“Om Shantih Shantih Shantih”

An advice to chant “Om” and a couple of shlokas at the start of yoga exercises on the International Day of Yoga on June 21 has triggered angry reactions from the so called secular parties, which have accused the government of pushing a “sectarian agenda”.

The government has released a Common Yoga Protocol to be followed by the participants on June 21. The protocol says yoga exercises should be preceded by a prayer that begins with the chanting of “Om” three times, and ends with “Om Shantih Shantih Shantih”. While resisting this move some people have even suggested that OM should be replaced with a suitable word which will be acceptable to all (read pseudo secularists). But one wonders how this can be done as it is an integral part of Yogic practice. Yoga as popularly misunderstood is not just a physical exercise nor just a regimen to get rid of our physical ailments. It is a Holistic Spiritual practice which helps in synthesizing our various layers of personality. Postures help in tuning our body, but it’s the mantras which help us in tuning our mind. Before crying foul that this is an attempt to foist the belief system of Hindus on others, one should understand what these mantras mean and what their effects are. Om is not just a sound but the primal sound of the universe that comprises of all the sounds within itself. Chanting OM brings a degree of peace and purification to the mind. Medical studies have found that chanting OM with concentration enables you to reduce the adrenaline levels that in turn helps in reducing the stress levels. Since chanting OM segregates you from the world and the associated tensions, you tend to find peace without the distraction and you feel pious and serene. 

Few years ago, scientists conducted an experiment in which participants who had never chanted Om mantra were asked to chant it for few minutes and each of their chants were recorded. The time frequency analysis of it showed irregular waveforms which indicated unsteadiness in the mind. They were asked to chant the mantra on a regular basis and after few days, the experiment was repeated. The time-frequency analysis this time had some startling revelations. The waveforms were improved with regular spacing, had almost perfect symmetry and harmony. Not only had these participants witnessed dramatic improvements in focus, concentration & steadiness, but found themselves to be in peace, witnessed reduction in mental stress & could remain calm all the time.

One should not forget that irrespective of the faith all Indians belong to this great old tradition and culture. It is this culture which gave Ayurveda and Siddha medicine to this world. The medicines are prepared by invoking lord Danvantri, a god of Medicine. If people can take those medicines without any qualms why should there be any resistance to Yoga with mantras? Such protests are not coming from any other theocratic states. In fact many of those countries are taking to Yoga as they see the inherent benefit in it. It’s only the pseudo secular politicians from our land who are crying hoarse. 

Yoga is the panacea for the problems which the modern world is facing. Yoga is the answer to the religious fundamentalism which is threatening to push the humanity into extinction. Yoga teaches us the vision of oneness which makes one feel that he is a part of the creation and not distinct from it. A vision which endears one to nature and to all other beings. It highlights the need to uncover all the wisdom found in traditional knowledge systems to find clues to the contemporary problems faced by humanity. It is a philosophy in action. 

Every Indian irrespective of the faith he or she is following now is a rightful legatee of this ancient wisdom. But at the same time it belongs to those and only those who are proud of their cultural heritage and cherish the rich tradition. Not to those who are ashamed of their ancestry and live in denial.  Any attempt to delink yoga from Hinduism should be condemned.

V.V.Balasubramanian

YB-ET

Subjugation is what they want, not tolerance

The award wapsis, 'con star' echoing their fears and their wife's fears have all heated up a total non-issue into a hot headliner. Entire mainstream media is abuzz with discussions about the safety of minorities. Hindus with no media to vent their point of view have taken to social media.  The illogical, preposterous and the ridiculous allegations have been rightly rebutted in the social media. While countering these absurd allegations we should also try to find out the reasons for them at this juncture, especially when no big communal tension has erupted in the last sixteen months. Is it to derail the investments which are bound to come due to the initiatives taken by our Prime Minister, by projecting that this land is not safe enough for investments? Is the 'intolerance bogie' a creation of the Pseudo secular Intellectuals as they are not able to tolerate anything other than their ideology? Is it a ploy to veer the voters away especially during the assembly elections from the corruption free and development plank with which the ruling party has almost eclipsed a party which has ruled the country for six decades? Or is there something else which lies underneath the carpet which is too obvious for all of us to ignore?

