“Modithva must spread”

Interview with L. Ganesan, the Tamilnadu state unit president of the BJP.

Following Orissa there is a widespread violence against Christians in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. The secularism of India is under question again and again. With religious freedom on one hand and the threats against conversion on the other, the Christian community is at crossroads as it is targeted for some sporadic conversions in some parts of the country. While there are political questions behind every heinous attack, even more serious issues irritate the BJP, RSS and VHP groups. L. Ganesan, the Tamilnadu state unit president of the BJP, opens his heart for the first time about the background of the anti-christian violence and issues that lead to constant friction and violence between Hindu and Christian religious groups in this Interview to the editor, Glorious Steve.

What is the background against which this continuous violence against Christians is set?

Swami Lakshmanananda, an 82 year venerable man had been working for the upliftment of the tribals and dalits in that region for many years. The Christian missionaries were trying to convert the hindus. But, there was no support from the hindu harijans. Similarly, many harijans who became Christians were constantly rubbing shoulders with the tribals. This constant friction was created by the Christian missionaries and particularly the priests. Swami Lakshmanananda opposed this. So the Christians missionaries were angry with him. Prior to the killing of Swami Lakshmananandna there were four attempts on his life. Every time the missionaries were behind the attempt.

Is in’t it true that there were news reports saying the Maoists were behind the murder and that they had accepted that they were responsible for the act?
That is a wrong presupposition. Generally, governments, government servants, and the police used to be the target of the Maoists. How can a swamiji who was serving the people become the enemy of the Maoist? So, Maoists have no part in the murder. In fact, a news was passed by the district collector to all the Christian run schools to safeguard themselves some hours before the incident took place. How can this happen? This is a planned murder. And Christian missionaries are behind the murder.
There is so much of anger against Christians because they have become like the multinational companies. They set target and work. How can you work for conversion with targets. It is to do with conscience.

What about Karnataka? It is BJP that is in power in Karnataka...
The reason is politics. It is planned to bring down the image of the ruling BJP. be hind these attacks there is Congress party. The police dogs have gone straight to the house of a member of the Congress party. This is to fool the Christian community to get their votes. Christians are being treated as fools.
Generally Hinduism practices tolerance. At the same time, many people miscalculate our tolerant behaviour. How long can we tolerate this? People say that in Orissa and Karnataka there is BJP rule that is why Christians are attacked. But in Kerala only the Communists are ruling. How is that Christians are attacked there? In fact, Communism propagates atheistic principles and is just opposite to Christianity which believes in God. Even there Christians are attacked for political reasons. Christians must make an effort to understand who is good and who is evil.
There are many denominations within Christianity? How is that most of the Catholics and catholic institutions are targeted when such attacks take place?
The one who indulges in violence will not differentiate between who is a Lutheran, CSI or a Catholic. All of them appear to be the same. During an emotional outburst he will not be looking for the differences. There is so much of anger against Christians because they have become like the multinational companies. They set target and work. How can you work for conversion with targets. It is to do with conscience. How can this be right? I am not blaming all the Christian institutions. I am referring to the many new churches and organisations emerging in the name of Christians. Such organisations are to be banned and this business in the name of religion has to be stopped.
Observing the recent violence all these, it looks as if the BJP run states seem to follow the style of Modi in Gujarath, thinking that taking a violent path will fetch them success politically. Is it true?
It is a wrong perception about Modi. Modi never indulged in such politics. People are happy about the rule of Modi. It is true that he controls every religion with an iron hand. He is very strict everyone. Many women happily say that they are able to walk even at night without any fear. You must understand fully what modi has done there. Media propagate a word called ‘Modithva.’ I say, modithva is not bad. We are proud about that and Modithva must spread.
Aspects of Christianity you like and aspects you dislike...
I like the unity that is evidently seen among Christians. Yours is an organised religion. You feel for each other. Otherwise how is it possible for you to close down schools condemning the attacks in Orissa? The second aspect I like is their service mindedness. This is nurtured in every Christian. Even women and nuns go with courage to serve the people even at night. I shed tears reading the news about a girl who wanted to serve Jesus as a nun but was denied the opportunity who eventually went on to commit suicide.

I dislike the sprouting of new organisations without proper motive. We condemn churches that attract people with money from abroad.

Do you differentiate between Islam fundamentalism and Christian fundamentalism?

There is no point in that. But, Christians are behind the separatist movements of the north eastern states. We condemn that. Conversions are going in a grand scale in the north east.

In the last 20 years Christian population has not even crossed 2%. How can you say there is a lot of conversion?
The problem is they begin to demand separate status after becoming a majority. Even if they have not grown in number ideologically they are united and fight against the rest. What is important for us is nationalism. The nation is more important for us than anything else. We cannot tolerate regionalism or separatism.

COVER STORY
‘We need a government that can be fair to all’
Now the Church is actively engaged in empowering and educating people. So, naturally the Church becomes the target, tells Fr. Adolf Washington, the Public Relations Officer, President of Indian Catholic Press Association and the Managing Director & Editor- in- Chief of South Asian Religious News, in an Interview to Fr.Glorious Steve.
1. Do you think that the Church is the real target of the BJP agenda or is there something else for which Christians and the churches are targeted?
That’s a good question. The real target is against any organisation, movement or persons that engage in the education and empowerment of the poor and the marginalized. Because with education and empowerment of the marginalized, people who were voiceless begin to speak-up against unjust socio economic structures, be it against bonded labour, casteism or any oppressive structure. With education and empowerment people also begin to claim and assert their Constitutional Rights. Now the Church is actively engaged in empowering and education people. So, naturally the Church becomes the target.
2. Do you think that all the Christian groups are united in fighting the BJP, VHP and Bajrang Dal? If yes, what kind of coordinated actions have come about? If no, what causes the uneasiness among various churches to unite?
The presence of several denominations does not imply the Church is disunited. Unity does not imply uniformity of doctrine and form of worship. Unity to me implies ‘a feeling of oneness and solidarity despite difference. In a way, we are having common suffering and so we seem to be looking in the same direction and are looking at the same enemies who are perpetrating violence against the Church.
3. What are the strategic moves made by the Karnataka Church so far? Are you satisfied with the strategies proposed so far?
The Church in Karnataka has exerted sufficient pressure on the State, the Centre, on the Judiciary and on the Police Machinery in making them curb the spread of violence. NGOs, people of other faiths have also joined hands in solidarity with the Church.
4. How well do the opposition parties particularly the Congress and JD cooperate in fighting against BJP?
I think we should not be too concerned about looking for political parties as Godfathers of the Christian community. What we need is a government that can be fair to all communities and not antagonise or spread hate campaigns against anybody.
5. What kind of clashes happened in Dakshina Kannada and what are their effects? How well are they poised since there are sizeable number in the Christian community there?
We must not use the word Clashes. When we say clashes, we are talking about two or more groups confronting each other. There were not clashes in Dakshina Kannada, there was force by one group exerted upon a peaceful, praying community. The attacks ranged from ransacking prayer halls and Churches and convents, desecration of sacred vessels, destruction of furniture, burning of bibles and holy pictures, destruction of statues and even desecration of the Holy Eucharist. The ‘sizeable’ number of Christians you speak of are not there to serve as an armed force to fight- they are simple Christians who go about their day to day worship.
6. Have you made legal moves sufficiently so as to strengthen the case of Christian communities?
Yes, I had mentioned that the Church has exerted sufficient pressure on the Judiciary. In Orissa, Archbishop Cheenath took the state to the Supreme court. In Karnataka we made a representation to Justice Nayak on the National Human Rights Commission. I was part of the delegation that met Justice Nayak.

In a way, we are having common suffering and so we seem to be looking in the same direction and are looking at the same enemies who are perpetrating violence against the Church.

7. Are there strong Christian youth movements within the Karnataka Church to plan for a future course of action?
Every new problem gives us opportunities to look for new possibilities. The Church is planning strategic responses and a plan of action. We will gradually know it.
The Church has exerted sufficient pressure on the Judiciary. In Orissa, Archbishop Cheenath took the state to the Supreme court. In Karnataka we made a representation to Justice Nayak on the National Human Rights Commission.

8. What are the significant roles played by the religious congregations during this crisis?
Everybody is working. Let us not single out Religious Congregations. We are together in this struggle.
9. How are the media in Karnataka responding to these heinous attacks?
There is bias in the Media. But that is unavoidable because some of them have their own policies and ideological slants. However, by and large, The Media in Karnataka, or I must say, the Global Media responded and reported issues pretty fairly.
10. What is the response from Rome and other churches?
The Vatican is informed and aware of the happenings. The Vatican expresses its concern and so do other global Christian organisations.
11. Yeddyurappa held discussions with Archbishop of Bangalore and invoked Anti-Goonda Act on all those involved in attacks on places of Christian worship. How do you look at this act of Yeddyurappa?
The anti-goonda act is pretty complicated. You can arrest someone under the act, but the process that leads to a conviction in a court of law is extremely long and tough. You have to go into the past records of the accused and establish a length of evidences to convict the person.

