The most dominant religion in India is Hinduism, perhaps the oldest of all Religions like Judaism in the world.
Religious minorities follow Islam (about 13% of the total population) and Christianity of various shades (about 3% of the total) in India. These are mostly converts from Hinduism because of economic or spiritual reasons starting around 1550 AD because of Moghul rulers and the Christian colonialists and missionaries. However, the influence of Hinduism and its practices linger among all religious minorities. For example, Muslims have Dhurga Worship, which is similar to any Idol Worship of Hindus. And, giving Dowries to bridegrooms is there among Muslims, while it should be the other way according to Islam. Therefore, I focus on Hinduism and the Fatalism propounded by its teachings.
In India there are about 100 million educated (passing high school and above) people, most of whom are "doing well". This group is slowly and steadily starting to look at religion as a cultural link to the distant past, as most of the people of the West. They work hard and climb up in the ladder of economic prosperity. This group doesn't care must about the Fatalism of the Hinduism.
Now, let us talk about the rest of the people: About 1100 million Indians.
I consider this group as "Poor and Dirt Poor" who can't make more than $3 per day person because of poor education and skills.
All most all of this group of people will say "God Giveth, Man Taketh" "All is Pre-Ordained, Nothing can be changed by anybody" "There is a better world out there after Death" etc.
I contend that these Beliefs are based on the Puranic preachings and teachings of Hinduism (and other religions). Hindus MUST believe in the doctrine of "Poorva Janma Karma", which means whatever you or your family did in previous birth will linger around and affect your life in this birth and the future births (because Hinduism teaches Reincarnation and Rebirth of the Soul).
This FATALISM instructs the poor Believers to think of God all the time and worship HIM with prayers, poojas and bhajans many hours a day so much so they neglect to go to school, finish school, acquire useful skills and find good jobs.
Hence these Believers are largely Poor or Dirt Poor, and poverty begets poverty and the cycle continues.
This is happening in all poor countries of Asia, Africa and Central and South America.
I contend unless we get rid of this MIND SET of religion, Gods and FATALISM, it is very hard to eradicate poverty in these countries.
More later...
Cheers.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
"In God We Trust": What do some people mean by it?
Many Believers argue that "In God We Trust" is inscribed everywhere in America, therefore ALL Americans are Theists of the traditional sense.
I disagree.
Historically, all most all people of the world were following some "God, the Almighty", and the organized religions had a very strong influence in the day to day life of people. However, at least since the days of Industrial Revolution (since early 1800s) this started changing to the point that nearly 2.5 billion people in the contemporary world don't think of this "God, the Almighty". They don't worship any God.
In the US, I believe nearly 70-80% of the Americans have "lukewarm" reverence to "God, the Almighty" so much so during Christmas, these people think more of Santa Claus and his gift-giving than of Baby Jesus and attending the grand mass in the early hours of Christmas Day!
Yes, these people believe "In God We Trust" - not as a holy reverence to "God, the Almighty" but as a cultural link to the distant past - a feeling of Culture and History.
The situation is true both here in the US and other OECD countries (the developed world, some call this "The First World).
We need not say anything on this regard in what's happening in China and the former Soviet lands (the so-called Second World).
But, the developing world is totally different (the so-called Third World). Here most people truly believe "In God We Trust", and in India nearly 1100 million people worship their Gods very regularly.
Nearly all of them are either poor or living in abject poverty. They believe it's all due to their "Poorva Janma Karma" and "All this is Pre-Ordained, Nothing can be changed by human FREEWILL"
This bothers me a lot.
More later...
Cheers.
I disagree.
Historically, all most all people of the world were following some "God, the Almighty", and the organized religions had a very strong influence in the day to day life of people. However, at least since the days of Industrial Revolution (since early 1800s) this started changing to the point that nearly 2.5 billion people in the contemporary world don't think of this "God, the Almighty". They don't worship any God.
In the US, I believe nearly 70-80% of the Americans have "lukewarm" reverence to "God, the Almighty" so much so during Christmas, these people think more of Santa Claus and his gift-giving than of Baby Jesus and attending the grand mass in the early hours of Christmas Day!
Yes, these people believe "In God We Trust" - not as a holy reverence to "God, the Almighty" but as a cultural link to the distant past - a feeling of Culture and History.
