Some good blogs in Hindi

Here I want to list some good blogs in Hindi. Language doesn't matter much; it is the content that is the king. But many posts and many writings are so good in Hindi that translating makes them no better.

Here are some such Hindi blogs. I wish to extend this list. You can also contribute by sending me some links.

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आवारा बंजारा

https://sanjeettripathi.blogspot.com/

By Sanjeet Tripathi:

Sanjeet can write better than most of what we get to see in our Hindi press. Some times his sense of humor is too good! He writes on the current events too. His blog also sports several links which are good for any Bharatiya who love India and our intellectual heritage.

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Book: India Remembered by Pamela Mountbatten

Pamela Mountbatten, 78, the younger daughter of the Mountbattens (Louis and wife Edwina), has co-authored a book titled “India Remembered.” Pamela accompanied her parents to India at the age of 17 and spent 15 months here. This book is her personal memoir of the time she had in India, in the corridor of power. The co-author of the book is Pamela's daughter named India Hicks (Interesting first name!) Ms. Hicks is an ex-model and author of two other books.

India Remembered

Category:       Non-Fiction 

Author:           Pamela Mountbatten, India Hicks 

Publisher:       Roli Books 

Price:              Rs 1495 

ISBN :             9781862057593

To purchase:  [Link]

�        The book is extracted out of the personal diary that Pamela maintained.

�        It includes some letters by prominent leaders like Gandhiji and Clement Atlee.

�        It includes her father's deliberations of the Indian leaders and kings.

�        Pamela writes that although her mothers had many lovers, her affair with Nehru had no physical dimensions.

�        The book projects her mother Edwina a heroine and describes how she loved India and helped Indians during partition riots.

Excerpt from the back cover of the book:

India Remembered is a pure evocation of this key period of India and Pakistan‘s history. Using diary entries and extracts from the meticulously kept family photo albums as documentary evidence, this book is a brilliantly informative read and a chance to witness first hand a generation of characters whose actions were to change the fate of two nations. 

Some interesting facts which I came across:

1. Title of the Book: 

There is another book with the same title. ‘India Remembered’: an account written in 1982 by Barbara Donaldson of her life in the UP, first as a child and later as the wife of an I.C.S. Officer (J.C. Donaldson, C.I.E., M.C.). [Ref] 

2. Pamela’s views about Gandhi, Nehru and Patel:

"Gandhiji was such a marvellous person that the moment you met him, he had such a twinkle but he was so simple with people that you know one was just delighted to meet him."

When Nehru, the urbane idealist, would go off at a passionate tangent, Patel would say, "don't go ahead of the people so far; come back, take them with you."

3. The way the Mountbattens died:

Lady Mountbatten died at age of 58 on February 21, 1960, while in sleep. She had just returned from a visit to India. To the surprise of many, a packet of letters from Nehru was found by her bedside!!! 

Lord Mountbatten was holidaying at his summer home in Republic of Ireland. Members of the IRA (Irish Republican Army) were aware of Mountbatten’s movements. Despite security warnings, on 27 August 1979, Mountbatten decided to go sailing in his pleasure craft. The IRA had earlier fitted a radio controlled bomb which was detonated, killing Luis and some other family members; a sad end to an eventful life. 

Some references: Amazon [Link], Indian Express Review [Link], NDTV Review [Link], etc.

Any Time Money (ATM)

In the classes of financial accounting, we learnt how to maintain journals and ledgers. The professor gave practical examples, but this art and science of commerce is not that easy, unless you are a B.Com. At one time, I used to keep an account of all my expenses; but I have been happy-go-lucky for a long time now. Now my sixth sense does the account balancing. But some disturbances happen in case of some unexpected events, like lending some money to friends. This is what I did yesterday. My sixth sense was not in guard it seems, therefore when I was returning back this evening; I got to find only a twenty rupee note and some coins with me. I paid my auto-rickshaw fare of Rs 18. (that was debit to expenses account and credit to cash account, if I show off some of my learning) Now some coins remained with me. In the financial capital of India, with only some COINS in my pocket at 10 PM! To have some fun, I purchased one ice cream from the road side vendor. Now I didn't find it motivating enough to count the remaining coins and show off my calculation skills. Did I feel insecure? Did I feel broke? No! Because I had that card in my pocket ' ATM card: apne account ka power!

The way ATMs have changed our attitude towards money is amazing. Ten years back, the fattest wallet was the richest; now that having maximum number of card holding slots is. Call it Automatic Teller Machine or Any Time Money, ATMs have made our lives easier. I remember once I had to borrow money from my bun-makkhan-wallah in Lucknow, because I went out of cash on a national holiday. Now, I just head towards the nearest ATM.

The location of the ATMs also speaks volumes about the quality of banking services of a particular bank. In Thane, I could find two SBI ATMs in my range of movement, one in the Bank building itself, and other in a very neglected building, in a very neglected corner of a very busy market. But the ICICI ATMs were almost everywhere, near Railway station, at the Anand theatre, and one at the entrance of the street leading to my apartment.

Private Banks have taken the experience of ATMs to such a distance, that we can hardly call them ATMs. Along with dispensing cash, the small corner room consists of cash and cheque deposit counter, complaints, requests and suggestion desks, phone banking centres, and many others that I don't use or know. Recently ICICI had started demand draft by phone facility. The philosophy is not only to save costs, but also to enhance the customer satisfaction and delight.

ATMs are just one aspect; the prospects of phone banking and internet banking are tremendous. But the penetration of such facilities is the point of concern. These are things of the future, but how long will it take to get to reach the aam adami?

One of our professors said that banks in the coming time will penalise those customers who go to the bank's brick-n-mortar branches. This would be a horrible situation. We have already fought the government's decision to extract a surcharge on cash withdrawals above a limit. Any step which leads to giving monopoly powers to banks is very bad. Any system should be able to protect the weakest of the customers. ATMs are nice, but the brick-n-mortar branches are equally important. Otherwise the invisible hand would get a bad face.

© Rahul

It will also pass

This moment will also pass is a small realisation, but in many conditions it is a critical one. Last month, I went through one experience which made me realise this.

