No one wants a war

One of my friends asked for my views as to whether there will be war between India and Pakistan.My answer is "No". No one wants a war. China does not want a war.If there is a war between India and Pakistan, China's investment of 47 billion US dollars in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will go "Kaput".There will be brinkmanship,but no war.Successive Indian PMS--like Vajpayee after parliament attack in 2001 and Manmohan Singh after Mumbhai attack in 2008--have concluded it is cheaper to bear the cost of a terror attack than go in for a provocative response.I personally believe that had there been military response after Parliament attack, Mumbhai attack would not have taken place.

During Lok Sabha electons, Amit Shah,President of BJP boasted "Even a cockroach will not cross Line of Control (LOC) and enter India,if Narendra Modi becomes Primeminister". Whether or not Modi shared this optimism, we do not know. Reality must have dawned on both these men now and hopefully, vainful boasts will stop.

Modi' speech in Kozhikode on Saturday reflected his high level of maturity.He did not indulge in rhetoric of retaliatory attacks.Instead ,he appealted to the people of Pakistan to know where their leadership is taking them. "Let us a wage a war on poverty",thundered Modi. I do not know whether his message will reach the people of Pakistan.He had clearly stated that instead of spending money on economic development, Pakistan is spending money on breeding terror. I liked his strong statement "India is exporting software.Pakistan is exporting terror".This clearly showed where Pakistan leadership is going wrong.Unfortunately,Pakistan media has termed Modi's speech "venomous".

Modi has clearly stated that the sacrifice of 18 soldiers will not go in vain.He also said that India will not so easily forget "URI". Reports indicate that the Indian Army has been given full powers to "deal with the situation" in the border.

The quest for AN32

After a lot of frustrating experience, the Govt. has called off all search operations for the missing AN 32 military air-craft.On 22nd July,a AN 32 twin engine transport turboprop air-craft w as missing while flying over Bay of Bengal. There were 29 defense personnel on board including six crew members. The air-craft was flying from Tambaram in Chennai to Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.The last message received from the pilot was "All is well" within 20 minutes of take off.

The search and rescue operations launched by India was one of the biggest search operations for a missing plane on the sea in HISTORY.18 Navy and Coast Guard ships including a submarine and eight air-crafts were involved in the search operations in the Bay of Bengal,about 150 nautical miles east of Chennai.

As the air-craft was not traced in nearly two months.the search mission was called off yesterday and all the 29 persons on board are presumed dead and the families have been notified.

We should compliment the Indian Airforce and the Govt. for relentlessly conducting the biggest search operation for a missing ship. The efforts taken were as good as the efforts taken by Malaysian Government when one of their planes disappeared some months ago.

It is now confirmed that a piece of aircraft wreckage found in June on Pembal Island off the Tanzanian coast is that of the doomed Malaysian air-liner M.H.370.

A Sad Sunday

Yesterday was a very sad Sunday. First thing in the morning, we heard about the dastarly terrorist attack on a military base in URI,Jammu and Kashmir. This cowardly attack resulted in the death of 19 soliders, 12 of them in a tent that caught fire.They were sleeping at that time.The terrorists were from JeM. When LeT was banned, they started operating in the name of JeM. These terrorists were aided and trained by ISI and Pakistan Army.When these four terrorists were finally eliminated, the arms left behind by them showed Pakistan markings.

This attack has shocked the nation.This has provoked a war-like situation. The whole nation has begun to feel that the time to act against Pakistan is NOW. I liked some of the reactions of retired army commanders. "For one tooth, Jaw" and "We must train our own fidayeens" are the comments of two of the Generals. One Commander who has operated in the area has said "A knock on the knuckes is not enough,the full arm should be broken". He also gave three reasons why URI was the target--it is just 6 KMs from LOC,it is surrounded by mountains and Pakistan Posts from above could watch what was happening in URI.I am inclined to support the view that our army intelligence should have been better.There was security breach at LOC as well as the base perimeter.

First Pathankot in January and now URI in September.For how long, we will soft pedal the issue. Pakistan has been figting this proxy war for so many years. We have been pursuing the option of taking up the matter through diplomatic channels only.Enough is enough. It is time for strong military response. Our PM has promised that those who are guilty will be punished.Let us wait and see how and when they will be punished.

Just a random thought. Had we not released Hafiz Sayeed in exchange for the current Chief Minister of J and K,Mehbooba Mufti,the attacks on Mumbhai,Pathankot ,Uri and the Twin-Towers in US would not have taken place.Hafeez Syeed was responsible for the twin tower attack.He was declared by US as the "most wanted terrorist" with a prize of US 10 million on his head. It is strange that the same man is roaming in the streets of Pakistan right before the eyes of US.They have not been able to eliminate him. Pakistan Army and ISI are solidly behind him.

Rabindra Sangeet.

