Sanitation: Shrouded in the Dark

You need to believe me if I tell that the people of Indus Valley Civilization used toilets 5000 years ago in India. Now, what will you do if you get to see a man urinating on the rampart of ‘Red Fort’ in Delhi?  Even better, how will you feel when you see a person defecating on railway lines among fast moving local trains in Mumbai?  

Today, we live in a country which is for all practical purpose worlds’ largest “Open Air Toilet”.

As a child I got to read a story of D.M Mirasdar in which a urban person is amused to see everybody in village going ‘to fetch milk’ in the morning.  This act of ‘fetching milk’ continues unabated to this day as about 70% of rural Indians don't use toilets. Sanitation is inextricably related to Caste system/Untouchability, Position of women, Health, Education and Environment.  

Untouchability is perpetuated by manual scavenging and other unclean occupations. Recently I got to watch Marathi movie called ‘Fandry’, it shows how ‘low castes’ are forced to do unclean works. Caste system dictates Dalits should do manual scavenging, which is De-humanizing practice that continues even today despite two laws of 1993 and 2013. 99% of Manual scavengers are Dalits and most of them are Women. Gandhiji was aware of Sanitation and Untouchability linkages that is why he focused on cleanliness and hygiene and cleaned toilets regularly in order to wipe out stigma associated with so called ‘low work’. In order to do away with this de-humanizing practice of manual scavenging we need to do away with open defecation and dry latrines by improving Sanitation facilities. Many persons die during cleaning manholes this must be immediately stopped and I think Robots should be used to clean sewage and manholes.

Position of Women and Sanitation are related.  99% of Manual scavengers are Dalits and 95% of them are women. In India women are constrained to rise before the dawn to relieve themselves under the shroud of the dark. They do not find any convenient way to answer nature’s call after that. Open defecation cause enormous hardship especially to women. Women’s are harassed are raped while answering nature’s call. Recently I got to read findings of report of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) which says most of the vendors in Dadar area of Mumbai, and mainly women are facing problems related to urinary bladder as they don’t have toilets available for them.  Maharashtra Government has started “Hagandari Mukt Gaon Yojana” i.e “Open defecation free village scheme”, but toilets are not being constructed if at all they are being constructed they are not used.

Health hazards of open defecation are not properly understood.  The single biggest killer of our children’s is diarrhea, i.e. more than 1 lakh children die due to it every year in India. This is caused due to human excreta mixing into drinking water. Malnutrition, morbidity along with undernourished, pot bellied, stunted children are effects of poor sanitation facilities.  Now if Government wants to reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) it must improve Sanitation facilities.  Diarrhea, Malaria, Cholera, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis are diseases directly related to open defecation and lack of sanitation facilities. Vectors like housefly spread these diseases.  In my village in year 2004-05 most of the elderly population died due to chikungunya and other vector borne diseases. We live in a country where 70% health expenditures are out-of-the-pocket; this incurs huge expenditure on poor citizens making them perpetually poor. This makes open defecation as one of the reason for India’s poverty. It ruins health, which is the main, nay only asset of the poor. ­Economic consequences of open defecation need to be properly understood and explained to the masses.

The ‘South Asian Enigma’- The term coined by economists for higher prevalence of under-nutrition in South Asia and mainly in India despite higher income than say sub-Saharan Africa is due to poor sanitation facilities. Poor sanitation leads to lower height, lower weight in children. It increases morbidity and mortality. Around 33% of child deaths are due to diarrhea and 42% of our children are underweight. Open defecation is largely responsible for it.

Now, let’s come to the solution side of the problem. We need to focus on smaller things. If government is constructing public toilets it must take opinion of women in village into consideration regarding location of such public toilet. In a village I saw Public toilet constructed right next to Chawadi (Meeting place for villagers). Anybody who has little bit understanding of Indian society will tell no women will use a toilet which is next to village Chawadi. Therefore people’s participation is necessary in such schemes. These small things will make bigger difference. Next issue we need to solve is, if people don’t have water to drink how will they use it for toilets?  Short-term solution lies in constructing toilets which require less water. Many Indians don’t feel comfortable with western style commode besides these commodes require lot of water. Long-term solution is Water harvesting and Water management. Water and Sanitation are complimentary to each other.

