Final Frontier?

 

Bezos and Branson both went to Space this summer on Vacation.  Space is the flavor of the season. So yours truly packed his bags to Kennedy Space Center, Florida and did the next best thing: simulation of going into Space. Apart from that we saw the history and all actual artifacts of Moon Apollo Missions, Space Shuttle Atlantis, Mars missions and were drenched with a day full of infotainment. Maybe I had a better deal than both. I could spend a day and had a variety of training/simulations/5d Movies.  Bezos spent 11 minutes while Branson logged 1.5 hours. At the end of it both Bezos and Branson were stripped of their medals as Astronauts by FAA while I still have souvenirs bought at the NASA Store.

Jokes apart, during one of the presentations there was a quote by Neil Armstrong: It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.   Eugene Carman said: “ We are a part of massive exploration that humanity has been doing since its inception. And space is the final frontier for man to understand. I was totally overwhelmed by this. Curiosity is the essence of human existence. 'Who are we? Where are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?'... I don't know. I don't have any answers to those questions. I don't know what's over there around the corner. But I want to find out”. These space explorers and scientists are the ones who pioneer beyond this final frontier. Human beings have lighted darkness of the unknown through their quest to throw light upon the workings of the universe. All scientists including those who work inside a DNA who have fought against virus, those who have tried to find a cure for cancer, those working to find sustainable clean and green energy helping us fight climate change are the soldiers on the final frontiers as well

Upon return, I had a conversation with my Physiotherapist and his team members. They were wondering what Bezos achieved by spending so many dollars to satisfy his ego.  They also were furious about the damage each of their flight caused to the environment. Instead, he should have paid taxes.  The same was said about Branson. I just tried to put space travel business and space exploration as larger objectives. I quoted efforts of NASA and other Government-backed bodies like our own ISRO to conquer the final frontier.  But is this current space travel hype or are they a part of larger research objectives.

While we salute the pioneers of NASA who were then in the rat race of space in the last centuries it's now private businesses and entrepreneurs like Musk, Bezos, and Branson who are in the race. This race is not for original research it’s a race to mint more money creating self-proclaimed ‘astronauts’ out of moneyed people.  

Bezos owned Blue Origin's space flight flew to the edge of space, about 100 km above the Earth’s mean sea level—the Karman line, also called the ‘edge of space’. This boundary, named after Hungarian physicist Theodore von Kármán was established in the 1960s by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, for providing a definition to space and separating ‘air-space and ‘outer-space.’ SpaceX flights (backed by Elon Musk) have gone way beyond this boundary and have even carried astronauts to the International Space Station. Both Virgin Galactic (owned by Branson) and Blue Origin space flights are designed for suborbital flights, meaning space trips within the Earth’s orbit and within Earth's atmosphere. The vestibules and their trajectory are designed not to allow the vehicle to acquire the required escape velocity to reach the Earth’s orbit and complete a revolution around it. Virgin Galactic spacecraft has a jet-powered aircraft docked underneath. The carrier aircraft takes off from a runway and climbs to an altitude of more than 40,000 feet. Then the spacecraft is dropped, free-falling briefly before firing its rocket motor and ascending to roughly 90 kilometers, which is 10 kilometers short of the Karman line.

Blue Origin's rocket-and-capsule combo, called the New Shepard, shoots into suborbital space and then separates its components. The pressurized capsule floats in microgravity for a while before falling back to Earth assisted by a parachute system. This domed capsule boasts six observation windows. The 60-foot tall rocket section returns to the Launchpad for reuse.

SpaceX has already entered the orbital tourism arena: a feat restricted to government-funded agencies for more than half a century taking crew and passengers up to 400 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. The SpaceX launch system uses a larger capsule and more powerful rocket compared to the Blue Origin combo. Its ‘Dragon’ capsule can carry more passengers than the other-7 at the moment and a 230-foot tall rocket booster called Falcon rocket, which it uses to reach the Earth’s orbit and make trips around the Earth. The SpaceX trips also last longer than the other private space travel options, with trips lasting about 3-4 days from launch to splashdown. SpaceX is currently working on building a starship capable of carrying cargo with up to 100 passengers at a time to outer space. SpaceX's charter flights will soon begin missions to the Moon, and eventually to Mars. SpaceX now outshines Blue Origin and other rocket builders, emphasizing how it has become the highest-profile partner of NASA in its human spaceflight program.  NASA last year awarded contracts to three companies for initial design work on landers that could carry humans to the lunar surface. Also, its promoted Elon Musk has not catered to his ego yet to travel to space.