"Rabindroo Shonggit"  _Bengali Pronouciation--,also known as Rabindra Nath Tagore songs are songs written and composed by Tagore.They have distinctive characteristics in the music of Bengal.They are popular in India and Bangladesh.These songs embody a breath-taking fusion of Tagore's musicanship and poetic genius.His songs are unique amalgam of various varieties of singing styles(classical as well as folk) prevalent in India.

From Rome to Hangzhou,the pet laureate was invoked globally this week.

1)XI Jingping,the Chinese Premier quoted a poem by Rabndranath Tagore at the G 20summit,said to be written written after his visit to Hangzhou.

2)Mamta Banerjee and her entourage sang Rabindra Sangeet as they walked through St.Peter"s Square at the Vatican.

No wonder, for his songs Tagore was give Nobel Prize for literature.

Sedition

"Sedition" has surfaced again.Ramya,Politician-cum-cine actor has got into trouble because of her writings on her blog.On August 22,she had been charged with sedition for writing in her blog"Pakistan is not hell.People there are like us". The complaint by a Bangaluru advocate has been accepted by a Judicial Magistrate in Karnataka putting Ramya at the heart of a bitter national debate: What is sedition?. Not to be perturbed, Ramya tweeted like this after receiving the summons:"Kid says Mysore Pak is very nice.Father says--be careful,don't say PAK loudly,you will be labelled deshdrohi".Ramya is known as "Kuthu Ramya" because of her lead female role in a Tamil film "Kuthu".

Sedition entered Indian Statue books when Lord Macaulay,codified the Indian Penal Code in 1837.The intrepretation of sedition has undergone various changes over a period of time. We have reached a stage when sedition charges are being levelled for the most stupid reasons. A constitutional expert, Mr Achary has responded this way:"We are slapping sedition cases at a time when the draconian law is either being scrapped or rendered toothless in most modern constitutional democracies around the world."

On a completely different subject,I was happy to read this e-mail"What seems to have provoked PM Narendra Modi into raising human rights violations in Baloochistan was the Pak High Commisioner dedicating Pakistan's Independence Day to the freedom of Kashmir".

Modi's remarks on Baloochistan shows Pakistan the perils of tit-for-tat diplomacy.

Pope's Big Bang

I am writing this blog as a follow-up of my earlier writing "Science and Religion".

I was surprised to read a news item to-day giving details of Pope Francis's speech at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.In his speech, Pope has said as follows: "When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is no so.

God created humans and let them develop according to the internal laws that He gave to each one so that they would reach their fulfillment. The Big Bang which to-day we hold to be the origin of the world does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator,but rather requires it. Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation--because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve"
The Catholic Church has long had the reputation of being anti-science. Galileo faced the Inquisition and  was forced to retract his "heretic" theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun. He was eventually forgiven,some 400 years later and given post-mortem pardon in 2008. This recent statement of Pope Francis has therefore come as a very big surprise as the Church has always remained staunch in its belief that God ultimately is responsible for the world we know to-day.
Beside, the statement  contradicts the meaning of "Creationism".

Creationism is the belief that the Universe and living organisms originate "from the specific acts of divine creation" The president of Italy's National Institute of Astrophysics has this to say about the
statement of the Pope. "The Pope's statement is significant. We are the direct descendants from the Big Bang  that created the Universe. Evolution came from Creation". The christian Church does not believe in re-birth,though they do believe in good and evil. They believe that on the Judgement Day, the deeds of humans are judged by Jesus and the soul is directed to either Hell or heaven. They do believe in Heaven and Hell, but do not believe in re-birth."You only live once" is their line of thinking.

Being a staunch Hindu believing in Karma, I do not subscribe to the statement of the Pope. Belief in Karma enables me to be disciplined and lead a moral life.Fear of being born again with disabilities or being born in a disadvantaged family compels me to lead a good moral life. This theory suits me.
I am not anti-science. I do not accept the recent statement of the Pope as it rules out "karma" theory.
Let me lead a life like my great fore-fathers.

V.K.Balasubramanian
29th October 2014

Science and Religion

For a long time, I have been planning to write my views on this subject. In my college days, I have read a lot about Bertrand Russell's views on this topic. I had also read of Einstein's famous statement "Science without religion is blind and religion without science is lame" These statements meant nothing to me until I started thinking on my own.

According to the Vedas, human beings go through "Sthai Bhav"  (permanent thoughts) and "Sancharik bhav" -(thoughts which come and go). In my "Sancharik bhav", I was always asking questions to myself about this subject and trying to form my own views

As a student, I knew very little of science and absolutely nothing about religion. I knew that physics was dealing with matter-electrons and neutrons, Biology was dealing with life  and chemistry with elements.(it was 98 when I was a student and now, I understand, it is 108). Likewise, I knew I was a Hindu and that going to temples would benefit me. In the matter of religion,I was totally influenced by parents and family back-ground.

I was a school student in an era when Dravidian leaders like Annadurai were influencing young minds with their thoughts and speeches.His famous statement "Onre kulam.Oruvane Devan" (There is only one sect and one God) set me thinking.With a view to getting clarification on this I consulted my Sanskrit teacher at School,Mr Thathachariar. He patted me, put his hands on my shoulders and told me "Look Balu, people dress differently.You like sweets and your friends like something else. To please everybody, different forms were given to God and different names created. In fact, God is only one". This did not satisfy me at that time. I even stupidly began to feel why such a pious and devout Hindu should align himself with anti-social elements.

