Holy shit

"More trouble over free speech in France. I sometimes feel their policy is defective -- why do the Charlie Hebdo cartoons have to be their only example of freedom of expression?"

I couldn't agree more with my cousin's thoughts!

There is racism in France which needs to be seriously addressed. When I was in Paris for a short translation project, I was alarmed in Montpellier where I was studying at the time, about 'racism' in Paris; lo and behold I bumped into a grocery shop whose owner said he had nothing for people like me. When I asked as to what he meant by 'people like me', he ignored me and asked his employee to show me the door. I was thrown out.

I am sure I am not the only one solitary example. Of course my love for France and everything French enabled me to royally overlook this, but this attitude of displacing anger (in most cases with valid reasons) on arbitrary people causes negative vibration and it does set a sad example about the country that gifted democracy to the world. In case, you are naive enough to misunderstand, I am not, in any way, advocating the scoundrels who take it on them as a messenger of their prophet and behead people for what they say to keep committing such crimes, I'm trying to throw some light by wearing a black hat.

Happy birthday, dear Gandhi.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi has been studied throughout the world, as he is, even today. However, we have not applied him in our day to day lives. His followers, known as the Satyagrahis, had to take eleven vows and had to live by them in their thoughts, words, and actions. 

Eleven vows of the Satyagrahis: 

1. Non-violence
2. Truth
3. Non-stealing
4. Celibacy
5. Non-possession
6. Body-Labour
7. Control of the Palate
8. Fearlessness
9. Equal Respect for all Religions
10. Swadeshi (use of home manufactures)
11. Freedom from Untouchability.

These eleven principles should be observed as vows in a spirit of humility. The Mahatma, in his ashram in Wardha, ate chapatis, boiled beets, some raw vegetables, and oranges for lunch. On the side of his plate was a large lump, a paste, of very bitter neem leaves which he ate slowly, relishing it bit by bit.

Walk the talk

He is perhaps the last leader who has ever walked on the world living up to his words. The nonviolent voice of Gandhi appeals to man’s highest conscience. Nations of the world, two hundred thirty-three beautiful countries of the world, need to unite and concur on one common point, so they no longer align with death, murder in the name of patriotism, nationality, they align with life. Instead of indulging in destruction (a lose-lose approach), the countries need to focus on construction (a win-win approach); all the fluttering flags should sing an emphatic no as a global anthem and say that they're no longer with the Annihilator, they are with the Creator.

Forgiveness

Mahatma says, ‘One should forgive, under any injury. It hath been said that the continuation of species is due to man’s being forgiving. Forgiveness is holiness; by forgiveness, the universe is held together. Forgiveness is the might of the mighty; forgiveness is sacrifice; forgiveness is quiet of mind. Forgiveness and gentleness are the qualities of the self-possessed. They represent eternal virtue.’  

Non-violence

Non-violence is the manifestation of the law of forgiveness and love. Gandhi proclaims, ‘If loss of life becomes necessary in a righteous battle, one should be prepared, like Jesus, to shed his own, not others’, blood. Eventually, there will be less blood spilt in the world.’ That is why, leaders shouldn't send soldiers and warriors in the battle, they should go there themselves, if at all.

Through his conviction on non-violence, Gandhi won political concessions for his land than have ever been won by any leader of any country except through bullets.

Happy birthday dear Gandhi, give us the moral strength so we can apply you in our daily lives and make the world a better place to live. The world is obliged that you lived and walked on its soil. Rest in real power, always.

No to night shift

Organizations that make their employees work in night shifts should pause and think for a while.

Are they lacking in their role of fulfilling Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity here?

You must be wondering as to what #CSR activity has to do with night shifts? Where is the link? Is that what you are thinking? Yes, I think there is a link.

All learning organizations should focus on three things, viz. work, profit, and health. It is well-known fact as to how night shifts affect the health of a person. It is not only physical health but even mental health gets adversely affected by working in night shifts.

Why should we allow our children to suffer; why should we force them to work at a time when they should be on bed? How many people from the first world work in night shits? People who work in night shifts there are only those who work for essential services, and of those, you will see that most of them are immigrants working for the whites. 

If we let our children suffer because we cannot say ‘no’ to the white clients of the first world, then what kind of attitude are we showing for our own people? It cannot be expected from Foreign MNCs because they are least concerned about the health of our nations, had it been so they wouldn’t have used our land as their dumping grounds, but it can certainly expect that from our own MNCs!

I have seen employees of many good organizations working on the streets spreading awareness to people on the importance of wearing helmets, abiding by traffic rules, how smoking is injurious to health, and so on. It is heart-warming to see their genuine concern for the health of their nation. By that same logic, shouldn't such organizations show the same concern here as well?

If we are making significant contributions to the society where we perform, in terms of CSR activities, then the best place to perform, as they say, ‘charity begins at home’, will have to be in and from the organization itself; we can do so by taking care of the health of our employees, our children, the future of our nation, just by saying ‘no’ to #night-shift.

Please support the #health of the workforce.

#health is wealth

By saying yes to night-shift, are Indian MNCs lacking in CSR activity?

