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Indus Valley to Incredible India

Discussion in 'Cheeniya's Senile Ramblings' started by Cheeniya, Jul 22, 2013.

Page 5 of 5
  1. Aug 1, 2013 #41
    PriyaKathiravan

    PriyaKathiravan Silver IL'ite

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    Bemoaning loss of values and criticising the attitudes of the younger generation is a common refrain heard in all societies, at all points of time, ever since humans began to speak. Nothing new.

    The generation that ravaged the world in two Great Wars ( not counting local atrocities like the bloody Partition , MaiLai, Eastern European ethnic cleansing etc) , the generation that celebrated irresponsible living as a Culture ( the hippie culture) , the generation that embraced automation and consumerism with a vengeance ( Globalisation) the generation that promoted urban development to the detriment of village economies ( Industrialisation) the generation that institutionalised Corruption ( Red Tape and Licence Raj ) all dating between 1914 and 1985 , these sanctimonious black kettles have the conceit to indict their children and grandchildren today for merely treading the path shown to them .

    If our silver haired fathers really cared for the world, as they profess in their sunset years, they should have striven to make better examples of themselves in their salad days. Civilization cannot suddenly turn from Golden to grimy in one generation. There is no virtuous fig leaf for anyone to hide behind to point fingers at a decaying " society", because society is not some alien troll with its own malevolent identity. Society is the chimera made up of you , me, your grandfather , my mother and our neighbour 's aunt. If there is degradation, we all share the mea culpa. We dint till and sow right ; our moral right to lament upon a bad harvest is forfeited.

    But, inspite of all the poor examples set by the past generation, The Young sail forth bravely, with Hope, Optimism and Zeal, to take on the world. Some appreciation would enthuse them . Cynical disparagement can only kill off all promise. Told they are doing a good job, young people do good jobs. Told they are bad eggs, they become bad eggs.

    Those who wax lyrical about the " good old days" , should realise that the "golden past " and the "dark future " are just optical illusions, for they themselves were part of that " dark future" once , but promoted themselves to The Golden Past when their fun was over.

    No one need cry for the world. It has always taken care of itself and will continue to do so. If any generation thinks it is the cat's whiskers, it is only wallowing under delusions of nobility.

    Coming to your grand daughter's endearing doubt . When people in the distant future talk of us, it will not be about our dailyquota of rapes and dirty deals . We would have lost all such individualised identities. No history text records the thievery, whoring and homicides that doubtless happened during "The Golden Age Of the Guptas. " or " The vedic -age" or in Indus Valley. All we get to read about is a composite Unit in which only the Merits are highlighted. Similarly, we , in future, will be seen as an amorphous collective that did the spadework for the advent of the Post-Human Android. So they , the Post Human Androids , may label us The Proto-Cyberian Civilization.
     
    PriyaKathiravan, Aug 1, 2013
    PriyaKathiravan, Aug 1, 2013
    #41
    4 people like this.
  2. Aug 2, 2013 #42
    Anitap

    Anitap IL Hall of Fame

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    Yes sir, I do 'preach' in the married forum in the hope that someday MAY BE someday some emotional fool will wake up and grow a spine :)
     
    Anitap, Aug 2, 2013
    Anitap, Aug 2, 2013
    #42
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  3. Aug 3, 2013 #43
    Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Anita
    Is that a good-humoured repartee or the snarl of a wounded tigress? Hope it is the former.
    Sri
     
    Cheeniya, Aug 3, 2013
    Cheeniya, Aug 3, 2013
    #43
  4. Aug 3, 2013 #44
    Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Priya

    When I read your opening sentence about bemoaning loss of values and criticizing the attitudes of the younger generation, it struck me that the reverse of it also could be true. Read the history of any part of the world or any part of past civilisations as recorded by the subsequent generations, there would be a post-mortem of their decay in which, all blame would be squarely based on the errant citizens who possibly led a wayward life. The last days of Pompeii, the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, The Egyptian civilisation, Mayans have all had the same end despite the fact that some declines were blamed on natural calamities like the Vesuvius opening out.