I had to make two trips between Thane and Vile Parle on a single day. At the end of the day I was tired and was returning by train. It was around 5 PM when my train on western line stopped at Dadar station where I had to change train for central line. The train came, fully packed, as usual. I too was able to board the train, pushing and being pushed like animals. I was able to find a place inside to stand on my feet. Two minutes after the train started, I realised that my mobile phone was not in my pocket. One co passenger gave a call to my number and it showed switched-off: a sure indication that it was stolen. Still, I searched it on the floor, whenever it was visible, in a foolish belief that it would have fallen somewhere.

As the train reached Thane, it was raining cats and dogs, as one of my colleagues used to say. I tried to get an auto, but to my horror, no auto wallah was ready to go to a "not-so-far" distance. My experience with Mumbai rains told me that there was no benefit staying somewhere, as water had started logging on the roads. I had to be on the move. For 15 minutes, I tried to get an auto, but no benefit. It was a very painful situation. I started walking. No bus passed which could have dropped me to my destination. My leather shoe started giving away last year I had lost another loving shoe. I kept walking, realising again that my umbrella was also not enough.

For 25 minutes, I walked in the heavy rains, on water logged roads, and without a phone. I tried to get an auto on the way, but no one agreed to drop me. It was really a miserable condition.

10 minutes after I reached my home, all my pain and discomfort had vanished. I was happy and comfortable as ever. Then I realised nothing is for ever. If we are having a hard time, it will also pass.

Why to hold ourselves back?

Recently there was a small debate on whether we should intervene when people behave irresponsible in public, or should we mind our own business and hold ourselves back. These are three incidents from the last three months when I couldn't hold myself back.

Incident I:

To reach the Elephanta Caves from Mumbai, we need to catch a boat from the Gateway of India. It is one hours ride. I was on board one such time, when I noticed a guy finish a bottle of drinking water. He was about to throw the bottle in the sea, when I intervened and asked him not to throw it in the sea, as it made the sea unclean. He was with 4-5 friends of his, and they were in jovial mood. But he obeyed and interestingly fixed the bottle in the ceiling of the boat! After some time, one of his friends brought a bottle of cold drink and asked him to finish it. He finished it, and before I could even think of intervening, he suddenly threw it far away in the sea!

Though we worship trees and rivers, in our practical lives, we care least about our environment. I could have sat back, and enjoyed the wind; but I intervened. Shouldn't there be some societal pressure on us when we behave irresponsible in public?

Incident II:

I was waiting for my bus. It was a green street in Thane, and there were young trees planted within protective fences. A boy of around 12 came and started picking leaves of a young Ashoka tree. He was making a stack from the collected leaves, for playing. I reached him and asked him not to cause harm to the tree, as it will die without its leaves. He didn't understand me; I think language was the problem. Then I asked him that if he wanted leaves, I could give him plenty. I raised my hand and broke a bigger and greener branch from the big tree above. I gave that branch to the boy and asked him to play with this and leave the young tree. But he shrugged me off, and said he wanted that Ashoka tree only. My bus arrived, and I left in pain, as the boy continued breaking the leaves of the Ashoka tree.

If everyone holds himself / herself back, how would the new generation understand, what is correct and what is not?

Incident III:

I was waiting for my train at Patna railway station. There was one seat vacant on the bench I was sitting on, so when an old couple arrived, the man offered the seat to his wife. After some time, I noticed a splash of water on the floor. Then the old lady asked her husband to go fill up the empty bottle. How could she throw water on the floor like this! I tried to control myself, as I respected her age. But I couldn't. I asked the lady, whether she had deliberately thrown water on the floor. She said that it happened by mistake. If the case were otherwise, I would have given her a lecture.

I couldn't hold me back.

Many times in my daily life, I have hold myself back; due to many reasons. I can remember one such incident.

Incident IV:

Patna to Motihari by road took only four hours this time, thanks to the four-lane highway being constructed. Almost all the buses run movies on the TV aboard. Earlier, we used to enjoy at lease two complete movies. This time, when we were 15 minutes before Motihari, we noticed that the sound of the TV had become very less. It was a movie of Akshay Kumar, in which he had struggled throughout his life, being a police officer, to catch the murderer of his father (So typical Bollywood). The climax had arrived, but the TV was mute! One man shouted at the conductor to increase the volume. He didn't obey. After a few minutes, one more man asked the conductor to increase the volume. This time, the conductor replied that the TV was about to be shut off. Then the driver shut the TV off! This time, there were no protests. We all knew that the conductor and driver had been non-sense; but no one protested further. I too hold myself back. It was 15 minutes of quite journey afterwards before we reached our destinations, still wondering what happened to Akshay Kumar.

We hold ourselves back mainly not to get into any trouble. But imagine a situation where everyone holds himself back. Do we need to break our molds at times? Do we need to be unreasonable at times? GB Shaw shows the way:

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to him. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

B School Rankings in India

Anyone who aspires to be an MBA, must have searched the net for B-School rankings. Even those who have no direct interest in B Schools, browse through the newspaper and magazines reports and special features for rankings and placement figures. And the media helps by creating a hype, by projecting the placement figures which are always scaling up. One fine morning, the headline is: ISB graduate gets 1 Crore as starting salary! The nation wonders, and boys can see something in the eyes of their fathers. Expectations rise.

B School rankings have not always been controversial. The controversies started when the B Schools starting pushing their brands and marketed themselves in all possible ways. They consistently objected in the rankings where they were ranked lower than their immediate competitors. There has been some undercurrents, that some rankings are fixed.

MBA coaching institutes play a major role in shaping public opinion. Lately, the coaching institutes have gone quality conscious, they won't put any one up or down because that affects their credibility. TIME [Link] is one such institute offering preparatory classes for CAT and other management entrance exams. TIME had come out with a new concept: they won't rank the institutes, but they will categorize them. Here is the ranking according to TIME: [Link]

India‘s Best B-Schools

The Top 90 management institutes in the country have been divided into five broad categories. A numerical ranking often does not have a sound scientific basis. The parameters and, more importantly, the weightages given to these tend to be extremely subjective.

