Saturday, 3 July 2010
the last communist...
Dubey ji is one large-hearted, warm, lively and intellectually stimulating person who experienced communism in Soviet Union first-hand. He saw the Union crumble, he also watched communist China welcome Capitalism and today witnesses the Indian Communist movement lost in the wilderness. Even in his happy hours the brand loyalty persists ! Three cheers for Dubeyji !
Monday, 28 June 2010
Friday, 25 June 2010
HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION AND TAMILIANS
THE WORLD CLASSICAL TAMIL CONFERENCE IS JUSTIFIABLY A MOMENT OF PRIDE FOR THE INDIANS IN GENERAL AND TAMIL SPEAKING PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR. THE SCHOLAR AND THE DISPASSIONATE HISTORIAN HOWEVER HAVE MUCH TO FLINCH ABOUT. LET US TRY NOT TO HURT TAMIL SENTIMENTS BUT NEVERTHELESS ATTEMPT AN HONEST JOB OF HISTORICAL PROBING !
ASKO PARPOLA THE FINNISH INDOLOGIST IS AT THE CONFERENCE TO PRESENT HIS RESEARCH FINDINGS ON PROBABLE LINKAGES OF THE MOHENJODARO-HARAPPA CIVILIZATION WITH THE ANCIENT HISTORY OF TAMILS AND FOR THIS HYPOTHESIS PARPOLA IS BEING FETED BY THE CONFERENCE. ASKO PARPOLA WHILE LABOURING HARD TO DECIPHER THE INDUS VALLEY SCRIPT AND SURELY STILL NOT THERE, BELIEVES HE HAS DECODED A FEW LETTERS THAT WOULD SOUND SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO OLD TAMIL WORDS.
WHO REALLY WERE THE HARAPPAN PEOPLE ? WERE THEY REALLY THE DRAVIDIAN TRIBES THAT MIGRATED TO THE SOUTH OF INDIA IN FACE OF SUCCESSIVE INVASIONS THROUGH THE NORTH BY ARYAN TRIBES ? WELL, THIS IS WHAT POPULAR HISTORY WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE ! AND THE HYPOTHESIS HAS GENERALLY GONE UNCHALLENGED OVER AN ENTIRE CENTURY OF HISTORICAL SCHOLARSHIP ! BUT MAN MAKETH THE MYTH ! THERE IS GLORY IN CLAIMING THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION TO BE ONE'S OWN.THIS CIVILIZATION WAS URBAN, VERY MODERN FOR ITS TIME AND IS MYSTERIOUSLY LOST TO HISTORY. IF THE TAMIL SPEAKERS WISH TO BELIEVE THAT THE ABANDONED CITIES OF 3000 YEARS AGO WERE THEIRS ONCE - HAPPY INHERITANCE TO THEM BUT IN THIS TWENTY FIRST CENTURY ATLEAST WE SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR HARD FACTS TO EMERGE AND HONESTLY ACCEPT WHAT COMES OUT AS THE MOST FACTUAL IMAGE OF OUR GLORIOUS OR INGLORIOUS PAST.
ASKO PARPOLA THE FINNISH INDOLOGIST IS AT THE CONFERENCE TO PRESENT HIS RESEARCH FINDINGS ON PROBABLE LINKAGES OF THE MOHENJODARO-HARAPPA CIVILIZATION WITH THE ANCIENT HISTORY OF TAMILS AND FOR THIS HYPOTHESIS PARPOLA IS BEING FETED BY THE CONFERENCE. ASKO PARPOLA WHILE LABOURING HARD TO DECIPHER THE INDUS VALLEY SCRIPT AND SURELY STILL NOT THERE, BELIEVES HE HAS DECODED A FEW LETTERS THAT WOULD SOUND SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO OLD TAMIL WORDS.
WHO REALLY WERE THE HARAPPAN PEOPLE ? WERE THEY REALLY THE DRAVIDIAN TRIBES THAT MIGRATED TO THE SOUTH OF INDIA IN FACE OF SUCCESSIVE INVASIONS THROUGH THE NORTH BY ARYAN TRIBES ? WELL, THIS IS WHAT POPULAR HISTORY WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE ! AND THE HYPOTHESIS HAS GENERALLY GONE UNCHALLENGED OVER AN ENTIRE CENTURY OF HISTORICAL SCHOLARSHIP ! BUT MAN MAKETH THE MYTH ! THERE IS GLORY IN CLAIMING THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION TO BE ONE'S OWN.THIS CIVILIZATION WAS URBAN, VERY MODERN FOR ITS TIME AND IS MYSTERIOUSLY LOST TO HISTORY. IF THE TAMIL SPEAKERS WISH TO BELIEVE THAT THE ABANDONED CITIES OF 3000 YEARS AGO WERE THEIRS ONCE - HAPPY INHERITANCE TO THEM BUT IN THIS TWENTY FIRST CENTURY ATLEAST WE SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR HARD FACTS TO EMERGE AND HONESTLY ACCEPT WHAT COMES OUT AS THE MOST FACTUAL IMAGE OF OUR GLORIOUS OR INGLORIOUS PAST.
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
the last days of Socrates
Plato the disciple wrote that as a tribute to his master, philosopher and guide. While reading Apologia (defense) I slowed down and snailed from paragraph to paragraph. Transported to the Greece of 2,500 years ago, one lived the moments and thought one could somehow parry the accusations and reverse the judgment. Alas ! Arguably the greatest thinker and genius of his time and the founder of modern Philosophy and Logic fell to the envies and wicked machinations of much less gifted mortals. But isn't that a rule of life ? The wisest be condemned to yield to the mediocrity of the near-mindless !
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