Deccan Churches Attacked

A Crusade against Christians in Karnataka

Everything began on September 8. A Christian prayer hall was vandalized in Bada village of Davangere district. Three other churches were targeted in the district before this incident.
Yeddyurappa, while maintaining that the focus would be on preserving communal harmony, said, “The rule of law will prevail. Nobody has the right to indulge in forcible conversions, and inducement to pave the way for conversions is banned.”
But, his words clearly stated that the victims of the attacks were at fault, not the perpetrators. The Deputy commissioner of Davangere, K. Amar Narayan, gave instructions to check how many churches were authorized. He made it clear that the survey would be only for churches and Christian prayer halls.
Speaking to ‘The Week,’ on why no action was being taken against temples that encroached on public places, BJP state spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar said, “If you don’t expect temples to come up in a Hindu country, where else do you expect they will?”
So it was not surprising that when 14 churches were attacked in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Chickmagalur districts on September 14, state Bajrang Dal convener Mahendra Kumar proudly declared that the organisation was behind it.
In the Adoration Monastery on Falnir Road in Mangalore, a mob damaged the crucifix and the tabernacle. In the afternoon, Mahendra Kumar told the Mangalore media that the Bajrang Dal had carried out the attacks. “We will continue to do this against all churches indulging in conversion,” he said.
The sizeable Christian community in Dakshina kannada protested against the attacks and clashed with the police, who resorted to lathicharge and teargassing.
While prayer halls in Davangere were attacked on grounds that they were “illegal structures”, in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Chickmagalur, churches were targeted for allegedly converting people. Though the Bajrang Dal claimed they were targeting the New Life Group, even Catholic churches were attacked.
‘The Week’ and ‘Tehelka’ reported that there had been 55 attacks on churches in different parts of Karnataka since the BJP came to power in the state. “This is payback time for the BJP. Which has built its success on 40 years of hard work by the RSS,”Tehelka reported.
“While the various Christian groups were targeted, the primary anger of the BJP, RSS and VHP is on the newly emerging church groups which are booming and which try to lure the people with money if they joined their churches. While Catholic and other prominent churches remain silent about such incidents, the BJP is alarmed about the growing menace,” said some informed sources from Bangalore.
Yeddyurappa alleged the attacks were an opposition conspiracy “to besmirch the government’s image”. The Congress and the JD(S) said the attacks were part of the BJP’s “hidden agenda”. Congress leader Veerappa Moily called it “state-sponsored communal terrorism”, and alleged that the culprits were being allowed to go scot free.
More than 170 people were arrested. But on why Mahendra Kumar was not arrested, the chief minister’s reply was that “the police have also arrested Bajrang Dal activists”.
Yeddyurappa ruled out a judicial probe, and ordered an inquiry into the sources of funds for the New Life Fellowship Trust (NLFT).

BJP pressure

On the other hand, the BJP put pressure on the government to arrest those involved in the murder of Lakshmanananda. While all organisations of the Sangh Parivar insisted that conversion was the main reason for the communal tension in Kandhamal, the BJP urged the Chief Minister to implement strictly the laws pertaining to conversion and the ban on cow slaughter.
On the political front, a joint initiative by all political parties could restore peace and communal harmony in the district. But that is unlikely to happen as elections to both the Lok Sabha and the State Assembly are scheduled for next year.
Justice delayed
The record of the BJD-BJP government shows that it has never been serious in its approach to ensure peace in Kandhamal. In fact, the district witnessed communal violence for more than a week in December last year following an attack on Lakshmanananda Saraswati. At least four persons were killed and hundreds of houses of Christians were burnt down. While the judicial inquiry into the violence is still on the next judicial inquiry into the killing of Lakshmanananda and the communal violence is followed. By the time the reports of the two commissions see the light of day, Kandhamal’s communal clashes may well have acquired a new dimension because of the interplay of social, political and cultural factors say media persons.
Brushing aside all their differences the BJD workers joined BJP activists to enforce the State-wide bandh called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and other Sangh Parivar outfits. As of now Patnaik, his critics say, is going the Modi way with his eyes set on the elections.
“ Looking into the whole communal attacks on Christian community in the country and naming whole Muslims as terrorists , I tend to believe that it is a vicious technique of Sangh Parivar and its Gujrath mascot to install a desperate man in the waiting list to be the Prime minister of India , because he might cross to his eighties if does not become PM this time.” Said , Fr. Anand Muttungal, the PRO and the Spokesperson for M.P Bishops Council and coordinator of Madhya Pradesh Isai Mahasangh.
Glorious Steve

And then...they came for the christians...

While the whole nation was just trying to recover from the economic crisis, a fresh political storm has set in in the name of religion. It looks as if the words ‘religion’, ‘God,’ ‘Swami,’ and ‘priest,’ can easily set fire to the whole nation more than any other fire accidents. While the former sets fire and rifts people apart the latter only destroys the property and not so much the people with flesh and blood; people with heart and soul and conscience.
The great nation that claimed that it was tolerant for centuries towards any religion, kings and empires, proves now that such tolerance and goodness are over with the bygone ages. This seems to be a new era. Intolerance is the order of the day. Anything can kindle fire to appease the political thirst of the parties particularly the BJP, RSS and VHP that use religion for political gain.
The recent attacks on Christians and churches come as a retaliation for the killing of swami Lakshmanananda and outside Orissa and practically in many parts of India as a retaliation for conversions to Christianity. No BJP leader has as yet condemned or even regretted the attacks on churches.
In an article, ‘It’s time to act, Mr Advani,’ written by Raghu Krishnan that appeared in THE ECONOMIC TIMES on 21 September, 2008 commented like this: “Those of us Hindus who studied in convent schools and continue to be Hindus will know how irrational the argument is that the recent attacks on churches in Orissa and Karnataka was a response to an attempt at forcibly converting members of the majority community. Even if the Bajrang Dal activists claim they were upset by what they perceived as forcible conversion, the logical response should have been to bring this to the notice of the state governments.”
He continues, “If its governments in Karnataka and MP cannot even prevent attacks on churches while investigating complaints of forcible conversion, then how can the party keep claiming that a BJP-led national government will protect the entire country from serial blasts by diabolical terrorists!”
And if there are recent reports that some Christian missionary somewhere is involved in an attempt at forcible conversion, it should not take too long for an experienced national leader like Mr Advani to have things sorted out through administrative measures, especially in BJP-ruled states.
Just nine years and two months ago, when the BJP-led NDA ruled the nation, its leaders inspired young soldiers of all faiths to fight and die for the country while evicting armed cross-border intruders from the frozen heights of Kargil.
Surely, some 110 months later, it should not be too difficult for a national leader like Mr Advani to ensure that the unity and integrity of the country is not harmed by unruly activists who think that vandalising a church or any other place of religious worship in a BJP-ruled state is what 21st century India is all about!
While the BJP, RSS and VHP groups have lost the control of their senses, there is still another question that deeply arises: What is quietly happening to the Christian community that is known for its unity?
Not many years ago Muslims were attacked. Mosques were demolished and Christians kept quiet about it. They thought that Christians will never be attacked. We wake up to see the Christian Community under attack in many parts of India.
This immediately reminded me of the poem “First they came…” which is attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group:
“In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up.”
Times have ripened for attacks on Christians. We have been studying about the various attacks in history on Communists, Muslims, and Jews. This time they came for the Christians… Unfortunately, to their astonishment, they found them divided. Our divisions based on language, caste, creed and greed are killing the Christians more than any external force. The pity is that we are not united when they came for the Christians.

Friendship Therapy

The following are the ways to make your friendship therapeutic and soothing

Be open to finding new aspects of your true self in your friendship. When you see yourself in the eyes of a friend, you discover “you” as a fresh and exciting creation.
• Do not compete with your friend; play, but do not, compete. Friendship does not have a goal – only “winning” or “beating” is a goal.
• Don’t falsely flatter your friend because you’re trying to avoid being critical. There’s another way- affirming while expressing constructive, loving concern.
• Don’t fear the anger that is a natural part of friendship. Anger itself can be a friend telling you that something is wrong. Respond with openness and honesty.
• When your friend hurts you, your friendship can survive. Don’t try to hide your pain. Talk it over.
• Turn to your friend when you’re feeling weak or in need of help. You may have more to offer the relationship when it seems you have little to give.
• Let your friend be weak or in need; a friend’s weakness is a gift that calls out to your strength.
• Be truthful with your friend. Truth and love are themselves friends; one without the other makes each less.
• Be humble with your friend. You cannot be who your friend needs if you think you have all the answers.
• Allow yourself to be loved by your friend. You can give only what you have received.
• Give to your friend without expecting something in return. The most gratifying giving comes without expectation or concern for outcome.
• Spend time with your friend: sweet times like, walking, playing, praying; and not so sweet time like disagreeing, hurting, searching.
• Listen gleefully to each other’s laughter; your hearts will know abundant joy.
• Listen gently to each other’s sobs; your hearts will know abundant life.
• Bless your friend’s brokenness; let your friend bless yours. This is what God does.
• Accept your friend without being judgmental. It’s not that you don’t challenge each other; it’s just that you strive to know each other’s reality.
• To be a good friend, value yourself. To treasure another’s essence in your heart, you must first treasure the precious essence that is you.
• You don’t need to vow to be a friend forever; just be. Say yes to the gift you are to each other and warm yourselves in the glow of that miracle.
• A friend accepts you just as you are. Who you are in your friend’s eyes gives you a glimpse of who you are in God’s eyes.
• Cultivate your friendship. In the soil of respect, drenched with the light of truth and the moisture of compassion, life will burst forth as a towering tree, abundant with the fruit of love.
• Welcome magic and serendipity in your friendship. The most wonderful things can happen when two persons share their deepest selves.
• Pray with your friend and speak of God together. The most profound experience in friendship is to share you encounters with mystery.
• When overtures of friendship are made in ways that make you uncomfortable, your friend is probably needy. Give your friend a chance to explore that neediness by being honest about your discomfort.
• Say “no” to your friend when “no” is appropriate, and gracefully accept your friend’s “no”. Friendship is wide enough and deep enough to allow “no”, “yes”, “may be”, and “I don’t know”.
• Respect your own boundaries as well as your friend’s. Know what is yours to share and what is yours to hold quietly within.
• Share a special time with your friend – an early morning breakfast, a walk at sunset, a late-night conversation. When your souls are free from the day’s concerns, you can savour the quiet bond between you.
• Touch your friend, when it is respectful and reassuring, not needy and demanding. Touch between friends is sacred, connecting body and soul.
• Accept a friend’s departure gracefully. Farewells allow for new beginnings and fresh experiences.
• Set an anniversary date to mark the birth of your friendship. Together you can remember, laugh, cry and dream about the future.
• Celebrate your friendship with gratitude. Lift up your friend in thanksgiving and rejoice in God’s blessing.

