Articles
Looking Back and Forward at Ninety (18-10-2021)
Dt: 8/10/21
Looking Back and Forward at Ninety (18-10-2021)
- Dr T H Chowdary*
Sasyamiva martyah pachyate
Sasyamivaayate punah:
A mortal ripens like corn
Like corn he springs up again
- Kathopanishad
Instructed by Nidamarthi Satyanarayana garu about the life and deeds of Dharma of persons in Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata and made familiar with Sumathi and Vemana Satakas and Bharthrihari Subhashitas while in the High School in Gudivada, impressed by Fr. Jerome De’Souza, Principal of Loyola College Chennai telling us that, “we should so live as to add to the sum total of happiness in the world and inspired by Lt. Col. Samuel Pal, Principal, College of Engineering, Guindy, Madras, exhorting us to be leaders in our profession, I took-up service in government first in All India Radio and then in the Post & Telegraph Department ( which later was split into Departments of Telecom (DOT) and Department of Posts (DOP) through all-India competitive examination – 37 years in all. The mottos, “Bahujana Hitaya; Bahu Jana Sukhaya of AIR & Aharnisam Sewamahe” of DOT were truly and fully lived by me .
2. I worked not merely to administer rules and regulations but to deliver service, to enhance service, introduce solutions to problems, unmindful of “rules”, satisfying three moral standards: “don’t make money for yourself; don’t put government to loss; enhance customer service and satisfaction”. I faced the jealousy of colleagues and inquisitions, interrogations by Parliament’s
Public Accounts Committees (PAC) . I came to no harm; I received rare compliments from the PACs and ministers and Directors General of the P&T and DOT but not any “out of turn” promotions as recommended by Ministers & DGs because of the “union activity of 42 seniors, whom I was to supersede! I was not disappointed”. I totally believed in the Gita’s message:
karmanyevaadhikaaraste
Maa karmaphala heturbhuh
Maa faleshu kadaachana (II.47)
“Your right is to work only but never to the fruit there of. Let not fruit of action be your object” .
3. In the course of my work in the DOT, I developed a vision for telecoms.
· Postalisation of telecoms – same charge irrespective of distance
· Telephoning cheaper than post card
· Haath haath mein telephone : Gaon gaon mein Internet
· Communicate for work: Commute for pleasure.
4. The story of my struggles to achieve these objectives is told in my book, “ Are You Listening” ( published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 1990); another six books, and in over 3000 articles and over 1500 power point presentations in national and international for a over a period of 40 years.
5. Looking Forward:
Na vittena tarpaneeyoh manushyah
(Man is not satisfied with wealth)
- Kathopanishad
Man does not live by bread alone
- The Bible
I became conscious of political and social issues at age 14 - during the 2nd World War and trials of the Indian National Army (INA) officers in 1945-46 – Shah Nawaz Khan, G.S.Dhillon and Prem Singh Sehgal. I took out processions in my village, raising slogans (Jai Hind, Vande Mataram; Subhash Chandra Bose Zindabad).
6. While I was in Chennai in Loyola college and College of Engineering ( Guindy), I was drawn to communism; I read many works of Marx, Engels, Stalin, Dange, Liu Shao Chi. I was the first and last Telugu boy to be elected to the Engineering College Students Association as its President even with the stamp as communist. In mid 1950s I read Khruschev’s speech at the 20th Party Congress at which he exposed Stalin’s cruelties and personality cult. That spurred me to read ex -communists: George Orwell (Animal Farm; Nineteen Eighty Four ); Arthur Koestler’s Yogi and the Commissar; Louis Fischer’s “The God That Failed” ; Minoo Masani’s “Socialism Revisited” after his visits to Stalin’s Russia.
These studies and the CPI’s tutelage to communist Russia made me look at India’s history, Hinduism, Upanishads, Mahabharata……. I discovered that Sanatan Dharma is superior to all religions; isms, theologies and ideologies which are at best partial truths and in practice, irrational, intolerant , divisive faiths acting as sappers and miners of imperialisms.
I was drawn to Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan to Kulapati Munshiji, Rajaji, Prof. N G Ranga and Minoo Masani ; I read V.D Savarkar, Guruji Golwalkar; Sita Ram Goel, Ram Swaroop and all the publications of Voice of India . I became familiar with the havoc wrought in India by Islamic invaders and rulers, looters and slave merchants, the centuries- long heroic resistance of Hindu Rajas to Islamists as nowhere else in the world and the Christian missionaries subversion of Hindus.
I have understood how Gandhiji’s and Congress’ irrational and baseless efforts for Hindu -Muslim unity have led to the partition of India and decimation and genocide of Indic people in Pakistan , Bangladesh and Kashmir Valley; how Nehru’s fascination for USSR and “socialism” and his peculiar “secularism” have emasculated India and how Marxist and Muslim historians patronized by Nehru and his dynasty have been presenting a false and exculpating narration of history. The consequence has been clear: nationhood- undermining and self- alienating education and re- emergence of Pakistaniat in the furiously proliferating Muslims in Bharat and disintegrative religionism; both tending to undo the Indian Nation State which Sardar Patel forged in an unprecedently short period of three years ( 1947-50) .
7. In the light of what I briefly stated above, about my post -communist understanding of our national life, I am endeavoring to awaken and promote rashtrabhiman and nationalism which to my understanding is synonymous with Hindu Dharma, Hindutva. The most important tasks I look forward to are:
· Freeing Hindu temples from government’s control, management and administration; utilize their resources for national education and health
· Utilise worship to build powerful, united Hindu community through congregational prayer and worship in temples and at festivals (Ramanavami, Dasara, Krishnashtami….) to transcend castes and pre-empt caste conflicts promoted by power hungry politicians.
Ø Amendments to Constitution to :
· Remove “propagation” (and consequent conversion) of religion as a fundamental right (Art-25).
· Secure rights to Hindus, as available to minorities for founding and managing educational institutions of “their choice” (Article- 30)
· Lay down fundamental duties and make them enforceable and not merely directive; especially in regard to number of children a family can have . Amend the Constitution for this purpose.
· Interstate rivers should be declared as national resources and their utilization be governed by Union authority.
· Establish National Universities as distinct from central, state, private etc to continuously foster the idea of the civilizational state of Bharat, nationalism and Bharatiya samskriti in its several non-conflicting splendours ( ekam sat vipraah bahudhaa vadanti).
· Legislate Uniform Civil Code as in all civilized democracies
· Promote rule- based competition among political parties- not enmity. Create by law “Political Parties Regulatory Authority of India ( an all time body, unlike the Election Commission which comes to life only to conduct elections).
8. These are some of the changes I look forward to and propagate in the remaining years of my life; to see a prosperous, powerful, ethical Bharat to become a Jagadguru as our Rishis strove to make this Punya Bhoomi.
9. I must acknowledge the inspiration, courage and support my wife, Smt. Mani ( b.14 Jan 1934 - d.23 Jan 2010) gave me since marriage ( 19 April 1951) relieving me of the need to look after my children and bringing them up ( one doctor and one engineer) and also helping my brothers’ and sisters’ and her sisters’ children. In moments of my despair in repeatedly confronting my detractors ( jealous seniors) , she would say :
Klaibyam maa sma gamah
Hanuma
Na etat tvayie upapadyate,
Kshudram hridaya daurbalyam
Tyaktvaa uttista
Dharma ratah!
And I would regain my zest to pursue my mission (para #3).
10. I must also acknowledge assistance and encouragement that Smt AVV L Sujatha, a TCS associate had been giving me for the last 30 years in my various exertions and pursuits. (1,295 words)
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