Parallels we have seen before!

The symbolic crossing of the 38th parallel

The leaders of the Koreas cajoling each other

to cross the coveted line. ©FG

The world is pleased with the symbolic crossing of two brothers, brothers-in-arms, who, for the good 60 over years were hawkishly looking after each other with scorn over the 38th parallel. The arbitrary line set up in a wishy-washy way in 1955 after a feud which was heading nowhere. Instigated by cheering and doomsday prophets from the world over, the siblings spotted tangential growths of gargantuan proportions, so we are made to believe.

Bear in mind, the world should not be too complacent that everything would be hunky dory from now on. Remember, the euphoria after the fall of Berlin Wall did not last enough for the world to forget the dark years of the Cold War.

Lest not we forget the generally great vibes that Neville Chamberlain got after his meeting with the soon to Führer of the Reich. And the faux pas that followed as Germany invaded Poland before the ink dried above the dotted lines.

After the Second World War, in their infant post-liberation, two metamorphosed giants of Asia, India with its struggling democracy and China with its bumbling communist dictatorship decided to prosper together in a collaboration which came to be mocked as "Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai" (India and China are brothers). Unfortunately, both nations had different notions of prosperity; India via mutual cooperation and industrialisation whilst the Middle Kingdom thought that their revolution was the answer to the world's problems.

But see what happened? Lowering their shields, Bharat soon realised that their newfound kinsmen had run over to take over part of their territory. The tension of this 1962 event lingers to date.

North Korea had always been by the world as an appendage of Red China. Is the visit to the Southern counterpart just a front for them to tone down the defence to aid the nefarious activities of their Big Brother?

Is it the lull before the storm? The settling of a storm in a teacup? Should we be worried? Well, history tells us to be.

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Time to let your mind go asunder!

Kafka in Ayodhya and other stories (2015, 2018)

Author: Zafar Anjum

Perhaps not many would appreciate the significance of the illustration of the insect to the title of this book. Of course, it is related to Franz Kafka's 1915 original novella 'Metamorphosis' where the protagonist transforms into a beetle-like insect overnight. It is a strange tale with many concealed messages and has been hailed one of the most fabulous fictions of the 20th century. It questions the purpose of our existence and our relationship with the people around us.

This potpourri of short stories immerses our thoughts into the daily lives of the characters in their contemporary Asian lives. From a journalist, Herr Kafka, who turns up around the time of the court's announcement of Ayodhya's 'Ram Mandhir- Babri Masjid' legal wrangle to a name-dropping self-proclaimed broke 'writer', there many more chronicles in this book to let your mind to go wild.

Another interesting short story is the tale of a grumpy salary earner as he goes through his routine of getting ready for work. He discovers that a rat is menacing his household. Unknown to him, the rat also has other plans. One more is a sad tale about a lonely and grouchy mother who is left behind to fend for herself as her adopted-daughter and her son stays overseas. There is also a dark tale of a soon-to-be-married Hanuman devotee who suffers from erectile dysfunction. Imagine the words that you write revolt against the writer for scripting them in a bad light.
Two other narrations bring experiences outside India. A sister cannot accept the death of her brother after being gunned down by an Israeli soldier. The grand finale tells about an Indian businessman who comes to Singapore for a weekend rendezvous ends up heartbroken as his confession of love to an immigrant social escort is rejected!

An excellent and easy read. In this world where communicating with fellow human beings becomes increasingly more difficult where political correctness and care not to offend has reached absurd levels, fictions remain a safe, harmless outlet. One can create his own world where his heroes can comprise of himself and the people he likes, and the evil demons can be all the annoying species that he meets in his worldly life!

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A number is just a number. Or is it?

The Number 23 (2007)

I did wonder once why the seed of humanity is intertwined around an unusual number, 23; a prime number. [Refer] It could easily be centred around an even number or one around the most mysterious figures known to Man, i.e. nine. But it had to be 23. A funny number. Obscure or intentional?

Actually, if we look around us, the number 23 appears more often than we realise. The enigmatic constant manifests as Avogadro's expression of 6 X 10²³  is the number of atoms in a mole of a substance. The Quran's first verse was told on the 23rd day of the ninth month, and it took 23 years to be fully revealed. Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times; Brutus' twenty-third one proving fatal after saying Et Tu, Brute?' Then there is the superstitious belief of 'enigma 23' where bad things can happen around number 23.