The situation is true both here in the US and other OECD countries (the developed world, some call this "The First World).
We need not say anything on this regard in what's happening in China and the former Soviet lands (the so-called Second World).
But, the developing world is totally different (the so-called Third World). Here most people truly believe "In God We Trust", and in India nearly 1100 million people worship their Gods very regularly.
Nearly all of them are either poor or living in abject poverty. They believe it's all due to their "Poorva Janma Karma" and "All this is Pre-Ordained, Nothing can be changed by human FREEWILL"
This bothers me a lot.
More later...
Cheers.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Religions and Gods: Their Consequences in Modern India.
Of the about 1200 million Indians, about 85% follow the traditional Hinduism, about 13% follow Islam and others follow Christianity, and other religions like Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainims etc.
I consider only the three major religions of the world here: Hinduism, Islam and Christianity in India as others are considered offshoot of Hinduism.
The core criteria for being a religious person are:
1. Believing in the IDEA of a Super Natural Agent (SNA) who controls ALL activities of all beings in this Universe, including human beings ALL the time. According to Holy Puranas, Holy Koran and Holy Bible this SNA could very well be in the form of Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna or Lord Rama or other human form.
2. Believing in the IDEA of real utility of Prayers, Poojas and Bhajans (PPB). That is, the Almighty SNA will yield to PPB and provide the devotee or the worshiper with "all that he/she" prays for.
The above criteria are very important for all those follow Islam, Christianity (Abrahamic religions) and Hinduism.
3. In addition, Hindus must believe in the IDEA of Janma Poorva Karma (meaning the life in this birth is determined by all the actions of this and all the previous births; this brings forth the most important concept in Hinduism: the IDEA of Reincarnation and Rebirth, which demands the IDEA of FATALISM: the IDEA of everything is Pre-Ordained or Pre-Determined, and events in ones life can't be prevented, no matter what.
For many Scientists and to Atheists, the aforementioned criteria are just FICTION made up by some men:
Men created Religions, which created Gods for the purpose to subdue, organize, regulate, dominate, control or exploit human beings. This is the position of Atheists, and many Agnostics and Naturalists (who don't believe in any God, but believe in the awesome power of Nature as a Force).
Of the 7 billion in the world now, about 2 billion people follow Christianity, about 1.5 billion people follow Islam and about 1.0 billion people follow Hinduism. The rest 2.5 billion people are Non-Worshipers and Non-Believers.
Modern India has Secular Constitution. However, vast majority of the population is devoutly religious. Perhaps, about 100 million people who are middle class or rich are "Reformed Religious People" who have somewhat irreverent approach to religion - they don't go to Temple/Mosque/Church regularly for prayers. Others spend many hours a day in doing Prayers, Poojas and Bhajans to the Almighty God.
The current economic malaise of India where the average per capita income is about $3.65 per day per person can be traced back to extreme religiosity of nearly 1100 million people, who are poorly educated and with very poor skills
Most of these people strongly believe that their wretched life is because of their Janma Poorva Karma, and that they can't do any thing about it.
Life is Pre-Determined by the Almighty God (God of Puranas or the Gods of Abraham).
That bothers me the most.... more later.
Cheers.
I consider only the three major religions of the world here: Hinduism, Islam and Christianity in India as others are considered offshoot of Hinduism.
The core criteria for being a religious person are:
1. Believing in the IDEA of a Super Natural Agent (SNA) who controls ALL activities of all beings in this Universe, including human beings ALL the time. According to Holy Puranas, Holy Koran and Holy Bible this SNA could very well be in the form of Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna or Lord Rama or other human form.
2. Believing in the IDEA of real utility of Prayers, Poojas and Bhajans (PPB). That is, the Almighty SNA will yield to PPB and provide the devotee or the worshiper with "all that he/she" prays for.
The above criteria are very important for all those follow Islam, Christianity (Abrahamic religions) and Hinduism.
3. In addition, Hindus must believe in the IDEA of Janma Poorva Karma (meaning the life in this birth is determined by all the actions of this and all the previous births; this brings forth the most important concept in Hinduism: the IDEA of Reincarnation and Rebirth, which demands the IDEA of FATALISM: the IDEA of everything is Pre-Ordained or Pre-Determined, and events in ones life can't be prevented, no matter what.
