#What'sonmymind

[blahblahblaw18]

Grammar of Anarchy in Modern India

“...it is quite possible in a country like India – where democracy from its long disuse must be regarded as something quite new – there is danger of democracy giving place to dictatorship. It is quite possible for this newborn democracy to retain its form but give place to dictatorship in fact.” These lines are excerpted from Dr Ambedkar’s famous speech “The Grammar of Anarchy”, delivered on November 25th 1949, the eve of the adoption of the Indian Constitution. In this address, Babasaheb defined the difference between a real democracy and a facile one and laid down certain principles that he expected the future generations to adhere to, if they wished for the Indian constitutional democracy to coincide in form and in fact.

It was indeed amid much pomp and publicity that in 2015, the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar, the current government decided to attest the tag of National Constitution Day to November 26th. It was just one of the many ways in which governments, over the years, have tried to appropriate the idea of Ambedkar for their vested interests without giving any thought to his ideals. Seen in this context, it becomes important to analyse whether today’s democratic India has lived up to the expectations of the architect of its constitution.

The first principle that Ambedkar mentioned in his speech was that in a real democracy, progress should be brought about only through constitutional methods. He sought an end to methods of Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience which, unless restricted, could paralyze development and saw protests as a symbol of facile democracies. Today’s India is far from realising that goal. We are a country that protests at the drop of a hat. However, more often than not, these protests, far from stifling development, have been used to coerce those in power to take the right step. Be it the 2011 anti-corruption dharnas pushing for passage of appropriate legislations or the CAA-NRC protests or the more recent anti-farm law sit-ins appealing for retraction of unpopular legislations, agitations against the ruling dispensations have been the guiding light of our democracy, seeking adherence to the constitution. So does this mean Ambedkar was wrong in his assessment of protests? No. In his speech, Babasaheb, while advocating for an end to unconstitutional protests, specifically spelled out that when there is no possibility of achieving change through constitutional means, resorting to unconstitutional methods was the only way forward. When constitutionally elected governments show apathy towards the needs or worse, go against the wishes of the very people who put them in power and constitutionally established courts and politically established opposition also leave people in the lurch, the only recourse left for the people is to mobilise and swerve those in power in the right direction. Thus, the very fact that today mass mobilisations and protests are needed to exhort governments to do what they’re elected to do, points towards the disuse and misuse of constitutional machinery.

His second prescription of eschewing the deification of leaders, is perhaps also the most pertinent advice in contemporary times. Today we have downgraded ourselves into a nation of hero-worshipping fanatics, divinizing our political leaders to the point where we fail to accept that they can ever err and ignore them when they actually do so. Living in times when being anti-Modi is routinely equated to being anti-India, Babasaheb’s warning that in politics Bhakti is a sure road to eventual dictatorship rings truer than ever.

Finally, Ambedkar in his speech, recommends us to evolve into a social democracy i.e., we mustn’t be content with the mere political sanction of liberty, equality and fraternity, but should strive to make these ideals, a way of life. Acknowledging the chasm between ‘constitutional guarantees’ and ‘social realities’, Babasaheb had famously remarked that India would, on January 26th 1950, enter into a life of contradictions where political equality would stand in contrast with socioeconomic inequalities. In calling for a social democracy, it was this gap that he sought to bridge. However, it is the sad reality of our times that, even in this aspect we have failed him. 70 more 26th Januarys have passed since that observation was made and still, we find ourselves stuck in the same quagmire. Obdurate lines of caste, class and religious inequalities have been redrawn by politically motivated leaders who find benefit in refusing to let these lines fade; Sectarian affiliations continue to override national unity, crumpling up the ideal of fraternity. And liberty, attacked by both state and non-state actors, has become a mere chimaera.

Thus, our country’s current socio-political standing is far from what the creator of our constitution had hoped it would be. It’s indeed impossible for a country as vast and diverse as ours to embody an ideal democracy, but that shouldn’t mean that we retrograde into becoming a facile democracy. Superficially celebrating the Constitution Day or Mahaparinirvan Diwas will only amount to lip service unless we reinstate adherence to these principles which add life into the soul of India’s democracy, principles prescribed by the father of the constitution himself and principles which will otherwise end up being mere quixotic embellishments for a bleak reality.

#indiralakshmi #what'sonmymind #keepingitreal #india #writers of tumblr #desi blog #law school #writers of india #constitution #indian constitution #ambedkar #jai bhim #law day #babasaheb #preamble #grammar of anarchy #speeches #famous quotes #history #independence #indian history #blogblog #indian politics #politics #indian national congress #government #prime minister #leader #life #country

[wonderphat]

Welcome to my new Blog!