Let us see some of the actions/decisions by this Government in the last one and a half year. Swacch Bharat programs, Make in India Initiatives, Jan Dhan Yojna schemes, Pahal Yojana scheme, Billions of dollars which are bound to come in as Investments due to the steps taken by Prime Minister are all not mere rhetorics. They are concrete action plans which have already started to materialize. But the signs of a Government which is not just focused on economic development but also keen on safeguarding the interests of the nation's cultural heritage came to fore through the cancellation of licenses of nearly 15000 NGos and announcing a 500 cr package to resettle the kashmiri Pundits. Choking the funds for the NGOs, many of which were actually indulging in nefarious and anti-national activities covertly was one main reason behind all these agitations. The '5star activists' are rattled as their funds are choked and not only that the government is also investigating about their erstwhile activities. The result is the rage which we see in the media. The Jihadis and the missionaries who are behind these NGOs are finding this new turf a difficult one to play on. They are not used to this kind of assertion. The Jihadis and Missionaries have all along toyed with a society which was lacking in self-esteem, confidence and courage. What they actually want and expect is subjugation and not assertion. Even after independence our country seldom showed this kind of assertion as it was ruled by people who were more like proxies to the colonial rulers.

This is a sign of a nation coming out of the shackles. If the rumblings are more, be assured that we are progressing in the right direction.

V.V.Balasubramanian
YB-ET

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In the eyes of ….

What a foreigner would think about India if he reads about the happenings in our country? A country where there is no law and order and peace prevailing. A country more risky and dangerous at the moment than Syria. That’s the picture anyone will get if he relies on the media especially the English media’s reporting on India. Suppression of freedom of expression, hate killings, returning of the awards by the yesteryear awardees all goes to paint a picture which looks so grim. But is it true? Is it even closer to reality? It has become a habit for these media pundits to demand an answer from Prime Minister for all issues starting from student’s rebellion in Pune to the recent Dadri incident. An issue concerning the state administration is being made to look as the folly of the central government. But one wonders how many times these people have sought responses from Manmohan Singh when he was at the helm of affairs, and even when he was accountable and responsible to answer the nation?

This gives rise to the ever raising doubt that whether these awards were given to the touts of the ruling party then. The orchestrated manner in which all these so called ‘liberals’ are ranting against the government confirms this doubt. When the 1984 genocide of Sikhs happened, when on 26/11 in broad daylight and under media glare the henchmen from Pakistan shot down several of our country men, when 1993 bomb attack killed several and maimed hundreds of our brethren, when our own brothers in Kashmir were made to flee their homes and take refuge elsewhere we didn’t see any of these liberals surrender their awards nor raise their voice against the crime that was being committed. And in the last two decades many bomb blasts and such attacks happened which should have shaken the conscience of these people. Alas, they were silent. The reason what the writers are quoting is that to protest against the increasing violence and intolerance against minorities. It doesn't help them or public in any way. Fact is that only the so called secular and attention seeking writers are returning their award and they are doing so not because they want to prove a point but to be in lime light. It has become fashion these days to slam government to become famous.

Well as far as the hate crimes are concerned India is not in the race to top the table. Canada which has 1/40 of India‘s population has 1200 hate crimes in an year. And these are not Indian style ink throwing incidents. Sweden, a much developed country which has 1/120 of India’s population has about 6500 hate violence incidents last year. Even France and Ireland have more. In a country of 1.3 billion people of various hues we can very well say that these crimes are not on an alarming rise. But exaggerating one incident and marring a whole nation is done with malicious intent. It’s good that they are returning their ill-gotten awards. Better let them return it with the prize money along with interest is the thought which pops up in every one’s mind.

V.V.Balasubramanian

YB-ET