 Robots and Artificially intelligent devices should be used to clean sewage lines and manholes. Our attitude towards open defecation needs to be changed; I have seen people who prefer to go out in fresh air. They need to be told impacts of open defecation on health and its contribution to poverty and disease. Various Government programs like Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC), Nirmal Gram Puraskar and Open Defecation Free Village should be employed rigorously. Recently one politician said ‘Pehle Sauchyalaya, Phir Devayalaya’ I support that. We need an all out war against open defecation. Is government listening? 

History of Maharashtra does not begin and should not end with Shivaji

Imagine Shivaji Maharaj riding on horse with his soldiers. And, now imagine Mahatma Gandhi picking up fistful of salt to break the salt act. I am sure for most of you first image will be 'Colorful' and later will 'Black and White', that is the impact school textbooks studied in our childhood have on us..!!

We in Maharashtra are being taught Medieval History as history of Shivaji. All other events and persons are defined with reference to him. Ask any Maharashtrian boy studying in say, 9th standard "Who were the Mughals?" and he would say "Enemies of Shivaji" that is he will define Mughals with reference to Shivaji. Without realizing that Mughals have been there since 1526 that is 100 years before the birth of Shivaji. Similarly ask "Who was Ramdas?" in present Maharashtra answer will depend 'Caste' of the boy but he will surely define Ramdas in terms of and with reference to Shivaji.

So, what is the issue involved here? Issue involved here is not the doubt about greatness of Shivaji but way of understanding the History. Shivaji's contribution and Leadership is indisputable. But to equate history of Maharashtra to Shivaji is surely disputable. It is reductionist to say the least.
It denies us the large part of cultural heritage that we have inherited. It leaves me in doubt what to take of it when they say, nobody of stature of Shivaji has born in Maharashtra in last 400 years. Is this the statement of pride? I doubt. Has History of Maharashtra frozen in time and space or is it so called 'End of History'..!!

We are seldom told in our school textbooks about history of ancient Maharashtra. We take beautiful paintings of Ajanta and Rock Cut caves of Ellora at their face value without realizing their worth. Civilizational beginnings of India can be found in Maharashtra as well. From Megalithic societies of Jorwe Culture to Satavahana to Vakataka to Rashtrakutas all have contributed to growth of Maharashtra. The only Mahajanpada south of Vindhyas that is Asmaka was in Maharashtra. We have Jorwe, Pitalkhora, Diamabad, Sopara, Tager, Prathisthan, Bhogwardhan, Achalpur, Nashik, Ajanta, Ellora, Karle, Bhaje, Bedsa, Junnar and many more but we are oblivious.

Kalidasa the greatest poet was from Ramtek in Nagpur. There is every chance to say Araybhatta belonged to Maharashtra. We had Vijnaeshwar, Mukundaraj, Dnyaneshwar, Muktabai, Namdev, Janabai, Chokhamela, Eknath, Tukaram and many others.

We never understand how we become what we are. We are not told origin of our good or bad cultural traditions and ideas. Abhang, Oovi, Gavlani, Bharud, Povada, Zimma, Fugadi, Lavani, Tamasha, our clothing like Dhotar, Pagote, Saree, Choli. Bangdi. Origin, meaning and impact of our good or bad subaltern traditions e.g. Karni, Bhangamati, Bhutataki, Gondhal, Jogawa, Devdasi. Waghya-Murali, Potraj, Koli dance, Nathpanthis, Khandoba, Masoba Virashaiv, Lingayatism, Mahanubhav, apart from that significance of Warkari movement, Dindi, Palkhi, etc