It’s just about who makes more money by taking more people sorry “Social-Media Celebrities: Astronauts’ into space. Is this right or wrong? Only time will have answers.  But I am sure space won’t be a final frontier for the next generations.

हॅट्रिक

( CTMM वार्ताहर कोलचेस्टर कनेक्टिकट USA )

काल  इथे झालेल्या CTMM गणपती उत्सवाच्या कार्यक्रमात उपस्थित प्रेक्षकांची हसून हसून पोटे दुखली. एक सोडून तीन धम्माल विनोदी प्रवेशांनी  प्रेक्षकांना इतके हसवले की EC ने त्यांना   लोळायला गाद्या ठेवल्या पाहिजे होत्या असे मत काहींनी व्यक्त केले. २४ तास उलटले तरी काही प्रेक्षकांना आठवून आठवून हसू येत राहिले. ह्या परिस्थितीस EC  ला जबाबदार का ठेवू नये असे मत काही उपस्थित कायदे तज्ज्ञ मंडळींनी व्यक्त केले

हसण्या च्या हॅट्रिक मध्ये पहिला प्रवेश होता अमेय टुमणे , वर्षा देशमुख, जोत्स्ना कुरकुटे आणि अनुप्रिया कायंदे यांचा. ST प्रवासात इरसाल मायलेकी स्वतःकरिता एक डबल  सीट एका reserved प्रवास करणाऱ्या  होतकरू युवकाकढून कसे लांबवतात असे नाट्य होते. आई चे काम केलेल्या जोत्स्ना यांनी त्यांच्या गावरान साजावरून आणि ग्रामीण मॉडर्न  मुली चे काम करणाऱ्या वर्षा  यांने धमाल आणली . अमेय वर खरंच दया आली शेवटी. अनुप्रिया चा शेवटचा टच  कभी हा कभी ना टाईप होता. अमेय चे direction अप्रतिम.

दुसरा प्रवेश सचिन कुलकर्णी यांच्या पुरुष आणि स्त्रियांना मध्ये क्रिकेट मॅच चा होता. छोट्या जागेत खूप लोकांनी समाविष्ट असलेल्या स्कीट  मध्ये खूप  धमाल आली . बेवडा मारून  तर्रर्र  होईन भेभान  डान्स करणारा PP (नितीश पंडित ), साडी घालून बॅटिंग  करणाऱ्या काकू(आसावरी नारकर ), cheer लीडर( वैभवी पंडित) , घुंघट घालून मॅच खेळणारी ठेलेवाली मौशी ( पल्लवी राजे), जेन्टस कॅप्टन महेंद्र जोग आणि खेळाडू ( शिल्पा कुलकर्णी,आशिष दळवी) यांनी क्रिकेट किती वेगळ्या पद्धतीने खेळता येते याचे प्रात्यक्षिक दिले. त्यांनी world  कप मध्ये टीम इंडिया ला टिप्स द्याव्यात असे क्रिकेट फॅन्स म्हणतात . सचिन कुलकर्णी  यांनी हेल्पलेस अंपायर चे काम करत असताना डायरेक्शन  करताना किती मेहनत घ्यावी लागली असेल?

तिसरा शो मध्ये  कहानी  घर घर की पेश केली . नवरा बायको (किरण-वैदेही परांजपे)मधले कायम उडणारे खटके आणि येणारा इरसाल  मित्र (मुकुंद औटी )  त्यामध्ये तेल ओतून खूप आग लावतो. प्रेक्षक इतके इमोशनली गुंतले की  नवरे आणि बायका  मंडळी रेस्पेक्टिव्हली sympathize करायला लागली . शेवटी दिपाली औटी यांनी कहर केला आणि मित्राला (मुकुंदाला )जमिनीवर आणले. बहुतेक आता कनेक्टिकट मध्ये मुकुंद ची(कु) प्रसिद्धी दूर -दूर पर्यंत पोहोचली . वैदेही यांनी खूप अप्रतिम दिग्दर्शन केले

ह्या तिन्ही प्रवेशांनां जोडणारा असा टॉक  शो गौतम नाईक यांनी लिहिला होता. प्रसिद्ध राजकारणी स्त्री  नेता (माधवी कानेटकर) यांची खुमासदार  आणि धमाल  शैलीत मुलाखत नाईक यांनी घेतली आणि वरील प्रसंग गुंफले . प्रेक्षकांना त्यांनी अजून हसण्या चा बुस्टर डोस  दिला आणि मंडळी पुढील काही महिन्यांसाठी कंटाळ्यापासून सुरक्षित केली. 

