Sustainable and Equitable Irrigation Projects Bill

A bill to standardize the implementation of an alternative solution to irrigation projects in India that include dams. This bill proposes to treat dispersed local storages as the main storage element as the local storage potential is very large, especially in areas where there are scanty rains. The bill aims for an integration of local and exogenous water. 

This bill aims to ensure intra sectoral and rural-urban equity and sustainability of the irrigation projects.  It aims to not see dam related conflicts as ones related to  large versus small, but as a question of the relation between the two. Consequently, a dam shall be used for diverting water for filling and/or refilling local storages. 

“We would emphasise that these aspects of the alternative are relevant, not only to the SSP, but to all irrigation projects in the country, to the water system as a whole.” 

–K. J. Joy and Suhas Paranjape in their book titled - Sustainable Technology, Making the Sardar Sarovar Project Viable: A Comprehensive Proposal to Modify the Project for Greater Equity and Ecological Sustainability . 

WHEREAS, large dams devastate ecology of the area concerned, starve the river bed and the lives dependent on it, cause sea water ingress and become increasingly unsafe as they increase the possibilities of earthquakes.

WHEREAS, the present system of irrigation with the use of large dams affects the occupation of many people as it displaces people and rehabilitates them in completely different surroundings, submerged forests, fertile land, causes salinization of soil and also causes water logging and dumping of muck in the fields. The farmers, thus, have no control on how much to irrigate and in turn what to grow.

WHEREAS, the Department of Irrigation under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and The Central Ground Water Agency under the Ministry of Jal Shakti are currently under different ministries and there is a need of alignment of their vision and objectives with each other, they need to be merged. The interconnectedness of surface and groundwater must be acknowledged and dealt with in a holistic way to ensure sustainability and equitability.

WHEREAS, the bill proposes to make the post monsoon period the flow unbound. One of the important adverse effects of present planning is the post-monsoon drying up of riverbeds downstream of big dams. Since feeder canals proposed in this bill, mainly divert monsoon flows or accumulation and power generation is RoR, the post monsoon flows will be unbound, making for greater riparian health.

Hence, be it enacted by Parliament in the Sixty Sixth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—

CHAPTER 1

PRELIMINARY 

1. a) This Act may be called the ‘Sustainable and equitable irrigation projects Act, 2015‘.

b) This bill shall take effect from whichever date the parliament decides.

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, 

a) “Local storages” are wells, ponds, lakes and streams.

CHAPTER 2 

ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF IRRIGATION AND GROUNDWATER 

3. The department of Irrigation that is currently under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare shall be merged with the Central Ground Water Agency under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. This department shall be named as Establishment Of Department Of Irrigation And Groundwater and shall function under  the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

CHAPTER 3

DISPERSAL OF STORAGE

4. a) Large storages shall be planned and used properly so that they support smaller and local systems and increase their reliability and sustainability. 

b) The State Governments shall in cooperation create the required physical channels to create such links between the large and small storages. 

c) The State Governments shall, by notification make rules for the maintenance of the same. 

5. a) The traditional local water storages of the service area shall be improvised and developed and new ones shall be built.

b) The above must be done before the completion of construction of  any dams that may be underway on the concerned river.

c) The cost incurred to do the above, shall be included in the project cost.

6.  The exogenous water shall be stored in dispersed local surface and ground water storages; and the central system shall only divert and convey water to these storages through feeder canals. 

7. Water shall be pumped into the local storages of the upstream area so that the local storages shall act as buffer storage systems and shall also recharge the groundwater. 

CHAPTER 4

 ELECTRICITY

8. The electricity shall be generated through run-of-the-river power (ROR) plants and pumped hydro operation in the post-monsoon period. This shall lead to a truly large, dispersed generation and peak load capacity for the power sector.

 CHAPTER  5

 RIPARIAN HEALTH OF THE RIVER

9. The post monsoon period the flow will be unbound. Since feeder canals mainly divert monsoon flows or accumulation and power generation is RoR, the post monsoon flows will be unbound, making for greater riparian health.

CHAPTER 6

 BENEFIT TO THE OUSTEES

10. The rehabilitation of the outstees shall be done in the upstream area itself; in an environment familiar to them this is made possible by reduction in submergence.

