resolve in solving your problems. Their actions come first and justifications come later, if at all. They don't give up until and unless the threat is completely wiped out. This is something Indians have to learn fast. What does not kill them, really DOES makes them stronger. The Anti-Terrorism-Squad, thought really well trained and equipped, are made to wait for the political and legal clearance - this is where the Indian system is slow - lacks a backbone to establish outgoing policies which go after these terror outfits. Currently though lot of the terror strikes are stopped from ever happening,obviously this does not seem to be enough.
There should be an active program to infiltrate these terror organizations from bottom up, put them on constant surveillance, go after any actionable intelligence, be it accurate or not. Anyone who is suspected to be terrorist should be tried with a specifically designed legal system - one that is a million time faster and always ends up in capital punishment. Losing a few Indians every week out of 1.1 billion of them may not be a major concern for the babus and politicians. They may be too afraid to loose the Muslim vote bank in India and not strengthen anti-terror laws. But somewhere you have to put you foot down and say THIS IS IT. For a country asking for permanent membership in UN Security council, country which is aspiring to become a superpower in 2020, a country which is aiming for the skies and stars, this is THE basic right it should start protecting - the right of innocent civilians to live.
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Philosophy of Hinduism - Mission Successfully Aborted!
The more data I try to collect, and try to encapsulate in one blog, the more difficult it is. These philosophies work as a system and not providing full details leaves it inaccurate/incomplete - Its like Binary - either 0 or 1 - nothing inbetween. I dont have the time to research everything that each school of thought has to say. Here are some links...
Wikipedia just scraps the surface - sometimes inaccurate too, but cant have a simpler starting point..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samkhya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raja_Yoga
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyaya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaisheshika
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimamsa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advaita_Vedanta - Detailed, but still only touches basics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishishtadvaita
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvaita
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddism - Pretty complete, with focus on evolution beyond India
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism
Wiki covers miniscule portions of the entire system. If you are interested, please download the following book – don't worry, they are so old that they are out of copyright. Worth their weight (or bytes I should say?) in gold.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Most comprehensive series - by Surendranath Dasgupta (1922)
http://www.archive.org/details/indianphilosophy01dasguoft
http://www.archive.org/details/indianphilosophy02dasguoft
http://www.archive.org/details/indianphilosophy03dasguoft
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofindianp04dasguoft
http://www.archive.org/details/indianphilosophy05dasguoft
I have finished volume 1 and going strong on Vol2 - pretty lucid and simple style
-----------------------------------------------------------
Swami Vivekanada's work - Major proponent of Advaita and Yoga philosophies
http://www.archive.org/details/completeworksoft029662mbp
http://www.archive.org/details/speecheswritings00viveuoft
http://www.archive.org/details/themysteriesofm05meaduoft
http://www.archive.org/details/vedntaphilosop00viverich
http://www.archive.org/details/inspiredtalks00viverich
http://www.archive.org/details/notesofsome00viveuoft - Nivedita about Swami Vivekananda
On Yoga
http://www.archive.org/details/vedaantaphilosop00viveuoft
http://www.archive.org/details/raajayogabeingle00viveuoft
http://www.archive.org/details/yogaphilosophyle00viverich
------------------------------------------------------------
Max Muller
http://www.archive.org/details/sixsystemsofindi005498mbp
http://www.archive.org/details/CollectedWorksOfTheRightHonFMaxMullerVolIX
http://www.archive.org/details/TheosophyOrPsychologicalReligion
http://www.archive.org/details/ThreeLecturesOnTheVedantaPhilosophy
http://www.archive.org/details/ramakrishnahisli005303mbp - About Ramakrishna Paramahans
http://www.archive.org/details/lecturesonorigi00mullgoog
Apart from this there is a series called "The Sacred Books of the East" many volumes of which are available for download from archive.org
------------------------------------------------------------
This should be a good open-source reference for people who are interested in Indian philosophy, and would hopefully change the perception of people who think ancient Indians were not as rich is philosophical thought than the ancient Greek or Romans or Europeans. As for me, other interesting things happening with global politics and economy that hard to neglect! More over, I would be more in-line with philosophy when I am 60, than when I am at 26...
Happy reading!