 तसे बघायला गेले तर हास्ययात्रा हा CTMM गणपती हॅट्रिक सेलेब्रेशन चा तिसरा भाग. प्रथम लोकांनी गणपती मिरवणुकीत ढोल ताश्यांवर भरभरून लेझीम व  डान्स केला. नंतर CTMM १५-२० सुग्रणींनी केलेल्या घरगुती, शास्त्रोक्त स्वयंपाकावर यथेच्च ताव मारला. घरी  २०० लोकांची स्वयंपाक स्वयंसेवकानीं करणे असे काही अमेरिकेत  होऊ शकते ह्यावर खूप जणांचा विश्वासच नव्हता . पण हौसेला मोल नाही. १९८२ पासून हि प्रथा आहे . त्यावर हॅट्रिक केली हास्ययात्रे ने.  गणपती पूजा , आरती, मुलांनी म्हणलेले अथर्वशीर्ष पण छान  झाले. अनुप्रिया कायंदे , अंजली साठे, अश्विनी जोशी  आणि ग्रुप मधील मुलांनी छान गणपतीची गाणी आणि भजने म्हणाली. CTMM  मराठी शाळेतील कोरगावकर दाम्पत्याचा सत्कार झाला. गणपतीचे डेकोरेशन , सभागृह , ध्वनी , पूजा सगळ्याचे आयोजन अविरत काम करत  EC  मधील राधिका परमानंद, किरण परांजपे, वैभवी पंडित, वृषाली सालोडकर,  माधवी कानेटकर, सिद्धार्थ पेंढारकर आणि वृत्त निवेदक गौतम नाईक यांनी केले.

 

Making of History Education

 

A few days back, there was a post floating on social media about the government asking opinions about how we can teach our correct history. If we want to create youngsters who can make history you need to educate them and make them understand the history and be a part of the progression of Humanity. Here I do not want to get into any debate about nationalism or anything about the dividing lines of History. I know some people think that not teaching History will erase conflicts. Though I do not want to argue this line of thoughts I want to highlight some positive things we can learn from the US system. There is a huge debate even in the US about the wrong focus of the US to exclude controversial topics. But even that is beyond the scope of this post. 

 

I had read HG Wells as a teenager. I watched a few movies like Back to Future which focused on hyper-local history or series like Making History which focused on American revolutions. I conclude that the best way to teach history is through Time travel. As a teenager, I wanted to invent the machine and pack it in my rucksack and then climb Rajgad and set the console to the year 1650 to experience the best thing that happened in modern Indian History. I then wanted to set the console to various years from 1857 till 1947 to witness sacrifices made by real patriots like Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Pal,  Bhagat Singh, and his team, Azad, Savarkar, Patel, Netaji Bose just to mention very few among the score of unknown heroes.  I also wanted to witness the golden era from the 10th century BCE till 10th Century CE. This was the time when India was the center of the world with the highest % GDP of the world and had centers of Knowledge and civil rule. This golden era was plundered by the invaders and corroded by internal divides created for personal gains by few and unscientific tempers systematically implanted among masses creating ignorance.

 

The next best thing to Time Machine as a tool is to understand how they teach in countries like the USA. Students are first introduced to a stand-alone history class in 5^th or 6^th grade. US History, World History, and Geography are the typical offerings.  

 

In the HighSchool, the state's expectation is the desire to produce informed citizens. The US systems offer courses that build upon each other and electives. Students generally are required to take a minimum of 3 years of Social Studies credit and they are required to pass Civics and US History to graduate. They offer Western Civilizations I and II, United States History, AP Euro, AP US, AP Gov. and Politics, Psychology, Current Events, Civics, Law & Order, and Advanced American Studies. (AP is Advanced Placement ie college-level courses)

 

The scope of the Western Civilization course starts from the Greek and Roman Empires, covering the middle ages and then Renaissance and Exploration of the New World. American History starts from Pangea's to Beringia Strait where humans theoretically entered American Continents, Indian History, Colonial Era, Colonies, American Revolution, Civil War, World War, Civil Rights movement, Cold war, 9/11, Economic Depression. The teaching methodologies include Projects, Roles took by students in history, Socrates' seminars, Exams, assignments also are thought-provoking as against memorization we have in India. It would be very interesting to follow your child doing all this as a parent.