It’s been a while since i blogged so I revemped my old blog and will try to post more, and be more connected with you guys!

#what'sonmymind

[warlocke-lothaire]

It’s Not Here.

It’s not here.

Papers flutter as they rain down from where I’ve thrown them, books thudding on the floor as I sweep them off the table in frustration. There’s a crash as I knock over the desk lamp.

“Where is it?!” I snarl to no one.

I stare at the slumped figure lying on the divan across the room.

I need it.

She won’t have much longer.

#snippet minddump what'sonmymind?

[tsinitangsanchai]

Two-sided life

A story. --------

There’s a girl that had two personalities. She didn’t know that she is suffering from it. She even didn’t go to a psychiatrist because all she knew was she is depressed because of her past life. One day, he met a guy who is a Christian. This guys has a power to discern the feeling of a person. And he felt that to the girl. He wanted to transform the girl by the  guide of God. Because the girl has two personalities sometimes she treated the boy as if she doesn’t have any feelings to him; sometimes she is obsessed with the boy.

The boy tried to deliver powerful words just to heal the girl. And it was a process for him due to slow recovery that the girl felt. Until the girl finally surrendered her life to the Lord. Hoping that she can dump the old personality that she has and do have only one. She was baptized and spoke in tongues. However, she still struggles with the evil side that she has before. It was too powerful. She prayed. And everyday she pondered the word f the Lord just to fight that enemy. She succeed and she was transformed. But she was having a trouble with her heart. That the boy who lead her into that world was in a different track.

#tobecontinue #what'sonmymind #storytime #christian

[seasonalwatcher]

It's all about intention.

#thoughts #what'sonmymind #lucid dreams #intention #intentions

[siyerb]

On Everlasting Love...

If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.

#What'sOnMymind #personal #life #love #happiness

[imcrumbleweird]

I just found out that they're making Percy Jackson movie a trilogy while it has five books. In the upcoming movie sequence "The Sea of Monsters" Percy will immediately going to fight Kronos. WHAT THE HECK? I’m freaking offended. This isn’t right, Percy Jackson series is also worthy just like Harry Potter series. The only thing I’m looking forward to this movie was Logan Lerman. Still, this isn’t fair why do they need to speed up the scenes? Now, I’m broken hearted and I wanted to cry 

#PercyJackson #What'sOnMyMind

[queenismyname-blog-blog]

Staying at the house and reading books make me realize a lot of things.

"Life is like a book. Some chapters are sad, some are happy and some are exciting, but if you never turn the page, you'll never know what the next chapter holds."

It's just taking risk of of turning the page in your life.

There are people you might think that they're nothing to you, but you'll be surprise when the time you turn the page... that person might be the one for you or it plays a special role in your life.

Remember you could always turn back, turn the page, but you can never change what's already written.

#what'sonmymind

[pithypoesy-blog]

got trapped inside this can of worms

they eating me slowly,

to kill is the only ticket

but i am not a murderer, i am not

I am not. 

#what'sonmymind #thoughts

[blahblahblaw18]

The Battle of Belonging

"Howmuchever I did not want to belong in Mysuru, it was still my own. It was and will forever be a part of me, mine. I can only escape from it geographically, but it will forever and till eternity, remain in my heart, as an indelible, inescapable part of my identity and personality."

Caveat: The following blog piece is a deeply personal and reflective essay. Read only if you have the mental capacity to handle the trauma dumping.

NRIs have this thing called ABCD, it stands for American-born confused Desi. This pithy phrase very succinctly captures the confusion and the identity crisis that they experience, being a vibrant cultural minority in a foreign land.

I am not an NRI. Nor am I in foreign lands. and yet, I am going through a somewhat similar experience. This feeling of not belonging here and not wanting to belong there. The constant conflict in the mind. The two different worlds which you know will never meet - like the two shores of the sea. The eviscerating feeling of not knowing who I am, where my heart lies, what I identify as, how I should react to situations and events... constantly trying to reconcile the two ends of the spectrum. The two feelings, the two yous, the two behaviours, the difference, the split, conflict, confusion. Who am i? Who is prerana?

Am I the silent, serious, career-oriented, driven, focused, straight-talking Prerana who always rebelled against her parents, teachers, friends and family, who always tried to push the boundaries and who was very sagacious and calm and mature and wanted to reach for the stars and leave mysuru behind, escape from the small-minded people and their parochial thoughts and outdated ideas... or should I qualify those attributes with a "supposedly" or "assumed"? Supposedly small-minded people; assumed parochial thoughts and outdated ideas. Supposed and assumed by me. The girl who always looked at the skies hoping to escape into the calm familiarity of its darkness, looking for a stairway out of the small town. Grasping for opportunities...