11. There shall be allocation of the exogenous water for irrigation and livelihood in the upstream area, in a contiguous zone of one lakh hectares upstream of the dam within which the rehabilitation is provided.

12. Expenses on local employment shall be included in the total cost of the project.

CHAPTER 7

 EQUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY: CONDITIONS FOR PROVIDING WATER:

13. If exogenous water is to become available, both the users and the state must fulfill the following conditions in respect of equity and sustainability. 

1. The water will be available to local systems in proportion to the local resources they harvest and harness. 

2. Minimum water assurance for all families in the service area and protecting livelihood needs before more water is provided as an additional economic service.

3. 1/3rd of the service area is brought under permanent cover – unlike compensatory forestry. 

4. Self management by those who benefit because no top-heavy bureaucracy can fulfill these conditions. This provision is as important as the others because only if the people themselves come together and exercise control can these conditions be fulfilled.

5. The state must provide funds for harvesting and harnessing local resources. Include minimal watershed treatment that is twice the service area is included in the project cost itself. 

6. The state must sufficiently empower local communities to satisfy the conditions by ensuring appropriate legislation, policies and incentives.

An Advice to Retain Power: Isolation is Dangerous.

In this article, we begin by looking outwards as a thesis, looking inwards becomes the anti-thesis and striking a balance between these two becomes the synthesis. This is one among many pieces of advice given to retain power.

 “A fortress seems to be the safest. But isolation exposes you to more dangers than it protects you from “– Robert Green

Few realize that fortresses function in a disempowering way as they are symbols of isolation. Due to this notion, innumerable mistakes have already been committed. We do not need to commit mistakes to learn from them. Following are 3 of such historical mistakes:

Mistakes we must learn from:

1. The story of Tibet

 Past glory: 

Tibetan kingdom was grand, magnificent and powerful and dominated Central Asia covering large parts of modern India, Nepal, and Bhutan in the south and much of Chinese territory.  In 1763, forces of this kingdom conquered the Chinese capital and extracted promises of homage and other such concessions.

Past relationship with China: 

The Jokhang shrine (the holiest place in Tibet) contains a stone monument bearing witness to the historic power of Tibet. Its inscription carved in both Tibetan and Chinese, is an account to this everlasting agreement:

“The Miraculous Divine Lord Trisong Dretsen and the Chinese King Wen Wu Hsiao-te Hwang-ti, … (have signed) this great treaty…to restore the former ancient friendship and mutual regard …on neither side there shall be waging of war or seizing of territory...Between the two countries no smoke or dust shall be seen. There shall be no sudden alarms and the very word ‘enemy’ shall not be spoken .Even the frontier guards shall have no anxiety nor fear and shall enjoy land and bed at their ease. All shall live in peace and share the blessing of happiness for ten thousand years. The fame of this shall extend to all places reached by the sun and moon...” (Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, 1900,p 46)

 It was prepared by Tibet and China in 821-1 AD. China, shamelessly did not stick to its promise and, so conditions today are unfortunate.

Education of the Dalai Lama:

5 major subjects: logic, Tibetan art and culture, Sanskrit, Medicine and Buddhist Philosophy. 

5 minor subjects: poetry, music, drama, astrology, metre and phrasing and synonyms.  

  Surprisingly and unfortunately, the doctorate was awarded wholly based on Buddhist philosophy, logic and dialectics. Religion can be an important component of education but not the single most important element of it. Hence, it was awfully lopsided in numerous ways, was not up to the mark when one thinks about its relevance in statesmanship, politics, defense and tactics of conspiring for power and was utterly inappropriate for a head of a kingdom in the late 20th century. Tathag Rinpoche, the 2nd highest official who was appointed based on his high spiritual learning failed to protect Tibet from Chinese invasion. How was he expected to be successful if he had no training in governance?

One of the greatest war leader and strategist, Chinese Military General Sun Tzu advised the following:

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

  The 14th Dalai Lama was just 15 years old when he was made the head of his country. Then, he did not even know about communism. It was his eldest brother who was sent by the Chinese to kill him who explained to him the communist ideology and the thought process of the Chinese invaders. 