Wikipedia just scraps the surface - sometimes inaccurate too, but cant have a simpler starting point..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samkhya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raja_Yoga
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyaya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaisheshika
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimamsa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advaita_Vedanta - Detailed, but still only touches basics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishishtadvaita
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvaita
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddism - Pretty complete, with focus on evolution beyond India
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism
Wiki covers miniscule portions of the entire system. If you are interested, please download the following book – don't worry, they are so old that they are out of copyright. Worth their weight (or bytes I should say?) in gold.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Most comprehensive series - by Surendranath Dasgupta (1922)
http://www.archive.org/details/indianphilosophy01dasguoft
http://www.archive.org/details/indianphilosophy02dasguoft
http://www.archive.org/details/indianphilosophy03dasguoft
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofindianp04dasguoft
http://www.archive.org/details/indianphilosophy05dasguoft
I have finished volume 1 and going strong on Vol2 - pretty lucid and simple style
-----------------------------------------------------------
Swami Vivekanada's work - Major proponent of Advaita and Yoga philosophies
http://www.archive.org/details/completeworksoft029662mbp
http://www.archive.org/details/speecheswritings00viveuoft
http://www.archive.org/details/themysteriesofm05meaduoft
http://www.archive.org/details/vedntaphilosop00viverich
http://www.archive.org/details/inspiredtalks00viverich
http://www.archive.org/details/notesofsome00viveuoft - Nivedita about Swami Vivekananda
On Yoga
http://www.archive.org/details/vedaantaphilosop00viveuoft
http://www.archive.org/details/raajayogabeingle00viveuoft
http://www.archive.org/details/yogaphilosophyle00viverich
------------------------------------------------------------
Max Muller
http://www.archive.org/details/sixsystemsofindi005498mbp
http://www.archive.org/details/CollectedWorksOfTheRightHonFMaxMullerVolIX
http://www.archive.org/details/TheosophyOrPsychologicalReligion
http://www.archive.org/details/ThreeLecturesOnTheVedantaPhilosophy
http://www.archive.org/details/ramakrishnahisli005303mbp - About Ramakrishna Paramahans
http://www.archive.org/details/lecturesonorigi00mullgoog
Apart from this there is a series called "The Sacred Books of the East" many volumes of which are available for download from archive.org
------------------------------------------------------------
This should be a good open-source reference for people who are interested in Indian philosophy, and would hopefully change the perception of people who think ancient Indians were not as rich is philosophical thought than the ancient Greek or Romans or Europeans. As for me, other interesting things happening with global politics and economy that hard to neglect! More over, I would be more in-line with philosophy when I am 60, than when I am at 26...
Happy reading!
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
The Philosophy of Hinduism - An Intro (continued..)
My initial though was to get some one lined definitions for each of the different schools of thought in the Indian system. But will never do justice to the depth and breadth of the knowledge and thinking applied by the founders and followers of the respective schools. To say that this would be a herculean task is an understatement.
The bottom line is that readers familiar with western philosophies should appreciate that the Indian counterpart is quite different. In the west, most of the philosophies have been built upon earlier thoughts - a sequential, progressively more complex and complete system emerging from simpler systems. Evolution in west often brought forth the development of more coherent types of philosophic thought, but in India, though the types remained the same, their development through history made them more and more coherent and determinate. Most of the parts were probably existent in the earlier stages, but they were in an undifferentiated state; through the criticism and conflict of the different schools existing side by side the parts of each of the systems of thought became more and more differentiated, determinate, and coherent.
This complicates the learning process as one text will refer to, refuse, compare and contrast with other systems. Reader is supposed to know the other system to put things in perspective.
Vedas did not have much philosophical thoughts. Same goes with BrAhmanas and Aaranyakaas which immediately followed them. Vedas however, set the theme of Henotheism as the strong basis for Hinduism. Real philosophical thought came with the Upanishads (prose dating 700 BC to 500 BC). It is probably for this reason they were called vedanta ("veda-anta" meaning both 1. A trailer to the vedas and 2. A culmination of the vedic thought). Around 500 BC Buddhism also took root. Jainism, though slightly older than Buddhism, maintained a non-confrontational, non-influential parallel existence with Hinduism. The following are the major sects of philosophical thought within the Hindu system
The bottom line is that readers familiar with western philosophies should appreciate that the Indian counterpart is quite different. In the west, most of the philosophies have been built upon earlier thoughts - a sequential, progressively more complex and complete system emerging from simpler systems. Evolution in west often brought forth the development of more coherent types of philosophic thought, but in India, though the types remained the same, their development through history made them more and more coherent and determinate. Most of the parts were probably existent in the earlier stages, but they were in an undifferentiated state; through the criticism and conflict of the different schools existing side by side the parts of each of the systems of thought became more and more differentiated, determinate, and coherent.
This complicates the learning process as one text will refer to, refuse, compare and contrast with other systems. Reader is supposed to know the other system to put things in perspective.
Vedas did not have much philosophical thoughts. Same goes with BrAhmanas and Aaranyakaas which immediately followed them. Vedas however, set the theme of Henotheism as the strong basis for Hinduism. Real philosophical thought came with the Upanishads (prose dating 700 BC to 500 BC). It is probably for this reason they were called vedanta ("veda-anta" meaning both 1. A trailer to the vedas and 2. A culmination of the vedic thought). Around 500 BC Buddhism also took root. Jainism, though slightly older than Buddhism, maintained a non-confrontational, non-influential parallel existence with Hinduism. The following are the major sects of philosophical thought within the Hindu system
- Samkhya and Yoga
- Nyaya and Vaisesika
- Mimamsa (Purva Mimamsa)
- Vedanta(Uttra Mimamsa)
- Advaita and Vishitadvaita
- Dvaita
- Madhva/Smartism
- Bhagavat Gita - Karma and other philosophies
- Jainism and Buddhism
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