Cockroaches on the move!

 With the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) making headlines (certainly not on Godi media, but everywhere else), there is both entertainment as well a great hope.  The hope is that this satirical act and response to a stray comment by a legal authority, is talking, and talking perfect practical sense, which is being recognised.  The very fact that the government is banning and closing and accusing it of all 'anti-national' traits, is enough proof to say that there is some truth behind CJPs thought. The best aspect of this 'movement' - if one may say so - is that it is youth who are driving the process. Whether it sustains the momentum and results in some radical changes and growth, helping Indian democracy and future, is something to be seen (this statement qualifies me too to be a member of the CJP - lazy and waiting for someone else to work for the results!)

That said, I liked the following summary of the eligibility criteria: (an extract from the article of Fr Jose Maliekal) 

Dipke used AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT to design the website and manifesto within two hours. The movement's eligibility criteria are openly satirical yet strategically inclusive: unemployed ("by force, by choice, or by principle"), lazy ("refers only to physical activity"), chronically online ("at least 11 hours daily, including bathroom breaks"), and able to rant professionally ("content must be sharp, honest, and point at something that matters").

I specially like the last criteria! 

Diplomacy in the apostolate?

 In today's reading we find Paul before the Sanhedrin, making a very shrewd move.  Indeed he shows glimpses of this 'Saul' personality.  Put on trial for preaching Christ, he cleverly incites one group (Pharisees) against the other (Sadducees), without letting them even get wind of his clever move. He merely puts out himself as one among the Pharisees, being accused of believing in the resurrection! The Pharisees fall for it and then the debate is all a fight between the two groups.  Paul, in the meantime, walks out with a sly smile (that's my addition!). 

And just when I thought that was it, there comes the message from Jesus: You bore witness to me in Jerusalem, now be my witness in Rome as well.  

One can be like the crowd, easily swayed by someone's clever distraction, missing out the core argument and point.  We end up, fighting and arguing, without even realising that we long stopped reasoning and focusing.  We can be like Paul, playing a diplomat or a politician, rather than being an apostle. Or could be that Paul was only being wise not wanting to waste his time 'preaching' to the group; hence he merely lets them get entangled with one another, while he gets back to investing his time and energy into positive outcomes and possibilities. 

Getting back to the scene played out at the Sanhedrin, the feedback of Jesus can be interpreted as an endorsement of the ploy that Paul played. Or it could be read as a chastisement.  I prefer to side with the latter.  For in Christianity, honesty is more valuable than diplomacy.  Paul was called to be an apostle, not a diplomat, and certainly not a politician!  

Cow politics

 Here's a well written piece on the cow... an animal considered sacred in Indian politics (more than in religion!). I'm not sure if the article will continue to be available for long. Hence I've copied excerpts of it here, after the title of the article. The author is Abhishek Chakraborty. Originally published here on News abp LIVE (read on 9 September 2025).

The article is fairly balanced without taking any political sides: BJP or Congress.  But fairly exposes the way the cow - and for that matter, anything - can be turned into a political tool. The title of the article sums it all up! 

'Gau' Is 'Mata' Only When Breed Is Indian. The Foreign Jersey Cow Is Another Story In Politics

(Source: MSN 9 September 2025)

 

The Jersey cow holds a curious place in Indian political rhetoric — a symbol of both dairy prosperity and pointed political insults. BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have not shied away from turning this breed into a quirky metaphor for Opposition figures, despite the Hindu reverence for cows as "mother". 

Cow: Mother Or Insult? Politicians, Please Decide 

In the colourful menagerie of Indian politics, hardly anything is sacred — not even the 'sacred' cow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi notoriously referred to Sonia Gandhi as a "Jersey cow" in 2004 and Rahul Gandhi as a "hybrid calf," a jab at his parentage (Italian mother, Indian father) during his early election campaigns in Gujarat. 

From Channel Islands To Indian Fields And... Politics 

Before it became political ammo, the Jersey cow revolutionised Indian dairies. Bred on the British Channel Island of Jersey, the breed was imported to India to boost local milk yields, especially after the White Revolution in the 1970s. 

Why did Jersey cows fit in so well? They are small, hardy, adapt to local climates, and — most importantly — pump out creamy, high-fat milk that's perfect for making all things buttery and decadent. Indian farmers find them more profitable, and the breed's early maturity and high fertility ensure a steady stream of income. 

