Do we know👥

Things We Think We Know
First impressions are usually wrong. Unfortunately, they usually turn into stereotypes, which then turn into the truth.


We all hate stereotypes. Stereotypes are killing us, and they are killing our children, and they are putting LSD into the water supply. Stereotypes are like rogue elephants with AIDS that have been set on fire by terrorists, except worse. We all hate stereotypes. Seriously. Dude, we fucking hate them.

Except that we don't. We adore stereotypes, and we desperately need them to fabricate who we are (or who we are not). People need to be able to say things like, "All stereotypes are based on ignorance," because expressing such a sentiment makes them enlightened, open-minded, and incredibly unpleasant. Meanwhile, their adversaries need the ability to say things such as, "Like it or not, all stereotypes are ultimately based in some sort of reality," because that kind of semilogic can justify their feelings about virtually anything. Nobody really cares what specific stereotype they happen to be debating; what matters more is how that label was spawned, because that defines its consequence. It raises a fundamental query about the nature of existence: Is our anecdotal understanding of the world founded on naivete, or is it built on dark, unpopular truths? That is the question. And here (I suspect) is the answer: neither. Stereotypes are not really based on fact, and they are not really based on fiction. They are based on arbitrary human qualities no one cares about at all. Whenever a given stereotype seems right (or wrong), it's inevitably a coincidence; the world is a prejudiced place, but it's prejudiced for the weirdest, least-meaningful reasons imaginable.

Universal Language

English as a Universal Language

English is without a doubt the actual universal language. It is the world's second largest native language, the official language in 70 countries, and English-speaking countries are responsible for about 40% of world's total GNP.

English can be at least understood almost everywhere among scholars and educated people, as it is the world media language, and the language of cinema, TV, pop music and the computer world. All over the planet people know many English words, their pronunciation and meaning.

The causes for this universality are very well known and understandable. English first began to spread during the 16th century with British Empire and was strongly reinforced in 20th by USA world domination in economic, political and military aspects and by the huge influence of American movies.

The concept of a Universal Language is more significant only now, in the era of world mass communication. Before this era Greek, Latin, French were to some extent universal languages, though mainly in Europe.

By a lucky coincidence due to factors above, English, the Universal language, is one of the simplest and easiest natural languages in the world. The only other simple and easy languages are constructed ones.

Of course the concept of easiness is relative, and it depends on which language you know already. However the concept of simplicity is undeniable: English in an easy language to learn, understand and speak. A complex language such as Hungarian would be a very unlikely candidate for a universal language.

First of all, English Language uses Latin alphabet, the most universal, simple and short one (only the Greek alphabet is shorter and simpler). In addition, in English, the Latin Alphabet presents its most "clean" form as a true alphabet with only 26 basic letters and no diacritics;

Verb conjugation is very simple and easy. Even for irregular verbs, there is almost no variation in person (except 3rd singular in present tense).

Regular verbs have only four forms: Infinitive + Present, Past Tense + Past Participle, 3rd person singular Present Indicative, Present Participle.

There are almost no Inflections. No number or gender inflection for adjectives, articles, adverbs. For adjectives there is only comparative and superlative, almost only number for nouns. In pronouns there are gender and number inflections and only three declension cases (Acc/Dat, Nom, Gen).

English is one of the most analytical languages, with no significant synthetic, fusional or agglutinative characteristics.


Could be there any other alternative for Universal Language, instead of English?
There are other languages that are quite simple and synthetic, with almost no verb conjugation, no declension, such as Asian languages like Thai and Chinese, but they are written with complicated scripts and are tonal languages. However if Chinese were to be written with the Latin alphabet, it could potentially become a univeral language.

There are other strong languages that, due to population and economic power, could be univeral languages, but they have a number of disadvantages when compared with English.

Some examples:

Japanese: has very regular verbs but also a very complicated script.
Chinese: no conjugations or declension, but a very complicated script and tones.
German has many more inflections than English.
The major Romance languages, such as French, Spanish and Portuguese, have fewer inflections than most of languages, but their verb conjugation is very complicated.
Russian has both complex verb conjugations and numerous noun declensions.
In conclusion, it is lucky for us that our universal language is the simplest and easiest, even though that simplicity and easiness weren't the reasons that lead English to that condition.