A qualitative analysis of a B-school on pre-determined parameters can however give you a more comprehensive picture. These parameters include placements track records, quality of faculty members, quality of students, quality of infrastructure, image of the institute, etc. However being based on perspective, the resultant rankings too, are thus subject to many fierce debates. T.I.M.E. has used its extensive student database and years� of experience in the field to categorise the top 90 institutes.

Given below is the categorisation of the Top B-Schools. Please note that within each category, the B-Schools are listed in alphabetical order � there is no ranking or grading WITHIN each category.

For each institute included in our list, it is the flagship course of that institute that has been considered for the purpose of the categorization. For example, while the IIMs have different programmes, it is the PGP programme that has been considered for including the IIMs in the top 10.

As a part of the selection criteria, a number of management institutes also include a minimum percentage of marks to be scored by the students in their graduation for the students to be eligible to apply to such institutes.

Broadly, these categories are meant to aid the students in applying to institutes. Within a category, the institutes are of approximately the same quality. Of course, the categorisation is only indicative and students should make independent inquiries before taking a final decision about which institutes to apply to.

The Top 10 are the so-called ‘Ivy-League’ institutes that every student dreams of getting an admission into. Many of these institutes are comparable with the best in the world. Indeed, some of them regularly feature in the lists released by international business magazines. These institutes invariably have a 100% placement record. Even the not-so-good students at these institutes manage to get very good jobs on account of the rub-off effect of the institute.

The “A+” & “A” categories of institutes are those that fall into the Top 35. They offer a high quality of education in terms of faculty quality and infrastructure facilities. These institutes usually have a 100% placement record. Only the poor performers at these institutes may have some difficulties regarding placements. Some of the top students at these institutes should be able to secure placements that are comparable to those offered at the Top 10 institutes. Most students should be more than happy to join these institutes if they are able to get admission.

The “B+” category of institutes offers a consistent quality of education in terms of faculty quality and infrastructure facilities even though these may not be comparable to those of the top institutes. These institutes are successful in providing placements to their top students, especially those with good communication skills, but do not have a 100% placement record. A student at one of these institutes would have to work extra-hard to secure a good rank and high marks so as to enhance his placement chances.

The “B” category of institutes are those that are well regarded at a local level. These institutes may not provide too many national level placement opportunities but are generally successful in providing placements to many of their students with prominent local companies. 

“TOP TEN” Category (in alphabetical order) – India‘s Best Management Institutes

1.   Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi

2.   Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad

3.   Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore

4.   Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta

5.   Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore

6.   Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode

7.   Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow

8.   Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad (one-year course)

9.   Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai

10. Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur

“A+” Category (in alphabetical order)

1.   Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi

2.   Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi

3.   Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon

4.   Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad (MICA) (for Marketing/Advertising)

5.   Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai

6.   National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai

7.   S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai

8.   SJM School of Management, IIT, Bombay

9.   Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune

10. Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai

“A” Category (in alphabetical order)

1.   Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM), Trichy

2.   Fore School of Management, New Delhi

3.   Goa Institute of Management (GIM), Goa

4.   Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bangalore

5.   Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur

6.   Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras

7.   Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad

8.   Institute of Rural Management , Anand (IRMA) (for Rural Management)

9.   International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi

10.  K.J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai

11. Sydenham Institute of Management Studies and Research and

      Entrepreneurship Education, Mumbai

12. Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resources Development (SCMHRD), Pune

13. T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal

14. University Business School (UBS), Chandigarh

15. Xavier Institute of Management (XIM), Bhubaneswar

“B+” Category (in alphabetical order)

1.   Amrita Institute of Management (AIM), Coimbatore

2.   Birla Institute of Management Technology, NOIDA

3.   Chetna’s R. K. Institute of Management Studies and Research, Mumbai

4.   Department of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Pune, Pune (PUMBA)

5.   Department of Financial Studies, University of Delhi South Campus, Delhi

6.   Great Lakes Institute of Management , Chennai (One year Course)

7.   Hyderabad Central University (HCU), Hyderabad

8.   ICFAIN Business School, Gurgaon

9.   ICFAIN Business School, Hyderabad

10. ICFAIN Business School, Navi Mumbai

11. Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Kolkata Campus

12. Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM), Kolkata

13. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur

14. Institute for Financial Management and Research, (IFMR) Chennai

15. Institute of Management Development and Research (IMDR), Pune

16. Institute of Technology & Management (ITM), Mumbai

17. Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies (KIAMS), Harihar, Karnataka

18. Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, Delhi

19. Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA), Chennai

20. National Institute of Technology (NIT), Trichy

21. Nirma University Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

22. S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Dubai Campus

23. SDM Institute for Management Development, Mysore

24. Symbiosis Institute of International Business (SIIB), Pune

25. Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai

“B” Category (in alphabetical order)

1.   Alliance Business Academy, Bangalore

2.   Amity Business School, New Delhi

3.   Bharatiya Vidyapeeth, Pune

4.   Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi

5.   B. K. School of Business Management, Ahmedabad

6.   Christ College, Bangalore

7.   Delhi School of Economics, Delhi

8.   Faculty of Management Studies, BHU, Varanasi

9.   ICFAIN Business School, Bangalore

10. Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal

11. Indian Institute of Planning & Management, Delhi

12. Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad

13. Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE), Hyderabad

14. Institute of Technology & Management (ITM), Bangalore

15. Institute of Technology & Management (ITM), Chennai

16. MBE Program of the Delhi University

17. Osmania University College of Business Management

18. Pondicherry Central University (PCU)

19. PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore

20. R A Podar Institute of Management, Jaipur

21. School of Communication & Management Studies (SCMS), Cochin

22. SIES College of Management Studies, Mumbai

23. Siva Sivani Institute of Management (SSIM), Hyderabad

24. Sri Ram College of Commerce, MBA-GPO, Delhi

25. St. Joseph‘s College of Commerce, Bangalore

26. Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS), Pune

27. Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management (SITM), Pune

28. Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship (XIME), Bangalore

29. Xavier Institute of Social Sciences (XISS), Ranchi

30. Xavier Vignana Jyothi Institute of Management (XVJIM), Hyderabad

But there are some who would love number game. Many institutes, magazines and newspapers come out with numbered rankings.