 Plans of the 13th Dalai Lama:

Thupten Gyatso, the 13th Dalai Lama was remarkably competent and far-sighted. He was truly interested in new technology. He imported an electrical generating plant, a mint and 3 cars. These cars made a spectacle, as wheeled transport was absent in the country. He arranged for 4 young Tibetans to be sent to Britain for learning and also reformed the army. These two initiatives proved to be successful though there was no follow-up and continuation after his death. 

He warned the following with deep concern as he emphasized the need to make major changes: 

“It may happen that here in Tibet, religion and government will be attacked both from without and within. Unless we guard our own country, it will now happen that the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lamas, the Father and the Son and all the revered holders of the faith will disappear and become nameless. Monks and their monasteries will be destroyed. The rule of law will be weakened. The lands and property of the government officials will be seized. They themselves will be forced to serve their enemies or wander the country like beggars. All beings will be sunk in great hardship and overwhelming fear; the days and night will drag on slowly in suffering.” (Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, 1900, p 46)

  If Tibet would have incorporated the best of all lands into itself and standardized the 13th Dalai Lamas modernizing initiatives as he intended, for the sake of updating the country; she would have enjoyed independence today and its state of affairs today would be poles apart.

Moral: 

Self – assessment is a must and must follow with making radical changes, even the daring ones, if they are needed to destroy disempowering obstacles.

2) Art needs to be made in communication so that it communicates. 

 In 1545 Dyke Cosimo I de’ Medici commissioned frescoes for the San Lorenzo Church in Florence. He chose Pontormo among many excellent painters available to him. Pontormo wished to make the frescoes his legacy and so, wanted no one to lay eyes on his masterpiece or steal his ideas. Therefore, he closed the chapel off with bulwark.                                                                                                                                          Unfortunately, Pontormo expired before he could complete his work. About his work, Vasari, the great Renaissance writer, wrote “I think I would go mad and become entangled in his painting, just as I believe that in eleven years of time Jacopo spent on it, he entangles himself and anyone else who saw it”. (Robert Green, 1998, p.135) 

Moral:

 Effects of isolation on human mind:

• A complete loss of proportion

• An obsession with detail

• Inability to see the larger picture

  Art made by artists in seclusion does not speak to masses and consequently remains powerless. 

3) Indian military

  India does not have a reputation of effectively shielding the sub-continent as a whole from foreign incursions. 

 India failed mainly because of:  

• Disinterest in military innovation, incompetence and ineffectiveness be it strategies/tactics or design and production of weaponry. Even today she imports most of her arms and ammunition.

• Failure of tactics.

1. Malfunction of Rajput strategies like those of Prithviraj Chauhan

2. Failures of the Maratha Confederacy at the 3rd battle of Panipat

• Ineffective logistic planning and execution. 

1. Hence, we were disappointed in the 1962 war in Arunachal Pradesh.

2. The same reason worked against us in the initial phases of Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka October 1987 and also in the Panipat war.

Moral: 

Martial satisfaction and relaxed approach towards the vital topic of intelligence has been the undoing of Bhartiya kingdoms. For this very reason Kautilya must have had to stress on the worth of information gathering in Arthashastra. It seems that his advice has been obeyed more in breach than in execution. This is proved by failures ever since early time’s up to 1999 in Kargil.

Success stories countries must learn from:

1. Modernization of Japan:

  Since the Meiji restoration in 1868 AD, students are proactively sent abroad to imbibe diverse ideas, technology and knowledge so that they develop their native country using these, there is an amalgamation of a number of ideas and also an understanding about ones standing in the global competition. 

  “Open the window; it is a big world out there” was an advice given by Sakichi Toyoda, founder of Toyota to his Colleagues in 1930’s.  This attitude laid the foundation for Kaizen in Toyota. ‘Kaizen’ means constant improvement (Kai= Change, Zen = good). Kaizen was also influenced by the teachings of the American industrial quality management teachers who had come after WW2 during the Reconstruction of Japan.  

Moral:

 A country will retain power if it evolves and it will evolve by learning from other nations.

2. Bhutan’s balancing act.

“If you want to destroy a people, destroy their religion and their language”

- Italian Nationalist, Giuseppe Mazzini

  There is beauty in difference. The cultural distinctness of a country carves a place for its own identity in this busy world and maintains its individuality. Hence, it is important for us to realize that improving and nurturing culture does not go against modernization but makes a country more powerful and hence is a part of progress.