There is trend of 'Saffronization' and 'Valourisation' in writing of medieval history and there is another trend of neglecting ancient Indian achievements. Though, I know ancient India was not all about achievements there we faced monumental failures as well.Young mind is not trained to ask questions and 'create' knowledge but forced to swallow what is being taught in sordid way without questioning. This hampers the development. He will we taught northern Maharashtra is called 'Khandesh' but will never be answered why is it called so? Young mind will never be taught glorious tradition of respect of women and their leadership like Satavahnas using mother's name e.g Gautamiputra Satkarni, Vasastiputra Pulumavi etc.
Prabhavati Gupta of Vakataka dyanasty, Muktabai, Janabai, Jijamata, Tarabai, Ahilyabai Holkar, Jhasi chi Rani Laxmibai, Savitribai phule etc. We will not be told why Marathawada lagged behind after being cradle of Maharashtra during Satavahana with their capital at Paithan, Vakataka, Rashtrakuta, Yadava and Bahamani? Nobody asks why are most of saints from Marathawada? Our students are not encouraged to ask why most of the medieval cities in Maharashtra are on southern bank of a river? Why all of the Asthavinyakas are in and around Pune? Why in almost all of our games one gets out if he/she crosses a line? Has it something to do with our rigidity and caste system? Why most of our architectural structures have main gateway in North direction usually called 'Delhi Darwaza' say for example in Shaniwarwada? Does it in anyway points to our ambition to control Delhi? If it points to that then why no Maharashtrian has ever became PM of country? Is it because we have predetermined nothing good can happen to Maharashtra more than Shivaji? These questions needs to be asked to make a Maharashtra that is modern and vibrant.

No importance is given to history of tribals. Gonds during medieval period created their own empire called 'Gondwana' that is not told. history and life of Bhills, Warali, Katkari, Korku, Kolam, Madia Gond needs to be documented and told to students. It is in the deccan i.e Maharashtra Urdu language emerged during Bahamani kingdom, which literally means 'Language Spoken in Military Camps'. We have beautiful sub-regional dialects like Kokani, Varadhi, Malwani, Ahirani-Khandesi etc but we are made to believe that speaking in dialect as 'lowly' act. The history books should be written to include all sections of society, in a way student understand the present world better.

We do not understand what Maharashtra is because we don't know its history. We do not have faith in our heritage which comes out self confidence, but we 'show' and just 'show' pride out fear. We in reality suffer from 'inferiority complex', we do not study, we follow to those demagogues who have not understood Maharashtra. We follow those Who beat up Indians in the name of 'Marathi' for speaking 'Hindi', but those same demagogues send their children to study in 'English' instead..!!
(I am not opposing English here)

Our understanding of History needs to be radically changed. Our present problems emerge from our way of looking at history. Understanding of present requires some understanding of past. History is continuous dialogue between past and present. To make it simple History is like reading previous years question papers. It helps us in understanding what type of questions are going to come 'this year'. (That is present times)

But to perform well in 'this year's exam' we must read question's of all 'syllabus' and not just of a single 'topic'...!!!

What an Indian wants?

I don't want you to interfere with my right to be what I want to be. I want to lead happy, dignified life irrespective of my caste, sex, region, religion, place of birth or any combination of them.

I want myself to be judged not on my caste or color of my skin but on content of my character.

I don't want be regarded as foreigner just because I am a Christian or a Jew. Being a Mizo, Naga, Santhal, Bhil, Gond or any other tribal I don't like when your eyes suggest that I am sort of less human. I want to be treated as equal with full dignity. I want a say in making of this Nation.

I don't want some people at top to define my nationhood once and for all because I believe India is not something that has crystallized in distinct past, its happening even today. Being is Becoming.. I want to move forward. I don't want my country to be stagnated, filthy and stenching.

As female I don't think you have anything to do with kind of clothes I wear, neither does it give you license to rape me. Being an adult girl from Haryana I don't want to be get killed in name of some fictive honor just because I married to a male of my choice. I want control over my life.
As Manipuri girl I don't approve being called as chinki or prostitute. I don't like when you call me Chinese or Nepali because I am Indian living in Arunachal.

I don't want my sexual preferences to be called unnatural as long as they are with consent of my adult partner. I don't need certificates from extra-legal bodies about my patrotism as long as I am citizen who follows law of the land.

As a citizen I want terrorists to be treated as terrorists and criminals, and not as Hindus or Muslims. I want rule of law. I want equality before law. I want equal protection of laws. I want to tell the govt. fundamental rights are to individual and not to community or caste.