Jersey cows contributed to India's White Revolution, or 'Operation Flood', primarily through cross-breeding with native breeds to increase milk yield and improve milk quality, producing richer milk with higher fat and protein content. So it should not be an insult, right? 

The problem lies in the "foreign" origin. Even though the breed has made India its home, it is still not the 'gau mata' Indian Hindus have come to revere. At least, the political 'insults' seem to prove that. 

The Political Moo-d — Then And Now 

The cow in India is used in a lot of contexts today. Sometimes it is used to denote a naive and simple person, at others, it becomes a rebuke to call someone stupid and a good-for-nothing. No demarcation of native or foreign breed there. But, how did the Jersey cow morph from livestock to linguistic sledgehammer? Maybe it's just too tempting — a breed that represents both economic success and foreignness. 

In India, the sacred cow is never to be insulted, but a Jersey cow? She's fair game for wordplay, even as her "native" cousins get garlanded. 

Clearly, whether it's Congress or BJP, the cow — Jersey or native — is an instrument of politics. None is ready to commit to a ban on its slaughter, but none is ready to advocate beef either. But perhaps, the native cow commands a tad more respect. 

Whether in the cowshed or in the political arena, the cow rules the headlines and will continue to do so for a long time to come.

Justice and politics

Fighting for justice by breaking the law, one can still be truly just and noble. 

Standing against what is noble and good, by keeping all the laws, that's politics! 

BreXmas

Good one merging Christmas and Brexit...

(The Telegraph 27 October 2019) 

Clingfilm

I think I have a solution for preventing the "illegal" inflow of any and every species into this country - or for that matter any country: Clingfilm.  Yes, clingfilm.  Wrapping the whole country with clingfilm would certainly ensure that no one from outside the country, no non-native, whether human or insect, would gain entry.  I thought of bubble wrap, but I think clingfilm is better! 

We have this country right now dealing with the death of 39 Chinese immigrants and Inns (invasive non-native species).  So not only are human beings entering the country, even wasps, plants and insects too!  How dare they!  Back in India we have the NRC being brought into action to "weed out" illegal immigrants!  In South Africa, so far there was animosity against the white population who stayed on after the apartheid.  But now there is hatred against coloured fellow Africans too! (The Times, 25 October 2019).  Trump is praising his 'wall' built to keep away Mexicans and God-knows-who.  Not sure what is happening in China, because it already has a sort of clingfilm in place (at least on media).  Britain, a country which prides itself in being one of the world's leading brains, is entertaining the world - and itself - with this Brexit drama!  If leaving the EU was the most sensible things to do, come 3 years have come and gone and the country no better than when the result of the referendum was announced? 

I also understand that no country would like to be treated as a doormat, letting everyone walk-in and demand a better life.  That's the other extreme.  So is the fanatic fear of the non-native!  Letting in only those who can afford to pay or those who will benefit the local economy or toe the line of the ruling party is a very narrow and highly selfish access. 

So the most practical solution: clingfilm.  Security assured! Only problem is the same as with a fortress wall: Just like it prevents those outside from coming in, it also makes those within prisoners!  

Power of words

Received the following text a few days ago:
I guess it is in light of the Brexit mess that UK finds itself entangled in...

Earlier we had empires and emperors who ruled over these empires.  Then we had kingdoms and kings ruled.  Now we have countries! 

Someone surely is quite pissed off!  Nonetheless, not counting the political tone or slant of that, the text is a very clever use of language to convey a very subtle, sharp and scathing remark!  Like Fr Maliekal saying, "saying without telling!" 

Diplomacy in witnessing?

Paul in today's reading plays a very shrewd game when called before the sanhedrin.  He was well aware of the rift between the Sadducees and the Pharisees.  He just played it up so that they would fight and argue among themselves and he would be safe.  But he does so with great diplomacy.  He does not lie. Neither does he tell the truth.  He merely uses words cleverly.  I wonder if such diplomacy can be counted as evangelisation or witnessing.  Perhaps the last line of the reading offers us some insight. 

Courage!  You have borne witness to me in Jerusalem.  Now you must bear witness to me in Rome.  