I thought Jim Carrey acted very well in this thriller. He portrays the role of a disturbed city dog catcher who believes that the author of an obscure book is trying to convey a cryptic message to him using the number 23. Suddenly he sees everything with the cursed number association. His obsession with this 'most paranoid' number reveals much more than meets the eye.

The element of confusion, whodunit and surprise is nicely embedded in this flick. Unfortunately, the general public thought that the story was too convoluted for general consumption. It only managed a measly 8% on the Rotten Tomatoes' scale, and Carrey was the runners-up to the Raspberry award that year (losing to Eddie Murphy for 'Norbit').

I thought that it came with a few memorable lines. It may appear cliche to some.

• There's no such thing as destiny. There are only different choices. Some choices are easy, some aren't. Those are the really important ones, the ones that define us as people.

• To die there in the street would have been easy. But it wouldn't have been justice, at least not the justice fathers teach their sons about. I'll be sentenced in a week or so. My lawyer says the judge will look kindly upon me for turning myself in. Maybe it's not the happiest of endings, but it's the right one. Someday I'll be up for parole, and we can go on living our lives. It's only a matter of time. Of course, time is just a counting system — numbers with meaning attached to them — isn't it?

• I'd like two words on my tombstone: what if.

• Time is just a counting system with numbers attached to it.

P.S. Just learnt a new word. 'Graphomania' (or scribomania) is the obsessive impulse to write. It is a psychiatric condition when it degenerates into contradictory statements or meaningless rumblings. It then is defined as 'graphorrhoea'. Sometimes I wonder if I had crossed the imaginary boundary.

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Don't mix facts with truth!

Their Finest (2016)

Unlike movies like 'Dunkirk' and 'Darkest Hour' that looks at a macro level, at the decisions and moves made at a higher level, this British film looks at it from a somewhat different angle. It reveals two things, as I see it; how the war affects the little man in the streets of London and how the spin doctors bend the truth to give a more grandiose picture to suit their agendas. Somehow, in the name of nationalism and duality of nature of things, we always see ourselves as the aggrieved but the righteous one.

Is it just me or do I see more and more flicks where the female, in many recently released movies, play a more dominant and composed role? Their male counterparts are made to appear weak and fickle. 

Catherine Cole, a Welsh lady, starts work with Ministry of Information to make documentaries to boost the morale of the public during the trying times of World War 2 as the UK is under attack by the German forces. She hears about a pair of twins allegedly sailing to Dunkirk. The story goes on to show the falsity of the story and how the whole team turned into a movie, inserting elements to satisfy various quarters and sentiments. The people struggle through the inconveniences of sudden disruptions of daily lives and inability to enjoy their sumptuous meals. The lives of the members of the fairer sex were destined to change forever by the war. As their males counterparts had marched to war, the ladies had to fill the vacuum left by their exodus. The War must have ejected the dames from their comfort zones behind their apron to flood the job market and demand for women empowerment. 

This flick also drove home the point that when a story is based on a true story, it just means that it is loosely associated with it. Along the screenplay, the directing, satisfying the producers and the distributors, many things must have changed and edited a million times to make the whole presentation appear appealing, larger than life, sexy, sellable, screen-worthy and politically correct.

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Cast in stone or mere sculpturing?

Cast in stone at a local temple for all to see.

At one look, this passage, probably from the scriptures of Manu, must be the most patriarchal statement ever. This marble slab is plastered on the walls of a local Hindu temple. It is proudly placed amongst the many meaningful verses from the Gita. I wonder if anyone takes time to read it, understand its message. If they did, I wonder if they would state their dissatisfaction. Or perhaps request for other more appropriate messages in keeping with the demand of time, space and societal sensitivity! These words may have carried relevance in a different era and in a distinct community milieu. 

One would say that it is cherry-picking if certain parts of the scriptures are blanked out and the ones meeting our agenda are picked up. All words of wisdom should stand the test of time. It should be relevant to the end of times. 