Child slavery

https://ratriraysen.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/child-slavery/?preview=true

Child slavery

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Although we have, in theory, abolished human slavery, recognized women's rights, and stopped child labor, we continue to enslave other species who, if we simply pay attention, show quite clearly that they experience parental love, pain, and the desire for freedom, just as we do.

We must ensure that while eliminating child labor in the export industry, we are also eliminating their labour from the informal sector, which is more invisible to public scrutiny - and thus leaves the children more open to abuse and exploitation.

Humanity itself is at stake here. A lot of work still remains, but I will see the end of child labor in my lifetime.

Child slavery

Abstract🙌
In the latter part of the 20th century, child labour remains a serious problem in many parts of the world. Many of these children live in underdeveloped countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Their living conditions are crude and their chances for education minimal. The income they bring in is, however, necessary for the survival of their families. In other cases, children are bonded, working to pay off an initial cash advance from the employer with escalating interest which leaves them effectively slaves. In this project , information has been shared on some of the legal and programmatic initiatives undertaken in India over the last decade or so to address the problem of child labor. These programs remain committed to the full eradication of all forms of child labor wherever it might exist in India, beginning with the most exploitative and hazardous forms and have adopted this goal as part of national policy. Both the Indian courts and the National Human Rights Commission have been paying increasing attention to the issue. India has also been participating in the International Program on Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) of the ILO. But the problem remains vast, and finding resources for rehabilitation schemes, given the magnitude of the problem, is a continuing challenge.

Caste system and Indian politics.

What is the Relationship between Caste System and Politics in India?


Though casteism in traditional sense in weakening in India, though the leader of our country have proclaimed time and again the caste is menace to our national life, caste plays an important role in Indian Politics. Adult franchise and Panchayati raj have given new opportunities to castes. Numerically large castes have become important pressure groups in local as well as state politics.

Dr. Leach writes, “Everywhere, in India and Ceylon today whole caste groups are tending to emerges as political faction.” In the opinion of Ghurgy, unfortunately, in this country elections are fought and won on the basis of caste. Candidates contesting elections seek support from their castes. These leaders, thus elected maintain casteism even after election by showing special treatment to their caste members.

Even political parties are not free from ‘Caste Politics. Political Parties in India sponsor candidates having social base, which is nothing but the numerical strength of a caste of candidate in the constituency. He says, in fact caste has found a new field of an activity.

Leaders at the village level cultivate ministers for privileges and for a variety of favor. The ministers in turn need the help of village leaders during elections. It seems tot be accepted principle that, in the state cabinet at nay rate, each major caste should have a minister. This principle is in the village Panchayat as well. Voting very often son caste basis. The local politics in village is dominated by caste. Each caste wants to get maximum power in the village set up. The groupism in rural politics is centered around mostly on castes and to some extent on class and other factors.

Rajani Kothari in “Caste in Indian Politics” studied how far caste is influencing the rural policy. He finds that caste is becoming more and more strengthened because these castes are forming caste association. In the political sphere, the caste associations ask their members to vote the persons belonging to their own caste and he may of any political party. Caste members become more and more powerful in politics. They try to get reservations in government jobs for their caste members. Thus castes are trying to strengthen their position and to get as much political power as possible.

In Karnataka state politics there is rivalry between Okkaligas and Lingayats, the two leading present castes. In Andhra Pradesh the chief contesting castes are Reddies and Kamas, in Bihar, Bhumidars, Kayasth and Rajput.

Dravida Munnetra Kazngam (D.M.K) had arises as a non-Brahmin party of break the Brahmin cal dominance in Tamilnadu state politics. At present D.M.K and A.D.M.K are two non-Brahmin political parties in Tamilnadu and both the parties are in politically advantageous position in comparison with other political parties such as Congress and Communist in that state.

The highest expression of caste based politics is found in Bihar and U.P. is even today. The traditional caste rivalry between the Rajput, Kayastha and Bhumindar is found today among the political parties in Bihar.

The mobilisation of “Kurmis”on Faizabad district in Uttar Pradesh by Jai Ram Varma, who was Agricultural Minister in SBP Government, illustrates the way in which caste can be used by a skilful organiser to transform his own caste into a viable political force. The same may be said of Kansi Ram who as the leader of the scheduled and lower castes had been able to create a political force in U.P. the politics of Haryana has also become caste and faction ridden.