   Here, Bhutan sets a commendable example. Bhutan’s people never demanded democracy and it was also not forced on it by a foreign country but was introduced because of the confidence, political will and open mindedness of its 4th King, Jigme Singye. On the other hand, he also encouraged focusing on Gross National Happiness, an idea unique to Bhutan. It is based on the Kingdom's Buddhist tradition which believes that there should be balance between physical and spiritual needs. Thus according to them, the key to progress is all round, holistic and balanced development. This is admired as an alternative all over the world by those who are unsatisfied with the conventional growth model.

  Bhutan has maintained a stronghold of its roots as it adapts to the changing times.

Moral:

 While a country learns from the world, she must nurture her indigenous cultures, philosophies and good qualities which makes up her identity. By doing this, she gives the world a chance to learn from her.  

Summation

  Through the above, we can infer how vital it is to maintain friendly relations with the world from the failure of Tibet, avoid isolation like Pontormo as it will lead us to doom, to be innovative, gather information and be constantly improving from the failures of the Indian military .

  We ought to also learn to always be a student from the evergreen learning spirit of the Japanese and to strengthen our roots by looking up to how Bhutan honours its culture and heritage. Even the great works of renowned thinkers, Plato and Aristotle, were highly influenced by the exposure that they were fortunate to avail while they were in exile.

Solitude: An antithesis

  While being in constant touch with the world is fruitful, the importance of solitude cannot be disregarded. Below are some examples to illustrate this point.

1. Tilak wrote Gita Rahasya while he was in solitary confinement in Mandalay, 

2. Nehru wrote letters to his daughter while he was in jail; 

3. Before going to America, Swami Vivekananda meditated for three consecutive days and nights on , the last rock in the sea , Cape Comorin in Kanyakumari [ In this solitude he came upon the belief that the principles of tyaga (renunciation) and seva (service) will bring India back her glory.]  

4. Gandhiji used to maintain maun (restraint on speech) every Monday.  

  Solitude is required to look inwards, meditate, take some rest, contemplate, sort out the tangles of thoughts in our minds and also for self speculation 

Conclusion

  Small doses of solitude are healthy but isolation for a long duration of time is poisonous. Isolation is dangerous because, a country must look outwards to judge itself against others and get an idea about where there is a high scope for improvement, to find solutions in countries grappling with the same questions as it is, to make friends who might help in times of crises and to always be alert from threat and aggressor countries.

  However, as we look outside to learn, let us not be lost, as grass is always greener on the other side but let us explore and bring back home what is best outside and that which is needed at home. This is simply what trade is and not rocket science. However, it is imperative that the home country is open minded and humble enough to accept innovation, good change and whatever is required for its own improvement. It should have a desire to improve and modernize but at the same time be critical, because even diseases and invasive species can come from foreign lands, figuratively and literally speaking . The notion that Indian development must model the western world was naïve (a disease). Every policy inspired from a foreign land should be implemented keeping in mind the home country’s unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. 

  Hence, it is unwise to go with the currents of the world without a spine but it is wise to become the fastest fish in water by evolving our organs constantly. A soft branch put in a pipe will bend where necessary, but a hard one will break.  Change is permanent and so one must evolve for survival. It does not necessarily mean copying but means innovation and evolution. 

  

Positive discrimination and fair representation.

I was impressed by a statement made by my father. Upon thinkng about it, I deduced the significance of affirmative action. 

"The projections of the mind can be over come by dettached and objective perception." - My father 

What he means by this is, every mind sees the reality through it's own glasses which are made by past experiences, socialization, etc. Thus, in order to see the world as objectively as possible, one needs to think beyond oneself, i.e. think institutionally and go into the shoes of all stake holders. 

This was precisely what John Rawls intended when he theorized that a truly just or fair society would be first conceptualized behind a 'Veil of Ignorance'. Behind this veil, no person would know anything about their own social/ economic/political/religious/educational/ racial or any kind of background. This position was named by him as the 'original position'. 

It is a well know fact that each person's senses do not have the same sensitivity. Thus, the same objects are perceived differently by different people. Thus, it is better to not expect people to understand us. Consequently, no other person can decide what we want better than ourselves. 