This trend of discussion is nothing new. Even during so-called 'Golden Age of the Islamic civilisation', such discourse apparently took place between the members of the Mu'tazila and Ash'ariyya schools of theology. On the Mu'tazilite end, they argued that the scriptures must only be a guide but the  God-given thinking faculty should prevail above all. Their detractors insisted that the divine inscriptions are beyond perfect. There was no place for human analysis.

I think most of the world problems involving religions are due to a literal translation of the text. No exemption is given to the circumstance it was mentioned. Everyone finds it more comfortable to say their peace, retreat into a cocoon and blame the divine forces if malady should strike. They have no guilt feeling and feel justified even if tragedies are associated with their actions or inactions. The silent God takes the blame.

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Yes or No, Right or Left, You are correct!

Vikram Vedha (2017)

Source: Wiki

Whenever one goes back to his wayward ways, I remember Amma would say, "See, Vethalam has gone up murunga tree!" The story of Vedhalam (Vetal) goes back to the tales of King Vikramaditya and the fables of moral dilemmas. In one instance, the mighty King had to capture Vetal, a demon, from a cemetery. He was supposed to keep a code of silence and not utter a single word, or the creature would retreat back to the tree it was hanging. The King followed suit. The imp was such chatty chap who kept telling stories upon stories and demanding answers. He asserted that if the King knew the answer and did not reply, his head would explode. If the answer were correct, the devil would jump back to the tree. The devil would stay if the answer were wrong. Like that the devil escaped captivity as the wise King could his tales that ended with riddles. 25 stories were told. The King could answer all 24. The demon dodged and the sorcerer caught him, and the cycle went on. The last one proved too complicated even for the wise king. Vikram brought Vetal back.

This is the basis of this film; Vikram, a hotblooded police officer and Vedha, the dangerous criminal he is trying to nab who attempts to justify the path that his life turned out to be.

Gangland fights in North Chennai are becoming nasty. Abandoning their traditional steely knives, the gangsters find guns more damaging. The bodies are piling, and the police had set up a special force of cops to keep the situation under wraps. Everybody in the team was specially handpicked for their dedication. Despite all the obstacles, they persevere. The team members all have their own sorrows to wallow; the chief was injured in an encounter, Vikram's buddy, Simon, has a child with a chronic debilitating disease, another with sex addiction, another who wants to give the best education to his child and yet one with a gambling addiction.

The team gets the opportunity to seize the gang leader, Vedha, but he gets out on bail. Thanks to Vikram's wife who happens to be a junior lawyer. Then a cat-and-mouse game starts as Vikram gets near to apprehending  Vedha. Vedha, in the meantime, engages in a 'catch-me-if-you can' routine whilst telling him stories of moral dilemma and his own justification for the predicament that he (Vedha) is in. Being born in the unfortunate side of the society with scant of opportunities, he had to do what he had to do to survive.

We all talk about one's own dharma*, the reason he is sent to Earth; the correct path that he is supposed to follow as it is what he is supposed to do.  But who is to know - that this is the path and that is the destination. We are all thrown into the deep end of the pool, some of us in cesspools, others in a seemingly nectar-filled rose scented pool. We are made to made to grope in the dark and make sense of what we are supposed to do. Irrespective of muck or rose petals, keeping afloat is a struggle, nonetheless. As we go on with the journey of life, we absorb guidance and knowledge from those around us and convince ourselves that that is our dharma, our reason for our existence. But who knows whether we made the right decision. We make up our minds as we wobble along. 

People in positions of power also go through the very same quandary.  A leader has to take the tough call to steer his downlines towards the right track. Decisions are not mere flowcharts guided by arrows, but different approach needed for different situations. There is no right or wrong decision; only bad choice in retrospect! In case our decisions proved less favourable, we convince ourselves that our conscience is clear. We did what we thought was best at that time and space.

Credit: devdutt.com
Vikramaditya and Vetal

# A king was performing the funeral rites for his father. As he was about to drop the funeral offering in the river, as ritual demanded, three hands rose from the water to receive it. The first hand belonged to a weaver, to whom the king’s mother had been forcibly given in marriage. The second hand was of a priest who loved the king’s mother and had made her pregnant. The third was of a warrior who had found the king abandoned on the riverbank and had adopted him and raised him on his own. “Now tell me Vikramaditya,” said the Vetal, “On which hand should the king place the funeral offering? On the hand of his mother’s husband, his biological father or his foster father? On the palm of the weaver, the priest or the warrior? 