And Rome surely did not have the Jewish lot of Sadducees and Pharisees!  That's God being diplomatic!

Advertising vs election campaigning

Advertising of products and services is actually to 'seduce' the customer in a race against competitors who are out to outdo oneself, by way of quality and quantity. 

Election campaigning, although a form of advertising, is different.  It differs in as much as the race is not to outdo the other in quality or quantity of service.  It is basically to offer possibilities of the least corrupt of all available possibilities.  It is about downgrading the other, rather than an endorsement of evident progress.  One gets to promise the moon and advertise fake achievements. 

Advertising leads consumers to choose the most useful from the best options.  Election campaigning is all about bluffing the electorate into choosing the least corrupt of the worst options!  

Election campaign

India just witnessed a massive wave of election campaigning in view of the ongoing national elections.  In parts of UK local council elections were held yesterday.  The whole notion of campaigning before elections is a global phenomena.  Nothing new or strange about it.  Really??

I find this concept of campaigning, especially the amount of time, energy, personnel, resources, and finances spent on it, ridiculously irritating.  If only they were spent on actual progress and fulfillment of the party agendas, none would require any campaigning!  That's my simple reasoning.  That minor parties or those who haven't yet had the opportunity to show their expertise need campaigning is something I perfectly agree with and whole-heartedly support.  But others, especially those already in the limelight, the opposition and mainly the ruling party or candidates, really need not do anything other than their best during their tenure.  People who actually see the good they do, will naturally vote for them based on their past performance.  The very fact that they spend sleepless nights canvassing and advertising and doling out speeches and promises, during the election campaigning, is an obvious proof that they haven't really done their best during their time in power.  If they honestly do their best when they actually have the possibility and power to do so, all that they need to say or point to, prior to elections,(if at all) is already evident achievements! Not bloated figures or promises.  And certainly not the drawbacks or failings of others (one does that when one does not have anything good to say about oneself!).  If only politicians would work as hard and as dedicatedly as during their campaigning spree, while in office or tenure, progress and growth would automatically appeal to the voter. 

Unfortunately I think the general population is still too naive and fickle.  Politicians aware of this weakness, make the most of it, for a couple of months and then rest for years to come!  

Brexit and black hole

Almost fell over laughing when I picked up The Times this morning.  The photo and the title was simply amazing.  For the past few months, every news channel and paper has been dogged by Brexit news!  The first ever photo of the black hole, too was swallowed into this Brexit drama...

Truly what a title! ... and here's another inescapable black hole... That's one piece of great journalistic talent!

The news article beside it is part of the unfolding Brexit drama or saga!

As an 'outsider' not really affected by this whole ongoing process of Brexit, it is fun to watch.  However, when I think of all those businesses and people whose livelihood depends on trade relations between the European Union and the UK, this stalemate is very agonising.  With politicians squabbling and offering no clear direction to proceed in, all these people living their lives on or across the borders have a hard time deciding what next to do.  That this is the case with one of the best developed countries in the world, makes this scenario all the more pathetic - and comical!  

Of Gods and (wo)men

The Sabarimala row in Kerala is turning a bit nasty.  On the one hand, there is the Supreme court's direction banning any prohibition of anyone on the basis of gender to a common place of worship and on the other, there is the age-old tradition of the temple itself.  If that tradition were a fringe one, then one could put it aside, but in this case it touches one of the core values of the deity: the deity being considered a bachelor.  A heady mix of politics and religion is never healthy!

I've heard Catholics and other religious laugh it off or not really be bothered.  But I wonder what if the Court tomorrow decides to take up the issue of oridnation of women in the Catholic church.  Will the same catholics who are indifferent to the ongoing issue about Sabarimala take the same attitude?

However, for me there is something greater at stake here - in both the cases.  We often lose the focus.  We miss out important values for the sake of trivialities.  When and why does upholding entry or denial to do so into a place of worship, become more important and sacred than a human life? Why isn't there an uproar when men or women are killed, or inhumanely treated right before our eyes?  It is a question of getting our priorities right.  Getting into the temple or staying out is of no great signifiance.  If Ayyappa truly gets 'polluted' by a human being, then he certainly is no great a god.  And if only by getting into the garbhagruha of Sabarimala one gets to heaven, then heaven certainly is not worth striving for. 