    Your anger against the silver-haired fathers is a bit surprising and unsettling, I being one of them. History is recorded by the present generation about their past. All maneuvers in recording it therefore rest with the present generation. I cannot record the history of India as of now putting the blame on my children and grandchildren for our present state of affairs. It is not possible for civilization to flow backwards while there is youth in the world. Youth may be headstrong, but it will advance it allotted length, Helen Keller had said. Given her sagacity, I should think Helen Keller expected the future generations too to follow the footsteps of their ancestors.

    I truly appreciate your belief that the youth of today is striving hard to preserve our culture unmindful of what their elders say. But at the same time I would like to commend to your attention a profound statement of Havelock Ellis that the prevalence of suicide, without doubt, is a test of height in civilization; it means that the population is winding up its nervous and intellectual system to the utmost point of tension and that sometimes it snaps. In the past one week alone, nearly a dozen youth who were mostly employees of IT firms ended their lives in Chennai alone by jumping from the shopping malls and hotels. The reasons range from failed love affairs to total depression. Have we reached the snapping stage of our ability to exist?

    The Proto-Cyberian Civilization! I love this high sounding name and I’ll give anything to be part of it. I only hope that some member of the youth brigade will not decide that I do not belong to this civilisation being silver-haired and elbow me out!
    Sri
     
    Cheeniya, Aug 3, 2013
    Cheeniya, Aug 3, 2013
    #44
  5. Aug 5, 2013 #45
    PriyaKathiravan

    PriyaKathiravan Silver IL'ite

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    Sir,
    My own hair has started silvering and I stand not very far from where you are stationed. I am definitely not a Gen -Now specimen . If I am guilty of committing a same-side-goal , its because my life revolves around youth and children and I see daily confirmation of the truth that children are Symbols of Life's yearning for itself, the glorious signs of Nature's renewed Hope. I perceive everyday how amazingly full of Promise , full of Goodness, full of Enthusiasm , full of Humanity my little wards are. Who leads these Angels astray ? Which beast tarnishes their wings ? " Our " world community does. (Sir, I am not pointing fingers away from me. )What kind of world are we thrusting into those little hands that it becomes too much for them to handle ? This is what pains me. And thats why I tend to blow my fuse when all blame is laid squarely on the Present alone.

    As for your membership in the Protocyberian civilization, rest assured It is safe. An Age, Era , Period or Civilization,in historical terms, is generally five generations and more, so we are definitely in . No one can kick us out because of our hair colour, more so because we are also happily contributing to Cyberian culture by actively nourishing and propagating a cyber community called IndusLadies!

    (i feel I could have couched my previous FB in softer, velveteen words so that it wouldnt have seemed so prickly. Reflex action, thats it ! )

    And BTW, just loved your caged rat response to Anita' brief FB. :)
     
    PriyaKathiravan, Aug 5, 2013
    PriyaKathiravan, Aug 5, 2013
    #45
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  6. Aug 5, 2013 #46
    Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Priya
    (i feel I could have couched my previous FB in softer, velveteen words so that it wouldnt have seemed so prickly. Reflex action, thats it ! )
    Softer? Velveteen? Pray, please continue to write as is your wont. English can never be more beautiful and awesome than when you are handling it.
    Sri
     
    Cheeniya, Aug 5, 2013
    Cheeniya, Aug 5, 2013
    #46
  7. Aug 7, 2013 #47
    Vysan

    Vysan Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Guruji,

    I do not understand.... Indus valley to Incredible India....OK....

    You are talking of corruption.. rapes etc... What are you trying to say... I am sorry... I am lost... Are you trying to tell that these were not prevelant during those days... These are latest developments... I beg to differ....

    If we go through our history... you can read all over ... when the dynasties formed... invaded... how many killings... how many mass rapes... etc.. How many village chiefs took advantage of the poor....We can keep on talking...

    I feel human beings are like that only... This brings in a balance in the equation of the universe.... I am not competent to talk about this further... hahahahahaha...

    I have a friend.... We once went to the interior south India for some official purpose... There on the road one guy was fully drunk and blabbering and making noise.... This guy gave a big lecture to me about how people are rural areas are un cultured etc.etc... We came back to Chennai... After some time I happened to go out with him and some other friends for Dinner.... This is a star hotel... with Bar attached... He had full... and he was talking all nonsense... Now the difference between the first guy and my friend is.... The Other guy was a villager, wearing a lungi and baniyan and having the drinks in the roadside shop and my friend is having in a Star hotel with coat suite... But the fact remains that both act the same way...