How to bring in variety Tips to nurture good and varied friendships

Variety is the spice of life. It is true also in the case of friendships. It does not mean that the old friends are forgotten and only the new ones are retained. There is a natural selection taking place when we decide who should be our friends. This takes place also when we meet people for the first time. Stratification is often done in any relationship keeping in mind the usefulness of a person to oneself and one’s personal development. Friendships cannot be retained merely by our inactive life. We miss much of life’s richness if we fail to take affirmative action to counteract the pressures that throw us only with . Here are some sure guides for people who would like to venture into variety in friendships:
Revamp that one layer guest list
There are families which cherish the diversity of their friends and guests. I can never forget the way Vasanthamma, a professor of Sociology department, Maharajas College, Mysore used to entertain students from all walks of life. There used to be a big band of students from Tibet, Tamilnadu, Kerala, African countries etc., They used to visit her after the class hours. I used to wonder how she enjoys the friendships of such a variety of people in her life and in the life of her family. Needless to say that these students also enjoyed her company. Apart from this the students also varied in their economic strata. That never mattered to her. In fact I had to meet all of them though personally I was a bit reserved. Today after her retirement, she keeps visiting those students who shared her vision in friendship. The students recall all the help she had done to all of them. There is an ever growing number of friends for Vasanthamma today. That is her strength.
Change worlds once a year
You can do this by taking a vacation in an out -of -the- way place Where you will be among people very different from yourself. I know a student who went from tamilnadu all the way to Mysore and earned good friends with his pleasant dealings. In spite of the Cauvery water dispute between Tamilnadu and Karnataka, he was enjoying the company of his companions. It is after you enjoy a good time you will begin to have a sigh of relief. You will never regret for having gone out of the way.
Join projects that cut across status lines
The simplest approach , perhaps is to become active in town politics, or in the solution of school problems, or in community fund raising projects, for these tend to be of concern to everyone. I know of many wives who have become part-time social workers, volunteers in order to broaden their personal horizons. Sudha Narayanamurthy is one of the examples for this. In fact while her husband could rise to stardom in one sense she could rise to equal heights by her social concern.
Revive the old-fashioned family parties
I’m for fewer cocktail parties and for more parties that bring together young and old for singing and festivities. Many informal gatherings bring you closer to people. Traditional and old-fashioned parties have this magic of bringing people together and unifying them. In course of time, even the worst of enemies become friends. The closer you go the better you will feel to relate to people. More chances of such parties will help you build a wider network and will bring you closer to many friends.
There is a joy in newness. There is happiness in finding something new. The same is also applicable for friendship. The newer the friends the better will be the closeness you will have with him/her. This helps people who would like to embark on a new course of action in their life. Try this and enjoy the variety and richness of the friendship which is available in all its variety and richness.

The Friendship Factor

Make new friends, but keep the old.
One is silver and the other is gold.


What better way to articulate this epical relationship which is not of blood lineage called the bond of friendship! Everything is being defined these days including the term friendship. Many realise the significance of a long-standing friendship. Perhaps, that is why `Friendship Day’- assumes such great importance among all other west-imposed celebrations.
Even celebrities, not wanting to be left behind, are jumping onto the friendship bandwagon.
In 1935, the United States (U.S.) Congress proclaimed the first Sunday of August every year as the `Friendship Day’. While the idea of celebrating `Friendship Day’ has caught on with today’s generation, there are apprehensions about the way it has been understood by them. There seems to be a big gap between the understanding people had about friendship some years ago than the type of things that are understood as friendship today.
Even celebrities, not wanting to be left behind, are jumping onto the friendship bandwagon.

Togetherness
“We do not know if friendship helps us to party or parties bring us together as friends. The fact is our friendship offers time together to party,” says Anand who is working as a journalist in Doordarshan in Chennai. Anand has taken time off from his busy schedule to attend a party organised by his college mates to celebrate the day.
“In school, we used to exchange friendship bands. We went out as a group and enjoyed the evening, ate out and had lots of fun,” says Tanveer, a student of mass communication. This year, Tanveer wants to spend the friendship day with one of his best pals, Nithya, undergraduate student at a college in Chennai. “If possible, we will meet up somewhere and exchange friendship bands like old times,” he says.
Why women have more friends
Women are more fortunate when it comes to friendship. Women strike friendship cards easily and most often they are successful at that. The primary reason could be that they care much for persons.
Why are such friendships so rare among men? Conditioning, of course. In our society, except to shake hands, men are not even allowed to touch each other. We can attempt to explain this phenomenon in the following lines:
Most men have had no practice in the art of intimacy nor role models to point the way. Little girls can walk to school hand in hand, hold each other, hug, cry and say, “You are my best friend. I need you. I love you.” Little boys wouldn’t dare. The enormous blackening cloud of homosexuality is always present, and the devastating power of the snicker begins in playground days.
This fear haunts boys and as a result they keep away from men who might become his friends. Ultimately, it affects his behaviour toward the women he will meet.
While this is true in an Indian context, it is very much the same in America. Some of the leading psychologists and therapists were asked how many men ever have real friends. The bleak replies were “not nearly enough” and “too few.” Most guessed at 10%. Richard Farson, Professor at the Humanistic Psychology Institute in San Francisco, Says, “ Millions of people in America have never had one minute in their whole lifetime where they could ‘let down’ and share with another person their deeper feelings.”
Since so few males have been allowed the luxury of openness and vulnerability in a relationship, they are not aware of the gaping void in their emotional lives. In short, they don’t know what they’re missing.
In one of the studies made by British Sociologist Marion Crawford it was established that middle aged women and men had considerably different definitions of friendship. By an overwhelming margin, women talked about trust and confidentiality, while men described a friend as “someone I go out with” or “someone whose company I enjoy.” For the most part, men’s friendships revolve around activities while women’s revolve around sharing. A man will describe as “my very good friend” a person who is an occasional tennis partner or someone he just met five minutes ago. But are they friends? Hardly.
Young women are newly aware of these issues and increasingly selective. “ I think more women are looking for a sensitive man today, “ says Lynn Sherman, “and it really doesn’t make any difference to us if he can lift up the couch with one hand or two. I think it’s a responsive friendly person most younger women want now.”
Real issues in friendship
Real and true friendship involves freedom of choice, accountability, truth, and forgiveness. Real friendship looks at the heart, not just the “packaging.” Genuine friendship loves for love’s sake, not just for what it can get in return. True friendship is both challenging and exciting. It risks, it overlooks faults, and it loves unconditionally, but it also involves being truthful, even though it may hurt. Genuine friendship, also called “agape” love, comes from the Lord.
Relationships in real life involve different levels of friendships. Often our isolationist society offers only vague, empty relationships. One cannot deny the fact that friends do stick closer than a brothers and sisters sometimes. The question is: what type of friend do you desire to be?
We break a true friendship when we break trust. There are situations when we need to speak truth and often at the cost of losing some good friends. Those are the critical moments when we willingly risk to sacrifice our needs for those of our friend.
“We do not know if friendship helps us to party or parties bring us together as friends. The fact is our friendship offers time together to party,”

Rubbing shoulders in a relationship
Friendship has a special status. It is contrasted with all those relationships over which we have so little control: the families we can’t change, the neighbours who irritate us, the colleagues we have to put up with. Friends are thought of as free and joyous part of our lives.
There are different studies showing different facts about friendship. Recent research concluded that at any time we have around 30 friends, six of whom we think of as close. Over a lifetime we will make almost 400 friends, but we will keep in touch with fewer than 10 percent of them. Almost 60 per cent of us claim that our friendships are more important to us than career, money or family. Other studies shows that men have, on average, one fewer close friends than women do, that middle class men have more friends than working class men, and that both men and women find their friendships with women more emotionally satisfying than those with men. Those findings are fascinating, but they mask huge variations.
Most men have had no practice in the art of intimacy nor role models to point the way.

There are surprises in getting to know someone whom do not know fully. The older you become, the more “history” you will have to relate to each other. Bear in mind that it is always easy for us to handle our own “problems” emotionally, than those of others. You may have endured a bankruptcy or the death of a spouse as part of your life, and to someone else this might sound insurmountable.
Begin your friendship by showing your wonderful, positive strengths and the qualities that have allowed you to be resilient through the rough seas of life. That will help you not only to start a god relationship but sustain those you cherish most.
Too Few and Too Many Friends
Dr. Stephen Johnson suggests asking yourself the following question about your relationships:
· 1. Do you have at least one person nearby whom you can call on in times of personal distress?
· 2. Do you have several people whom you can visit with little advance warning without apology?
· 3. Do you have several people with whom you can share recreational activities?
· 4. Do you have people who will lend you money if you need it, or those who will care for you in practical ways if the need arises?
· If your response to Johnson’s questions is largely negative, it may be that your friendships are being impeded by your social life! Some people immerse themselves in such a whirl of parties and social affairs that there is no opportunity to establish a close relationship. The fact of the matter is that one cannot have a profound connection with more than a few people. Time prohibits it. Deep friendship requires cultivation over the years-evenings before the fire , long walks together, and lots of time for talk. It requires keeping the television off so that the two of you can log in with each other. IF your social calendar is too full to provide for such intimate bonding, it should be pared. “True happiness,” said Ben Johnson, “consists not in the multitude of friends, but in the worth and choice.”

