Farouk Gulsara's Blog, page 154

A little bit of Plato in a Tamil song

Sumaithaangi (சுமைத்தாங்கி, Tamil; Burden Bearer, 1962)


A little of Plato's philosophy in Tamil cinema for you. The moral goal or telos of each philosophical system, it seems, is roughly about the same - 'becoming like God so far as is possible' -
homoiosis theoi kata to dunaton.

Our physical body apparently has two components, the mortal part and the immortal part which continues over generations as the society progresses. This immortal part is linked to divinity and can be communicated via our intellect. This immortal part, we wonder, whether it is related to the fundamental blocks of life, our DNA. There is  a unity between the microcosm of human life and the macrocosmic order of the entire universe. The connecting bridge between these two is our intellect. It could also be the knowledge that we learn over the centuries that the generation next finds it easier to learn as it is hardwired deep in the crypts of our grey matter as we sail along on our journey on the ship of life.

If the order of the universe is comparable to divinity and our intellect is the path to this so called God complex, we humans can theoretically become God-like. Hence, the title of the song, Manithan Enbavan Theivam Agalam (மனிதன் என்பவன் தெய்வம் ஆகலாம்; A human can be God), from 1962 Tamil film, Sumaithanggi. In this film, the protagonist sacrifices his every desire and need for the wellbeing of his family. The prophetic lines in the song tell how a mere mortal can be equated to God. He will forever stay in memory from his philanthropic deeds, the sacrifices, the letting go and the empathy. All it takes is his mind and character.

Translation of the song...

A man can be God,
he gives everything away and becomes a philanthropist,
like a banana tree, he can sacrifice himself,can melt away like a candle to give light.
souls who lived for society will live on as statues,the heart which opens up to relationships will stay as a flower,those who cry for others will be leaders, mind, mind, can be a temple.
If one has the heart, even a deer can live in a bird cage,if there is a way, one can view a hill in a mustard seed,if one endeavours, one can bear any burden on his head,character, character, can be a temple. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #454545} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #454545; min-height: 14.0px} http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
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The more I think, the harder it gets!

The congregation all nod in unison. They hail the young preacher's view of life. It appears all too easy; that we should be contented with what we have, that there is no limit to human desires, that the world has everything tp meet all our needs but not our greed, that a happy man is one who makes the best of what is available around him. A man who finds joy in the simplest of thing is a happy man! The congregation go all agape with his simplistic outlook on life even though none could complete a single day without the comfort of their air-conditioning and the nimble, agile limbs of their ever-obedient servants. If only the place were right, they would raise their hands is awe as if they were at a qawwali performance. It all sounded like Epicurean teaching to me, but the sceptic part of me went overdrive.

Is it not human nature to always strive for something higher? Our ancestors, the caveman, must have yearned to explore the green strip of land across the blue wavy sea. He would have asked himself how it would be to gaze over the hill like the birds did. He must have been bewildered by the ever-changing shape and site of the glowing ball in the night skies. He must have wanted to touch the moon, literally. We would all still be cave dwellers writing this message on cave walls if not for their desire to explore, to take the first step out of their comfort zone and be restless and discontented. He built his first junk, his first flying contraption and his first telescope. All these arose out of his restlessness of wanting more.

Maybe we are just atoms in a mammoth piece of matter. We are just specks in a vast ocean. What is important is the civilisation, not just the individual. It is the forward progression of the whole life-form that matters, not the individual.

But then, a minute aberration in the sequencing of proteins on a DNA thread may actually eat up the entire host in the case of malignancies. Hence, each individual seemingly unimportant action may indeed make a difference. So, conformity makes sense?

Well, that sounds like a carte blanche to the people in power, be it in religion or politics, or are these two mutually inclusive? A scenario of plebeians moving in concert to the tunes of the religious or political leaders may sound enticing to those already in power to continue exerting their tyranny. What a home run!

Subservience and delinquency must both be a necessary trait for our survival. http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
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Their Kryptonite!

Still on the topic of conforming to the status quo...

It is everyone's nature for wanting tranquility and sanity to prevail at all times, that life goes on almost on a flatline without too many undulations and surprises. Everyone has their life plans carved out nicely, and that everything goes on by per schedule, on the dot. In other words, we like to move along with time like automatons, without willpower as if everything is predetermined and preplanned.
Deep inside all of us, there is a desire to scream out, to throw everything away and scream our lungs out. But societal pressures and our wanting to conform to the rest restrain us.

There is a constant battle within us, all the time, always wanting to do the right thing, to follow the Truth. But what is the right way and what it the real truth? Is there a single truth or layers of truthfulness? Who determines what is right anyway? Nobody can tell us that, but help is on the way. There are people amongst us who can do just that. They can make us think out of the box, conjure up conspiracy theories, bring us into an utopic future of milk and honey, break barrier and shackles and occasionally laugh at ourselves.