#healthandwellness #healthawareness #healthhacks #healthandwellbeing #healthcareforall #healthcareprofessionals #nightshift #mentalwellbeing #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthsupport

rambling on human rights and tolerance

Can someone tell me what’s going on,
where are we still going wrong?

You? You are talking about human rights? Are you serious, my friend? Okay, first tell me who is a human.... according to you, who fits the definition of a human? Someone who looks like you? Who talks, eats, behaves like you? If you looked back, you would see that your race had violated human rights the most. You called people names, niggers, chicken roasts, watermelons, and so on… tried to either baptize or civilize chunks of populations, and, in so doing, had destroyed, stolen histories, wealth, and stories of races who were different from you, those whom you thought were not even humans:

‘To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered fold and wild -- 
Your new-caught, sullen peoples, 
Half devil and half child.’

Did you include them too when you talk about human rights? Of all the races in the world, you were the most intolerant. You had offended the whole world. South America comprises Mexico, the Caribbean and most of Central and South America. In these places, residents speak mostly Spanish and Portuguese. These two languages are classified as Romance languages, which are derived from Latin, and that’s why you call South America Latin America? You have completely erased the indigenous languages, haven’t you? Then why don’t you call it continental euro-America?

Let’s not open the pandora’s box, but even today you have not changed. Not one bit. 

Why should we have to dress like you in our own lands? What do you mean by professional grooming and etiquette? It’s your own style of grooming that you regard as professional, don’t you? What do you mean by dining etiquette? It’s your style of dining, isn’t it? Why do we have to hold a fork and a knife to eat? Why do we have to talk like you, in your language, why should we neutralize our accent to project ourselves as an effective speaker? What do you mean by professionals? They are people who look like you, don’t they?

And why do our children have to do night shifts, why wouldn’t you allow them to sleep at night? And after all this, you are talking about human rights? I know that some of you also do night shifts for essential services in your part of the world, but even those who do night shifts, most of them are immigrants. In our part of the world, in every sector nightshift are creeping in like the insomniac virus that’s adversely affecting the health and hygiene levels here! Why do you compel our organizations to work in night shifts if you are so sensitive about human rights?

 From the way we dress, talk, eat, look, you are telling us that we are not okay, that we have to be like you to be civilized, to look like a professional, and you are talking about tolerance and human rights! Imagine this…in our own land, on days we wear our dresses, we call it ethnic wear day!

 You are still using our part of the world as your dumping ground. Why so! Why can’t you manage your own waste? Why don’t you allow us to cultivate crops in our own lands? The same rule still seems to be the ground rule, isn’t it? First learn to accept humans who look, talk, eat, dress differently, as humans; if you walk the talk well enough, you won’t need to talk much about human rights and tolerance.

Storehouse

 

Look at this globe

As long it's moving

There's glory

There's hope. 

Beautiful minds! 

If you focus 

On this magical ball

You'll be surprised

With its enormous, 

Undiscovered space

That'll emerge from

The waters and the sands, 

Much more than what you found

In the Moon and in the Mars. 

Population can never fathom

How miraculously it stands

How attractive, how handsome, 

How unexplored is it still

How unimaginable is its skill!

It'll roam at ease for 

Millions of years and more

With love and grace;

To check for yourself

What the house has in store, 

Take care to toil with its soil

Until your intelligence cracks, 

Until your brains find the track, 

Until your soul finds solace.

©Supratik Sen

মনের কাছাকাছি

এই কোবিড ১৯ এর দৌলতে আমরা অনেকেই যেমন বাড়িতে থাকতে শিখেছি, আমি তেমন আমার মনের সাথে থাকতে শিখেছি। মানে শিখছি, ইটস এন অনগোয়িং জার্নি। 

আগে খেয়ালি করতাম না, ভাবতামই না।  দেখ না দেখ মন হয় এক কোণে বসে আছে, ডুকরে ডুকরে কাঁদছে, 'আমার দ্বারা কিছু হবে না বলে', নয়তো অনর্গল কারুর না কারুর সাথে ঝগড়া করে চলেছে, সতেরো বছর আগের ঝগড়া, এখনো চালিয়ে যাচ্ছে! বাবা বাছা করে তাকে ফিরিয়ে এনে  বসাই ধ্যানে, বলতে বলি আমি আত্মা, কাকুতি মিনতি করে বলি আমার সাথে থাকতে, এদিক ওদিক না যেতে, খানিকক্ষন থেকেই আবার পালিয়ে যায়, আবার ধর ধর ওই পালালো ধর ধর.... সারাদিন এখন এই চলে!

তোমরা যারা ভাব তোমাদের কোনো কাজ নেই, ঘরে বসে বোর হোচ্ছ, যারা ভাবা কাহাঁতক আর টিভি দেখা যায়, বা হোয়াটস্যাপ করা যায়, তারা যদি একবার এই নেশায় মাত  তাহলে দেখবে কোথা দিয়ে হু হু করে কী সুন্দর ভাবে সময় কেটে যাচ্ছে! 