Fill your vacuum with self worth

There is a story of two famous couple’s combined intimacy and freedom. Theirs is the story of friendship which rather than crippling each other with dependence a strong relationship with one another freed them and took them further to greater heights. That is the story of DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Acheson, the co-founders, co-editors and co-owners of the popular magazine called The Reader’s Digest.
The story of how such an empire rose from an initial capitalization of $1800 is one of the most exciting success stories in the annals of American Business. It is also the success story of a friendship that turned into partnership of marriage.
When DeWitt Wallace was recovering from shrapnel wounds in the army hospital at Aix-les-Bains in 1918, he read every magazine he could lay his hands on. Most of the articles were too long. He started editing them into a shorter form.
After getting discharged from the hospital he selected a group of these condensed articles and called the collection The Reader’s Digest, and sent samples to publishers throughout the country. He was willing to give it to any publisher provided he is retained as editor of the magazine.
The experts were unimpressed. While many predicted that it would have a fast death and some said that it would not even cross a minimum circulation. Everyone he trusted turned down his offer. He was desperately looking for a friendly gesture from someone.
“A friend is one who walks in when others walk out,” said Walter Winchell. When Wallace was in Minneapolis, he found an ally, Lila Bell Acheson who had already fallen in love with Wallace. She became a source of great support to Wallace. They got married. There was hope for Wallace. Now both could dream together and achieve everything together. They got ready to go to honeymoon. Before they left both jointly sent thousands of letters as appeals. By the time they returned there were thousands of letters in their mail box. The remittances totalled nearly $5000. Wallace and Lila together worked even harder until their eyes blurred and their shoulders ached, slipped out to lunch, hurried back. The result of this hard work together brought in the long expected result. The magazine’s circulation grew beyond the couple’s fondest dreams.
Today, Reader’s Digest is printed in 21 languages, sells 18 million copies a month, and is distributed in 70 countries with 50 editions. In Asia alone there are six editions and five languages with 1.6 million copies sold every month. The company grosses an estimated $500 million a year.
This is the story of people who have understood their self worth and shared the same dream together. This is also the story of people entering into friendship having a good self image.
Today, one of the vicious circles with which therapist do daily is this one: The better a man’s self image, the better friends he is likely to choose, hence the better the relationship, and hence his self-esteem is enhanced. The worse a man’s self – image , the more likely he is to choose jerks for friends, hence the relationship is likely to go bad, and his self image is further lowered because of this failure.
How do we break that cycle? Two ways, basically. The first is to try to establish in the counselling room a good relationship. Perhaps it is the best relationship the patient has. Perhaps it is even the only one.
But that is not enough, for people who depend on the approval of others to feel good about themselves will be disappointed, and what is more, their need for approval can ruin relationships by overloading them.
M. Esther Harding says, “When someone is uncertain of himself, always needing approval and support of others and being unduly depressed by their criticism, it means that he has no valid criterion of value from within himself. If he is disapproved of, he feels crushed; if he is not noticed, he ceases to exist; and if he is praised he is in the seventh heaven of elation. He has little sense of his value, though he may give the appearance of being exceedingly egotistic, since he is always fishing for praise. He purrs and preens himself when it is given, literally basking in an atmosphere of approval, while he usually goes away by himself to hide his hurt if the desired notice is not forthcoming. His centre of gravity is not in himself, but outside in other people.”
So the lesson is obvious: No hide and seek game can help in friendships. You cannot expect someone to fill your vacuum. You cannot depend on others for your sense of self-worth. It must come from within you. Only two persons with good self image can take relationship to a newer frontiers.

The Growing Pressure

Is this a problem of increase in number or a problem of growing human centred planning?

Each year, about 90 million new people join the human race. This is roughly equivalent to adding three Canadas or another Mexico to the world annually, a rate of growth that will swell human numbers from today’s 5.6 billion to about 8.5 billion by 2025.
The earth is a “closed system,” indicating that we have to recycle or store all the wastes we produce. We have one planet’s worth of land and water to provide resources for agriculture, energy and other needs. The resource use and pollution management basically depend on two factors:
1. The number of people on the planet, and
2. The average amount of resources available (per person) and the average amount of pollution produced.
As the world population continues to grow geometrically, great pressure is being placed on arable land, water, energy, and biological resources to provide adequate supply of food while maintaining the integrity of our ecosystem. According to the World Bank and the United Nations, from 1 to 2 billion humans are now malnourished, indicating the combination of insufficient food, low income, and inadequate distribution of food. This is the largest number of hungry humans ever recorded in history. Based on their evaluation of available natural resources, scientists have issued a joint statement reinforcing the concern about the growing imbalance between the world’s population and the resources that support human lives.


Strategies for the future must be based first and foremost on the conservation and careful management of land, water, energy, and biological resources needed for food production.

What solutions can we have?
Once we recognise the fact that overpopulation is a problem and that increasing standards of living around the world will add to our resource-use and pollution-management challenges, we must resist any temptation and work toward better solutions.
We should
• Strive to reduce suffering by combating disease and poverty around the world;
• Improve resource efficiency and pollution control so that standards of living can rise without negative impact, and
• keep human population to numbers that are sustainable.
Extinctions of non-human species
Human activities that have caused massive extinction of species are by killing and degradation of natural habitat. There are other factors as well which are directly or indirectly relate to human actions.
According to a survey nearly 70 percent of biologists believe that we are currently in the early stages of a human-caused mass extinction, known as the Holocene extinction event. The problems are:
• Seriously impairing the ability of the environment to recover from natural and human-induced disasters.
• Destroying the natural systems that purify the world’s air and water.
• Reducing the potential for the discovery of new medicines.
• Increasing flooding, drought, and other environmental disasters.
• Contributing substantially to the degradation of the world’s economies, thereby weakening the social and political stability of nations across the globe.
• Damaging agriculture, fisheries, and food production.
• Decreasing the ability to control infectious diseases.
Nearly one third of the world’s wildlife has been lost since 1970, according to the study released by the Zoological Society of London, WWF and the Global Footprint Network. It is high time we woke up understanding the consequences of our actions.
The Holocene extinction event is a name customarily given to the widespread, ongoing mass extinction of species during the modern Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these extinctions are occurring in the rainforests. Since 1500 AD, 784 extinctions have been documented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
According to the World Bank and the United Nations, from 1 to 2 billion humans are now malnourished, indicating the combination of insufficient food, low income, and inadequate distribution of food. This is the largest number of hungry humans ever recorded in history.

What should we do?
Strategies for the future must be based first and foremost on the conservation and careful management of land, water, energy, and biological resources needed for food production. The conservation of these resources will require coordinated efforts and incentives from individuals and countries. Once these finite resources are exhausted they cannot be replaced by human technology. Further, more efficient and environmentally sound agricultural technologies must be developed and put into practice supporting the continued productivity of agriculture.
Additionally, as developing countries become more integrated into the world economy, they will place greater demands on their own natural resources and as a result, pollution and environmental degradation are projected to increase at a rate exceeding the population growth rate.
One of the greatest threats to the world’s environment is the compounding number of rural poor who turn increasingly to the rainforests to feed and shelter themselves. They are sometimes pushed off more fertile soils by large, wealthy landowners who are capable of purchasing land or using political influence to gain title to land. Without realizing it, these poor farmers are perpetuating their own situation by their role in deforestation, which worsens their quality of life by increasing their chance of being diseased, degrading their drinking water stocks, escalating soil erosion, and leaving their children without the benefits of sustainably utilized forest. As the human population grows, the quality of all forms of life plummets as people are forced to move into more and more marginal lands with higher incidence of natural disasters (floods), crop failures, and disease.

Human errors in lifestyles and production models

Population trends are crucial determinants of economic, social and environmental change. The 1999 medium fertility scenario predicts 9.5 billion in 2050, peaking at 11 billion in 2200. You can still get scary figures by projecting 1995 fertility rates, ignoring the declines in fertility. There have been large declines in fertility in many Third World countries.
In June 1999 it was reported that the average Mexican woman had 7 children in the 1970 but has 3 children today. Bangladesh and India have also had large declines in fertility. The world’s most populous country is China. Its rate of increase has declined recently. The earth and accessible and usable planets place a limit on the possible human population. Population may eventually approach this limit, thus necessitating actions by sovereign countries or other entities to limit their population.
World population would not be a problem if there were unlimited land, unlimited water, unlimited resources. Unfortunately, with overpopulation, there is the problem of sharing the same sized pie with smaller and smaller portions. People in developed countries who have been accustomed to a better quality of life are reluctant to give it up. In many cases, more efficient use of resources has come along hand-in-hand with improved quality of life. But there are still problems of overconsumption, exploitation, the short-sighted search for an ever-higher quality of life, and the greed of companies and individuals in cutting corners resulting in pollution and reckless use of raw materials. Less-developed countries that, in the past, had smaller populations such that slash-and-burn agriculture had less impact, cities had fewer vehicles to send pollution into the air, and industries were not as attracted by cheap labor and thus polluted rivers and the air less.

Sustainability is the practice of conservation that will allow people to have enough resources through their life and the lives of future generations.

Sustainability and Population
Population is not of concern if there are enough resources to go around. Important resources like water of suitable quality for growing crops, drinking, cooking, and cleanliness, fertile soil for growing food and trees, and fuel for warmth and cooking.
Depletion of important resources leads to poverty, disease, malnutrion and often death. Impoverished people are usually forced to destroy their environment in order to survive. Sustainability is the practice of conservation that will allow people to have enough resources through their life and the lives of future generations. Sustainability is possible by conserving energy, materials, resources, by new technologies, and by ensuring that the number of births is low enough so that there is enough to go around.

Increasing Human Population ,A liability or an untapped resource?