Or am I the Prerna who is excited to learn new things, the empathetic listener, always down for a chat, available for a call, hugging people, trying to belong, wanting to belong? Trying to firmly establish herself on the ground, to grasp at the grass trying to find her footing, the one who is accepting of every new culture, tradition and way of life, the one who is trying to wiggle in rather than escape out? trying to be here, now. embracing, condoning and accepting this place for what it is- warts, wounds, wonders and all. jostling in with the people and accepting and celebrating them for who they are, their thoughts, ideas, small-mindedness, and narrow thinking?

I hated that place because of what it is, and now I am trying to fall in love with this place despite what it is. And yet, I seem to have forgotten to realise that, in the heart of hearts, overarchingly, both mysuru and Jindal are the same. They may be different cultures, but the small-minded ideas remain, the narrow thoughts and othering of what doesn't fit in with the established norm remains.

That was a community-oriented life and I struggled to create a space for myself. This is an individual-oriented space and I am fighting to create a community of my own. But why?

I grew up in Mysuru, a mysuru that was in the perpetual shadow of the Bengaluru. Every single holiday I would get, we would catch the first train to Bengaluru. leaving mysuru and its lethargy and laziness behind. The joy of seeing the suburban Bengaluru slums from the window of my train seat, which heralded the arrival in the city, a city which I since forever wanted to make my own. And a city I always looked at with glinting eyes and gaping mouth. The city which had my heart, my love, my life.

The yearning for that big city, that cosmopolitan culture, that melting pot of ideas, cultures, traditions, that urban, chic, jet black and grey ad white world with tall towers and big cars and traffic-jammed streets. the endless opportunities. the vibrant nightlife. the food, the street, the big corporate hubs, the cafes buzzing with people; forever, the breweries and the sense of not being judged for sipping a drink or wearing a torn jean or hanging out with English-speaking boys.

The peacock from mysuru zoo wisting to dance under the pale blue-grey hues and occasional showers of the Bengaluru sky.

I was never happy in mysuru. Never satisfied with the city. Never got myself to like it. Those ceremonial debates about mysuru v. Bengaluru, I always took the side of Bengaluru. Not that mysuru didn't have opportunities or wasn't modern or anything... But i tried to steer clear of the modern mysuru. Tried to stay put and ply my game on the path out of the city. Like I didn't want to get distracted or enticed by whatever little wonders mysuru had to offer.

Now, I have come to Jindal. Achieved what I wanted. Reached where I thought I wanted to. Escaped, finally and successfully. And after a long drawn, draining and desiccating fight no less. That rebel in me has won the final fight. The ultimate rebellion. I wanted to leave, but they held me back, they pulled me back, they tied and tethered me back but I broke free, suffered through bruises, and endured their glare, stare and spit. Roared, screamed, and unleashed myself. and now I have left. That fight has now reached its conclusion. There's no reason to feel restless. That goal that always lingered around and directed my every step and action has been fulfilled. Years of penance, struggle, and rebellion have finally borne fruit. I have reached where I wanted to. I have done it ma. I have gotten my way. I have won against you, appa, those aunties and uncles who constantly questioned me, those people from college who tried to pull me down. I have won the battle against all of you guys... I have stayed put, my obstinacy and stubbornness have reached their end now. I got what I wanted. This is what I had prayed, starved, begged, kicked, fought and screamed for. This is it. The cosmopolitan, urban lifestyle is finally mine. Mine to live.

But.

But there is still a battle to be fought. yet another one. another fight to fight. my mind tells me to live another day. Fight this one last battle and we will see what happens tomorrow. One more fight, one more struggle, one more battle, one more. But this is a different battle. If my first fight was a Tapasya to escape, to not settle, to not remain, to leave and get out of the suffocation. This is a fight to belong. to feel like I belong, to fit in, to forget about the sky and hold on to the ground. to touch the grass, and the mud and make it my own. the battle of belonging. To settle down. to remain even if it means suffocating myself. to keep my mind open and to take in every new idea, every new experience, new feeling and culture and tradition and people. But if this is what I wanted all my life and this is what I fought for all my life, why am I continuing to fight even after having gotten what I have wanted? what is it that I seek? Why is there another struggle? I wanted this, right? More than want, I yearned for this. And now that I have it, why does the restlessness remain?