 

I had a chance to interact with a History Teacher, who had taken it upon herself to ensure that the students are provided with a sound foundation in terms of historiography and understanding historical bias. In her own words: “This is a natural extension of my own experiences at the college level. Informed citizens must be able to evaluate information presented to them with a critical eye. This is an important life skill and is why I place such importance on it. I have been told before by my students that this is the first time that they have been told that history is what historians say it is.   We discuss these items in Socratic Seminars (Debates). This is where we hone our critical thinking and argumentation skills”.  

 

It is an expectation that the curriculum is updated regularly, but there is no hard and fast deadline. Courses are revised every few years. However, teachers make small changes to how the curriculum is delivered on a regular basis based on individual reflection and collaboration with teachers teaching the same course. Departments typically guide the revision process with administrative oversight.  Yes, the ruling governments here have a say in the matter as we have in India.  

 

No wonder students find History interesting and equipped to analyze history independently as compared to what we have government-sanctioned chapters and dreadful memorization. Even then some people are very critical of US education despite all efforts taken. 

 

Debates over history-class outcomes surface periodically in the U.S. Such controversies are usually about a prescribed set of historical facts, subjects, and themes about America that students ought to know, be it American Exceptionalism or the civil rights movement.   Similarly, it was noticed that students did not remember what they should really have: the Louisiana Purchase, the judicial precedent set by Marbury v. Madison, reasons why Loyalists opposed independence, and so on.

In India, we have a total blank about the Golden Era I just mentioned:  between the 10th Century BCE till 10th Century CE. Though the Scope of Indian History is very huge compared to the US History or even Western Civilization for that matter we need an innovative approach to be able to create that understanding and outlook in the young minds to choose his/her area of interest in History.

 We in India are quick to imitate everything from the US, let's try to do that by learning how they teach History. Going as per much controversial slogan in the Indian context: let's Make Learning History Great Again.

28th June: A Forgotten Date

 

28^th June is not an important date in the Indian Political Landscape.  But it is a date that new so-called aspirational India should keep a note of. It is the birth anniversary of India’s 9^th Prime Minister P V Narasimharao. The Millennial or Generation Z population in India, who have benefitted from the deeds of this particular politician in the Indian Landscape may or may not be aware of the significance of few actions that were taken by the prime minister who inherited empty coffers and braved all the political brunt of something as unthinkable that time as the opening of economy to foreign investment.

Many would attribute credit to then FM Dr. Manmohan Singh. But though as economist Dr. Singh would have suggested the norms or policies, it was another thing to run a coalition government always under threat of political instability to have pushed these economic measures. The politics of India from 1989 till as late as 2014 was marked by coalition governments. Barring the infrastructure focus of the Vajpayee regime during 99-04, the years always had political compulsions which resulted in political majority abused for wrong policies or policy paralysis.  Thus the period of 91-96 when PV Narasimharao ruled was the base of India Story.

As a kid, I grew in the small window of economic growth in the mid-80s. The reforms came in and allowed opportunities for middle and lower-middle-class kids like me to look forward to global careers, opportunities which earlier were very scarce. I remember getting jobs in banks, factories, the public sector was so difficult. Entrepreneurship was something out of the syllabus for any middle-class constituent. Money really trickled down due to liberalization. We now can think of eating out, spending large sums on an outing, shopping, traveling every week. Earlier which I mean as late as mid 80s was an annual event. Our kids dream of international careers, jobs that can post you globally, jobs in MNC and brands. The Investment has trickled into booming construction, (un) real estate, transportation, agriculture, logistics, banking, and so on. Tier two city children compete with metro kids thanks to communication and technology. Though we have severe gaps in basic infrastructure, urban planning, education, and healthcare, we had driven our population under poverty to the middle-income category which is reflected in GDP with purchasing power parity. Thus it is very important for current incumbents to focus on many concrete reforms to revive the Indian story after corrections of GST and setback due to economic impact of a pandemic arising out of virus originating from Wuhan.