Ironically, where there is famine, the problem usually is not an excess of people but an excess of government, which leads to gross misallocation and misuse of resources as corrupt bureaucrats and dictators
Newspapers have become overpopulated, so to speak, with warnings about human overpopulation. Such warnings have been issued regularly for decades - even centuries - with consistently incorrect predictions. On the first Earth Day, Paul Ehrlich’s 1968 bestseller, The Population Bomb, was widely quoted. He predicted that by 1985, the “population explosion” would lead to world famine, the death of the oceans, a reduction in life expectancy to 42 years, and the wasting of the Midwest into a vast desert. He was about as accurate as Malthus himself, the Englishman who, in 1798, predicted catastrophic food shortages that never came.
The population doomsayers usually offer the solution of global government - BIG government - to determine, in Gaylord Nelson’s words, “the optimum number of people.” Ironically, where there is famine, the problem usually is not an excess of people but an excess of government, which leads to gross misallocation and misuse of resources as corrupt bureaucrats or dictators seek power more than the welfare their subjects.

The resulting large population, living at a higher standard than ever before, breathing cleaner air and drinking purer water, is a cause for celebration, not for doomsaying.

Just what is “overpopulation”? How does one determine when a nation is overpopulated? There are no clear demographic indicators for this fuzzy notion. If population density is used as the criterion, then Bermuda and Monaco would be crisis zones, while Nigeria and Ethiopia should be paradise. Other factors, like population growth rate, also provide metrics riddled with inconsistencies. Yes, there are places where people lack resources and go hungry, but eliminating neighbours is not the solution to the condition of poverty. If we are worried about those who go hungry, let us recognize that the hungry are suffering from poverty, not from overpopulation.
But isn’t poverty directly related to population size or to rapid population growth? Absolutely not. The population control crowd is now embarrassed by the light of scientific study into the relationship between population and economic development. A wide variety of recent economic studies on this issue have shattered the myth that population growth is bad for a nation’s economy. Though rarely reported by the media, this has led to a remarkable revolution in the scientific (not the political) community. This scientific revolution is documented by Dr. Julian Simon, Univ. of Maryland, in Jay Lehr’s book Rational Readings on Environmental Concerns, Van Nostrand Reinhold Publ., 1992. Now the real scientific debate centers on whether population growth has a neutral or positive effect, but there clearly is no significant negative effect.
On the first Earth Day, Paul Ehrlich’s 1968 bestseller, The Population Bomb, was widely quoted. He predicted that by 1985, the “population explosion” would lead to world famine, the death of the oceans, a reduction in life expectancy to 42 years, and the wasting of the Midwest into a vast desert. He was about as accurate as Malthus himself, the Englishman who, in 1798, predicted catastrophic food shortages that never came.

Fascinating case studies can be found in pairs of similar nations having centrally-planned and market economies, such as China and Taiwan or the former East and West Germany. Though the centrally-planned nations began with similar resources and similar birth rates, and even lower population densities, than their market-based counterparts, the market economies prospered, in spite of the higher “population pressure.” Even with high population density, enterprise-based economies flourish while centrally-planned nations stagnate and become addicted to foreign aid. The real problem is not excess people, but excess government.
Even with high population density, enterprise-based economies flourish while centrally-planned nations stagnate and become addicted to foreign aid. The real problem is not excess people, but excess government.

How can the “obvious” logic of the population control lobby be wrong? Because the resources of the planet are not a fixed pie that dwindle with each birth. The resources are whatever we can make of this planet - or solar system - and it takes the work of human beings to transform raw materials and energy into useful resources. Humans are not a liability, but a resource that we need!
Our technological society, fueled by the precious resource of abundant working, thinking human beings, has enabled crop lands to skyrocket in productivity and has enabled humans to live vastly longer than ever before. The resulting large population, living at a higher standard than ever before, breathing cleaner air and drinking purer water, is a cause for celebration, not for doomsaying. Once-neglected resources - solar energy, sand, radioactive minerals, salt water, carbon dioxide, the vast interior mantle of the earth itself - may provide the foundations for future economies beyond anything we have today. The future could be bright, unless we surrender what’s left of our free economy for a global, centrally-planned economy in which political elitists rule and decide how many of us must live to achieve “the optimum number of human beings.”

Work and Temperance

The rate of inflation is going higher and higher. A couple of months ago the rate of inflation had just crossed 7 per cent, and that was the highest price rise witnessed in the previous 40 months.
There was an air of acute despair amongst top Congress leaders since no easy options seemed to be available to the government to control the surge in prices of a wide range of commodities, including most staple food items.
Today, the prime minister and his senior cabinet colleagues would probably be very happy to give up their salaries for a month or two if they could turn the clock back to April! The rate of inflation has now touched a mind-boggling 11 per cent. And what is worse is that the future looks just as bleak as it was in April. No one can predict when the process of spiralling prices will come to an end.
We know that the current inflationary process is a global phenomenon and practically every country is suffering. Nominal prices of oil have increased by 150 per cent. Food prices keep rising and pressure keeps mounting on families. In simple terms, the world economy is just not producing enough to satisfy rising world demands.
Emerging and developing countries have been growing significantly faster than the rest of the world, and there has been a steep surge in demand in these countries. This has been a major cause for the rise in world demand because the economies in most developed countries have been stagnating. Since there is no reason to believe that world production will rise miraculously at least in the immediate future, many people expect that prices will keep on rising.
These expectations in turn exacerbate the inflationary process. Households buy more of non-perishable goods than they need for their immediate consumption because they expect prices to go up even further.
What can the government do under these circumstances? In the short run, it is not easy to increase domestic supply. So, its policies must be aimed at reducing aggregate demand.
Of course, attempts to restrict demand will obviously have some adverse consequences for growth. People are not accustomed to give up their desire to hoard up. We got used to linking growth with more and more acquisition of wealth.
There is no magic cure-all solution for all times and all economies. But when inflation rages at close to double digit figures, clearly the only sensible solution is to lower the consumerism level and to produce more with our capacity to work all the harder.
While contractionary monetary policies will have some effect on the general level of prices, more needs to be done in order to reduce food prices. Unfortunately, there are no easy options, partly because of the past sins of the government. Krishna Iyer once said, “ In times of crisis, the democracy of India was safeguarded not by the educated rascals; but, by the ordinary simple people who toiled and sacrificed even their basic needs.”
Desperate times call for desperate measures. The government’s efforts to buy small quantities of food grain from world markets which will also signal to domestic traders that the government is determined to curb prices. This in turn may induce traders to release additional quantities because of fears that hoarding would no longer be profitable.
Apart from government machinary’s efforts, what is going to be the measures taken by individuals who are part of this government?
The salesian constitution Article 18 has something important not only for critical moments like current inflation, but. It gives a general norm for life. It speaks of work and temperance:
“Work and temperance will make the Congregation flourish”, whereas the seeking of an easy and comfortable life will instead bring about its death.
The Salesian gives himself to his mission with tireless energy, taking care to do everything with simplicity and moderation. He knows that by his work he is participating in the creative action of God and cooperating with Christ in building the Kingdom.
Temperance gives him the strength to control his heart, to himself and remain even-tempered.
He does not look for unusual penances but accepts the daily demands and renunciations of the apostolic life. He is ready to suffer cold and heat, hunger and thirst, weariness and disdain whenever God’s glory and the salvation of souls require it.”
Hard work is the hallmark of any development. Similarly is the curbing of desire to acquire. Giving into ease and comfort will make us die a slow death. We had learnt to grow fast; now is the time to device pace suitable for our growth. Temperance is the key to a stable growth.
These are difficult times particularly for the families. But, let us continue to work and follow temperance. That is all that we need to arrest any inflation.

To enjoy music

Factors you need to understand

You may be a great music lover. You may have a lot of collections of CDs, DVDs and VCDs. But, if you do not know some basic factors that will help you to make the best of use of these, you may end up wasting them and not benefit from any of them. Here are some tips to help you enjoy music.
Room Dimensions. First, know the dimensions of the room before you design the layout. A good layout is essential. Select a rectangular room with minimal doors and windows. Select the components according to the size of the room. Then arrange the room with the proper acoustics, proper lighting and additional components so that it gives a good overall sound effect.
Home theatre acoustics. Using sound absorbing component like thick curtains for windows/doors, and placing pictures on the walls will improve the sound.. You can think of making the room soundproof if you have a big budget. Ensure that the floor is covered since bare floors reflect sound and diminish the quality of the sound.
Lighting of the room. Remember the lighting in a cinema hall? You can follow the same style in your sound system. Provide some dim light. It gives some ambient light to the room. Do not place the TV or projector screen opposite to any source of light, especially doors and windows.
Use a TV or Projector? If your intention is to watch ordinary cable TV, satellite TV or VHS, then Television is better because when these images are displayed through the projector, the quality is often not as good as when you view it on a Television. In addition, video projectors usually do not have an RF connector like in a Television. Your cable or satellite receiver needs to have s-video, DVI or component connections to connect them to the projector.
Projectors are good for watching DVDs or DVD quality movies and Cable/satellite TV content that has high Definition (HD) signals. The major drawback is limited lamp life. The cost of this lamp is comparatively high. A cost effective alternative to the projector is a Large sized rear-projection television.
The right TV size: A simple rule is to provide the minimum viewing distance from the TV. It is the minimum distance you must keep from the TV while watching it. This distance is at least two times the width of the TV screen.
Arrangement of speakers. The 2.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 speaker systems are popular. A 5.1 speaker system means that there are 5 speakers with a subwoofer. The number before the dot indicates the number of speakers and the 1 after the dot indicates the number of subwoofers in it. Among the above systems, 5.1 is the most popular today.
The commonly available multi-channel digital surround sound formats are Dolby digital and DTS(Digital theater system). It is used for making the movie sound both on film and on DVD. Both these surround sound formats use a 5.1 channel system.
Now let us see how the speakers are arranged in a room. First, place the Television in a proper location. Then, keep the centre speaker below or above the TV. Place the front speaker pair on either side of the TV. The other speaker pair is the rear speakers and they are kept behind you. If you have difficulty in wiring the rear speakers, buy wireless speakers. Place the sub woofer between the front speakers. You can adjust the phase control of the subwoofer to get the best sound effect in the room. Do not buy large, tall speakers for a small room (less than 100 square feet).
Seating arrangement. Arrange the seats like an arc leaving the minimum distances. You can reposition the seats or components in order to make the overall experience more comfortable.
Apart from all these, you can get the help of technicians for professional assistance. Don’t forget to go through the manuals carefully. This may relieve you from headaches!
Ravi Kiran