With the popularization of internet, a new medium has come up: internet based preparation aids. These websites make use of all the features of the internet. UrPercentile [Link] is a very good site. It is based on the power of Yahoo Groups [Link]. Here, members get daily practice assignments, which they have to solve and send the answers to the group. Next day, the solutions will come. In case of any doubts, the moderators and other members of the yahoo group will help the person. It is a strong network. It is promoted by the MBAs from IIMs and other top institutes.

Let us see the B School rankings provided by UrPercentile. [Link]

1.                  Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad

2.                  Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore

3.                  Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta

4.                  Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow

5.                  Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur

6.                  Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi

7.                  Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad (one-year course)

8.                  S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai

9.                  Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore

10.              Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi

11.              Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai

12.              Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon

13.              Institute of Rural Management , Anand (IRMA) (for Rural Management)

14.              National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai

15.              Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow

16.              Xavier Institute of Management (XIM), Bhubaneswar

17.              VGSOM, IIT Kharagpur

18.              IIT Delhi

19.              SJMSOM, IIT Mumbai

20.              IIT Kanpur

21.              IIT Roorkee

22.              IIT Madras

23.              Fore School of management, Delhi

24.              Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

The complete ranking list up to All India Rank 101 is available at their site at the link mentioned [Link].

There are several rankings available and many of them are not fair. If you personally ask me, I would recommend these two, because I know both of these personally. I believe both rankings are fair. The differences between these two rankings, if any, are because they are prepared by two different sets of junta. TIME ranking is based on the experience of the institute's faculty and feedback of the students selected from the past from the institute. And the Ur Percentile ranking has been prepared by the moderators, who are MBAs themselves, and know the inner world, something beyond the hype.

Your take on HR

We had our first lecture for HR, Human Resource and Behavioral Sciences to be precise. The professor who came up to take the class is an industry veteran, with around three dozen years of work experience. He has worked for small Indian family businesses, as well as in big modern firms. No-brainer that we were to be showered by his wisdom. 

He asked two basic questions in front of the class:

1.      How do you define the HR as a department, to a layman?

2.      What is special about HR, that we need a separate department?

We had a hard time ahead. Starting from "managing human resources", the junta fought to satisfy him. But no way! At the end, he described the HR function in a manner most unexpected.

He explained that the work of the HR function is the same as that of a mother while bringing up her child: Feeding, nurturing, developing, correcting, counseling, etc. He emphasized a lot on this mother-child relational aspect.

But I think differently. I believe that the HR is just the facilitator of the management policies. It is just a "facilitator", not an organization as a whole. At the end of the day, the line managers are those who make or break the company's culture. The problem in comparing it with mother-child relation is that the employees begin to think as if the HR department is "responsible" for "all" their problems. So if a boss doesn't treat a subordinate well, the subordinate will think that the HR department is not working. As employees, we forget to think that we need to bring the issues in front of the HR people, before they can help. In my case, when my HR manager came to know about some issues between me and my colleague, he called us and counseled us. But it can't happen every time. Of course at the end of every year there are performance reviews, where the problems in the organization get reflected. But I have noticed that the employees "expect" a lot from the HR department, and the main reason behind that expectation is that they perceive the department in line with the "mother-child" relationships. What is your take? Do you think that the mother-child model for the HR function is OK? If yes, to what extent? 

Now is the time to open up the text-books.

Perils of distance learning in India

Last month, I appeared for the final exams of my PGJMC (Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication) from IGNOU. I had filled up their online form, marking my centre of examination as Thane, in a hope that my centre would be conveniently near my residence. But I discovered that Thane was a huge district, and my centre was at a school in Tarapur, Boisar, which is famous for its nuclear power plant. I reached the centre in time. That had made me woke up at 4 O' clock in the morning, and change trains once. The centre was an IGNOU study centre built up by a trust from Tatas. The examination hall was the same hall used for audio-video trainings. Places were marked for 20 students who were to appear for the exam. A girl was already waiting in the room, deeply engrossed in her last minute preparations. The exam was to be of three hours duration. 

To my surprise, not a single other student turned up for the exams. The examiner came with sealed question paper, and after some rituals, we were allowed to write the exams. The girl was writing her last exams for MBA. But only two out of twenty actually turned up: only 10%! Ultimately it turned up that I too couldn't appear for two out of my four papers because of unavoidable reasons.

The perils of distance education in India are two:

1. Lack of quality educational institutes offering distance learning.

2. Low enrollment rates because the distance learning courses are perceived inferior than regular courses.  

3. Lots of joining students are actually disinclined, and drop eventually.

To our amazement, all of these three points are interrelated. There are some individual institutes like Ignou and Symbiosis distance learning, who maintain a level of quality in their courses. But there are far more number of one-room institutes who sort of sell out the certificates. I have completed a diploma in industrial safety, and I can say that not only the course material was not up to the standard, but the final exam was like a formality. Ignou is an exception; its course materials are of very good quality, written in a narrative manner to facilitate distance learning, it has study centers all across India, and their final exams are rigorous. For example, for my PGJMC course, I received 20 books, had to submit 20 assignments in one year and had to appear for an examination of 4 papers. Otherwise, despite having thousands of colleges, India has not yet fully exploited the potential of distance education. 

To make the matter worse, there are a number of disinclined students who join the courses offered by correspondence. Later, either they change their mind and join some other courses, or they drop out and start a business. The housewives, who take up some courses, may find it hard to continue, eventually dropping. The only loser in all these cases is the distance education system as a whole.

If the present situation continues, the private institutes may drop the idea of running these courses. Or, they will make lesser investments in maintaining the quality of the courses, to make the process economically feasible. A vicious cycle will thus start rolling.

Government can play a very important role here. Distance education plays a very important role in a country like India where both the literacy rate and enrolments in higher education are very less. Institutions like Ignou, though they continue to be beefed up with government funds, must continue. Some inquiry should be made in order to understand why exactly distance learning is not very successful in India. The practice of self correction and continuous development will make courses from these institutes much sought after.