However, class or collective consciousness does exist. This consciousness also has a mind of it's own. By class consciousness, I mean a group of people who relate to each other owning to common positions in the society. For example, students, women, tribals, labourers, etc. Such groups have a better understanding of the needs and aspirations of themselves. Eckhart Tolle, in his widely acclaimed book titled ' Power of now' has written that women who experience pain during menstruation are actually experiencing the pain that exists in the class consciousness of women. This pain has been built up by years of subjugation and discrimination. 

Thus, since the said 'orginal position' is an otherworldly proposition, affirmative action is the real world solution. 

Thus, in order for the State to function in a fair way, it's consciousness needs to think objectively. Given that it's members are bound to be subjective, the only way is fair representation for dialogue regarding the distribution of power and resources. 

Day by Day I Grow

Day by day I grow,  as if I have made a vow. 

How much ever disintegration, loneliness, insult, hurt and/or pain I feel,

I stay resilient, hopeful, and persistent, for I know, that, I am malleable in the now. 

From me to this world, there is a flow.

I stay resilient, hopeful, and persistent, for I know, that, I am permanent, pure, immutable and unlimited potential. 

Hence, day by day I grow, as if I have made a vow.

The Essence of Friendship

In a vehicle made of interactions with you, I was brought from a market into a playground.
It was refreshing and healing to see the first worthwhile quality of any human kindness, shine so brightly and profoundly in you. 
💫💫
Where there are no buyers or sellers of propaganda or ideology, there lay safety. 
Where there is compassion, acceptance, and genuine presence, there lay safety.  
Where there is such true involvement or intimacy, there lay safety. 
Because I found safety, I flowered on and on. 
💫💫
You gave me containment as you treated me as part of your heart. 
I am grateful and humbled by your selfless ability to respond to all the unsaid and said needs that you enthusiastically met.
The way you were always caring towards me and kept my best interests at heart, impressed me the most. 
Small things are big things because they touch one so deeply or maybe they were big because you were the first rain on parched ground.
A ground that had not seen such clouds of gentleness in a highly 'motivated' and 'productive' world,
Such a ground cherishes the downpour of liquid love in the form of presence.
Your personality manifested through your actions towards me, as a series of selfless investments; the essence of which I relish in. 
Time has and will always be of essence, you knew it innately.
However, we are wise enough to know when to disregard it, the timing of which is also of essence.   
💫💫
You, a wave, met me, a wave, but did not even realize that you became a part of me, the essence of which expanded me, the essence of which I relish in.
💫💫

Every Perception and Experience is Unique and Irreplaceable

While moon gazing during a post dinner walk, I thought to myself that the moon has been and will be existing before and after me. That lead to another thought that brought me a deep sense of meaning, joy ,satisfaction and happiness. 

The thought goes as follows:

My significance lies in my life experience. Only I can live and feel the said experience. The way I experience the world is unique as everyone's experience is. No two perceptions of the same thing or experience are the same. My life is an opportunity to the universe to explore and experience itself. I am the universe personified. Even the same colours are not perceived in the same way by everyone, for example. 

The only choice I have is in my level of intensity, consciousness and ownership towards my life experience. This life experience is unique and the only one of it's kind. It is my honour and pleasure to experience it. 

This is why we cannot truly understand each other, but we can love each other. 

Life is not about the achievements but about the process and the now.

Covid-19 is a Trigger for a Socially Just Global Order.

Our vulnerability is not only due to our unpreparedness and lack of foresight but due to our systemic violence. These were the gateways that led to the entries of the flood-water of the pandemic. 

The phenomena of unhealthful conditions in the slums, disparity, disenfranchised migrant workers, illiteracy, regionally disparate development,  corruption, underrated mental and social health awareness have left us vulnerable to the pandemic.

Public Health needs a multi-angled approach not only on part of world governments and non- governmental organizations, but also on part of the citizens who are no more just citizens now but are world citizens, whether they like or accept it or not. This is because living beings are interconnected with the environment, and globalization has only made this connection stronger. It has reduced the distances and the time gap between causes and consequences. Global citizenship is now a de-facto relationship. 

Understanding and implementing this concept of a relationship with the entire world is not just morally sound but also scientifically sound. The spread of Covid-19 due to a rapidly forming chain is an example to elucidate this point. Thus, sound Public Health is a Human Right and their relationship to each other has never been clearer. 

