The celebrations for this ID are marred by a spate of current events and  those in the recent past. These include the current protests in Jammu as well as Kashmir, bitter taste leftover from the recent trust vote, acts of terrorisms and future terrorist threats to many cities, current state of economy, etc.
 
It is with a heavy heart that a number of our citizens will celebrate this day. 

I share with you Sri Aurobindo’s message for India's independence.  It was broadcast from the All India Radio on the 14th of August 1947.(www.sriaurobindosociety.org.in/15aug.htm)
It is still of relevance. To me its importance seems to have multiplied . 

The message
August 15th, 1947 is the birthday of free India. It marks for her the end of an old era, the beginning of a new age. But we can also make it by our life and acts as a free nation an important date in a new age opening for the whole world, for the political, social, cultural and spiritual future of humanity.
August 15th is my own birthday and it is naturally gratifying to me that it should have assumed this vast significance. I take this coincidence, not as a fortuitous accident, but as the sanction and seal of the Divine Force that guides my steps on the work with which I began life, the beginning of its full fruition. Indeed, on this day I can watch almost all the world-movements which I hoped to see fulfilled in my lifetime, though then they looked like impracticable dreams, arriving at fruition or on their way to achievement. In all these movements free India may well play a large part and take a leading position. 

The first of these dreams was
1. A revolutionary movement which would create a free and united India. India today is free but she has not achieved unity. At one moment it almost seemed as if in the very act of liberation she would fall back into the chaos of separate States which preceded the British conquest. But fortunately it now seems probable that this danger will be averted and a large and powerful, though not yet a complete union will be established. Also, the wisely drastic policy of the Constituent Assembly has made it probable that theproblem of the depressed classes will be solved without schism or fissure. But the old communal division into Hindus and Muslims seems now to have hardened into a permanent political division of the country. It is to be hoped that this settled fact will not be accepted as settled for ever or as anything more than a temporary expedient. For if it lasts, India may be seriously weakened, even crippled: civil strife may remain always possible, possible even a new invasion and foreign conquest, her position among the nations weakened, her destiny impaired or even frustrated.
This must not be; the partition must go. Let us hope that that may come about naturally, by an increasing recognition of the necessity not only of peace and concord but of common action, by the practice of common action and the creation of means for that purpose. In this way unity may finally come about under whatever form - the exact form may have a pragmatic but not a fundamental importance. But by whatever means, in whatever way, the division must go; unity must and will be achieved, for it is necessary for the greatness of India's future. 

2 The resurgence and liberation of the peoples of Asia and her return to her great role in the progress of human civilisation. Asia has arisen; large parts are now quite free or are at this moment being liberated: its other still subject or partly subject parts are moving through whatever struggled towards freedom. Only a little has to be done and that will be done today or tomorrow. There India has her part to play and has begun to play it with an energy and ability which already indicate the measure of her possibilities and the place she can take in the council of the nations. 

3.A world-union forming the outer basis of a fairer, brighter and nobler life for all mankind. That unification of the human world is under way; there is an imperfect initiation organised by struggling against tremendous difficulties. But the momentum is there and it must inevitably increase and conquer. Here too India has begun to play a prominent part and, if she can develop that larger statesmanship which is not limited by the present facts and immediate possibilities but looks into the future and brings it nearer, her presence may make all the difference between a slow and timid and a bold and swift development. A catastrophe may intervene and interrupt or destroy what is being done, but even then the final result is sure. For unification is a necessity of Nature, an inevitable movement. Its necessity for the nations is also clear, for without it the freedom of the small nations may be at any moment in peril and the life even of the large and powerful nations insecure. The unification is therefore to the interests of all, and only human imbecility and stupid selfishness can prevent it; but these cannot stand for ever against the necessity of Nature and the Divine Will. But an outward basis is not enough; there must grow up an international spirit and outlook, international forms and institutions must appear, perhaps such developments, as dual or multilateral citizenship, willed interchange or voluntary fusion of cultures. Nationalism will have fulfilled itself and lost it militancy and would no longer find these things incompatible with self-preservation and the integrality of its outlook. A new spirit of oneness will take hold of the human race. 