Younger generations may know his role in guiding the economy through reforms but they may not know his key role in many things that can be termed as political suicide in earlier politics. He guided a minority government through policies and steps which ensured free elections in Punjab and got a democratically elected government which led to the resolution of the crisis. He initiated India’s look east policy and facilitated the entry of India into ASEAN. Under his regime, India started diplomatic ties with Israel and Taiwan (partially). Dr. Kalam admits his role in rekindling India’s nuclear program Though it was the Vajpayee government that actually did the Pokharan II, Narasimharao shared many briefings to Vajpayee Govt. He kind of cleaned up the mess created in Kashmir by VP Singh government with a tough stance against militancy.  In 1994, when the UN was voting against India for Human Rights Violation in Kashmir, some nimble diplomatic steps taken in Iran, Our Government led by Narasimharao saved the day for India’s Position in Kashmir.

As a person, Narasimharao was soft-spoken. He was educated, multilingual, and even equipped himself with IT skills then like many professionals. I would say he was the first prime minister of India who mastered Sanskrit. He was the first prime minister from the non-Hindi speaking belt and peninsular India. His ascent to Prime Minister Post was a boost to the national integration of India. I still remember his speech in Marathi during the inaugural world Marathi meet. What he said that languages cannot remain sacrosanct with technical correctness they have to evolve and include.  He was the one who created the identity of leaders within Congress who had their own standing outside the dynastic successors. Though because of that, he stood the brunt of the neglect during his last days.  One event in Dec 92 and allegations done by the mastermind of the stock market scam maligned his reputation. Also, his political maneuverings during parliamentary votes were questioned.  But for me, it was a (non) action of a statesman. He had a unique style of doing things correctly yet making them appear as things taking their own shape out of his non-action. That’s why maybe he did not get credit for many stellar and difficult things that any Prime Minister of India has ever done.

As a representative of Gen X which saw liberalization unfurl, I feel very thankful to PV Narasimharao. Our Gen-X rode on the waves of free economy and easily acclimatized ourselves from deprivation to consumption. We have seen boons and banes of new tech coming in. We got accustomed to global brands and got recognized worldwide. We became a part of the world and the world saw there was more to India than snake charmers and elephants. We have a long way to go but our young economy and numbers definitely matter for the world. Eventually, globalization would have caught up but maybe our generation X or millennials would have missed out. And our infrastructure would really have made it difficult for the population we have today. Sometimes I wonder if we would have seen new lows thanks to our stagnant economy and limited investment. Thankfully there was one man at the guard during those delicate years and after the lowest level of politics seen in India. But then his contribution still remains unsung and 28^th June doesn’t get any recall in our collective memories.

 

 

Protecting the Protector of India

 By now the Meghadoots of Monsoon must have covered Peninsular India. Another Kalidas Masterpiece which describes the end destination of the Monsoon Clouds becomes relevant now. This is also the destination of high-altitude trekking that happens around the time of year. That sets in Nostalgia for those separated to India reminding them of days spend amidst the Mountains, Valleys, Glaciers, Villages, peaks all of which is an experience called the Himalayas. The romance of a Himalayan trek is magical.   The entire transformation from plains to the British-built hill stations through winding romantic mild mountains then the mystery of fold Mountains as you climb amidst flora and fauna to the higher reaches and finally, you have misty glaciers and snow-clad peaks.   

Kalidas writes at the beginning of KumaraSambhava as translated from Sanskrit: There is in the Northern Direction, the supreme lord of mountains, possessed of a divine nature by name Himalaya, who has plunged into eastern and western Ocean, stands as if he is the measuring rod of the Earth. KumaraSambhava celebrates the love story of Shiva and Parvati, whose love results in the birth of their son, the young god Kumara.  The story begins with a description of the birth of Parvati, in the Himalayas the poem proceeds and her courtship with Shiva. It plays out their tale on the immense scale of supreme divinity, wherein the gods are viewed both as lovers and as a cosmic principle

This immortal description of the Himalayas has certain Keywords to highlight. ‘Devatma’ means a divine soul who is the protector of India. The Himalayas protect India from the chill icy blasts blowing from the arctic region as well as from the destructive incursions of invaders. The Himalayas further protect India through the origination of great rivers like Sindhu, Ganga, Yamuna, and Brahmaputra perennially fed by melted ice irrespective of the monsoon rains.  The other keyword is 'Manadanda". This means the pride of Indian Civilization to be a standard against which other human civilizations can be compared and tested in the past, present, and future.