After making this relationship between the citizen and the world an active and obvious reality in the psyche and the actions on ground, there is a need for systemic reprogramming in order to correct the aforementioned systemic violence. 

In the field of Public Health the underlying causes may be quite indirect as seen above. Hence, social justice is the answer for building resilient public health. 

The culture of our global village needs to be intimate, just, warm and accepting. After the fall of the Berlin wall and the opening up of Chinese economy, the pandemic has essentially asked us to dislodge the separation between “us” and “they” which nature did not see. 

How the Ego Can Come in Our Way

When a goal we want to achieve is out of reach due to circumstances that seem to be out of our hands repeatedly, there is something beneath the obvious that calls for our attention. 

Can it be happening because of our need for love?

When people are not aligned with Source they often express love in terms of worrying and sympathizing. We could be equating this attention, sympathy and worry with love. Such existence is good for the Ego because it needs attention to survive on. It’s entire existence is based on the image that the society sees of us. This is the very reason why it gets affected by society's perception about us and tries with all it’s might to look good. 

Failure is in fact very beneficial for the Ego because it gets to be bigger as nothing can bring more sympathy, attention, meaning and stories as failure. It loves to make us a topic of discussion and the center of attention. 

To the Ego, it doesn’t matter if we are given praise or pity, as long as we are the focus. This is because, the moment there is a ‘you’ the existence of the Ego gets stronger. The stronger the Ego, the stronger our attachment to our feelings, objects, people and identity.

The Ego feeds off the craving and longing for love but it does not exist when there is love. This is because real love is when there is no separation between the subject and object of love. There is no ‘you’ and ‘I’ as love is the recognition of the oneness between the lover and the beloved. The reason Source loves us is because we are a part of it. As we are a part of Source, we are already one with the whole and share love with it.  Us loving our beloved is nothing but the experience and recognition of them being a part of Source and thus being a part of us. This recognition towards all that exists is called Christ- Consciousness or Krishna- Consciousness. 

Just as our names are social constructs, the Ego is an illusion and a social construct. It is not essential to us. It is based on our identity, feelings and thoughts. All these exist within awareness which is our essence and is thus, the only thing that is essential to us. 

Upon reflection on our own life experience, we will not take too long to realize that the social approval, relationships, possessions, feelings, thoughts and identity are all temporary and ever evolving. If we are ever aware, and thus aware of these, these are not us but awareness is. 

Now given that we are awareness which is a part of the universe which is also aware and love is nothing but recognition of oneness that already exists, we already have that which the Ego seeks. Thus the Ego is like a company that creates a need in the society for its products. The Ego creates needs in us by creating separation. That is why we need love, happiness, etc. Separation is just another name for ignorance. Here I mean ignorance of oneness, of that which we really are and that we lack need. 

It is in the losing of our identities that we really shine. Haven’t the states of love and ‘flow’ as described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi been described as the losing of oneself and the stopping of time? Well, It's nothing but the letting go of the Ego and the experience of oneness and recognition that we are awareness which happens by being fully present in the present called a now. 

Yoga

Yoga means unity with God. God is consciousness and consciousness is in everything. Thus, yoga means unity with all that exists.

Everything that exists, exists in us as well. Thus, yoga means unity with oneself. How can one unify with the self? 

This unity is nothing but awareness of the one who experiences, observes and thinks. 

This is consciousness which is the base of existence. Realizing this base, makes us acknowledge the similarities between every fragment of existence. 

Awareness of this oneness is unity. 

Yogasanas are not exercises. Their goal is not to help us lose weight. Better health is just a side effect of yoga. Yogasanas are asanas or postures. 

They call for our will power to control our bodies and minds such that we can maintain  a posture for a desired period of time. The body may feel stretched, uncomfortable or shiver with weakness. That is where the power of the soul i.e. the will power comes in. 

Only by exercise of this power can we control the mind and the body, both of which, at times control us through urges, fickleness and distractions. 

In life, we cannot follow our word because we cannot control our minds and bodies. 

What is a word? A resolve or commitment or decision is nothing but something that we create. It exists because we create it and it will create something in existence if we stick by it. 

Yoga helps one become sane, stable, relaxed, peaceful and allows the soul to be in control. 

After all, it is the soul that has come to experience life. 