These are the artistic people of performing arts, literary stuff, painters, poets, writers, storytellers and even cartoonists. They hold a special place in society and keep the unique weapon which is mightier than the sword. In their hands, like a Hindu godhead with an arson of weapons of mass destruction, they carry the tool -the pen that can stimulate the minds of the masses to raise the sickle and hoe against the brutality of the regimes that misplaced their trusts or overstayed their welcome.

No wonder the powers that be take a hostile stance against creative thinkers and those who have developed their non-dominant hemisphere of their brains! They like conformists, not smart alecs!http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
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It is all a political agenda!

THE MYTH OF THE LAZY NATIVE (1977)
Syed Hussein Alatas
Professor of Malay Studies, University of Singapore 

A study of the image of the Malays, Filipinos and Javanese from the 16th to the 20th century and its function in the ideology of colonial capitalism.

Reading this book, I was reminded of this joke.

An American venture capitalist was visiting a picturesque lagoon somewhere in the secluded interior of Mexico. He was fascinated with the scenery and quickly his capitalistic mind went overdrive. He saw great potential in that place, with its lovely blue sea and its abundant sea produce. He was perplexed that none of the locals was keen to develop the area. He approached one of the Pedros slouched against a tree enjoying his afternoon siesta chomping on his half burnt cigar and a fishing rod dangling lazily between his thighs. Even his faithful dog seem to be suspended in time with no urgency, just enjoying his forty winks. He woke the annoyed Mexican from his slumber.
"Buenas tardes, Señor! You own the boats here, Señor?" he asked."Si, Señor," the Mexican answered, half annoyed that his sweet dream was disturbed by this fast-talking American kid in accented Spanish. He squinted his eyes against the glaring sun. 
The American went on a rant of his plans to develop his serene hideout. He would develop the lagoon, buy big fishing vessels, go deep sea fishing, make big bucks, improve his life, go holidays with family, enjoy life and so on and forth. 
The Mexican, still bedazzled after being rudely awoken from his snooze, politely asks him, "All that for what, Señor?"
"To have a good life, of course. To enjoy a quality life. To go holidays to some exotic place, laze away and benefit from the fruit of your labour!"
"But, Señor. I am already doing that right now. Having a good life doing all the things that you said until you disturbed me!"
This is a classic text often quoted in discussions of social anthropology, politics and history. It argues that the colonial masters have put labels of being lazy or indolent on the natives of the South East Asia, i.e. the Malays, the Javanese and the Filipinas, as their activities do not conform to the conquerer's agenda of the day. The masters, being Spaniards, Dutch and the British have uniformly labelled their subjects as lazy, clueless on the concept of punctuality, of being 'less civilised' and many other derogatory names.
The natives refuse to plant cash crops which would enrich the colonists. They are not so keen to be bogged down by the masters' regimented schedule of work like in the mines because they see no need to be involved in such activities as they already have their own work to tend to. They may appear to be very free as the actual planting of padi only means two months in a year. They actually involve themselves in many other related and non-agricultural related activities. 
This trait of not conforming to the Imperial whims and fancies is a form of resistance. The Westerners labelled them as lazy to justify their action of bringing in droves foreign labourers into Malaya. The Malay ruling class also had the same outlook on their subjects, when they themselves, are the spoilt indolent ones.
The writer also takes a swipe at the aristocrats who seem to parrot the tune of the Westerners. These stereotyping continued in their publications, Revolusi Mental (1971) and Malay Dilemma (1970) by Mahathir Mohamed. The 19th century was a time when there was much research into the subject of race and the superiority of one over the other. Many renowned thinkers including Marx and Engels are guilty of downplaying the Asiatic races. They overlook the Easterners' already established track record of an established advanced civilisation, complex trading web and economic achievements. They conveniently label them as lazy when the privateers themselves plundered and created a monopolistic trade policy.
In summary, the author asserts that the natives are anything but innately lazy. It is just a label put on by the Western Imperialist powers to justify the actions and fulfilling their political agenda. Interestingly, the ruling class that came after Independence found it just too convenient to continue their colonial masters' modus operandi as it also fulfils theirs.http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
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Every living day is a learning experience

So you go around with a chip on your shoulder, with the nose so high up in the air as if you walk inhaling imported air. You straddle around like you are on Yudhistira's chariot, always two feet above the ground, quite full of air. You speak with such confidence convinced that your listeners are impressed with your command of the language.

You think you produced a masterpiece that everybody would sing only praises of it. That is until you send it for proofreading.