    The culture or the human nature remains the same... Whether it is the (G)olden age or the mordern era... Only differnce is that in todays world news spreads fast... With internet etc.... Also, we are spreading the bad scenario's fast... Beacuse it attracts people.... Good things go unnotice or a small portion of the news.... Also the growing population or the explosion of pops.... Brings out more unwated and un ethical elements.... But the fact remains.... The Human race is same with advancement of science this species is becoming more sophisticated....

    With regards to what this civilisation would be called after 100 or so years will be... The era of corruption.... Fore every "+" there has to be a "-"... Ram Rajya.... Corruption Rajya... We have just reaching the opposite pole.... long way to come to the full round....

    Hope I made some sense....

    Veda
     
    Vysan, Aug 7, 2013
    Vysan, Aug 7, 2013
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  8. Aug 7, 2013 #48
    Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    My dear Veda
    Nice to see you in my forum after eons! Your reaction to my thread is like the familiar scene in Tamil TV serials where the son comes home after a long gap, surveys the scenery at home, gets angry and shouts, 'Enna nadakkuthu indha veetle?' (What is happening in this house?) Why are you so angry? Konjam cool down pa!

    I may have sounded a bit critical about the present stage of our country but I have never said anywhere that "these were not prevalent during those days... These are latest developments...". On the contrary, in the subsequent discussions we did cover this aspect a lot. I have even written to kkrish, 'It is interesting that you seem to consider ‘period of corruption’ as a fit nomenclature for our present state of affairs. But corruption is not just a modern malady and has had its root right at the dawn of the material man. Did not Judas Iscariat betray Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver? Do you know that Diogenes carried a lamp by day in his search for an honest man? And this was in 4th Century BC! Corruption has become so common in all fields that people have started calling it ‘Facilitation Fees’! Even when a few thousand people inhabited this planet, there was corruption. So we must look for a bit more unusual name for our evolving civilisation.'

    Even when writing about sibling rivalry, I pointed out that the first glaring incident of it involved the two sons of the first couple of the world, Adam and Eve. It is possible that even while the Big Temple of Thanjavur was taking shape, some roguish Maistry misbehaved with a woman worket and got sixty lashes as punishment. But these things never get recorded you see!

    Civilisation is after all a product of human nature. Our Yuga theory clearly postulates how it will be in each Yuga. The civilisations will depend on the predominant attributes of the respective yugas as ordained by the Lord. While the Divine drama thus goes on, you and I shall live in peace Veda!
    Sri
     
    Cheeniya, Aug 7, 2013
    Cheeniya, Aug 7, 2013
    #48
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  9. Aug 7, 2013 #49
    Vysan

    Vysan Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Guruji,

    I am extremely sorry.... If I have sounded angry and hurt you....:bowdown:bowdown..

    You are my Guruji... How can I....:bonk

    You see, we have 6 days holidays due to Eid... I didnt plan for usual India trip this time... So I was free... So, I logged in and reading your blogs... It triggered old memories... where we used to have arguments.... and all... so... just blabbered few things.... Warm up...

    I didnt go through the whole thread.... Will read it and come back to you....

    :rotfl:rotflOnce again Sorry, If I have hurt you...

    But I liked your example of Son coming home..... Strictly speaking, when I started writing... I wrote without any hesitation... fully confident that whatever I blabber you will not mistake me... I always felt... that with you...though we have lost time and space inbetween... We can always catch up where we left last... So,... Hope you understand...

    Love

    Veda
     
    Vysan, Aug 7, 2013
    Vysan, Aug 7, 2013
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  10. Aug 7, 2013 #50
    Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Veda
    I only said you're angry. I never said I felt hurt. Further the TV example was merely meant to make you smile!
    I can never be angry or hurt with you even if I tried. I hope you are enjoying your holidays with a far slimmer and more charming wife. And I hope that it will remind you to follow suit. You do have a few kilos to shed too!
    Sri
     
    Cheeniya, Aug 7, 2013
    Cheeniya, Aug 7, 2013
    #50
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