Divinity and Miracles

I have always looked with some awe towards miracles in real life. Not miracles of the nature, but man-made miracles, or chamatkaars. I remember one friend said to me that religion or spirituality is one thing and miracles are another. But I used to argue that as smoke didn't come without fire, there must be some merit in those who are able to perform these miracles. But recent trip to my home changed my perception forever.

My mother has never been a blind believer. She reasons into matters and has been a student of science. One day, a young man came to our home while she was alone. He said he had studied Astrology or Jyotish under some sage at some far off place (I don't want to name it here), and he had taken a vow to complete a major puja after collecting alms from ordinary people near his birthplace. When my mother enquired more about his studies, he asked her to test him. He asked pen and paper, and asked my mother to imagine a name of any flower. As my mother imagined, he wrote the name of the flower on paper. Afterwards, whatever my mother imagined in her mind, he wrote exactly that on the paper.

My mother was astonished! How could he do that? He must be 'some thing'. Then the young man himself started, 'One' has done a charm on your husband, because of that you people would suffer in near future. I can perform a special puja after I finish my mission, and the problem can be solved.

My mother now was in complete confidence of him. He demanded Rs 400, as I remember, for the special puja. My mother offered him Rs 101/-, which he accepted and went away after promising to return back.

Mother says that as she watched him go away, his manner of walking made a flashing realization to her that she had been cheated. Later she narrated the whole story to father in the evening. 

After some days, the young man visited our home again. He had brought something as prasad for us. Luckily, father was present at home, and he asked him to go away. He pleaded his innocence and honesty; but father was not moved. Then he demanded some thing, as he had traveled some distance to reach our place. Father obliged. 

After half an hour, while father was going out, he saw a curious thing in the neighborhood house: The same young man was talking to the landlady, and while he talked, the lady was wondering, from where a smell of liquor came. She was asking some men sitting nearby, as to who had come drunk!

Some days later, father saw the same young man on the railway station, completely drunk, lying with a bottle in his hand.

Now we came to know that ability to do miracles is no indication to divinity. Though I am still not very clear on the matter, but it seems that many people are able to do miracles if they learn it from some expert. But it is in no way an indication of their divinity. 

Can some one elaborate more?

Open letter to editors of all national newspapers of India

This is regarding the news that Saudi Arabia has executed (beheaded) two Indian nationals because they were found guilty of a murder. [Link1] We are living in a gloomy situation. While India is debating issues like the Presidential elections, and entry rules for Hindu temples, things are happening which make my country-men’s head lower in shame. Is not this an attack on our national pride? The two beheaded persons were 'Indian nationals', not the adopted citizens of Saudi Arabia. Is India's diplomacy alive? We dream of becoming super power in next 10 years! Any nation where judiciary faces constant pressure from parliament, where constitution is a blank page, open to cut and paste maneuvers, where bureaucracy is corrupt and ineffective, where politicians facing criminal cases are central ministers, can still be my country, but a country which doesn't care for its fellow citizens and where media doesn't report such incidents on front pages, makes me disgusted.

All about PIL (Public Interest Litigation)

We all have heard about Public Interest Litigation (PIL), but don't know exactly who can file and PIL and how. I searched for this and found some very useful information, which are worth sharing with you.

Some of the statements might have been copied by me from the reference.

1. How can I file a PIL?

PIL is filed in the same manner, as a writ petition is filed. If a PIL is filed in a High Court, then two (2) copies of the petition have to be filed (for Supreme Court, then (4+1=5 sets) Also, an advance copy of the petition has to be served on the each respondent, i.e. opposite party, and this proof of service has to be affixed on the petition.

The Procedure:

A Court fee of Rs. 50, per respondent (i.e. for each number of party, court fees of Rs 50) has to be affixed on the petition. Proceedings, in the PIL commence and carry on in the same manner, as other cases. However, in between the proceedings if the Judge feels that he may appoint the commissioner, to inspect allegations like pollution being caused, trees being cut, sewer problems, etc. After filing of replies, by opposite party, or rejoinder by the petitioner, final hearing takes place, and the judge gives his final decision.

2. In which cases, can a PIL be filed?

PIL can be filed only in a case where 'Public Interest' at large is affected. Merely because, only one person is effected by state inaction is not a reason for PIL.

There are some of the possible areas where PIL can be filed.

�        Where a factory/ industry unit is causing air pollution, and people nearly are getting effected.

�        Where, in an area/ street there are no street lights, causing inconvenience to commuters.

�        Where some "Banquet Hall" plays a loud music, in night causing noise pollution.

�        Where some construction company is cutting down trees,  causing environmental pollution.

�        Where poor people, are affected, because of state government's arbitrary decision to impose heavy Tax.

�        For directing the police/ Jail authorities to take appropriate decisions in regards to jail reforms, such as segregation of convicts, delay in trial, before the court on remand dates.

�        For abolishing child labor, and bonded labor.

�        Where rights of working women are affected by sexual harassment.

�        For keeping a check on corruption and crime involving holders of high political officer.

�        For maintaining Roads, Sewer etc in good condition.

�        For removal of Big Hoarding and signboards from the busy road to avoid traffic problem.

3. Who can file the PIL?

Earlier it was only a person whose interest was directly affected along with others, whereby his fundamental right is affected who used to file such litigation. Now, the trend has changed, and, any Public-spirited person can file a case (PIL) on behalf of a group of person, whose rights are affected. It is not necessary, that person filing a case should have a direct interest in this PIL.

e.g. a person in Mumbai can file a PIL for, some labor workers being exploited in Madhya Pradesh or as someone filed a PIL in supreme court for taking action against a Cracker factory in Sivakasi Tamilnadu, for employing child labor or the case where a standing practicing lawyer filed a PIL for release of 80 under trials in a jail, than the period prescribed as punishment for offence, for which they were tried. It is clear that, any person can file a PIL on behalf of group of affected people. However, it will depend on every facts of case, whether it should be allowed or not.

