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Tuesday, 30 August 2016

For years, I lived within. Some walls were there when I came, like religion, income group, nationality, etc. Others, I built. Personality, likes, competencies, ambitions, morality, etc. Walls gave me an identity. I kept building.

"Who are you?", someone asked. I pointed to the walls. For years I did that.

"Don't you exist on the other side also?", someone asked. "I can't view", I replied.

I wondered, though. The walls were tall. I tried harder to look. Can I exist outside my identity also?

And guess what! I did.

At first it was amusing. But slowly the truth sunk in. If I existed within as well as outside, is the identity an illusion? It was terrifying; it still is. Then I remind myself...

Monday, 8 August 2016

In a R Tagore story, a married young woman finds herself getting attracted towards her husband's brother, who's teaching her music. Betrayal is the subject.

But betrayal appears in the dictionary of the civilised not the naturalists or the artistic type. "प्यार किया नही जाता, हो जाता है।" They say. Even the civilised would say the same, if the lady was not married.

The norms of civilisation don't warrant a frown if she's equally attracted or spends more time with another lady or an older person or a child or a pet or in the garden.

Children enter the world ignorant of these norms, but the natural instincts are preloaded. We educate them by introducing धर्म - अधर्म, a very tailored version of respect, patriotism and a whole world of the constitutional framework of a civilised society.

Everything natural is acceptable, but within the confines of civilisation. We even teach them how to become insensitive to their natures.

They do the same to their children.

'This education is important', you'd say, right? Otherwise, there would by anarchy. Men wouldn't coexist peacefully. If might is right, there would be rampant injustice.

Close your eyes for 30 seconds and think. Anarchy, war and injustice exist despite education. If you would agree with me, they exist becauseofthisnarrowedversion of education.

You agree with me? But putting it to action is very different. If you amend the education, you might have to accept betrayal as part of life, those who respect you may not, you may get stranded in the vacuum left by the outgoing societal order, you may not be able to cope with the empowerment. Also the scorn of people around you! Will you be able to bear it?