Kalidas has described various types of trees, herbs, and several flowering plants growing there in KumaraSambhava. He mentions many Himalayan trees such as Devadaru and Sarala (Pinus)with a specific environment in which they grow.  It is interesting to note how the poet has shown the Inner Himalayan plants like Bhurja (Betula utilis) growing in the vicinity of low-level flora of Nameru (Mammea Longifolia). He also shows Kasturi Mriga (musk-deer), an animal exclusively of very high elevations (above 2,500 m above sea level), also cohabiting near Nameru trees.  

The entire story of the Himalayas is intriguing. In ancient times, there was a vast shallow sea named the Tethys that existed where the Himalayas is today. The submerged landmasses on both sides started pushing towards each other giving birth to the Himalayas Mountains. This was a relatively recent occurrence according to the geographical time frame. It only proves to show that the Himalayas can be considered to be a young and fragile land formation. Scientists studying these mountains speculate that the entire process took about five to seven million years.  The Himalayas has risen about 6,600 feet in the past 20,000 years and continues to rise at the rate of 3 to 4 inches a year. No other mountain range can boast of having peaks of 26,000 feet. The Himalaya has 14 such peaks and hundreds of summits with over 23,000 feet high above sea level including Everest. The Himalaya Mountain range stretches 1,700 miles across an area between Assam Himalayas and Kashmir. At the east, Namche Barwa stands as sentinel and the west part is guarded by the awesome Nanga Parbat .

Having protected the Indian Subcontinent from Icy winds and Invaders for Centuries we have new threats looming across the Himalayas.   Recently our neighbors across the Himalayas have threatened us in Ladakh, which our brave soldiers have fended off. They have been trying that since 1962. But the current regime is more expansive in nature strengthened by the economic success of the China Model worldwide.  To add to the military threat, the viral threats they have posed have rendered us vulnerable.  The first wave was brutal for America under Trump, Europe, and other parts of the world. The second wave has hit India badly. Though there are a lot of conspiracy theories going around definitely there is more to the nature of this Virus that needs a lot of unbiased investigation.

The biggest threat to the protector of India itself is the uncontrolled urban and tourist growth which was one of the contributing factors to the tragedy at Kedarnath in 2013. We need to really have a handle on sustained development. Another threat is in form of Climate change and Global Warming.  Researchers indicate that the temperature is rising at a higher rate in Nepal and the Chinese regions of the Himalayas compared with the rest of the Himalayas. A declining trend of monsoon in the western Indian Himalayas and an increasing trend in the eastern Indian Himalayas have been observed, whereas increasing precipitation in many parts of the Tibetan Plateau is noted. Glaciers in both the eastern and western Himalayas are mostly retreating, but the majority of the glaciers in the Karakorum are either stable or advancing slowly. Expansion of glacier lakes is reported, with the highest rate in Nepal and Bhutan. Research predicts increases in temperature and monsoon precipitations and decreases in winter precipitations in the future thereby leading to monsoon flooding and increased sediments in streamflow.  The reduced rainfall and shrinkage of glaciers will lead to a shortage of water supply for power generation and irrigation in winter, particularly in highly glaciated basins. Projected economic impacts of glacial lake outburst floods can be substantial on the developed river basin with infrastructures and population centers.

Thus we the people of India should lead our defense against Global warming and Climate change more than anyone else who dare the world community with empty words and theatrics.

 

Meghadoot: The Monsoon Musings.

 This is that time of the year when we look up to the skies to expect the Monsoon Clouds to shower all the moisture in form of rains on the dry parched soil and equally thirsty souls.  But imagine a poet approximately 1600 years ago using his imagination looking at a lonely advancing monsoon cloud around this time of the year and describing the journey of this monsoon over the Indian subcontinent.   The romanticism of poetic mind of Kalidas is equally amazing as his scientific mindset of the Monsoon Process. I know some people will have an objection to romanticize science in olden scriptures but when it comes to Monsoon one can forget the nitty-gritty, debate, and enjoy the beauty of Sanskrit coupled with Magic of Monsoons.

Meghadoot meaning a cloud messenger is a Sanskrit poem written by Kalidas.  There are 160 Sholkas or stanzas.  Here goes the story as translated by scholars: Yaksha is banished from the Himalayan abode of gods. He shares his sorrow of separation from his beloved and requests this cloud to send a message about his well-being to his beloved. He lives in a place called Ramgiri in central India which many believe it to be modern-day Ramtek near Nagpur.  He is standing on the top of the mountain peak on the first day of Ashadha month looking at this lonely cloud. This solitary cloud overlooks the region around standing proudly over this mountain. The cloud announces the arrival of monsoon rains to people suffering from the scorching heat of prolonged summer.  How Majestic feeling it is to have brought happiness and relief to everybody. This cloud is spearheading the monsoon movement of the cloud and ensuring that the path is clear for clouds following. Yaksha requests him to deliver a message to his beloved as an additional responsibility apart from his noble cause.