4.The spiritual gift of India to the world has already begun. India's spirituality is entering Europe and America in an ever increasing measure. That movement will grow; amid the disasters of the time more and more eyes are turning towards her with hope and there is even an increasing resort not only to her teachings, but to her psychic and spiritual practice. 

5.The final dream was a step in evolution which would raise man to a higher and larger consciousness and begin the solution of the problems which have perplexed and vexed him since he first began to think and to dream of individual perfection and a perfect society. This is still a personal hope and an idea, an ideal which has begun to take hold both in India and in the West on forward-looking minds, The difficulties in the way are more formidable than in any other field of endeavour, but difficulties were made to be overcome and if the Supreme Will is there, they will be overcome. Here too, if this evolution is to take place, since it must proceed through a growth of the spirit and the inner consciousness, the initiative can come from India and, although the scope must be universal, the central movement may be hers.
Such is the content which I put into this date of India's liberation; whether or how far this hope will be justified depends upon the new and free India. 

All of us can take inspiration from this message and  I once again request a Manthan from all Fropperites.

Greetings for a happy and contemplative 61st Independence Day.

The Dark Ages is a name often applied by historians to the Middle Ages, a term comprising about 1,000 years, from the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century to the invention of printing in the fifteenth. The period is called "dark" because of the generally depraved state of European society at that time and the subservience of men's minds to priestly domination, and the general indifference to learning. 

The principal characteristic of the middle ages were the feudal system and the papal power.

The feudal system ensured that the common people were ground into a condition of almost hopeless slavery. Evolution of just and equitable governments by the ruling classes as rendered impossible through the intrusion of the pontifical authority into civil affairs. 

Learning did not wholly perish, but it betook itself to the seclusion of the cloisters. 

In fact the term “dark ages” was coined in the 1330s by Petrarch an Italian scholar and referred to the decline of Latin literature. Deregotary connotations to this term were the work of other people with vested interest. 

This is hardly a fair judgement on the past. The dark ages were, in fact, a period of great progress and light because…… 

1.Fantastic Weather
In the Early Middle Ages, the North Atlantic region was warming up - so much so that at the opening of the High Middle Ages (1100 AD), the region was 100 years into an event now known as the Medieval Warm Period. This warm period thawed much ice and enabled the Vikings to begin their colonization of Greenland and other northern nations.
Ironically, the Protestant reformation (16th century) up until the 19th century suffered the Little Ice Age - the period of “enlightenment” was literally darker and colder than the “dark” ages.
During this period, reforms and better knowledge of agriculture provided a boost to food supplies.
2.Agricultural Boom
As a consequence of the excellent weather and greater agricultural knowledge, the West did extremely well. Iron tools were in wide use in the Byzantine empire, feudalism in other parts of the world introduced efficient management of land, and massive surpluses were created so that animals were fed on grains and not grass. Public safety was also guaranteed under the feudal system and so peace and prosperity was the lot for most people.
3. Laws were promulgated
A complex, but fair and effective system of laws came in to force.
For merchants traveling around the world, there was the Lex Mercatoria (Law Merchant) which had evolved over time, rather than being created. This law included arbitration and promoted good practice amongst traders. Secondly, Anglo Saxon Law was formed with a focus on keeping peace in the land.
The third important legal system was the the Early Germanic Law which allowed each person to be tried by his own people - so as to not be disadvantaged by ignorance or major cultural differences
This period also gave us the Corpus Juris Civilis (Body of Civil law) - an enormous compendium of Roman Law.
4.Algebra was invented
Thanks to the learning of the Islamic people in the East, the world received its first book on algebra. The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing was written by Al-Khwârizmî (790-840) and the Arabic title of the book gave us the word “algebra”. The word algorithm comes from al-Khwârizmî’s name. This book gave us the first systematic solution of linear and quadratic equations. Later translations of his books also gave us the decimal positional number system we use today. Al-Khwârizmî, along with Diophantas, is considered the Father of algebra.
5. Foundations of science were laid
While progress in Science was slow during this period in the West, the progress was steady and of a very high quality. The foundation was laid here for the wonderful blossoming of science that was to occur in the High Middle Ages to come.
6.Universities
The Classical Education (still used in some schools) was the system used by the Universities which were created in the Early Middle Ages (the first in history). The universities taught the arts, law, medicine, and theology (the study of religion). The University of Bologna (founded in 1088) was the first ever to grant degrees.
7.Religious Unity
Europe had a united Church, an agreed upon canon of the Bible, and a well developed philosophical tradition. This led to a great period of peace within the Western nations. While Islam was not in agreement with the doctrines of the West, much mutual sharing of information happened and the Islamic contribution to the West is still felt today.
The first Crusade would be called to take Jerusalem back from the Muslims - an event which ended the flow of knowledge between groups.
8.Art and Architecture
During the Early Middle Ages, architecture was diverse and innovative. It introduced the idea of realistic images in art and it laid the groundwork for the Romanesque period. The period also included the introduction and absorption of classical forms and concepts in architecture.
Further this was the period of…………
Byzantine Golden Age
In the Byzantine empire during this period we saw a massive outpouring of books - encyclopedias, lexicons, and anthologies. While they did not create a lot of new thinking, they solidified and protected for the future much of what was already known.
Carolingian Renaissance
The Carolingian Renaissance was a period of advancements in literature, writing, the arts, architecture, jurisprudence, liturgical and scriptural studies which occurred in the late eighth and ninth centuries. The Carolingians were Franks and the most well known is Charlemagne.
It was also this period which gave us the foundation of Western Classical Music. 