Being a Tamil I don't want to be forced some other language because I take pride in my 2500 year old rich language and that does not make me any less Indian. I am Keralite Christian and I don't like it when some man from Kanpur says i'm outsider to this country because my forefathers have been living here last 2000 years. This country belongs to me as it is to everybody else.

I take it as my right to protest when I am not allowed to drink water from public well or river or lake, or denied entry in schools, hospitals, hotels because of my caste.

I understand my duties. I insist State to be impartial towards its citizen. I am a citizen not just subject of State. I take it as my responsibility to follow laws created by legitimately elected parliament and assemblies. I want efficient government. I want to break up the shackles of poverty, disease and ignorance. I am free citizen and I need freedom from want and freedom from fear.

I want freedom and equality not because I have some sinister designs but because I want to befriend my fellow citizens. I want State to function without fear and favor. I want peace and prosperity.

In short I want a country "Where mind is without fear, and head is held high. Where knowledge is free and world is not broken up into narrow domestic walls"
To continue to the Gurudev Tagore "Into that heaven of freedom. My father let my country awake..!!"

India: Material or Spiritual.

Atalji is perhaps the greatest orator of post independence India. He in one of famous speech said: "Bhagwan Ram ka naam hame bhautik dharatal se uthakar adhyatma ki choti tak pahuchata hai.."
(Name of Lord Ram takes us from bottom of material world to the peak of spirituality.) The beauty of India is many minds blossom like flower with name of Lord Ram irrespective ...of their faiths. But, that is not the point. Point is the underlying assumption that material world is something 'low' and spirituality the 'peak'. It is much contested assumption at least in India, thanks to the openness of this country.

With advent of Britishers in India and they being our rulers our self esteem was deeply hurt. They had defeated us in material progress especially after Industrial Revolution. So, we carved out a space for ourselves by saying: 'They may be great in material things but we are spiritually great' with it started two separate domains of 'Western Materialism' and 'Eastern Spirituality'. I think this is factually flawed argument. And my argument is not that we are not spiritually great but that of exactly opposite to it namely: We being great in material pursuits as well. I say so not out of some jingoism but because I believe spiritual progress can not be achieved by starving people.

"Slaves do not attain Salavation" said Swami Vivekananda. We can not expect peaceful mind in ailing body. 'Sound mind in sound body' is well known dictum. Therefore, we need to march forward in material world as well.

When self appointed guardians of their ill-conceived and ill-understood notion of 'Indian Culture' beat up women for celebrating their love it becomes nothing short of irony. They say there is no place for such materialistic and lowly act in 'Bhartiya Sanskriti'. They are fools. Do they want to erase the stories Krishna Lilas with Gopis? Will they destroy the 1000 years old monumental temples of Khajuraho which are full of erotic sculptures? Where will they hide the Konark Temple? Do they wish to burn down the 'Kamsutra' written by Vatsyana during the Gupta Period? Where will they bury the thousands of yakshis with voluptuous bodies found in every nook and corner of the country? What do they have to say about phallus worship prevalent in India right from the time of Harrapan Civilization which continues even today in form worship of Shivalingam? These people have not understood the Indian Culture and problem is these ignorant-misogynist fools want to impose their version on me and my fellow citizens. I protest..!!

On one hand we have literature with spiritual dispositions like Upanishads, Gita, Tripitika, Agam Granthas, Avesta, Quran, Guru Granthsaheb and many other books. And on the other hand we have materialistic literature of Charvaka and his 'Lokayata school'. For Rishi Kanad of Vaishesik philosophical school matter which he calls as 'Anu' i.e atom is at the root of everything in the world. This is essentially materialistic. Sanskrit and Pali are the two languages and they contain more than half of total literature till today ever written anywhere in the world on atheism. We in our long history have built beautiful Houses, Cities, Roads, Palaces, Tanks and Canals all for our material progress..!!  Does anybody want to deny that?