আমি আমার কথা বলতে পারি, আমি এখন অনেক শান্তিতে আছি, কোনো পরনিন্দা পরচর্চা নেই, কোনো বিষন্নতা আমাকে আর গ্রাস করে না, নিজেকে অন্যের সাথে তুলনা করে কষ্ট পাই না, মন এখন আমার পরম বন্ধু। আগে ছিল আমার সবচাইতে বড় এনিমি। মনের ভিতরে থাকতো রাশি রাশি আবর্জনা, কিছুই হচ্ছে না, কিছুই হবেনা, আবার কাজে যেতে হবে, আবার খাটতে হবে, এ আমাকে অপমান করলো, ও আমাকে ঠকালো, সারাদিন শুধু এইভাবে নিজেকে প্রহার করে যেতাম, ভাবতামিই না এই চিন্তাগুলো আমার নিজের পক্ষে কতটা ক্ষতিকারক!

তোমাদের মন যদি আমার মত বেয়াড়া হয়, তাহলে ভেবে দেখতে পারো, মনের ওপর কাজ করবে কিনা, এতে আলসামিও কমবে আর কখনো মনে হবেনা কি করি কি করি। এ এক্কেবারে টোয়েন্টিফোর বাই সেভেন অকিউপেশান।  মন একটা শিশুর মতন, কেবল ছটফট করছে আর যা করার না, যেদিকে যাবার না, তাইই করে চলেছে, হা! হা! হা!

এর জন্য দরকার মন্ত্র, মানে মনের অস্ত্র!

মন্ত্র খুব সহজ, অনেকরকম মন্ত্র আছে, যেমন সংস্কৃত মন্ত্র, যার অর্ধেক মানেই বোঝা দায় , আবার সহজ মন্ত্রও আছে, যেমন

আমি পবিত্র আত্মা,

আমি শক্তিশালী আত্মা,

আমি কেবলমাত্র এই তুচ্ছ দেহ না,

আমি অসীম ক্ষমতাশীল আত্মা।

এগুলোর কোন একটাই যদি আওড়ে যাওয়া যায়, তাহলে দেখবে মনের অশান্তি কমে যাচ্ছে, সারাক্ষন নিজের থেকে নিজে পালিয়ে বেড়ানোর ইচ্ছে আর হচ্ছেনা, অন্ধকারকে, বা নিজের পিছনদিকটাকে আর ভয় করছে না, অনেক হালকা, চনমনে লাগছে, এ এমন নেশা দেখবে, সিগারেট বা মদ খেতে আর যেন ইচ্ছাই করছে না, সব সময় মনে হবে কেউ যেন তোমাকে জড়িয়ে ধরে আদর করছে, তা বাইরের জগৎ তোমাকে যতই অপদার্থ, অকর্মন্য, দুশ্চরিত্র, বা শয়তান বলুক না কেন, এই মন্ত্র রত্নাকরের 'মরা মরা' মন্ত্র, প্রহ্লাদের 'নারায়ণ নারায়ণ' মন্ত্র, পীরদের পরম পবিত্র 'আল্লা হু আকবার' মন্ত্র। কাজে লাগিয়েই দেখো না একবার, যীশুর গুরু জন, বা লাহিড়ী মহাশয়ের গুরু বাবাজিকে দেখলেও দেখতে পারো।

এবারের মহামারী যেমন আমাকে আমার আত্মীয়স্বজনের কাছে এনে দিয়েছে, যেমন মনের মানুষগুলোর সাথে লুডো খেলার, কেরাম খেলার আর নির্ভেজাল আড্ডা মারার অবসর করে দিয়েছে, ঠিক তেমনই আমাকে আমার মনের সাথে মনের কথা বলারও সুযোগ করে দিয়েছে, আমাকে আমার মনের কাছাকাছি এনে দিয়েছে।

Three counterproductive thoughts

Thinking out of the box

If thoughts are things, then we need to revisit the three most counterproductive thoughts that are causing imbalance, inequality, and injustice throughout the world. 

1. Wars as positive checks

We have never challenged this. It's amazing how horrendously a negative phenomenon is ingrained in human minds. We don't need wars to control population. Nothing positive can be attached with wars. Sorry Malthus.

2. Survival of the fittest

This has gone into the subconscious of the world through generations. Even though we talk of win-win today, but we invariably fall prey to the win-lose model because of this thought. It is not only wrong, but it's irrelevant as well. Now, it is survival of the wisest. Sorry Darwin.

3. The 80-20 rule

How has the modern world accepted this phenomenon I wonder. If 80% of the world's population are below the poverty line and 20% are rich, then can we say we have delivered? In business, if 80% of our products or services were to be of a mediocre quality, would such businesses survive? Then how can we underestimate people and processes like this? This notion is the basis of all our evaluation process. Sad. 

We cannot say we have delivered until we reach 100%. All leaders of the world, business houses, reformers, philanthropists, have their concurrence on this wrong pattern of thinking that's not only leading us into mediocrity, but is also causing havoc in the world. Sorry Richard Koch.

I sincerely believe that if we want to change the world, we need to change the way we think. It's time we put 'thinking out of the box' in practice.