#25. The unanswerable question. If a father and son conquerers seize a kingdom and marry the princess and the queen in captivity respectively, what would be the relationship between their children? (Hey it reminds of P Ramlee's 'Keluarga 69' and K. Balachander's 'Apoorva Raagangal'.)

* Dharma has multiple meanings in different religions. It is said that there is no one single-word that translates dharma in Western languages. It was in use in the Vedas and had evolved over the millennia.  In Hinduism, dharma signifies behaviours that are in accordance with the natural order of the Universe. It encompasses duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and "right way of living". In Buddhism, dharma is the "cosmic law and order" and is also applied to the teachings of the Buddha. In Jainism, it is the teachings of Tirthankara (spiritual teacher) and the body of doctrine about the purification and moral transformation of human beings. For the Sikhs, dharm is the path of righteousness and proper religious practice.

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Sitcom for nerds?

The Good Place (Seasons 1-2; 2016+ )

Yes, Ted Danson of the 'Cheers' is at it again. No, not a remake of the 1980s sitcom but he stars in another sitcom. Danson does not reprise his role of Sam Malone, the bartender. Maybe for old time sake,  he gets to the back the counter to serve in one scene.  

This show deviates from your typical offering of American comedy where canned laughter spliced with unimaginative jokes weaved with sexual innuendoes rule the day. Interestingly, this show deals with something out-of-the-world, literally, that is.  

It delves into the meaning of life and talks a lot about philosophers who gave their input trying to explain our existence,  the purpose of it all and the way one should live it. Questions like mortality, morality, telling white lies, mindfulness and inter-human relationships are dealt in a playful yet profound way. 

Bartender, at your service!

The first episode starts with a group of misfits dying and landing on the other side. The place is 'The Good Place' (vs 'The Bad Place') where people enjoy eternity in bliss after earning their brownie points on Earth. Michael (Ted Danson) is the Architect who masterminded the genesis of the area and is on-site to run the place as well. He is assisted by an A.I. being called Jenny. 

The four main characters in the show are Eleanor, a frustrated delinquent with deprived childhood, who is mistakenly taken in for an environmentalist; Chidi, an indecisive and 'too intelligent for his own good' professor of Ethics and Philosophy; Tahani, a haughty, name dropping and narcissistic Pakistani-British socialite with overt sibling rivalry issues and a drug-dealing social outcast and an amateur DJ, Jason Mendoza, who is mistaken for a Buddhist monk. 

Eleanor and Jason know that there must be a glitch in the system for being there as they know they do not deserve that heaven! Chidi, at first he thought that his admission was due to his knowledge and his deed on Earth. He soon discovers that his indecisiveness and procrastination brought harm to others. (His death was due to it too!) Tahani thought her philanthropic work did the trick but was made to realise that she did it for self-interest, not altruism.

With many psychological tests and examples, the series takes us to the end of the first season when the story takes a twist. (No spoilers). It becomes more interesting towards the second season when 'The  Good Place' goes through a turmoil.

The trolley problem: should you pull

the lever to divert the runaway trolley

onto the side track? (Phillipa Foot,1967)

We do good because it is the right thing to do as we, humans, set it to be; not because so and so said so. The inquisitive nature of Man is the one which would carry our race through time. Even though on the surface, we appear disjointed and in packs, in time of adversities, we join forces to combat a common enemy. The thinkers amongst us spur us to come up with answers and justifications for our action.

In many psychological dilemmas, there is no one 'correct' answer. Sometimes, there are no answers, but we still seek them with our nimble minds.

In the trolley conundrum, the answer is not so straightforward. Other parameters play a role too. The quandary of sacrificing a sole individual over five may seem easy enough. What if the one is a professor or a scientist who is the verge of a breakthrough discovery or a national leader or someone known to you and so on.  This issue is also dealt with when it comes to self-driving cars.
Can self-sacrifice be accepted as another form of solution to this enigma? Like God giving His Son, which is actually a part of Him, to die on the Cross to wash Man of his original sin and save him?

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