India is neither spiritual nor materialistic its both and more than it. It wants balance of these two. The four Purusharthas are Dharma (No English translation possible nearest will come moral law), Artha (Economic prosperty), Kama(Desires) and Moksha. This is balance, this is good. India is open, inclusive, multiethnic, multreligious, multilingual and yet one strong rising nation-state.

Food for thought: Materialist i.e Jadvadi believe 'Matter' is at the root of world and Spiritualists i.e Chaitanyavadi believe 'Energy' is at the root of the world. But, Albert Einstein in his famous equation E=mc2 has showed 'Energy' and 'Matter' are inter-convertible. Do we need to fight now??

Difference between Hinduism and Hindutva

1).Hinduism is religion whereas Hindutva is political ideology.

2).Hinduism aim at spiritual improvement and Moksha, whereas Hindutva is concerned with capturing political power..!!

3).Hinduism is based on love; Hindutva has strong presence of suspicion towards other religion especially those religions which originated outside India…!!

4).Hinduism is ancient whereas, Hindutva ideology originated in 20th century with V.D Sawarkar writing book called “Hindutva” in 1923.

5).Hinduism is pluralistic and it recognizes diversity (e.g. “Ekam sad vipra bahuda vadanti” i.e. Truth is one knowledgeable people call it by different names), whereas Hindutva believes in Cultural Monism and tries to impose its reductionist version of Hinduism on not only others but on Hindus themselves without recognizing internal diversity of Hinduism..!!

6). Hinduism believe in Universalism( e.g. Vasudhayva Kutumbakam or Avaghe vishva chi maze ghar); Hindutva is reductionist ideology and tries to equate Hindutva with India under the euphemism of cultural nationalism.

7). Hinduism is followed by 80.5% of Indian population; whereas Hindutva forms microscopic minority within it and may extend to members of other religion, though sparingly.
(Had all Hindus followed Hindutva, Communal forces would have formed governments at centre and in all the states all the time, and we know that is not reality.
Conclusion :: All Hindus don’t follow Hindutva.)

8). Hinduism has many sects (e.g. Brahmo, Swaminaryan, Vaishnav, Shaiv, Warkari, Mahanubhav, Smarta, Shakt etc etc)
Different Gods are worshipped in different areas. (e.g. Vithhal/Vithoba in MH, Ayyapan in Kerala, Murugan in Tamil Nadu, Krishna In North India, Ram in North and west India, Jagannath in east India, others include Khandoba, masoba, Biroba etc etc) ; whereas Hindutva projects Ram as the sole God of Hindus and rejects internal diversity of Hinduism.

9). One can be Hindu without being communal; Not so with Hindutva.

10).Hinduism is consistent with idea of India as enshrined in constitution whereas Hindutva is not…!!

Pavement dwellers of Mumbai

Mumbai is the city where wealth and poverty live side by side. It is city where one family live in 27 storey building and it is also city where 62% of the population lives in the slums. It is inescapable even to the untrained eye if one gets to live in a area where RBI, Bombay Stock Exchange, Mantralaya, Vidhan Bhavan, Headquarters of all major... companies and banks, Nariman point, Bombay High-court, C.S.T and BMC are within a range of walking distance.

You can see affluence of Dalal street and Mint Road but to see that you must 'cross' the pavements on which live nearly 30,000 families in Mumbai.

Here in front of C.S.T pavement dwellers are mainly from backward districts of Maharashtra. Most of them speak Marathi. 'Paradhis' of Osmanabad live here because they want to secure themselves from wrath of police as they are stigmatized as criminals.

One of the person in his late 20's with whom I had a brief interaction was from 'Khatik' community in Solapur district in Maharashtra.

In 500m stretch from Azad Maidan to Metro Square where I go to dinner usually on sundays nearly 15 families live on footpath. They do not have any basic facilities. They own a stove, 2-3 utensils, mobile and clothes. They were watching a obscure movie of Sanjay Dutt on small laptop last sunday when I was going to dinner. They use public toilet which is at end of Azad Maidan. They do not have water facility as they are 'illegal'. They wash there clothes and put them on fence of 'Amar Jawan' for drying. Amar Jawan is important visiting site in front of CST which was descreated by rioters on 11 August 2012. Clothes are put on its iron fences while foreign tourists visit the place and photograph themselves with iconic CST building at there back. Children living on footpath keep begging for money to foreign tourists and they seem to be visibly annoyed at that. Adjacent to it are 5-6 Outdoor Broadcasting(OB) Vans of almost all major news channels waiting for some 'news' from protest centre Azad Maidan.