That is when your bubble bursts, your ego gets deflated, and you get down from your mighty horse and is brought down to the ground. You soon realise that the things which you had taken for granted mean more than what meets the eyes.

You get an extra 'e' when you are a lady engaged to a man. A fiancée is to a female just what a fiancée is to a man.

Everything seems watertight as if you have a foolproof system but your friends tell you that he has full proof that 'fullproof' is not even a word! I guess you are the fool now.

You thought you had thrashed out all your work of trash, forgetting an 'h' thrashes your good to the trash bin. It just 'hanged' your credibility, not to have it hung in the hall of fame. Even your offspring cannot help as no matter how many of them you have, you will never know. The plural of offspring is offspring. You, even in the sleekest way, is not slick enough to notice that. I guess you should not have been too emphatic on your convictions but rather be empathetic to others' views as well. Anyway, I am contented that you have decided to put your ego aside and contend with all the line of corrections. But, I do wonder sometimes if it is all a facade, and you may wander into other fields to avenge after your recent ego-bruising experiences.

But we move on...http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
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Inked in water?

As you rummage through the old photos that you find stashed away in the old boxes, the old memories resurface. As though releasing a trapped genie from the proverbial Arabian lamp, the memories, all good and bad, swish their way out into your consciousness. Like falling dry leaves from a mango tree during a windy tropical storm, the shrivelled long forgotten thoughts of yesteryears come spiralling down, alive and so vivid.

Gazing the innocent face minus the scars of her battled life, you remember the child that you once knew. Eager to confront the world and fight a good fight to win her wars, she embraced life with so much vigour. Albeit the miseries and the difficulties that thrashed her down, she stood her ground. She turned her under-achievements to stepping stones to reach higher grounds. She succeeded in her own baby steps, gradually.

You thought she would make it. And that she was almost there! You blink, and pop went the bubble! The innocent child had now metamorphosed into a reckless wreck. She had built a wall and found her comfort zone in her cocoon than to fight the world. She had become tired. She had thrown in the towel after holding on her own for so long. Well-meaning advice from well-intended relatives have just gone down the drain. Like a rabid dog, every stimulus provokes an exaggerated response with her shields up to face the barrage.

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If only life was so easy...

Run Fatboy Run (2007) If only life was so easy to win the girl over after leaving her at the altar high, dry and pregnant. Five years after developing cold feet at the church, Dennis has a second lease on life when his ex-girlfriend allows him to bond with his kid. Just when he thinks of re-establishing his relationship, his girl gets cosy with an American Mr Perfect, wealthy, articulate, good looking and runs marathons!

After that, you know what to expect. An out-of-shape smoker and a boozer whips into shape within three weeks to complete 26.2 miles of gruelling run. If only life was so easy and running marathons were such, well, run in the park! 
This comedy, in the typical vein of any British comedy, is a self-depreciating one where a loser, a zero becomes a hero in the end. I do not why, but it keeps reminding me of another British flick, The Full Monty - a father fighting to keep his son with him.
My running buddies would flip if anyone, who is an out-of-shape couch potato, suddenly decides three weeks before a race, decides to run a full marathon! A marathon is no child's game and could be potentially lethal if one does not train properly. At three weeks time before the race, he should be tapering his runs, not starting from scratch. And there is definitely no place for uncertainties. Today, he says he wants to compete; he is not so sure anymore!
No organiser would allow a participant to run from dawn to dusk in the busy city streets. It is not only potentially harmful to the runner but is also disruptive to the traffic. Any Marshall worth his salt would insist that slow-coachers be red-carded and be picked up by the sweeper vehicle. And the protagonist hardly drank any fluids or need nourishment even though he ran all day. The wall that hits a runner, whether seasoned or novice, cannot be just be overcome just with sheer willpower.
Well, it is a romantic comedy for the souls who believe in true love and Santa Claus, not realists and the survivors of the School of Hard Knocks of Life.
Running marathons may not solve problems but may provide a diversion. It may immerse your brain in euphoria-inducing neurotransmitters to numb the pains of everyday life. It may negate the necessity to start tranquillizers, anti-anxiolytic, anti-depressives or antipsychotics but it is definitely not a penance for people to empathise your plight and come your way. This is not akin to kavadi carrying, self-flagellation during Ashura or Pinoy cross-carrying feat at Easter!http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
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It is all just symbolism

See what  I picked up from my WhatsApp group..

Uttam Kumar: It is said in the texts that 80% of the fighting male population of civilization was wiped out in the eighteen days Mahabharata war.