4. Against whom a PIL can be filed?

A PIL can be filed against a State/ Central Govt., Municipal Authorities, and not any private party. However, "Private party" can be included in the PIL as "Respondent", after making concerned state authority, a party. For example- if there is a Private factory in Delhi, which is causing pollution, then people living nearly or any other person can file a PIL against the Government of Delhi, Pollution Control Board, and against the private factory. However, a PIL cannot be filed against the Private party alone.

5. Can a Letter Explaining Facts to Chief Justice be treated as a PIL?

In early 90's there have been instances, where judges have treated a post card containing facts, as a PIL. Many PIL has been filed on this basis in the past. Since, many people have tried to misuse the privilege of PIL, the court has required a detailed narration of facts and complaint, and then decide whether to issue notice and call the opposite party. However, as there is no statute laying down rules and regulations for a PIL still the court can treat a letter as a PIL. However, the letter should bring the true and clear facts, and if the matter is really an urgent one, the court can treat it as a PIL. Even a writ petition filed by the aggrieved person, whether on behalf of group or together with group can be treated as a PIL.

6. What are the various reliefs available by PIL?

There are many kinds of remedies, which can be given in a PIL, to secure the public interest, at large. They are:

�        The court can afford an early interim measure to protect the public interest,

�        The court may appoint a committee, or commissioner to look into the matter and

�        The court may also give final orders by way of direction to comply within a stipulated time.

Courtesy:  Human Touch, March 2005.

Someday, somewhere, someone has to rise against the corruption and injustice done by public institutions. Let us be aware of our rights.

While Traveling

I was traveling this week, mostly by trains. Long train journeys are some times very boring but pretty memorable most of the times. This time too, I had several memories to take away; I would share one here:

The train started 6 hours late. It covered some 4 hours lag in the way, and it reached a station very near to the final destination just 2 hours behind schedule. It was a nice morning and all passengers were waiting for the train to reach the final station while watching the greenery outside. But in an anti climax, the train stopped at 4-5 places, and took 4 hours in covering a distance which should have been covered in at most one hour. This made many including me restless and annoyed. But they were just as fine.

The couple was young; but the eldest of their 3 children seemed to be around 13; indicating their early marriage. Their rural look confirmed that. They had 2 confirmed seats, thought they were 5 in number. But they never gave slightest indication of being uncomfortable at any time. They all had accommodated themselves on a single berth and during entire journey of around 1.5 days; they kept discussing, talking, chatting, and story telling. The laughter of the kids made others take note of them. Very often, the father would comment and then the children would make fun of him. See a sample:

Father: "See, this (something good) has happened only because I am on this train"

Son: Yes, that is why the train got late by 6 hours at the starting itself!

Laughter followed.

The two daughters were well mannered. One had kept quite make-up, with all bangles, bindi, and mehandi. The son was naughty, but obedient. The children never cried, or never made a scene for some ice-cream or nuts. The parents didn't control the children physically. I don't come across such good rural people very often.

They were one happy family.

#Society: Vivekananda on Caste System

This article is a chapter from the book, “Swami Vivekananda on India and Her Problems“. This book (Code: AVE061) can be purchased from Advaita Ashrama.

CASTE PROBLEM IN INDIA

“I have a message for the world, which I will deliver without fear and care for the future. To the reformers I will point out that I am a greater reformer than any one of them. They want to reform only little bits. I want root-and-branch reform.”

- Swami Vivekananda

CASTE IN SOCIETY AND NOT IN RELIGION

Though our castes and our institutions are apparently linked with our religion, they are not so. These institutions have been necessary to protect us as a nation, and when this necessity for self-preservation will no more exist, they will die a natural death. In religion there is no caste. A man from the highest caste and a man from the lowest may become a monk in India and the two castes become equal. The caste system is opposed to the religion of Vedanta.

Caste is a social custom, and all our great preachers have tried to break it down. From Buddhism downwards, every sect has preached against caste, and every time it has only riveted the chains. Beginning from Buddha to Rammohan Ray, everyone made the mistake of holding caste to be a religious institution and tried to pull down religion and caste altogether, and failed.

In spite of all the ravings of the priests, caste is simply a crystallized social institution, which after doing its service is now filling the atmosphere of India with its stench, and it can only be removed by giving back to people their lost social individuality. Caste is simply the outgrowth of the political institutions of India; it is a hereditary trade guild. Trade competition with Europe has broken caste more than any teaching.

THE UNDERLYING IDEA OF THE CASTE SYSTEM

The older I grow, the better I seem to think of caste and such other time-honored institutions of India. There was a time when I used to think that many of them were useless and worthless, but the older I grow, the more I seem to feel a difference in cursing any one of them, for each one of them is the embodiment of the experience of centuries.

A child of but yesterday, destined to die the day after tomorrow, comes to me and asks me to change all my plans and if I hear the advice of that baby and change all my surroundings according to his ideas I myself should be a fool, and no one else. Much of the advice that is coming to us from different countries is similar to this. Tell these wiseacres, “I will hear you when you have made a stable society yourselves. You cannot hold on to one idea for two days, you quarrel and fail; you are born like moths in the spring and die like them in five minutes. You come up like bubbles and burst like bubbles too. First form a stable society like ours. First make laws and institutions that remains undiminished in their power through scores of centuries. Then will be the time to talk on the subject with you, but till then, my friend, you are only a giddy child.”

Caste is a very good thing. Caste is the plan we want to follow. What caste really is, not one in a million understands. There is no country in the world without caste. Caste is based throughout on that principle. The plan in India is to make everybody Brahmana, the Brahmana being the ideal of humanity. If you read the history of India you will find that attempts have always been made to raise the lower classes. Many are the classes that have been raised. Many more will follow till the whole will become Brahmana. That is the plan.