For many Scientists and to Atheists, the aforementioned criteria are just FICTION made up by some men:
Men created Religions, which created Gods for the purpose to subdue, organize, regulate, dominate, control or exploit human beings. This is the position of Atheists, and many Agnostics and Naturalists (who don't believe in any God, but believe in the awesome power of Nature as a Force).
Of the 7 billion in the world now, about 2 billion people follow Christianity, about 1.5 billion people follow Islam and about 1.0 billion people follow Hinduism. The rest 2.5 billion people are Non-Worshipers and Non-Believers.
Modern India has Secular Constitution. However, vast majority of the population is devoutly religious. Perhaps, about 100 million people who are middle class or rich are "Reformed Religious People" who have somewhat irreverent approach to religion - they don't go to Temple/Mosque/Church regularly for prayers. Others spend many hours a day in doing Prayers, Poojas and Bhajans to the Almighty God.
The current economic malaise of India where the average per capita income is about $3.65 per day per person can be traced back to extreme religiosity of nearly 1100 million people, who are poorly educated and with very poor skills
Most of these people strongly believe that their wretched life is because of their Janma Poorva Karma, and that they can't do any thing about it.
Life is Pre-Determined by the Almighty God (God of Puranas or the Gods of Abraham).
That bothers me the most.... more later.
Cheers.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Why is there a hue of skin colors among Indians?
In my previous post I indicated that there was a massive Immigration of peoples from the North to the South around 1500 BC.
Anthropologists and Geneticists say that people from the arid steppe lands of Central Asia or West Eurasia (the present day Kazhakstan at 45 N parallel and 60 South) migrated into India from the North West around the time the Fall of the glorious Indus Valley Civilization. Perhaps, these people were looking for fertile lands to grow crops. India provided this with perennial rivers of Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Cauvery etc with deep oceans all around for fishing...
What's not clear is whether these people from the North (some historians call them as Aryans) were responsible for the Fall of the Indus Valley Civilization or it happened because of natural disaster of some kind. It has been a puzzle for many historians and anthropologists.
These new immigrants from the North West spoke distinctly a different language (called Indo-European type as opposed to the Indo-Dravidian type) called Sanskrit and were having low melanin pigment in their skin (like the "White People).
These people are the Vedic people who wrote Vedas, the Holy Book of the present day Hindus in India around 3500 years ago. Before the arrival of this Vedic people, Indians were worshiping Nature (like Sun, Moon, Sea, Rain etc); there is evidences of prevalent Shaktism - the practice of worshiping a Female God (Divine Mother God). And a few were worshiping Shiva lingam in the ancient pre-Vedic India.
These Vedic people started inter-marrying the dark skinned people of India for at least the next 2000 years. So much so after multiple generations of cross marriages, what we have in India is people with a hue of skin colors, which is prevalent in the middle States of India today: People in Kashmir look very similar to people in Kazhakstan and people in the Kanyakkumari district in down South look very much alike people in Kenya or the aboriginal Australians.In between, you will see different shades of skin color among Indians.
This skin color difference has posed enormous political and social problems in India. Some politicians divide Indians as pure Aryans and Dravidians - one came from outside India and other the aboriginals of India, respectively. This is very divisive and totally unnecessary because over 2000 years or so, there has been complete mixing of the genes responsible for melanin, thus creating mixed pool of genes/alleles in the "Indian genome".
Thus most Indians are of mixed genome as far as the multiple genes responsible for the synthesis, processing and loading of melanin under the skin and its maintenance and degradation are concerned. I consider myself a Dravidian, sporting a dark brown color (like President Obama, who is the son of a Kenyan father and a White American mother - a mutt, as he calls himself), while my mother and my maternal grandmother looked more " fair colored" or "White".
This is to say that each family has members who sport darker AND lighter skin, meaning every Aryan has Dravidian in him or her, or every Dravidian has an Aryan in him or her genetically speaking.
In Tamil Nadu we have political parties of DK, DMK and AIADMK, who all practice Dravidian Ideology as opposed to most other Southern States.
For the aforementioned reasons, it is not correct to dwell on Dravidian Ideology in the present time.
I will write about Religions in India and their consequences in the Social and Economic life, later....
Cheers.