The only sensual pleasure without vice

“Music, the greatest good that mortals know, and all of heaven we have below,” said Addison, in his ‘Song for Ceceilia’s day’.
Whether you admit it or not, music imbeds our daily life, weaving its beauty and emotion through our thoughts, activities and memories. If you’ve paid much attention to how you respond to a variety of music, you may have noticed that some music seems to energize you, some music can move you to tears or spark a special memory of a time, place, food, or perhaps a certain person. Some music seems to make you relax, feel less stressed, and feel happier. And some music fills you with deep spiritual attunement.
If you look on the Internet or go into your nearby audio store you are likely to find music labeled “Healing Music.” The section may include music for relaxation, meditation, stress reduction, pain relief or tapping into one’s soul. There may be a variety of instruments or sounds from a forest or the ocean.
So what makes this music “healing music?”
Music has a way of stirring our innermost feelings and all of our senses, of tapping into parts of ourselves unlike anything else. Music is a universal language that has the ability to speak to us deeply and uniquely because of its healing qualities. That is what John Logan meant when he said, “Music is the medicine of the mind.” It is a sweet and healing balm of troubles.
I remember watching “Titanic” and its gorgeous love theme that permeates throughout the movie and throughout ourselves with its bittersweetness, generating the beauty of love and the tragedy of the massive ship’s sinking and loss of so many lives. It is because emotion is the sphere of music more than thought.
One aspect of “healing” music is to stir our feelings, to help us deal with grief, sadness, anger or other feelings. By allowing ourselves to ‘feel’ those feelings, the intensity will eventually lessen and even dissipate, resulting in being healing for us. When we avoid our feelings, consciously or subconsciously, they nonetheless tend to build up inside. They don’t just go away. Music can be a tool to help us deal with feelings within us, whether we’re aware of them or not. This is one of the wonderful ways music can be incredibly healing.
In ‘The Mozart Effect,’ Don Campbell talks about using music in a variety of ways throughout the day, in the morning to help energize us, throughout the day to help us focus or concentrate better, music to help our intelligence, and in the evening to help us relax.
What exactly is “relaxing” music? Whether we are aware of it or not, music that’s relaxing tends to slow down our heart rates to about one beat per second. If we’re feeling stressful, angry, anxious, or irritable, our heart rates tend to increase. Music can actually help our heart rates slow down to a more relaxing pace, changing our physiology. This phenomenon is what can help people fall asleep more easily. That is what is found with many meditation tapes or other music specifically designed for stress reduction or relaxation.
Chanting has existed for centuries. For example, there are wonderful recordings of Gregorian chants, Indian chants, chants sung by Catholic or Buddhist monks and other religious or secular groups. They tend to be repetitive with the goal of deepening our spiritual lives, whatever they may be, or at the very least, to help bring peaceful feelings into our beings.
There is a large variety of music that taps into our souls. Listening to music has been a truly inspirational journey, one that has been incredibly healing. It reaches the soul directly to give a healing touch. All that we need to do is to pay attention to our responses to a variety of music - physically, mentally, spiritually.
Music does things that even human beings cannot do at times because of the space that it creates for you to be yourself. When someone enters your life you are happy. But, slowly he/she takes away your time, energy, space and your possessions. Instead music fills you with enough riches: memories, feelings, rejuvenation and make you energised so that you take on anything with ease.
A new song can reflect a new way of being without creating side effects, and a new way of imagining life in the world. This is what music means to all of us. We can say with Samuel Johnson that music is the “only sensual pleasure without vice.”

In sweat of thy brow…!Reflections on human labour in view of May Day

Human life is filled with contradictions of all sorts. It is quite surprising that each of us has these contradiction within us. We see people who would like to score first rank and yet hate to spend time studying. We see people trying to be rich without working hard. Short cuts are being taught from books to blogs, from personal sharing to great preaching. Short cuts are offered because people hate hard work. This is the contradiction in life.
One such contradiction is regarding manual work. We hate to do manual labour. We associate manual labour with suffering, sadness and displeasure. Walter R. Courtenay said, “God gave man work, not to burden him, but to bless him, and useful work, willingly cheerfully, effectively done, has always been the finest expression of the human spirit.”
The same sentiments are shared by Jawaharlal Nehru when he said, “ We must get rid of the extraordinary notion that manual work is degrading. There is nothing more ennobling than manual work and nothing better for physical and mental health.” Manual labour tackles most of the issues relating to the physiological needs.
At the same time we see such a lot of exploitation that is physical in nature. Exploiting the hard work of others has become the order of the day. Indira Gandhi once said, “There are two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.” Thus work or human labour spares us of all the vices that follows the undue pursuit of wealth.
In fact, Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice and need(greed). That is the reason why Don Bosco himself said, “An idle mind is the workshop of the devil.” We keep the youth busy and make them do a lot of manual work to keep them away from all vices and to save them from boredom. It is because of labour that life assumes its beauty and grandeur.
The fruit derived from labour is the sweetest of all pleasures. Maxim Gorky said, “When work is pleasure, life is a joy! When work is a duty, life is slavery.”
Labour disgraces no man; unfortunately, you occasionally find men who disgrace labour. We see great men who begin mega ventures, but, don’t we understand that it is labour that helps to complete the work? Joseph Joubert rightly said, “Genius begins great works; labour alone finishes them. “
To save our own self only one thing is absolutely necessary: a liking for work. Many great men have hailed manual labour as the only panacea for poverty, sickness, melancholy and all other ills and woes of humanity. Even the highest level of God experience is presented in the form of human labour. God is truly present in the poor people who toil and labour. Tagore gave us this beautiful truth in the following lines:
Leave this chanting and singing and telling of beads!
Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut?
Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before thee!
He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground
and where the pathmaker is breaking stones.
He is with them in sun and in shower,
and his garment is covered with dust.
Put off thy holy mantle and even like him come down on the dusty soil!
Come out of thy meditations and leave aside thy flowers and incense!
What harm is there if thy clothes become tattered and stained?
Meet him and stand by him in toil and in sweat of thy brow.
In toil and sweat, can we experience the true God, our God who struggled, suffered, toiled and died to save us.

User-friendly, Business-friendly and People-friendly!

Great good and great evil come from the use, people make of the media and communication technologies.

Speaking on the good done by technologies and media, Pontifical Council for Social Communications on Ethics in Communications, said: “Media are indispensable in today’s democratic societies. They supply information about issues and events, office holders and candidates for office. They enable leaders to communicate quickly and directly with the public about urgent matters. They are important instruments of accountability, turning the spotlight on incompetence, corruption, and abuses of trust, while also calling attention to instances of competence, public-spiritedness, and devotion to duty.”
People feared about everything beyond their comprehension. Seeing sun, moon, rain and other elements of nature was a terrifying experience. Thanks to technology that helped people to subdue nature. Today, however, fear creeps in, when one sees the enormity of technological growth.
The main difference between a technologically enhanced society and those of the past is that the distance between the creation of an idea in someone’s mind and its ultimate concrete application has been startlingly reduced. That is, the space between thought and action is almost instantaneous. The laborious trial and error of invention is reduced to a simple simulation on the computer which eliminates, years of tedious testing.
From automation we have come to a level of technology, taking control of its own functioning. These are times when technology controls technology. We may consider ourselves fortunate to be at the top of all these creations. But, we have left the controls to the technologically advanced people. Technocentric superiority is haunting the present generation. But, there are things that are yet to be fulfilled by technology.
There are also violations against man through the use of media. The pontifical council for social communications speaking about the ethics in communication said, “The media also can be used to block community and injure the integral good of persons: by alienating people or marginalising and isolating them; drawing them into perverse communities organised around false, destructive values; fostering hostility and conflict, demonising others and creating a mentality of ‘us’ against ‘them’; presenting what is base and degrading in a glamorous light, while ignoring or belittling what uplifts and ennobles; spreading misinformation and disinformation, fostering trivialisation and banality. Stereotyping-based on race and ethnicity, sex and age and other factors, including religion-is distressingly common in media. Often, too, social communication overlooks what is genuinely new and important, including the good news of the Gospel, and concentrates on the fashionable or faddish.”
For those of us who have been using the internet for years, it can seem impossible to imagine what life was like before internet service. Yet those of us over thirty know, that there was vibrant life before the internet. For many who live in remote parts of the earth, internet access is about as important and sensible to them as buying clothes for a pet dog. Life goes on, regardless of what technology does.
We need to reassure ourselves with the words of Pope John Paul II in Redemptor Hominis, 15, “The media do nothing by themselves; they are instruments, tools, used as people choose to use them. In reflecting upon the means of social communication, we must face honestly the ‘most essential’ question raised by technological progress: whether, as a result of it, the human person is becoming truly better, that is to say more mature spiritually, more aware of the dignity of his humanity, more responsible, more open to others, especially the neediest and the weakest, and readier to give and to aid all.”
Technology has not contributed sufficiently to the quality of life. It was supposed to bring in efficiency and productivity enhancements that would provide a multi-dimensional richness for those who embraced it. Instead, it has converted many of them to 24 x 7 creatures for whom the 5 day week is a figment of imagination.
Technology is supposed to create a better service. It has created a huge service industry. It has created numerous options for service.
What it needs is meaningful implementation, to avoid traps where the objective is obscured by the power of technology. That is the challenge that technologists have to overcome.
Technology allows more people to take control of their lives. We need to make technology, not only business-friendly and user-friendly but also people-friendly.

