{"id":2594,"date":"2020-08-17T17:29:43","date_gmt":"2020-08-17T17:29:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/?p=2594"},"modified":"2020-08-17T17:29:43","modified_gmt":"2020-08-17T17:29:43","slug":"the-inside-story-of-bharat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/2020\/08\/17\/the-inside-story-of-bharat\/","title":{"rendered":"The ‘inside’ story of Bharat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let me begin with a cliched story \u2014> Bharat was bright student, always topped his class, tutored his batch mates, never held pride in it. He was studious to the point others idolised him. Soon he was in his life deciding year of 12th std, the dreadful pitstop of life where the exams decide his future, a single stroke of destiny that makes or breaks his life. He never worried about it though, as he kept doing what he did, studied year around, tutored those who approached him. In recent years, especially after his brilliant 10th standard results he was befriended by sly guy Raj. Now Raj was opportunist, not from a well to do family, but a street smart guy. He knew the ways of world. He as such had no particular beef with Bharat, but knew Bharat\u2019s importance in self growth. He moved with Bharat, almost like his shadow, learnt from him. Soon the dates for exams were declared and everyone got in their exam gears. It was their first day of the exam and as all hurried to their exam centres with their ID cards and rest stuff, Bharat was caught in traffic. He first time felt slight nervous, he centre was just half kilo-meter away from where he was stuck in traffic. His father, who was driving, assured him they will make before the exam time. Soon the lights turned green and BAM!!. the sign huge sign board advertising career prospects with a big MNC fell and smashed them under its load. Both Father son rushed to hospital. Bharat comes out of coma after 2 days, ribs, skull, legs all broken. He did not reach the exam centre, lost over another 3 months in hospital, came out of hospital with loss of father, loss of education and any possibility of stable career. The accident changed his life, he became our Bollywood hero, Vidhwa Ma, bin byahi behen, zamane ka karz and all that. On other hand Raj did well in exams, bagged himself a chance to study in the university which he never would have dreamt of.<\/i> \u00a0 <\/span><\u2014 you all are smart to figure out the rest story, if not, well then watch more movies. Lets get back to the issue at hand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I was recently posed with a question, \u00a0if we are nation<\/b> (this word needs close examination) \/culture that so great where did we miss the train? Why are we where we are?<\/p>\n

Now I have many a times myself pondered what is the point in reminding how great our ancestors were, what all they had achieved and so on, when today we are in this pitiful situation. Superficially this does make a lot of sense, and while digging in myself for this answer I\u00a0 <\/span>stumbled upon more questions which made me uncomfortable at times.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I am still in search of the ONE answer, which eludes me, but for sure it\u00a0 <\/span>introduced me to lot of other aspects which I had till then given up. Say on what scale are we measured to know that we missed the proverbial train ?<\/p>\n

To my meek mind there is no doubt about the advances of science in ancient times.\u00a0 <\/span>Neither do I like to project my failures on my ancestors nor wish to bask in their glory.\u00a0 <\/span>This harms and undermines the likes of Shushrut who have documented evidence of their surgery procedures. These were practiced in India, rather in Pune when first time they were noted in Gentlemen’s magazine in 1794. Rest you can find online. Like this one example I am sure you all know many more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But is it a must just because Shushrut was great surgeon, our advances in medical must also be stellar? Once the reputed phoren<\/i><\/b> <\/i>magazine has noted it, we blindly accept it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I\u2019ll give you another example from current times, Dr. Himmat Bawaskar, who has done pioneering work in scorpion stings and its treatment. He has established how the poison works and tried publishing papers with a top Indian magazine, who rejected him due to his poor english skills, while his same papers were immediately accepted by Lancet despite the language skills.\u00a0 <\/span>He is being thronged by professors from Harvard regarding this work on scorpions and even Krait bites. In early 80\u2019s when scorpion sting was assured death, caused by heart failure, his work made the breakthrough to understand this mechanism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He is just one more of many Indians who have been left aside, but coming back to the question of despite all advances of our ancestors why are were where we are. There is no single<\/b> straight answer to this, rather can\u2019t be. Like in our Hero Bharat\u2019s case the unfortunate accident ruined him. But what if there was possibility for him to retake the exams, had not to worry about his mother, sister etc.. Would it end different? Many more aspects as we dig in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Same goes to India. Introspection is always hard and not a must for all. All cannot be at the same level of understanding to gain insights of introspection. I do not like the expectation that everybody must introspect. To me it is same as, Nobody Should Lie. Its a good\u00a0 <\/span>virtue but not all live in ideal situations to implement it. Had introspection existed the Ram Mandir ground breaking would not be conducted rather breaking Corona\u2019s backbone would had been of focus.\u00a0 <\/span>We as Indians are not a homogenous solid block. Introspection as much as ideal it sounds is way too much to ask from people who are struggling to make ends meet (even before corona pandemic). \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We are culturally one as country\/nation. We have collective memories that shape us Indians. If that did not exist, then what are we? What is being Indian mean? Just to belong to this geographic location? Or having same DNA? These both can be thrown out in current world with globalisation and years of mixing of DNA pools (evident from DNA genetic testing) The rich past, the knowledge, the understanding of life\/universe is what makes is different from rest world. If\u00a0 <\/span>we can\u2019t be proud of it, if we can\u2019t respect it, who will ? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We, for at least one millennia have been the most thriving maritime culture but hardly anyone knows about it. After 200 years of British Raj, we are still struggling to de-colonise our minds. One truth, one answer to every question, one leader, one this, etc\u2026 is fixated in our heads. Our own ISRO broke this One method to reach stars by reaching Mars in cheapest way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We have to understand our capabilities, we need to study our past for that. There is no need to bask in its glory and get lost, but create a mindset which we have long ago lost.\u00a0 <\/span>Hanuman whose energies were locked away, regained them once he was reminded of them, and rest is Ramayan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our storywala<\/i> Bharat got played a bad hand, things turned in favour or Raj. To a large extent that\u2019s the our case too. Until 12th century things were by and large flourishing, despite the attacks from the Turks, the temples were Rich. These temples were\u00a0 <\/span>the chief finances in many trades, once the\u00a0 <\/span>temples began depleting (reasons out of scope of this article) wealth of the Indian economy began contracting. The temples were also patrons to those who studied and researched various subjects. The Kings were facing situations that they hadn\u2019t planned for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As this upheaval occurred on our sub continent, things were rapidly changing in Europe too. It had lost million lives in their crusades, black death, constant infighting; reducing population, rising demands, shortage of labour, all of this created \u00a0‘necessity’. Which like always has been mother of invention. At the same time there was decline within India. The Indian Kings were getting protective of their kingdoms, less and less was spent on growth of culture. Indian system for better or worse was dependent on the trade with rest of world, which began shrinking as in those countries populations had reduced, demand was dying out, they had their own fights to endure, making trade was even harder. Economy was taking hit, for India kings and temples, and indirectly the system of patronages and study<\/p>\n

A large part of Indians were always kept away from knowledge (the why is not scope of this article), they had access only to vocations which were handed from father to son. The immense advances what were made in field of medicine, astronomy, astrology, mathematics, physics were left in clutches of few. They never percolated to the masses. All was lost in dark depths of time. In the coming centuries Europe made advances with knowledge they got from Arabs. As Europe made progress their urge to go to the land of gold only but grew stronger. There must be reason why Columbus headed for India, right? (Had he studied his history carefully, he would have known which direction India is, as his land, a millennia ago was trading with us)\u00a0 <\/span>When they came as traders they did bring machines for our then kings, few of whom destroyed these machines only because they would kill jobs. 14th, 15th century India had different need, and ignoring the \u00a0guiding principles which their\u00a0 <\/span>previous\u00a0 <\/span>generations had mentioned in different Puranas, Shashtras etc\u2026 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time of arrival of our Gora<\/i><\/b> masters, we were a different society. Britain made progress again to overcome their misfortunes caused by black death, infighting, proselytisation and so on. When they arrived on Indian shores, it was known as land which created artisans<\/b> (not workers) with whom they wanted to trade. Back home they created possibilities to compete with these Indian artisans, they created machines given lack of people. They created workers with mediocre skills and\u00a0 <\/span>armed them with skilled tools. Mills were set to that exact cause, while actively they killed the Indian industrialisation. They in whatever small, large way they saw to it that India doesn\u2019t get on that\u00a0 <\/span>metaphorical train. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is another aspect.\u00a0 <\/span>USA is currently the most advanced in many fields of sciences. This has been possible due to many europeans thinkers who moved to the new land prior and even after the world wars. Fuelled by money, science made extreme advances there. Modern science is slave to funds. In the current day the scenario is different, the same current relies heavily on Brain gain, its own generations are falling apart. Their progress is made on power of money which attracts brains. It is a case of Matter over Mind. India lacked this matter, for myriad of reasons, which lead to ignoring of the mind. Indian way of making progress was through perception, thinking\u2014thinking and thinking, living the answer and not just limiting it to research. Mind trumped Matter in a sense. But matter had its role to play.<\/p>\n