(This has been compiled from the net chiefly listverse.com/history/top-10-reasons-the-dark-ages-were-not-dark/. The  affairs of people residing out of Europe and neighbouring areas have not been omitted.
Some of the pics of related paintings are posted in my photos) 

The current era of scientific enlightenment, revolutionary technologies, explosion in availability and sharing of information, space travel, marvelllous feats in the field of medicine and biotechnology can be rightly called the Age of Light. However, this era is marred by the pockets of darkeness far surpassing those alleged for the dark ages. As I percieve them these are…… 

1.Hunger and basic needs of a large majority are not adequately met inspite of all the material, manegerial and technological resources.
2.Economic exploitation of the theme ‘Degradation of the environment’ instead of mitigation may well result in intercelestial migration of the human (if it survives).
3.Breakdown of the society and emergence of a culture of individualism. The basic unit of the society ie the family is relegated to the back burner in preference to self.
4.Feudalism is still in practice in the form of large terror outfits. The present form is devoid of the benevolent qualities observed in the dark ages.
5.Papal power has been replaced by cabal of super nations and multinationals.
6.Education does not breed knowledge, understanding and tolerance. It is a means to earn money.
7.The law is more technical than just.
8.Science is not practiced with the spirit of enquiry but is a tool for economic empowerment.
9.The direction of human development is restricted to physical growth with hardly any progress in the spiritual dimension
10.Further, evolution of the human species as a super species capable of ruling the universe (besides the planet earth) because of its mental powers seems like a lost oppurtunity. 

All of us present on this planet at this juncture of time should lament as this ‘age of light’ may go down in history as the second age of darkness provided of course if homosapiens as species remain and some of those yet to come are intersted in knowing their history.

Recent posts about Hindu Gods on this site gave me the idea for this post. Samudra Manthan as an mythological event has not been given due importance by sociologists, artists, film-makers the other intellectuals. This mythological lore includes every human emotion and could be a theme for social revolution or a blockbuster epic , etc etc.

Samudra Manthan the myth

The deities went to Lord Vishnu and sought his help after being defeated by the demons,. Lord Vishnu instructed them to collect all the medicinal herbs, and put them in the Ksheersagar, so that after the churning of the ocean ambrosia could be retrieved which would make the deities immortal. Lord Vishnu also advised them to use the Mandar mountain as a Churner and the serpent--Sheshnag as a rope for churning the ocean. 