Wetlands - A lifeline for a better environment

A majority of the Indian urban wetlands serve as the dumping places for the solid waste and sewage water. By definition, a wetland is an environment, “at the interface between truly terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems making them inherently different from each other yet highly dependent on both”. Development and prosperity of any city directly depend on the availability of water for various human consumptions.
Water bodies such as lakes and rivers not only provide us water, they replenish the ground water and support high diversity of life forms. In turn, the identities of the life forms in a water body indicate the quality of the ecosystem. Wetlands are one of the most biologically diverse systems in the world and can be compared to tropical rain forests and coral reefs in the diversity of species they support.
For many, these lands are ‘waste lands’ or lands with no purpose, while in reality they are one of the most precious forms of ecosystems we have. Wetlands contribute to biodiversity, clean water, flood control, and provide a habitat for millions of species of plants and animals. Wetlands are as productive as other farming lands but still face similar rates of devastation.
Most of the loss of wetlands worldwide is a direct consequence of the role that man has had in shaping the land through agriculture and urban development. As the wetland ecosystems get exploited, degraded and destroyed, many wetland species have become threatened and endangered because of their strong dependence on the system. Swampy grasslands and the flood plain wetlands of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra river valleys are the best examples. These areas are severely affected by conversion into agricultural land and widespread over-grazing.
Removal of sand, gravel and other material from the river beds and lakes have not only caused destruction to the wetlands but have led to sedimentation, affecting other areas. The introduction of exotic plants is another major threat on wetlands. The water hyacinth, an exotic plant, is now a major nuisance in most of the wetlands forming a vast floating shield over the surface of the water in the lakes and canals.
Through the ages, urban wetlands have been the lifeline of most cities in India. They were preserved and looked after by people as their main source of water supply for drinking and irrigation. By the advent of modern drinking water schemes, where drinking water comes from tap the citizens are unaware of their water source.
The modern urbanization altered the values dramatically and changed the sense of cleanliness and security. The commoditization of all resources including water by the new developmental paradigm added the complexity. In most of the urban ecosystems, the associated wetlands are the major life supporting component. They support high concentrations of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrate species. But these fragile , fast disintegrating and shrinking ecosystems,

planet earth agile or fragile?

In the name of development, the resources are exploited and it returns back to the human life in the form of global warming and energy crisis.

The year 2008 has been declared as the International Year of Planet Earth by the UNESCO. To think of Earth it takes a life time. Geographical details apart, it is marvelous to sense what has earth got in store for us. Providing us with necessary resources to lead our life is in itself a thing to be admired. And the declaration has come at a time when we are heading to the crisis of global warming.
From time immemorial, scientists from all over the world have collected enormous information on Earth, its physical and chemical composition, diversity of life, its history of physical, chemical and biological changes and so on. Still the knowledge is expanding. Earth gives the same kind of wonders and excitement from microscopic scale to the studies from space.
Our life on earth and the survival of the living world to a great extent depend on how we deal with the natural resources available for us. Overpopulation, changes in lifestyle and the resultant poverty and pollution are slowly killing the life on earth. In the name of development, the resources are exploited and it leads to crisis like global warming.
Although Earth has 79% of water, only 4.2% is in the usable form. Development of any society is closely linked to the availability of water resources. Usage, availability and quality of water, conservation issues related to water are the problems which need immediate attention. Water availability depends very much on rainfall pattern on a regional scale but it depends more on the management strategies of people at the local scale.
The key issues regarding biodiversity are its depletion, lack of knowledge about the distribution, and its sustainable utilization.


The surface water bodies such as rivers, ponds and lakes work as a source of water as well as the home for high diversity of living organisms. They distribute and replenish the ground water system. Ground water is the most critical part that supports the lifeline of any land. It depends on the atmospheric and climatic patterns as well as on the surface water regimes such as rivers, ponds and lakes.
Locally, depletion, pollution and wastage are the major problems related to water resource utilization. There is an urgent need in documenting, planning and implementing the conservation schemes for water at all scales.
Human development and prosperity was possible due to the diversity and richness of the soil in terms of the useful mineral content and life in the soil. Extensive transformation of land and land use patterns have happened in the last century all over the world. These have affected soil characteristics and in turn the local environment and the supporting human life and local biodiversity.
Energy is a critical resource that comes from earth and sun, which is important for the development of modern society. At present we are very much dependent on the non-renewable resources such as minerals and fossil fuels. Availability of these resources is not endless. In fact in many areas it has started showing the limits. A prudent use of energy, planning and search for the alternative sources are the ways ahead.

Due to ruthless commercialization of activities and excessive usage of resources without considering the by-products, we are now facing those global changes.

The major energy resources at the present usage are fossil fuels including coal and petroleum products such as petrol, diesel, kerosene, gas and so on. These are the primary factors for our movement and production. Electricity which is being produced through hydroelectric power generators, thermo power generators, nuclear power generators are the major energy sources for lighting, performance of all electrical equipments and machines.
All our communication and production system rely very much on electricity in the modern days. Traditional village settings used and still it is using cattle and human energy for traction and very many other village activities. Key issues on a national scale are the production of additional energy, planning of sustainable production, efficient distribution and optimal use to maximize production.
Living space is another resource. The rapid urbanization of the population is a recent phenomenon in the history of Earth. According to the UN-HABITAT 2006 annual report, by mid 2007, the majority of world population will be living in the towns or cities. If that is true, by now more than half of the population must be urban.
Ecological and economic effects of urbanization are very critical with respect to the sustainability of our life and survival in future. Urbanization has its associated lifestyle problems and resource utilization patterns which ask for more energy and resources. Urban areas ask more resources and facilities and produce more pollutants.
As a remedial measure to this problem, many concerned people have now started arguing for a better and efficient planning and management of resources. A recent thought named “New Urbanism” emerging in various places, argues for a shift in design focus from the car centric development and business park model to pedestrian and public transport centric mixed use community models.
Recently, the issue of world’s climate change is debated much. Though such changes come mostly due to processes internal to the earth, the present problem in debate is the major changes that are visible now due to the anthropogenic activities. Due to ruthless commercialization of activities and excessive usage of resources without considering the by-products, we are now facing those global changes probably as counter activities of earth. Many minor activities done at the local scale have global repercussions.
Public health and earth’s environment are connected. Many of the earth’s materials generated by both the natural and anthropogenic processes have been increasingly recognized as potential source of illness on humans. For example, exposure to asbestos, silica and some mineral rich dust are known to trigger certain diseases.
Exposure to anthropogenic atmospheric particles such as automobile exhaust, urban air pollutants, cement and other factory exhausts, debris from the building demolitions and construction sites and the dust particles carrying pathogens also form a cause of concern.
Now when we observe the International Year of Planet Earth, it is the duty of every human being to ask himself / herself what is the ecological footprint that we are going to leave behind when we pass on.
Are we keeping the earth agile? Or are we making it fragile? Let us act with maximum care and sensitivity keeping in mind our future generations.

The only possession we have in common

Truly, earth is the only possession that we all really own and share in common.

The planet earth has come under debate like never before. With all the alarming signals from global warming, there seems to be an awakening in this regard among the people. There are summits, debates and talks on preserving the planet earth, following the declaration of the year 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth by UNESCO.
Our planet earth itself was a matter of debate by scientists for quite sometime. There had been so many theories posed regarding the exact positioning of earth. Some spoke about geocentric theories and others accepted heliocentric theories. Today, another round of geocentred discussions are taking place all over the world because, the exploitation of nature is taking place in such a speed that the experts feel threatened about the safety of the earth, where our common roots lie.
Civilizations emerged and disappeared; kingdoms grew to a big stature and have ceased out of existence, for want of land and its enormous resources; super powers have been playing major roles. The earth stood as a silent witness to all these changes and developments that took place, in the bygone years.
Our ancestors celebrated the earth by centering everything on nature. They settled around beautiful places, spoke about its brilliance, worshipped its magnificence, and invented deities with reference to the earth and its gifts.
We developed ourselves making use of the resources of the earth. We even call ourselves developed countries or developing countries basing ourselves on the amount of exploitation that we do on this earth. Can we not say that all the wealth that we enjoy is the fruit of exploitation of the earth?
The earth is our lifeline. We owe very much to the earth for the bounteous gifts we receive. We rely on earth for all our basic needs. Only on this planet can we have our safest existence. Nowhere else are we so sure even to exist. We find our security here. The planet has sustained us with wealth of nature; mountains, rivers, valleys, trees, plants, herbs, shrubs, tubers and so many other wonderful things earth has given us unconditionally. Though we bring nothing into this world, planet earth provides for all our needs.
Can we imagine the earth devoid of all life-giving energy? Do we have an alternate place, apart from earth and its enormous possibilities to exploit? Do we have water elsewhere to import? Do we have forests that can sustain us even if the earth collapses? Where else can we get sufficient oxygen to live on?
The earth is not tired of giving us what we need. However, when our need becomes greed, the planet trembles and even quakes. The earth cannot bear our exploitation beyond a limit. Earthquakes, volcanoes, Tsunami and other natural disasters are the spontaneous expression of sorrow of our planet. Though we are said to have an extra sense perception that of reasoning, we refuse to read the emotional outburst of the nature. We do not pay anything for all the benefits that we enjoy from our mother earth.
“It is good to realize that if love and peace can prevail on earth, and if we can teach our children to honour nature’s gifts, the joys and beauties of the outdoors will be here forever.” This statement of Jimmy Carter is worth recalling at this juncture.
Truly, earth is the only possession that we all really own and share in common. All the rest of the accumulated wealth lies within the earth. Are we not ashamed about the fact that we do not take good care of the super power that takes good care of us. It is time that we realize our mistake and be cautious to treat our planet with due respect it deserves.
If not for the common good of the earth, at least for our own sake, let us save our planet and save ourselves, for that is the only possession we have in common.

A Serious look at Laughter:Laughter silly but Divine

Most of our laughter, to be precise according to Robert Provine - a neurobiologist, 80% of our laughter, has nothing to do with humour.