As for the gods, I'm sure Lord Ayyappa and God the Father are having a good laugh at our expense somewhere up above! 

No laughing matter

Browsing through the news headlines, the following one caught my eye

A cobra's kiss

The news is about two men from Rajasthan who have been getting cobras so as to get them to bite their tongues because no amount of the usual drugs they've used gives them a high anymore!  It is said that the cobra's venom is strong enough to kill 20 people or an elephant!  But the same poison is also is being studied as a substitute for narcotic drugs.  The short news also speaks of these two men being the object of study at the Chandigarh university as part of their de-addiction research.

What amused me most was one of the comments below the article... hilarious!

They should try being bitten by politicians, they will either get a higher kick or die in minutes. Their tongues are more poisonous than any snake.

Misguided priorities

There is a bill drafted for proposal in the Indian parliament about providing river Ganga 'protection' with an armed force which has powers to arrest those polluting the river!  I really could not believe what I was reading.  My first impulse was to laugh.  The second thought was, why not?  It's a good move, if aimed at preserving the ecology of the river and its surroundings.  However it then struck me, why only Ganga?  Why not all rivers and forests? 

So we now have civil and legal protection for rivers, cows, temples (also places where temples were once believed to be!) ... Wonder when will people, especially women, poor, disadvantaged, activists, journalists, get protection? 

Then there is the tallest statue in the world under construction in Gujarat, that of Sardar Patel.  The cost of which is 30 bn rupees.  Wonder what would that statue stand for?  Sardar Vallabhai Patel was a freedom fighter who has to his credit the feat of uniting India, as the first deputy prime minister, after we won freedom from the British.  This 'statue of unity' will certainly be a tourist spot but to reach it the tourists will have to pass through the poverty and misery of the living people!  This obsession with  investing in buildings and structures seems to be a common disease found among all those in authority, be it in politics or religious life.  

In word and deed

Another news article that certainly needs attention and wider circulation: New Zealand politician cycles to hospital to give birth

Basically for several reasons:

• To show that motherhood does not mean the end of every other aspect of life for a woman.  That women have the right and the ability to carry on working even after giving birth, while taking care of the children.  Reiterating the fact that women are far more capable of multitasking than men.  
• The Prime Minister of the country and another politician of the same country, both women, go to a public hospital for giving birth to their respective children - not some posh, private hospital, just because one is in power. 
• The associate transport minister of the country riding to the hospital for delivering her child - deeds backing up words and promises! 
• Last but perhaps a very strange reason: these politicians are defying the universal characteristics of politicians! They are showing that politicians are not corrupt, selfish, power-hungry, lazy... (add every other vice under the sun!).  

Bold, open review of existing structures

For quite some time now the British news is all about the NHS and how it is falling apart.  After Brexit, the state of NHS is the most discussed and debated issue in the printed press. 

The National Health Services (NHS) came into effect on July 5, 1948 at the strong recommendation and long battle of the then health minister Aneurin Bevan, a Labour party member.  It was a time after the war and the whole of the world, even Britain, was in recovery mode. Though today none would question the need and the great service NHS offers, back then there were many objections to it - primarily because it imposed tax on everyone and secondly because, doctors saw it as a form of national socialism.  Doctors resented it because it would mean that their independence was now at stake.  They would not be 'small businesses' but state functionaries.  The NHS survived years of revamping, policy changes, even threats of being thrown out...

However, with the reeling pressure of time and circumstances, people do not fear asking the bold questions: Is it time to move on?  Do we still have to invest and sustain a sinking ship?  Alternatives are being discussed and debated.  However, none of them seem to be 'better' than what NHS can. But I like the way the whole point is discussed and debated in open.  There certainly will be some political moves going on in the background, but atleast there is no secrecy about the state of affairs, or rather the sad state of affairs. 

I've admired the way the NHS works.  I may not be aware of all its intricacies but the health care system of the country is worth admiring.  I don't see this possible in India, given its large population and the mind set we presently function with.  Furthermore with the grave economic inequalities that are characteristic of India, a general taxation for health will never really take off.  Moreover, I wonder if we'd ever have such an open and free debate in the public domain, with members of the political parties (no matter whether in power or in opposition) participating and learning, rather than politicizing and merely criticizing each other and conclusively ending up far away from the topic under discussion. 