What do I do about this constant conflictual state of mind? That's a futile question to ask, to be fair to myself. Conflict, much like change is a constant. There is no escaping from conflict. sometimes it is the external conflict, sometimes it is the inner conflict. but conflict remains. And when there is none, the mind makes one. The mind is a very weird thing. It does not want to settle. It does not want to be satisfied. It wants more and more and more and better and higher. There is always a battle to be fought. Live another day, sleep another night - quite literally these days.

Then, what is the problem? if I am aware of this peculiarity of the mind, if I have always been fighting fights and waging wars, internal as well as external, shouldn't I have gotten used to them by now? Shouldn't I have gotten adjusted to the hustle now? What is it that is making me take a step back and pause to reassess everything?

I always thought of leaving mysuru as the first step to independence and freedom. Leave mysuru first and then leave India next. Explore the world, wear down those peripatetic feet, and satiate that ever-hungry mind. So having escaped mysuru, I should have, by now, embarked on my next fight. the fight for emancipation from the manacles that fate imposed on me when it made me an Indian. all of this, I had mapped out and planned out in my mind. But in my eagerness, I failed to anticipate the intermediate level. Between the fight for escaping from mysuru, where I had been born and the fight to escape into the larger world, where i wanted to live, there was this one intermediate level. I left mysuru and reached Delhi, reached Jindal. Now, I have to leave Jindal and reach new york? London? sydney? tokyo? or just the road leading up to the Supreme Court of India? But before I commence on that journey, there is one more goal to achieve. And that is to make Delhi and Jindal mine and my own. to belong here, to fight to be one among these people, to embrace them and their culture. Because, if I do not make this my own, what will I fight against when I begin my battle to move out of India? I have to first own this before I can rebel. i have to first be here before I can leave from here. I failed to anticipate that belonging here could be an entire battle in itself. But it should not be a battle... I shouldn't have to fight for anything that is already, rightfully, mine... do I? I should not have to fight to belong here. Nor should I have had to fight to leave from there. But it is what it is. The battle of belonging. and I have to make peace with it.

yours,

I.L.

#blogblog #blogger #india #leaving #small town #mysuru #jindal #desi blog #india bloggers #writers of india #writers of tumblr #keepingitreal #life #what'sonmymind #indiralakshmi #Law school #gen z thoughts #coming of age #Youtube

[curiouscarla-blog]

are we who we think we are?

we live in a world where no one appreciates others that do good things to them, to a point where we have to prove to them what they did to us to be able to repay a respect and recognition. we force ourselves to be graceless more and more to people that do not deserve it, but what makes us like this is, the environment we are in. the demands and pressure we put ourselves in just to fit in the environment, we hope the end result is to be popular, have friends or to be cool etc. we are less ourselves, but more of what others think who you are or wish of being a person with a personality that'll fit in with people.

#thinking #mythoughts #whatifeel #what'sonmymind #personal #journal

[hahahaimangie-blog]

Fck you. (part 3)

ANG KAPAL NG MUKHA. KAMI PA NAGBRING DOWN SA INYO? FCK YOU. after all the help we gave, yan pa iisipin niyo, and kami pa yung naiingit? BOBO ka ba? there's nothing envious with your fucked up life. to someone who thinks we're the bad guys, get your facts right, you don't know the whole story, you don't even know who started what. #FUCKTHIS

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEIR FAMILY?? seriously. hands down na ako sa inyo. "You hurt my mom's feeling. You hurt my feelings too." it's kind of a family thing, and you definitely just crossed the line. talk more shit, I'll make sure you're going to eat your words. Mas masahol ka pa sa chismosa kung makaspread ng rumor, and to think you started this mess, it only turned out we look like the bad guys (since kami yung nag-aabot ng tulong). Good luck with your life, and sana may dignidad ka pang natitira sa sarili mo. grabe makapagyabang, uhh seriously, there's nothing to be envious about, di kaya nakaka-impress ang mga pinagsasabi mo, nakakagago lang. 

#what'sonmymind

[misskimchimae-blog]

mga walang silbing cellphone :)

Walang silbi ang cellphone pag walang load.

Walang silbi ang cellphone pag laging low battery.

Walang silbi ang cellphone pag walang mp3 or kahid Radio man lang.

Walang silbi ang cellphone pag di nagtext/katext si CRUSH.

Walang silbi ang cellphone pag di tinetext si CRUSH.

IBATO NIO NALANG / IPANG KISKIS NIO NALAN NG YELO MGA CELLPHONE NIO! Leche XD Hahaha!

#What'sOnMyMind