Anthropologists and Geneticists say that people from the arid steppe lands of Central Asia or West Eurasia (the present day Kazhakstan at 45 N parallel and 60 South) migrated into India from the North West around the time the Fall of the glorious Indus Valley Civilization. Perhaps, these people were looking for fertile lands to grow crops. India provided this with perennial rivers of Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Cauvery etc with deep oceans all around for fishing...
What's not clear is whether these people from the North (some historians call them as Aryans) were responsible for the Fall of the Indus Valley Civilization or it happened because of natural disaster of some kind. It has been a puzzle for many historians and anthropologists.
These new immigrants from the North West spoke distinctly a different language (called Indo-European type as opposed to the Indo-Dravidian type) called Sanskrit and were having low melanin pigment in their skin (like the "White People).
These people are the Vedic people who wrote Vedas, the Holy Book of the present day Hindus in India around 3500 years ago. Before the arrival of this Vedic people, Indians were worshiping Nature (like Sun, Moon, Sea, Rain etc); there is evidences of prevalent Shaktism - the practice of worshiping a Female God (Divine Mother God). And a few were worshiping Shiva lingam in the ancient pre-Vedic India.
These Vedic people started inter-marrying the dark skinned people of India for at least the next 2000 years. So much so after multiple generations of cross marriages, what we have in India is people with a hue of skin colors, which is prevalent in the middle States of India today: People in Kashmir look very similar to people in Kazhakstan and people in the Kanyakkumari district in down South look very much alike people in Kenya or the aboriginal Australians.In between, you will see different shades of skin color among Indians.
This skin color difference has posed enormous political and social problems in India. Some politicians divide Indians as pure Aryans and Dravidians - one came from outside India and other the aboriginals of India, respectively. This is very divisive and totally unnecessary because over 2000 years or so, there has been complete mixing of the genes responsible for melanin, thus creating mixed pool of genes/alleles in the "Indian genome".
Thus most Indians are of mixed genome as far as the multiple genes responsible for the synthesis, processing and loading of melanin under the skin and its maintenance and degradation are concerned. I consider myself a Dravidian, sporting a dark brown color (like President Obama, who is the son of a Kenyan father and a White American mother - a mutt, as he calls himself), while my mother and my maternal grandmother looked more " fair colored" or "White".
This is to say that each family has members who sport darker AND lighter skin, meaning every Aryan has Dravidian in him or her, or every Dravidian has an Aryan in him or her genetically speaking.
In Tamil Nadu we have political parties of DK, DMK and AIADMK, who all practice Dravidian Ideology as opposed to most other Southern States.
For the aforementioned reasons, it is not correct to dwell on Dravidian Ideology in the present time.
I will write about Religions in India and their consequences in the Social and Economic life, later....
Cheers.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Mehrgarh: The Oldest Civilization in the World
We were taught in the school that Mesopotomia (in Iraq of today) was the Cradle of Civilization. Now we know it is not the oldest of all civilizations.
In 1974, a group of archaeologists unearthed precious evidences in Mehrgarh (in Indus Valley, Pakistan of today) that people lived in opulence and style there, making it as the Oldest of Civilizations dating back to 7000 BC.
Who were the people of Mehrgarh?
I opine that these were the earliest people who migrated out of Africa.
Anthropologists and Biologists say that about 50,000 years ago, there started the Human Migration out of Africa (from the Great Rift Valley around Lake Victoria where humans evolved from the progenitors of monkey about two million years ago) via the so-called Southern Route: From Africa, to present day Yemen, to Omen, to Iran, to Pakistan, to India, to Burma, to Malaysia to Indonesia and finally to Australia. The journey could have taken hundreds of years to complete.
Whereever there were cozy environments, many of the families stayed back and started to live in large communities along this Southern Route. It appears that these people chose Indus Valley for their settlement, and the Indus Valley Civilization started to emerge and flourish from 7000 BC till 1500 BC.
The present day Pakistanis are NOT the original people of the Mehrgarh, Mohanjedaro or Harrappa - the major centers of Indus Valley Civilization.
The original people were the present day high melanin pigmented Dravidians who now live in most of South India, including Chennai in Tamil Nadu.: If you bring together 100 Kenyans, 100 Dravidians of South India and 100 Australian Aboriginals, they will all look very much alike.. these are the same people who took the Southern Route of Human Migration out of Africa.