India funded western industrialisation, the WWI and even WWII. Thats what Bharat\u2019s accident was. Raj kept progressing, Bharat was in coma for at least 200 years. Once he emerged out of it, his large family, poverty stricken, the metaphorical Vidhwa Maa <\/i>and bin bhyayi Behen<\/i> were waiting for him. He had no chance to get back where he left.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is just one of the factors, why we are where we are, and same can be said with Turks\/Mughals regime.\u00a0 <\/span>But all this just becomes the blame game, despite it being critical to study where did we miss the train. The true nature of introspection is where one checks what is \u2018missing\u2019, why is it \u2018missing\u2019, what\/why\/how went wrong that caused the \u2018missing\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As much as we can blame British, Mughals any other regime or circumstances but we always stop short of claiming share of that blame. \u2018Self\u2019\u00a0 <\/span>which has been at the core of Indian thought process, ironically is left out. Through millennia India had developed a Self, it had accessed to the \u2018WHY\u2019\u00a0 <\/span>of existence, had always laid importance to that aspect of life over material gains. Ever wondered why this land despite being Lakshmi loving forces itself to devote to Saraswati? Simple reason is Lakshmi<\/b> always follows<\/b> Saraswati<\/b>, in other terms knowledge<\/b> leads<\/b> to gains<\/b>, efforts birth results.\u00a0 <\/span>That is mind getting toned, Mind over Matter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We on this sub continent were never a Nation based on geography rather we were based on cultural values. What this is that<\/i><\/b> exactly can be debated, but it is the crux. Despite we reaching upto Bali, returned to the famed motherland back. Our ancestors left those conquered lands to return to what they identified themselves with. This identity<\/b> has been the uniting factor.\u00a0 <\/span>And what is this identity, what does it mean to be Indian had to be explored. How does one do that? Can one not remind oneself of its past?\u00a0 <\/span>Even if Bharat suffered the accident, and Raj went\u00a0 <\/span>ahead , does it make Bharat any less capable? But if Bharat is completely wiped of his memories, there is no shred of self respect allowed to remain, if all he taught is that\u00a0 <\/span>he is worthless, slave, and incapable of anything will it help him? On the contrary if he is reminded that he is capable, has worth, and must respect himself, will it not help him to boost himself? Will it not make him take efforts to achieve \u2018something\u2019 ?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We have generations living in India without knowing their self worth. If all that you learn is with defeatist mentality how, rather why will you even have he urge to win. When all you learn is defeat after defeat of Indian kings how will you ever gain inspiration? Why is inspiration to be searched in western scientists, battles, campaigns etc\u2026 We know more about Napoleon, but almost nothing about Bajirao Peshwa who never lost a battle, creating and empire larger than Napoleon could dare to imagine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We have to change\u00a0 <\/span>our mindsets, the Self has to be reset. We cannot accept ourselves with cups half-filled of defeatist mentality. This is where we need to remind ourselves of the past, but only to build a bright future. Gloating is absolutely useless. Just because our past was glorious doesn\u2019t make us eligible for a glorious future until end of time. For that we have to strive, we have to fight and these achievements of past are fodder for it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Think it this way, Pi was calculated by Indians, long before pythagorus, the theorem was well in use in ancient India, temples, diameters of planets were calculated using it, Rishi Kanaad had given the theory of atoms and neutrons, speed of light was calculated by Sayana in Vijaynagar empire, the contributions of Jagdish Chandra Bose, Janaki Ammal, Biba Chowdhari, were not left to be found in few obscure bylines of history.\u00a0 <\/span>Had we learnt all of these, would we have had this meek outlook of our past? Would we have shied away from it as bane?. How such a scenario would have affected our mindsets? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Take for example Ayurveda. Under British rule it was never allowed to be practiced as medical science, not considered worthy at all. This shoved that vast knowledge in obscurity. When we got Independence we faced this dilemma what do with this step child Ayurveda, should we accept it or reject it. 200 years of Raj had changed our mindset, added Ayurveda was not present to make its won case, it had gone away. It\u2019s efficacy was in question, committees\u00a0 <\/span>made of allopathy doctors were to decide its fate. Now that Ayurveda is made its entry via phoren land we find our long lost love for it. Kerala build a tourism model around it, attracted phoren ke people and since Goras<\/i> use it, we find worth in it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What would \u00a0be bad is being stuck in its glory and not advancing it. There are many scriptures waiting for translations from various Indic languages filled with Ayruvedic know how. But so long people don\u2019t realise its worth, no one will go and research into it, which is why its greatness has to be marketed. Think it this way-> sometimes people demolish their 100yrs old home to find gold pots buried underneath.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That is what we need do with our attitude too, need to demolish our defeatist attitudes and dig for gold pots. We may or may not find one, but the defeatist attitude has to go, only for us to realise our gold worth. Bharat\/India is still looking east or west for answers, but has forgotten to look inside, it had given away its own philosophy of looking within, even Sanskrit word for philosophy is Darshana, <\/i><\/b>so why shy away from it. Reminding of past glory is itself a way of introspection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let me begin with a cliched story \u2014> Bharat was bright student, always topped his class, tutored his batch mates, never held pride in it. He was studious to the point others idolised him. Soon he was in his life deciding year of 12th std, the dreadful pitstop of life where the exams decide his …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2595,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[382],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-astrology-dialogues"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2594"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2598,"href":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2594\/revisions\/2598"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/idiagress.com\/vinaaypatil\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}