Who died when Gandhi[ji] was shot?
a. Sonia Gandhi b. Indira Gandhi c. Rajiv Gandhi d. none
If you haven’t been confronted with a question of this kind before, there’s a good chance that you are now emitting a series of short vowels or silly sound – ‘ha-ha-ha’ or ‘tee-hee-hee’- that sounds similar to the noise from a detuned windpipe.
Anyone who sees or hears you will be curious to know about what they are missing. If men are from ‘Mars’ and women are from ‘Venus’, I would continue that laughter makes their living meaningful and interesting on Earth.
Earth is not a planet without laughter. In this fast track world with technisized ‘sex’ and ‘business’ lingo, though it is hard to find ‘grand children’ on the laps of ‘grand parents’ listening to the funny stories of the failures of their dadas and mammas in the leisure, still ‘laughers’ with wafers at hand in malls, city-parks and monuments have become the culture of the day.
The ‘L’ syndrome in its new avatars - SMS’, MMS’- still has its impact and market today. Laughing groups, funny corners, laughter gardens and fun schools have become an ineluctable factor of our (post)modern cities and towns.
Laughter, we all do it – at a conservative estimate adults up to 20 times a day and children up to 200. We laugh for a variety of reasons – hearing a funny joke, hissing a ‘funny’ gossip about celebrities, inhaling a laughing gas, being tickled or simply because the one next to us is laughing, because laughing is the most contagious and infectious disease.
Toby Temple the hero of Sidney Sheldon’s “A Stranger in the Mirror” became a ‘star’, a ‘big hit comedian’ because of the bigger laughs, screams, cheers and claps that followed a giggle of a middle-aged woman from the crowd. It is such a contagious one, it has no preventive vaccinations.
Our ad-lib laughs are not humour. Though the dividing line between them is thin, John Morreall, one of the few contemporary laughter theorists, gives a finer distinction: that ‘laughter’ results from a pleasant psychological shift whereas ‘humour’ results from a pleasant cognitive shift. The produced comics – ‘Tom and Jerry’, ‘Scooby Doo’, ‘Munnabhai MBBS’ etc., are some of the examples of humour.
Most of our laughter, to be precise according to Robert Provine - a neurobiologist, 80% of our laughter, has nothing to do with humour. Nevertheless the fact is that we laugh and it means more to our existence than a fleeting sense of amusement. Often we are surprised by the explanations given by gelotologists on the significance and function of laughter in the development and fulfilment of ourselves on several levels. It occupies a special place in the practice of medicine.
The famous old saying ‘Laughter is the best Medicine’ has become the cliché of every contemporary medical practitioner. It is used as a powerful tool to the sick patients: to ease, to manage pain, and to cope with traumatic health and emotional issues. Even in the field of education researchers have proved humour to be one of the effective strategies in the classroom.
Despite the development of the importance of humour or laughter by gelotologists and psycho-spiritual sermons by laugh-masters in their shrines of humour, laughter is understudied in the discipline of philosophy.
However, today there is a sustained philosophical curiosity about the workings of laughter and humour. The contemporary theorists of laughter are very adamant about this topic because they believe that to understand our laughter is to go a long way toward understanding humanity. This discipline was pioneered by Plato and Aristotle, the giant pillars of whole western tradition of philosophy, with their critical and philosophical approach to laughter in western tradition of philosophy.
Aristotle regarded philosophy as a science that concerned with the discoveries of how one is to live well, and so even more than Plato he was interested in a philosophical analysis of laughter. Though his minor proposition, “only human animal laughs”, incited him to cover philosophy of laughter, has been disproved by researchers, up until the middle of the eighteenth century, his conceptions governed the theories of laughter. Moreover, there is also a medieval rumour that he had written a now lost book on ‘comedy’.
Almost every major figure from Plato in the western tradition of philosophy and Buddha in the eastern tradition of philosophy has proposed a theory on laughter and humour. But after 2500 years of discussion there has been a little consensus about what constitutes humour or laughter. The philosophical study of humour and laughter has been focused on the development of a satisfactory objective definition of them in the western tradition of philosophy.

Laughter has not always received the positive colouring it enjoys in today’s free societies.
Lack of resources tie my hand from writing about the eastern minds’ contribution to philosophy of laughter. Several scholars have identified over 100 types of humour theories but basically their propositions revolve around the questions: Why do we find a particular thing funny and what is the purpose of humour in human life?
These humour theories are broadly classified into three neatly identifiable groups: incongruity, superiority and relief theory. Laughter has not always received the positive colouring it enjoys in today’s free societies.
Plato and Aristotle, both deny the inherent value of laughter in the human experience and give into the belief that laughter is a malicious response to the ignorance of others. Thus Plato husks laughter from the guardians of his ideal city-state and pushes humour to the extent as unbecoming of a good citizen.
Aristotle continues this classical critique in his works. In the ‘Poetics’, he declares laughter as induced by observing the ridiculousness of others and ‘humour’ as provoked by comedies that imitates the personas of men worse than the average.
Both promoted the ‘superiority theory of laughter’. Superiority theory is the oldest of the theories of laughter. It plainly states that laughter is a result of observing the ridiculousness in others regarding one’s own status as outstanding in the light of another’s fault.
It was later developed by Thomas Hobbes who lived until the middle of the 15th century. “The passion of laughter”, he writes in his book ‘Human Nature’, “is nothing else but sudden glory arising from some sudden conception of some eminency in ourselves by comparing with the infirmity of others, or with our own formerly.” The popular form of laughter practised in our societies, I am afraid, succumbs to superiority theory.
Though it helps one to appreciate the value of oneself or it is social corrective, helping people to recognise behaviours that are inhospitable to human flourishing, it is inappropriate and devastating.
Since one’s ‘laughter’ or ‘pleasure’ is at the ‘defects’ inherent in an ‘imperfect’ human condition, it destroys the relationship between people, damages persons’ dignity and self-worth. Chances are ripe for this sort of laughter to stimulate a ‘communal violence’ by becoming a mockery, ridicule or sarcasm based on race, religion, nationality and sexual orientation.
Relief theory, the second hypothesis about laughter, describes humour as a tension-release factor. Not defining humour, it discusses the essential structures and psychological process that produce laughter.
The two most prominent relief theorists are Herbert Spencer and Sigmund Freud. Laughter according to them results from sudden release of pent up nervous (sexual, intellectual and emotional) energy, helping one to liberate oneself from his or her store of anxiety and mental discomfort.
Both subscribe to the belief that laughter is vital for a healthy life. This has lead to the invention of new and beneficial therapies practised by doctors, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals using humour and laughter to help patients cope or treat a variety of physical, mental and spiritual issues.
In reality, most of our perceived funniness falls under the third hypothesis – Incongruity theory. Several philosophers favour it. This promotes the idea that laughter is an intellectual reaction to something that is unexpected, illogical or abnormal in some other way.
From everyday experience, the laws of cause and effect make impression upon the mind that a normal, harmonious order is present in the world. When a situation occurs that disrupts this harmony, sometimes laughter is the first response to this state of deviation from the normal. An ‘incongruity’ occurs when this harmony is broken and the ridiculousness of the situation may produce laughter.
I am living in a religious house. Animals and plants are unwritten rule in our religious houses. Though we do not have an animal husbandry, we grow a handful of dogs, pigs, hen and unavoidably also cats and rats. Animals do not normally talk, at least if I am not mistaken, the human languages (Tamil, English, Telugu, Hindi and so on).
Suppose one day, like the white boar of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’, our pigs look into the eyes of the one attending them and say very clearly, “Rayappa, how are you doing?” It might trigger a surprised laughter as a reaction to the incongruity of the situation that ‘a pig just spoke’.
Since one’s ‘laughter’ or ‘pleasure’ is at the ‘defects’ inherent in an ‘imperfect’ human condition, it destroys the relationship between people, damages persons’ dignity and self-worth.
Although every theory of laughter devises explanations for our laughter, none of us can totally support the entire philosophy of laughter. Except for its omniscient ‘Authour’ every theorist has elbow room to deepen his or her reflections on laughter.
For example, the innocent laughter of babies and the ubiquitous, non-humourous, irrational and childlike spirit in our daily laughter continues to remain a mystery to be pondered at. Though Morreall attempts to explain it in his book ‘Talking Laughter Seriously’ with his new theory – “laughter is a pleasant psychological shift”, I am sure you will nod with me approving its limitedness. However, these theories have intuited us to have a serious look at the quality of our laughter.
Friedrich Nietzsche, in his book ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’ represents laughter as an attitude towards the world, towards life and towards oneself and surprisingly ‘holy’. Laughter is not a learned behaviour. There is a host of evolutionary theories explaining how ‘laughter’ began seven million years ago.
When a situation occurs that disrupts this harmony, sometimes laughter is the first response to this state of deviation from the normal.
It is neither a merit nor an act of our own. We may find this hard to believe, but the fact is that much of our laughter is involuntary. Sometimes we cannot help laughing. In some humourous situations we are overcome by laughter. It comes to us. May be that is the reason why Nietzsche refers to it as one’s attitude and as well as ‘holy’, because one’s attitude is spontaneous outer expression of oneself.
It is ‘holy’ because such a liberative habit unique to human beings (I consider it so because it is more than an irrational instinct) is surely a gift from God.
I am sure, now you will join me in saying that laughter is much more than a passing human phenomenon.
Dr. Mel Bornis in his e-article – ‘Are You Suffering from a Laugh Deficiency Disorder’, basing himself on the sharing of one of his patients who due to his sense of humour survived the inhuman Nazi death camps - proclaims laughter as ‘freedom’.
Let us then begin a new story of laughter. ‘Laughter’ is a good place to start our own philosophy of laughter. Let us – learn to laugh! For it is more than silly, is divine.