If you walk on footpath here you will notice small empty tinted bottles. These are used by pavement dwellers, they contain some intoxicating substance which make them forget their hunger and thereby ensure sleep during night as they go to sleep without or little to eat. Most of the pavement dwellers are drug addicts. If they don't get anything they search for any eatables in trash. Some cook on footpath. There generations have passed living on the pavement. Small children in shabby clothes usually stop at signal point. when cars stop at signal they keep knocking on window glasses. Sometimes they sell flowers and other petty things. On last 15 August they 'sold out' Indian flags. Ironically our PM on same day said from ramparts of Red Fort: "We have enacted the Right to Education Act to provide every child in the country the opportunity for education. Almost all our children are today being imparted education in Primary schools."

The area in front of CST to Times Of India office is frequented by prostitutes. You should walk with your eyes down in this area because if there is little bit of eye contact their eyes will ask you 'that' question. Mind this, if a female who is unaware of this is innocently waiting for something or someone here she is very likely to be approached by the 'customers'..!!

In this rainy season they protected themselves from rain with polythene tied over there pavement beds. That also provide them little privacy. Some fifteen days back two constables came to a vendor who sells boiled eggs here, they ate 2 eggs and then went 'without' paying money. Meanwhile we don't know when and where terror attack will happen. For CST, Cama Hospital, TOI building, Nariman point, BSE, Taj of this area have witnessed the terror attacks.

Amidst this life continues. People go to offices, Pavement dwellers smile, beautiful couples walk holding hands, Tourists photograph themselves, Children play at Azad maidan and Indian flag flies on CST..

Characteristics of fascist people and fascism:

1). Fascism is not coherent doctrine. It is bunch of incoherent 'beliefs' and half baked ideas. Therefore Fascist people are unable to think logically and rationally.

2). Fascism takes root in frustrated and 'Spiritually Homeless' people.

3). Fascist are opposed to Democracy and Communism. (History has by no means proved communists as supporters of democracy)

4) Fascism requires 'an object of hate' to unite the people under its banner. e.g Jews were object of hate for Hitler to unite Nordic Germans. He killed 60 lac Jews during 6 years of 2nd world war. The object of hate in fascism can be any thing like Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Hindi language speakers, Bihari, South Indians, western culture or anything else.

5). Fascist people believe in aggressive, expansionist Nationalism.

6). Fascists believe that Individual person is means and nation as end. It expects enormous sacrifices from people for cause of its aggressive nationalism. It puts obligations on people without giving them any rights. e.g. Hitler started conscription.

7) Fascists people have their ideas of what is good for people. They will enforce their ideas coercible. They do not reason but coerce for this they employ 'stormtroopers' e.g. Hitler had Gestapos to silence the opposition by force.

8) The Fascists stormtroopers kill, intimidate, rape, vandalize, throw tomatoes and eggs on those citizens who do not fit into their notions of morality.

9). Fascists people believe in propaganda. They need 'Propagators' for that purpose. They manipulate media (Goebbels was Minister of Propaganda of Hitler, he manipulated it.) They use flowery terms to hide their misdeeds. E.g Hitler used the word 'Disinfection' for the procedure by which millions of Jews were butchered. He also used the word 'Final Solution' for killing of Jews.

10). Fascist people divide the world into 'We' versus 'They'.

11). Fascist people believe in maintaining what they call 'purity' it can be anything like purity of Race or Culture. e.g. Hitler wanted to maintain 'purity' of Nordic Race and he thought Jews were 'polluting' it, therefore he got them killed, 60 lac of them. Hitler thought maintaining race purity was prime function of State.

12). Fascism rise when people have cultural pride of past but bleak present and future. e.g. German people had pride in their past but when they were defeated in WW-1 they were disillusioned by bleak present, same was case with Italy which took immense pride, rightfully so in ancient Roman civilization.