Our ideal is the Brahmana of spiritual culture and renunciation. By the Brahmana ideal what do I mean? I mean the ideal Brahmana-ness in which worldliness is altogether absent and true wisdom is abundantly present. That is the ideal of the Hindu race. Have you not heard how it is declared he, the Brahmana, is not amenable to law, that he has no law, that he is not governed by kings, and that his body cannot be hurt? That is perfectly true. Do not understand it in the light thrown upon it by interested and ignorant fools, but understand it in the light of the true and original Vedantic conception.. If the Brahmana is he who has killed all selfishness and who lives to acquire and propagate wisdom and the power of love – if a country is altogether inhabited by such Brahmanas, by men and women who are spiritual and moral and good, is it strange to think of that country as being above and beyond all law? What police, what Military are necessary to govern them? Why should any one govern them at all? Why should they live under a government? They are good and noble, and they are the men of God; these are our ideal Brahmanas, and we read that in the SatyaYuga there was only one caste, and that was the Brahmana. We read in the Mahabharata that the whole world was in the beginning peopled with Brahmanas, and that as they began to degenerate they became divided into different castes, and that when the cycle turns round they will all go back to that Brahmanical origin.

The son of a Brahmana is not necessarily always a Brahmana; though there is every possibility of his being one, he may not become so. The Brahmana caste and the Brahmana quality are two distinct things.

As there are sattva, rajas and tamas – one or other of these gunas more or less – in every man, so the qualities which make a Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya or a Shudra are inherent in every man, more or less. But at time one or other of these qualities predominates in him in varying degrees and is manifested accordingly. Take a man in his different pursuits, for example : when he is engaged in serving another for pay, he is in Shudra-hood; when he is busy transacting some some piece of business for profit, on his account, he is a Vaishya; when he fights to right wrongs then the qualities of a Kshatriya come out in him; and when he meditates on God, or passes his time in conversation about Him, then he is a Brahmana. Naturally, it is quite possible for one to be changed from one caste into another. Otherwise, how did Viswamitra become a Brahmana and Parashurama a Kshatriya?

The means of European civilization is the sword; of the Aryans, the division into different varnas. This system of division into varnas is the stepping-stone to civilization, making one rise higher and higher in proportion to one’s learning and culture. In Europe, it is everywhere victory to the strong and death to the weak. In the land of Bharata (India), every social rule is for the protection of the weak.

Such is our ideal of caste, as meant for raising all humanity slowly and gently towards the realization of the great ideal of spiritual man, who is non-resisting, calm, steady, worshipful, pure and meditative. In that ideal there is God.

We believe in Indian caste as one of the greatest social institutions that the Lord gave to man. We also believe that through the unavoidable defects, foreign persecutions, and above all, the monumental ignorance and pride of many Brahmanas who do not deserve the name, have thwarted in many ways, the legitimate fructification of this glorious Indian institution, it has already worked wonders for the land of Bharata and it destined to lead Indian humanity to its goal.

Caste should not go; but should be readjusted occasionally. Within the old structure is to be life enough for the building of two hundred thousand new ones. It is sheer nonsense to desire the abolition of caste.

INEQUALITY OF PRIVILEGE VITIATES THE SYSTEM

It is in the nature of society to form itself into groups; and what will go will be these privileges! Caste is a natural order. I can perform one duty in social life, and you another; you can govern a country, and I can mend a pair of old shoes, but that is no reason why you are greater than I, for can you mend my shoes? Can I govern the country? I am clever in mending shoes, you are clever in reading Vedas, that is no reason why you should trample on my head; why if one commits murder should he be praised and if another steals an apple why should he be hanged? This will have to go.

Caste is good. That is only natural way of solving life. Men must form themselves into groups, and you cannot get rid of that. Wherever you go there will be caste. But that does not mean that there should be these privileges. They should be knocked on the head. If you teach Vedanta to the fisherman, he will say, “I am as good a man as you, I am a fisherman, you are a philosopher, but I have the same God in me, as you have in you.” And that is what we want, no privilege for anyone, equal chances for all; let everyone be taught that the Divine is within, and everyone will work out his own salvation. The days of exclusive privileges and exclusive claims are gone, gone for ever from the soil of India.

UNTOUCHABILITY – A SUPERSTITIOUS ACCRETION

Formerly the characteristic of the noble-minded was – (tribhuvanamupakara shrenibhih priyamanah) “to please the whole universe by one’s numerous acts of service”, but now it is – I am pure and the whole world is impure. “Don’t touch me!” “Don’t touch me!” The whole world is impure, and I alone am pure! Lucid Brahmajnana! Bravo! Great God! Nowadays, Brahman is neither in the recesses of the heart, nor in the highest heaven, nor in all beings – now He is in the cooking pot!

We are orthodox Hindus, but we refuse entirely to identify ourselves with “Don’t- touchism”. That is not Hinduism; it is in none of our books; it is an orthodox superstition, which has interfered with national efficiency all along the line. Religion has entered in the cooking pot. The present religion of the Hindus is neither the path of Knowledge or Reason – it is “Don’t-touchism”. – “Don’t touch me”, “Don’t touch me” – that exhausts its description.

“Don’t touchism” is a form of mental disease. Beware! All expansion is life, all contraction is death. All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. See that you do not lose your lives in this dire irreligion of “Don’t- touchism”. Must the teaching (Atmavat sarvabhuteshu) – “Looking upon all beings as your own self” – be confined to books alone? How will they grant salvation who cannot feed a hungry mouth with a crumb of bread? How will those, who become impure at the mere breath of others, purify others?

We must cease to tyrannize. To what a ludicrous state are we brought! If a bhangi comes to anybody as a bhangi, he would be shunned as the plague; but no sooner does he get a cupful of water poured upon his head with some muttering of prayers by a padri, and get a coat to his back, no matter how threadbare, and come into the room of the most orthodox Hindu, I don’t see the man who then dare refuse him a chair and a hearty shake of hands! Irony can go no farther.

Just see, for want of sympathy from the Hindus, thousands of pariahs in Madras are turning Christians. Don’t think that this is simply due to the pinch of hunger; it is because they do not get any sympathy from us. We are day and night calling out to them “Don’t touch us! Don’t touch us!” Is there any compassion or kindliness of heart in the country? Only a class of “Don’t-touchists” ; kick such customs out! I sometimes feel the urge to break the barriers of “Don’t-touchism”, go at once and call out, “Come all who are poor, miserable, wretched and downtrodden”, and to bring them all together. Unless they rise, the Mother will not awake.