Kalidas’s Yaksha knows that cloud has to reach from Ramgiri in Central India to Alakapuri in the foothills of the Himalayas.  To gain the cloud strength he asks him to rejuvenate himself by resting awhile over several rivers like Vetravati, Shipra, Gambhira, Ganga, and others.  Was he suggesting a process of evaporation of water to cloud formation? Yaksha also suggests an itinerary for clouds to visit places like Vidisha, Ujjaiuini, and Devgiri which were beautiful places then.  Yaksha tells the cloud to gain height to move faster. As observed by modern-day meteorologists, monsoon clouds over northern India are taller than those over peninsular India and are associated with thunder and lightning.  Kalidas’s Yaksha also describes the contents of clouds: Water (Salila), Wind (Marutam), Smoke (Dhoomra), and Electricity (Jyoti). Imagine 1600 years ago someone tried to correlate science with poetry.   In the end, Yaksha wishes that unlike him the Cloud and his beloved lightning should not be separated.

 Here in this part of Northeast US, the Indian mind really misses this romance and magic of Monsoons.  The weather pattern is an important variable of daily lives unlike in India. In India, we had anticipation of three months of magic starting in June. And no wonder thousand years ago someone was inspired by it to write so romantic and scientific epic.  

This Monsoon romance had an added twist for the students in India. It also coincided with the start of the new calendar year. I am sure most of us remember the smell of those new books, uniforms, and various resolutions to study regularly during the next year. Reunion of friends after the summer break was also a good thing to look forward to.     

Our festivals and traditions also revolve around the Monsoons.  Wari starts immediately after the sowing of seeds in the farms after tilling of the soil. There is nothing to do but wait during those months for crops to grow.  So to avoid people wasting money on vices etc. the whole energy is channelized into devotion. The month of Shravan and fortnight of Bhadrapad is filled with festivals going close to Nature like Nagpanchami, Rakhi, Janmashthami and Ganapati. Once all the farm work is done, the same peasant used to go out on wars after Dussehra.  Finally, Diwali celebrates the bounty of the harvest. In Northern India Rabbi Crop bounty was celebrated during Baisakhi.

Last year has been bad for the economy thanks to the Virus originated from Wuhan. This year we have a good monsoon predicted. This is a relief amidst the havoc the pandemic has caused. How important the monsoon is for the Indian economy is a well-proven fact. India is primarily an agrarian economy— agriculture contributes 15% of India’s gross domestic product. Past data has indicated a positive correlation between actual rainfall and the growth rate of agriculture GDP. Normal rains will help the economy. It will not only boost agricultural production but increase consumer demand, which will help keep inflation in check.

India depends on Monsoon to replenish the water supply for domestic and irrigation purposes. One bad season adds to misery for the urban and rural populations for drinking water and sanitization purposes. We have seen the rise of the tanker mafia which rules the outskirts of our cities, towns and the villages. Climate change has made monsoons stronger and chaotic. Researchers say that there is strong evidence that every degree Celsius of warming would likely increase monsoon rainfall by about five percent. This raises the possibility that key crops -- including rice -- could be swamped during crucial growing stages. It will flood the roads and train tracks which will impact economic productivity. It’s imperative for the global community to agree to the 2015 Paris Climate Conference target of 1.5 degree Celsius and control the emission accordingly. Otherwise we the Indians will suffer most thanks to our reliance on Monsoon.  

Summertime in the US means more outdoors and coming close to nature: Mountains and Beaches. The sheer transformation of Sahyadris in India into heaven with the advent of Monsoon simultaneously is what a Punekar in me misses out on the most like that Yaksha.