The question is, what is more important? Is it more important to bind ourselves to our word or seek pleasure and avoid pain as our minds want to do. 

The answer is simple. When it comes the basic survival, follow the Ego because the Soul is not afraid of death as it is deathless.

However, when it comes to things that do not harm your physical existence, follow the soul's word. 

Having integrity is one form of unity. 

It is said that the stomach is like a brain. Instincts are called gut feelings for a reason. Our emotions are stored in our visceral organs. The mind, body and soul are known to be different. However, they are connected and interdependent. Each one feeds into the other.  Respecting and being aware about this oneness is another form of unity. Ignoring emotions or physical ailments or even spiritual development are not sustainable ways to progress. 

The process of yoga brings us from movement to stability, from outside to inside, from despair to wholeness, from weakness to strength and from hopelessness to control. 

It is not only a treatment but  a disease prevention practice. It strengthens our awareness about our eternal strength and thus, is not only a practice for good health but a medium for self realization.

To the One who thanks the Bad world for Making her Strong.

So thin, yet so deep. 

Mine, still not mine. 

So wise, yet so light. 

So strong, yet so soft. 

So present and aware and still wandering and distracted. 

I'm sure who you will be is remarkable and yet who you are is also remarkable. 

People, including yourself may think, you are very tough and maybe even cold, but I can see the depth and softness of the oceans and still, the perceptiveness of the sun in your eyes. 

What is a Nation?

A nation is a collective notion. 😊

True Love

What is true love if not the following?

unconditional acceptance,

makes time stop,

makes thought stop,

allows unhindered expression of raw authenticity without any hesitation,

allows for complete presence and relaxation,

allows you to be yourself,

assures you that all is okay, and 

makes you feel as if you are the center of the universe.

Meditation makes me feel this love. 

Environmental Justice and Quality of Life

Most of those who face environment injustice are poor and vulnerable.

14,00,000 infants in India die prematurely per year due to pollution. Injustice.

Children suffer from reduced IQ levels which lowers their future socioeconomic status due to long term lead exposure. Injustice.

Traffic constables and rickshaw drivers are suffering from chronic respiratory symptoms. Injustice.

Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring, said, ’’ For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death’’.

Ofcourse, quality of life is much more than good health.

Let’s look at the standards to assess quality of life.

The NGO Social Progress Imperative that announced a list of countries with highest quality of life used three main indexes

Basic Human Needs, which includes medical care, sanitation, and shelter.

Foundations of Wellbeing, which covers education, access to technology, and life expectancy.

Opportunity, which looks at personal rights, freedom of choice, and general tolerance.

The list suggests that it takes more than a strong GDP per capita for a good quality of life. Even so, all the top 10 countries are developed nations. Clearly, development facilitates a good quality life.

Environmental conservation and development are seen as conflictual, but I see them as symbiotic.

I am going to explain the why and how of this proposition.

Let’s see the why:

The betterment in quality of life due to infrastructural, medical , educational and scientific developments among others, commands appreciation.

Similarly, environment conservation fosters good health, increased agricultural productivity and ecological diversity. Thus, indirectly strengthening equitable economic development. Ramchandra Guha justifiably said, Ecology is Economy.

As development and environment conservation serve us plausible functions we must blend the best of both.

We can deduce this philosophically. Hegal’s dialectics sees an idea as a thesis. The idea’s imperfect manifestations gives rise to the a conflicting idea or anti-thesis. A third point of view, a synthesis, arises from this conflict. It overcomes the conflict by reconciling the truths in the thesis and antithesis at a higher level. Further, the synthesis becomes a thesis.

Consider the traditional form of development as thesis. Environmental protection appears as the anti-thesis and sustainable development emerges as the synthesis. Which in turn will become a thesis.

Problems arise perpetually, but we can improve the quality of these problems. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope”.

How to go about this approach?

The way forward is to develop connection of people with their land, nature and institutions i.e. ‘Consciousness of the place‘. Inclusive and democratic participation of locals is an urgency. We need to build a ‘globalization from the bottom‘ by working with the locals and nature in such a way that they are protected from the ill effects of globalization. Socio-environmental negative externalities must be taken care of in the planning stage of product and process making.

