RIFLE RANGE BOY

Miniature boats on Karthika Purnima to commemorate  the  rich maritime glory of ancient Odisha. It marks the  change  of  monsoon tides. Sail is set for Java from Odisha . We like to convince ourselves that a particular ritual will help us in our life ahead. Perhaps paying tithe or giving alms will ease our path to salvation. They say that a cleansing bath in a specific lake on a particular day will symbolically wash away one's previous sins, even of previous births. With the conviction that we had of our past lives and have more future births to sail  through to attain Moksha, the breakaway from the curse of repeated birth and attainment of eternal bliss, we religiously indulge in this activity and that. Karthik Bath in Odisha The recurrent thought that has been going on throughout my life is this. Am I so lucky to have been told these secrets of life by virtue of my birth as a Hindu? My other good friends who, through no fault of theirs, had not been expo...

Stalker (Russian, 1979) Director: Andrei Tarkovsky Now, what is the purpose of the arts? Are they there to entertain, to create an alternate universe for us to unwind from the real world. The world we live in is no pleasure cruise; hence an outlet is necessary to imagine something parallel reality in which we could star? Or is it a conduit for us to introspect what is in front of us, assess and make a better version of ourselves?  Judging from how all the powers-that-be are fighting against each other to the last breath wanting to control the media, the arts are definitely a powerful tool in skewing the masses' minds towards a particular direction. Hollywood, CCP and the mainstream media want to push us in one order, whilst the other, in opposition to the powers-that-be, would draw to another. That is until the opposition comes to power. Their roles and choices will reverse. I recently got introduced to the legendary Russian moviemaker and film theorist Andrei Tarkovsky. He is know...

Plato, in the book Republic, suggested that the state should be ruled by philosophers. But he also mentioned about groups of people attuned to different classes to do different duties for the upkeep of the nation. In modern times, these ideas may not be politically correct as it is not good virtues that spins the modern world, but rather, stashes of money. In the 21st century, conformity of the majority to the whims of the 1% goes a long way in keeping order but not peace and definitely not law. Creation of just wars seems to the calling of the century whilst the powerful maintain their stronghold on the hapless majority. Harimandhir Sahib, was given the golden feel to the pre-existing temple by Maharajah Ranjit Singh. He has the honour of being the only power defeating the Afghanis. He created Punjab, ruled over Kashmir and Afghanistan. His royal regalia included the coveted Koh-i-Noor diamond which was snatched from the Persians who had looted it from Andhra Pradesh. T...

Brother Tariq: The Doublespeak of Tariq Ramadan Author: Caroline Fourest (2007) For Mature Readers Only. For the longest time, Tariq Ramadan has been hailed as a moderate Muslim. He has been looked upon as the person who would be the go-between to help to salvage the good name of the religion. His paternal grandfather established the notorious Islamic Brotherhood, but that did not prevent him from having his voice heard in the international arena. He asserts that he cannot be blamed for the sins of his grandfather and the baggage that he carries with the family name. Nevertheless, he is proud of his heritage. Tariq, probably named after the first Muslim conqueror in Europe when he invaded Spain, also shares his name with the pillar of Europe, the Rock of Gibraltar, called Rock of Tariq in the Islamic world. His wife is Isabelle, an ex-Catholic, now plays the picture-perfect image of an ideal Muslim wife. His brother, Hani, a non-practising physician, gave up his...

*Terms and conditions apply! The newest battle cry screams 'Black Lives Matter'. Of course, it is the only politically correct thing to say, that all lives are precious, irrespective of race, colour and class. Nice on paper, nice to hear but not in practice. It is an undeniable fact that some lives matter more than others. Rather than thinking that race, colour and creed are determining factors on who should live and who should just bite the bullet and disappear, I would like to think that money is the common denominator that saves everybody's skin in the end. In this time and age, the dictum 'Health is Wealth' no longer holds water. It should be rewritten as ' Wealth assures good Health'. As the cost of medical services snowballs by leaps and bounds, governments and health providers are running to cut cost. Even though the world has the technological know-how or at least have access to some experimental techniques to treat some potentially fatal il...

Risen (2016) Like what my friend says, it is about love and faith. Faith gives us that tuft of hope when the going gets tough and the end seems hopeless. The fight would go on by offloading some of the pressures to an overseeing Being, while Man can continue doing what he does best. When anxiety builds up and all odds are stacked against him in an unfair distribution, Man starts asking what the meaning of life is all about. What he gets is a muted, deafening, stony impassive silence. When he thinks the Power above would be just and equal in his distribution of comfort and happiness, what he sees are random occurrences and chaos. Nonbelievers accuse believers who surrender themselves to outlets like self-indulgences and religion as quickly laid out answers to the questions of life as committing philosophical suicide. He accepts the absurdity of our dull and futile lives by actually killing off our ability to inquire and reason. He seems to be taking the easy way out without really...

  By Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) Those who in the name of Faith embrace illusion, Kill and are killed. Even the atheist gets God’s blessings – Does not boast of his religion; With reverence he lights the lamp of Reason And pays his homage not to scriptures, But to the good in man. The bigot insults his own religion When he slays a man of another faith. Conduct he judges not in the light of Reason; In the temple he raises the blood-stained banner And worships the devil in the name of God. All that is shameful and barbarous through the Ages, Has found a shelter in their temples – Those they turn into prisons; O, I hear the trumpet call of Destruction! Time comes with her great broom Sweeping all refuse away. That which should make man free, They turn into fetters; That which should unite, They turn into a sword; That which should bring love From the fountain of the Eternal, They turn into poison And with its waves they flood the world. They try to cross the river In ...