Rohingya Crisis and India-Myanmar-Bangladesh relation

Rohingya Crisis and India-Myanmar-Bangladesh relations

Rohingyas are ethnic muslim minority group of Rakhine state in Myanmar. They have stayed here from generations. However, the 1982 citizenship law of Myanmar prohibits them from being citizens.  Myanmar considers them as people who migrated during colonial rule. Discriminatory government policies and violence have compelled Rohingyas to flee their homes in predominantly Buddhist country. The United Nations has described Rohingya as one of the world's most persecuted minority. "No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark"  by poet Warsen Shire helps to depict the situation. 

Myanmar's neighbouring countries
(Map via pedh.org) 

The violence on 25th August 2017 fuelled up the Rohingya Refugee Crisis. Most of them fled to neighbouring countries. Teri Hatcher's statement, "They are safe but they are not in their homes. They are city-less. I think it's just a disaster for everyone.", describes the situation. The 'ethnic cleansing' has become a burden for crowded Bangladesh. India faces security threat. 

Bangladesh and Myanmar are vital for our security. While India's expected role was to play a neutral arbitrator and a stabilising force to contain the crisis, it failed to do so. Bangladesh's government wants India to join them putting pressure on Myanmar. India sees Myanmar as a neighbour of high economic and strategic potential. It does not want a conflict of interest as Myanmar plays a key role in India's 'Act East' policy. Peace and stability in Rakhine state of Myanmar is crucial for India’s economic investment. It aims at developing transport infrastructure by Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project. It seems that India is competing with China to become Myanmar's favourite strategic partner. This economic interest may have forced India to shun its broader 'regional superpower' aspiration, at least in the case of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

India- A Stateless Country

India- A Stateless Country 

Can different parts of India integrate to form a single state, "India"? What could be 'stated' about Indian 'states' at present?  In present 'state' , the first question definitely seems to be ruled out while the following question shows different interpretation of the word 'state'. Similar to the single word, 'state', the people in our country- though belonging to a single state have different interpretations. These interpretations have opened up the Pandora's Box. They think of themselves to have some different meaning and start demanding a different word altogether. Till the time, a single word- 'state', serves our purpose we do no look for an alternative.  This explains why people are demanding a different state for themselves. They feel that their purpose is not served in present scenario.

Telangana, the newest state, is developing. What obstructed its development previously must be a matter of concern.  There must be loopholes or faults in the governance which was obstructing its development. When remedies of such loopholes would be sought, the rising demand for the disintegration of states would be nullified.

Instead of getting integrated with boundless emotions, people are unconsciously demanding the 'disintegration' (political/geographical boundaries). At this juncture, one must recall the legendary phrase- "United we stand, Divided we fall". Groups of people have started demanding a separate small area for themselves. Shouldn't these, "kind-hearted", people feel glad to provide an opportunity to their good opportunist neighbour for the seizure of their own land in future? The small separate area might get weaker if it separates itself from the whole. It would easily be converted to another, 'disputed territory' by invoking some kind of history behind it. The creation of new states in the vicinity of the country's boundaries is much more dangerous than the creation of new states far away from the  neighbouring countries.

When was it last that two states of India integrated forever? At present, most of the states seem to follow the process of disintegration.

Source: India-A Comprehensive Geography
By D.R. Khullar 

Few demands for the creation of new and smaller states that have sprung up in recent times are: Vidarbha, Harit Pradesh, Awadh Pradesh, Purvanchal, Blundelkhand, Badoland, Garoland, Greater Cooch Behar, Kamatpur and Gorkhland.

Looking at the Cauvery Water Dispute. What if Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu integrate? As a single state ( without any political or geographical boundary)   that seriously looks for the welfare of its people,how would the water be distributed? After getting United,wouldn't the thoughts change? Together they could work on the execution of the 'Ganga Kaveri Link Canal'.  There won't be a 'you and me', there would be 'us'. With the division of states, the problems of 'you and me' would become more prominent. 

If Gorkhland gets separated, the neighbouring country might just think of its own expansion by striving to get the weakened state under its territory and name it as 'Greater  ..country's name..'.