BIpolar vision; disordered history

A very logical and challenging 'letter to the editor' published in The Times (June 15, 2018; p. 32), titled 'Hindu' Taj Mahal ... the letter is in response to an article published earlier about an UP minister's tirade that the Taj Mahal should be renamed after a Hindu god, like Ram or Krishna, because it's 'Muslim' name is bad!

Sir, The renaming of the Taj Mahal after a Hindu god, proposed by an official in India's ruling party, the nationalist BJP (World June 13), is proof of its determination to turn India into a Hindu state.  The Muslims invaded India at the Battle of Panipat in 1526.  It was a brutal conquest but they brought with them their art, music, culture, dance, language and architecture, which have enriched India for centuries, and any financial profit they made stayed in India.
The British also conquered India, displaying unbelievable cruelty during the Mutiny of 1857. They too brought with them their art, law, culture, language and parliamentary system of government, although they exploited the country and looted its treasures.
Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, is no friend of the Muslims, yet he and his ilk are hell-bent on maintaining a friendly relationship with the British. 
Any nation that vandalises history is morally bankrupt. The Taj Mahal: it is not only an Indian jewel but a Unesco world heritage site.  India should be proud of it and leave it be. 
Dr Kusoom Vadgama
Indo-British Heritage Trust

Agree very much with the very highly biased notion of history and creation of a nation based solely on selective identity politics 

Political Shepherding!

Politics never fails to amaze! I thought it happened only in movies.  The political party herds all its members, the MPs, MLAs and all those 'elected to power' into a resort or hotel in crucial times when the allocation of tickets or in case of a hung assembly.  The idea is that no one is enticed by the rival political party to join their party and thereby tilt the number in their favour.  It actually happens in reality too!!  Wow... goes a long way in showing how trustworthy politicians are.  If their loyalty lies with the party and its leadership then they ought to stick together through thick or thin, but not be 'herded together'.  Full points to the leaders (for their trust in their own party members) and the ministers (for their loyalty to the team).

One can write a whole new and different Bible for politics, especially about 'shepherding'!

Political strategy

With elections coming up for the state and within a year for the whole country, the political battles are getting bitter.  However, the ruling party hasn't any worthy opponent.  That doesn't make it a saint - far from it! The ruling party will most likely come to power not merely on its own merit, but thanks to the lack of alternatives.  Furthermore the think-tank in the ruling party have really got the common man in their pocket... not by any fair and just means, but mostly by keeping him/her occupied with trivial issues blown out of proportion to make us all believe that these are life and death issues.  The brains behind the campaign and the tenure have not done really anything highly controversial, but certainly prepared the ground for an unopposed ride in the next term.  The use of social media to promote an echo chamber has been phenomenal. 

The situation is such that most people 'think' that they are in the know how of things and 'feel' that all is well.  The American writer Thomas Pynchon's quote in Gravity's Rainbow (1973) is quite apt for the clever strategy of the government:

If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers. 

Besides if there are no forums to raise questions or systems in place where these can be sensibly aired, then certainly there is nothing going 'wrong' at all!  

The Queen and the Royals

Today on the feast of St George, the patron saint of England, is born the third child of the royal family of William and Kate.  The new born is said to be fifth in line of succession to the throne. 

Prior to my arrival here in the UK, I never thought much of the royal family or the Queen.  Never thought that they'd mean much to anyone.  However, in the time that I've been here, I've noticed how deep a bond the English share with the Royal family.  Honestly it initially appeared a bit old fashioned and odd, that too for a modern and progressive country like England to still hold onto 'kings and queens'. 

In the course of time, I've begun to notice the influence the royal family has on the nation.  Having no real knowledge about the whole story, I still do not know where exactly does the Queen and the royal family fit - but their presence means much.  Gracefully away from politics, the family beautifully serves as a moderating pivot of the English society as a whole.  With the administration and politics left to the bureaucrats and politicians, the Queen and her family represent the English society to the world.  The respect people have for the Royal family, even in today's liberal society, is something amazing.  That respect is not something merely inherited, but certainly gained.  It is something like they have the privilege, but no power (political, I mean); the respect, but no authority;  the affection and the bond, but no legal or administrative duty.