As required, State support needs to be demanded. Here is an example of local cooperation aiming to tackle pollution but facing a legal challenge. Iron ore mining causes tuberculosis and cancer. It makes agriculture unavailable. Thus, in Caurem village in the eco sensitive Goa, Sadhana multipurpose co-operative society ltd. aims to launch sustainable mining. But, this needs amendment to Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015.

In a democracy, popular demand for environmental conservation is cardinal to resolve such challenges. For a strong welfare state, a strong intellectual life is indispensable. Universities must facilitate critical thinking. Social Science educational reform will put masses in sync with reality. Poverty and environment are always at work. Indian middle class is too busy indulging in consumerism, to deal with a ticking time bomb i.e. climate change. We buy and throw. Buy and throw. Buy and throw.

The above approach involves economic, educational, environmental, social and political empowerment of people and strengthening of laws and their enforcement. This, in itself is comprehensive and participatory sustainable development for an improved quality of life.

End of Language and High Vibration

We are all vibrating. We are all aerobic and anaerobic to some extent. All dualities coexists at the same time. We are here and not here at the same time. We are local and non-local at the same time. We are physical and non-physical at the same time. All exists at once, at one place.

A fetus vibrates. Like us,  all things vibrate. We differentiate between the living and the non-living because we cannot perceive the vibrations of the non-living things. Things exist because we perceive. Leaves are green because we perceive them to be so. However, our perception is limited. For example, we cannot perceive the way bats do.

End of language is the start of experiencing nothingness. The reason for this being, when language ends, we stop labeling and opining.

The rhythm of the heart beat is an indication of the altitude of the mind. Slow heartbeat is a symptom of a peaceful mind. However, it is symbolic of a high vibration.

We are at a higher vibration when we move from dense to light, from physical to spiritual and from complex to simple.

This life is only a play or a dream. Only this helps us perceive the spiritual realm profoundly, just as colour allows us to perceive its lack.

Some suggestions for spiritual practice:

• Purify the mind through mindful actions. 
• Be present.
• Be in touch with nothingness. 
• Allow: make yourself ready to receive. Be like flute. Open in ways that allows melodies. 

Breaking Boundaries

Just sitting is all I need. Just paying attention is all I need. The world never taught me this. It taught me quite the opposite. Knowing that all is available by just being present as I sit, is the most revolutionary discovery I received. It is the parent of all discoveries of mankind. It is being a lover (water), a student (wind), a patient bull (earth) and a flame (fire) all at the same time. 

Despite being quite old, spirituality is still new, because it is alive, not stagnant, just like a perennial river.

Spirituality is all about breaking boundaries. It is revolutionary. It nurtures ingenuity.

Just like a physical intercourse, a scientific discovery, an authentic dialogue break boundaries , so does spirituality.

We are One and still parts. The unease that we feel is because of the boundaries that separates our parts from the whole.

Meditation is a revolutionary act but is also a necessity. A mediator is perceived as being isolated and disconnected to the world but she is more intimately connected to all space and time.

Meditation is a period of reception and connection. It is about feeling and knowing yourself . It is about facing the truths.

These truths include:

• You are the universe and still connected to it. 
• You are love, knowingness and bliss. 

Listening to silence and being neutral are revolutionary acts in a world consumed with Ego based actions.

The very act of meditating is about peace, satisfaction and faith in the universal intelligence.

With the world becoming over masculine , being receptive to the universal intelligence is the most feminine and revolutionary gesture of love to Source.

It is where we stop doing the talking and sit to connect, listen, take in and be present. These are loving and respectful gestures.

 Think of it as a coffee date with all there is, has been and is to be.

It is through spirituality that we break barriers and take leaps. Our emotions guide us, like a compass.

Only space allows for matter.

 Only gentleness allows for aggression. 

Only silence allows for language. 

We meet our physical and emotional needs on a regular basis. Then why forget ourselves? The one who has these needs also needs to be connected to her eternal self and know who she is and her power.

To an inspiring Friend on her Birthday

You are unapologetically you. 

You have childlike curiosity. 

You are like a breath of fresh air. 

You make womanhood proud.

You say a lot about your parents as  any child could learn manners from you. 

You know what is love because you know yourself and you are love. You know it is unconditional and it is acceptance but at the same time you know how to love and respect yourself.  

Treasure what you have and your future will be sparkling because you are light in yourself.