The dispute between Science and Religion arose over evolution,creation and origin of life.All religions, excepting Jainism,credit creation to God,while Science does not accept this theory of One Creator. There were many instances of disputes between famous Scientists like Galileo andSir Isaac Newton and Religious Heads. Galileo once stated that "The intention of the Holy Spirit is to teach us  to go to Heaven and not how the Heavens go". The acceptance of the fact that God created the world  as a self-operating system is what motivated many Christians throughout middle ages. to investigate Nature. It was believed by many that Religious Scientists  like Newton could have  achieved much more had they not accepted religious answers to unsolved scientific issues

I came to know about Jainism from my friend Nareshkumar Jain. All I knew earlier was there were two sects of Jains--Shewtambara (wearing white clothes  and Digambara (wearing no clothes).Mr Jain explained to me about Jainism in detail.Jainism does not believe in a Creator Deity.Universe and its constituents--soul,matter,space,time and principles of motion--have always existed.All the constituents and actions are governed by Universal natural laws,It is not possible to create matter out of nothing and hence the sum total of matter in the Universe remains the same. Throughout the ages,Jain philosophers have adamantly rejected and opposed the concept of Creator and Omnipotent God.This has resulted in Jainism being labelled  as "Nastik Darshana".

Around the time I came know about Jainism, I also came to know about Bahai Faith.This religion insists on the harmony of True Science and True Religion.According to this faith,"Religion without Science is Superstition and Science without religion is Materialism"True religion must conform to the conclusions of Science.

Buddhism is another religion which accepts science totally.The 14th Dalai Lama once said"If scientific analysis were to conclusively demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false then we must accept the findings of Science and abandon those claims". 

According to Islam,"Science,the study of nature,is considered to be linked to the concept of TAWHID.(the oneness of God). 

Hinduism and Christianity on the one side and Science on the other side,do not agree about creation and origin of life. In fact, there is one sub-sect among Kerala Christians who do not even consult doctors and take medicines even when seriously ill. Their sub-sect does not allow them to take recourse to medicine,which is the product of science.

I have always believed that the incarnations of Vishnu's Dasavadharam is almost identical to the scientific explanation of the sequence of biological evolution of man and animals. Educated Hindus accept the theory of biological evolution Enough scientific evidence exists to support  Charles Darwin!s theory of Evolution.

I had read a story long time back about a young boy asking his mother "Can I be Christian and yet be a Scientist" This is because that over time,people have tried to separate science from faith,but tn truth,the two can co-exist.A Scientist can have faith in GOD while still trying to explain the world around him through the logic of scientific study,The two do not contradict nor should they cause a crisis of faith.

Human beings are curious creatures.We want to know why water boils at a particular temperature,why stome trees grow in some state,but not in another,why some babies have blue eyes and others brown.Out of our innate need for understanding came science.Scientists study the world around us to explain things.They look at the world through impartial eyes to see how things work. From these studies have come wonderful things like medicine,air-planes,cars etc. Faith also gives explanation ro everything,but gives a different sort of explanation. To Christians and Hindus,God created Universe.Though we cannot see HIM,HE is in everything and knows everything.Faith gives us the idea that there is order in the Universe,because God created it..However,faith does not always give us detailed answers to how things work.

We know things work.We know that things have relationship,because God created the word that way.This aspect of our faith is important in understanding how faith and science can go hand-n-hand.

Some people in both communities think that science and faith should never co-exist.Some feel that they have to choose one over the other.Others believe that faith is crutch people use when they have not studied something to give a scientific explanation for an occurrence.Some feel that that science challenges their belief too much and feel that it is the enemy speaking to them to pull them away from GOD saying that science does too much to question God.

Take the case of the Big Bang Theory.Scientists have been trying to figure out the source of the Big bang to explain the start of the Universe. However,some scientists of the Faith believe that God  was the source of the Big Bang which is how He created the world.Instead, they study how the Big Bang led to the evolution of other creatures on the earth. The scientists use faith to explain why Big Bang theory happened (to create the world) and how  it impacted us (how we have evolved since then).They have reconciled their faith with their scientific study.

Let me come to my own personal experience.

Religion has given me mental strength,peace of mind and a value system.By following the value system, I have been able to live a disciplined life.

Science, on the other hand, has given me animal comforts.To-day, I cannot think of a comfortable life without the benefits provided by Science during the last one hundred years.Who would have thought of internet some thirty years ago? Today, if I am not able to access internet during power break-downs, I become uneasy.

Religion is a matter of faith.It appeals to my spirits.When distressed,I take recourse to religion and not sleeping tablets (product of science).Science provides me with comforts.I need them both for a balanced living.

"Religion for the Soul and Science for the body" is my mantra.