Finally, in defiance of constitutional provisions of equal opportunity the Medalists have come forward to claim reservation for the backward caste in the name of backward. Thus the claim for reservation in the Central Government services is purely politically motivated and this also clearly indicates strong bond between caste and politics. Further constitution only speaks of backward classes. As a result any move by the state government to develop criteria on the basis of caste is stuck down by the courts as they violate constitution.

The only way by which some State Government tries of overcome the situation is by drawing up a list of castes which are backward. Caste cannot be criterion to help the backward classes to come up because it is astrictive and because it helps powerful members of the castes to exploit the concessions for their benefits. Any attempt to exclude the advanced backward caste from backward castes appears impossible, because the advanced backward castes will desire to be in the list; as they are politically powerful their claim cannot be laid aside by any democratic government.

Although the politics in India cannot be explained entirely in terms of caste, caste is an important element in the politics. The caste influences political activity from Panchayat right up to Parliament. While the Caste System is breaking down in social and cultural fields; conflicts between castes are intensified by party.

Hence time for us to think beyond this system and bring back heritage in every possible way.. 

All the best..
Thankiew!

Prohibition in India

Prohibition

There is hardly a religion which has not discarded the habit of drinking. The Hindu saints have always been against it. In the Bible there are more ±an 150 references about this evil habit.

In the thirties, Christian missionaries in India had taken prohibition as a programme for their social propaganda throughout the country. Prophet Mohammad was deadly against it. He considered every berry of grapes the abode of devil.

The rejection of the habit of drinking was not limited to religious preachers alone, it was taken up by many writers and social workers even in Europe. George Bernard Shaw did not propagate only vegetarianism, he considered a drunkard a second rate citizen. It captured the fancy of Mr. Gorbachev the last President and the Secretary of the Communist Party of the former USSR who stopped the serving of Vodka in party meetings. Soft drinks replaced wine in his regime.

In India it was realized by Mahatma Gandhi that the habit of drinking armful for the poor. On the one hand it affects the health of the people; in the other it brings havoc to the family of the drunkard. As most of the poor is spent on drinking, the family members starve. The children are deprived of all that they should enjoy in their childhood. The drunkard indulges in all sorts of evil acts of sex and violence. It sometimes leads to murders committed by the drunkard and to suicide committed by new wives.

The Britishers were not interested in improving the condition of the poor. As drinking was a part of their culture in India they did not worry about it. But the early politicians were a breed of moralists. As soon as congress ministries were formed in seven provinces (now States) efforts ere made to impose prohibition. It met with great success.

In 1939 Indian National Congress passed a resolution to enforce prohibition in the country. On January 26, 1950 it was included in the directive principles of the Indian Constitution.

Immediately after independence, as promised by the Congress, prohibition was fully introduced in nine states as a time phased programme. Some moralist leaders like C. Rajgopalachari, Vinoba Bhave, U. N. Dhebar and Shriman Narain who were not in the government put a pressure upon the government to make prohibition a real success. From 1946 to 1956 it was a great success. But the implementation after 1958 was very poor. Bombay became a great centre of bootlegging (illegal trade in wine). The malady spread throughout the country. The enthusiasm of different state governments was also dampened.

Ultimately, in the third five year plan, it was taken as a social welfare movement. A committee was formed headed by Justice Tek Chand, a great protagonist of prohibition. The Committee made many recommendations and many times dates were fixed for complete prohibition in the country, the last being Gandhi centenary i.e. 2nd of October, 1969. But a reverse trend had already started in early sixties. Uttar Pradesh gave a lead to anti- prohibition move. It spread like a wild fire and gradually prohibition was scrapped in almost all the States. Gujarat was an exception. But, as it is said, anything that is prohibited has more temptation. Porbandar, the birth place of Mahatma Gandhi became the biggest centre of bootlegging in Gujarat. Ultimately in the eighties Gujarat too relaxed the prohibition law.

Besides the drinking lobby in the country which included many bureaucrats, businessmen and politicians prohibition was opposed by a sizable number of economists too. They were and are of the opinion that liquor is a big source of revenue to the State Governments and the Central Government too.