The deities then reached an agreement with the demons according to which both the groups were supposed to unitedly churn the ocean. The great Mandar mountain was uprooted and placed on the back of the tortoise--the embodiment of Lord Vishnu. Sheshnag coiled around that mountain and both the ends were held by the demons and the deities respectively. The deities intelligently chose the tail-end, while the demons in their foolishness chose the mouth-end. The vemon spilled by Sheshnag destroyed the power and strength off the demons.

When the process of Churning began, the first thing to emerge from the sea-bed was Kaamdhenu--the holy cow. The deities claimed the ownership of this divine cow. Subsequently, Vaaruni (intoxicating drink) emerged from the sea-bed, which was claimed by the ignorant demons. During the process of ocean-churning, various kinds of things emerged out from the ocean--Parijat, sixty crore apsaras, the moon and the Kaalkut (poison), which were distributed among the demons and the deities. Lord Mahadev drank the Kaalkut when he saw that there was no taker for it.

The churning of ocean also resulted into the manifestation of ambrosia-pot, Uchchaishrava (horse) and Eravat (elephant). Ultimately, goddess Laxmi manifested herself, seated on a lotus. The deities eulogised her by chanting the mantras of Sri Sukta. The deities were desirous of having goddess Laxmi on their side, so were the demons, but Lord Brahma instructed Vishnu to accept her as his consort. The demons became furious and snatched the ambrosia-pot from the hands of Sage Dhanvantari. Lord Vishnu then disguised himself as the most enchanting woman and fooled the demons into giving back the ambrosia-pot.

Lord Vishnu gave the pot to the deities who became immortal after drinking ambrosia. A tremendous battle was fought between the demons and the deities. The demons were defeated in this battle and fled to the netherworld to protect their lives. The deities eulogised Lord Vishnu and returned to heaven.

The above text has been taken from the Padam Purana. There are(four) photographs accompanying this post and these can be viewed at my zone.
The photographs are of the sculptor from Thailand (airport). 

Symbolism of Samudra Manthan

* the good had literally lost out
* the good and bad both wanted the riches that could not be achieved by the power of one group alone
* the good had able leadership and which could save them.
* the use of strategic intelligence played a crucial role in the survival of good
* the good and bad forces came together
* both laboured together to improve their lot
* poor choice and lust led to downfall of the bad
* the bad could finally be eliminated

In today’s perspective

* At this point of time in our evolution the good and bad forces are poised for a showdown.
* The very survival of human race may hinge on some good sense and a revolutionary technology.
* This can only be achieved by the united efforts of the whole human race.
* A manthan (soul searching) by each of us is of utmost importance.
* Those responsible for guiding this nation have a far greater responsibility for they must prove their genuine desire to improve the lot of their fellow men.
* The honorable members of both the houses need to come together as the deities and demons did for the Samudra Manthan and decide fairly and without bias upon the important issues facing the country.
* Who is good and who is bad will be decided by the perception of the public that will be communicated in the next elections.

Spiraling inflation, a stock market on the back foot and a scenario of restricted economic growth has left most of us poorer in the last three months.
I am, however, richer today then 3 months ago. My wealth has increased immensely.
Some of the items of my wealth, gained in the last three months, are………….

*An experience of virtual society.
*Nearly 40 friends.
*Interaction with more then 100 fellow members.
*Knowing how people of different ages and gender view things. *Many, many jokes that I enjoyed.
*More knowledgeable from the experience of variety of people and perspectives vis a vis life.
*Information and knowledge gained from blogs that I read.
*Pleasure from viewing many many pics that have been shared with me.
*Nearly 1100 scraps that I have received.
*20 blogs that I shared.
*More than a 1000 hits I received.
*Comments on my posts, pics and jokes from my friends and fellow members.
*Access to all fropperites none of whom is a stranger to me.