Modern Age Vishwamitras and Trishankus

 In Mythology, there was a powerful King named Trishanku who wanted to perform a ritual to go to heaven while he was alive. He approached his Guru Vashistha who replied, "It is a law that no living person can go to heaven. Go and do good deeds and you will go to heaven when you die." Disappointed, Trishanku requested Vashistha's sons to help him. They got angry and cursed him to become old.   Persistent Old Trishanku went to the great sage Vishwamitra, for help. Vishwamitra promised to fulfill his wish. Vishwamitra performed a big Yajna; he chanted mantras and made offerings to gods. But the gods did not want anyone to break a law; they did not accept the offerings. Vishwamitra was furious and said, "I will send you to heaven by my own powers. “ Rise Trishanku" As he said this, Trishanku began to rise and reached the gates of heaven. The gods stopped him and said, "You can't come to heaven alive. Fall back to earth." Trishanku started falling back. Vishwamitra said, "Don't fall! Stay!" And Trishanku hung between heaven and earth. Then Vishwamitra decided to create another heaven for Trishanku." He created the parallel universe and as he was going to create another Indra, the gods stopped him.  By this time, Vishwamitra had lost all his powers as a sage. He agreed to stop but said, "I have to keep my promise. Trishanku will live in the universe." The gods agreed but declared that Trishanku would live in his heaven upside down.  After this, Vishwamitra had to start his prayers again to attain the status of a Brahmarshi which was his lifelong dream.

This story has a modern similarity: The social media companies headed by the likes of Zuckerbergs and Dorseys are the modern Vishwamitras who have tried to create a virtual world with their own set of rules transcending the rules set by nations around the world. We the people have remained hung upside down like Trishanku hung between the real and virtual. While modern Vishwamitras have taken on governments around the world, it’s to be seen if they will remain still remain powerful after the showdown or lose their powers. They should rather focus on their lifelong mission of creating value for their companies rather than catering to their own egos like Vishwamitra.

Many of us have seen The Social Dilemma the documentary on how big tech is influencing individual and collective lives. Many in the IT industry have known for decades about the intrusive capabilities of web technologies to expose digital footprints and the commercial impact through search engine algorithms. The Intellectual property issues on news and other content have been litigated across worldwide courts and tribunals.  But the opinion-making and politically intrusive features of social media are where these modern Vishwamitras have taken on modern Governments. The rules of the land made by a democratically elected government in India have been made to look like tyrannical oppression against freedom of expression. But India should not budge against tech giants taking a cue from democratic governments over the world.

Facebook is fighting litigation in European Union. EU has a rule called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which is the toughest law in the world which enhances how people can access information about them and places limits on what organizations can do with personal data. Facebook’s business model is selling comprehensive user profiles to advertisers. If the social media giant is unable to combine user data from across its platforms like FB, Instagram, and Whatsapp, as well as third parties, its ability to create comprehensive profiles, will be hampered. The European Union hit Google with a record antitrust fine for abusing the dominance of its Android mobile operating system. Google has unfairly promoted its own services by forcing smartphone makers to pre-install Google apps Chrome and Search in a bundle with its app store, Play.  Australia has passed a world-first law aimed at making Google and Facebook pay for news content on their platforms. As retaliation Facebook blocked all news content to Australians over the row. Facebook agreed to reverse its decision after robust negotiations with the government, which led to changes to the law to address some of their concerns.

 

In the US,   the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google testified before Congress in 2020 over concerns they engaged in anticompetitive practices — and   I remember IITian Google CEO grilled like what  our IIT professors used to during viva-voce exams. After that Justice Department has filed a landmark antitrust suit against Google, one that's expected to impact the tech industry. States within the US are passing or contemplating laws that can impact tech giants. Maryland State is trying to impose new taxes on rich tech companies for all ads viewed in their state on Facebook and Google. Indiana and Connecticut are considering taxes to help fund rural broadband or online bullying prevention. New York had proposed reforming its antitrust law to make it easier to sue tech companies. A bill introduced in Florida can prohibit companies from suspending the accounts of political candidates.  

 We know that these platforms have no unrestricted reach in many autocratic parts of the world like China, Russia, etc. They are submissive to these regimes conveniently. Twitter has remained largely silent on China other than voicing its sadness at not being able to access the country.  Twitter was caught in a controversy after deactivating the accounts of over a hundred Chinese political commentators days before the anniversary of the Tiananmen protests. Twitter apologized for the event, claiming it was an error in their programs. No one believed.

So while these modern-day Vishwamitras are creating an independent universe with its own set of rules, we the people should not get influenced by their egos and believe that our freedom of speech is at stake. Like Trishanku we have already complicated balance of our lives due to social media and should not allow them to break the laws of our land.