Then who are light skinned people of the present day Yemen, Omen, Iran, Pakistan, India, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia?
There started a Northern Route of Human Migration out of Africa sometime AFTER the Southern Route of Migration mentioned above. They took the route via Egypt, Turkey, then towards Europe and Asia; from Asia via Bering Sea towards North America and then to South America.
These people started to lose the melanin pigment because there was no need for them in colder and milder climate. This was a biological adaptation for the new environment and the need for more Vitamin D. These are the present day "Light Skinned or White People".
Historians say that around 1500 BC, some of these "White People" started moving down towards South inhabiting part of Egypt, all of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Omen, Iran, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia. As most people know Australia was a colony of Great Britain, one of the mightiest Colonial Powers of the near past.
About the Light Skinned People (Aryans) of British India, later....
In 1974, a group of archaeologists unearthed precious evidences in Mehrgarh (in Indus Valley, Pakistan of today) that people lived in opulence and style there, making it as the Oldest of Civilizations dating back to 7000 BC.
Who were the people of Mehrgarh?
I opine that these were the earliest people who migrated out of Africa.
Anthropologists and Biologists say that about 50,000 years ago, there started the Human Migration out of Africa (from the Great Rift Valley around Lake Victoria where humans evolved from the progenitors of monkey about two million years ago) via the so-called Southern Route: From Africa, to present day Yemen, to Omen, to Iran, to Pakistan, to India, to Burma, to Malaysia to Indonesia and finally to Australia. The journey could have taken hundreds of years to complete.
Whereever there were cozy environments, many of the families stayed back and started to live in large communities along this Southern Route. It appears that these people chose Indus Valley for their settlement, and the Indus Valley Civilization started to emerge and flourish from 7000 BC till 1500 BC.
The present day Pakistanis are NOT the original people of the Mehrgarh, Mohanjedaro or Harrappa - the major centers of Indus Valley Civilization.
The original people were the present day high melanin pigmented Dravidians who now live in most of South India, including Chennai in Tamil Nadu.: If you bring together 100 Kenyans, 100 Dravidians of South India and 100 Australian Aboriginals, they will all look very much alike.. these are the same people who took the Southern Route of Human Migration out of Africa.
Then who are light skinned people of the present day Yemen, Omen, Iran, Pakistan, India, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia?
There started a Northern Route of Human Migration out of Africa sometime AFTER the Southern Route of Migration mentioned above. They took the route via Egypt, Turkey, then towards Europe and Asia; from Asia via Bering Sea towards North America and then to South America.
These people started to lose the melanin pigment because there was no need for them in colder and milder climate. This was a biological adaptation for the new environment and the need for more Vitamin D. These are the present day "Light Skinned or White People".
Historians say that around 1500 BC, some of these "White People" started moving down towards South inhabiting part of Egypt, all of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Omen, Iran, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia. As most people know Australia was a colony of Great Britain, one of the mightiest Colonial Powers of the near past.
About the Light Skinned People (Aryans) of British India, later....
What's is this blog?
Although the name appears to be rather restricting and communal... this blog is about and for ALL Tamils and Indians, irrespective of community, religion, caste, or any other factor.
The author will deal with issues of religion, economics, politics, Science & Technology. Emphasis may be given more towards the issues relating to India and the US.
He is a Tamil (a Strict Secularist in practice), born and lived in Tamil Nadu (in a small Village called Panaikulam, in Ramnad Taluk & District), India; he emigrated to the US for post-doctoral training, and settled now in Houston, TX, USA.
He is a Senior Research Scientist (Neurobiology) with a PhD (from Madurai Kamaraj University) and MBA (from University of Houston).
Welcome to this blog.
The author will deal with issues of religion, economics, politics, Science & Technology. Emphasis may be given more towards the issues relating to India and the US.
He is a Tamil (a Strict Secularist in practice), born and lived in Tamil Nadu (in a small Village called Panaikulam, in Ramnad Taluk & District), India; he emigrated to the US for post-doctoral training, and settled now in Houston, TX, USA.
He is a Senior Research Scientist (Neurobiology) with a PhD (from Madurai Kamaraj University) and MBA (from University of Houston).
Welcome to this blog.
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