13). Fascism rise when people face economic hardships. e.g There was great depression in 1929, similar to recession in 2008. Hitler captured power within 4 years after that in 1933

14) Fascist can come to power through Democracy. e.g Hitler became chancellor through elections in 1933 but soon became dictator.

15) Fascist believe in 'personality cult'. Hitler was deified, everybody was expected bow in-front of him, he was called as fürher i.e leader. Similarly, Benito Mussolini was the supreme leader of Italy.

16) Fascist take great joy in branding anybody as traitor, just because that person does not follow their line of argument.

17) Fascist believe in 'Unity by Homogeneity' which is opposed to 'Unity in diversity', which is essence of Indian Civilization.

19). Fascist does not reason with you, they coerce you.

20). Socialists can be fascists. e.g Nazi means national socialist German workers party.

21) The job of women in fascist ideology is to give birth to as many healthy and 'pure' children as possible, preferably male child.

What is secularism in constitution as per my interpretation:

1). Secularism does not mean separation between religion and State(S is capital), it means giving equal respect to all religions or protecting all religions equally.

2. Secularism does not mean killing religion, it means being 'worldly' that is believing basis of morality is in this world.

3. Secularism does not mean being non- religious neither does it mean opposing those who are non-religious or atheists , it means keeping religion private.

4. Secularism does not mean accepting bad practices of all religions equally e.g. Untouchability, it means respecting all religions equally.

5. Secularism does not mean just formal equality, it means equality by differential treatment.

6. Secularism does not mean 'melting pot model' in which minority melts into majority and eventually loses its identity, it means 'mosaic model' in which every colour/religion has its independent existence.

7. Secularism does not mean eliminating differences, it means uniting while keeping differences intact.

8. Secularism does not make one religion 'innate nature', it means celebrating 'composite culture'

9. Secularism does not mean right to religious conversions, it means right to profess, practice, propagate religion.

10. Secularism does not mean preventing a person from giving religious donations, it means not compelling him/her to make donations to particular religion.

11. Secularism does not mean making India 'Hindu Rashtra' or 'Dar ul Islam', it means making India sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic.

12. Secularism does not mean right to mismanage religious institutions, it means right to manage them.

13. Secularism does not mean an reactionary ideology in opposition to theocratic and communal ideologies, it means stands on its own.

14. Secularism does not mean making India 'a Hindu replica of pakistan', it means making India multireligious, multicultural, plural, peaceful, strong, happy country.

15. Secularism does not mean just tolerance, it means enjoying and celebrating the diversity..!

Understanding Freedom of Expression

What is the issue?

They arrested two girls from palghar for questioning on facebook the need to close down the Mumbai city after death of Bal Thackreay, They closed a hotel in mumbai for criticising government on footnote of bill recipt, They threatened the relase of Vishwaroopam of Kamal Hasan, They gaged the press during emergency, ...They did not allowed even video address of Salman Rushdie at Jaipur Litearture Festival, They banned 'The satanic verses' of Rushdie. They banned 'Shivaji The Hindu king in Islamic India' of James Laine. They forced M F Husain the extraordinary painter to die in exile, They beaten up the women for celebrating valentine day with male partners in Mangalore, They slapped charges of sedition on Assem Trivedi for his cartoons, They vandalished the shows of 'Ghasiram Kotwal' of Vijay Tendulkar
and They forced to close down the band of girls for being UnIslamic in Kashmir.!
Now whether these actions were right or wrong is secondary, what is important is these things happen.

 
What is need of Freedom of Expression?

First, No idea is completely 'False', if we ban 'False' idea we would lose that element of truth that they contain. Second, Truth does not emerge by itself, it requires conflict of opposing views to emerge, Third, Conflict of ideas is valuable, Finally, we can not be sure that what we consider true is actually true.
Hence freedom of expression has its utility in search for truth. Whole world ridiculed Copernicus for holding that earth is round and revolve around the sun. We now know who was correct. Nobody has monopoly over truth, apart from that freedom of expression is absolutely essential for fullest development of individual.