In the seventies prohibition meant a loss of revenue to the tune of Rs. 200 crore. As drinking is an addiction, the drunkard is ready to pay any price. Thus it tempted the State Governments to increase the quantum of different taxes. By a rough estimate prohibition would have cost the exchequer (Government Treasury) a loss of Rs. 1000 crore in the eighties.

According to an article written by Shri L. C. Jain, a former member of Planning Commission and published by a national daily on 26th of August, 1995 "For the entire country, government revenue from liquor is estimated at Rs. 10,000 crore, implying an expenditure of Rs. 50,000 crore a year by household on liquor consumption". Thus to gain Rs. 10,000 crore the nation has to spend Rs. 50,000 crore—a net loss of Rs. 40,000 crore to the nation. The Government has been tempted to net this amount of Rs. 10,000 crore.

Although a drunkard under Indian Criminal Code can be sued in court if he creates a nuisance at a public place, drinking became legalized by scrapping prohibition. The directive principle of the constitution was buried under the so called economic pragmatism.

With all this pragmatism the question still remains unanswered should there be no restriction on the evil of drinking in a country like India which has a tropical climate and where at least 50% of the people are bare below poverty line? Have we to copy and imitate all the evils that are prevalent in the West? Drinking leads to promiscuity both among the rich and the poor and to theft and evils like bribery among the poor and lower middle class people to meet their evil needs.

Should nothing be done to check the evil habit of drinking? Is the revenue of Rs. 1000 crore (quite considerable amount) more important than the flow of morality and prosperity among the people " If revenue is more important than human health and morality we earn it by legalizing and taxing flesh trade and brothels too. Male brothels are actually licensed in the USA and homosexual marriages are legally allowed. But it has resulted in an epidemic of AIDS—that killing; are we not going to learn any lessons from these trends of materialism and promiscuity in the USA and the West. A report concluded that AIDS is spreading like a wild fire in India. Most of the victims are those who visit pubs and then the red light area of prostitutes.

It has been experienced that in India the implementation, even of a good law becomes costly and difficult. The implementation of prohibition too cost the government a lot without any results.

Moreover in a country where child labor is ultimately legalized because it could not be checked what one can expect from the government. Concerted efforts will have to be made by individuals and voluntary organizations to dissuade people from the habit of not only drinking but other addictions too. Tamil Nadu government deserves praise for its prohibition posture. Let other states too follow it.

It is a well-known fact that liquor trade is backed by smugglers in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu with the help of toughs and Mafias. Smugglers overtly are respected citizens having close connections with high ups in politics.

Thus nothing could be done by the Delhi Administration even after a full knowledge of the firm of Ghaziabad (in U.P ) that sold illicit liquor under an Ayurvedic name causing death of hundreds of people. The reaction of the intelligentsia is that the price of licensed liquor should be brought down to be in the reach of the poor – a poor reflection on the problem.

On the other hand we have the example of Monody a village of 3000 on the slopes of Kodassery hills of Kerala. It was one of the biggest centers of brewing Charayam (hooch) in rural Kerala, -"of the 500 families depended on the trade.

Kaitharath a middle aged ran with the help of his young associates began anti-alcoholism drive in -S4. They had to suffer at the hands of the toughs of the producers, policemen and excise inspectors. But their firmness brought all political parties to support them. Production and drinking of Charayam was totally eradicated from the village by August 1991.

Thanks to Kaitharath that he as opened a glowing path for all the young men in the country to root out the evil. The lead of Kerala village was taken up in some villages in Himachal Pradesh and U.P. in 1995. Village women demolished the brewing apparatus. Since 30% of the members of the Panchayats are women in the whole country such steps may be taken up by housewives everywhere in the rural area—a good omen. Prohibition came back to Haryana in 1996 after a stern step taken by rural housewives.

Of late the evil has taken a strange turn. Thousands of new shops of foreign wine have been opened in different cities of the country. The government gave preference to freedom fighters to have the licenses— rather a shameful act. Many of the freedom fighters who had sit on dharma before wine shops took licenses. Others took these in their names. Who will now inspire the youth of the country to remain away from this poison.

Wakeup call for today's youth!! Be Alert folks...