Sanjay, at the end of the war went to the spot where the greatest war took place; Kurukshetra.
He looked around and wondered if the war really happened, if the ground beneath him had soaked all that blood, if the great Pandavas and Krishna stood where he stood.
“You will never know the truth about that!” said an aging soft voice.
Sanjay turned around to find an Old Man in saffron robes appearing out of a column of dust.
“I know you are here to find out about the Kurukshetra war, but *you cannot know about that war till you know what the real war is about*.” the Old Man said enigmatically.

“What do you mean?”

*The Mahabharata is an Epic, a ballad, perhaps a reality, but definitely a philosophy*.

The Old Man smiled luring Sanjay into more questions.

“Can you tell me what the philosophy is then?” Sanjay requested.

Sure, began the Old Man.

*The Pandavas are nothing but your five senses*, sight, smell, taste, touch and sound...,
and do you know what the *Kauravas* are? he asked narrowing his eyes.

*The Kauravas are the hundred vices that attack your senses everyday but you can fight them*... and do you know how?

Sanjay shook his head again.

“When Krishna rides your chariot!”

The Old Man smiled brighter and Sanjay gasped at that gem of insight.

*Krishna is your inner voice, your soul, your guiding light and if you let your life in his hands you have nothing to worry*.

Sanjay was stupefied but came around quickly with another question.

“Then *why are Dronacharya and Bhishma fighting for the Kauravas, if they are vices*?”

The Old Man nodded, sadder for the question.

It just means that as you grow up, your perception of your elders change. *The elders who you thought were perfect in your growing up years are not all that perfect. They have faults. And one day you will have to decide if they are for your good or your bad. Then you may also realize that you may have to fight them for the good. It is the hardest part of growing up and that is why the Gita is important*.

Sanjay slumped down on the ground, not because he was tired but because he could understand and was struck by the enormity of it all.

*What about Karna*? he whispered.

“Ah!” said the Old man. “You have saved the best for last. *Karna is the brother to your senses, he is desire, he is a part of you but stands with the vices. He feels wronged and makes excuses for being with the vices as your desire does all the time.*

*Does your desire not give you excuses to embrace vices*?”

Sanjay nodded silently. He looked at the ground, consumed with a million thoughts, trying to put everything together and then when he looked up the Old Man was gone....disappeared in the column of dust.........leaving behind the great philosophy of Life! �������� http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
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Laughing at the world, not with.

Ulagam Sirikirathu (The World is Laughing; 1959)

I bumped into this movie quite by chance. It is one of those films which was heavy on dialogue and cynical on the behaviour of people in general. Its main character is the legendary actor MR Radha. This brand of sarcastic humour is typical of this player's social comedies. He tried to ridicule the average man's somewhat irrational practices, blind faith and herd mentality. It may not be your forte if Tamil is not your mother tongue as one has to understand the subtlety and the delicate nuances of the language to appreciate his brand of comedy.

Even though the main story is a sort of a social drama telling the message of the evils of gambling, specifically horse-racing, MR Radha's antics of a social critic and a cynic takes the limelight over the main characters of Prem Nazeer and Sowkar Janaki. He pokes fun at people's frantic chase for money, exemplified by another character, a moneylender, played by VK Ramasamy. Then there is the man who poses as a holy man because he lost his job as a stage actor. And another scene of a lunatic talking philosophy; and he makes more sense than when he was sane!

There is also an attack on the economic structure of the society. The rich thinks that he owns the working class because he pays them while the poor thinks that he is indispensable, even though he is entirely dependent on the wealthy for survival. And there is a sarcasm of society's expectations on morality. An excellent watch.




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You can't chain my soul!

They say that you, an individual do make that count. That is what they tell us when election day comes. They persuade you not to waste that vote and that it is everybody's birthright to choose their leader. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, so you do your share of your bargain.

Cynics would reply them that a single swallow does not make up the whole summer. And that your single vote will never make the difference. That had never been a single incidence of an election decided by a single vote.

But wait, there is! A constituency in Rajasthan was indeed caught in such a predicament in a 2008 Elections. A Congress candidate secured 62,216 votes versus his BJP opponent who managed 62,215 votes. The recounting of the postal votes and later, all the votes, showed exactly the same results. That, in itself, demonstrated how accurate the counting was! Zero error rate.

The case later went to the courts when the loser accused the winner's second wife to have voted twice. The allegation took four long years to resolve. The BJP candidate was declared the winner, but he was not interested anymore. He had a better position at the Ministerial level.

That is what people must have thought when they made a beeline to the city centre today, 19th November 2016 - that they wanted to be the change that they wanted to see. Enough said that change starts with the man in the mirror. They held a peaceful demonstration despite the threats of unrest, water cannons and incarcerations that besieged them. They must have heeded to Gandhi's quotation, 'They can imprison me, but they cannot jail the whole country'.


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