What constitution says?

Right to Freedom of speech and expression is fundamental right as per article 19(a) of constitution. Freedom of expression includes freedom of press, Right to Information and therefore RTI, 2005 is implicit in freedom of expression because without information there can not be expression. Freedom of expression does not just mean right to speak, it means right to silence as well, it means right to express views, opinions, beliefs, convictions of self and others. Freedom of expression being fundamental and human right is universal i.e. available to all, it can not be granted it can only be recognized, as it is not granted hence it can not be taken away i.e unalienable.

Is freedom of expression absolute?

No, it is not. There are certain 'Reasonable Restriction' on the ground of sovereignty, integrity and security of India, public order, friendly relations with foreign states, decency or morality, contempt of court, defamation and incitement to an offence. We need to understand 'Obedience without liberty is slavery, and Liberty without obedience is confusion and anarchy' Freedom comes with a price best way to enjoy freedom is to think others have freedom as well..

What is the way forward?

Freedom of expression is absolutely essential, we need to learn to use this right responsibily. We as society should not get offended by petty matters, we should neglect sensationalism and shallow adventurism, we should respect others views and not necessarily agree to them. We should appreciate diversity, We should solve the issue within constitutional framework. I can not but appreciate when Voltaire said 'I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to death your right to say it'

Maratha: A Historical Perspective

Historically speaking 'Maratha' is not a caste. It is a society. 'Marathi Manus' is recent identity when word Maratha became synonymous with a caste.

If you get to read Saint Dnyaneshwar of 13th century. He says while explaining the greatness of his language: "Maza Marathachi bolu kavtuke, pari amrutate paija jinke. Aise aksre rasike melvin" Your eyes should notice the fact that he uses the word 'Maratha' and not 'Marathi'..!!

Samarth Ramdas in 17th century says "Maratha tituka melvava,Maharashtra dharm vadvava" here also he uses the word 'Maratha' for everyone living in Maharashtra.

If you are still not satisfied, take a look at our National Anthem. Here in 1911, Gurudev Tagore writes: "...Punjab, Sindh(Now Sindhu), Gujarat, Maratha, Dravid, Utkal, Bang..." Clearly, He equates the word Maratha to Maharashtra.

I can give hundreds of references of how Lokmanya Tilak was referred to as 'Seditious Maratha Brahmin' by Britisher's during late 19th and early 20th century. This is same as saying Tamil Brahmin or Bengali Brahmin. Conclusion: Everybody irrespective of caste was called Maratha, Maharashtra was synonymous with word Maratha, because that word was not reduced to petty meaning of a caste.

In my 24 years of life I have not met a single person who takes meaning of 'Maratha Empire' as empire of Maratha Caste -- because it was not.

In 20th century with rise of what has been called as 'Number Consciousness' Maratha came to mean a caste. More so during and after 1931's first caste census. With rise of lingustic identity during 'Samyukta Maharashtra Movement'. The identity of 'Marathi Manus' came forward. There Maratha and Marathi became two distinct words with distinct meanings. It was on this background G.T Madkholkar asked Yashwantrao Chavan that-- Whether this new state of Maharashtra will be Maratha or Marathi?? And Yashwantrao as is famously known replied that it will be 'Marathi'..!!

In 7th century around 630AD when Hiseun Tsung now called Xuanzang in simplified chinese came to India he wrote about Maratha people as: "The disposition of the people is honest and simple; they are tall of stature, and of a stern, vindictive character. To their benefactors they are grateful; to their enemies relentless. If they are insulted, they will risk their life to avenge themselves. If they are asked to help one in distress, they will forget themselves in their haste to render assistance. If they are going to seek revenge, they first give their enemy warning ; then, each being armed, they attack each other with spears. When one turns to flee, the other pursues him, but they do not kill a person who submits."

This is classic description of every Maharashtrian. It remains so contemporary even after 1400 years. Except for the fact we are no longer honest people who keep the words.

Two conclusions can be drawn. First, Any man who calls History as a useless subject is useless man. Second, Maratha which once meant a society is a caste today but diversity of society continues in that caste.