“Those who champion the two nation theory are not aware of the nature of Indian culture, which has been an amalgam of Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian cultures, the signs of which are evident in food habits, clothes, art, architecture and most so in music. Here you have Hindus singing Karim Rahim and Muslims beginning their dhrupad alaaps with Hari Om Anantanarayana. Khayals and thumris feature mostly the Radha Krishna theme. Hari dhamar and thumri would now be anathema to Muslims in our neighboring Islamic states but not to Indian musicians - whether Shias or Sunnis. The last Nawab of Lucknow, Wajid Ali Shah, used to perform Raasleela in the role of Krishna with the ladies of his harem, and composed bandishes in praise of him.”

- Kumar Prasad Mukherji in The Lost World of Hindustani Music

Just an excerpt from some writing I did earlier today, regarding the development of India.

…It’s strange though, as aimless as the paths here seem, and as arbitrary as the rules are, the people tend to have an almost frightening sense of purpose. Among the youth especially, the pressure to do something, and to be somebody, is enormous. For some it becomes suffocating, and to others it is fuel for success. Yet, not everyone in life can be fully successful, success is often as much a matter of luck as work and ability. For the majority of people to live happy lives then, perhaps we need to shift our definition of success. Is not a person that makes the most of what they are given successful? Doesn’t living one’s life with dignity and always treating others with respect make one successful? Perhaps you disagree, but I feel we need to shift the focus from the ends to the means.
(more…)

I find it interesting that during the colonial era, there were three pillars of the mindset that the Europeans rightly should conquer and rule over the rest of the world. They were:

- Colonialism itself
- Racism
- Religious Exclusivity

Colonialism as economics was very profitable for the Europeans, allowing them to suck wealth out of their subject states and use it to build their infrastructure and expand their military might even more. Racism was part of the rationalisation that the savages were being conquered for their own good, and religion reinforced this. It was the ‘White Man’s Burden’ to rule the world, civilize the black savages, and bring them true religion.

In the modern era, we have sought to erase the arrogant footprint of the colonial era. It is no longer considered acceptable by most for a country to conquer another for the sake of economic exploitation. Racism still exists, but it is attacked as being ignorant. And yet, despite this progress, the attitude of missionary religions remains. One wonders how long it will take to erase this vestige of the colonial era from the modern era.

-D

The monsoon season has begun a bit early here in Mumbai, though it hasn’t been too bad thus far. I am trying to find a way to post some of the interesting pictures I’ve taken up here, but thus far I have been unsuccessful. Once I find a way to exchange files between my computer and the net cafe I use, or get an internet connection at home, this should be remedied.

-D