Each Hindu, I say, is a brother to every other, and it is we, who have degraded them by our outcry, “Don’t touch”, “Don’t touch!” And so the whole country has been plunged to the utmost depths of meanness, cowardice and ignorance. These men have to be lifted; words of hope and faith have to be proclaimed to them. We have to tell them, “You are also men like us and you have all the rights that we have.”

SOLUTION OF THE CASTE PROBLEM

Our solution of the caste question is not degrading those who are already high up, is not running amuck through food and drink, is not jumping out of our own limits in order to have more enjoyment, but it comes by every one of us fulfilling the dictates of our Vedantic religion, by our attaining spirituality and by our becoming ideal Brahmana. There is a law laid on each one of you in this land by your ancestors, whether you are Aryans, or non-Aryans, rishis or Brahmanas or the very lowest outcaste. The command is the same to you all, that you must make progress without stopping, and that from the highest man to the lowest pariah, every one in this country has to try and become the ideal Brahmana. This Vedantic idea is applicable not only here but over the whole world.

The Brahmana-hood is the ideal of humanity in India as wonderfully put forward by Shankaracharya at the beginning of his commentary on the Gita, where he speaks about the reason for Krishna‘s coming as a preacher for the preservation of Brahmana- hood, of Brahmana-ness. That was the great end. This Brahmana, the man of God, he who has known Brahman, the ideal man, the perfect man, must remain, he must not go. And with all the defects of the caste now, we know that we must all be ready to give to the Brahmanas this credit, that from them have come more men with real Brahmana-ness in them than from all the other castes. We must be bold enough, must be brave enough to speak their defects, but at the same time we must give credit that is due to them.

Therefore, it is no use fighting among the castes. What good will it do? It will divide us all the more, weaken us all the more, degrade us all the more. The solution is not by bringing down the higher, but by raising the lower up to the level of the higher. And that is the line of work that is found in all our books, in spite of what you may hear from some people whose knowledge of their own Scriptures and whose capacity to understand the mighty plans of the ancients are only zero. What is the plan? The ideal at the one end is the Brahmana and the ideal at the other end is the chandala, and the whole work is to raise the chandala up to the Brahmana. Slowly and slowly you will find more and more privileges granted to them.

I regret that in modern times there should be so much discussion between the castes. This must stop. It is useless on both sides, especially on the side of the higher caste, the Brahmana, the day for these privileges and exclusive claims is gone. The duty of every aristocracy is to dig its own grave, and the sooner it does so, the better. The more he delays, the more it will fester and the worse death it will die. It is the duty of the Brahmana, therefore, to work for the salvation of the rest of mankind, in India. If he does that and so long as he does that, he is a Brahmana.

Any one who claims to be a Brahmana, then, should prove his pretensions, first by manifesting that spirituality, and next by raising others to the same status. We earnestly entreat the Brahmanas not to forget the ideal of India – the production of a universe of Brahmanas, pure as purity, good as God Himself : this was at the beginning, says the Mahabharata and so will it be in the end.

It seems that most of the Brahmanas are only nursing a false pride of birth; and any schemer, native or foreign, who can pander to this vanity and inherent laziness, by fulsome sophistry, appears to satisfy more.

Beware Brahmanas, this is the sign of death! Arise and show your manhood, your Brahmana-hood, by raising the non-Brahmanas around you – not in the spirit of a master – not with the rotten canker of egoism crawling with superstitions and charlatanry of East and West – but in the spirit of a servant.

To the Brahmanas I appeal, that they must work hard to raise the Indian people by teaching them what they know, by giving out the culture that they have accumulated for centuries. It is clearly the duty of the Brahmanas of India to remember what real Brahmana-hood is. As Manu says, all these privileges and honors are given to the Brahmana because, “with him is the treasury of virtue”. He must open that treasury and distribute to the world.

It is true that he was the earliest preacher to the Indian races, he was the first to renounce everything in order to attain to the higher realization of life, before others could reach to the idea. It was not his fault that he marched ahead of the other castes. Why did not the other castes so understand and do as they did? Why did they sit down and be lazy, and let the Brahmanas win the race?

But it is one thing to gain an advantage, and another thing to preserve it for evil use. Whenever power is used for evil it becomes diabolical; it must be used for good only. So this accumulated culture of ages of which the Brahmana has been the trustee, he must now give to the people, and it was because he did not open this treasury to the people, that the Muslims invasion was possible. It was because he did not open this treasury to the people from the beginning, that for a thousand years we have been trodden under the heels of everyone who chose to come to India; it was through that we have become degraded, and the first task must be to break open the cells that hide the wonderful treasures which our common ancestors accumulated; bring them out, and give them to everybody, and the Brahmana must be the first to do it. There is an old superstition in Bengal that if the cobra that bites, sucks out his own poison from the patient, the man must survive. Well then, the Brahmana must suck out his own poison.

To the non-Brahmana castes I say, wait, be not in a hurry. Do not seize every opportunity of fighting the Brahmana, because as I have shown; you are suffering from your own fault. Who told you to neglect spirituality and Sanskrit learning? What have you been doing all this time? Why have you been indifferent? Why do you now fret and fume because somebody else had more brains, more energy, more pluck and go than you? Instead of wasting your energies in vain discussions and quarrels in the newspapers, instead of fighting and quarreling in your own homes – which is sinful – use all your energies in acquiring the culture which the Brahmana has, and the thing is done. Why do you not become Sanskrit scholars? Why do you not spend millions to bring Sanskrit education to all the castes of India? That is the question. The moment you do these things, you are equal to the Brahmana! That is the secret power in India.

The only safety, I tell you men who belong to the lower castes, the only way to raise your condition is to study Sanskrit, and this fighting and writing and frothing against the higher castes is in vain, it does no good, and it creates fight and quarrel, and this race, unfortunately already divided, is going to be divided more and more. The only way to bring about the leveling of castes is to appropriate the culture, the education which is the strength of the higher castes.

Note: This article is a chapter from the book, “Swami Vivekananda on India and Her Problems“. This book (Code: AVE061) can be purchased from Advaita Ashrama.