All my friends and fellow members have greatly contributed to generation of my wealth. I am extremely grateful and convey my heartfelt thanks to all. Special thanks are due to all those who accepted me with open hearts and guided me through the initial throes………. in this virtual society.

Let me share a secret………I joined Froppers on 31st March of this month. Being of a cynical turn of mind, I was quite sure that this would not be a very pleasurable experience……….but I still joined just for the heck of it. Further, I joined with a decision that I will leave at the end of 3 months. I must concede here that my cynicism was misplaced and I intend to continue as my faith in other human beings have been regenerated ……….and this is the greatest of all wealth that I gained in these three months.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEARING WITH ME.

P.S. Do read my comment too. Thanks.

The Ant works hard all round the year building its house and laying up supplies - preparing for the winter. The Grasshopper considers the Ant to be a fool. It laughs, dances & enjoys the summer and whiles it away.

Original Version

Come winter and the Ant was well fed, adequately sheltered and warm. The Grasshopper had no food or shelter and died of cold and starvation.

Remade Version 

In the ensuing winter, the Grasshopper was hungry, shivering and miserable. After much thought he draws up a strategy. He called a press conference and queries why the Ant should be warm and well fed while others are starving, unsheltered and cold.

All the popular print and electronic media show up (the dearth of real news…….forced them to manufacture news). They highlighted the plight of the Grasshopper and showed pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to that of the Ant (relaxing in its home having its dinner).

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast (a large rise in the TRPs provided an impetus to keep the matter in public eye). This is JUST NOT DONE in a welfare state?

All this publicity resulted in

*A leading writer with a great conscience stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.

*A leading environmental activist and do-gooder went on a fast, with the Grasshoppers community and stridently demanded that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climes during winter at governmental expense.

*Amnesty International, Grasshoppers Rights Commission and UN Secretary General were critical of the countries Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

*The World Wide Web was flooded with petitions seeking support for the Grasshopper.

*Opposition MPs did not allow the parliament of the country to function. Leftist parties called ‘Bandh' demanding a Judicial Enquiry. One left governed state passed a law preventing Ants from working hard in all seasons so as  am to bring about equitable distribution of a poverty among all communities.

*The Railway Minister allocated one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Trains. A special train “Grasshopper Rath” was started.

*The HRD Minister proposed 'Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions and Governmental jobs.

The Ant was unable to cope in such adversity. It failed to pay its various taxes. It's home was confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony that was televised live by a large consortium of electronic media.

The leading writer called it ' A Triumph of Justice'.

The Railway Minister called it 'Socialistic Justice '.

The left political party called it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden’

UN Secretary General invited the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

The National Ruling party took the credit for ‘always caring about the AAM Grasshopper’.

A decade down the future

Grasshopper culture and community took over the country and it was all play, dances and enjoyment.

One and a half decade later

The country became economically shattered but switching over to Ant like culture was too difficult.

Two decades later

The story is open for another remake…………......

Goat meat is an important constituent of non vegetarian diet. It is the basis of such famous culinary items like Biryani, Korma, variety of Kebabs, etc. Further, it is the only red meat that is culturally acceptable to large segment of our population.

The goat meat, available in our country used to be very tender and could be easily cooked without use of pressure cooker.

The goat meat currently available at the butcher in the city is no longer as tender as it used to be. It requires pressure cooking for long duration (fifteen to twenty steams) for it to be edible.

I suspect what we are getting is meat from herds that have been treated with anabolic steroids (the hormone used by athletes and body builders to develop large muscles). These agents are routinely used in many countries and there is very real resistance to it among the people, there. This is similar to use of oxytocin injections for increasing milk production and enhancing the size of vegetables.

I am not sure if this is legal or not. I am however sure that this may not be very healthy for the consumer.

Nowadays, whenever I eat mutton I am reminded of those muscular hulks like Shoeb Akhtar. Obviously it has put me off goat meat…….., and I am not very fond of white meat like chicken and fish, so I am a forced vegetarian for the time being.