Source: Wikipedia 

When Gorkhland, as a different state in India, would be in crisis, it would call for help from West Bengal and its neighbouring states. Apart from above issues, River Teesta problem might just get more prominent. While looking from the business point of view, waybills would have to be generated for every incoming good in Bengal. Most waybills would be generated for Darjeeling Tea. But, 'Darjeeling' would be a part of which state-Gorkhaland, Greater Cooch Behar, Kamatpur or some other? 

Solutions must be sought for the closing of Pandora's Box. Instead of focusing on creating boundaries, states must focus on removing boundaries. They must seek the unity within the states and between the states. Benefit for all must be sought for by considering the welfare of the unified state 'India'. Then,  India would seem to be a Stateless Country which would state much across the globe.

ક્રિયાકાંડ અને આજનો સમાજ

ક્રિયાકાંડ અને આજનો સમાજ 

આ વિષય પર ચિંતન કરતા એક પંક્તિ યાદ આવી રહી છે ,

"થાકી ગયેલ બુદ્ધે ઈશ્વરની કલ્પના કરી,
એને ગમ્યું તે સાર અને બાકી બધું અસાર." 

ક્રિયાકાંડ ફક્ત ધર્મ નહિ પણ એક ઊંડી સમજ છે. આજનો થાકી ગયેલ માણસ ક્રિયાકાંડને એક બહિર્મુખ નિયમ સમજી બેઠો છે. સંસાર માર્ગમાં ચાલતા દરેક વ્યક્તિને ક્રિયાકાંડ એક દબાણ લાગે છે. આજના સમાજની ભાગદૌડ ભરી જિંદગીમાં ક્રિયાકાંડ એક બોજ બની બેઠું છે. બીજી દૃષ્ટિએ જોઈએ તો હાલના સમયમાં ક્રિયાકાંડ વધતું જાય છે, પણ ફકત "દેખાડો " કરવા પૂરતુંજ!
જે 'સ્વ'થી વિખૂટો પડ્યો છે તે ક્રિયાકાંડનો સાર સમજી શકતો નથી. ક્રિયાકાંડ આંતરિક વિકાસનું એક સાધન છે. જેટલું માનવ નું મન સારા કર્મોમાં પરોવાયેલું રહે, તેટલોજ તેનો વિકાસ થતો રહે. મન જ્યારે ભૌતિક સુખમાં પરોવાયેલું રહે ત્યારે ક્રિયાકાંડ અસાર બની જાય છે.
સદીયો પહેલા સાર મુજબ ક્રિયાકાંડ કરવામાં આવતા. હાલમાં તો ક્રિયાકાંડ એક છબી બની ગઈ છે. જન્મથી લઇ મૃત્યુ સુધીની દરેક પ્રક્રિયામાં લોકો એક બ્રાહ્મણને નિયુક્ત કરી પોતે ચિંતામુક્ત બની જાય છે.
સમજણ અને પ્રેમ વગરનું ક્રિયાકાંડ એક મજૂર જેવું છે. આ લખતા મને  કબીરના દોહા નું સ્મરણ થાય છે:

"બાની તો પાણી ભરે, ચારો વેદ મજૂર,
કરણી તો ગણ કરે, સાહેબ કા ઘર દૂર."

વાણીથી તો પાણી ભરાય અને ચારે વેદ મજૂર સમાન બની જાય, તેજ રીતે કરવામાં આવતા ક્રિયાકાંડનું સ્થાન તો ઘરમાં માટી ને છાણ મિશ્ર કરી લીપણ કરે તેટલુંજ મહત્તવ ધરાવે છે!

હાલના સમયમાં વ્યક્તિ ક્રિયાકાંડ કરવા જાયને નવા કાંડ ઊભા કરી બેસે છે. "ક્રિયાકાંડ અને આજનો સમાજ", આ વિષય પર જેટલું ચિંતન કરીએ તેટલું ઓંછુંજ છે. મનમાં "શ્રી ચિત્રભાનુ" મહારાજ ની પંક્તિ તરવરી રહી છે:

"શુભ થાઓ આ સકળ વિશ્વ નું,એવી ભાવના નિત્ય રહે...
...દીન,ક્રૂર ને ધર્મ વિહોણાં, દેખી દીલમાં દર્દ વહે...
...ધર્મસ્થાનક ની ધર્મ ભાવના  હૈયે સહુ માનવ લાવે..."